Book lover, collector, and reviewer
I had a lot of fun reading this book — couldn’t put it down — and then I got to the ending. Womp womp. Amber and Nick have separated and decided to sell the home that his mother, Barb, sold to them a few years earlier to make into a home for themselves and their … Read More “The Open House by Sam Carrington” »
For those who have read Lisa See’s The Island of Sea Women, you’ll be familiar with the haeneyo, the women who are deep sea divers in Korea. But, this is a very different story. Told in two parts, divided between post-WW2 Korea and present-day United States, we learn about Junja, a teenage girl who has become … Read More “The Mermaid from Jeju by Sumi Hahn” »
This was a suspenseful, quick read, where you’re not sure who you can trust and even the narrator doesn’t seem reliable. Anna Sanchez is living what she would describe as her dream life — she has a husband who she loves madly and is an incredibly successful artist, two beautiful children, and a fulfilling career … Read More “Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli” »
This was a heartwarming book about the meaning of family, Midwestern work ethic and perseverance, and, well, beer. Edith and Helen are sisters who are on very different paths. Edith gets married, has children with her husband who is a trucker, and works at the local nursing home baking pies. (They’re the third best pies … Read More “The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal” »
The publisher describes this book as “Upstairs, Downstairs meets Parasite,” which does well in explaining the class issues examined here, although it doesn’t quite describe the full racial undertones within this book, which adds a new dimension to this theme. August Sitwell has dedicated his life to the Barclays since he was a teenager when they “rescued” … Read More “The Rib King by Ladee Hubbard” »
Lucy lost her mother at a young age, so when she gets engaged to Ollie, she dreams of having a close, loving relationship with Diana, her mother-in-law to be. But, while Diana is well-respected in the community and established a nonprofit to help new refugees, she is very cold (albeit polite) to Lucy. She isn’t … Read More “The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth” »
This was a sweet love story, 50 years in the making. Every year for 49 years, Elizabeth Davenport has received a crocus (her favorite flower) and a written wish left on her doorstep by Tom Hale, the man she’s been in love with since she was 18, but couldn’t marry because of family pressure. This … Read More “Little Wishes by Michelle Adams” »
While there was some suspense in this book, I felt a lot of it was predictable, and I often just couldn’t figure out why the characters would actually do what they did. Hannah returns to her hometown for the funeral of her older sister April, who dies by suicide in the first chapter of the … Read More “In My Wake by Ruth Harrow” »
Paige Northwood is a freelance BSL (British Sign Language) interpreter who is brought in by the police after a 15-year-old deaf student (Leon) goes missing on an overnight school camping trip. Also missing is the head teacher, Steve, who is found a short time later, murdered. The police — along with Paige — are desperate … Read More “Silent Night by Nell Pattison” »
This was the second novel I’ve read by Barbara O’Neal, and while I liked When We Believed in Mermaids more, I still enjoyed this one. Set in a small village in Devon, England, four generations of women in one family — Lillian, Poppy, Zoe, and Isabel — try to heal from each other’s actions and … Read More “The Lost Girls of Devon by Barbara O’Neal” »