Everyone Knows How Much I Love You - Kyle McCarthy

Everyone Knows How Much I Love You - Kyle McCarthy

She read

Sorry, this didn’t resonate with me. A number of times, I just wanted to put it down and quit, but stayed with it incase it redeemed itself.   There have been other books I have read and been tempted near the beginning, to give up; but often I have ended up liking them.  This one, no.

Who Did You Tell? Leslie Kara

Who Did You Tell? - Leslie Kara

She read

 Astrid  is an alcoholic who has lost it all.  As a last effort toward sobriety, she has returned to a small town to live with her mother and join AA.  Actions from her past haunt her….have they also put her in danger?

This was a fast, engrossing read with strong character development, well developed plot, and some unexpected twists.

*****

The Cubans - Anthony De Palma

The Cubans - Anthony De Palma

She read

This non fiction account of various families living in a Havana neighborhood from the years of the revolution to present time reads like a good novel.  It is a fascinating, engrossing, in depth narrative.  Having spent some time in Cuba, I felt that DePalma
captured the vibrancy, frustration, dashed feeling of possibilities, and character of some of the people I met there.  My hope for this book is that it may help some people realize that our most recent treatment of Cuba has not affected the government there, but has had a significant impact on the lives of everyday people.  I understand the hatred of Castro and the revolution among those who live here, but cannot understand how they can put embargos in place that hurt people…many of whom have no first hand memory of the revolution. The cruelty is unimaginable.  

  *****

28 Summers - Elin Hilderbrand

28 Summers - Elin Hilderbrand

She read

I am not a big “chick lit” fan, but I LOVED this book.  I didn’t want to put it down, yet I didn’t want it to end.

Inspired by the concept of the film, Same Time Next Year,  the story focused not only on the couple’s yearly rendezvous, but also how their separate lives evolved through the years.  I really liked how each of the 28 years is prefaced with what we were talking about in that particular year.  It was like going back in a time machine to reexperience  those times.

  *****

The Safe Place - Anna Downes

The Safe Place - Anna Downes

She read

Publication Date:  July 14, 2020

Although I remained engaged while reading this book, I felt there was an overly fantasized story line, excerpts that seemed more typical of a romance novel than thriller, and a sometimes garbled narrative.   It was an easy, summer read, but not quite for me.


***

Half Moon Bay - Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman

Half Moon Bay - Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman

She read

Publication Date:  July 21, 2020

This is the third in the Kellerman’s father/son series about coroner Clay Edison.  I am beginning to enjoy this series almost as much as Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series. New father Clay, while trying to balance child care with his wife and lack of sleep, simultaneously works on two mysteries while still fulfilling other obligations as a deputy in the county coroner’s office.  While excavating the one time hippie enclave People’s Park, bones of an infant are uncovered. Clay is contacted by someone who thinks it might be a disappeared sister who has been a family secret for years and soon these two stories diverge.

A well written, steady investigative procedural, it is a quick, engrossing read with a likable protagonist.   The Kellerman’s neatly tie up all loose ends and leave you anticipating the next in this series.

*****

The Last Trial - Scott Turow

The Last Trial - Scott Turow

He and she read

Featuring familiar Turow character, Sandy Stern, in the last trial of his career, this is sure to be another best seller. A solid courtroom procedural, it is Stern’s contemplations of the life he has led and his observations of the ravages of aging and the approaching end of life that resonates with the reader.

*****

The End of October - Lawrence Wright

The End of October - Lawrence Wright

She read

I don’t usually read books where suspension of belief is necessary.  However, when I read the prepublication notes, I thought that I would try this one as the topic was most timely.  I really liked the first half of the novel.  Well researched, I learned a lot about viruses, pandemics, vaccines.  And, given what is going on in the world now, it was not at all unlikely.  The second half, however, became a bit extreme for me.  Still, I recommend this riveting thriller…a great escape, or not so much an escape from our current world situation.

  **** 1/2