A Review: The Storm We Made
A beautiful rendition of one woman’s choices and their consequences cascading across every entity of her life, family and future.
The Storm We Made brings historical truths, fictional entertainment and family dynamics into a single story of heartbreak, despair and survival.
A Review: The Dust Bowl Orphans by Suzette Harrison
1935: The Dust Bowl and Great Depression are both in full swing. The drought and loss of food, money and hope have taken its toll on the deep south, particularly Oklahoma. The Dust Bowl Orphans tells the story of one African American family journeying west in hopes of more economic opportunity than what is left in their “blink and miss it” Oklahoma town. It depicts the effects of this era that can last for generations.
A Review: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
This beautifully written family drama will leave you reeling! It was impactful, full of plot twists and achingly emotional.
A lost young man meets a girl, falls in love, and his life changes forever. William has lived a life solitude until he earns a scholarship to Northwestern. He joins a basketball team, meets a girl, and grows into a young man. We listen and watch as William develops relationships that will slowly breakdown his mental health and destroy the little bit of confidence he is able to muster. Only to be rebuilt into a stronger, more confident and happier version of himself than he ever thought possible.
A Review: Take What You Need by Idra Novey
“Take What You Need” is a uniquely intriguing novel. It takes the raw and brutal honesty of two strong female voices and tells a story of reverence, passion, relationship and heartache. An estranged stepmother and stepdaughter fight to move on with their life after their relationship is severed. Both take drastically different paths into their futures, and this novel tells their story beautifully.
Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon: A Review
“Where the Lost Wander” is an incredible journey through an unforgettable tale told by Amy Harmon. Amy weaves together a perfect story filled with love, excitement, tragedy and new beginnings. Grab the tissue box and some chocolates, because both will be needed through this gut-wrenching novel. Read More Here!
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan: A Review
Beneath a Scarlet Sky tells a never before heard story of an unsung World War II hero… a teenage boy who joined the underground railroad to help Jews escape to the Swiss Alps. A boy who was later forced to enlist in the German army and recruited to be the driver of one of the most powerful commanders in Italy. A boy who used this opportunity to gather intel and detail for the resistance based in Milan, Italy.
Pino Lella did not have the opportunity to gradually advance into manhood. The war threw Pino into a world that would not coddle an 18 year old boy. This world would either destroy him or turn him into a man overnight. Pino stepped into adulthood during his first hike through the Swiss Alps, leading an escape route for a small group of Jews escaping the capture of the German army.
A Review: The Women by Kristen Hannah
Frances “Frankie” McGrath knows comfort. She knows the comfort of her home in Coronado Island off the coast of southern California. She knows the comfort and safety of her parents’ money and longtime success. She knows the comfort of a warm bed and a hot cup of coffee in the morning. What she learns in this novel is the stark opposite.
Frankie learns the heartbreak of loss, the fear and terror of living through disaster every day. She learns the disgust of sleeping amongst rats. She also learns the pride of saving a life and the comradery that builds through the shared trauma of war and death. She learns the self-worth found in doing something of passion and heart.
A Review: The Manningtree Witches
The 1600’s is an alluring but also daunting time. It was a time of simplicity, a time of quiet and a slower pace. It was also a time of dark magic, of corruption and disease. A time of condemnation based on a single man’s judgement. No judicial system based on law and rights. The era was that of a double edge sword that makes for a wonderful novel premise!
Set in the 1600’s of the English countryside, The Manningtree Witches follows the life of Rebecca West. Rebecca’s life is on the verge of taking a drastic turn after the entrance of The Witch Hunt General, Matthew Hopkins.
A Review: The Second Ending
A tale of dreams thought lost and the past catching up to the present. The Second Ending by Michelle Hoffman brings full circle the story of two primary protagonists and their attempts to regain control of their lives through music.
This light read touches on deeper topics and successfully captures what could be a humor driven fiction in a way that also reaches the audience in an impactful manner.
Broadway Butterfly by Sara DiVello
Corruption exists in many different ways and it shows its face in every corner of mankind. This book fascinated me in its depiction of the corruption that existed a century ago.
Broadway Butterfly shows us how deep corruption ran in the American 1920’s. Sara Divello pulls us into the intricate details of the unsolved murder of beautiful and enticing Dot King, and tells the story from the perspective of a few key characters closest to the case itself.
A Review: The Last Russian Doll
Many secrets are buried beneath the snow that covers the ground in the northern Russian hemisphere. Years of corruption, wars and internal conflict have left many scars on its citizens that last through generations. The Last Russian Doll uses Fairy Tales and timeline jumps to intertwine past and present for an unforgettable journey through Russia’s tumultuous history and its lasting effect on Rosie and her family.
A Review: Cutting for Stone
This beautifully written novel pulls together African and Indian culture, mixed with family dynamics and medical treatment in a third world country in a stunning manner. We watch as Indian twins conjoined at birth in Ethiopia grow against all odds to become successful young men. We rejoice in their great successes; we feel for their heartaches and are aghast by the betrayal that will tear them apart. Read More Here!
Three Must Read Short Novels
I tend to shy away from shorter novels because I like the investment of time with a full novel. I feel the connection to the characters and the emotions in play are much stronger in a 400 page novel than that of a quick read. There is the rare exception though, and these three short stories are definitely worth the read!
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
What would you do if your mother disappeared, and your father looked anything but innocent? Do you think you would stand by your father or would you do anything in your power to find your mother, even if it meant losing your father. Apples Never Fall leads us through one family’s trials and drama to discover the truth behind a mother’s disappearance.
Cloud Cuckoo Land: A Review
A dazzling tale by Anthony Doerr: Cloud Cuckoo Land tells of a story that survives generations and travels across oceans. The novel takes us from the first written words of man and travels through time until mankind has reached its demise.
A – Z Book Reviews
All About Fiction: Best Authors, Best Books, Worst Books, and everything in between!
A - Z Book Reviews 