My big problem with this book is: it doesn’t know what it is. Is it historical fiction? Yes, and no. Is it science fiction? Yes, and no. Is it alternative universe/history? Yes, and no. I had the uncomfortable feeling all while reading it that I was being played by the author. And that is not a comfortable -- or desirable -- feeling.

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD tells the story of Cora, a plantation slave, and her desire for freedom. In this book, the underground railroad is just that – underground. Many interlocking tunnels with a variety of engines and baggage/passenger cars traverse this railroad. Apparently no one hears or notices these steam engines or the building of the tunnels. The slavery portion of the story is purely antebellum south and rings true. The rest of the story – not so much.

The first half of the book found me wondering why I kept reading. The last half, I just wanted to know how Cora fared in this awkward world. I can’t recommend this book.
2 of 5 stars

I love this book. I know NOTHING about electricity….but I understand this book. And I am laughing. That is the essence of a great writer: to help me understand difficult concepts and to entertain me while my brain is engaged. This book has it all: humor in large part, terror at times, mystery, legal shenanigans, hate, love, ethics (or a lack thereof), subterfuge, science that is understandable and intrigue. Oh yes, and great writing.

The writing is clear, but still offers illumination to the characters that inhabit the book. Those characters are drawn with great detail and great sympathy both for the character and for truth. Although the novel takes liberties with the time lines, the places of events and even the presence of the various players, nothing is lost either to enjoyment of the book or the science and inventions depicted. The one remaining mystery is Agnes and she shall remain a mystery until you have finished the book and read the after notes.

I thought the quotes that start each chapter added to the depth of engagement for the modern reader – a great addition to the book. This will be a good for book groups to discuss. One question to ponder – How much of a villain was Paul, or was he a villain at all?

What a sad and depressing book! Inspired by the girls who followed Charles Manson and committed vile crimes for him, this book follows a depressed and lonely girl as she falls under the spell of one of the followers of a cult leader in the 1960’s. Although some of the book is written from the perspective of an older Evie, most of it written as present day in the 60’s. Evie as a teen is depressed and depressing. Evie as a middle aged failure is even more depressing. Skip this one! Well written but who needs it.

This is a very, very dense scholarly book concerning the women of Paris during WWII. I ended up reading it as a collection of brief episodes as it was difficult to follow any one person's activities because of the chronological order of events and the various names used by the women during the course of the war. The "Cast list" was almost useless as women were listed under their family name, or their husband's name, or their resistance name, etc, but not all of them.

There are many French language phrases and words used throughout the book without translation.

You really need a very good working history of France and WWII to understand the enormity of places and events mentioned in passing, ie, the Hiv d'Vel roundup, Ravensbruck medical experiments, the Comet Line and others.
I would not recommend this book to my book group although I did appreciate the work that went into the writing of the book.

Constance Kopp, the first woman Deputy Sheriff of New Jersey, is the heroine of this novel. Constance was a real person as are her sisters and the other law enforcement persons. The personalities of each is clearly defined. The story moves slowly, but is interesting with the detailed descriptions of life in 1914 in small towns, large cities and the family farm. The narrative is enhanced by the newspaper articles (real ones) that are interspersed throughout.
Altogether an engaging novel about an intriguing woman and her refreshingly novel family even with a fairly slow start.
4 of 5 stars

Did I enjoy this book? Hmmm, not so much. Was it compelling reading? Oh yes, absolutely!
Ivan is a teenage boy in a grotesquely deformed body, the result of radiation from a malfunctioning Russian nuclear plant. His mind, however, functions perfectly. Trapped in a deformed body in a rundown hospital, Ivan entertains himself by being as obnoxious as possible until he meets Polina, a recently orphaned teenage girl suffering from a rapidly advancing cancer.
We watch as Ivan and Polina react to each other, their suffocating community and their medical conditions in an unforgiving tale of self-worth, alienation, wonder, love, frustration, ineptness, caring, hope and resignation.
This is a tale that will stay with you, disturb you and, perhaps, challenge you to change things.
5 of 5 stars

