The Last Girl: A Maeve Kerrigan Novel
by Jane Casey
Best read as part of the series (5/14/2013)
I've waited to review this book until I read the earlier books in the series. Once I read those, I felt much more positive about The Last Girl, though I feel it's the weakest in the series. It does stand alone, but the characters and relationships are better understood with the background of the earlier stories. If you like the genre you will like this book; if you like settings in England you will like this book. And I think you will like the earlier ones in the series even more.
Palisades Park
by Alan Brennert
The setting and the story were better than the book as a whole (2/20/2013)
I had problems with the writing style. I kept thinking "what a great story, what a great setting, I just wish the writing would live up to the story and setting." It felt 'corny' with unrealistic dialogue. Then the author used a different voice at the very end and I felt that chapter was the most well written in the entire book. Perhaps what I saw as the 'corny' style was intentional, but it didn't grab me. Still, I enjoyed it and felt like I had some new insight into bygone days.
The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War
by Daniel Stashower
Not quite spellbinding (12/14/2012)
This is a great history book. I love reading about this era and it didn't disappoint as a discussion from a new angle and new participants in history. But: it was billed as 'spellbinding historical narrative.' It was instead a history, slow and cumbersome to read. Not what I expected to review but always a good thing to expand my horizons.
The White Forest: A Novel
by Adam McOmber
A disappointing read (8/13/2012)
I struggled to finish this and did, but only so I could complete my review. At first I enjoyed the writing and depiction of the era. Unfortunately the plot was tedious and ultimately incomprehensible. I'd like to see the author tell a story that is not so dark and takes advantage of his abilities. But he did not do so here.
The Woman at the Light: A Novel
by Joanna Brady
Something different for pre-Civil War fiction (7/2/2012)
This is a refreshingly different work of historical fiction about the pre-Civil War era in the south. The lighthouses and the shipwrecks, the power of the rich and the vulnerability of the poor, combined in a believable and educational story. A good and worthwhile read.
The First Warm Evening of the Year: A Novel
by Jamie M. Saul
Story not believable (5/6/2012)
I've never checked on reviews before while reading a book to review, but I did here halfway through, because I thought I simply was missing something. I was bored, unimpressed with supposed love at first sight with someone who would not give the hero the time of day. The story of the two brothers was a distraction that made no sense. The second half of the book actually picked up a bit (probably because the brothers stepped out of the plot). It was a soft and even pleasant read but I'd not recommend it.
Until the Next Time: A Novel
by Kevin Fox
Not what I expected. (2/24/2012)
The Irish invited no sympathy: they were consistently argumentative, unpleasant, and dishonest. The Americans’ patience in the face of bizarre adventures wasn’t believable. The love story was shallow. It was too hard to read: too many names, characters and time periods, and the Irish accents were difficult (contrast Diana Gabaldon’s quite readable Scottish accents). If you are looking for time travel or historical fiction, look elsewhere. A reader more familiar with Irish history and the personality of the Irish might enjoy it more.
The Good Father: A Novel
by Noah Hawley
Fiction that feels like non-fiction (12/18/2011)
I would lose track of whether this was a true story or not, given the style, and the very believable story. It will satisfy many readers: lovers of mystery, or of legal drama, or those who simply enjoy a good story of human nature. Was he a good father? I'm not sure and the story doesn't try to tell us so. The imperfect cover art is a great hint of what is to come.
