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Reviews by Becky S. (Springfield, MO)

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The Fairbanks Four
The Fairbanks Four: Murder, Injustice, and the Birth of a Movement
by Brian Patrick O’Donoghue
Missed the mark (4/18/2025)
This was such an important story, 4 wrongly accused teens of a murder they did not commit in Alaska… a journalist uncovers the lies and coverups in their case to help free them. I felt like the story was hard to follow and had a lot of superfluous details that distracted me …more
L.A. Women
L.A. Women
by Ella Berman
Love -Hate relationship (4/1/2025)
This was a love hate relationship for me as well as the characters in this book! I loved how I felt the main characters, Lane and Gala, each had 2 very different sides to their personalities. Each of them made me feel so many emotions while reading this book... empathy, …more
The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant
The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant
by Liza Tully
Merritt and Blunt figure it out! (3/24/2025)
Really liked this modern who dun it and the dynamic duo of Aubrey Merritt and Emily Blunt! The mystery was intriguing but not too violent and the quirkiness of the main characters really kept me engaged in the story line and trying to stay ahead of the mystery. I hope this …more
Jane and Dan at the End of the World
Jane and Dan at the End of the World
by Colleen Oakley
One of my faves of the year ! (12/16/2024)
I loved this light hearted caper! It was so humorous , but also a poignant story about relationships and coming to terms with what we want in life . I just really enjoyed this fun story !
Happy Land
Happy Land
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
A little known piece of history ! (12/4/2024)
Historical fiction is my favorite genre and I really enjoyed this book! I love learning something new in a great book. I loved going back and forth in time to learn about Happy Land , in the 1800s and the struggle to keep the land in the present day. The relationship …more
The Bog Wife
The Bog Wife
by Kay Chronister
Strange times in the Bog (8/29/2024)
This is definitely not my normal genre, but I found this book very intriguing and creepy and strange. The story of the Haddesley family and their relationship with the bog they live on is filled with oddities and traditions that kept things very entertaining and thought …more
Pony Confidential
Pony Confidential
by Christina Lynch
A mystical murder (6/16/2024)
I loved this book! Critics will say it was unrealistic, which it 100 percent was, but was such a fun story and I loved each character ( except the villains and I really disliked them!) This book was written for animal lovers and those with an open mind about our …more
Follow the Stars Home
Follow the Stars Home
by Diane C. McPhail
Original Historical Fiction (5/15/2024)
Follow the Stars Home was a book based on a true story that I had never heard about before. Its a story of Nicholas Roosevelt's first steam boat, the New Orleans, and its maiden voyage in which he brought his young wife Lydia, who was 8 months pregnant, and their toddler …more
The Funeral Cryer
The Funeral Cryer: A Novel
by Wenyan Lu
Yawn (2/7/2024)
I was eager to read this book and find out more about the profession of being a funeral cryer in the Asian culture, but this book was disappointing. I found the writing style to be very dry and the characters one dimensional and nothing that I found I could relate to. The “ …more
This Is Salvaged
This Is Salvaged: Stories
by Vauhini Vara
This is Human (8/17/2023)
Wow, I had not read Vauhini Vara before, but after reading this collection of short stories, I am definitely going to go back and read her first book , The Immortal King Rao. In This is Salvaged, we read 10 stories, all completely different, but with the common thread of …more
Digging Stars
Digging Stars: A Novel
by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma
Digging it! (7/31/2023)
I enjoyed this book about a daughter following in her fathers footsteps in the field of astronomy! It was definitely different from anything I had read before and wove in the elements of the stars with the elements of relationships, mainly the father /daughter connection. …more
The Critic's Daughter
The Critic's Daughter: A Memoir
by Priscilla Gilman
Daddy's girl (2/3/2023)
A beautiful memoir of a father who was imperfect and human. I loved the realness of this author's recollection of growing up and her relationship with her dad before, during, and after her parents divorce. Being a daddy's girl myself, I could totally relate with her …more
Sisters of the Lost Nation
Sisters of the Lost Nation
by Nick Medina
A great mystery read ! (11/30/2022)
A fictional story about a real problem that has surfaced in the Native American culture . The mystery revolves around some young women who go missing at the reservation. Anna's search for her younger sister, Grace, leads to all kinds of important discoveries of a sinister …more
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
by Colleen Oakley
A light hearted escapade (10/23/2022)
This was a cute book about an unlikely pair that become friends and play out an adventure together. I thought it was fun and lighthearted, but also had some heavier topics interlaced into the story line. The characters were interesting and although the story seemed a big …more
River Sing Me Home
River Sing Me Home
by Eleanor Shearer
A mothers love (9/22/2022)
I really loved River Sing Me Home! My heart just felt for Rachel as she looked to find each one of her children that was torn away from her. The history of slavery in the Caribbean Islands was new to me, and I enjoyed learning more about that. Such a sad time in our worlds …more
The Family Izquierdo
The Family Izquierdo: A Novel
by Rubén Degollado
family (8/22/2022)
What an interesting book told in separate stories but intertwining the Izquierdo family tree. A family living on the American border of Mexico, they suffer through their family "curse" with love and affection for each other. Even though they have many conflicts with the …more
Heartbreak
Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey
by Florence Williams
So interesting! (12/8/2021)
This book was so interesting to me..and so relevant! All of us have experienced grief and /or heartbreak at one time or another in our lives, this author took hers and really delved into it and the physical attributes that it has on our bodies. I have always wondered what …more
Everybody
Everybody: A Book about Freedom
by Olivia Laing
Wow... just wow (5/25/2021)
This is a book to be read slowly and savored.. at times I felt like it was a bit over my head, but the concepts and information stretched my mind in a way that hasn't been done in a while. It is perfect for the times .. very pertinent and timely ideas that help us learn how …more
The Personal Librarian
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
Trailblazer for women! (2/4/2021)
What a great book about someone that I knew nothing about! One of the reasons I love historical fiction, learning so much about the past and some magnificent and brave people. Belle de la Costa Greene, is certainly someone that I admire after reading her story. I can't even …more
And They Called It Camelot
And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
by Stephanie Marie Thornton
Couldn't put it down!! (1/6/2020)
I loved this book from the beginning .. the tale of Camelot and so much more, through the eyes of the legend Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.. what an incredible life she lived.. fairytale and tragedy. Stephanie Marie Thornton has done a fantastic job of telling the …more
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