Did I enjoy this book? Hmmm, not so much. Was it compelling reading? Oh yes, absolutely!
Ivan is a teenage boy in a grotesquely deformed body, the result of radiation from a malfunctioning Russian nuclear plant. His mind, however, functions perfectly. Trapped in a deformed body in a rundown hospital, Ivan entertains himself by being as obnoxious as possible until he meets Polina, a recently orphaned teenage girl suffering from a rapidly advancing cancer.
We watch as Ivan and Polina react to each other, their suffocating community and their medical conditions in an unforgiving tale of self-worth, alienation, wonder, love, frustration, ineptness, caring, hope and resignation.
This is a tale that will stay with you, disturb you and,, perhaps, challenge you to change things.

Arrowood is a gothic thriller that starts slowly with mounting eeriness as the main character, Arden Arrowood, is slowly revealed along with the tragedies in her life. Her twin sisters disappeared while she, only 8 years old, was supposed to be watching them. Arden has scars, both physical and mental, from this and other traumas in her past life.
Arrowood, the house, has been in her family for generations, but has stood empty since shortly after the twins disappeared. Arden returns to Arrowood twenty years later when her grandfather bequeaths her the long empty house. The tension mounts as her back story is revealed and various characters from her past, along with an amateur detective who is fascinated by the unsolved mystery of the twin’s disappearance, are introduced.
McHugh is a gifted writer who maintains a firm grip on a story that could easily become maudlin. Instead the eeriness and growing unease builds to a crescendo. The characters are slowly developed into rich, fully portrayed persons embodied in a horrifying story.
5 of 5 stars

What begins as a lovely and genteel story of discrimination against a “professional” woman in an English village just before World War I, quickly becomes a fascinating tale of honor, class, love, discrimination and village life with all its charm and meanness. The characters are delightfully and realistically portrayed. The situations show the class and gender lines in pre-war England. There is humor and pathos, greed and generosity, refinement and pretentiousness, honor and scandal. But above all, it is a well written, engrossing story.
5 of 5 stars

The Ugly – Strung out, abusive, uncaring parents who also deal drugs and engage in "open" marriage among other things: relatives who are too eager to condemn and not eager to listen: law enforcement that wants to believe the worst: and more.

The Wonderful – sincere friendship: true, faithful love: caring teachers: and more.
Beautifully written with well developed, complex characters and believable, if truly awful situations, Bryn Greenwoods debut book is mesmerizing. Filled with raw language and rawer sex, it still manages to be filled with love and hope. This book is not for everyone, but for those willing to read with an open mind, the love story of Wavy and Kellen follows them from Wavy's eighth year through her college graduation. This is an unusual book that will find its way to book groups eager to be challenged and willing to discuss drugs, law enforcement, child endangerment, felons, desperation, murder, family relationships, perseverance and hope.

5 of 5 stars with reservations for sex, violence and strong language

There are volumes of wisdom contained in this young adult novel. Joan, 14, is abused and over worked by her father so she leaves home to seek her fortune. Along the way she comes in contact with a young Jewish man who “rescues” her, a Catholic priest who teaches about her own religion, an old woman who teaches her she is worthwhile, a young boy who teaches her she has talent and a family that both welcomes and chastises her.
Well written, with engaging and true-to-life characters, conversation and incidents, THE HIRED GIRL is well worth reading and even re-reading. You will find nuggets of wisdom on almost every page, but the novel never preaches. The world of 1911 Baltimore is clearly shown, especially the world of the well-to-do and the servants who ease their way. Hard work is rewarded, education is valued, love is sought after, faith is paramount, toleration is expected and desired, patience is a virtue, and hope is ever present.
Book groups of varying ages will find plenty to discuss here. Mother-daughter groups will find themselves agreeing that this is an excellent book.
5 of 5 stars

