Plant Lady
by Kang Minyoung
Retribution knows no boundaries (6/7/2026)
I will be thinking about this book for awhile. There were parts I particularly liked, the specific information about various plants, the setting of the book being somewhere I have never been, and flashbacks filling in missing details throughout the novel. However, I found the ending unsettling. It was consistent with the progress of the plot, but nevertheless, for me it was, not to reveal too much, not the ending I had hoped for.
I think most readers will enjoy the book.
The Reimagining of Thornwood House
by Jaleigh Johnson
This book is Spellbinding (4/19/2026)
I am not a fantasy reader in general, but I enjoyed this book very much. I'm not sure if the audience is meant to be YA or adult, but I think readers across this spectrum would like it. The characters are interesting and engaging, and the story moves along quickly enough for those of us who are not fantasy fans to not lose interest. I particularly liked the descriptive passages of the plant life in the forest and town, and I liked being drawn in by the relationships of the characters.
The Insomniacs
by Allison Winn Scotch
Are insomniacs different from other people? (3/24/2026)
After reading this book, I will never think of myself as an insomniac again. My ideas of what can cause insomnia haven't changed, but the idea of its power is certainly addressed in this book. I enjoyed this book for several reasons. The character development kept me constantly wondering if I misjudged some of the people, much like real life. I also thought the plot moved at a good pace. Another way the author drew me in was having characters from so many different walks of life, especially finding a way to address different family dynamics.
The Take
by Kelly Yang
How much is enough? (3/23/2026)
I've always been suspicious of one-word titles, but in this case, it works. Take is a cautionary tale that asks how people know when to stop, that is, how much do you need to take? Or is it even possible for people to know when is enough. Each of these characters takes what they think will make them happy/successful. At first glance Ingrid and Maggie seem like a great match. No spoiler here, but something missing for lots of the characters in this book is that everyone thinks about taking without including the giving piece.
I enjoyed this book very much.
The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives
by Elizabeth Arnott
An entertaining read for the right reader (12/17/2025)
I enjoyed this book, but I would not say it was a favorite. I like books that have characters that I relate to on some level or at least am able to sympathize with. Perhaps I was hoping for more realism in the plot. There was no lack of action or colorful narrative, it was just not my type of book. I think this could be a good book club book.
This Book Made Me Think of You
by Libby Page
I laughed, I cried, and you will, too (11/1/2025)
I found this to have been a wonderful read on many levels. The plot line was relatable; most of us have lost someone close to us and have a hard time moving on. Tilly was perhaps an extreme example, yet her character immediately drew me in. I am admittedly a romantic as well as a lover of small bookstores, so I hoped early on that she would find solace in Alfie's bookshop. It was interesting that Joe had died before the story takes place, yet his personality is as strong as the other people. Don't we all wish someone in our life knows us well enough to think of twelve books that remind them of us?
The characters were delightful, and I hoped some of them would rise to more prominence, perhaps in a sequel. Personally I feel I have a hard time making friends, and I found myself wishing I could visit Alfie's bookshop too.
The Botanist's Assistant
by Peggy Townsend
This is a very entertaining book (7/6/2025)
This book was a lot of fun to read. If you enjoy quirky characters, as I do, you will quickly bond with the main character. She reminded me of Molly, in the Maid series. There was just enough science scattered through the story to keep your mind off her lack of social skills. At first I was afraid this book would be like so many botany books popular right now, but it was not. The plot was believable, and the story line moved quickly.
Making Friends Can Be Murder
by Kathleen West
This book fits the bill for anyone who loves interesting characters (3/2/2025)
This book is funny and engaging. It is well written and captures the imagination of anyone who has wondered what it would be like to be friends with lots of people who share your name. The plot moves along at an acceptable pace and really held my interest. I liked seeing young people who could hold their own with people older than they are as well as seeing older people who respect younger people.
