I found Morningside Heights by Joshua Henkin such a depressing story. Perhaps it is because we are in a pandemic and a member of my family suffers from Parkinson's disease but I struggled to get through this book. I was looking for "the sweeping and compassionate novel" but was disappointed. I like to read a book where you care about the characters but I never cared about them. I found Arlo especially annoying where he enters his stepsister's room and cuts off her hair. What was that about! I also didn't like this book because I just read The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman and I loved that book and its endearing characters. This book was not the book for me.

My sister, Miriam Boots, passed on the book , The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman, to me and we both loved it! It starts slow, but the characters become so engaging leading up to a can’t put this book down ending. Wow. It truly is a “charming, warm, and uplifting” as the cover says. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

I thought I would not like this Greek-themed story where the author reveals the heroes darker desires and the even darker sides of the gods of Olympus. However, I found I got interested in the story and its characters. It is a dark tale of humans caught up in the jealous fighting between various gods that most often ends up with tragic consequences for the mortals involved. Ariadne is one of these tragic figures.

As I read this story,though I found the circumstances of the Minotaur's birth to Ariadne's Mother deeply disturbing, I did want to find out what happens to Ariadne. It was hard to rate this book as it was so different from others but it was an interesting read.

While I was happy to read The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington, I found the story disappointing. As the story went on, I found the choices the main character makes disappointing. He is completely taken in by life among the wealthy and his wealthy upperclassman friend, Archer. After the suggestion of a homosexual encounter between the two, I kind of lost sympathy for Charlie. The only time he shows strength of character is when he runs away but then he comes back. I was glad to find out his absent father knew about him. I would be interested to hear what others say but this book is not one I would recommend.

I tried to like A Girl Is A Body Of Water but I didn't. It is a coming of age story and though I found the part where Kirabo leaves her body such an interesting detail, the characters were not that interesting to me. I just lost interest in the book. It was hard to keep the characters straight. I may just move on to another book and maybe come back to this one but I don't think I will. I love reading and books and maybe it is this troubled time we are in, but this was not the book for me. I couldn't stay with it.

I found Daughter of the Reich by Louise Fein "a beautifully written and emotionally wrenching journey " as it said on the back of the book. Though I found the brainwashing of Hetty and her blind worship of Hitler disturbing, her character's growth and her growing love for Walter had me rooting for her against the growing evil she faces. The ending had me tearful and was wonderful. It was one of the books you close and say "what a wonderful story". I highly recommend it!

Miss Austin by Gill Hornby is an interesting story of Cassandra Austin set in England in 1840. We learn of her life and her close relationship to her famous sister, Jane Austin, through letters between the two sisters. The story switches from the present to the past with the letters. The plight of women in "spinsterhood spent in long, suffering service to parent and siblings" comes through this story. I was transported into the feeling of the times by the language the author chooses. I found this story delightful and really enjoyed it.

I really tried to like this book but ended up being critical of it. I was looking forward to reading about the Kennedys and their life together but this intimate recreation of their lives seemed like gossip. I did however find many of the details interesting and I learned things I didn't know.

I did find the author's notes in the Reader's Guide interesting and it explained her thinking about her decisions in changing things in her book. And I did like the ending of this story highlighting Jackie's love of her children which came out tenderly in this book.