This novel brought to mind what ICE is currently doing in this country. The story is heartbreaking with a mother and son trying desperately to escape the horrors of Cartel violence and certain death. Many people have been lost, killed and broken while making this or similar journeys. 4.75/5⭐️

A YA thriller novel dealing with a murder. Summer vacation has kids relaxing and enjoying themselves.
Girls seeing somethings they are not supposed to see in a place they shouldn‘t have been. They make decisions they aren‘t really qualified to make. 3/5⭐️

Many aspects of this book were difficult because of my total hatred of slavery. Dana a modern young black woman travels back in time to save a white boy. Dana is pulled back time after time to save the boy/man. I found the novel to be well written. I disliked many of the characters. 3.75/5⭐️

The true stories of many of the children who were adopted through the Tennessee Children‘s Home Society in Memphis. Georgia Tann was a horrible person who sold children from 1920-1950s. The novel by Lisa Wingate, Before We were Yours (fictional) account) was the coauthor. Well worth the time to read this nonfiction book. 4.5/5⭐️

A historical fiction based on the mother of Camille Pissarro, the father of Impressionism. A well written novel! The characters were interesting and felt very much alive. I really enjoyed this book. 4.5 /5 ⭐️

The essays in this short book focused on resistance, the collective power in the age of climate change. Well voiced and thought provoking, making me feel as if the world really needs to hear the words of the indigenous peoples of this world. 5/5⭐️

A novel with lots of layers, with unexpected twists and turns. I felt as if I had read a book similar many years ago. The residents of the building seemed to have odd opinions and ideas. The author has a way to keep the reader engaged. 3.5/5⭐️

A fast-paced thriller with a female protagonist who is breaking into houses to steal expensive items. A serial killer is hunting for the thief. A chase across the country and some unexpected surprises occur. Will either survive? 4/5⭐️

A different book with focus on “strings” giving the recipient a chance to see how long they would live. I found the way individuals reacted interesting. I like the characters and think this book will remain with me for a long while. 3.75/5⭐️

People disappear where do they go? Is there a killer running around amongst them? Young women seemingly connected yet maybe not. So many unusual twists. 3.75/5⭐️

A love story with both sugar and spice. Archer is an inexperienced young man in his early 20‘s. Bree is a young of about the same age. Archer is in a horrific accident when he was seven. Bree is looking a quiet place to help her get over some difficult circumstances. 4/5⭐️

A short sweet love story with three main characters. Gail Baines a long time divorced woman, Max Baines the ex-husband, and their adult daughter Debbie. Gail is having a hard day. Debbie is getting married. Max is going with the flow. 3.5/5⭐️

One of the best books I‘ve read this year. I loved the characters, both human the animals. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I enjoyed this novel. The characters were interesting and the plot was intriguing. I liked Marissa. She was full energy and had some OCD issues. The young girl detectives were fun. I would read a sequel if Elizabeth Little wrote one. 4/5⭐️

An unsolved mystery from ten years ago seems to have ties to current murders. DI Chase is trying to find answers to the question of body parts found by fishermen in the Avon River. The entire department is looking for clues. Will they solve this case before the current missing man is among the dead? 4/5⭐️

Not your typical James Patterson novel. This novel was more sci-fic genre than any of his other books. Scientific experimentation on human beings has been tried. I found myself wondering how it would end. 4/5 ⭐️

A historical fiction story depicting the life of Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife Fanny. I enjoyed reading this novel. The health issues of Stevenson had kept them traveling the world in the hopes of the ideal location for his concerns. They spent time in Switzerland, England, the south seas. 4/5⭐️

A collection of Vonnegut‘s short stories. Some were very enjoyable, some were mediocre. I actually laughed while listening to a few3.75/5

A Texas fair was the scene of beginning of this novel. The main characters were a children‘s book author named Elle Portman. She took her son to the fair. Calder Hudson also attended the fair. An unknown shooter opened fire and a mystery needing to be solved unfolded. The detectives had a lot to investigate before they had any answers. the twists kept it interesting. 4.25/5⭐️

