Tomlinson Hill: The Remarkable Story of Two Families who Share the Tomlinson Name - One White, One Black
by Chris Tomlinson
tomlinson hill (7/11/2014)
The important topic of slavery told by a man that is investigating his family's connection to the land he roams as a child. A white woman begins the lineage and the black child's father is the last to inhabit the land. The story is woven with historical fact.
That Summer
by Lauren Willig
That Summer (4/8/2014)
I enjoy stories that alternate between time periods and then they somehow weave a connection. This book did an excellent job with this task. I enjoyed both stories and found the main women characters believable. I think that the ending was a bit predictable and the pace of the events hastened as the story came to a close. One part of the ending I found a bit "too convenient", but overall I highly recommend this book for an enjoyable read. Well done!
The Cairo Affair
by Olen Steinhauer
Espionage intrigue (12/30/2013)
This is my first Olen Steinhauer book. The writing is easy to read. The story has many layers and twists as expected from a spy novel. Just as you think you understand where the story is going, something surprises you. I liked this book, I didn't over-the-top love it. the author is clearly in the same genre as Le carre'. If you are a hard core espionage reader, than this is for you. I'm more of a Vince Flynn, Ben Coes thriller reader. Very different. So this selection was not the best for me.
Safe with Me
by Amy Hatvany
Painful topic, important to think about (11/13/2013)
This was one of the hardest books for me to read. The topic of organ donation is something that we all need to discuss with our families. It is so important to have a plan just in case an unforeseeable event occurs, bringing the topic into consideration. A family in my community faced this exact situation recently. They have befriended the different recipient families. There were so many similarities from their struggle and loss, that it was like reliving their agony.
The characters in this book seem like real people. So many different emotions that we, as readers, can relate to. I am glad that I finished this book. There were several times, I was so sad, that I did not want to face the pain the characters were experiencing. I am glad the book ended as written. Definitely predictable, but the story was so heart wrenching, it was a relief to see it come to a close as it did.
The Wedding Gift
by Marlen Suyapa Bodden
I loved this book (9/2/2013)
This is a well written book about slavery in the south. The characters are very real and you feel a connection to them. The book chapters are written from the perspective of different characters in the story. Like The Help and Kitchen Girl, this reviews a painful time of our history. The author writes in a style that is engaging and fast paced. I look forward to her second book.
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