Thursday, June 30, 2016

Talking Can Be Dangerous

Fiction by Priscilla Delgado.

Talking Can Be Dangerous
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a really good thriller, written by a local author, although it's not set in Alaska.

I recommend it if you like suspense fiction!


I also read by this author:  Leonard, Cold Water

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Luther and Katharina

Fiction by Jody Hedlund.

Luther and Katharina: A Novel of Love and Rebellion
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was an unexpectedly good story; it's about Martin Luther and his wife. (That's the Martin Luther of the Reformation, not his namesake in the 1960's, by the way.)

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Catching Air

Fiction by Sarah Pekkanen.

Catching Air: A Novel
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a good story, and a welcome change from the last couple of books I read. I recommend it!

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Perfect

Fiction by Rachel Joyce.

Perfect
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

I have read one book by this author I liked a lot, and one that was just meh, so I decided to try a third novel she wrote.

Perfect was not like the other two books --The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye, and The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennesey-- not least because of the brevity of the the title. This was not an uplifting, heart-warming story; the plot revolved around two little boys with extreme anxiety problems and rather dysfunctional families, and then one of the boys as an anxious and dysfunctional grown-up.

The characters and story were still good, but it was just so upsettingly SAD to me that I couldn't enjoy this novel.


Wednesday, June 15, 2016

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy

Fiction by Rachel Joyce.

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

This book is a kind of companion novel to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye, which I enjoyed a lot.

Unfortunately, the author didn't seem to have much more to say on the subject, so the Queenie Hennesey book felt like a rehash of the Harold Frye book. It was disappointing to me, but it might be good for a person who really REALLY loved Harold Frye and didn't want to give him up.

Saturday, June 11, 2016

The Third Twin

Fiction by Ken Follett.

The Third Twin
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a good suspense story; I enjoyed it a lot!


I also read recently by this author: A Place Called Freedom

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

At the Edge of the Orchard

Fiction by Tracy Chevalier.

At the Edge of the Orchard
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Tracy Chevalier's novels usually feature real people from history, and she is a master at bringing the past to life.  This particular book centers around fictional people, but historical figures walk into the plot sometimes.

I was interested to meet the famous Johnny Appleseed in this story, portrayed in a way that seems more believable than the one-dimensional legend he's usually shown as.


I also read by this author recently: Remarkable Creatures.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

All Things Cease to Appear

Fiction by Elizabeth Brundage.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This story begins with a murdered woman, and then goes into a flashback so the reader can learn about the woman, and the people around her. The unfortunate thing is that, although you know she is doomed, you can't help rooting for her.

The book is well-written, but I would have liked it to be a little less depressing.



Saturday, June 4, 2016

A Place Called Freedom

Fiction by Ken Follett.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This is a historical novel about a slave who longs for freedom. The surprise is that the man in question lives in eighteenth century Scotland. The story intertwines with that of a landowning woman who also wants to be free from the bonds of society. It is an interesting book.


I also read by this author: Eye of the Needle, The Pillars of the Earth

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Flight of Dreams

Fiction by Ariel Lawhon.

Flight of Dreams
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

The German airship Hindenburg exploded above an Air Force base in New Jersey in 1937, but no one really knows exactly why.  In this novelization of the voyage and the tragedy, which ended in 36 deaths, the author offers an interesting glimpse into what may have happened.