Three Days in June: A Novel
by Anne Tyler
Like getting reacquainted with old friends (12/8/2024)
I loved this book, not just because I'm an Anne Tyler fan, but also because I enjoy quirky characters and observing how they interact with each other. Tyler packs a lot into three days, and a wedding certainly brings up a lot of emotion. I did wish for more. It felt a little like the stage was being set for a sequel. Gail certainly could be the main character of another book.
The characters were believable and felt familiar to me; I could have easily been one of them. In fact some of the emotions made me a little uncomfortable. Tyler is good at that, in a good way.
Going Home: A Novel
by Tom Lamont
Would you be able to do the right thing? (11/7/2024)
I enjoyed this book. The descriptions of the Scottish countryside were lovely. The characters were very interesting, although at times tiresome. I think Ben's character development was inconsistent; he went from irresponsible to the other extreme. Are we to assume his character didn't change, he just used his unlimited wealth? How does he really feel about Joel? I would like to know more about the Rabbi (not to give away more plot). Is she meant to be only a secondary character? It doesn't feel like it. I ask if you would be able to "do the right thing" wondering if each of the adults in the book can/have.
The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl
by Bart Yates
This is a wonderful book about family (5/23/2024)
This book had a slow start for me, in fact I wasn't sure I was going to like it. First person narrative doesn't always work for me. However, the author won me over with great characters, captivating descriptions, and an interesting structure to the book. I enjoyed the history intertwined with the lives of the characters and how it moved the action along. At times I wished for more at the end of a chapter; I wanted to know what happened the next day, the next week. But the narrator moved us eight years forward to another day in his life. It was never boring.
The main characters were all strong in their own way. If this were a television series, each one of them could have had their own "spin off." Each character was complete, yet there was plenty of room for my imagination to invent a future story line for each of them. The historical narrative never was contrived nor was the insertion of the characters.
I described this as a book about family because it felt like Isaac was taking me into his confidence, as he described his memories of these people whom he considered to be his family. I felt like part of his family. His was not the typical family of the 20th century by any means, but it felt like the families of today, diverse, spread out over miles, multigenerational. I loved this book.
Help Wanted: A Novel
by Adelle Waldman
If you enjoy books with interesting characters, this one's for you (1/14/2024)
I am a sucker for good character development and especially, quirky characters. Help Wanted has both. Beyond the characters, this book looks at a portion of the American population that is often overlooked, both in real life as well as in print. People who work behind the scenes in big box retail stores are a struggling, backbone of life in this country. I don't claim to have a firsthand knowledge of their life, but it seems to be depicted here with accuracy, often with humor and compassion. They are all heroes as well as tragic characters, to themselves and to each other, as every day yields new disappointments but sometimes successes. I wanted to get to know them all, even the people I didn't like much; they were all so interesting.
Day: A Novel
by Michael Cunningham
What happens if you can't overcome loss (11/6/2023)
This is definitely not a book for someone looking for fast paced action or adventure. Day is a book of character development that is, at times, excruciatingly slow. I appreciated the book taking place over three years; it allowed the author to skip over a lot of unnecessary details in family dynamics. For me, personally, it was painful to relive the period of the Pandemic so soon. However, that did intensify so much in the lives of the characters. While I was reading, I occasionally wondered if all of characters were necessary, but by the end of the book, I could not imagine removing any of them.
This book made me feel too sad. I guess that sounds simplistic, but I can't shake that feeling, especially because I usually have a favorite character at the end of the book, and with Day, I find I don't have one. I also have a feeling of overwhelming loss. I can't stop thinking about the children in the story, wondering what life will be like for them.
Digging Stars: A Novel
by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma
Success: different for different generations (7/21/2023)
This is an interesting book for several reasons. The author tackles the always tricky issue of family relationships as well as ethnicity and how American culture influences people growing up in other countries.
How a parent living in another country shapes the life of their child is addressed here. Rosa idolizes her father, and her mother doesn't do much to change her idealized image of him. Even when she spends time with him in New York, she questions his lifestyle, yet because she doesn't verbalize her questions, they are never answered. Is this how life really is? Culturally I think this was accurate, and it illustrated a different way of thinking and growing up that may be surprising to some readers.
