Heft

Heft

By Liz Moore

Rating:   3 3/4  Stars

Loneliness and friendship.  Abandoned and treasured.  These themes weave throughout Heft in a way that propels the reader forward. I fell in love with the characters in this book. Although, their problems were different from mine I resonated with the morbidly obese Arthur Opp and the ragtag adolescent Kel Keller. The story portrays humanity with its weaknesses and strengths.  It allows for hope in broken relationships.

I enjoyed I this book until the very last pages, but then the ending disappointed me. I expected so much more closure, but felt that I was left dangling. I cannot figure out why Liz Moore would write such a touching story and then leave the ending as she did. Maybe a sequel?   Who knows?

Another problem within the book was the use of ampersands (&) instead of using the word “and”.  It’s used frequently on almost every page. I actually thought that perhaps Heft was self-published because of this flaw.  I found the use of the ampersand distracting.

I liked this book and I would have rated this book 4 stars or higher, but can’t justify it due to the ending and the ampersands. I do think it is a worthwhile read, but be prepared for a disappointing ending.

Read HEFT if you like:

·      Character driven fiction         

·      Quirky characters

·      Human interest stories

Favorite Quote:

“All my life I have heard it said that you can’t choose your family, and all my life I have lamented this fact as true & unfair. But I think it is possible to look at things differently.  I believe we can choose to surround ourselves with a circle of people we love and admire & they can become your adopted family.” By Liz Moore

Content Rating:  None

  

Happy Reading,

     Susanne

Sutton

Sutton

By J. R. Moehringer

Sutton came highly recommended by Pauline Hubert from Book Movement.  I had never heard of the author, J.R. Moehringer before this. I researched him and found that two of his other books had high reviews. So, I purchased Sutton and read through it quickly.  

It’s written as a fictionalized biography of the famous bank robber Willie Sutton. Although famous, (or should I say infamous), I had no idea who he was prior to reading this book. (He predated me by a few decades.)  This book enlightened me on bank robberies, prisons and escapees in American history.

This book contains a story within a story. It’s easy to follow the different story lines because of the font difference. I definitely enjoyed the history told by Willie Sutton over the proposed “current” storyline. And I must say that the ending of Sutton made me scratch my head a bit—a little confusing.  Overall, I liked it—liked it enough that I purchased A Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer.  

Rating:   3 1/2 Star

Read Sutton if you like:

·      Fictional biographies    

·      Crime fiction

·      1920-1940’s books

Favorite Quote:

“A book is the only real escape from this fallen world. Aside from death.”

Content Rating:  None

Happy Reading,

     Susanne

The End of Your Life Book Club

The End of Your Life Book Club

By Will Schwalbe

Rating:  3 Stars

How often do you ask someone, “What are you reading?”   This question usually prompts a long and satisfying conversation. It allows book aficionados to hear about new books. It reminds us to dig deep at the library for books once popular, but now sit as unchecked wallflowers.

“What are you reading?” This question is the launching point for The End of Your Life Book Club. It’s the story of an adult son and his dying mother who inadvertently begin a “book club of two” as she travels through the ordeal of cancer and chemotherapy—ultimately knowing the pancreatic cancer is terminal.

The End of Your Life Book Club is not depressing. It delves into the family relationships, but more importantly, it excavates a list of books for the reader to discover. After finishing The End of Your Life Book Club, I created a list of some of the books referenced for future reading.

My mother, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, read the book. She stated it reminded her of us.  Awww…….  I went right out and purchased her one of the primary books discussed in the book, Daily Strengths for Daily Needs by Mary Wilder Tileston. 

I believe this book is worthy of your time and money.  Let me know your thoughts if you decide to cozy up with this one.  

Read The End of Your Life Book Club if you like:

·      Recommendations for good books     

·      Interpersonal relationships

·      True stories

Favorite Quote:

“Still one thing I learned from Mom is this:  Reading isn’t the opposite of doing; it’s the opposite of dying. I will never be able to read my mother’s favorite books without thinking of her—when I pass them on and recommend them, I’ll know that some of what made her goes with them.” By Will Schwalbe

Content Rating:  None

Happy Reading,

Susanne

The Chaperone

Author:  Laura Moriarty

Publisher:   Penguin Group

Kindle e-book
Rating: 3 Stars

Hmmm...The Chaperone is a difficult book to review. The first 2/3 of the book I enjoyed.  I liked the characters, but I wanted to know so much more about them.  The story begins with main character Cora making a decision to chaperone a young girl by the name of Louise Brooks.  This decision will change the path of Cora’s Midwestern lifestyle until the day she dies.  

The secondary character Louise, is based on an actual person.  She’s so intriguing I could have read a whole book about her.  This is the real Louise Brooks. Mesmerizing...

All of the characters were fascinating.  I would have like to known so much more about many of them, especially the mother of Louise.  Unfortunately this book doesn’t delve into the minor characters and or what motivates them. 

Before I read this book, I studied several reviews.  Many of the reviewers said the same thing—the book didn’t have a great ending. I agree.  It  seems as the author sped through the last forty years of the characters lives and tied everything up—The End. 

Overall, I rate this book as 3 stars.  I couldn’t put the book down, but then it fizzled. 

Rating  3 Stars

Content Rating:  Sexual content

Happy Reading,
     Susanne

A is for Alibi: Kinsey Millhone Series

 by Sue Grafton

Rating   3 stars

I’m going to write a “pixie post” on this series of books. They are frequently referred to as “alphabet novels”. The series is based on the female detective Kinsey Millhone who is an independent, quirky and often a very lucky investigator.

I have read all of them-- from A is for Alibi up to the latest release V is for Vengeance. They are good, fun reads. If you like crime/mystery novels and are looking for something easy to read then I would recommend them. (Think beach book).   

The one thing that takes some getting use to is that they are set in the 1980’s. So, no cell phones, no Internet, etc.  It took me a while to transition back to the dark ages of crime investigation. But, it also takes you back to a time when we were not always “connected” to the world. No social media for Kinsey Millhone. So, set aside your electronics and read for a while—from A to V.

▪   "A" Is for Alibi (1982)

▪   "B" Is for Burglar (1985)

▪   "C" Is for Corpse (1986)

▪   "D" Is for Deadbeat (1987)

▪   "E" Is for Evidence (1988)

▪   "F" Is for Fugitive (1989)

▪   "G" Is for Gumshoe (1990)

▪   "H" Is for Homicide (1991)

▪   "I" Is for Innocent (1992)

▪   "J" Is for Judgment (1993)

▪   "K" Is for Killer (1994)

▪   "L" Is for Lawless (1995)

▪   "M" Is for Malice (1996)

▪   "N" Is for Noose (1998)

▪   "O" Is for Outlaw (1999)

▪   "P" Is for Peril (2001)

▪   "Q" Is for Quarry (2002)

▪   "R" Is for Ricochet (2004)

▪   "S" Is for Silence (2005)

▪   "T" Is for Trespass (2007)

▪   "U" Is for Undertow (2009)

▪   "V" Is for Vengeance (2011)

Content Rating: Slight sexual content, violence.

Happy Reading, 

Susanne