Great adventure story of survival. Author Charles Martin is an excellent story teller.

Easy to read but characters unrealistic.

All the while I was reading about the characters in the Great Depression setting, I could relate attitudes and behavior to the current social and economic situation today. Yes history does repeat itself, but we don't seem to be able to learn from the past. Kristin Hannah is a good writer although I felt the pace was a little slow, but at the end of the story, things got more exciting.

I enjoyed the story of Beth, but it all seemed a little improbable. The descriptions of the chess matches were interesting although I had no idea what was actually going on. I plan to watch the Netflix series so I can see the matches. Ha ha.

A story set in the depression era past in the rural mountain area of Kentucky in which a small group of women determined to bring literacy and education to their community against the odds of nature and of men who strive to discourage this project. It is an entertaining read, based on a true story, touches on all aspects of man's prejudices that unfortunately, still exist today.

Interesting story from a historical viewpoint about how unwed mothers were treated, but story is confusing and hard to follow.

So enjoyed this book about Laura Bush because she seems like my soul sister in terms of values, attitudes, personality, and faith.

Narrated by "Music", this story is fictional but uses real life people in the story. As I read it, I listened to the music of the musicians in the story. Good read.

I found this book interesting to read based on its fictional account of the family and origin of Camille Pissarro, but it was difficult to follow in places and and seemed disconnected. Still it is a worthwhile read.

I am a babyboomer, born in 1946, but I never knew about these phenomenal women who were instrumental in helping the Allies win this atrocious war. I never heard my parents, grandparents, other relatives, etc. talk about this. I even had two uncles who served in this war, both in the Navy in the Japan theater. The technicalities of the code breaking was over my head, but the culture of the time and the sacrifices these women made were amazing. Great, educational read!

I love nonfiction. This is a wonderful account of the settling of the Northwest in the early 1800's; aka Ohio.

Great historical account of the founding of Astoria.

I thoroughly enjoyed this LONG novel based on the life of Giuseppe "Pimo" Lella and his WW II saga in Italy. I really had never read much about Italy's role in World War II, and this book gave an fascinating story of how the country was split between the partisans and Hitler's puppet, Mussolini. I especially appreciated the Afterward section included by the author that detailed what happened to the many characters in the story. Although Pimo was an heroic character, and the war ended with the defeat of Hitler and his machine, Pimo's sacrifices during that time impacted his entire life. And everything that he did, the people he encountered, and the choices he made affected his life long after the war was but a bad memory. I appreciate Mark Sullivan's work and dedication to this story. A must read!

This is a different WW II story because it is a fictionalized story of many Turkish and non-urkish Jews who escaped Hitler's grasp. It is based on real life experiences of Turkish ambassadors at the time who did their utmost of rescue people from the Reich machine. Interesting story with lots of character development and plot line.

Another Downton Abbeyesque story and setting. Easy reading, predictable characters, and a cultural study of family life in these times. Entertaining read.

Entertaining thriller about a dysfunctional young woman whose alcohol and sexual obsessions get her into some serious trouble. A page turner.

Long read, but very fascinating along with photos of his art and scientific data. It's not a quick read, but one to be savored and appreciated.

Fascinating story of a young woman who survives child abuse at the hand of her mother; how it affected her life; and how she learns to cope with her history and her place in life again. Has a surprise twist at the end. Well written story.

Well developed characters and plots that weave together to create a real page turner. Will ready more by Lisa Jewell.

I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir because I grew up in southern Indiana in the 50's and 60's and distinctly remember references to "hillbillys" right across the Ohio River in Kentucky as J.D. Vance describes it. His descriptions of the social, political, and religious culture of the times in that area of the world ring quite true. My older sister was the first in our family to attend college and all of the remaining kids, cousins, etc. followed suit. That was quite an accomplishment for the time even by today's standards, and higher education was cheap. It is good to remember that the parents of this mid century culture were children of the Depression, so to be able to send one's children to college was momentous. My family had no relatives in Kentucky, but my one time high school boyfriend did, and on one occasion I accompanied him and his parents for a visit to their extended family in Kentucky, somewhere south of Henderson, which was quite an experience for me coming from a very middle class sheltered home. The issues of poverty still exist there and in various forms everywhere, and I fully agree with him that the government can't solve it. Mr. Vance successfully pulled himself up from his circumstances, and I remember others from my growing up years who did the same. If there was only some way we could teach this ability to others. Good read!

Unfortunately, the story line in this novel reflects our current societal mores exactly. Interesting character development and plot. It became a little over-long and wordy and could have ended sooner with the same result.

Reads quickly, entertaining, but predictable.

Years ago I read "West with the Night" by Berl Markham and enjoyed it so much. The lives of European expatriates in that era is a fascinating time in social and cultural history in Africa. And of course the book and subsequent movie "Out of Africa" were a part of this culture. Again, author Paula McLain has a keen insight into the motivations and actions of the real people in this time frame and puts them into a flowing and natural story line.

A fascinating chapter in the Rockefeller family history. I completed the book, but found it hard to stay with as it seemed repetitive and often uneven.

Fascinating story of personalities in conflict and in the irresistible draw of the past. The crime story which is the frame for the characters' actions seems implausible but it all comes together as a good read.

Great read. Epic road odyssey of two brothers' quest to follow the Oregon Trail in covered wagon interspersed with historic tales of America's epic road odyssey in the 1840's and beyond.

Fast paced, suspense novel dealing with the reality of sex trafficking.

Shocking look at the vast corruption in the country of India. Interestingly, the author never related the poverty issue to the historically cultural condition of the caste system deeply rooted in the Indian tradition. At the same time, after reading this book, I am thinking how corrupt our system may be as it relates to addressing the problem of poverty in America...even worldwide.

Well written and researched, but a little overly long.

I found many things in this novel to which I could relate in regard to this fictional family; not circumstances, events, or even personalities, but rather the relationships between parents and children, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters. Ms. Tyler is very insightful about the human condition in our culture and if this proves to be her final work, it is a good one.