The writing is repetitive and stilted and the main character, supposedly an intelligent and independent woman, is portrayed as a man obsessed ninny.

Reread this for book club. Winspear writes about the effects of war on the protagonist, Maisie Dobbs, with an eye to the tragic. She can write a lovely sentence laced with deep sentiment. The mystery was interesting. There was a bit too much going on but overall, it was quite good.

The characters are not interesting and the pacing of the plot is dismal. I really wanted to read something set in Mexico City but not this one.

This was an intriguing blend of memory and time travel. Utilizing time travel as a medical condition was imaginative and tying it to the senses was genius. I felt there was a rich sense of place. The characters were interesting and the romance and friendships provided some light and warmth.

Well plotted. Atmospheric and emotionally fraught. This is an easy recommend even though I had a hard time believing certain plot points initially.

This atmospheric story about scholars, Fairies, and a bunch of villagers isolated in a snowy land, pulls the reader in to another realm. Unfortunately, the ending fizzled.

What does it mean to be deaf? Different teens with differing levels of hearing and different comfort levels in communicating with speech and ASL learn to become a supportive community in this romance. Thoughtful and sweet.

A lovely story about family. Those who remain and those who have passed on.

This felt like a scooby-doo story with none of my favorite characters.

This short book provided great information on the challenges of living in Gaza as a woman. The writing is great and the atmosphere of living in a war zone under the leadership of religious fanatics is chilling.

This sweet story of family has humor and sorrow, hard times and community. The treasure hunt portion didn‘t add much to it and could have been jettisoned.

Domestic violence, depression, assault. This novel of varying formats expresses the trauma and hurt felt by two beothers as they try to survive their senior year. Thoughtful and heartwarming.

What is a paper magician to do when faced with those who deal in death? This was a bit gorier than I expected and I wish we knew more about the villains but as a short fantasy, it hit the spot with just enough heart and adventure.

Had he stopped halfway through, this would have been a good story. The longer the tale went on, the more diversions to unrelated subjects. The ending was just ridiculous.

A fascinating blend of plot, atmosphere, strong characters and rapier-like writing.

A moving, funny, interesting graphic memoir. The illustrations were a bit busy for me but I am not a big graphics reader.

Great atmosphere, great characters, and great fun.

This story ebbs more than it flows. Only the protagonist is fleshed out.

In the “Dirty Thirties”, families were torn apart by poverty and dire circumstances. The found family, hardships, and resiliency of the characters was wonderful.

The characters were shallow versions (even more shallow than the original) Bonnie and Clyde. There were too many characters and not enough depth.

I liked this one but the story felt very familiar as well as fairly forgettable.

An unlikable protagonist with tough friends is determined to solve the mystery of her sister‘s disappearance. The ending was pat.

If this author was ever familiar with the term arterial bleed, you wouldn‘t know it from this implausibly plotted novel. One of the major subjects in the story was irrelevant, Apparently only there for shock value.

If you don‘t know how to move the story forward, just kill off a character. If your protagonist is completely unable to grieve or show much in the way of emotion, great, it won‘t bog the story down in sentimentality. Of course, it also won‘t feel genuine. The solutions were farfetched and there was no suspense as the murderer just as well have been wearing a giant M on his shirt from the first.

The writing wasn‘t as gripping as one might hope but the atmosphere and ideas were amazing. In the depths of destruction, these characters do more than survive. These characters wring every ounce of life, joy, and community they can from a chaotic, grim reality. Even in despair, there is magic. #CanadaReads2024

There are some plot holes but if you can set those aside, this twisty, gothic tale written in a lively, engaging manner is great fun.

If you are looking for fun, spicy romances with smart, successful protagonists, this is the book for you.

While parts of this story connected, much of it fell flat. It is more art than story and while that art is gorgeous, it didn‘t grab me. CanadaReads2024

This was amazing. Miles used Ashley‘s sack as a touchstone around which she based the history and livelihoods of enslaved men and women. This is on the long list for the women‘s prize for nonfiction.

With strong characters, a creepy atmosphere, and writing which begs to be read aloud, this is a strong contender for Canada Reads 2024.

The moral of this story could be: “you suffer, occasionally meet interesting people, and then you die” set against the backdrop of lovely Ireland.

Asthma, bullying, and abuse. This novel covers some very hard topics in a very readable way. The protagonist experienced growth and used her voice to change the bad things around her. Love this author.

Whereas “There There” was rapid bursts of characters which eventually connected, “Wandering Stars” is a slow, concentric, unending ebb and flow of relationships and secrets. At tomes, I was lost in the dreamy haziness but Orange‘s artistry is always worth checking out. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an arc.

I really didn‘t like this but I have horrible luck with short stories so it is probably my own bias. Grim and gritty, these stories leave the reader gasping for mercy

The ending was satisfying and the mother-daughter relationship was bittersweet. However, the bouncing timeline was inefficient and jarring.#CanadaReads2024

I am not a horror fan but this one somehow found its way into my TBR. A horror/dystopian mix of monster butterflies and rabid humans. Well written with sympathetic characters and tense action scenes. If you have issues with body horror, a hard no. This book may turn me into a prepper.

An atmospheric adventure story. A band of misfits must work together to save one of their friends. I loved the atmosphere, the character growth, and the blossoming romance. Touching and tense. The ending felt a bit rushed and cool.

I think this will be fun. So far, the snarky tone and sense of atmosphere is fantastic.

Interesting. Would be nice if it works.

A whimsical and cozy ghost story with great characters and atmosphere galore. A fairly loe stakes story.

Adventure and danger. Character growth and atmosphere. This has social commentary about fanaticism, power, and corruption. It has everything I like and yet it took half of the book to pull me into the story.

A great adventure focusing on the power of the press to stand against corruption and highlight injustice. Girl power.

This would be a great tale of sadness and triumph, well-written and interesting in details of a historic nature, except it feels as if we are traveling back to this time of inhumanity towards the poor and vulnerable.

A fairly complex mystery with great characters and a well paced plot. The humor hits.

Well, the cover is cool. The omniscient narrator‘s over-the-too humor was tedious and the plot overwrought.

I dread sports books. I read them so I have new books to recommend to young patrons but I dread them. This book is all basketball, all the time. It is also all heart. Great friendships, a family who is actively surviving the eldest son‘s death, and a community that just needs one win. This was fantastic. I gave a basketball novel five stars!!!😳

This is packed with action. It is stressful. There is no time for character depth or growth. If you are in the mood for a fast paced thriller, this will probably hot the spot. TW: gun violence

Well….this is stressful.

An interesting but much abbreviated look at episodes of American paranoia. The Salem Witch Trials info should have been fleshed out more but was riveting. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an Advance digital copy.

A thoughtful look at a difficult subject. The protagonist learns leaning on her friends does not make her less strong or smart. TW: addiction and drug use.