This novel of firemen and their families was hard to read. Not because many of the fireman died, but because the novel was constantly jumping from past to present then back to a different time in the past then back to present – all in the same chapter. The writing is clear and even lyrical in places but the book jumped from character to character so often I was constantly turning back to the family diagram to see who and what time period the story had suddenly shifted to.
After I finished the book, it felt as though there were so many stories there wasn't one story. Each of the various stories felt incomplete in some way. Perhaps a winnowing of the characters and more depth for fewer would have felt more "finished. I enjoyed many of the mini-stories and liked most of the characters, but all in all, I was disappointed in the book.

Although a young adult novel, this tale of the end of World War II and the refugee ship Wilhelm Gustloff will also appeal to all who like historical fiction. Sepetys knows her subject well and is able to clearly voice each of the teens fleeing the fall of Germany. Each of the four teens tells their own story in alternating chapters, but the result is a devastatingly clear tale of desperation.
A nurse, a possible spy, a pregnant girl, a sailor aboard the doomed ship -- each adds their part as the story races to its conclusion. Sepetys is an excellent writer of atmosphere and character who is able to maintain tension throughout the novel.
Teens will love this book as will their elders. This would be a good book for a mother-daughter book group or any group interested in World War II and historical fiction.
5 of 5 stars

Melody, eleven years old, is brilliant. She also has spastic bilateral quadriplegia (cerebral palsy), is confined to a wheelchair and cannot speak. When she gets a Medi-Talker that allows her to communicate, her life changes.
OUT OF MY MIND tells Melody’s story of being confined in so many ways until her Medi-Talker arrives and the changes it makes in her life and the lives of those around her. Told sensitively and with compassion, it also tells of the story of a “normal” pre-teen confined in a disability. Draper writes with clarity. Melody is a well-rounded character as are her mother and father, neighbor and mentor, personal assistant and, most importantly, the other fifth graders and teachers in both her “special” classes and her “inclusive” classes.
Book groups (adult, teen, mother-daughter) will all find many topics for discussion including disabilities, friendship, jealousy, cliques, “special” education and others. Many of the topics will resonate with all teens and pre-teens who struggle with image, self-confidence and differences.
5 of 5 stars

A story within a story within a story is the only way to quickly describe THE STORYTELLER. There are three storytellers -- Sage, a baker, who carries guilt and grief that consumes her; Josef, a beloved elderly man, who confesses to Sage and wants her to forgive and then kill him; and finally, Minka, a Polish Jew and resident of a concentration camp during WWII. I found Minka’s story compelling. Forgiveness is the overriding theme of the book. A sentence on page 450 states that you can only forgive someone the wrong they have done to you personally. Sage, Josef and, even Minka, need forgiveness, but who can forgive them and will they – that is the question.
I found this to be one of Picoult’s more challenging and thought provoking books. She is known for addressing timely topics with a twist ending. THE STORYTELLER addresses forgiveness in way that will give you pause for thought, especially the ending. Book groups will have a lively discussion of guilt and forgiveness.
5 of 5 stars

After a thrilling start, The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins takes a while before the reader truly cares about Tom, his "trull" Kitty and the other characters in the novel. But, once apprehension for Tom's life and liberty sets in, the thrill ride begins and doesn't stop. Hodgson's characters are engaging and fully formed. The setting and history (London, in the early 1700s) is well researched and clearly told. The mystery is exciting with many red herrings and plot twists. The picture presented of Queen Caroline is delightful -- and convincingly nefarious.

Readers of both historical fiction and mysteries will be captivated with this book. Although this is a second outing for Tom Hawkins, and several other characters from The Devil in the Marshalsea are present, the necessary information from the first is presented logically and without undue repetition.

