Reviews by Ann B. (Kernville, CA)

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The Big Finish
by Brooke Fossey
The Big Finish deserves big kudos (11/15/2019)
Brooke Fossey had me at 9am Sit and Be Fit. I swear I've seen those exact activities on the board at my aunt's assisted living facility. I love that the novel is broken into bulletin board calendar days as well as numbered chapters. Time and its rate and manner of passingmore
Nothing to See Here
by Kevin Wilson
How do you prep for the possibility of fire children? (6/15/2019)
As a fan of weird fiction, I devoured this book. Main character Lillian, like most of us, feels like whatever she does, it's the wrong thing. She's not prepared for the children she's tasked to care for. Who would be prepared for children who catch fire at will? What Kevinmore
House of Stone
by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma
A layered novel in which history commands center stage (12/29/2018)
This sprawling novel set in Zimbabwe during Robert Mugabe's brutal government marks the impressive debut of Novuyo Rosa Tshuma. The book will appeal to readers seeking a layered, twist-filled #ownvoices story of oppressed and haunted people seeking to transcend the past.
The Lost Man
by Jane Harper
Character-driven mystery braided into Outback family saga (12/15/2018)
This crime novel set in the Australian outback has elements of a typical mystery, but it's the conventions it lacks that make it so satisfying. Our protagonist, for example, is not a PI, cop, or otherwise typical gumshoe character. Rather, he is a member of the family.more
Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History
by Keith O'Brien
A well grounded account of women pioneers of the air (6/24/2018)
Veteran NPR journalist Keith O'Brien succeeds in bringing these female (and feminist) aviation pioneers to life. I very much enjoyed following the arc of narrative that O'Brien constructed using primary and secondary source materials, such as journals, news clips, letters,more
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
by Hiro Arikawa, Philip Gabriel
How to deserve the love of a cat (5/15/2018)
A metaphorical journey wrapped in a lusciously evocative journey through Japan, this short, endearing novel is told from interwoven perspectives. Witty street cat Nana speaks to us in a chatty and intimate first-person voice, while a third-person POV fills us in on themore
The Typewriter's Tale
by Michiel Heyns
Henry James fans just might (1/7/2017)
Frieda Wroth is a compelling character -- a typist, a recreational cyclist, a would-be author, and an independent young woman for the period (1907-08) and the setting (Rye, England). Yet this novel did not appeal to me, as I imagine it will to more avid Henry James-ophiles.more
Manderley Forever
by Tatiana de Rosnay
A must-read for DuMaurier fans and those who enjoy biographies that read like novels (12/21/2016)
With Manderley Forever, novelist Tatiana de Rosnay has hit two birds with one stone in terms of my reading affinities. First, as a writer of creative nonfiction, I am a huge fan of using fictional technique in nonfiction. I very much enjoyed de Rosnay's novelistic tone andmore
Underground Airlines
by Ben H. Winters
Bold, controversial premise atop scaffolding of by-the-book noir (9/23/2016)
I was introduced to the first few chapters of this book via the audio version read by William DeMeritt. His voice nailed the tone of this classic noir thriller, which posits that the Civil War never happened and that four southern states continue to practice slavery. It's amore
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things: A Novel
by Bryn Greenwood
The wonderful amid the ugly (6/4/2016)
The child of a meth dealer and a strung-out mother, Wavy is an ethereal creature. Parenting is completely absent, until it isn't; then it nurtures nothing but damage. The only tender, nurturing aspect of her gritty, gritty existence comes from Kellen, a tattoo-smatteredmore
Lamp Black, Wolf Grey
by Paula Brackston
In Team Laura vs Team Megan, I'd lean Team Megan (7/7/2015)
The author drew me in with deft and lyrical prose. She does a wonderful job of setting the scene in language that supports her characters. She describes the dramatic Welsh landscape as would a painter.

That said, the modern-day storyline felt more contrived than that ofmore
He Wanted the Moon: The Madness and Medical Genius of Dr. Perry Baird, and His Daughter's Quest to Know Him
by Mimi Baird with Eve Claxton
Enlightening but monotone study of a father's bi-polarity (3/4/2015)
While this book offers a unique and enlightening look into what is now known as bi-polar disorder, I wanted it to be more compelling in terms of its narrative. The father's journal was fascinating and both parts of the book -- his and Ms Baird's -- featured solid writing.more
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