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Reviews by Lee M. (Creve Coeur, MO)

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Darling Days: A Memoir
by iO Tillett Wright

Love? (4/13/2016)

This book begins with a beautiful love letter to the author's mother but... There's always a but! I usually read to be entertained, enlightened or to learn about something new. In my opinion none of these can be ascribed to this book. I did not feel love, just an ill hidden hate and condemnation.

The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins
by Antonia Hodgson

History with a Grin (1/4/2016)

What an exciting romp in the London of 1728. Not having read the author's first book I was totally unprepared for her wonderful descriptions, well developed characters, and good mystery story. Well researched, concise yet very descriptive text especially so that you can feel the filth, evil and thievery in her details of St Giles. Highly entertaining and historically accurate.

Fallen Land
by Taylor Brown

Fell (11/13/2015)

I fell in love with this book. Mr. Brown is gifted with a descriptive sense that makes you feel you're in the book experiencing the ride of your life! He is an eloquent writer and you accept even the most violent parts as necessary to the flow of the story. How can he know and convey so much, when he was not alive during this period. He made me cry and that is not easy to do. A magnificent choice for individuals and Book Clubs.

The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs
by Matthew Dicks

Enjoy (6/3/2015)

I did not pay any attention to the author's name when I started to read this book. When I finished it, in a few days, I assumed it was written by a female. Applause to Mr. Dicks for being able to pull this off. He accurately describes the dialogue of a mother and teenage daughter, adds a mystery and comes up with an interesting book. I liked the way he explained some of the differences between love and respect, and the importance of family values. For my taste, the ending felt a little drawn out, but easily overlooked problem and it did not spoil the enjoyable experience.

Still Life Las Vegas
by James Sie

Growing (5/4/2015)

This was listed as a "coming-of-age" story and tho I usually avoid them, decided to see if this one would be different. And I was pleasantly rewarded. Mr. Sie is such a lovely writer, short to the point, no unnecessary embellishments. I would prefer listing this story as finding the truth, accepting it, and having the resilience to go on to the future. I found that the jumping from one time period to another without too much of a clue where exactly we were, disconcerting. The drawings, to my surprise, added much to the narrative. The Greek references were mostly lost on me, but I knew enough to get by. A more than worthy debut novel.

The Book of Speculation
by Erika Swyler

Up and Down and Around (4/14/2015)

What a delightful surprise. Remember all the old time carnivals, the booths, the rides, the fat ladies, and the fortune tellers? Oh what fun it all was. This book is all that and more. Did you believe everything you saw and were told. Simon, our hero, does not. We'll sort of, does not. And that's where the fun begins. Ms. Swyler has cleverly juxtaposed a modern carnival family with a written history of a carnival family beginning in 1780. Could one or the other be cursed? Does Simon believe in curses? Do you? Read on and enjoy the RIDE!

The Silver Witch
by Paula Brackston

Past and Present Ghosts (2/27/2015)

If you are a fan of the past/present kind of story this a perfect book for you. The past, in Welsh, between 850 and 950 AD where the Celtic belief in witches was an accepted fact of life, not yet dampened by Christianity. The present, a ceramic artist who has recently moved to to this magical lake and valley. She is recovering from her husbands death and has decided to live in the humble farmworkers cottage they purchased together. Also, there are Archeologists digging at the edge of the mysterious lake filled with legends and myths. Does all this sound like a bit magic and mayhem, read it and find out.

A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power
by Paul Fischer

Defection or? (12/13/2014)

Based on a true story regarding the disappearance of an actress and her husband, a director, from South Korea. A few years later they reappear in North Korea. Whether they have defected or have been abducted has been a subject of many arguments whether you are North or South Korean. Mr. Fischer has written this accounting of what he believes really happened and lists the intense research that convinced him. Although Mr. Fischer patiently explains the difference in the regimes of the split county where this abduction/kidnapping occurred, in my opinion he never quite succeeds in describing the hatred, suspicion, jealousy and total animosity of the two Koreas. The absolute evil of one and the State controlled democracy of the other is so alien to us, but it is a worthy and interesting attempt at explaining the impossible.

The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah

France in the War (9/30/2014)

Do we need another WWII book? Yes! We will never have enough reminders of this inhuman chapter in our history. Especially if they are as well written as this book. I found the beginning a little slow, as the author explains the history and personalities of her leading characters. But, perhaps adds more interest. It's remarkable, knowing Ms. Hanna could not physically be there, how she so minutely describes the horrors and atrocities of this war. Also, by including a Nazi officer, and his story, she emphasizes that not all antagonists are monsters. The addition of a few more 'normal' enemies might have reinforced the point. Ms Hannah's description of Isabelle and Viann's heroics remind us that many women went above and beyond the expectations of the stay at home little woman. Also not all heroes wore uniforms or were awarded medals or commendations. I found myself questioning whether I could have and would have done so much. Cleverly the author adds a mystery, exactly who is the Nightingale? I found myself constantly guessing who it was, given the clues. It didn't take many pages to convince me that your gonna love this book.

