The Wife Between Us
by Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen
Assume Nothing (12/17/2017)
When a book makes you literally gasp midway, you can bet that you have your hands on a winner. The twists and turns in this novel were totally unpredictable and enthralling. Vanessa Thompson's ex is about to be married to another woman. She has been left with nothing after a seemingly blissful marriage complete with travel, expensive clothes and jewelry. Now she lives with her maiden aunt and has a job at Saks Fifth Avenue. She begins to stalk the woman to try to convince her to not marry him. However, NOTHING is like it seems. The novel keeps turning itself on its head with great intrigue of lies, duplicity and cheating...A perfect way to start off the new year with a terrific read.
The Chalk Man
by C. J. Tudor
The terrors of childhood (11/26/2017)
A slow burner mystery that was way different from my usual read. The author has a very sound grasp of the thoughts and behaviors of 12 year old boys and has put her expertise to good use in this novel. The construction of different chapters that alternated between 1986 and 2016 were expertly tied together to provide a smooth flow yet made one anxious to find out more of the story from the different perspectives. How can you not be intrigued when the first sentence of a book starts out with the sentence, "The girl's head rested on a small pile of orange-and-brown leaves." Eddie, the main figure in the novel, has developed a secret code where he and his friends use chalk figures in different color chalks to designate private messages to one another, but the chalk drawings get confusing when they come upon a body severed into parts. Flash to 2016, when Eddie gets a drawing of a chalk figure in the mail and realizes it is time to put the past front and center and confront the mysteries of yesteryear. The mystery pulled me in but it was the earnest, honest voices that got my vote.
The Immortalists: A Novel
by Chloe Benjamin
A life of quandary (11/24/2017)
A fascinating read that provoked a lot of discussion with my friends regarding the main premise. If you were offered the knowledge of the date of your death, would that information be welcome or despised? Four young children from the lower East Side in NYC visit a gypsy fortune teller who provides them with this information. How that knowledge influences each child becomes a focus by the author devoting a section to each character. She has done an amazing amount of research as each character is besotted by a different issue. Even the descriptive geography of San Francisco resonated as I had lived there and experienced the accuracy of the locations and atmosphere during that era. I did get bogged down in the very last section but I still say that one should really experience this unique novel with a unique premise. Not only will you get a fascinating story, but you will truly learn a great deal through each different character's quandary.
Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century
by Jessica Bruder
Disturbing account of the invisibles (10/27/2017)
Lately, I have been engrossed at looking at books that try to help me make sense of the desperate world we are currently living in. Nomadland is a descriptive non fiction account of what has happened to seniors in their 60’s or 70’s who have held decent jobs, but due to downsizing ,loss of income or other factors, may have lost their jobs necessitating some crucial decisions. Many have opted to not be house poor and have become “nomads” seeking seasonal work across the country, living in campgrounds or RV parks. When it is a choice between putting food on the table, and living in a home that consumes what little income they have, the decisions become clear. But what a decision to undertake, forced to continue working for minimum wage with no security, simply because they cannot afford to retire. This was a very disturbing account of a section of society that too often is invisible.
Y is for Yesterday: A Kinsey Millhone Novel
by Sue Grafton
Sex, drugs and videotape (10/24/2017)
What is going to happen after Grafton finishes the letter Z? Well, I can't answer that but I can tell you that there are no new surprises in her Y novel; this is pure Kinsey Millhone ferreting out the truth in her job as a private detective.The novel takes place over 2 time periods that switch back and forth easily. When a young man is released from prison after 10 years for the murder of a classmate, Kinsey is summoned by his parents as he is being blackmailed regarding a violent sex tape that was made when he was in high school. Meanwhile, Kinsey is also trying to evade a former stalker who has turned up again and complicating her life. I did feel that the action went on longer than was necessary but for lovers of this series, you will continue to be happy with her famous hero.
Future Home of the Living God
by Louise Erdrich
speculative world (10/17/2017)
Not having read any of the reviews, I had no idea what I was getting into. Having been a big fan of Erdrich's other novels, I assumed that this would again be a comparable success.However,it is a novel quite unlike anything she has written before. This speculative fiction portrays a young woman, Cedar, telling the story of her life to her unborn child through a notebook diary. Contrary to most dystopian novels, this was not set in the future. In this strange world, time was turning backwards and vegetation was changing to previous epochs, pregnant women were being herded into hospital prisons, and people were arming themselves through fear of the unknown. I couldn't help feeling an undercurrent of political tones but perhaps I was reading into the novel. As I went through the first third of the novel, my first reaction was that it was sluggish and confusing. After that it picked up and I was truly engrossed in the action. However, during the last quarter of the book in Part 3, it felt like it lost steam. Similar in themes to the Handmaid's Tale, women's bodies become a central issue. With the Harvey Weinstein fiasco, this tale could not be more au courant.
