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Reviews by Sandi W.

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News of the World
News of the World
by Paulette Jiles
Descriptive writing trumps author error (9/2/2017)
I don't like books that do not use quotation marks to indicate conversation! I took off .5 stars for no quotation marks. In my opinion, that shows laziness in an author.

3.5 stars

Now with that said -
Overall I did enjoy this book. It was just different enough from what I …more
Little Nothing
Little Nothing
by Marisa Silver
Fable/Folklore (8/23/2017)
Really hard for me to review this book. It was good - for me - because this is the type book-break I needed. However, at a different time and place I might not have liked this book as much as I did.

A fable, folklore, mystical - all apply, but really don't describe this book. …more
The Heart's Invisible Furies
The Heart's Invisible Furies: A Novel
by John Boyne
Another Boyne master piece.... (7/26/2017)
I have read a couple of John Boyne books before, so I was prepared for anything. Boyne takes on hard subjects and presents them relentlessly. I am aware that his themes and character development are beyond reproach. This particular book sucked me into its world. I found it …more
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
by Fredrik Backman
Not my cup of tea... (6/29/2017)
Let me start by saying I have loved all the other books I have read by Fredrick Backman, because...
I am sure that my review of this book will go against the main stream....however....

Had this been the first book I read by Backman I would have stopped there. I really …more
When She Woke
When She Woke: A Novel
by Hillary Jordan
Man's inhumanity to man (6/29/2017)
I enjoyed this book with its parallel to the Scarlet Letter. It shows what inhumanities our society is capable of. Altho Hannah would not have been my friend I could empathize with her.The writing made me push for a conclusion. 3.5 stars
The Execution of Noa P. Singleton
The Execution of Noa P. Singleton: A Novel
by Elizabeth L. Silver
The difference of a few chapters.... (6/29/2017)
Starting this book I had high expectations - the synopsis was good, the premise was wide open and I was ready for the best. The first quarter of the book was left to details of Noa's life , prior trial and prison. I did feel that this may have lasted a bit longer than was …more
The Stars Are Fire
The Stars Are Fire
by Anita Shreve
Not only surviving but prospering... (6/14/2017)
4.5 stars

Few people can write like Anita Shreve. Once she determines a topic she takes control.
This is the story of a woman not only surviving but prospering.
Due to a fast moving wild fire following a drought in Maine in 1947, many towns and cities were totally wiped out. …more
House of Names
House of Names
by Colm Toibin
Greek Tragedy (6/14/2017)
I tell you this man can take a muddy puddle and make you think it is a fresh spring shower!!
I thought I was done with mythology back in college. I had two literature classes devoted to mythology and thought I had read and reviewed it all. However, with all the authors …more
No One Is Coming to Save Us
No One Is Coming to Save Us
by Stephanie Powell Watts
No connection... (4/30/2017)
Sorry to say I found no connection to this book. I did not connect with the characters or the story. I saw little to no resemblance to the classic The Great Gatsby. I was however able to make each character's association to this book title. They all had varying problems and …more
The Nest
The Nest
by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
Dysfunctional... (4/23/2017)
2.5 stars
The story line in this novel was a great idea. It started out with a lot of potential. The authors prose was easy to read and I felt overall her words moved well. The problem stemmed from all the unneeded characters and extras that were thrown into this story. They …more
Slade House
Slade House
by David Mitchell
Every Nine Years (4/3/2017)
Slade House was built in 1930. It was razed in 1940. But...life went on in Slade House - at least for one night every nine years.

I felt I was confused during the first 50 pages or so of this book. Then it all fell together. However, nothing was as I expected. The words I …more
Mischling
Mischling
by Affinity Konar
A Sad and Difficult Story (4/3/2017)
Twist on a WWII theme. This book spoke to the Holocaust in 1944 and the imprisoning of twins, triplets and children with unusual defects into the pet project of Josef Mengele - Mengeles Zoo at Auschwitz. It focuses on one set of twins, Pearl and Sasha. How they survived, …more
Mischling
Mischling
by Affinity Konar
A Sad and Difficult Story (4/3/2017)
Twist on a WWII theme. This book spoke to the Holocaust in 1944 and the imprisoning of twins, triplets and children with unusual defects into the pet project of Josef Mengele - Mengeles Zoo at Auschwitz. It focuses on one set of twins, Pearl and Sasha. How they survived, …more
A Gentleman in Moscow
A Gentleman in Moscow
by Amor Towles
Lifetime Exile (4/3/2017)
Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov is sentenced to life, a life lived in the Hotel Metropol - never to leave its doors. Then taken from his elegant suite and relegated to an attic room to spend his life.

It is through his various friends and acquaintances, Nina, Sophia, Anna, …more
The Mothers
The Mothers
by Brit Bennett
Plethora of Human Issues (4/3/2017)
A debut book that hits on a plethora of human issues - teen pregnancy, suicide, and abortion among others. It was the intertwined stories of Aubrey, Nadia, and Luke, three black teens in San Diego, and how the choices they made, the secrets they kept and the regrets they …more
Girl in Disguise
Girl in Disguise
by Greer Macallister
First Female Pinkerton (4/3/2017)
This novel was inspired by the real life of Kate Warne.
In the style of Amy Stewart's Girl Waits with Gun series or Emily McCabe's I Shall Be Near to You, Greer Macallister does a fine job of making you visualize the first female Pinkerton agent in 1856. Not only Allan …more
The Opposite of Everyone
The Opposite of Everyone
by Joshilyn Jackson
Karma (4/3/2017)
This novel grabbed me in the first few pages and I had trouble putting it down. Not only is Joshilyn Jackson an accomplished writer, she is entertaining and imaginative.

Written in first person, Attorney Paula Vauss, aka Kali Jai, leads us down a winding lane of chaos, …more
Underground Airlines
Underground Airlines
by Ben Winters
The Day of Difference (4/3/2017)
Victor/Jim/Brother is a contracted, owned bounty hunter, a tracker, by any and all names. He is a black man, forced into hunting black men. This is set in the present day. The catch is that our present day is not as we know it to be. The Civil War never took place, and even …more
The One-in-a-Million Boy
The One-in-a-Million Boy
by Monica Wood
Age is only a number.... (3/15/2017)
A fantastic and heartwarming story about an unlikely friendship between an 104-year-old Lithuanian immigrant and a 11-year-old Boy Scout. The bond they share is uniquely special, and will definitely touch your heart.
It really was best not knowing too much of this story …more
The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad: A Novel
by Colson Whitehead
Unconventional slant (3/15/2017)
An escape through the underground railroad. We may have read many novels in relation to this historical event, but none like Colson Whiteheads version.
During this pre-civil war saga, our protagonist Cora is determined to escape her owner and make it north to freedom. This …more

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