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Reviews by Carol G. (Leesburg, VA)

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Since She Went Away
by David Bell

Beach Read Mystery (6/29/2016)

I took this book on vacation to the beach and it was perfect. While it is a mystery, it is definitely easy to read and the characters are very relatable making me want to keep reading.
The secondary story line about Jared's girlfriend, was actually more compelling for me …more

Darling Days: A Memoir
by iO Tillett Wright

Similar to recent reads (5/11/2016)

I enjoyed this memoir, it was well written and held my attention; however, having recently re-read The Glass Castle and The Sound of Gravel, I found the central themes very similar. Parent suffering with demons (mental illness, substance abuse, and overall narcissistic) …more

The Widow
by Fiona Barton

Hooked from the beginning (12/21/2015)

This book is almost identical in style to The Girl on the Train, right down to the back and forth chronology. Having said that, I found this story more gripping. I wanted to know almost immediately what was going on with these people, what was simmering under the surface. I …more

All Is Not Forgotten
by Wendy Walker

A "slow burn" read (11/3/2015)

I really enjoyed this book but it was not quite the "couldn't put it down" read I had hoped for. I would describe the story as a slow burn, it captures the readers interest and slowly pulls them along with cautious intrigue. The characters are very well developed and the …more

A Good Family
by Erik Fassnacht

Too much of a bad thing (5/26/2015)

I am sorry to say there was nothing about this book I enjoyed. It is very long and filled so much unnecessary detail, as the reader I felt like I was trudging through wet sand. The characters are very disjointed and there is really no sense of "family" throughout most of …more

House of Echoes: A Novel
by Brendan Duffy

Literally could not put it down (2/10/2015)

I loved this book! House of Echoes was an easy book to get into, the characters (especially the protagonist) were well developed and the writing allows the reader to form very clear mental pictures. The more I read the more trouble I had putting the book down. By the time I …more

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Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung

Based on the author’s family story, comes an extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters’ escape from Taiwan.

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Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus

Praised by Parade and The New York Times Book Review, this debut features a 1960s scientist turned TV cooking star.

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The Lilac People
by Milo Todd

For fans of All the Light We Cannot See, a poignant tale of a trans man’s survival in Nazi Germany and postwar Berlin.

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