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

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

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

Rating:           9 General Rating:  Ever read a book you couldn’t put down and you don’t know why? This is it. Skip factor:  1%. Here’s another oddity about this novel. I would not classify this as fabulous, but, very unlike me, I hardly skipped any sentences and no paragraphs. So, maybe it was fabulous? Who should … Read more

With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson

Rating:           9 General Rating: Readers have come to expect a fast-paced thriller from Joshilyn Jackson and this doesn’t disappoint. Skip factor:  0% skipping. (Um. This doesn’t happen often for me. I admit, sheepishly, that I normally skip a sentence or two or twenty.) Who should read:  Puzzle solvers who love thrillers, mysteries, a bit of romance, … Read more

The Last Flight by Julie Clark

Rating:           8.5 General Rating:  But for the ending, this would be a nine. Skip factor:  1%. I skipped next to nothing. Who should read:  Readers who like books that jump (POVs and time), and those who like to analyze a good mystery. Summary:  Without spoiling this entire book,  the gist of the story is two troubled … Read more

Dawn Girl by Leslie Wolfe

Rating:           9 General Rating: A fast, hard-to-put-down, detective crime thriller. Skip factor:  1%. Only skipped when I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Who should read:  Readers who like thrillers—especially detective-crime junkies—this is for you. I neglected chores and duties to sort out who the fictitious serial killer was. Summary:  Detective Tess is called to the … Read more