House of Echoes: A Novel
by Brendan Duffy
Creepy Old House and Young Family (2/16/2015)
This sounds like a familiar story, and but the author makes it original. A young family buys a huge, rundown house in a sparsely populated area in the mountains north of New York City. The wife has some serious mental problems. The people in the area are weird and creepy. All of the characters are well developed, especially the main one. The setting is wonderfully developed in an eerie way. I felt like I was there. The plot had some surprises and I definitely didn't want to put the book down until I finished.
Juliet's Nurse
by Lois Leveen
Armchair Trip to Historic Italy (8/2/2014)
This is the imagined story of Juliet's nurse from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I enjoyed it. My husband and I went to Italy a year ago for our daughter's wedding, and I've since developed an interest in Italian history. The book is true to its times, which is important to me. However, the nurse was obsessive about Juliet to an extent that I found somewhat unrealistic. There were some twists in the plot that were surprising to me, although I don't think Shakespeare would have approved of them. The nurse had some character flaws, but so do real people. Still, it was an interesting armchair trip back to historic Italy for me.
I Am Livia
by Phyllis T. Smith
I Am Livia (1/27/2014)
As a fan of historical fiction, I enjoyed this book. Livia was the second wife of Caesar Augustus. I had never heard of her and knew very little about Ancient Rome. I learned a lot about both from this book. The author made the times come alive and described Livia's life clearly and in chronological order. It's important to me that a book be reasonably historically accurate, and I Am Livia seems to be so. However, if a reader doesn't like historical fiction, this book probably won't change his mind about the genre.
The Last Enchantments
by Charles Finch
The Last Enchantments (11/21/2013)
Will Baker goes to Oxford at age 25 for a year of advanced study. There he drinks, parties, drinks, plays games, drinks, has an affair, drinks, falls in love, and yes, drinks some more. The plot was pretty predictable. I learned a lot about Oxford, and its customs and buildings. That was the best part of the book for me. I felt like I was there, only sober.
Palisades Park
by Alan Brennert
Visit the past at Palisades Park (2/27/2013)
This book has three main characters: Eddie, his daughter Toni and Palisades Park itself. The book begins with eleven-year-old Eddie visiting the fantastic Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey in 1922 and continues until 1974. The Park with all its wonders and occasional tragedies really comes alive in the book. I wish I could have visited the park! I learned a lot about the history of amusement parks and about Toni's unusual occupation. The many unique characters are sometimes flawed, but always interesting. There are sad and serious events in the book, as in life, but the book is by no means a tragedy. There are interesting issues for book clubs to discuss. I did find the first part a little slow, but it was worth sticking with the book. I recommend it for people who like historical fiction and books about people's lives through time.
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