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Book Club Reads

  • Napolitano, Ann: Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel

    Napolitano, Ann: Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel

  • Brooks, Geraldine: Horse: A Novel (Random House Large Print)

    Brooks, Geraldine: Horse: A Novel (Random House Large Print)

  • Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai: The Mountains Sing

    Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai: The Mountains Sing

  • Strout, Elizabeth: Lucy by the Sea: A Novel

    Strout, Elizabeth: Lucy by the Sea: A Novel
    If you enjoy conversational type writing and complex characters (and stories from the beginning of the pandemic), you would love this book as much as I did. If you're looking for a strong plot or traditional storytelling, you won't like it. (****)

  • Wilkerson, Charmaine: Black Cake: A Novel

    Wilkerson, Charmaine: Black Cake: A Novel
    3 1/2 stars and a disappointment. It started with an intriguing and engaging story then devolved into numerous characters and timelines. I stopped caring about the people or what had happened to them. It was a jumbled mess when I expected a 5 star read. On the plus side, I did enjoy the interesting history and culture in it. (***)

  • Lefteri, Christy: The Beekeeper of Aleppo: A Novel

    Lefteri, Christy: The Beekeeper of Aleppo: A Novel
    A 4 1/2 star read for me since it had beautiful writing, fascinating characters, and tragic events/history. The book was full of sadness yet also hope. I'm not a fan of the non-linear structure though. I learned a lot about the Syrian Civil War and the refugee crisis; it was unimaginably disturbing. (****)

  • Williams, Pip: The Dictionary of Lost Words: A Novel

    Williams, Pip: The Dictionary of Lost Words: A Novel
    3 1/2 stars. This was a slooowww read that I thought was headed somewhere plot-wise but it never arrived. The sadness and tragedies started to take over from the fascinating story of the dictionary and how they were compiling their words. The ending was supposed to tie things up in a satisfying way but it felt contrived. (****)

  • O'Farrell, Maggie: The Marriage Portrait: A novel

    O'Farrell, Maggie: The Marriage Portrait: A novel
    I very much wanted to love this book but could only give it 3 1/2 stars. It was well-written and the portrayals of powerful Italian aristocrats and the lives of their families were enlightening (the De Medicis, wow!) However, it was so slow and lacking in plot that I had trouble wanting to finish it. (***)

  • Kingsolver, Barbara: Demon Copperhead: A Novel

    Kingsolver, Barbara: Demon Copperhead: A Novel
    Although not always a Kingsolver fan, this engrossing and atmospheric re-telling of David Copperfield drew me into Demon's world, and Appalachia. The beauty and ugliness of the characters, their realness and the flow of the story made me want the book never to end. A masterpiece and a classic. (*****)

  • Garmus, Bonnie: Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel

    Garmus, Bonnie: Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
    4 1/2 stars for this quirky, emotional, sad, joyful, fascinating read about chemistry, relationships and life. I don't know how it will work in a Book Club discussion, but I didn't want it to end. It was cheesy and unrealistic at times yet somehow emotionally fulfilling as well. (****)