As Bright as Heaven
by Susan Meissner
Read "As Bright As Heaven" Quickly (10/18/2017)
During the first 2/3 of this book, I was fascinated by the story. I particularly liked that the story was told from the perspective of the mom and three daughters at the heart of the story. Personalizing WW1 and the Spanish Flu epidemic by showing their effects on the Bright family made the story searingly real. I was disappointed in the 'oh give me a break' resolution to the story (way too coincidental) and the author's apparent need to end the story with most of the characters happy.
The Story of Arthur Truluv: A Novel
by Elizabeth Berg
I Wish I Could Give More Than 5 Stars! (6/17/2017)
In her Acknowledgements, author Elizabeth Berg writes about her hope that readers will "get" "The Story of Arthur Truluv." I believe that I got it and thank her for writing one of the most memorable books I've read in a long time. The story is sweet, poignant and endearing as Arthur honors the past yet learns to slowly embrace the present and move forward into the future. If families are not merely biological and are also the people we choose to be our family, Arthur has made brilliant choices. Read this book!
Our Short History
by Lauren Grodstein
Self Indulgent Mish-Mash (2/9/2017)
I wanted to like this book. I really did. The phrase "it's all about me" describes the story - it reads as a self-indulgent excuse for the way the mother has lived her life rather than a love story from mom to son.
As a cancer survivor and single mom with kids, I thought I'd identify with the narrator. But instead, I was horrified at the information she chose to leave for her son. Only at the very end of the story does she redeem herself.
There was one sentence that resonated with me: "...we fell asleep pondering the condition of being mothers, which was, of course, the condition of helping the people you love most in the world leave you." Had the author shaped the story to that belief, the book would have been measurably better. Im glad that this book was fiction.
Karolina's Twins
by Ronald H. Balson
Read This Book! (7/29/2016)
I knew I'd love this book from the very first page. Ronald Balson has written a compulsively readable book that will grip you and not let go until you've finished the last page. Even after that, the compelling story will stay with you. The writing is so fluid that you will have trouble putting the book down. i wanted to jump into the pages and help Lena find the twins. Wonderful book!
The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian
by David Dyer
Both Fascinating and Educational (2/26/2016)
I love reading historical fiction! While I understand that it is fiction, I learned so much about a historically significant event, one which is still interesting, despite having happened over a century ago I found the book very detailed and well written. I would have preferred more detail about the event and less focus on the reporter's personal story. What resonated most with me was the coverup, still so true in corporate life in 2016, and how the story emerged because of courageous whistleblowers. I'd recommend this book highly!
All Is Not Forgotten
by Wendy Walker
Interesting Angle (10/5/2015)
Wendy Walker came up with an interesting angle for her novel "All Is Not Forgotten." The story is narrated by a psychiatrist treating victims of trauma. At times, the writing is almost boring as the narrator dispassionately tells the story. This is odd as the narrator is heavily involved in the story and manipulates characters in the book. Yet what a tangled web! You can't help but be drawn to the story as it twists and turns. I almost always like books better than movies but I can envision liking this story better as a movie.
Maybe in Another Life
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Good Summer Chick Lit (6/7/2015)
I liked this book and finished it easily in a weekend. The author writes well and the story is easy to follow despite the chapters switching back and forth between the two alternate stories. I often wonder about those moments in life (like choosing which college to attend) that play a big factor in how the rest of life goes. How might my life be different if I'd chosen another path? This book is all about one seemingly small decision and how it change Hannah's life forever. Good and light summertime reading.
Make Your Home Among Strangers
by Jennine Capó Crucet
Navigating two very different worlds (4/29/2015)
Is leaving your home and culture to explore another world "selling out?" Is it possible to live in two different worlds, one the culture of birth and upbringing and the second the culture and rarefied air of an elite US college? These are two of the themes that "Making Your Home Among Strangers" explores. The book is raw and uncomfortable at times, especially in Lizet's Miami world. The story is interesting and the author does a good job at describing the two different cultures. The book is also an interesting read. However, the author's style of refusing to use quotations when her characters speak significantly detracts from the reader's enjoyment. I'm not sure of the purpose, other than to perhaps make Lizet's world seem grittier and uneducated. Hugely eye-opening book as more and more first generation college students attend our elite colleges and universities.
The Same Sky
by Amanda Eyre Ward
Captured My Heart (11/5/2014)
"The Same Sky" captured my heart. I couldn't put the book down, even though I wanted it to last longer. Both characters' stories are deeply affecting. Carla's story is riveting!
While I knew about the struggles of people attempting to cross the border into the US, I never comprehended the horrors to which people are subjected. That they are willing to subject themselves to such atrocities speaks to the terrible conditions in their home countries and to the hope of a better life in the US.
Read this book! It will educate you about immigrant struggles. And the characters will stay in your heart for a long time.
 (1).gif)
