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Reviews by Barbara C. (Riverside, CA)

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My Lovely Wife
by Samantha Downing
The Good Mother (10/7/2018)
Not my taste. Appreciated the convoluted story line, but I could not come to grips with the perception of the narrator as a good person. Learning the "truth" at the end made me fear for the kids. Is therapy enough?
Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History
by Keith O'Brien
We Women are Are Amazing! (6/10/2018)
How special these women were. They also had families and everyday lives, but created exciting life-threatening experiences at a time when most men wouldn't dare do what they did. The term comfort zone hadn't been invented yet, thank goodness. I loved the detail and appreciated the connections they had with each other and other historical events. They crashed the glass ceiling. I loved the part where they used Old Orchard Beach for a runway, I will be there next week visiting relatives in Maine. It will mean more than ever.
Vox
by Christina Dalcher
Wow! (4/26/2018)
Really woke me up. Good on many levels: technothriller, love story, family tale, suspense . I couldn't put it down. Had to see what would happen next. I like author's writing style. Not many extra words (just like plot itself). I have spent much of my life studying linguistics, so that part called me. I could put myself in Jean's shoes about ignoring important things. The ending was a little predictable, but it turned out best for most of the characters. Whoops, I almost ran out of words. Only get 100.
The Days When Birds Come Back
by Deborah Reed
Exercise in tragedies (11/4/2017)
June and Jameson needed to find each other in order for readers to experience with them the sad and wide range of bad happenings they sort of survive: death of parents and children, physical injuries, loss of love, alcoholism, misunderstandings, and more. To me it portrays overwrought lives which most of us wouldn't get through. Also had a series of coincidences that I found ludicrous. I gave it a 3 because of the interesting home renovation. I guess I don't see the book as plausible. Especially the ending. Sorry, Deborah.
Extraordinary Adventures
by Daniel Wallace
Sixty years ago, I had a boyfriend sorta like Ed. (2/25/2017)
I found this whimsical story very engaging. I know a lot of socially inept people like Ed. He muddled through and learned a lot in those 95 or so days. There were many glitches in this tale. Ed had great resolution to his problem at the end which he earned. The promise of future happiness was certainly dangled on the last pages.
Edgar and Lucy
by Victor Lodato
Not exactly my style (12/5/2016)
Poor Edgar. I think his life would have been even worse, if he hadn't met Conrad. For those few weeks Edgar had interesting experiences and a pet. Conrad could have finished what he did without Edgar. My favorite character is the butcher. He exemplifies how I want to be, What a normal husband and dad! (Or maybe I am crazy!) I liked the end of the book best.
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things: A Novel
by Bryn Greenwood
Foreshadowing! (5/18/2016)
I don't see this as truly average in any way. Need a rating "not ratable" From the beginning, one could see tragedy brewing! At the end one could see how this would turn into a real story with real people--Wavy and Kellen are great, finally. The middle part of the book was a salacious story that could have happened. I wanted to stop reading, but I had to see how the author would resolve the story. I am sorry I read this book all the way through. The writing and organizational details were well done. It will probably be a best seller.
The Alaskan Laundry
by Brendan Jones
I see myself here. (1/30/2016)
When I graduated from college, I took a job in Central America. I couldn't bear living at home again with my dad.I so relate to Tara. The book was very well written and easy to follow, and it was also a book that evokes life in Alaska. This story was multidimensional. The reader learns culture of the rural fishing life, friendship, value of hard work, love. We discover late in book why Tara is so messed up. It appears that it will have one sort of happy ending, but wait... can we be sure? The title, The Alaskan Laundry, is explained, and it is a perfect name. I loved, loved, loved this book,
The Two-Family House
by Lynda Cohen Loigman
Way too predictable! (11/22/2015)
One could tell from the beginning, the trajectory of the story to come, Little positive could come from this premise. The main characters were drawn with a broad stroke: negative or positive. The death in the middle was gratuitous to me, Just a way to make the characters more unhappy. The pain was doubled because of the family dynamics, I admit I cried for the mothers. I truly admired Rose and the decision she made. Thar was my attitude toward the entire book. Without Natalie to create a positive ending, I would have abandoned them to their fate. I don't have to have a happy ending but I do need to feel that the resolution is not just tying loose ends.
Home by Nightfall: A Charles Lenox Mystery
by Charles Finch
Several plots to tie up. (9/10/2015)
I have read all the books in the series. The quality varies, but don't skip any of them. The detail of daily life was very interesting at Lenox House.. The country strand with Edmund and Mr. Hadley was well defined and the solution was satisfying. However, it appears to me that Mr. Finch ran out of ideas for the Muller strand. I really enjoy learning more about the Lenox family each book: I love Charles. Lady Jane, and Sophia. Every book gives us more detail about nineteenth century life.
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