The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

The elegant simplicity of this novel captured my interest right from the get-go. It is set in Burma and the descriptions of the area are exquisite.

Julia Win has traveled to Burma looking for her father, who disappeared from NYC four years ago. She meets U Ba, a man who knows her father, and he tells her the story of her father's early life before he left to attend college in America.

It's a beautiful story. I didn't want it to end. But it did. Maybe a bit abruptly. But, other than that, five stars for this novel that just glows!

The Snow Child and Touch and Go

This is a beautifully written novel! So, why did it take me like a month to read it? I have no idea but, every time I picked it up, I enjoyed it. Guess it was just me.

It's 1920. Mabel and Jack are a middle-aged couple who have escaped to Alaska after the death of their stillborn child. They are trying to make a go of farming and trying to get used to the idea of not having children.

Then, out of the blue, they spy a small child in the woods. They befriend her and help her out but she is elusive and only visits them in the winter.

No one believes she even exists.

Rich in descriptions of the bleak Alaskan wilderness and full of deft characterizations, this is a wonderful read.




Then I read this one in two days! Not as beautifully written but the action is nonstop and the characters are believable.

Libby Denbe, her husband, and their fifteen-year-old daughter are kidnapped. It's Tessa Leoni's job to find them and bring them home alive. But the more Tessa looks into the circumstances and personal lives of the Denbes, the more mystified she is by the case.

All in all, a very satisfying read.

Catching Up

It's been so long since I've updated this blog. My bad! But, I have been reading.


I read good things about this book but, I didn't like it at all. I couldn't follow the plot and didn't like the characters. Very disappointed!



Now, this one I liked! It's been awhile so I don't remember the characters' names but it's about a girl who still lives with her parents, has a jerk for a boyfriend, loses her job, then takes a position caring for a quadriplegic. This experience changes her life. A quick and satisfying read.



This one is really well written but the main character is just so annoying! I wanted to slap her to wake her up! Her name is Lee and she has a perfectly good life as a teenager in the Midwest. But, on a whim, she applies to a prep school in Massachusetts and leaves the warmth of her family for the coldness of the school. She agonizes about everything. I managed to finish it but, honestly, it felt like a waste of time.



I read this book when I was a teenager and loved it then. A few weeks ago, I went to a production of it with friends and seeing the play made me want to read it again. So, I did. And loved it all over again.



And, that led me to this new novel. It too concerns WWII and the treatment of Jews. The book seesaws between the present and the past, between a young woman who meets an elderly man who had been a German concentration camp guard and her grandmother who is a Holocaust survivor. I though I'd read all I could about that horrible era but this novel manages to make it new, again, and relevant. Kudos to Jodi Picoult and her excellent writing!



I can't resist Alex Cross and his family. And this was no disappointment. Yes, it's formulaic but also heartbreaking. I devoured it!



This is the third book in the Delirium trilogy. Lena is still in the Wilds with others who refuse to be cured of delirium. She's still with Julian, and she's still in love with Alex. When they hear about an uprising in Portland, Lena heads back to her home town to help the Resistance. I like this intelligent YA series because the writing is terrific and the characters are likeable.



I started this book yesterday and finished it this morning. A cool mystery, enjoyable characters, non-stop action=my kind of book! Jake Fisher lost the love of his life six years ago when she married her former lover. Now, her husband is dead and Jake is determined to find her again. But, that turns out to be harder than he ever imagines. Gosh, I like Harlan Coben's writing!

The Round House

This is the first time I read a novel by Louise Erdrich but it won't be the last. She's a beautiful writer.

The story is told through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Joe who is a Native American.

On a warm day in May his mom returns home after escaping from her rapist. This act changes everything for Joe. He's determined to find out who did it and bring him to justice.

The characters are finely drawn, the writing is exquisite, the Native American lore is interesting, and the action is nonstop. All ingredients for a great read!

The End of Your Life Book Club

I don't read nonfiction very often. I'm not sure why but I think I just like a made-up story that helps me escape. But, the title of this book caught my attention so I downloaded a sample of it and before I knew it, I was hooked so bought it.

And loved it! When Will Schwalbe's mother is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, she and Will begin their bookclub...of just two people. Will accompanies his mom to her chemo treatments and that's where they discuss the books they've both read.

This book is rich in Will's love and admiration for his mother. They use the happenings and themes of their shared books to talk about life and death.

I was familiar with some of the books but hadn't read many of them. That didn't make any difference, though. The book reads like a novel and kept my attention. I thought of my own mom and how we read many of the same books and I remember sitting up all one night reading to her (a Danielle Steele novel, of all things!) when she was having trouble sleeping just after her cancer operation and in the middle of her chemo.

It isn't a sad book, though. His mother's life was so interesting and Will manages to celebrate all she did.

Books....Death....Life....Love. Everything to make a good story!

The Light Between Oceans

I've looked at this book quite a few times and read some reviews. Most were complimentary but some weren't so I put off downloading it until this week when I needed a good book. Boy, was this ever good! I started it on Friday and finished it this morning just after 4am with tears streaming down my cheeks.

Tom Sherbourne has just returned from WWI and takes a post on the island of Janus as lighthouse keeper. He brings with him his bride, Isabel. After five years, two miscarriages, and a stillbirth, a boat washes ashore with a dead man and an alive baby girl.

They decide to just bury the body and raise the girl they name Lucy as their own. Everyone knew Isabel was pregnant but word hasn't gotten back to the mainland about the stillbirth so it is easy to pass Lucy off as theirs.

But can they live with their consciences? And, what happens when they find out who Lucy's real parents are?

The writing is exquisite. The characters are flawed but likable. The plot is believable. A thousand thumbs up!

And When She Was Good

I loved this book and couldn't put it down. It alternates between the present when Heloise Lewis is a suburban mom, raising her eleven-year-old son and is the owner of an escort service disguised as a lobbying business, and the past when Helen Lewis is an abused teenager trying to survive.

Even though she is a prostitute, I couldn't help cheering for her. She's smart and dedicated to her son. What I especially liked is how flawed she is...just like all of us.

I read this novel in two days. Now, I need something new to start but nothing looks as interesting as this one.
Posted by Linda Jacobs at 10:33 AM