Small Blessings
by Martha Woodroof

Wonderland (5/10/2014)

Entertaining story of Alice, as in Wonderland, (Rose) a dependable Prince Charming (Tom) and the sweetest, smartest Hero (Henry). Oh, and also includes a Good Witch (Agnes). Rife with cliches and platitudes, and a predictable plot line but stuck together with enough finesse to make it enjoyable.

City of the Sun
by Juliana Maio

Wow (1/9/2014)

Fasten your seat belt and settle in for a clever dose of mystery with a sprinkling of history and a darn good story. Ms. Maio knows this part of the world and you can feel her love for it as the plot unfolds. I was really deep into it and then the author added a totally unnecessary explicit sex scene that interrupted the flow and spoilt it all. And the implausible airport "Casablacian" scene added to my dismay. Oh well 3/4 of a good book is better than none?

Where Monsters Dwell
by Jørgen Brekke

A Tale of Evil (11/21/2013)

Two intriguing mysteries, seperated by centuries, but connected. Grisly descriptions. Author employes far too many 'tricks of the trade,' like skipping back and forth from character to character, century to century, end before beginning, when the stories were more than adequate to capture readers. I awarded the one star for the breadth of the undertaking rather than the execution.

Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets: A Memoir
by Jessica A. Fox

Rockets or Romance (6/19/2013)

A sweet (do authors cringe at this description) thoroughly enjoyable book. A little slow starting hence a 4 instead of 5. No lurid sex, no violence and no phony drama, just a solid story and fantastic descriptions of Scotland's scenery and residents. You sense a knowledgeable author. Is twenty-six too old to experience a "coming of age" story? I think not, as this book soundly proves.

The Daughters of Mars
by Thomas Keneally

World War 1 (5/27/2013)

From Australia to Tripoli, and then to the Western Front in World War I this book follows two nurses, that also happen to be sisters. Thomas Keneally writes very graphically about the atrocities committed in the name of war and makes an excellent case, perhaps unintentionally, for pacifism. He writes so emotionally about Naomi and Sally Durance that it blurs the fact that it is a man writing about women's thoughts and emotions. I found this book extremely enjoyable. Caution, the factual descriptions are quite explicit. Keneally sneaks in a little twist at the end.

The Last Girl: A Maeve Kerrigan Novel
by Jane Casey

Sweet Mystery of …… (4/16/2013)

Not sweet, the opening is a despicable murder of a mother and one of her 15 year old twin daughters. The gory description of the crime, 'bloody hell', leaves little to the imagination. Quickly the story settles into the necessary police procedures use to solve any murder. The endless interviews, the lying suspects, the blind alleys; Ms. Casey describes them all with wit and cynicism. A great romp and a thoroughly enjoyable mystery.

Calling Me Home
by Julie Kibler

Oh, my what a ride!! (12/14/2012)

Dorrie, a hairdresser in Arlington, Texas, is asked by 'Miss Isabelle," a very good customer, to drive her to Cincinnati, OH. She does not explain why, only that it is important and she will not fly, so it would be a long two-day trip, 986 miles. Dorrie must close her beauty shop and have someone stay with her family, but she respects, admires and considers Miss Isabelle a good friend, so she agrees. Driving Miss Isabelle turns out to be more than Dorrie signed up for, but it turns out to be a sweet extraordinary ride for the reader. Why this trip is so important to Miss Isabelle is only one of the sweet confidences revealed on this magical trip.

The Forgetting Tree: A Novel
by Tatjana Soli

Mystery or Love Story? (8/11/2012)

“Claire did not believe in the evil of the world” are the warning first words from the author. Claire is faced with a dilemma when she is diagnosed with breast cancer and her hold on the land is at risk. Her family insists she sell, but Claire will not let go and then Minna arrives. Is she the savior as she appears to be?

15 Seconds
by Andrew Gross

Hop On!! (5/24/2012)

Reading 15 Seconds is like being on a merry-go-round that increases speed with every turn with the music blending and blurring together causing that sick feel in your stomach. But what a great and wild ride it is!!

All Woman and Springtime: A Novel
by Brandon W. Jones

WOW (3/15/2012)

One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. The story of Gyong-Ho and Il-sun, two North Korean orphans, spans only a few years but encompasses a lifetime of degradation, and abuse but also holds a glimmering of hope. Perhaps a little too realistic at times, definitely for a mature audience, but nonetheless a gripping story which you will long remember.

A Good American: A Novel
by Alex George

Not for me (1/18/2012)

The characters did not grasp my interest. The story was good, but did not flow cohesively and seemed interrupted by current events.

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Reviews by Lee M. (Creve Coeur, MO)

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