What a delightful book!! Wise, insightful, whimsical, fanciful --- all due to the writing skill of Bradley Somer. All activity occurs in and directly outside a twenty-seven floor high rise, the Seville on Roxy. The reader meets its residents who travel up and down in its elevator and stairwell. And central to it all is a 99-cent goldfish named Ian who escapes from his glass home and witnesses brief glimpses of LIFE as he plunges to the pavement below. If this isn't a unique storyline, then what is?

The writing is amazing – prose that is imaginative and awe-inspiring and similes so fresh they jump off the page. I underlined passages and made so many marginal notations that my pencil ran out of lead!!
Treat yourself to a one-of-a-kind experience in reading. It's many plusses beyond five stars.

Three quotes from the main character's grandmother appear early and permeate the telling of the tale: The future is preordained; He who owns the gold rules; We are born alone and die alone.

The author skillfully places the cast of characters in situations in which they are pitted against one another ---power vs. submission, adult vs. adult, sibling vs. sibling, spouse vs. spouse, newcomer vs. "queen" of the town, to name a few.

The plot's intensity level is consistent throughout and the reader is compelled to continue reading in an effort to discover who the victors will be and how crucial is it to fit in. Anyone who has been forced to sacrifice what it is that comprises their essence will readily identify with Lainie, just as will anyone who is being manipulated by someone who is supposed to be a friend. Have you ever had the desire to step into the story and shake some sense into someone? Have you ever experienced the frustration of despising a character so deeply while realizing you are helpless to do anything -- you are viewing the situation as through a window but oh, how you want to DO SOMETHING!!

What is the perfect life anyway? How long can one sustain a charade? These and more issues are abundant and make the novel one to ponder once the final word has been read. My only criticism is the inadequacy of the title --- it conveys nothing that would entice anyone to be drawn to the powerful story that enfolds within the pages.

Amy Scheibe is an articulate writer with the ability to allow readers an access into the mind of the main character, Emmy. How quickly one can mature when the decision has been made to face reality, going beyond what was once a dream into the sickening horror of long-hidden family history!! I suppose one might term this a coming-of-age tale of an eighteen year old who learns to delve beyond face value. One has to admire Emmy's courage as she encounters bigotry, the dangers of misused power, and deceit. I find the title to be the book's biggest drawback -- it certainly did not attract me until I read the synopsis. A book club could have a lively discussion as to what a better title could have been. Midway through reading, I had the feeling that my interest was waning -- perhaps the book was a trifle too long.

Open a copy of Backyard and the aroma of floral delights topple out, beckoning you to stroll through the gardens of the town of Livia. Your leisurely pace while admiring the lovely specimens quickly is transformed into a romp as the layers an obsessive hobby are revealed. A community contest creates a flurry of competition that rapidly turns ugly. The manner in which the author portrays all of this must be lauded for his creative storytelling. How Mr. Draper weaves this tale so humorously will be enjoyed by all readers who occasionally enjoy an escape from literary fiction. Being an avid gardener, I find myself wondering how someone who is not a lover of horticulture would rate this book. Regardless, the settings provide some very amusing escapades.

Fasten your seat belts and jump right into this book!! Suspense, brilliant characterization, sense of London as a place, lost then found, clues dropped like bread crumbs -- this novel has all of that and more. Harriet Lane, the author, has the uncanny ability to throw the reader off as she performs a back and forth from chapter to chapter. You'll find yourself asking "Why?" many times as you try to unravel just where the plot is leading. I guarantee you'll think about this book long after you read the last word.

WOW!!! This book is a winner, one I will definitely recommend to anyone who wants to listen to my effusive praise. Marissa Stapley is certainly an author who can build characters, fleshing them out so that you know them and would even want to meet them -- perhaps have cocktails on a patio or deck. Conversation would not falter!! Families, love, relationships, the force of the past and how early years affect individuals, how we are and how others see us are themes that permeate this masterfully created novel.

Truly, DO NOT miss reading this book. Author Colette McBeth, in a debut novel, is clearly one to reckoned with. She not only cleverly plants the seeds of suspicion but also makes the reader feel equally clever since they sense where the plot is going -- but do they?? This is quite the accomplishment for a novice fiction writer!! As you partake of this book, you will be aware of how the author slips in a tiny teasing clue that compels you to continue to the next page, and the next, and the next, to the conclusion. Gives to meaning to "things are not always as they seem."

Sadly, I cannot recommend this book. I stuck with it, knowing that a review was expected and hoping that my interest level would be heightened. The novel left me wanting more from a topic/issues that could have been more richly layered. I found it to be lacking in characterization, saccharine, and simplistic. Women weakly admitted to too many "should haves" rather than acting bravely when support was within grasp. I wanted more depth, more fleshing out of the women who connected due to commonalities. Hannah, at the book's ending, states that "people see what they want to see." I wanted them to see more and include us in their individual and joined journeys.

Positives: well-researched, lusciously constructed sentences sprinkled throughout, recommended for book clubs who like to chew on existence issues such as those listed in the title of this review.

I really wanted to like this book to the end, but found myself wishing there were fewer details ---location and street names that impeded the flow of the story's progression.

"Everyone goes home. One day. Where else would you go when the war ends? When the camps shut down. You'll come home. And I'll find you." Martin Fletcher's beautiful words at the very beginning beckoned to me but the interest was not sustained.

Definitely do not miss this treasure!! Put aside the title that hides its true essence and immerse yourself in this story of three very unique women's journeys and their connection to a house, also a character of sorts. Each chapter begins with a gemlike quote by a cookbook author since food and its preparation are crucial to the plot. Warning: reading this will trigger salivation as well as a reminder of how much we connect food with memories of those we love.

Suggestions for a book club: come up with a better title and solve the puzzle of the foil-wrapped paper plate in the last chapter of section two. Intrigued? I hope you are and will indulge in this creme brulee of a book.

Don't miss reading this book!! Rich in character development, captivating peephole into family dynamics, adolescent sibling relationships, and so much more. You will ponder what you've read after each exposure and definitely its content will enter and reenter your mind for some time. An excellent choice for book clubs to explore. This book will assuredly be chosen for best reads lists.

I, like many others, have always been fascinated with the Lindberghs and eagerly began this book. How little I knew about the famous aviator! I feel that he was Lucky Lindy mainly because he chose a wife so wisely. She was the "glue" that enabled their family to endure heartwrenching sadness and the horrid effects of celebrity.

Although this is not the best volume of historical fiction I've read, I'd recommend that you persist to discover how Anne Morrow Lindbergh steps away from her husband's shadow and finds courage to live fully as her own self.

The author accomplished one of her goals: this reader has been "inspired to research these remarkable lives" more fully.

Have you ever played 52-card pickup with a deck of playing cards? I was reminded of that experience while reading the well-written and suspenseful Salvation of a Saint. Police, detectives, forensics, and even a professor collaborated to pick up all pieces of evidence in a keep-you-guessing homicide case. You'll enjoy the skillful building of suspense in this quick read. I guarantee you'll not regret the romp through this terrific account of an able team solving the "almost perfect" murder.