Wonder Valley
by Ivy Pochoda
The wonder in all of us (10/9/2017)
Written with raw energy and palpable emotion, this gritty novel covers the disappearance of a teenage boy twin who runs away from his father's "spiritual" commune like structure, leading to exposing the stories of several other characters who are enterwined with one another.The story begins with a naked runner running down the California freeway with and against the traffic. A terrific hook to get the reader wanting to explore the mystery of his mission. Is he mentally disturbed? Does anyone know him? From here ,other parallel stories are told which end up intersecting with his. The author had an uncanny ability to describe life on the streets, including memorable dialects and character portrayals that made me thoroughly enjoy her easy writing style. Its simplicity belies the difficulty of writing this prose. A moving story that illustrates the desperation and uncovering of the need to follow what you think is your course in life only to find that perhaps it has been in a different direction all along.
Next Year in Havana
by Chanel Cleeton
A sweeping romantic saga (10/3/2017)
How long has it been since you have read a book that conveys both romanticism about people and their country and also the strife involved in a revolutionary world? Chanel Cleeton delivers on both. In her heartbreaking novel about the Perez sugar baron family, they are forced to leave Cuba to settle in Miami after Castro emerges a victor against Battista. However, the novel begins with several generations later, when young Elisa Perez goes to visit the Cuba that her grandmother waxed about poetically. Having been to Cuba, I was impressed how the author was able to convey the mood, architecture and stressors so accurately. In this poignant story, Elisa is trying to find the perfect place to scatter her grandmother's ashes. While there however, she uncovers hidden history that takes her on a dangerous search, but also finds true love . The author skillfully creates a sweeping saga of the entire family unearthing issues of exile, identity, family and sacrifice. The character development was excellent and the breathless wonder of Cuba and its survivors won me over.
Hide and Seek: A Helen Grace Thriller
by M.j. Arlidge
mayhem in the prison (9/27/2017)
M.J.Arlidge does it again! Whenever a new book comes out in this series, I get apoplectic as I KNOW it is going to be a winner. So far, he has never failed on this mission. Despite the continued storyline, I feel comfortable recommending this as a stand alone. However, reading the other books helps to expand the novel giving it a further depth. In his 6th novel featuring Detective Helen Grace, she is unjustly accused of 3 crimes and sentenced to prison awaiting her trial. While in prison she is subjected to taunts and physical acts of violence. However, when an horrendous murder with macabre results occurs, Grace puts on her inspector's hat and tries to uncover the devious plot. The followup to this is fast paced and thrilling and not clear as to whom the perpetrator is. The other plot line features her side kick Charlie trying to find Grace's nephew who has framed Helen for these murders. Although the structure of the novel doesn't lend itself to be as tense as her previous novels, Arlidge does a terrific job of keeping one up late into the night.
Lightning Men: A Novel (The Darktown Series)
by Thomas Mullen
A timely reminder (9/24/2017)
Thomas Mullen's previous book Darktown had me in its grips. Even when it was under the radar, I kept pushing my copy on people telling them they HAD to read it or would be missing out on a gem. With my expectations so high, I couldn't wait to get my hands on # 2 of the trilogy. Firstly, I can say that I did enjoy the book but it didn't have the pull and the horror that enveloped me with the first novel. Timely, thought is, in light of what happened in Charlottesville, and a vehicle to discuss the elements of racism. Set in the racially charged neighborhoods of Atlanta in the 1950's, the story continues with the black officers trying to enforce standards in their community with little support from the white police officers. Black families are beginning to move into formerly all white neighborhoods with increasing displeasure from the community. Rake, a white officer, who tries to be fair, finds out that his bigoted brother in law, Dale, a member of the Klu Klux clan, has set out to help his clan fix that problem. What follows is a world skyrocketing out of control, where family ties and loyalty are pitted against the law and drugs and booze infect their society and all officers have to determine where their red line exists..
