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Reviews by Catharine L. (Petoskey, MI)

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The Sun Down Motel
by Simone St. James

Creepy Mystery (11/5/2019)

The book got off to a slow start but became a page turner. The setting is small town Fell, NY. The chapters alternate between Viv in 1982 and her niece, Carly, in 2017, who is investigating the disappearance of her aunt. In my opinion , the ghostly inhabitants of the motel …more

Nothing to See Here
by Kevin Wilson

4.5! (6/9/2019)

Weirdly funny. Lillian is coasting along in life when her best and only friend asks her to watch her step-children (twins) who spontaneously combust when agitated. Great plot and wonderful characters.

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls
by Anissa Gray

Wonderful first novel (10/5/2018)

I would rate this 4.5. A story of mothers, daughters, sisters, relationships, family secrets. Characters are so believable. I empathized with them all even though they made terrible choices.

Sold on a Monday
by Kristina McMorris

Keep your interest (8/9/2018)

I would rate this 3.5. The story itself was a page turner - the idea taken from an actual photograph of four children next to a sign "4 children for sale". I never connected with the characters - more action and less emotion. The strained lifelong relationship between Ellis …more

Vox
by Christina Dalcher

Lots of potential (5/6/2018)

The concept was intriguing - females can speak only 100 words a day. But the characters were one dimensional, too many medical/technical descriptions, and the conclusion was too abrupt.

Anatomy of a Miracle
by Jonathan Miles

Anatomy of a Miracle (1/7/2018)

Actually, I rate it 4.5. The book is written in journalistic style, and although the title reads "novel", I kept thinking, "This is nonfiction." Cameron, a former soldier, who has been paralyzed for 4 months, suddenly walks. Is it a miracle or a hoax? The novel describes …more

The Alaskan Laundry
by Brendan Jones

A Different kind of Heroine (2/4/2016)

"Everyone coming north to get clean of their past" is how one character describes Alaska. That's why 19 year old Toni Marconi is in Sitka, Alaska. She is independent, fierce, short-tempered, but the reader wants her to succeed. The book is filled with unique individuals. I …more

Every Anxious Wave
by Mo Daviau

Not one of my favorites (10/4/2015)

In this time travel book, Karl Bender, bartender and former rock guitarist, has a wormhole in his apartment that sends people back to rock concerts. Accidentally, he sends his best friend Wayne to 980 instead of 1980. He finds a brilliant, overweight astrophysicist to help …more

Trust No One: A Thriller
by Paul Cleave

Not for everyone (5/27/2015)

A real thriller. Jerry Grey (pen name Henry Cutter) is a very successful crime writer of brutal murders and bad men, He has been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's and that's where the story begins. He is convinced that he committed one murder and when more …more

Still Life Las Vegas
by James Sie

Very different (5/9/2015)

I can't believe this is James Sie's first book! I have never been interested in reading a graphic novel, but how else could he describe the death of his sister or his dad's version of reconnecting with his wife Emily. I had to put the book down several times simply because …more

The Wild Girl
by Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction at its Best (4/1/2015)

The setting is central Germany during the reign of Napoleon. Dortchen Wild lives next door to the Grimm family and is best friends with Lotte Grimm. One of six daughters, Dortchen falls in love with Wilhelm Grimm but he barely notices her until she brings him fairy tales.

…more

The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell
by William Klaber

An incredible story - truth is stranger than fiction (12/7/2014)

When Lucy's abusive husband abandoned her and their daughter, she had few options in the 1850s. She could find another husband or live and work at home. She did neither. She cut her hair, took her brother's clothes and became Joseph.

The first 2/3's of the book were very …more

Bitter Greens
by Kate Forsyth

Fairy Tale for Adults (8/12/2014)

I love fantasy - not romance - and this was great - a retelling of Rapunzel on an adult level. Three women: Charlotte-Rose, Margherita, and La Strega Bella - tell their stories. Through Charlotte-Rose, the reader learns of the excesses of Versailles, the debauchery and …more

Enduring Courage: Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker and the Dawn of the Age of Speed
by John F. Ross

almost a 5 (4/4/2014)

I read Eddie Rickenbacker's "autobiography" in 1967 which I enjoyed, but Enduring Courage is the icing on the cake. The book emphasizes his car racing, WWI flying, and surviving two plane crashes. What a page turner! The book reads like fiction, but I learned so much about …more

Doing Harm
by Kelly Parsons

Couldn't sleep. Had to finish it. (10/30/2013)

I enjoyed this medical thriller. It was very suspenseful, and I confess, I jumped ahead to the ending - so I could sleep at night. The medical information was written so the average person could understand the situations, and the reader realizes that there are mistakes and …more

Henry and Rachel
by Laurel Saville

Slow moving story (9/15/2013)

It is a story of the relationship between Henry and Rachel told mostly from their viewpoints, and from the perspectives of James, the oldest son, Margaret, the daughter, and family friends.
I thought the story was sad. Rachel takes three of her children to New York City, …more

The Affairs of Others
by Amy Grace Loyd

Better Than a Beach Read (7/10/2013)

The novel is about two women recovering from the loss of a husband - one by death and one by betrayal.

Celia is a young widow who becomes the owner of a small apartment building, and her tenants are chosen because they respect privacy. The book is well written. Each chapter …more

A Nearly Perfect Copy
by Allison Amend

Almost a 5 (3/5/2013)

This novel is so different from what I normally read. I know very little about the art world and found myself googling the works of different artists. The events are show through the eyes of Elm, a woman with a loving family and a great career at the Tinsley auction house, …more

Golden Boy
by Abigail Tarttelin

An unusual story (1/10/2013)

I was hooked in the first three pages with Daniel's (age 9 4/5's) description of his older brother Max. The story is told from the viewpoint of 6 different characters. It is a coming of age and family in crisis situation.... I didn't rate it a 5 because the discussions …more

The Spy Lover
by Kiana Davenport

not for the faint-hearted (11/30/2012)

I learned alot from this book. Didn't know that Chinese immigrant men were kidnapped to serve in the Confederate army or southern women grew poppies for opium. I enjoyed the story line told from the father's view, Johnny Tom, the daughter's, Era, and the Confederate soldier, …more

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