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Reviews by Nanette C. (Sarasota, FL)

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Bright and Tender Dark
Bright and Tender Dark
by Joanna Pearson
Never Drew Me In (3/20/2024)
I love a good murder mystery, but this one didn't do it for me. It would seem to have all the required elements -- the murder of a promising college co-ed, an illicit affair, multiple suspects, a former roommate feverishly trying to solve the case 30 years on -- but it just …more
A Council of Dolls
A Council of Dolls: A Novel
by Mona Susan Power
Poignant and Powerful Story (6/30/2023)
It's been a long time since I've read a book that I wanted to put in other people's hands. "A Council of Dolls" is that kind of book. The novel tells the story of three generations of a Native American family and the legacy -- and horrors -- of Indian residential schools. …more
This Other Eden
This Other Eden: A Novel
by Paul Harding
Interesting Subject but Wandering Style (1/8/2023)
I was interested in reading "This Other Eden" both because the topic of eugenics is unique and because it was based on a true story of a settlement on an island off the coast of Maine. The book was at its most interesting to me when it turned to the treatment of the mixed …more
Our Missing Hearts
Our Missing Hearts: A Novel
by Celeste Ng
Dystopic World with Strong Basis in Reality (9/6/2022)
Celeste Ng is clearly unhappy with the way things are going in our country. "Our Missing Hearts" is a family drama of sorts, but that's where the resemblance to her other novels ends. The world Ng envisions is one in which the United States suffered an extended financial …more
Metropolis
Metropolis: A Novel
by B. A. Shapiro
Character Driven Story in Unique Setting (3/30/2022)
"Metropolis" by B.A. Shapiro is primarily set in a storage facility. Yes, the type you rent when you have overflow furniture or are in-between homes. But Metropolis, the facility envisioned by Shapiro, is full of life. Three people are living there for extremely different …more
The Fields
The Fields: A Novel
by Erin Young
Thriller Highlights Issue of Big Ag (10/25/2021)
In many ways, "The Fields" is your standard thriller, with lots of twists and turns. What makes it different is the role that Big Ag plays in the story. A woman's body has been found in a field owned by a small consortium of farmers. Before long, two other bodies are found …more
Morningside Heights
Morningside Heights: A Novel
by Joshua Henkin
Lacking in Focus and Emotion (4/6/2021)
Don't get me wrong. I liked parts of "Morningside Heights" and never considered putting it down before finishing. But from the start, I was unclear what story Henkin was trying to tell. He begins with Pru's background going to Torah Academy. Ah, I thought, it's a Jewish …more
Migrations
Migrations: A Novel
by Charlotte McConaghy
Gripping story of redemption in a world in which animal life nears extinction (4/5/2020)
In this time of coronavirus isolation, reading would seem the perfect antidote to our boredom and worries. And yet I've found myself lacking the concentration required as I tried various books on my "to read" pile. Until, that is, I came to "Migrations" by Charlotte …more
American Dirt
American Dirt: A Novel
by Jeanine Cummins
A literary masterpiece everyone should read (11/6/2019)
Imagine yourself at a family party in Acapulco. The festivities are underway, and everyone is having a wonderful time. In a split second, gunfire breaks out, leaving 16 members of your family dead. You and your son are alive only because he had gone inside and you went in …more
Nothing to See Here
Nothing to See Here
by Kevin Wilson
Another quirky read from Kevin Wilson (6/13/2019)
When someone says, "nothing to see here," you know something interesting is happening. In Kevin Wilson's latest book by the same title, the "something" is 10 year old twins who catch on fire when they're upset or feel threatened. It's a less than ideal scenario for their …more
Sounds Like Titanic
Sounds Like Titanic: A Memoir
by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman
Funny and Thought Provoking (12/31/2018)
Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman might not be a great violinist, but she's a very entertaining writer. I was hesitant to read "Sounds Like Titanic" because I don't generally enjoy non-fiction. But her humor engaged me from the start.

In her book, Hindman chronicles four years of …more
Vox
Vox
by Christina Dalcher
For lovers of The Handmaid's Tale (5/5/2018)
In Vox, Christina Dalcher imagines a world in which the US government has imposed a restriction limiting females (including small girls) to 100 words per day. They wear "bracelets" (pick your own color!) that monitor their outtake and receive electric shocks if they exceed …more
The Family Tabor
The Family Tabor
by Cherise Wolas
Disappointing Follow-Up (4/24/2018)
Expectations are a dangerous thing. "The Resurrection of Joan Ashby" by Cherise Wolas was one of my favorite books of 2017. I loved it from the first page. I thrust it into other people's hands. And so I was excited when I heard about "The Family Tabor" and thrilled to have …more
Our Lady of the Prairie
Our Lady of the Prairie
by Thisbe Nissen
Uappealing Protagonist and Forced Story (10/30/2017)
While the book had some enjoyable aspects, I ultimately found Phillipa highly irritating and unappealing. I finished without any understanding of her interior life (other than "woe is me") or how either the long-suffering Michael or the sexy Lucius could put up with her, …more
The Heart's Invisible Furies
The Heart's Invisible Furies: A Novel
by John Boyne
Grabs you and doesn't let go (6/20/2017)
John Boyne throws the reader in headfirst in "The Heart's Invisible Furies." We immediately meet Catherine Goggins, a 16 year old Irish girl who's expecting a baby. She is in the process of being verbally assaulted and physically thrown out of the Catholic church by a …more
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    The Devil Finds Work
    by James Baldwin
    A book-length essay on racism in American films, by "the best essayist in this country" (The New York Times Book Review).
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