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Reviews by Judy G. (Carmel, IN)

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The Return of the Witch
by Paula Brackston

Witches Vs Warlock (1/20/2016)

I really enjoyed this read. It was easy yet entertaining and complex enough to hold my interest. There was an interesting mix of dedication to a person who was "family" yet not related, coupled with romance from the helpers along the way and topped off with the evil of the Warlock's power. Combined energies defeat the warlock and the ending feels good. Very enjoyable.

Trust No One: A Thriller
by Paul Cleave

Captain A (6/15/2015)

I loved this book! Twists and turns in memory and reality within the traumatic world of an Alzheimer's patient made this not only a thrilling read but also yet another insight into the world of patients with "Captain A" in charge of their lives.

The Headmaster's Wife
by Thomas Christopher Greene

The book has it all (4/22/2015)

Love, romance, rejection, betrayal, revenge, beauty, bitterness, hopelessness, intrigue . . . and the list goes on. I don't read romance novels; this novel had just enough delightful romance mixed with suspense to keep me hooked and reading as quickly as possible to the conclusion. You will enjoy this read! Well done.

The Well
by Catherine Chanter

"The Well" Written (2/12/2015)

I was drawn into this book by the theme of loneliness and the effect loneliness can have on our minds. Ruth's imprisonment and her search for the truth were very well written. Some of the descriptive paragraphs (of both landscapes and people) at the Well prompted me to stop reading, read again and reflect before moving on. Those unplanned "stops" in reading are the mark of an exceptional author for me.

We Are Not Ourselves
by Matthew Thomas

Requires patient reader (2/3/2015)

At 620 pages this was not a quick read. I kept wondering when something would happen, not realizing until the end what an impactful read I was having. Each character is fully developed and each character's struggle becomes real in the reader's journey through this book. I do recommend this book to readers who are open to a long read and the emotional impact.

Whispering Shadows
by Jan-Philipp Sendker

Not enough action (1/10/2015)

I found it difficult to finish this easy reading book because there wasn't enough action going on to hold my interest. I enjoyed the description of the friendship between Paul and Zhang--that was a good aspect of the story but the rest of the plot was not interesting to me.

The Housemaid's Daughter
by Barbara Mutch

Households and Families (12/10/2013)

This book was interesting as it got me thinking that even long ago 'outsiders' often became thought of and treated as family members. The story does a good job of weaving racial and cultural differences into stories about family. Additionally, it points out that there have been people throughout history who were able to remain free of bias and who at times were the only ones ensuring survival of those who were being outcast or mistreated due to bias. Can we foster support for a kinder, more bias-free world through books such as this and reading in general?

To the Moon and Timbuktu: A Trek through the Heart of Africa
by Nina Sovich

Wanderlust in all of us (6/9/2013)

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it. The description of Nina's personal journey was well crafted and described. While I had hoped for a story of the people and animals of Africa, instead I learned more about what it's like for people who continually yearn for excitement and adventure. The author described an often torturous journey, both physical and psychological.

We all have some degree of wanderlust but some of us experience the need to travel as a driving force in our lives that never goes away. I don't share that drive and feel the author did a great job of describing what that's like for others and how it can temper even the strongest romantic relationships. This book is a great example of how we can experience the lives of others through reading. I recommend it for book clubs as members could each speak to their own degree of wanderlust and how that need gets met.

The Sisterhood
by Helen Bryan

The Sisterhood Captured Me (5/14/2013)

I became thoroughly engrossed in the book despite some imperfections already mentioned by other readers who gave it a 3 or 4 rating. The challenge of portraying the history in an engaging manner out ranks some of the inevitable "side effects" of that accomplishing that feat. Yes, following all the characters through the ages was challenging for the reader--yet doable even for an intuitive reader like me. I felt that having to do so made the book a richer reading experience than I might have otherwise had. Normally, I would have put a book aside with too many characters and facts; but to do so in this case would have been my loss.

The shift from the Spanish Inquisition to a modern day female character made Menina stand out as a little unreal compared to other women in the story; however, I believe the character was well developed and Menina's personality description is what causes some of that perception of shallowness in her character that other readers comment on. This was one of the best books I've read this year.

Close My Eyes
by Sophie McKenzie

Partially hooked (4/6/2013)

I was engaged and enjoying this book until it reached the latter chapters of the book when the plot was winding up to its conclusion. A couple of things just struck me wrong (don't want to spoil the plot for review readers) and I never did buy into the rest of the ending. For this reason my rating for this book is only average as it does not measure up to the work of other authors' work for 4-rated books.