This novel is alternative fiction that takes place just before and during World War II. The premise is that girls as well as boys must register for the draft at age 18 and serve in combat if called up. The two female leads are both only 17, but lie about their ages and join up when America is attacked at Pearl Harbor. They both expect to serve in “safe” secretarial type units and are surprised and chagrined when they discover they will serve in combat units. The novel covers their experiences training and then in combat in North Africa.

The author shows quickly that he is NOT a female in the early sections of the book. The women’s actions and attitudes just don’t ring true, especially considering the time period is the 1940’s. He gets better when the “action” becomes actual action in war zones. The male members of the unit are both sexist and accepting of women in combat. Although the book is more than 500 pages, only the first few actions of the unit are covered in any depth. The end of the war is quickly summed up in a few foreshadows strewn throughout and then in a final few pages. The very green female sergeant who embeds herself in a combat action with no battle training and in relative defiance of her superiors is patently unrealistic.

Because the aftereffects on both the men and women in the unit and those at home are not covered the book cannot be considered a foreshadowing of today’s “women in combat” initiatives. The first part of the book drags a bit, but the later war scenes are quite good.

What a sad, hopeful book. No, that is not an oxymoron. This really is an excruciatingly sad book full of hope and faith. A young girl, left alone to care for her even younger brother, must lead them from crushing poverty in Honduras to their illegal immigrant mother in America. Hope and belief carry them until her brother is hooked on glue and she is raped.
A young American couple with everything -- a successful restaurant, enough money, friends, family, an enduring love for each other, but no child to make them complete. Hope and belief seem lost when the child they adopted is taken from them after one blissful day because the birth mother changes her mind.
Told in alternating chapters with Carla, the Honduran child, and Alice, the American wife, voicing their stories. The situations are real, the characters are fully fleshed out, the tension increases as the stories play out. How can this end happily? Does it end happily? Who are the winners and losers?
A beautifully written tale of heart wrenching loss, dashed dreams, hope, love and a place to belong.
5 of 5 stars

What a sad – and horrifying – life these children had foisted upon them by adults who should have cared for and loved them. It is hard to know where to start – with the father who wouldn't give his children his name, a mother so blinded by faith she puts her children in mortal danger, a community that lives in abject poverty out of fear? – faith? – stupidity? It also shows the inadequacy of border patrols, government assistance, the safety net for children and women and on and on.
Ruth Wariner's calm retelling of her childhood living in a cult was difficult to read. The life of this family caught in the blindness of the mother to the toxic and heartbreaking reality of her family's desperation and danger is written in straightforward prose. Ruth's ability to ultimately save the remaining children is testament to her strength of character.
I can't say that I "enjoyed" this book, but it was certainly riveting reading. I was a bit disappointed that I didn't learn more about fundamental LDS, but then that was not the point of the book.

What a harrowing tale Joseph tells in this, his story from early childhood in North Korea to young manhood in America.
His father is a mid-level party worker and his family is comfortable in the 1980’s. Kim, his father, mother and sister, Bong Sook, live with electricity, a TV and plenty of food and snacks. Then the famine in North Korea takes all of that away. His father and mother lose their jobs, then their furniture, TV and even clothing in order to eat. Eventually they lose their home and are dependent upon their extended family for a roof and food. Finally they have exhausted all options. Kim’s mother sells his sister in South Korea, and disappears. Joseph is left on his own as a young boy. The book details the heartrending life he leads as a homeless youth, descending into theft, lies and violence to survive. Written in simple, but graphic terms, he tells how he ultimately loses all hope and faith in communism and North Korea. He sneaks into South Korea at great risk, becoming a refugee from one the world’s most repressive regimes.
The book’s subtitle, FROM STARVATION IN NORTH KOREA TO SALVATION IN AMERICA, gives the story of his life in one sentence. This is a book that will not leave you for many months. You will learn about life in North Korea when things go well and how quickly plenty can turn to extreme want when a government is oblivious to the needs of the citizens – and how citizens continue to defend and love their country long after the country has abandoned them.
5 of 5 stars