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Book Reviews of the Month Reviewed by Book Clubs
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Author: Ashley Elston Reese’s Book Club Pick and #1 NYT Best Seller. This is a fast-paced read in the cat & mouse genre.
At page 1, the main character, Evie Porter, has everything a struggling girl could want: a wealthy doting boyfriend with a house with a white picket fence and tight group of friends. By the end of chapter one, we know the truth. Evie Porter doesn’t exist. She’s just a girl whose mysterious boss assigns her a name, identity, location and a mark. All of our readers enjoyed this book. Everything in this story is constantly changing, with plot twists and turns that pull the Reader through. A fun, enjoyable Summer read. While some of us had mixed feelings about the likeability of the main character, we all would recommend this book to others. The story raised questions that generated discussion such as “what would you do if someone was not (at all) what you thought?” Reviewed by Fiction Addiction Book Club
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Author: Lisa See Lady Tan’s grandmother had studied for many years to become a doctor. She wanted Yunxian to follow in her footsteps. From a young age, Tan Yunxian learned about women’s illnesses, many of which relate to childbearing, alongside a young midwife-in-training, Meiling. Yunxian was sent into an arranged marriage and forbidden to help the women and girls in the household and from seeing Meiling. While this is a story about medicine and the trials of the practice, it has aspects of female friendship which was not commonly allowed in upper class families, where one lived in family homes, isolated from others. Lady Tan spoke up for women and made the way for women in her home to get out and see the world. A captivating story of women helping each other in a triumphant reimagining of the life of one person, remarkable during the Ming dynasty. Well written, it gives great insight into life in ancient China and the lives of women during that time. Reviewed by Rose Smilgys |
Author: Monica Wood Our readers all thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It is a good story that is well told. It explored some heavy topics with grace and light humor -- with plot twists and turns. Harriot, a retired English teacher, volunteers as a book club leader at a women’s prison near Portland, Maine. She appears to be a prim and proper widow surrounded by a tough group of female felons. The Club begins each session with a wonderful motto: “I am a reader. I am intelligent. I have something worthy to contribute.” The Book Club participants candidly discuss books and read poetry. In doing so, they reveal their own personal stories. One of the inmates is released and, by chance, moves into an apartment near Harriet. The ex-inmate also discovers the local bookshop with its own quirky characters. Soon, various characters find and forge common, and uncommon, connections. The story develops three characters in depth. We learn about their past histories as well as their present struggles. Side characters and side plots add depth to the story. All of the human characters are believable, making both good and bad decisions, which are often transformative. Various animals create some very funny situations. Our readers enjoyed a lively discussion! The book explores guilt, forgiveness, power disparity, complex family dynamics and the power of books to change our lives. Yet it approached these themes with empathy, generosity and a fun lightness. Overall, we agreed that the story was heartwarming and hopeful. A very enjoyable read. And a good selection for a Book Club! Reviewed by Gretchen Bender Fiction Addiction Book Club |
Author: Percival Everett A brilliant reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and satirical, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view. Recommended by Barb Patterson |
Author: Stephen E. Ambrose Undaunted Courage is the story of Lewis and Clark as they lead a perilous expedition to find a trail that would cross American from the founding colonies to the Pacific Ocean. It’s a remarkable history that, thanks to the writing skills of author Stephen Ambrose, reads like a novel. It was completely uncharted territory; a wild, vast land ruled by the Indians. You discover how difficult and dangerous the expedition (sponsored and supported by Thomas Jefferson) was. Customs and languages were quite different from tribe to tribe, and some were even at war with their neighbors. Almost against all odds they made it there…and back. It gives one a better understanding of just how brave, resourceful and skilled the small group was. Led by the famed Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, it also included Sacagawea, the Indian girl and Drouillard, the French-Indian hunter. This is one of the great adventure stories of all time. Reviewed by the Non-fiction Historical Book Club Craig Patterson |
Author: Alison Espach Setting: A college in St. Louis, MO, and a posh hotel in Newport, RI, the location for a $1million wedding. Plot Summary: When Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn in Newport, RI wearing a green dress and gold heels, no suitcase, alone, she’s immediately mistaken for one of the wedding people. But instead, Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of this inn for years – she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and planning to kill herself. Meanwhile, the bride, Lila, has accounted for every detail for her grand and glorious wedding to be celebrated over six days. Suddenly, Phoebe stands in as maid-of-honor, organizing the bachelorette party and solving problems. The groom Gary is a widower, with a sassy, 11-year-old daughter, Juice. Then Phoebe’s ex-husband, Matt (“shame on him”) arrives. Needless to say, there is no grand wedding, but there is satisfying resolution for Phoebe, Lila, Gary, and hopefully, Jim.
Discussion: The group had a favorable response to the book, largely because it was more than met the eye – as were many of the characters and plotlines. Within the story are serious topics – suicide, low self-esteem, death and grief, infertility, friendship, and taking relationship risks. Through the plot, we saw characters drop their facades and evolve, especially the main protagonist, Phoebe, as well as Lila, the bride, and the best man, Jim.