The Jericho Deception
by Jeffrey Small

Jericho Deception (3/21/2013)

The first chapters of the book were exciting. I was primed to read more about the physician (Moussa) and his daughter (Amira)! From that point on the book felt like an average read for me. Good but seriously lacking depth in both character development and the key spirituality element. Aspects of the writing around the God concept and oneness were beautiful; but yet the writing wasn't sustainable enough to be of real interest to those seeking to learn more about spirituality. I found the romance element distracting by it's improbable and inappropriate interjection in the story line at times. For example, when you have Axe breathing down your neck you don't stop to reflect on a romantic interlude. Wolfe was portrayed as a major player in the intrigue but his character was vague. I don't believe this book merits a BookBrowse highest rating.

The Light Between Oceans: A Novel
by Margot L. Stedman

Heartful Love and Sorrow (3/16/2013)

My audio book experience of this story was tremendous. Oh, how my heart ached for the characters--all. Tom's amazing dedication to all 3 of the women in the story, Isabelle, Lucy and Hannah, was masterfully told. I was able to hold each character independently in my mind to experience their emotions, perspectives and decisions before rejoining the story. Tom's abiding love and sacrifice was indeed the light between the oceans.

Bone River
by Megan Chance

Bone Tired of Reading It (11/18/2012)

I was disappointed in this read although I was initially intrigued by the description and the author. I felt the story dragged on way too long with relatively meaningless dialogue for 2/3's of the book. Predictable; with some surprise at the end. After reading this I doubt I will choose this author again. Megan Chance has a gift for describing certain scenes in a beautiful way; however, I feel she has not mastered sustainable prose throughout a book of this length.

The Devil in Silver: A Novel
by Victor LaValle

Almost Devilish (8/11/2012)

At the beginning of this book I had settled in for an enjoyable reading experience; however, I began to get bogged down mid-way through the book. While the concept was great with many life parallels the action dragged on too long to the point of becoming uneventful for me once it occurred. I did appreciate the character development and was impacted by Dorry's message: "our trials don't change, only the court." Thanks Dorry.

Afterwards: A Novel
by Rosamund Lupton

Afterwards--reading the book (6/13/2012)

A fan of Sister and Lupton's writing style, I really enjoyed reading this book. The only reason I didn't rate it 5 is that I felt the author spun the story of the investigation for too long. I loved that I couldn't figure out who did what for so long into the book; however, the beautifully constructed ending was reached at a bit of a point of exasperation on my part. It just took too long to get there in the out-of-body world she had created. Overall, great writing, character development and a story that made me care!

15 Seconds
by Andrew Gross

15 Seconds (5/9/2012)

Another reviewer summed this up well as a good beach read. As a lover of really good thrillers I found this book really lacking. It is quick and easy to read with short chapters that lead you on to the next; however, I found the language far to schmaltzy for my taste. The emotions behind the action and the characters felt contrived and I never felt connected to the characters.

Cloudland: A Crime Novel
by Joseph Olshan

Cloudy Read (3/24/2012)

I agree with the comments several other readers have made that rated this a 3 read. It was disjointed, not a page-turner, confusing, slow paced and a book I had to struggle to finish. Clearly not a book for all of the "psychological thriller" fans out there. My rating is 2.75 overall.

Catching Fire: The Second Book of the Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins

Following the mockingjay (1/11/2012)

Excellent insight into growing up in a foster home, heartbreak, despair,having a child alone at an early age, symbolism, mother love, devotion, independence and forgiveness. I will look beyond the color when I give flowers in the future! My daughter told me I needed to read this trilogy and she was so right.

The Language of Flowers: A Novel
by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Beyond the color (1/11/2012)

Excellent insight into growing up in a foster home, having a child alone at an early age, symbolism, mother love, devotion, independence and forgiveness. I will look beyond the color when I give flowers in the future! I loved this book!

The Face Thief: A Novel
by Eli Gottlieb

Calculation & Cunning (12/22/2011)

The Face Thief provides a delightful journey of calculation & cunning most readers never experience in a lifetime. The author's character craftsmanship is superb and I found it to be a quite enjoyable read.

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Reviews by Judy G. (Carmel, IN)

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Reviews by Judy G. (Carmel, IN)

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