I enjoyed and appreciated the thread of outer space history throughout the book. It is much more complicated than we realized at the time, growing up in the 60s. What I did find unsettling were the Rosa's unresolved questions and how they affected her as a young adult. Certainly, success is fleeting in life, and how you view others' success is different from whether you think you achieve it for yourself. I wished for more happiness for Rosa. Perhaps it is my personal preference for a "happy ending."
Innards: Stories
by Magogodi oaMphela Makhene
An important work, but not for me (5/30/2023)
There are important stories told in Innards, however I found it difficult to read. I was tripped up by characters names and confused by the use of African place names and dialect. They are important to the author's story, but the language only got in the way of the plot for me. I was unable to finish reading the book, to my dismay, as I was keen to learn more about this place and time. Hopefully others will find these stories engaging.
Homestead: A Novel
by Melinda Moustakis
Homestead: an Alaskan Love Story (2/4/2023)
Simply put, this novel is about homesteading in the territory of Alaska in 1956. But it is really more than that. It is a surprisingly sensitive story about human nature, change, lies, and trust. Through the characters Lawrence and Marie, their families, and other lesser characters, the reader feels the urgency of homesteaders' lives. I appreciated the author's economy of words in the short chapters and constantly changing voice in the narratives. Her style worked for me.
This passage stuck with me: "Why gain light if only to lose the light? Worse than not having is the having and the taking away. Not having, there is the want and waiting of having." Then it continues, "We want everything because we got nothing."
I am haunted by these characters. In a good way.
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
by Colleen Oakley
I loved this book! (10/9/2022)
What do you get when you throw an old, steely woman together with a young college dropout? This book tries to answer that question, and I loved their journey.
Early on I thought Oakley's book was just contemporary fiction, but it wasn't long before I uncovered the mysteries woven into the plot. It was skillfully written. I loved the quirky personalities of the characters as well as the way the character development unfolded.
The Family Izquierdo: A Novel
by Rubén Degollado
Do people hope things will never change? (8/29/2022)
This book was captivating. It moved the characters and timeline along with its short story format, which I appreciated. At times I had difficulty with so much of the dialog being in Spanish, but eventually the rhythm of the story let me move past words I didn't know; it didn't seem to matter.
The relationships of the family members were well captured. They felt personal to me, as an Asian American, yet anyone could relate to many of the characters. It was an intimate look into another culture and at times other faiths. The author firmly, yet delicately told the story of a multigenerational family, how their lives are bound together by more than just their culture. While this is not unique to people whose beliefs are full of superstition, the Izquierdo family struggles with holding onto their past and adapting to life in America at the same time. I am struck by this sentence, "Dina spends her days thinking about the past because she has always wanted to hold onto the present, hoping things would never change."
I think this would be an excellent book club book.
One's Company: A Novel
by Ashley Hutson
When does a wish for solitude become an obsession (5/12/2022)
This book gave me a lot to think about. Right from the start I was taken in by the idea of a lonely person wanting to immerse themselves in a fictional place. Who hasn't read a book and inserted themselves in the action? But Bonnie is able to take it to the extreme when she wins the lottery.
She goes from being on the outside looking in, to being inside working to shut out the rest of the world. Bonnie's wish for solitude has become an obsession.
I felt like the author gave us a look inside the madness of Bonnie's loneliness. It was uncomfortable and chilling.
Some of It Was Real
by Nan Fischer
Character Development with Plot Twists (3/9/2022)
I enjoyed this book very much. There were plenty of plot twists that were intriguing, starting with the title of the book. The character development unfolded in an interesting way, with the voice of the storyteller alternating among Sylvie, Lucas, and Thomas; it was very effective.
This is another benchmark of a good book for me. Do I wish it hadn't ended yet or do I wish there were a sequel? I definitely felt like this at the end of Some of It Was Real.
I think this could be a good book club book. The plot and characters would definitely generate a lot of conversation.
