Monday, January 14, 2019

Winter Reading Club 2019


Title: Leave no Trace
Author: Mindy Mejia
Review: A speech therapist at a psychiatric facility is assigned to help the young man thought to be dead for 10 years. Both their stories emerge in this suspenseful novel. Interesting but flawed characters.
Rating: 3




Title: I'm Keith Hernandez
Author: Keith Hernandez
Review: Anyone who likes baseball will enjoy this look at Keith's career past and present.  (although at times a little TMI!)You can tell he loves this game. His insights about the game are very interesting.
Rating: 4




Title: Bridge of Clay
Author: Markus Zusak
Review: This book flips between the past and the present of the Dunbar brothers. As the chapters merge there is much foreshadowing and it both draws you in to find the secret of Clay but at times frustrates. Ultimately the story and descriptive writing win out and one is rewarded with a moving story.
Rating: 4

Title: Where the Crawdads Sing
Author: Delia Owens
Review: The author's love of nature clearly shows through in this story of desertion, loss, independence and love with a bit of murder mystery thrown in. It brings out every emotion while reading. Well worth the time.
Rating: 5



Title: Lilac Girls
Author: Martha Hall Kelly
Review: There is a reason why there are so many books written about the atrocities of WWII, basically so no one forgets and history doesn't repeat itself. In reading this book one learns of the Ravensbruck "rabbits", human lab experiments, and the people that performed those acts and the people that helped them years later. This story with real people will make you appreciate the kindness in the world and the strength of those that have risen above adversity.
               
Title: There There
Author: Tommy Orange
Review: disparate characters-each with a different connection to their native heritage, albeit all connected to Oakland, California. An important and fascinating read.
Rating: 4





Title: The Library Book
Author: Susan Orlean
Review: If you love libraries, this is the book for you. After a slow first chapter, this book just soars. I couldn't put it down.
Rating: 4


Title: We Are The Nerds
Author: Christine Lagorio-Chafkin
Review: I started reading this because my son loves Reddit. But I kept reading it because it is a fascinating story about a world that I knew nothing about with many characters that I was familiar with.  I had no idea that co-founder Alex Ohanian  was (& still is) married to Serena Williams....
Rating: 4

Title: If You Ask Me
Author: Eleanor Roosevelt
Review: Although Roosevelt's advice column ran from 1941 to 1962, her words are surprisingly prescient today. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection.
Rating: 4


Title: Friday Black
Author: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Review: A haunting, disturbing collection of short stories. I believe there are great things in store for this first time author.
Rating: 3

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