Pike Island, Minnesota is the setting of this thriller. Four high school friends go out to the lake to celebrate. Of the four, Andy Harrison Leonard is by far the one with the golden tongue. Twenty years later he‘s a congressman and a smooth talker. The truth about what happened at Pike Island may be about to spill forth. What happened? Will it interfere with the future plans of Congressman Leonard? 4/5⭐️

The first novel I‘ve read of this author. An interesting tale of indigenous peoples of the southwest. The story kept my attention. I liked the main character Nicky Matthews & following along as she went about solving the mysteries of those missing and those who died. 4/5⭐️

The giant turtles, tidal rivers and a drowned girl are the main characters in this fun addition to the series. The characters are interesting. The plot takes Nadya on a trip through in her life with the three different mothers she has experienced. 4.5/5⭐️

A story with lots of thrilling moments, some quite scary. Dr Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician disappeared on a run in the mountains. A man who won‘t give his name may be involved or the Dr‘s husband. Is it kidnapping or worse. The wrongness of actions may not matter depending on what happens next. 4.25/5⭐️

I love the humor of Fredrick Blackman! This short story had me laughing out loud. The seriousness of the situation was evident and the solution so simple, yet the committee made everything difficult. If you‘re looking for a few reasons to laugh, give this a read. 4/5⭐️

Another historical fiction with such a heartfelt plot. I really enjoyed reading the story even when the tears fell. The timeframe begins as the Germans start WWII. The winemakers of France are trying to save their country. The love and memories broke my heart. One of the best stories I‘ve read this year. 4.5/5⭐️

Stream of consciousness style takes the reader through the day of Mrs Clarissa Dalloway. She is preparing for a party. Clarissa is reviewing her life as she reflects her past choices and contemplating her future. 3.75/5⭐️

In the desert scientists were working on a secret gadget. The story was set in Las Alamos 1943. The families the scientists were not told anything about what went on the hill. Gertie, a teenage girl and Christine, a young married woman became friends. Gertie‘s father and Christine‘s husband both worked on the gadget. Loneliness was common and the desert bleak. Historical fiction and the making of the bomb to end WWII. 4.25/5⭐️

The plot and its characters were perfect in this setting. As the story went back and forth from present day to 1830, it was interesting. I really liked Rose and Norris. 4/5⭐️

This novel took place in Puerto Rico. It was an interesting look at what was described as visions of life events of dead storytellers. The characters were different. I liked Isla Larsen Sanchez, the main character. The tale begins when Isla was a child and takes us through her summers on the island. 4/5 ⭐️

Race and civil rights in the early 1960s in LA are the setting for this historical thriller. I found the characters interesting. There were discussions of the Korean War, a photographer and part time server of warrants. Martin Luther King was involved near the end of the book. Harry was the photographer who was capturing history in his pictures. 3.5/5

The first book I‘ve read by DW Buffa. A novel involving two judges who were murdered by the same method yet couldn‘t have been killed by the same person. Court room drama was quite good. I enjoyed the plots and the characters. 4/5⭐️

This was a real plot twisting novel. I didn‘t know what to expect, but wow! The ending was not at all expected. Three year old boy is missing. What happened? An accident, did he fall into the river, was he abducted? The characters were all had flaws. The story was a slow in some parts. 4/5⭐️

This novel is in the series with the Attorney Bennie Rosato in it. Her law firm is Rosato and Associates. Bennie is acused of murder. Bennie is determined to prove she is innocent and find the killer. The pace is quite fast and lots of action. The author has never disappointed me. 4/5⭐️

A novel about adoption and the connection between the adopted person and birth parents. The emotional aspects of sealed records and struggles are often overlooked in what people hope will be a kind if “new love” for the adopted person and her/his birth parents. A reporter named Jane becomes involved in helping her friend Tuck. What follows is dangerous and more than a bit difficult. 3.75/5⭐️

It‘s a thriller with a young woman (Tara) who awakens from a medically induced coma without the ability to communicate. She learns to communicate with her eyes first. Then she can answer yes & no questions with eye blinks. Tara‘s sister leaves law school to try to assist her mom & step-dad while waiting for Tara to become aware. It appears Tara may have seen or knows something because someone is trying to kill her. 3.75/5⭐️

A thriller takes on football. A teenage girl is murdered and the boyfriend, football star, along with the coach and his estranged brother are trying to discover who the killer is. I liked the style of the writing and all the sideline scenes made the novel have lots of depth. I‘ll be reading more of his books in the future. 4/5⭐️

