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Reviews by Susan W. (Berkley, MI)

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Making Friends Can Be Murder
Making Friends Can Be Murder
by Kathleen West
This book fits the bill for anyone who loves interesting characters (3/2/2025)
This book is funny and engaging. It is well written and captures the imagination of anyone who has wondered what it would be like to be friends with lots of people who share your name. The plot moves along at an acceptable pace and really held my interest. I liked seeing …more
Three Days in June
Three Days in June: A Novel
by Anne Tyler
Like getting reacquainted with old friends (12/8/2024)
I loved this book, not just because I'm an Anne Tyler fan, but also because I enjoy quirky characters and observing how they interact with each other. Tyler packs a lot into three days, and a wedding certainly brings up a lot of emotion. I did wish for more. It felt a …more
Going Home
Going Home: A Novel
by Tom Lamont
Would you be able to do the right thing? (11/7/2024)
I enjoyed this book. The descriptions of the Scottish countryside were lovely. The characters were very interesting, although at times tiresome. I think Ben's character development was inconsistent; he went from irresponsible to the other extreme. Are we to assume his …more
The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl
The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl
by Bart Yates
This is a wonderful book about family (5/23/2024)
This book had a slow start for me, in fact I wasn't sure I was going to like it. First person narrative doesn't always work for me. However, the author won me over with great characters, captivating descriptions, and an interesting structure to the book. I enjoyed the …more
Help Wanted
Help Wanted: A Novel
by Adelle Waldman
If you enjoy books with interesting characters, this one's for you (1/14/2024)
I am a sucker for good character development and especially, quirky characters. Help Wanted has both. Beyond the characters, this book looks at a portion of the American population that is often overlooked, both in real life as well as in print. People who work behind the …more
Day
Day: A Novel
by Michael Cunningham
What happens if you can't overcome loss (11/6/2023)
This is definitely not a book for someone looking for fast paced action or adventure. Day is a book of character development that is, at times, excruciatingly slow. I appreciated the book taking place over three years; it allowed the author to skip over a lot of unnecessary …more
Digging Stars
Digging Stars: A Novel
by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma
Success: different for different generations (7/21/2023)
This is an interesting book for several reasons. The author tackles the always tricky issue of family relationships as well as ethnicity and how American culture influences people growing up in other countries.

How a parent living in another country shapes the life of their …more
Innards
Innards: Stories
by Magogodi oaMphela Makhene
An important work, but not for me (5/30/2023)
There are important stories told in Innards, however I found it difficult to read. I was tripped up by characters names and confused by the use of African place names and dialect. They are important to the author's story, but the language only got in the way of the plot for …more
Homestead
Homestead: A Novel
by Melinda Moustakis
Homestead: an Alaskan Love Story (2/4/2023)
Simply put, this novel is about homesteading in the territory of Alaska in 1956. But it is really more than that. It is a surprisingly sensitive story about human nature, change, lies, and trust. Through the characters Lawrence and Marie, their families, and other lesser …more
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
by Colleen Oakley
I loved this book! (10/9/2022)
What do you get when you throw an old, steely woman together with a young college dropout? This book tries to answer that question, and I loved their journey.

Early on I thought Oakley's book was just contemporary fiction, but it wasn't long before I uncovered the mysteries …more
The Family Izquierdo
The Family Izquierdo: A Novel
by Rubén Degollado
Do people hope things will never change? (8/29/2022)
This book was captivating. It moved the characters and timeline along with its short story format, which I appreciated. At times I had difficulty with so much of the dialog being in Spanish, but eventually the rhythm of the story let me move past words I didn't know; it …more
One's Company
One's Company: A Novel
by Ashley Hutson
When does a wish for solitude become an obsession (5/12/2022)
This book gave me a lot to think about. Right from the start I was taken in by the idea of a lonely person wanting to immerse themselves in a fictional place. Who hasn't read a book and inserted themselves in the action? But Bonnie is able to take it to the extreme when she …more
Some of It Was Real
Some of It Was Real
by Nan Fischer
Character Development with Plot Twists (3/9/2022)
I enjoyed this book very much. There were plenty of plot twists that were intriguing, starting with the title of the book. The character development unfolded in an interesting way, with the voice of the storyteller alternating among Sylvie, Lucas, and Thomas; it was very …more
Activities of Daily Living
Activities of Daily Living: A Novel
by Lisa Hsiao Chen
Multilayered, moving novel (1/18/2022)
This book gives the reader a lot to think about. On one level it deals with the relationship between parent and child. This was the one I couldn't get out of my thoughts, as I volleyed between being the adult child and the parent: how it feels to grow old, how it feels to …more
The Paris Bookseller
The Paris Bookseller
by Kerri Maher
Good book for fans of James Joyce but not my cup of tea (11/12/2021)
Generally I enjoy historical fiction, either because I'm able to connect with one of the characters, whether they are real or fictional or because I'm drawn in by the plot, the time period, or the setting. Unfortunately The Paris Bookseller did not provide any of these for …more
Take My Hand
Take My Hand
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Take My Hand should be on everyone's "to read" list (9/24/2021)
This is a compelling read, both because of the subject and the author's fine writing. Having two storylines, one in the past and one in present day, keeps the action moving forward and helps explain a lot, however I was disappointed in the completion of the present day …more
A Million Things
A Million Things
by Emily Spurr
I Wish I Knew these Characters (5/9/2021)
I loved this book. The character development of the quirky people who live in this neighborhood is great. They are all very believable; they are compelling. I appreciate the light the author shines on mental health without being preachy. From Rae to Lettie to Rae's mom, …more
The Personal Librarian
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
This book is a winner (2/15/2021)
I rarely give a "five star rating" to a book, but I have not enjoyed a book this much for quite some time. The Personal Librarian is a treasure. It was as captivating as a good novel, and at the same time I was learning about the J. P. Morgan Library and its librarian. I …more
The Madwoman and the Roomba
The Madwoman and the Roomba: My Year of Domestic Mayhem
by SandraTsing Loh
Moms Need a Good Laugh, too! (4/9/2020)
If ever I needed to read a book that would make me laugh, now was the time. Admittedly, it might not have been fair to begin reading in this mindset. In fact, I wasn't completely sold in the first 100 pages. I felt like I was reading the author's stand-up material, and …more
Catherine House
Catherine House: A Novel
by Elisabeth Thomas
Not my cup of tea after all (3/13/2020)
In general I am a sucker for a novel with quirky characters, or even better, a thriller with a quickly moving plot that ultimately ties up its loose ends. Unfortunately, Catherine House disappointed me.

Initially it felt more like a young adult novel to me; the plot, setting, …more
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