We liked that it was a fast read, had an interesting setting, and a plot that kept moving, even though some thought that this $1 million wedding was just very expensive therapy. However, none of those present were eager to attend such a wedding extravaganza…except for the boat ride. Reviewed by Gina Jahr Fiction Addiction Book Club |
Author: Ariel Lawhon A historical mystery, inspired by the real life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18thcentury midwife. The novel opens in 1789 in the small, close-knit community of Hallowell, Maine. A man is found dead, entombed in the ice of the Kennebec River. Martha Ballard, the local midwife and healer, is summoned to examine the body and to determine the cause of death. Investigations and mysteries then unfold: Was the dead man murdered? If so, by whom? Did the dead man and another prominent citizen rape a local towns woman? We learn about various townspeople, the Ballard family, the developing “justice” system, life during the Revolutionary era and midwifery. Periodically, flashbacks interrupt the main story and provide even more context. We see strength, love, neighbors, ineptitude, arrogance and villains. Fiction Addiction readers were split. Some readers tried but could not get through the book. It felt too dark and gloomy. (Most of the scenes were in the Maine winter). And, they felt the main story was unrealistic. Nevertheless, most of our readers enjoyed the book and would strongly recommend it. The story was even more interesting when we realized the protagonist was a real person. They enjoyed a different historical era (not WW2). This provoked questions such as: what was the female demographic in the 1780’s that might have been important? What medical condition would cause a person to be “mute.” Our readers all agreed that the characters were very interesting – everyone had a “whisper story.” Various court scenes provided drama and helped propel the story. Martha Ballard’s husband, Ephraim, was a very likeable character and their relationship was particularly interesting. Although the side stories and characters overtook the “mystery,” the characters were the most compelling aspect of the novel. Reviewed by the Fiction Addiction Book Club. |
Author: Jonathan Franzen Jonathan Franzen's gift for wedding depth and vividness of character with breadth of social vision has never been more dazzlingly evident than in Crossroads. His novels are celebrated for their unforgettably vivid characters and for their keen-eyed take on contemporary America. Now, in Crossroads, Franzen ventures back into the past and explores the history of two generations. With characteristic humor and complexity, and with even greater warmth, he conjures a world that resonates powerfully with our own. Reviewed by Barb Patterson |
Author: Kristin Harmel “It is good to remember that you do not always have to see something to know that it is there.” Genre: Historical Fiction. A young woman discovers her grandmother’s secrets about WWII Paris. The Sweetness of Forgetting was a story involving a woman’s search for her grandmother’s family and history during the German occupation of Paris – and so much more. We all generally enjoyed the book, and many would recommend this to friends, particularly as a “vacation/light read.” The story was interesting and had some new (to us) historical information. Like some other historical novels we’ve read, the book followed two different stories – one set in WWII Paris and one set in present day. As we’ve seen in other books, our readers preferred the historical fiction. We all learned more about the Muslim and Catholic efforts to help the Paris Jews during the Nazi regime. We also had lively discussions about the “present day” story line and its protagonist, Hope, a divorced baker with a teenage daughter. The book generated a lot of discussion. However, more than one reader commented that the World War II historical fiction genre feels predictable and somewhat formulaic, usually with a romance thrown in. Many these novels seem indistinguishable and are often forgotten soon after the read. One exception is Diamond Eye, authored by Kate Quinn. Reviewed by Gretchen Bender Fiction Addiction Book Club |
Author: Jodi Picoult A novel about the stories of Melina Green and Emilia Bassano, two women centuries apart, two female playwrights who struggle for recognition, one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays. Both forced to hide behind another name. Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name, a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire centers two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Should a writer do whatever it takes to see her story live on, no matter the cost? This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten. In her author’s note, Picoult mentions that she was drawn to Bassano’s story because it illuminated issues still facing female artists in current society. Reviewed by Barb Patterson |
Author: Janet Skeslien Charles The Paris Library tells the story of the American Library in Paris during the Nazi occupation. This work of historical fiction, based on a true story, highlights courage, the importance of keeping intellectual curiosity alive, and the meaning and value of friendship. The main character, Odile, narrates the time in Paris, while a secondary narrator, a young girl named Lily, who is coming of age in a small Montana town in the 1980s, allows the author to revisit Odile later in life and emphasize the timelessness of friendship. Reviewed by Barb Shea |
Author: Diane Chamberlain Two artists working on an interesting project in a North Carolina post office. In 1940 Anna Dale wins a national contest to paint a mural. She doesn't expect is to find herself immersed in a town where prejudices run deep, where people are hiding secrets behind closed doors, and where the price of being different might just end in murder. In 2018 Morgan Christopher finds herself serving a three-year stint in the North Carolina Women's Correctional Center for a crime she didn’t commit. A mysterious visitor makes her an offer that will see her released immediately. Her assignment: restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. What she finds under the layers of grime is a painting that tells the story of madness, violence, and a conspiracy of small town secrets. Several twists and turns make it an interesting read. Reviewed by Rose Smilgys |
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