Good Me Bad Me
by Ali Land
A Taut Suspenseful Read (8/21/2017)
Could. Not. Put. This. Down...I started in the morning, read through lunch, read through supper and did not go to bed before it was complete. The writing was taut, suspenseful, and unrelenting. My stomach was in knots throughout and it took a while for the kinks to unwind. A young teenager, Mollie, has turned in evidence against her disturbed mother who has captured 9 children, kept them in her "playhouse" and subsequently killed each one. As her mother was a nurse, with a cunning ability to manipulate people, she was never suspected until Mollie cracked and went to the police. Mollie goes to live with a foster family with a therapist who is trying to help her with her upcoming trial but his own family has its issues; a fragile wife who can't control her daughter who is determined to make Mollie's life hell. As the novel progresses, the tension ratchets even higher until the ending's explosion. RUN. TO. GET. THIS. ONE
Little Fires Everywhere
by Celeste Ng
A book club's dream (8/6/2017)
Wouldn't I love to be a fly on the wall listening to the animated discussion in book clubs following the reading of this superb novel. This is a novel that demands a book club and is destined to be one of the hottest picks for 2017.The Richardson family live an ordinary planned and privileged life in Shaker Heights, Ohio where the lawns are mowed, the gardens beautifully planted and neighbors are people you can count on. Mrs.Richardson dwells in this "perfect" existence with her four children and lawyer husband counting her harmony with a morally elitist sense of right vs wrong. Enter non materialistic Mia, an avant garde artist and photographer who lives life outside the box , and her teenage daughter Pearl.They roll into town and rent an apt from the Richardsons. However, Mia carries a deep dark secret that will upend both families' lives when unearthed. As Mia and Pearl become deeply insinuated in the Richardson's lives, issues of motherhood arise. Is someone defined as a mother by virtue of birth or by love or both? Ng provides a fairly conventional plot with quick pacing but the characters and questions drew me in. Jump in people and let's discuss..
Stay with Me
by Ayobami Adebayo
Heartbreaking (7/28/2017)
Let me say outright that I love a lot of Nigerian fiction and learning the mores of a culture is infinitely fascinating to me. Adebayo knocked this out of the park for me. I read it in one sitting as I did not want to let go of the characters and the intense pain I felt sympathizing with the main character, Yejide.The characters were so well drawn, defined and vivid. Set in the 1980's through the 2000, we first find Yejide and Akin trying for 4 years to conceive a child without any success. Both were college educated and dismissive of the rules of polygamy that were accepted in their Yoruba culture. However, one day Akin's mother comes to their house with another wife that her husband has already secretly married. Yejide,hurt and desperate, feels she must get pregnant any cost but the cost turns out to be greater than any of them had anticipated. Lies and betrayal provide a common theme intertwined with the demands of traditional culture vs modernity. Along the way we witness the political background of coups and elections which form an undercurrent of unrest to individual daily lives. But it is this marriage, this seemingly wonderful marriage, whose love gets tested and tested that provide the poignancy to this outstanding novel.
A Killer Harvest: A Thriller
by Paul Cleave
a rollicking good time (7/12/2017)
This is going to seem like a schizophrenic review. On one hand, I really really enjoyed this and was spellbound from beginning to end. On the other hand, I thought the basic premise so absurd that I had to keep myself from smirking. With full disclosure, I am medical so it prejudiced me in a way that might not affect other readers. A blind teenage boy's detective father is killed by a criminal in a horrific scene. However, his father's wish is that his son receive his eyes as a gift. When both the criminal and father's eyes are mixed up prior to surgery, the boy receives one eye from his father and another from the criminal. When the son begins to have vivid dreams that seem to come from the criminal's vision, the theory of "cellular memory" is introduced. That, along with the tension from someone who is trying to destroy anyone who was loved by his father's work partner, leads to a game of who-dun-it! In the course of this , I found some elements more silly than realistic, but still was enthralled. Morality issues of good vs evil, and how do you define those parameters plays out throughout the novel as well. Despite my misgivings, I couldn't put this quick read down. It is a perfect beach read and if one can just enjoy the plot you will have a rollicking good time.
The Atlas of Forgotten Places
by Jenny D. Williams
A stunner (6/14/2017)
Every once in a while, along comes a novel that won't leave you, that keeps you up at night contemplating important questions.Williams has constructed a novel that fits beautifully into this category. Based on real and imagined events set in the DNC and Uganda, this novel follows Sabine, a burned out aid worker who currently works in an animal shelter in Germany, Rose, a one armed Ugandan woman who was formerly abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army, and Lily, a young girl doing volunteer work in Uganda, and Sabine's niece. When Lily does not return home as scheduled, Sabine races to Africa to see if she can find her, fearing the worst. What follows is a tromp through LRA battlegrounds, fighting through bureaucratic minefields with Rose and her boss.Both Rose and Sabine are looking for someone lost in their lives that they care deeply about. Williams has achingly sketched the principal characters with such a fine point pen, that they leap off the page, making us invested in their futures.There is so much to discuss and learn in this book that it is perfect for book groups. My only gripe is the open ended conclusion to the book, which left me angry as I needed more closure. However, it is a small price to pay for a book of such depth..
