The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Rating:           10 General Rating:  Kristin Hannah’s best novel. There’s a reason 81% of over 280,000 people have rated this five stars. I’m not a fan of World War books but loved this. The Nightingale should go down as one of the best war books ever written, a classic.    Skip factor:  Nothing. Who should read:   Everyone. This … Read more

Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt

Rating:           8 General Rating:  Typically, I’m not a fan of memoirs but this one is worth reading. Skip factor:  2%. A little wordy but not much for a memoir. Who should read:  Men and women who enjoy narrative history and especially those of Irish descent. Summary:  I’ll be brief as the voice and writing kept me … Read more

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Rating:           9.5 General Rating: This is more than a great story. It’s spectacular writing, too. Skip factor:  0%. Nothing. The writing was way too good to skip a word. Who should read: Women, young and old, black and white. Summary/storyline: This is the story of twins, Desiree and Stella Vignes, light-skinned black women who grew … Read more

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Rating:           10 General Rating:  Cried like a baby over this one. I bought this by mistake when my book club was reading American Dirt. (I loved that, too.) BEST book mistake I ever made. Skip factor:  Less than 1%. Only when I couldn’t stand to wait for the next paragraph. Who should read:   Every. Single. White. … Read more

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Rating:           10 General Rating:  If you’ve ever wondered how a girl could find herself in an abusive relationship, read Colleen Hoover’s It Ends with Us. Skip factor:  1%. Only a little at the beginning when I thought it was a romance novel. Who should read:   Women and girls of any age. Summary:  I’ll admit this begins … Read more

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Rating:           9 General Rating: Crawled out from under my rock this week and read my first Kristin Hannah book. (Don’t judge.) Steinbeck would be proud. Of Hannah, not me. This novel is of “Grapes of Wrath” caliber. Over 170,000 Wind reviews versus 19,000 Grape reviews, both garnering over 70% 5-star reviews. Skip factor:  2%. Only because … Read more

Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat

Rating:           9 General Rating:  This story flows like a song, like a simple breath of air. It was easy to read yet deep. Powerful, yet appalling. I struggled between an 8.5 and 9 rating because the story is quieter than most. The characters are, at times, flat. However, I feel the author’s character development was … Read more

Do You Have a Friend Story to Share?

Happy April Fool’s Month! Who’s that friend who makes you laugh the most? Email your funniest friend experience to [email protected], and I’ll e-mail you a free e-book copy of one of my chick-lit books—your choice! I’ve heard from lots of women about friend mishaps since I wrote the first story of Nikki’s unquenchable thirst for … Read more

An Author’s Life

Want to be a writer? Um, maybe you don’t.    I’m in a hostage situation. See that view in the window? (Yes, I have my Jack pants on.) That’s me. Every morning. At 5 am. Scratch that, 4 am. Okay, scratch that, too. Truthfully, I’ve been up between 2:30 and 3 am every day this week, … Read more

Three Sisters by Heather Morris

Rating:           8 General Rating: A World War II story about the perseverance of three sisters, whom survived Auschwitz and Birkenau. Who should read:  Those interested in touching stories about holocaust survivors. Sisters. Women who have survived similar atrocities, and certainly survivors and children of holocaust survivors. Skip factor:  8%. I skipped more than a little between 60% … Read more