Here are the Novel Destinations Book Reviews. We want to thank everyone for participating. Everyone did a very good job and a lot of good literature was read and shared. Hopefully this will inspire you to read one or all of the following books, which have been recommended by your fellow reading enthusiasts.
The Paris Wife by Paula McClain, reviewed by Doris S. (4 suitcases): “The Paris Wife is historical fiction. The title refers to Hadley Richardson Hemingway who was Ernest Hemingway’s first wife. They start out in Chicago with a whirlwind courtship and marriage and set sail for Paris. There, they become “the Golden Couple” of an interesting group-The Lost Generation (F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda, Gertrude Stein, etc.) There’s lots of partying, drinking and intrigue and at the same time, Ernest Hemingway is struggling to find his voice as a writer. “The Sun Also Rises” is a reflection of this period of their life in Paris.”
The Lost City of Z by David Grann, reviewed by Doris S. (5 suitcases): “This book is a real life tale of adventure in the Amazon-“Deadly Ob-session in the jungle” Complete with hostile Indians-Cannibals, shrunken heads, ferocious insects and deadly diseases. Story of Percy Fawcett, English explorer, searching for El Dorado and lost civilizations, and the author’s own quest to find Fawcetts remains. Well written.”
The Snowman by Jo Nesbo, reviewed by Barbara B.: “Another Crime Thriller from Norway. Bone chilling, family dynamics with twists and turns with sinister results over 20 years-revolving around a Snowman-a terrifying game with results devised by the killer.”
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton, reviewed by Barbara B.: “Selling 1920’s WW I (1924) 1999. Family Secrets. Romance. Memories of a 98 year old widow how servitude, love, war, family and secrets shape the lives of a family around a place Riverton and how suspense and passion- is a “meditation or memory.””
A Nose for Justice by Rita Mae Brown, reviewed by Barbara B. (5 suitcases): “Selling a Nevada Ranch. Twists and turns solving a 1800 murder. Love and adventure. Protecting water supply. And ranch’s connection to Buffalo Bill.”
The Nick Adams Stories by Ernest Hemingway, reviewed by Cathy J. (4 suitcases): “Nick’s life often paralleled Hemingway’s. These stories are written in a deliberately simple style with short, sparse sentences. They still manage to convey the personality of Nick Adams. (Hemingway’s fictional altar ego) in these vignettes of his life from boyhood on, and many reflect Hemingway’s own life and his deep appreciation of the natural world around us.”
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton, reviewed by Barbara B.: (5 suitcases): “Very good intertwine of family from 1900, 1975 and 2005 from London to Australia with lots of twists and turns.”
The Pacts by Jennifer Sturman, reviewed by Barbara B.: “Fun series about a group of young women who stick together through thick and thin and have a yearly reunion. Always getting into trouble a mystery and intrigue.”
Dying to Decorate by Cindy Salzman, reviewed by Barbara B. (5 suitcases): Parallel story from present day, Civil War and Underground Railroad. There are also great recipes as well.
Crime and Clutter by Cynthia S. Salzmann, reviewed by Barbara B. (5 suitcases): “Parallel story from present day to turmoil of 60’s and anti-war. Great recipes also.”
Julia’s Hope by Leisha Kelly, reviewed by Barbara B. (5 suitcases): “Family during 129 depression forces to leave their home for promise of a future which fell through. How survival takes place against all odds.”
The Snowman by Nesbo, Jo, reviewed by Kay (5 suitcases): “I enjoy reading Scandinavian mysteries because they are set in a different political and social culture. Jo Nesbo falls under this criteria and does it very well. Norway, as the plot goes has never experienced a serial killer before the Snowman. I normally don’t read serial killer books, but set in the Norway Culture and the clever plot construction drops you in and you start thinking along with the protagonist, a creature out of American Noir. It’s a unique blend of noir and new and worth a read.”
Elizabeth Street by Laurie Fabiano, reviewed by Gail L.: “This is Laurie Fabiano first novel although she has written other non-fiction books. Her portrait of the Italian-American immigrant experience is dead-on. This engrossing cross-generational saga centers on the experiences of Giovanna Costa, from the small Italian fishing village where she is born to the bustling streets of New York’s Lower East Side where she struggles to raise her family and make a living as a midwife after the death of her first husband.
In America, the resourceful Giovanna and her second husband eventually open a fruit and vegetable stand, attracting the unwanted attentions of the notorious Black Hand crime organization. When Giovanni refuses to meet their demands, her daughter is kidnapped and held for ransom. Basing this story-including the kidnapping-on her own family’s immigrant experiences, Fabiano provides a wealth of period detail with an authentic sense of time, place, and community. A very enjoyable read.”
