I enjoyed reading this book although it was a tragic story. The author chose an interesting way to convey what it is like to live with a mentally ill parent. The story is told in first person through the eyes of the ten-year old daughter of a mother who has recently killed herself. That happens early in the book so it is not a spoiler. The daughter is left alone with her dog to fend for herself. She is an amazing young girl and I don't think there are many kids who would cope as well as she did. I wondered whether she was realistic but she was such a great character I just chose to believe in her and enjoy her resiliency. You get to know the neighbors around her as she struggles to cope with taking care of herself in her mother's absence. Her elderly next- door neighbor is a hoarder so that is another kind of mental illness explored in the book. My review makes it sound like the book is depressing but it is actually uplifting if you can suspend your belief in the likelihood of this young protagonist being so amazing.

The Last Tiara was an enjoyable read. The story is historical fiction, a mystery and a romance rolled into one page turning novel. The story takes you from post-World War II New York to Russia in the 1920s and 30s. Chapters alternate between a mother and her daughter. Both of these characters were admirable women. The daughter had to solve a mystery to understand her mother's life in Russia. The fact that this mystery involved a tiara that once belonged to a daughter of the last Czar of Russia could have made the story unbelievable but the way it unfolded made it seem very real and definitely keeps you interested in finding out what is going to happen next. This book lends itself to getting comfy on a rainy Pandemic day and losing yourself in a captivating story.

I enjoyed reading this book and found it an engaging and easy read. It is a story about confronting the past to make way for a brighter future. I liked the road trip with the mother and her teen age daughter and the development of their new relationship. I would recommend this book to others although not for those looking for a complicated read.

I liked the setting of this book. I enjoyed learning about the culture of making soy sauce and loved the family's back story. I never felt any affection for the main character. She seemed shallow and although she improved towards the end she never won me over. I felt sorry for her parents. The plot was fairly predictable. I probably would not recommend this to my book club.

I enjoyed reading this mystery that takes place in a small town in West Virginia. The main characters are complex and I found myself interested in their past and futures. I did not figure out the mystery until the end. The one feature I did not like about this book was the inclusion of a subplot involving the CIA and a terrorist. I believe the author should have trusted the small town she created and its inhabitants to keep the reader interested instead of throwing in this subplot and killing lots of extra people. I probably wouldn't recommend this to my book club--it seems more like a summer beach read.

This is a coming of age story of two sisters under difficult circumstances. The story centers around the older sister. For most of the book I really did not like her character but the author did a good job of helping you understand her perspective and why she behaved like she did. Reading about how she was able to change was almost as painful for the reader as it was for her. I enjoyed reading about the girls travels and where they ended up. The book would provide many good discussion points for a book club and anyone who has ever raised a teenager can relate to the main character's journey.

The story that unfolds in this book is not an unfamiliar one. A couple appears to have the perfect life and be each others soul mates. He is a prize winning writer and she is independently wealthy. They summer in the Hamptons and live in NYC during the year. He is even sent to Rome for a year to write. A young woman enters their group and she seems likable as well. If everyone remained content with the status quo there would be no story. The story comes about because some aren't satisfied with just being happy and seem driven to seek something else. The reader knows that things will not end well although I never guessed how tragically events would unfold. No one escapes the consequences of the "Indiscretion". I enjoyed reading this and believe it would be a great springboard for discussion in book groups.

This book is the story of a "suburban madam". The woman's back story is revealed slowly through out the book. I did feel some sympathy for the main character and understood why she grew to suppress all emotion except for her son. The book kept me reading because I wanted to find out why she ended up where she did and what her motivations were. In the end I felt very lukewarm towards the heroine and doubted the life she hoped to make for herself and her son. I wouldn't recommend this book because I didn't really like the main character.

This is a mystery set in World War I. The main character is a English nurse who works in aid stations in France. I enjoyed the book because the heroine is intelligent, independent and interesting. Apparently this book is part of a series but stands well alone. The time period is very interesting since both England and France are in such upheaval politically and culturally. It is an easy read and I think anyone who enjoys a good mystery will enjoy the book. I plan to read other books in this series.

Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore was very enjoyable to read. I have some familiarity with the artists who populate this fictional tale and I think he did a great job of bringing them to life as characters in this amusing mystery. The setting is Paris in the late 1800s during the heyday of the Impressionists. Readers will recognize many of the paintings and locations that figure in the story and the book has black and white illustrations to help. I found the mystery of the “Colorman” the weakest part of the book but Moore ties it all together and it did keep me entertained.

Mystery, mysticism, cowboys and Indians, addiction recovery…. what's not to like about this book? It is a fast paced read and kept me entertained and amused. The book is probably not for the hard-boiled realist but for those who believe life can be mysterious and whimsical. I look forward to reading more of this author

This story of a young woman employed as a nanny in New York City with a family that takes advantage of her has been done before. The nanny is a recent immigrant from Trinidad so there are cultural differences. I liked the main character and admired her tenacity, family ties and strong work ethic but felt her story was too familiar. This book is an easy read and mildly entertaining but would provide little for a book club to discuss.

This book features a wide cast of characters all scarred from events in their past. A non-traditional family forms. The book explores the concept of family and how a family can be a source of healing and wholeness for its members. Some might think the concept is too pat—damaged people healed by a damaged child named Wrecker but I was engaged by the book and loved following Wrecker’s journey from baby to young adulthood. I believe there are many interesting discussion topics for book clubs to explore.

Reading this book is like watching a slowly sinking ship. There is an initial crisis and then the characters slowly sink into worse circumstances through their inability to deal with life changing events. I felt sorry for the characters but also frustrated with their decisions. Although the story takes place in Shanghai, there is little influence of the Chinese culture. This book could provide for interesting discussions on communication and what it means to love someone.