Patron Book Reviews: Summer Suggestions #2

Book reviews provided by EPL Patrons

Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby.  What happens when a woman who spent 15 years with a man whose obsession with a reclusive musician outweighed any passion for her, meets the object of her ex’s attention?  This sweet, funny story answers the question.  Loved it!

Keeper by KathiAppelt.   Story of a young girl who believes in magic who is in search of her mother whom left her. Explores the magic of love while she discovers the truth.

The Dinner by Herman Cock.  This book was hard to put down.  I wanted to know where it was going, then did not!  It keeps you guessing and thinking the whole way through.

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen.  Follows a young girl during her last summer before starting college. Captures the angst of the excitement of starting a new while being afraid of leaving all she knows behind. A god summer read.

Night Road byKristin Hannah.  This is a story about a family who must deal with a horrible tragedy, learn to live with it and forgive. The characters seemed too perfect and were hard to like. Early foreshadowing allowed me to kind of figure out what would happen, and the book was very predictable because of this. The ending was too “happily ever after,” and could be seen coming from a mile away.

The Art Thief byNoah Charney (audio).  This is a mystery/whodunit novel with a good twist at the close of the book.  The best thing about this audiobook are the characters and their dialogue.  Funny characters, funny use of language and good character development.

The Birth House byAmi McKay.  Set in Scots Bay, Nova Scotia during World War I, The Birth House tells the story of a seventeen-year-old social outcast named Dora Rare who haphazardly becomes the apprentice to the town midwife, Miss B. The book follows Dora as she learns the art of midwifery and the strength of female friendship while fighting for the women of Scots Bay to have a choice in their bodies and their births. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the historical shift from homebirths and midwives to hospitals and obstetricians as well as anyone who enjoys reading about female protagonists who find their own power to do what is right even when they are afraid and lacking in confidence.