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Reviews by Becky H

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Band of Sisters
Band of Sisters: A Novel
by Lauren Willig
Society girls and daring do (3/29/2022)
Powerfully written and exhaustively researched, this lightly fictionalized account of the Smith College Relief Unit that assisted French villages decimated by Germany during WWI is an exciting tale of daring do. The Smith Unit, made up of recent graduates of Smith College, …more
Black Widows
Black Widows: A Novel
by Cate Quinn
Three wives, three reasons to kill (3/15/2022)
Blake Nelson wanted to be left alone with his three wives in wilds of Utah. Unfortunately, someone wanted him dead. One of his wives? Perhaps. They all had reason to hate him. But did they have enough reason to kill? Rachel, first wife, obedient to a fault. Hated by the …more
The Paris Bookseller
The Paris Bookseller
by Kerri Maher
interesting, but a bit long (11/3/2021)
I was half way through this book before I realized it is essentially an accurate and lengthy biography of Sylvia Beach and her English language bookshop. Beach and her Paris shop, "Shakespeare and Company", hosted many of the writers and thinkers of the early half of the 20 …more
The Man Who Died Twice
The Man Who Died Twice: Thursday Murder Club Mysteries #2
by Richard Osman
Lots of fun....and murder (11/3/2021)
THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE by Richard Osman
This second outing for the Thursday Murder Club is just as much fun as the first. We learn a bit more about each of four members, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim as they meet Elizabeth’s ex-husband, also a former (or current?) member …more
Honor
Honor
by Thrity Umrigar
A tale of conflicts (9/1/2021)
India, a land of contradictions, is front and center in this novel of HONOR and how it can be used to hurt and even kill. Two women share the spotlight, Meena, dreadfully maimed by her brothers because she has brought dishonor to their family, and Smita, an American …more
At the Chinese Table
At the Chinese Table: A Memoir with Recipes
by Carolyn Phillips
A delight for eyes and mouth (6/23/2021)
This utterly delightful book combines memoir with recipes. The memoir portion consists of a fascinating account of the author’s years in Taiwan sparked by mouthwatering descriptions of the food she eats as she learns Mandarin and falls in love with the country, the cuisines …more
Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary
by Andy Weir
Great ending (5/21/2021)
The sun is being eaten by an alien infestation. Mankind will cease to exist in 50 years. So… Project Hail Mary. Send a crew of scientists to a star that has beaten back the infestation and see how they did it. This being a seat of your pants thriller, things go wrong – …more
Mrs. March
Mrs. March: A Novel
by Virginia Feito
Not for everyone, but great (5/3/2021)
The feeling of portending disaster looms from the very first page, The disturbing adjectives and descriptions add to the malevolence. I hated this book and loved it at the same time. The writing is wonderful. The character of Mrs. March spirals out of control splendidly.
I …more
Klara and the Sun
Klara and the Sun
by Kazuo Ishiguro
disappointing (4/28/2021)
Oh MY! I still am not quite sure what exactly was going on in this interesting Sci-fi (I think) novel that is ultimately unsatisfying. Yes, we know what happens to Klara, but we are still unsure exactly what happens with or to anyone else. Is josie happy? Is Rick happy? Is …more
Flight of Dreams
Flight of Dreams
by Ariel Lawhon
Flight of Dreams (3/17/2021)
Using the real people who lived and died on the dirigible Hindenburg, Lawhon tells a fascinating story of what might have occurred during the Hindenburg’s last flight. Impeccable research into the passengers and crew lend credibility to the characters who include an acrobat, …more
Smalltime
Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob
by Russell Shorto
Criminals in the family (2/25/2021)
Lots of individual vignettes are interesting in this memoir. Many individuals and their stories make for a challenging read trying to keep them all straight. Shorto has written a detailed narrative genealogy of his father’s family in an attempt to discover who murdered …more
The Last Tiara
The Last Tiara
by M.J. Rose
The Last Tiara (2/12/2021)
The Russian Revolution plays a large part in this tale of love, betrayal, family, jewels, secrets, privilege and glass ceilings. Like Russian novels, this one has twists, turns, blind corners and secrets galore. Sofia, a young art restorer in Tsarist Russia, is friends with …more
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie
by Marie Benedict
I hate timeline jumps (2/7/2021)
Agatha Christie, renowned writer of mysteries, disappeared for 11 days in 1926. Although a country wide search was made, no one was able to find her until she turned up on day eleven claiming amnesia. What REALLY happened – no one knows. Marie Benedict makes an interesting …more
The Vanishing Half
The Vanishing Half: A Novel
by Brit Bennett
An Unsettling book (1/27/2021)
Unsettling is the only word I can use to describe this book. Can a person vanish? To themselves? To their family? Can men vanish from society? the world? Can a person vanish and still be physically present? Can a town vanish? Can a person make themselves vanish – even to …more
The Girl with the Louding Voice
The Girl with the Louding Voice
by Abi Daré
You should read this book (1/12/2021)
This was a wonderful book – after I got past the dialect the main character and narrator speaks. Adunni, the young Nigerian girl with the “louding” voice, is fourteen as the novel begins. From an extremely poor family, she is sold into marriage with an older man who stops …more
The Only Plane in the Sky
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11
by Garrett M. Graff
A searing account of 9/11 (1/2/2021)
Subtitled "An Oral History Of 9/11", this is a collection of memories and statements that portray in timeline fashion what happened in the US on September 11, 2001. This was difficult to read. I could only read a bit before I had to put it down. Perhaps those who did not …more
We Are Not from Here
We Are Not from Here
by Jenny Torres Sanchez
A terrifying escape to the US (1/2/2021)
Three young teenagers are forced to flee their Guatemala home when they are targeted by the local drug dealer. They travel through Mexico to the United States where they hope to find safety with relatives.

This novel is a searing look at the hardships and dangers of all …more
The Thursday Murder Club
The Thursday Murder Club
by Richard Osman
A delightful cozy (1/2/2021)
A foursome of retired folk in a senior home get together to take a look at unsolved crimes. Much to their surprise they find themselves embroiled in a real present-day murder.

A delightful cozy with fully realized characters -- and they are characters! Deftly plotted with …more
The Exiles
The Exiles
by Christina Baker Kline
Transported! (11/9/2020)
Evangeline, a young governess, is arrested on a false charge and “transported” to Australia. Her lover does not rescue her and she bears his child on the ship.
In the 1840’s Britain sent thousands of “undesirables” to exile in Australia. Baker’s book tells the story of …more
As Bright as Heaven
As Bright as Heaven
by Susan Meissner
The 1918 Spanish Flu is similar to COVID19 (5/1/2020)
In 1918 there was the Spanish Flu. It was devastating. Millions died. This is the story of how one ordinary family was affected.
The Bright family chooses to move to Philadelphia where they will take over the family mortuary just as the Great War and the Spanish Flu descend …more

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