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Reviews by Beth B. (New Wilmington, PA)

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Ordinary Love
Ordinary Love: A Novel
by Marie Rutkoski
Is love ever ordinary? (4/1/2025)
Most importantly, I strongly urge you to read this book and encourage your fellow readers to do so. Marie Rutkoski has a gift for writing "take your breath away" prose as evidenced in her novel Ordinary Love. Her characters are so well fleshed out that you feel you know …more
The Bog Wife
The Bog Wife
by Kay Chronister
The Bog -- one of the novel's characters (8/19/2024)
This might well be the strangest book I have ever read. The Haddesley family, living in deplorable conditions, lead a joyless life with shallow and perilous "connection" with their siblings, Indoctrination, intimidation, isolation, and control all figure in their …more
The Fertile Earth
The Fertile Earth: A Novel
by Ruthvika Rao
The Fertile Earth by Ruthvika Rao (5/30/2024)
Can a person actually live without looking back? Can life's pain be managed? Would it be possible to be given the strength to say no?

This complex novel offers rich possibilities for discussion groups or a college literature class largely due to themes such as power, …more
Bad Animals
Bad Animals: A Novel
by Sarah Braunstein
The Importance of Empathy (12/19/2023)
Meet Maeve, a thin-skinned, self-absorbed librarian. And Harrison, a manipulative, selfish writer. And Libby, a teenager who has been known to lie. These three are only part of a sprawling cast of characters whose interactions cover all manner of relationships. The novel's …more
The Divorcees
The Divorcees
by Rowan Beaird
Home on the Range (10/23/2023)
The Divorcees is a most unusual novel. Into a ranch-sized mixing bowl, combine a cast of characters, all flawed except the cook and housekeeper. Stir in alcohol (plentiful), casinos, and local bar characters. Main ingredients are Lois, so insecure it hurts and Greer, self- …more
The Covenant of Water
The Covenant of Water
by Abraham Verghese
The Blessings of Connection (9/23/2023)
One of the best, if not THE best book I've ever read.
Devil Makes Three
Devil Makes Three: A Novel
by Ben Fountain
Searching for the Devil (8/19/2023)
Fasten your seat belts as our skillful pilot, Ben Fountain, transports readers to Haiti. You'll meet memorable characters and be exposed to conspiracies in a search of truth and justice in an unsettled period of history. Who is being duped? Is this real or does it just …more
King of the Armadillos
King of the Armadillos
by Wendy Chin-Tanner
How to Journey Through the Unknown (5/1/2023)
A masterpiece! Read this novel for its marvelous story as you soak in the beauty of the author's poetic descriptions. The characters are unforgettable -- we learn of their backgrounds and secrets bite by bite. Some embody guilt, shame, fear, discrimination, icy self-control, …more
The Long Ago
The Long Ago: A Novel
by Michael McGarrity
Searching for the Past, Then the Future (2/24/2023)
The Long Ago by Michael McGarrity is a lovely novel --- not fine literature but enjoyable, none the less. Significance of the title is revealed at the end of chapter five as the cast of characters is being developed. Set mainly in Montana and California, with a foray into …more
Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain: A Love Story
by Vesna Goldsworthy
The Iron Curtains of Our World (1/4/2023)
What are the iron curtains of your world? What restrains and governs you?

In "Iron Curtain" by Vesna Goldsworth, we have an opportunity to examine family dynamics and human relationships within a unique story. Milena, called a red princess, is a product of a privileged …more
The God of Endings
The God of Endings: A Novel
by Jacqueline Holland
No End --- Just Endure (10/3/2022)
Jacqueline Holland has crafted a unique book that has an interesting premise with one important codicil: NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED. Richly stated world wisdom (biggest doesn't always win) and deeply felt truths are interwoven with paganism. Definitely not a book I could …more
The Outcast
The Outcast
by Sadie Jones
Why An Outcast? (8/29/2022)
This is a knockout of a novel!!!! Difficult to review without any spoiler. Trust me on this. Don't miss reading this finely written book on family dynamics, abuse, and trying to rise above what's been dealt.
The Poet's House
The Poet's House
by Jean Thompson
Poet = House of Many Rooms (6/11/2022)
I found this book to be sketchy, missing elements it's hard to define. Under the gaiety of house parties that are insular is a falseness, a searching for true meaning. The narrator, Carla, a landscaper, meets an enchanting poet who catches her fancy and puts into motion a …more
The Lies I Tell
The Lies I Tell: A Novel
by Julie Clark
A Tangled Web (3/23/2022)
Incredible!! A chilling ten-year plan of skillful revenge. Find a comfy chair, buckle your seat belt and delve into The Lives I Tell by Julia Clark. The author leads readers on a merry chase as crafty and resourceful Meg Williams plots a complicated con artist jigsaw.

This …more
Activities of Daily Living
Activities of Daily Living: A Novel
by Lisa Hsiao Chen
LIFE, time, art, projects (1/1/2022)
Fellow readers, this is a UNIQUE novel, one that is extremely difficult to review, but one that I recommend to those who appreciate an author's skill with the interweaving of two stories. The research that led up to publication must have been grueling! How to combine Alice, …more
Honor
Honor
by Thrity Umrigar
Applause for Thrity Umrigar (8/27/2021)
A masterpiece! Lushly formed characters confronting the contrasts of two cultures. Opened my eyes to a country (India) I knew very little about.

We are privy to witness how Smita, main character, conquered her fears and her past. This alone is intriguing but there is MUCH …more
Morningside Heights
Morningside Heights: A Novel
by Joshua Henkin
Remniscences in Morningside Heights (3/25/2021)
Do not miss reading this novel! Its colorful cast of characters impart wisdom that is insightful and unforgettable. Issues span a wide range of topics from family interaction to education to illness and its effects on this family to caregivers and forever friends. The …more
A Theater for Dreamers
A Theater for Dreamers
by Polly Samson
Erica's Introspection and Intertwined Memories (3/2/2021)
First, if I may say, I anticipated reading this book due to the blurbs submitted by authors I respect. Sadly, that was not to be as the prologue was the high point; the following pages did not deliver what I had hoped for. A for vivid imagery of the beautiful island of …more
Of Women and Salt
Of Women and Salt
by Gabriela Garcia
Familial Connections (1/1/2021)
I commend Gabriela Garcia on her first novel that is indeed unique and haunting. It is evident that she spent a hefty amount of time researching pertinent topics regarding immigration, holding facilities, laws, and the struggle to survive. Central to the book are the …more
The Prisoner's Wife
The Prisoner's Wife
by Maggie Brookes
The Long March of The Prisoner's Wife (2/10/2020)
Reading The Prisoner's Wife was indeed a long march for me. Author Maggie Brookes has penned what might have been an engrossing novel. Sadly, this tale of risk, deception, and incredible hardships, lacked necessary ingredients to cause it to become a masterpiece. Inspired …more
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