Lola
by Melissa Scrivner Love
Lola (3/7/2017)
I have read a lot of books and come across many protagonists, but I have never read a book quite as compelling as "Lola" or met a protagonist as exciting, believable and yet scary as Lola. The story arc was a little confusing at times, but the author quickly cleared up any confusion with extra details. Lola's life as the leader of a drug gang was almost like science fiction to me since I have no knowledge of that life. However, it all seemed believable and quite fascinating! The writing was fast paced and the dialogue flowed effortlessly. I strongly recommend this novel to adventuresome readers.
The Typewriter's Tale
by Michiel Heyns
An Independent Typewriter (1/15/2017)
I enjoyed this charming novel, set in the early 1900s, once I got "into" the writing style that author Heyns adopts from Henry James. Frieda Wroth, the Typewriter, is a bright and talented young woman from limited means who is eager to experience a world beyond the confines of Rye and Mr James' employment. She falls in love with the charming Mr. Fullerton very quickly and then chooses to interpret his actions and inactions with a skewed sense of reality. As a result, she makes a few bad decisions, but she finds her moral compass at the end.
The story is complicated with a lot of delightful dry humor. As a reader I was rooting for Frieda and I was relieved that Frieda eventually chose the "right" actions. This would be a great read for a literary book club.
Mercies in Disguise: A Story of Hope, a Family's Genetic Destiny, and the Science That Rescued Them
by Gina Kolata
Mercies in Disguise (12/14/2016)
Genetic diseases are very chilling since there is no medication or antibiotic to "cure" them. This book was a fascinating true story of a family unknowingly affected by a genetic neurological disorder that we learn later in the book is GSS (Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker) disease. The author, Gina Kolata did a great job of explaining the difficult background research that helped scientists figure out the cause of these neurological diseases. She also introduced to the reader the concept that prion abnormalities in a parent could then be transferred to children of those affected parents. But Kolata humanized the research and medicine by telling us about the Baxter family and their agonizing struggle with their emerging knowledge about the disease that was ravaging some of their members. Kolata's writing is informative but also full of compassion.
This book was excellent and very readable. I heartily recommend it to anyone, especially to anyone who is interested in medicine or science.
Caught in the Revolution: Petrograd, Russia, 1917 - A World on the Edge
by Helen Rappaport
Caught in the Revolution (11/16/2016)
I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this book because I learned a lot of information about the Russian revolution/s. I also liked the fact that the reader is following the upheaval in Petrograd in successive order. It adds a realistic sense of drama and foreboding which I'm sure was present in that city in 1917. As a middle class person in the 21st century it is a little hard to imagine the extremes of violence that occurred in Petrograd that year. However, the author's depictions of the depths of poverty and starvation vs the wealthy lifestyle of the rich Russians made it easier to understand the reason for the revolutions. I recommend this book to anyone interested in a birds-eye view of the dissolution of the Russian tsarist rule and ensuing revolt of the populace that lead to the Russian revolution.
The Imperial Wife
by Irina Reyn
The Russian Wives (7/11/2016)
This novel alternates the stories of two ambitious women who have to struggle to become successful. The author compares and contrasts Catherine the Great's life with that of present day Tanya Vandermotter, a Russian art expert working for an art auction house. Both women have common traits: they are both immigrants and feel isolated from their family culture. They are willing to sacrifice personal relationships to get ahead. They confront moral dilemmas along their path of success which causes them to make difficult choices. Although the author parallels these womens' story arc, the result is sometimes a bit contrived because the differences in Catherine's closeted and isolated world in 1700's Russia is hard to compare with Tanya's busy jet-setting world based in present day NYC. However, the author's writing is fluid and intelligent and usually easy to follow. Overall, the novel was enjoyable and the topic was enlightening. Unfortunately there was a lot of 'over the top' description of immigrant angst and the ending was weak so I only gave the novel 3 stars.
The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins
by Antonia Hodgson
The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins (1/1/2016)
I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced novel of murder and especially intrigue in early 18th Century London. The protagonist, Tom Hawkins, is a charismatic rakish "gentleman" who loves excitement and can't stay out of trouble. The novel starts with a scene where Tom is on a cart headed to the gallows for a murder he did not commit. The rest of the story is a flash back to explain his predicament. The background story is an exciting "who-done-it" with many interesting characters including Queen Caroline, wife of King George II. This is a very readable novel full of plot twists and fully fleshed characters from all walks of life. I highly recommend it.
Every Anxious Wave
by Mo Daviau
Every Anxious Wave (10/30/2015)
This is one of the most original novels I have read in a long time. It was hard to wrap my head around wormholes and time travel, but the character portrayals carried the story and kept me reading. The author fleshed out both Karl and Lena, the "odd couple" in this story so well that I feel like I could recognize them if I met them in a bar (in the present at least!). I also loved that Wayne, Karl's best friend found peace, happiness and acceptance in a totally different world. I strongly recommend this novel to adventuresome readers who are willing to suspend present reality for a possible future reality of time travel and asteroid collisions. I would give this 5 stars except the ending got a little too confusing and funky to follow. In general though, an exciting and original novel!
