As with most essay collections, some will hit and some will not. The best were on the personal memories of the author and the earthquake of 1985.

This was more complicated, fast moving plot than focused on characters. There was so much action, it became a bit boring after awhile.

Well, this was incredibly bleak. The characters were, for the most part, unlikable. Maybe this author isn‘t for me.

I just reread it for the third time and love it forever.

The flashbacks slowed the plot unbearably. The atmosphere is diminished. If this hadn‘t been recommended by a reader whose taste normally aligns with mine, I would have dnf‘d with relish.

This was recommended to me by a Teacher who reads it aloud to her junior high class. I can see why they like it. It is quite dramatic. Very unrealistic but high drama with some redemption for one of the most unlikable characters I have ever read. I did find the focus on healing to be interesting and while I have my doubts, I have many doubts about our traditional system of punishment.

This story has amazing characters. I even liked the sociopath. The pacing was plodding, the atmosphere lacking, and the ending crap. My heart belongs to A Gentleman in Moscow.

This story was of its time. There was casual sexism, misogyny, and racism. The mystery was slow and had a noir feel to it. The characters were not complex and were somewhat unlikable. I won‘t read anymore but the mystery and whodunnit kept me reading when I was contemplating a dnf.

Another Jane Eyre retelling. There is always room for one more. With the Brontes as characters and Helen sticking around for a bit longer, the plot is a bit more convoluted but still great fun.

Very short, snappy, humor bits on different places visited by the authors. I enjoyed the U.S. parts more but it is easier to laugh at one‘s self.

Booksellers with superpowers. Old gods and gangsters. This was a romp of a story. A bit too detailed at times, but fun.

The ending was a bit rushed but the characters were great and it was a fast paced middle-grade horror.

A very complicated plot and the needless killing off of my favorite character made this a slow read. At least the woman in this one (yes, there was basically only one) was more complex.

Flee North, don‘t stop until you reach Canada. This was the advice given to those held in slavery by Thomas Smallwood, their hero and rescuer. Yet he did not follow his own advice for years. This was an intense story of bravery.

I have read 79 pages and I do not like the writing, characters, and have no idea what the plot is supposed to be. Life is too short.

This was a pick due to the majority of the story, not the horrific ending. A noir mystery told with the dark humor and embedded cynicism of the Russian author. The twists and turns were steep.

Oh, happy day! I love rereading this one!

These essays are very well written and sure to raise your blood pressure.

This was great fun.

While all but one of the characters were very one-note, the one who might have been the most complex as the character, with a foot in both worlds, was instead a cipher. The Author apparently wanted to fit every type of mother into the novel.

This isn‘t a time period I read about frequently. The Author read the book The Woman They Could Not Silence and was inspired to use it as a jumping off point in her Christian fiction story set on the Oregon Trail.

While the blurb may lead the reader to expect this book will be about ghosts, more, it is about the loneliness and stories which make up each life. The beginning and end are hidden in the ebb and flow. I still love In the Time of Butterflies best. #Caribathon

This was a fun read. The plot was interesting and the characters complex. The pacing was a bit helter skelter and there was one piece of the story that felt bungled and unrealistic.

Fascinating and engaging.

A fun cozy with good human and canine characters.

I feel like the ending just ran out of steam. It came close a few times but never caught momentum.

If the reader is looking for a short, informative, quiet biography of a brilliant author of thoughtful works, this is the book. Weaving passages from Cather‘s work into the narrative to form a seamless and appreciative narration, Mr Taylor does a wonderful job of making Willa Cather accessible.

Even if you aren‘t a fan of baseball, the sense of community and family pride portrayed in this narrative will lighten your load and bring happiness to your heart.

This is the anti-small town friends and family book. Many of the people were quietly cruel and the main character was extremely mealy mouthed. The quirky character was a bit too much and the story felt vague and drawn out.

This was a fast-paced love letter to the guys and dolls of Prohibition. Unfortunately, the ending was twee. This wasn‘t deep or realistic but it was fun.

This has been on my shelf for years. I have started it twice. Sixty pages in and I don‘t find it interesting at all.

This was a strange concept. Thoughts about the author vacillated between finding him off-putting and admiring his complete ability to understand himself.

There wasn‘t much new info and it was somewhat stressful to go through all of the Trump mayhem again.

A group of misfits find themselves thrown together by circumstance in the dangerous, complex place that is Lagos. The best character in this novel is Lagos and the character we get to know best is the complex Minister of Education. The weaving of loyalties and circumstances is a thing of beauty.

The flip side of the misogynistic mythology we have been taught ….Girl Power. The team work and story telling is top notch. It was a little preachy at times but she doesn‘t lie.

The pace was slow but the characters and atmosphere were fantastic. The plot was unique with the cult and underlying feelings of danger.

While it was a little slow starting, this novel delves deep into mother-daughter relationships, guilt, hopelessness, and young love. It was quite emotional.

I would recommend the audio on this one as the bird calls help build the atmosphere for this middle grade novel about change, home, friendship, birding, and the vagaries of using the internet. The main characters found much to wonder at in the nature surrounding them and invite the reader to join them.

This was a slow mystery novel. The pacing was excruciatingly slow, the plot convoluted, and the women…well, the writer can write an atmospheric tale but my interest waned as it felt like every death in England since 1992 was being tied into the story and the villains felt a bit one note. I really enjoyed the first book in this series.

Bravery, treachery, and a ghost. This novel has great characters and the atmosphere id superb. The ending felt a bit rushed.

This was ok but it lacked the swift storytelling and charm of her other books.

Brotherly love and respect, team building, and working for your dreams….this is an amazing story.

Great illustrations, believable characters who experience a great deal of personal growth, and a well paced story. It is amazing what people do to attain their dreams. I can‘t imagine being in this situation.

Mr. Wilford does an impressive job of linking the beginning of the CIA with the OSS. However, important areas of concern seem rushed or ignored altogether. The CIA's relationships in Taiwan and Pakistan especially. Also, Mr. Wilford acknowledges the failures of the CIA's intelligence gathering concerning September 11 but brushes over the failure regarding the Ukrainian invasion. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the advance reader copy.

There are many wonderful characters in literature. However, not one of them is as singular and fantastic as Anne Shirley.

Wonderful world building, zany , lovable characters, and a great dollop of danger make this a must read fantasy.

A gently rolling plot, fantastic characters, and good writing make this heartstomper a hit. Thank goodness things have improved at least a bit on the mental health front.

A cozy mystery with a murder-solving librarian in a town of citizens possessed by demons. This was too quirky and the ending too complicated . Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance reader copy.

The pacing was inconsistent but the characters were superb. Who doesn‘t love a book about dogs?

Lou is determined to be a good friend to Cece, a better friend than she had been to Francie. The author captures the feeling of being torn between childhood and growing up. There was amazing character growth and it was lovely to see adults displaying compassion. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for a review copy.