Rated of 5
by Marjorie W. (Bonita Springs, FL) The Good House
What a good read! I found it hard to put down and read it in two afternoons!! It is funny, but also explores the secrets that people harbor - so there is some sadness in the story. We all know people like this - such an accurate portrayal of small town life. I think it would be a good book for discussion as book clubs.
Rated of 5
by Susan S. (Lafayette, CA) A classic unreliable narrator
I became delighted with this book about 20 pages in when I realized that Hildy Good, the main character, is a classic unreliable narrator. She seems to have a pretty accurate take on those around her, but is utterly deluded about herself. The story is witty, insightful, and surprisingly complex, with a mix of great characters and several different but overlapping story arcs that tie together by the end, touching on real estate, New England small towns, infidelity, psychiatry, autism, late-in-life romance, and alcoholism.
Rated of 5
by Kimberly H. (Stamford, CT) The Good House
I grew up in that area of New England and enjoyed those descriptions. I found this to be more of a 'beach' book....a quick read that was enjoyable with a protagonist - Hildy- who had a quick wit. Overall okay. Too many books- too little time!
Rated of 5
by Kathleen W. (Appleton, WI) The Good House
The Good House is both enjoyable and well-written. It is the story of Hildy Good, the 7th generation descendant of Sarah Good, who was persecuted as a witch during the infamous Salem witch hunt. Hildy is the narrator of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed her insights and opinions about the people and events of her life. She refuses to admit, however, that she is an alcoholic in need of help. Despite this problem, she is a successful real estate broker, partly because of her ability to "read" people which she considers a party trick rather than a gift. Hildy is a complex character, whom I greatly enjoyed meeting. The plot feels contrived at times, but the book is well worth reading.
Rated of 5
by Dee H. (Greenfield, CA) Denial: Definitely Not a River in Egypt
I really did enjoy this book. The protagonist, Hildy, was so real to me, I wanted to smack her for some of her poor decisions. She reminded me so much of some of the people I worked with when I was a secretary/receptionist at a Chemical Dependency Unit at a local hospital. You really can justify almost anything to yourself rather than face the truth. Her daughters struck me as naive, though, in believing that she remained in recovery so easily.
I really like the sense of place this novel possesses. This, along with the author's wry sense of humor, kept me happily turning pages until, all too soon, I reached the end. The hints about the supernatural are also intriguing: Does Hildy have a gift? Is there something to the witchiness hinted at throughout the story? I would heartily recommend this novel to my "booky" friends and to anyone else who wants a good read.
Rated of 5
by Carol N. (San Jose, CA) The Good House by Anny Leary
This was a good weekend read – chock full of wonderful, flawed characters with some pretty wicked senses of humor. The protagonist, Hildy Good is a 60-year old real estate agent who having survived her Hazelden invention two years earlier needs to prove she is neither an alcoholic nor a witch. She is truly an "original" that is irresistibly likeable but very untrustworthy. As a longtime resident, she pretty much knows everything (good or bad) that happens in the small New England town of Wendover. Having befriended a recent client, Rebecca McAllister, she becomes involved in her torrid affair with the town's resident psychologist. Soon her life goes into a tailspin and the tone darkens with approaching tragedy. This book is funny, poignant and terrifying. I believe that Ann Leary has achieved her goal – to write a legitimately funny novel about alcoholism without getting too preachy.
A bold, mesmerizing novel about the woman known as "Typhoid Mary," the first known healthy carrier of typhoid fever in the burgeoning metropolis of early twentieth century New York.
Z, the novel about the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald is at points charming and; like another reviewer, I kept thinking of the movie, "Midnight...
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Although heavy on the scientific details, which slowed down the story for me (OK, I admit, I was one of those liberal arts majors who skipped out on...
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Loved this book. Magical, quirky, enchanting I could go on. All books do not have to be literary fiction, sometimes it is just so comforting to read...
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British Parliament asks Amazon to clarify why it pays $9 million in income tax on $23 billion of UK sales.(May 20 2013) Amazon will be called back to give further evidence to members of the British Parliament "to clarify how its activities in the U.K. justify its low corporate...
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of 5
by Marjorie W. (Bonita Springs, FL) 
of 5
by Kimberly H. (Stamford, CT) 
of 5
by Kathleen W. (Appleton, WI) 
