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Reviews by Sylvia G. (Scottsdale, AZ)

Power Reviewer

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Bright and Tender Dark
by Joanna Pearson

Read Makkai instead (3/13/2024)

I recently read Rebecca Makkai's novel that covers the same ground as this novel. Campus murder, sleazy professor, podcast about the old murder and someone obsessed with it 20 years later. This was a seriously inferior version. Characters that were hard to care about, choppy change of time frame and character voices and an ending that was not particularly satisfying to me. Much ado about not enough. Read Makkai!

Pieces of Blue
by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Paradise lost and found (1/29/2023)

A widow with three kids impulsively buys a rundown motel in paradise (Hawaii) after the presumed death of her husband. A somewhat slow beginning soon leads to serious dramatic action with some strong plot twists. You'll root for the family and even if the ending is slightly contrived, you'll still enjoy it.

Stealing: A Novel
by Margaret Verble

Will steal your heart (12/3/2022)

Told in the voice of a young Native American girl, this strong and compelling novel has a lot to say about morals, ethics, prejudice, religious hypocrisy and more. It's a wonderful read with an extremely sympathetic heroine. Loved it.

Natural History: Stories
by Andrea Barrett

Not my favorite (7/26/2022)

This is an uneven collection of linked short stories. I'm not particularly interested in early airplanes, botany, bugs, or biochem, all of which are described with lots of detail. Taking that away, I was interested in some of the characters. But the last story skipped generations ahead, introducing new people and I found it to be both boring and a curious way to end the book.

Fly Girl: A Memoir
by Ann Hood

Fly Girl Gone (3/26/2022)

I'm old enough to remember the glamour of air travel and the way flight attendants were admired. This was also back when sexism was expected and part of the world that most women experienced. Hood's story of her years flying were evocative of that time. My one criticism would be that there was some repetition of the minutiae of the flights and preparation that were the least interesting part of the book. One of the best parts were the specific stories of passengers, both good and bad and I wish there had been more of that. A nostalgic look at an industry that will never be what it was.

The Fortunate Ones
by Ed Tarkington

A worthy read (10/29/2020)

The Fortunate Ones is a very readable novel. Using the trope of the poor boy who enters a world of privilege and changes, Tarkington has made a character driven and compelling story. There are themes like the effects of wealth and privilege, loyalty, staying true to values, love in many forms and transformation. Definitely recommended.

Hieroglyphics
by Jill McCorkle

Not McCorkle's best (6/5/2020)

I wanted to like this book. The fact that it's told in different voices is one of my favorite structures and I've read other McCorkle books and enjoyed them. But, this book was airless and claustrophobic. Filled with the unimportant minutiae of details and dull musings, it's heavy and overloaded. You have to sift through all the extra sand to find the few nuggets of gold and it's way too hard a job.

The Paris Hours: A Novel
by Alex George

What a Day! (2/13/2020)

With a combination of fictional characters and real historical figures, Alex George has crafted a novel covering a single day in Paris in 1927. Each individual story has some unique situation, but all the stories begin to slowly interconnect like a beautiful puzzle. Loved it!

Actress
by Anne Enright

Much ado about nothing (11/2/2019)

I wish I had liked this book. I found it dense, dark, dull and sometimes obtuse. I kept waiting for the revelation that was going to make everything meaningful and the big reveal never really occurs. Very Irish with many references that meant nothing to me. Not one I'd recommend. 2.5

Creatures
by Crissy Van Meter

Poetic, dark and beautiful (10/2/2019)

A powerful story about a girl growing up on an island where everything is about the sea. A mother who drops by every year or so, and a charming drug dealing addicted father who's her primary "caretaker"are her parents. It's very disjointed in timeline and theme, so if that's not you're thing, this is not for you. It's poetic, dark and beautiful.

More News Tomorrow: A Novel
by Susan Richards Shreve

No more news please (4/1/2019)

The beginning of this novel was not particularly promising. I found it confusing, many names, varying tone, attempts at quirkiness that didn't fit the story or the characters. It did improve a bit as the mystery at the center of the book became more central, but I felt it wasn't up to the standards of other books I've read by Shreve. Ultimately just ok.

The Last Romantics
by Tara Conklin

Not a romance, something much better (12/1/2018)

Excellent novel. The writing is beautiful, the characters are complex and the story of this family moving. There’s much to admire in this story of four siblings and their lives both with and without each other. Highly recommended.

At the Wolf's Table
by Rosella Postorino

Take a seat at this table (10/27/2018)

I've read a lot of books that deal with the Holocaust and Germany during the war years. This novel takes a new perspective. Told from the viewpoint of one of Hitler's tasters, the story shows the experience of being a regular German citizen in the war and the price that was paid by those who cooperated. Very well written, compelling and powerful. Definitely recommend.

Listen to the Marriage
by John Jay Osborn

Short but mighty (5/25/2018)

This slim novel is unusual as it takes place completely in a marital therapist's office. It's a compelling, realistic, and wise look at a marriage in trouble. I read it in one sitting due both to its brevity and quality.

America for Beginners
by Leah Franqui

Engaging debut novel (3/13/2018)

What an appealing book. Three unique and sympathetic characters take a trip across America with multicultural confusions and prejudices that slowly are overcome by compassion and friendship. A pleasure to read.

Other People's Houses
by Abbi Waxman

Light but clever (12/15/2017)

This is a slice of life story about a group of families on the same street, dealing with issues of everyday life. The writing is clever and witty, and this book is what I call a great palette cleanser. This is a perfect book to read when you want something light after a few heavy serious reads. It's nothing I'm going to spend days thinking about but it was entertaining and fun.

Strangers in Budapest
by Jessica Keener

Mystery? (10/17/2017)

3.5 There's a mystery buried in this story of a young family who move to Hungary in search of business ventures. The history of Budapest and the setting are the best parts of the book. The mystery itself is rather anemic and the main character is sometimes annoying in her indecision and her fixation on a tragedy in her past. The writing is serviceable and there is a dramatic ending which was possibly inevitable but felt forced.

Wonder Valley
by Ivy Pochoda

Not a wonder for me. (7/18/2017)

I had a hard time with this book. The title is misleading. There is little wonder to be found in these pages. The characters are criminals, lost souls and drifters. The settings are mostly seedy and run down. I found the writing was what redeemed the novel. I did not find this enjoyable in any way and was mostly depressed as I plowed through looking for redemption but finding it too dark and dreary.

Seven Days of Us: A Novel
by Francesca Hornak

Plenty of British Charm (5/14/2017)

I love charming British novels and this is a good one. A family under quarantine during Christmas brings out the dysfunction in every member. A few surprising twists and revealed family secrets, keep the pages turning. An entertaining, light read that most will find satisfying.

No One Is Coming to Save Us
by Stephanie Powell Watts

Didn't save us (4/3/2017)

I had such a mixed experience with this book. After finishing the first three chapters, I put it down and read something else. When I went back to it, and the character of Sylvia was no longer the focus, the book became much better. There are brilliant individual sentences that stand out, but this books comparison to Gatsby is a real disservice. The characters seemed fuzzy and pretty much unlikeable in various ways. I think her writing has potential, maybe her next book will be great.

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