This novel tells the story of a young Judith who is a member of the anti-nuclear activists in Glasgow in the 1920s. Judith & Jimmy fall in love. The squat where they live is raided & several go to prison, including Jimmy. Unwed and pregnant, Judith goes back to her strict parents & goes off the an unwed mothers home. Life happens & Judith has a 50 year relationship with Catherine. Judith runs a fix-it shop and in comes Jimmy. 4.25⭐️

I fell in love with this novel. It was a beautiful story of love, grief, adventure, family and joy. Set in the harsh conditions of Alaska, the descriptions of the seasons the wilds of mountains, rivers, and farming in the early 1920s were remarkably wonderful. The main characters Jack & Mabel, Faina, George, Esther and Garrett are perfect for this tale. The book was hard to put down. 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The year was 1974. The place is Boston. This novel takes the reader on a “tour” of the South projects of the Irish American enclave. The main character Mary Pat Fennessy‘s daughter doesn‘t come home one night. Mary Pat vows to find the truth behind this. Filled with hatred and racism makes this difficult to read. Mary Pat versus Boston, it‘s not pretty. 4/5⭐️

A historical fiction set in the swamps of Mississippi during the 1920s. Ada and Matilda both have lives filled with different yet difficult experiences. Their lives bring them together for a few seasons. Both these teenagers had personalities which I feel the reader could find interesting. Lots of other characters were of interest and entwined throughout the novel. 4/5⭐️

A thriller that had me wondering for quite a while. I wasn‘t surprised with one of the bad guys but the second took much longer to figure out. Well written and it kept me turning the pages. 4.25-5⭐️

A novel dealing with two families and their connections. There is lots of jumping around in time. The families deal with some deep issues including death. I really liked the doctor and the boy Waldo. The story was good and I recommend reading this book. 4.25/5⭐️

This novel was quite different from the majority of books I read. I love thriller‘s & mysteries. Tracy Ellis goes out for a jog and gets reported missing by her husband. A body is found and is identified as Tracy. Another woman goes is missing. What‘s going on in Chicago? Sondra (Tracy‘s sister) has difficulty accepting Tracy‘s death. There are so many twists here, it will keep you guessing. 4/5⭐️

A private investigator unwisely gives a teenage girl a ride one rainy evening. The novel has lots of characters with a plot who keep the story going. Cal Weaver (PI) and his wife had a son who died tragically. There are deaths and missing persons. You‘ll find good guy and bad guys. There are tense moments and reasons to keep moving forward toward the end. I gave this 4.25/5⭐️

This is a novel which takes place on an island in Iceland. The island has only 10 inhabitants. The residents hire a young woman named Una to teach two young girls. There is a mystery surrounding the island. In an area where darkness is the norm during the winter, living can be depressing. I did enjoy the novel. The town residents were not very friendly and not characters I would want to have contact with. 4/5⭐️

Book 20 in the Cork O‘Connor series. The setting in Minnesota. The characters are interesting. There are missing girls. The difference between white versus Native Americans missing are handled in totally separate ways. It‘s hard to understand why, girls are girls. This novel touches on sex trafficking during the building of an oil pipeline. Indigenous people play huge roles in this story. 4/5⭐️

Crimson Lake is the 1st novel in Australia. Ted Conkaffey was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A little girl is abducted and brutally raped. Ted is accused of the crime but not charged. Ted joins up with investigator Amanda Pharrell to solve current crimes. There is lots of dialogue and interaction with the residents of Crimson Lake, including poisonous snakes and crocodiles. 4/5⭐️

I love the connection Robin Wall Kimmerer holds with the earth. Her writing always makes me want to find a better way during my journey here on this planet. Her voice is soothing and inspiring. I know the berry by the name sugarplum. The berries are a gift as are other berries and fruit. Thank you to the author and for those who recommended this book to me. 5/5🌟

This was a mystery is the first in a series with Detective Sargent Gemma Woodstock. The plot finds teacher Rosalind Ryan dead in the lake. Gemma & Rosalind were former classmates at the school where Rosalind was a drama teacher. I found the different characters interwoven in multiple smaller storylines. 4/5⭐️