The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs
by Matthew Dicks
The Perfect Comeback (6/13/2015)
Caroline Jacobs finally decides to confront her old best friend about an injustice 25 years ago while they were in high school together. This is the main impetus of the plot and it actually sounds a little trivial, right? However, the author introduces other dilemmas in Caroline's life that make this novel richer and more thought provoking than I expected. However, I was disappointed that the author didn't round out some of the other important characters such as Polly, Caroline's daughter and her mother, Penelope.
The novel was an enjoyable and a quick read. I would recommend it to young people and especially teenage girls since many of the themes are related to teenage/high school situations involving girl friends, parents and cliques.
Still Life Las Vegas
by James Sie
Coming of Age in Las Vegas (5/18/2015)
This novel is a powerful and absorbing family saga, a story of terrible losses as well as a unique coming of age story. Through a series of flashbacks and flashforwards we learn part of the past history of Owen and Emily and the tragedy in their lives. Then the author focuses on their now 17 year son and main character, Walt Stahl. Walt works as a tour guide at the "Viva Las Vegas" museum and somehow supports his ill father. His life experiences are very limited until he meets Chrysto, a charming and handsome Greek still life model that Walt has been drawing. His relationship with Chrysto becomes all-consuming and stretches Walt's previous boundaries. The author writes exceptionally well and the book was engaging and difficult to put down. He also uses graphic illustrations very effectively to help the reader understand Walt's perceptions of his family history. I particularly liked the novel because of its unique subject matter. Very enjoyable!
Fishbowl: A Novel
by Bradley Somer
Fishbowl (5/4/2015)
This novel was entirely enjoyable. Fishbowl is a metaphor for the apartment building "Seville on Roxy". In this novel we get a small snippet of the life of many of the residents who live in this apartment building and they are all wildly original characters. From cross dressers to a child with seizures to a agoraphobe (and many other interesting residents) we get a peak into their private lives briefly through the eyes of our hero protagonist, Ian the goldfish. It is an original premise, well written and a lot of fun to read.
Whispering Shadows
by Jan-Philipp Sendker
Whispering Shadows (1/10/2015)
I enjoyed this novel on many levels. First of all, this mystery is tightly drawn thus the story arc is compelling and easy to follow. Secondly, the characters were very fully developed. We learn the history and motivations of not only the protagonists, but also the antagonists. The author points out that the motives the characters have in the present are complicated by their past lives, especially in the case of the Chinese characters, the trauma they all suffered as teens during the Cultural Revolution. Thirdly, the Hong Kong, Lamma Island, Shenzhen settings were so exotic that it was a delight to read and learn about them. Finally and most importantly, Sendaker writes so darn well that I could not put the book down! It has been a long while since I have read such an intriguing page turner. I strongly recommend this novel.
The Secrets of Midwives
by Sally Hepworth
The Secrets of Midwives (12/12/2014)
I enjoyed this novel of 3 generations of midwives. The narrative style with each character telling her story in alternating chapters was engaging and made the story line easy to follow. Since I am a women's health nurse practitioner, I particularly liked reading about the midwifery practice and deliveries. The three female protagonists were well developed and believable. The male side characters were more two dimensional, but since the story was not really about them, it was less important. My only criticism is that the story arc was very predictable and it became melodramatic near the end with Neva and Patrick's relationship. Otherwise I would recommend this novel to any woman who wanted a "light" read.
Her
by Harriet Lane
HER (5/18/2014)
This was a WOW book as far as I was concerned. It was a carefully crafted suspense that I could not put down. Nina and Emma were very realistic characters with very different lives. The reader could empathize with both of their situations up to a certain point. But that NINA--what a clever stalker! We learn slowly but surely that she is out for revenge of some kind. However, she certainly weaves a very benign web of deception for Emma. Poor Emma is out of her element as Nina's ultimate plan of revenge is finally revealed.
The ending was one of those "up in the air, the reader can take it from there" endings. Somehow, that was OK with me. The beauty of this novel was the suspense and the growing anticipation of disaster that Harriet Lane creates. Loved it!
In Praise of Hatred
by Khaled Khalifa
In Praise of Hatred (3/18/2014)
In this novel I learned a lot about the conflict in Syria in the 1980's which has unfortunately spilled over into present day revolution and war in Syria today. For this reason I enjoyed reading the novel. However, I feel the female narrator of the story was not a character that was believable. Her attitudes were not realistic for an innocent 17 year old girl.
In general I find that male authors often cannot put themselves in a woman's mind and write a believable story as if they are a woman. I certainly believe this is the case with this novel. Khalifa writes a very descriptive political novel which evokes a time and place that is distinctive, but he is not successful at convincing the reader that the narrator is a real person. In fact most of the female characters were difficult for me to believe. They were often depicted as 2 dimensional and either reprehensible such as Marwan who was chained to her room for loving an inappropriate man, or almost saintlike like Saafa. I also found the story line disjointed and often confusing. The reader learns great details about a certain minor character, but then never hears about the character again. I enjoyed learning about the Syrian political conflict, but the characters in the novel were a disappointment.
