Reviews by Molly O. (Centennial, CO)

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Making Friends Can Be Murder
Making Friends Can Be Murder
by Kathleen West
The multiple Sarahs (2/17/2025)
Memorable characters made this mystery a fun read. Many were harboring secrets that were revealed as the story developed. I was glad author Kathleen West numbered her characters by age so I could keep them all straight. Also, the multi-generational sleuthing by the Sarahs - …more
Harlem Rhapsody
Harlem Rhapsody
by Victoria Christopher Murray
Rhapsody hits flat note (9/24/2024)
I was excited to read this new offering by Victoria Christopher Murphy about the Harlem , Renaissance in the 1910s. While I learned much about the rising literary stars of the period, I was sorely disappointed by the storytelling. Jessie Fauset , accompanied by her …more
Bad Animals
Bad Animals: A Novel
by Sarah Braunstein
Bad Animals (1/14/2024)
What began as an introspective and mundane bit of belly button gazing by an insecure librarian became a complex and fascinating look at the true inner workings of a repressed an deluded middle-aged woman. Maeve's identity as a wife and mother is fragile, so her sense of …more
Leaving
Leaving: A Novel
by Roxana Robinson
Why They Leave (12/9/2023)
This beautifully written novel explores the power of intimacy: what every human needs and what happens when it escapes them. When Sarah and Warren renew their relationship after decades apart, they find the intimacy they lacked in their youth that was the cause of their …more
Above the Salt
Above the Salt: A Novel
by Katherine Vaz
A Must Read (9/29/2023)
What an astonishing novel this is. To describe its parts almost seems to diminish the whole that is so much more than the sum of its qualities. Beginning in the mid-19th century and continuing to the end, it is a chronicle of the vast changes taking place America and the …more
The Witches at the End of the World
The Witches at the End of the World
by Chelsea Iversen
The Witches at the End of the World (8/10/2023)
I can't decide in which genre this novel belongs. If it is a YA (Young Adult) novel, I would rate it higher than if it is in adult fiction. The mostly flat characters, the predictable plot and the happy ending are all elements that appeal to young readers. Those …more
Mrs. Plansky's Revenge
Mrs. Plansky's Revenge
by Spencer Quinn
I love Mrs. Plansky (4/19/2023)
What a refreshing romp I had with Loretta Plansky as she takes matters into her own hands to recover funds that cyber criminals stole in a telephone scam. Armed with a new hip and an indefatigable spirit, she travels alone to Romania to track down her money and to recover …more
The Critic's Daughter
The Critic's Daughter: A Memoir
by Priscilla Gilman
Co-dependency at its Worst (1/30/2023)
I was intrigued by the author's mercurial father, the renowned drama critic, Richard Gilman. But as the book progressed, I became increasingly frustrated by the severe co-dependency suffered by the two. Unfortunately, that issue was never resolved, so I failed to understand …more
Moonrise Over New Jessup
Moonrise Over New Jessup
by Jamila Minnicks
Unique view of Utopia (12/30/2022)
Historically there has been a longing for an idyllic life. In Jamila Minnicks' new offering, Moonrise Over New Jessup, a black community sees its hope for Utopia resides in segregation. Although all utopian dreams fail, the sincere desire and moral standing of the people of …more
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
by Colleen Oakley
On the Road Again (10/13/2022)
The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise is a delightful romp across state lines as the title characters try to evade the law. While the road trip and odd couple characters are common tropes, octogenarian Louise is fresh and clever. She is the heart of the story. Author …more
River Sing Me Home
River Sing Me Home
by Eleanor Shearer
River Sing Me Home (9/8/2022)
I was immediately attracted to this book by its lyrical title, and the writing throughout did not disappoint. What did disappoint me was the pace of the narrative. While certainly I felt the long, arduous journey Rachel and her family made through the islands, it was a slog …more
The Empire of Dirt
The Empire of Dirt: A Novel
by Francesca Manfredi
Coming of age story (6/22/2022)
Frankly, I'm not sure what to think of this book. I even reread the Book of Exodus to see how the plagues in the Bible were relevant to those in the novel. As the plagues freed the Israelite slaves so did the plagues free Valentina from the superstitions of her ultra- …more
On a Night of a Thousand Stars
On a Night of a Thousand Stars
by Andrea Yaryura Clark
A Book of a thousand details (2/17/2022)
On a Night of a Thousand Stars belongs to a subgenre of historical fiction that toggles between two parallel narratives – set in the past and the present – which play off each other to reveal the horrors that occurred in Argentina's recent past. While I particularly enjoy …more
Housebreaking
Housebreaking
by Colleen Hubbard
Housebreaking a disappointment (11/21/2021)
While the tediousness of dismantling a house is clearly felt by the ad nauseum description of it, I was bored by the nearly unrelenting destruction of an empty life. Adela, now known as Del, finds that changing her name does not change her past. Faced with forfeiting her …more
How to Find Your Way Home
How to Find Your Way Home
by Katy Regan
How to Find Your Way Home (10/22/2021)
While the premise of a devoted sister finding her long-lost brother is an intriguing one, it in fact falls flat. Author Katy Regan can't seem to decide if the story is a social commentary on the homeless, or a mystery or an ode to nature. The trope of amnesia is well worn …more
A Million Things
A Million Things
by Emily Spurr
A Million Things (5/11/2021)
Following a gruesome event, youngster Rae must find a way to cope while maintaining an appearance of normalcy. Her elderly neighbor, Lettie, provides a begrudged friendship and the lonely twosome bond. While I liked both spunky Rae and irascible Lettie, I found other …more
The Narrowboat Summer
The Narrowboat Summer
by Anne Youngson
The Narrowboat Summer (12/14/2020)
Author Ann Youngson has a gift for taking the ordinary and using it as a background to explore complexities of friendship. Two complete strangers agree to ferry a narrowboat through canals in England as a favor to a third stranger. During their languid trip through locks, …more
The Blind Light
The Blind Light: A Novel
by Stuart Evers
The Blind Light by Stuart Evers (10/27/2020)
Living with the fear of nuclear holocaust, two families' lives are intertwined after the partriarchs – Carter and Drum – meet as young military men who witness the aftermath of the Bomb in a military simulation. This saga spans nearly 60 years in which we become intimately …more
You Were There Too
You Were There Too
by Colleen Oakley
Unable to suspend disbelief (9/4/2019)
When reading literature, we are often asked to suspend our disbelief, to immerse ourselves in the story, to let tale surround and uplift us to join the author in her world. I was never able to do so in Colleen Oakley's You Were There Too. I couldn't buy the constant …more
More News Tomorrow
More News Tomorrow: A Novel
by Susan Richards Shreve
Whodonit With a Twist (4/15/2019)
Creating suspense with a question about an old murder leads this book off with a grabber. The main character, Georgie, is an anthropologist who is driven to discover things that are lost so they can be found. In this instance, it is the true murderer of her mother. Shifts …more
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