Live from Cairo
by Ian Bassingthwaighte
a pull on your heart strings (6/7/2017)
A terrific book that is incredibly timely. Set in Egypt after the overthrow of Mubarak, the book focuses on a young woman who has escaped from Iraq but finds herself rootless in Egypt. Her husband's immigration to the US was approved due to emotional hardship but hers was denied. The story revolves around her attempts to get papers and the people involved in the process. A disillusioned idealistic lawyer, his translator, and a young Iraqi American resettlement officer from UNHCR round out the cast of characters that play out the difficulties of asylum and refugees and the inhumanity of the situation. Captivating language and characters combined with a superb and fitting tale to the world of 2017 makes this a must read. Anyone with a heart cannot help but be touched by the reality posed within these pages.
The Almost Sisters
by Joshilyn Jackson
Your mouth will be stretched wide with smiles.. (5/4/2017)
I had not read her previous book ,The Gods of Alabama, but that is a case that will soon be rectified. What a beautiful voice Jackson gives to her characters, each with their clearly distinct personalities,which made me smile the whole way through. Quirky humor lends itself to every page, which belie the seriousness of some of the issues raised. Leia, a highly regarded comic artist has a one night stand leading to a pregnancy with a biracial child. Just as she discovers this, her step-sister's marriage unravels. To complicate matters further, her deeply adored grandmother,Birchie,begins a downward spiral of dementia.As she travels south to help her Grandmother, a new mystery unfolds that threatens the families stature in town. With abundant humor, all issues are tackled but underneath the carpet is the seriousness of privilege, racial bias, rules of the old South, and small town politics. Although I loved this book I would have given this a 4.5 star rating as the ending fell flat for me and felt somewhat abrupt. Otherwise, this is guaranteed enjoyment!
Desperation Road
by Michael Farris Smith
Characters with a soul (2/23/2017)
Starting this novel I was bemused as to why this had gotten such good reviews. Written with a slow Southern intonation, I didn't think this was "going to float my boat:.As I continued on and the action escalated, I was entranced by the way this deliberate rhythm stoked my involvement while its characters captured my heart. Rural Mississippi is the setting, where beer and whiskey, women,and guns are the norm.Russell Grimes spent 11 years in prison for killing a boy while he was drunk. He comes home to his hardscrabble town where the boy's brothers have been waiting to seek revenge. Another story line is a poor mother and her young daughter scrapping to just make it in life. Both characters' lives become intertwined in a way that is heartbreaking, vividly real, and filled with incredible emotional intensity. The book is still haunting me long after I put it down. A sure bet!!
Mississippi Blood: A Natchez Burning Novel #3
by Greg Iles
a masterpiece (2/22/2017)
The final chapter in Greg Iles's trilogy includes Natchez Burning, The Bone Tree and finally Mississippi Blood. I was biting my nails waiting for this superb conclusion to one of the best series I have ever read. It took over 8 years to finish and I am sure readers who have been following this have been wondering what would happen to their main characters. This series is so special that it is being adapted for a TV series by Sony Pictures. You really need to read the books in order to achieve the full depth and comprehension of the events that took place. Despite being 800 pages, I was so absorbed that I stayed up to 1am to finish. The setting takes place in Natchez, Mississippi where Tom Cage's father is accused of the murder of his former African American nurse with whom he has had a love affair. Despite centering on the trial, the former issues of the white supremacy group whose cunning leader"Snake" are explored along with reconciliation, forgiveness,and family love. A conclusion that is so worthy that I want to shout it from the rooftops. If you miss this series, it is your loss...
The Stars Are Fire
by Anita Shreve
Transporting novel (2/17/2017)
Anita Shreve has done it again, giving us an absorbing story that I would have finished in one night but decided that sleep needed to become a priority.The setting is Maine, during the late 40's when Grace Holland, a young mother in a loveless marriage, tries to rescue her two young children when a huge forest fire breaks out. Homes are burnt to the ground as she struggles to the ocean, burying them in the sand to try to help them stay alive. Meanwhile her husband has gone to the front to try to keep the flames from spreading. Time goes by without any word from him. Ever the dutiful wife who feels she can't break her marriage vows, she is torn between wanting him dead and chastising herself for those immoral thoughts. As she develops a inner strength from taking care of the family and trying to support herself, circumstances arise that turn the novel on its head.
The novel's descriptive setting with Shreve's signature crisp style, transported me in time while simultaneously made me ache with both loneliness and delight for Grace. I was smitten by Grace's inner life, her complex and dissonant feelings and her growth as a strong character. Based on historical facts makes this book all the more authoritative. What a wonderful wonderful read.
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Power Reviewer