The Last Enchantments
by Charles Finch
The Last Enchantments (11/25/2013)
Certainly this novel had some very appealing themes: academic stimulation, freedom to choose when to work and when to relax, escapism and of especially friendship. Will Baker, the protagonist, is immersed in an academic environment studying literature, a topic that he relishes. The author gives us great detail about Will's excitement in studying and learning. He is able to research and write intensely on his own schedule and is also able to socialize, drink, party and have deep involvements with his new Oxford friends and lovers whenever he chooses. Charles Finch does a magnificent job of conveying a young man's daily academic life, exuberant friendship with housemates along with his angst of deep and complicated love for Sophie. The reader is treated to great discussions of the complexity of human interactions. However, the novel is, in the end, a slice of life. The novel tells us of one year in a young American man's life in Oxford, England between 2004-2005. Although the writing was quite good, the descriptions were often long winded. The details of Will's daily life became uninteresting after 2/3 of the novel because there was no significant change or revelation into how the year transformed him. The reader gets the feeling that Will shall forever see the pinnacle of his life be the year at Oxford, and frankly, it really isn't that interesting to the rest of us.
The Disenchanted Widow
by Christina McKenna
The Disenchanted Widow (9/13/2013)
This author puts the readers back in the early 1980's during Northern Ireland struggles between the IRA and Protestant British rule. We navigate this time frame with a cast of incredibly quirky and interesting characters who are doing their best to avoid being caught up in the violence. Bessie and her young son, Herkie are just trying to lay low and scrape together some money to get to "Amerikay". Lorcan is using his skill as an artist to avoid being killed by the IRA. Father Cassidy a handsome priest, Rose McFadden a nosy and talkative neighbor and Gusty Grant a mechanic and peeping tom round out the major characters we meet.
At the beginning of the novel I had the mistaken impression that the story would be predictable and the story arc very straightforward. Also, Bessie 's character is pretty rough around the edges and I didn't think I could really "get into her". However, the more I read I found the complexity of each character grew as the author filled in a lot of details. Also the plot took a lot of unpredictable twists. I totally enjoyed this novel and I was really rooting for Bessie by the end of the novel.
The Sisterhood
by Helen Bryan
The Sisterhood (5/15/2013)
"The Sisterhood" follows the trail of a medallion and of the Chronicle of the Convent of the Golondrinas. This trail crosses more than 5 centuries and 3 continents. The reader is introduced to many characters: nuns, orphans, parents, boyfriends, husbands etc.
With all of the time, place and character changes, I found myself just trying to follow the plot line or story arc. However, there were so many off-shoots of the story arc ( the Inquisition, religious intolerance, Inca culture, Spanish imperialism, feminism, art appreciation) that the novel becomes muddled and even simplistic.
In fairness, Helen Bryan's writing is very readable. The premise of the novel is intriguing, but I think she tried to fit too many themes, characters and sub-plots to make an effective novel.
One Minus One: Nancy Pearl's Book Lust Rediscoveries
by Ruth Doan MacDougall
One Minus One (4/9/2013)
This novel was a slow meander through Emily's Bean's life and thoughts 1 year after her divorce from David. Throughout the novel she just can't seem to put her life with David in the past and move on with all the possibilities of the future.
There were many aspects of the novel I enjoyed: the writing was very descriptive, the character development was focused and Emily's character as well as some of the lesser characters were fully fleshed out. I really liked the honest and unapologetic description of Emily's sexuality. The biggest fault I had with this novel is that it didn't really "go" anywhere. By the end of the novel, Emily is stuck in the same state of mind that she was in when the novel started. The story arc looped back to the beginning with no development. Sadly, the reader is left with an ending which is the same as the beginning: Emily continues to mourn for her past life and her ex-husband David.
A Nearly Perfect Copy
by Allison Amend
A Nearly Perfect Novel (3/16/2013)
In this novel I learned a great deal about art: art auctions, art purchasing and art forgery. The subject was fascinating and a topic I had never read about. Even more fascinating were the 2 troubled main characters, Elm and Gabriel. The author filled out details about their past and present lives with such insight that the reader could understand why these characters made choices that compromised their ethics. These characters, however, learned that ignoring their moral compass caused irreparable changes to their professional and personal lives.
This novel would appeal to an adult reader that likes character driven novels. The details in the novel about art production and dealing was somewhat tedious and the novel might profit from some editing. However, I think this would make an interesting book for a book club discussion.
Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World
by Matthew Goodman
Eighty Days-Two Traveling Women (1/17/2013)
I was fascinated with the real story of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Brisland. I especially liked that the author gave us a thorough background of these young women's childhood and early life leading up to their fame as world travelers. This well researched background makes it easier for the reader to understand how these independent women were able to develop their unique strength of character. This character made it possible for them to embark on a race around the world alone, in 1889, when women generally stayed at home and raised children. The historical detail about life in the 1889 era enriched the book significantly. It really brought the story to life. The only detractor to this fine book is that the author sometimes went overboard with his historical minutia so that the Bly/Brisland story became sidetracked.
Power Reviewer
