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Reviews by Melanie B. (Desoto, TX)

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The Seven O'Clock Club
The Seven O'Clock Club
by Amelia Ireland
Thoughtful and Insightful Novel (11/23/2024)
I didn't want to put this book down. The author does an excellent job of moving the reader through the grief processes of four very different people who somehow manage to share a common experience of loss and the healing acceptance of letting go and moving through their …more
Bad Animals
Bad Animals: A Novel
by Sarah Braunstein
Thoughtful and Introspective (1/17/2024)
This book is a subtle, intriguing unfolding of Maeve Cosgrove's clouded perspective into more clarity and subsequently her awareness of her own emotional growth and power. This story will leave the reader feeling uneasy yet inspired by some aspects of the literary creative …more
Daughters of Shandong
Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung
Riveting and Inspiring (11/5/2023)
This is one of the best books I've read all year! The story of the Ang family and the harrowing journey of Hai, Di, Lan and their Mom as they flee Communist China to be reunited with their with Dad in Taiwan kept me turning pages to find out what would happen next. This …more
This Is Salvaged
This Is Salvaged: Stories
by Vauhini Vara
Interesting Common Theme (8/8/2023)
The short stories presented an interesting common theme — each story presents an aspect of the emotional and physical bodily functions we choose not to discuss but that keeps us all on equal footing. These stories were unique and original in their presentation of humility and humanity.
King of the Armadillos
King of the Armadillos
by Wendy Chin-Tanner
Interesting and Absorbing Book (5/10/2023)
The story is well-written, interesting and absorbing. I was intrigued by the characters while learning about the nature of Hansen's disease. This is an inspirational story that presents a hopeful and realistic portrayal of experiencing life while living with chronic disease. …more
Mrs. Plansky's Revenge
Mrs. Plansky's Revenge
by Spencer Quinn
Sobering Yet Entertaining Novel (4/9/2023)
I really enjoyed this book! The writing style is witty and entertaining while shining a light on the serious nature of cyber crime. The author takes a familiar cyber scam and turns the tables on what is usually an unrecovered loss, revealing heroes where the reader least …more
Moonrise Over New Jessup
Moonrise Over New Jessup
by Jamila Minnicks
Too Much Is Happening In This Novel (12/24/2022)
I expected this book to come together with its various storylines but there seemed to be too much going on at once. The book presents the mystery of Alice's sister Rosie, the back and forth with the family's involvement with the NNAS integration vs. segregation efforts, and …more
Wade in the Water
Wade in the Water: A Novel
by Nyani Nkrumah
We Can't Erase The Past (11/13/2022)
This novel was a well-written, bittersweet story of how decades-old racism and colorism continue to impact the lives of black people and white people in their small Southern community. The parallel experiences of Ella and Kate and their resulting pain related to skin color …more
The Poet's House
The Poet's House
by Jean Thompson
Well-crafted and Entertaining Novel (7/1/2022)
This book was unexpectedly funny, sad, artful and poetic. The warm-hearted telling of Carla's introduction to the business and art of poetry through Viridian's seasoned literary experience and wise philosophy of life was not only entertaining but also funny and a look at …more
The Family Chao
The Family Chao: A Novel
by Lan Samantha Chang
Simmering Family Drama Boils Over (11/23/2021)
The novel begins with repressed anger, resentment, self-loathing and rage that continues at some level throughout the book and can be overwhelming at times. Leo Chao's desire for success and riches emotionally and physically damages his wife Winnie and each one of his sons— …more
Lady Sunshine
Lady Sunshine
by Amy Mason Doan
Good Suspense in 1970s Northern California Setting (5/9/2021)
I was attracted to this book for the 1970s California music setting. Jackie as both narrator in 1979 and 1999 keeps the tension building toward the surprising conclusion. The story has just enough suspense to keep the reader turning the page and also provides a descriptive …more
When Broadway Was Black
When Broadway Was Black: The Triumphant Story of the All-Black Musical that Changed the World (aka Footnotes)
by Caseen Gaines
Excellent History of Black Artists on Broadway (3/21/2021)
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and even followed up with references mentioned in the notes section because I was curious to know more about Noble Sissle, Eubie Blake and the original cast of Shuffle Along. The author provided exceptional detail in an interesting, …more
The Three Mothers
The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation
by Anna Malaika Tubbs
Great Expectations, Average Insight (11/19/2020)
I'm glad to have read this book because I learned background on Alberta King, Berdis Baldwin and Louise Little that I didn't previously know, but a good deal of what these mothers contributed to the lives of their sons seems to be what the reader would assume a "good" …more
The Blind Light
The Blind Light: A Novel
by Stuart Evers
Well Written Story of How Fear Dominates Family Dynamics (10/12/2020)
The Blind Light is a very well written story of two families whose lives intertwine yet run parallel through a generation. The story of Drummond Moore and James Carter and their families reveal how a promise the two men make to protect and be there for each other ends up …more
The Woman Before Wallis
The Woman Before Wallis: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal
by Bryn Turnbull
A Fateful Set of Affairs (7/17/2020)
This is well-written historical fiction imagining the difficult family history of Thelma, Lady Furness, and her affair with the Prince of Wales. Through a series of sometimes confusing flashbacks, Thelma Morgan remembers the most crucial events of her life, starting with …more
And They Called It Camelot
And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
by Stephanie Marie Thornton
Excellent Historical Fiction (12/8/2019)
Stephanie Marie Thornton has written a captivating and historically accurate novel of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. I was enthralled by this book from start to finish. The first person narrative is convincing and not over the top. The many conversations between Jackie and her …more
Remembrance
Remembrance
by Rita Woods
Well Written Narratives Anchor Remembrance (10/16/2019)
This story is a well imagined telling of the power of memory to root us to time and place. The main characters of Mother Abigail, Winter, Margot and Gaelle are connected through a remembering of ancestors and the collective strength of creating and sustaining places of …more
Ordinary Girls
Ordinary Girls: A Memoir
by Jaquira Díaz
Disjointed Story of an Extraordinary Girl (9/28/2019)
Parts of this book read as if pieced together, combining both past and future thoughts and actions with a present storyline. I struggled to maintain the thread as I read through sections of the book. I admire the author's survival skills and ultimate triumph to become the …more
The Shadow King
The Shadow King: A Novel
by Maaza Mengiste
Plodding Story of Italian Invasion of Ethiopia (7/5/2019)
It helps to have some prior historical background of Ethiopia falling to Mussolini's Italian forces to truly appreciate the story of The Shadow King and his female bodyguard fighters. The author's lyrically written novel proved more of an obstacle to the narrative than …more
Patsy
Patsy: A Novel
by Nicole Dennis-Benn
Bittersweet American Dream (6/16/2019)
This book paints a bittersweet story of what it means to be an undocumented woman of color in the USA. On the face of it, Patsy's life in America over the years doesn't seem as successful as the life she led in Jamaica. However, the dream she imagines upon arriving in New …more
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