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Reviews by Martha G. (Columbia, MO)

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The Day Tripper: A Novel
by James Goodhand

the Day Tripper (11/25/2023)

The creative brain that mastered the timeline of events in The Day Tripper must be a marvel! Alex Dean finds himself perpetually adrift while trying to navigate his life. I have enjoyed time-travel novels, but this one proved a bit much for me. I found it to be confusing …more

Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe
by Carl Safina

Alfie and Me (9/6/2023)

Not having read anything by this author, Carl Safina, I was especially impressed with his language and organization of thought. The book is a philosophical masterpiece. History of Indigenous people, history of "religious" experience, and history of man's relationship to the …more

Hotel Cuba: A Novel
by Aaron Hamburger

Hotel Cuba (3/28/2023)

Initially I liked the idea of this story. After a slow start, I came to realize that I didn't really care much for the characters or what happened to them. I found Pearl to be particularly unlikeable. She never seemed to be content or happy about any of the places she lived. …more

The Lost English Girl
by Julia Kelly

The Lost Engilish Girl (1/30/2023)

Choices. The choices made by 18-year-olds in the 1930s and 40s were so much more limited than today's teens and young twenties. Viv, Joshua, and Maggie made choices in this book that they would not have been forced to face today. The author has done a remarkable job of …more

Moonrise Over New Jessup
by Jamila Minnicks

Moonrise Over New Jessup (12/20/2022)

I was not aware of this phase of the civil rights movement. That a black community wanted to remain a black city, but with individual freedoms and governmental freedoms, rather than an integrated municipality was not an issue I'd ever been exposed to in any history lesson. …more

Jackie & Me
by Louis Bayard

Jackie and Me (5/29/2022)

I was in high school/college during the "Kennedy years." They were almost like royalty to me. Reading "Jackie and Me" brought back so many memories of their lives and mine! I had to keep reminding myself that this book was fiction. The author's language and writing style …more

Dirt Creek: A Novel
by Hayley Scrivenor

Dirt Creek (3/4/2022)

Hooked from the first page, I became deeply involved with each character. Esther's presence was felt even though she was already absent. The writing style and language were mesmerizing. Some books can be read without reading every word. This one requires the reader to read …more

Two Storm Wood: A Novel
by Philip Gray

Two Storm Wood (12/14/2021)

Confusion at the beginning almost stopped me from continuing to read. However, once I established that the author was filling in the back story with changing time periods, I became engrossed in the plot. The writing is very period-authentic. I wished for my e-reader to be …more

The Last Chance Library
by Freya Sampson

Last Chance Library (7/13/2021)

What a delightful read! The Chalcot Library brought back so many memories of my childhood library. From the children's reading room to the irascible head librarian, Marjorie, I was hooked. Watching the characters come together to save their library made me wistful for that …more

The Lost Apothecary: A Novel
by Sarah Penner

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner (8/22/2020)

A thoroughly researched novel about a not-so-wonderful subject; poisoning those who malign others' lives. The Lost Apothecary toggles back and forth from the 1700's hidden apothecary shop to the present day problems of a couple who are experiencing a "poisoning" of their …more

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