Review: The Great Alone

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Outstanding!!! Alaska is my favorite place on the planet and I felt like I was right back there in the place I love. I felt the wind, the cold, the endless daylight, the crisp air. You were immersed in the middle of nowhere in Alaska. LOVE that!! Not only did my favorite place have a starring role, but there was a captivating story to follow along. Characters I hated, characters I loved. A story that blew me away. I loved every word of ever page of this book. So much that I turned in my library book and went and bought my own copy because I will read again and again.

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Review: Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering

Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering by Joanna Gaines
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I got this book while on my staycation. I immediately started making the recipes and loved every one that I tried. My fave was the ranch dressing, because I love RANCH!!! Some ranch dressing have a chemical taste, this is all natural and yummy. I made the walnut bread, buttered walnuts, JoJo's biscuits and I can't wait to make more. GREAT BOOK!

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Review: Next Year in Havana

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I went to Cuba in October 2017 and part of this was just like my visions of seeing Havana for the first time. The story is riddled with politics that I learned about while there. My guide said some of the same things that were in this book. What was exciting was Chanel took those real life events, both in the past and in the present, and told a couple of wonderful stories with those events. I thought every page of this book was beautiful, just like Havana. I thought the families stories was brilliantly told. Marisol leaves the USA to return her grandmother's (Elsa) ashes to the homeland. She had never been there because her family left during the revolution. Marisol is introduced to a different world and love like she never imagined. The ending was so surprising.

I can't imagine a more perfect book.

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Review: The Rooster Bar

The Rooster Bar by John Grisham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thought this one was fabulous. Grisham writes a lot of good books, and somehow he manages to make each one unique, but this plot stood out as outstanding to me and I missed a couple of plotlines while guessing. (I always try to guess what will happen in his books).

Four kids are in law school together when one friend tells them they will never get out of debt, they will never up out on top and then he dies. The three remaining friends spiral out of control about their buddy and totally vanish. This is where it gets very good, where they are and what they are doing. I won't spoil it for you, but it is captivating. I had trouble putting this book down.

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Review: As Bright as Heaven

As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am writing this after my second visit with this book. My original feelings remain true....this book is a knock out! I have read just about every book by Meissner and with every one she seems to get better and better. This subject thrilled me because I am curious about the pandemic flu of the early 20th century. She didn't just take us to the center of the flu storm, she took us through it, and complications that people experienced that either lived through it or lost family members because of it. Setting this book in a funeral home was a stroke of genius!!! We got a new detail that I had never though about while studying the flu.

Parts of this book broke my heart, but most of it will make you value FAMILY. Read it!

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Review: Love and Ruin

Love and Ruin by Paula McLain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Of course I adore Hemingway and read any fiction that I hear about that is based on his life. I was intrigued by this one because of the setting. It is the time he moved to Cuba and he and Martha's stories competed against one another. I always wondered what their marriage might have been like. I have always read that Martha was the better writer of the couple and this doesn't do much to tell you she was or wasn't, but does kind of give you an idea that she was the go getter of the 2 at the time.

While not a perfect book, I did enjoy my time in between the pages while it lasted. I recommend for Hemingway fans as you can start to see the spiral begin.

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Review: The Room on Rue Amélie

The Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin Harmel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a perfect book! An American living in Paris with her young husband. WWII starts and he is caught up telling her secret and lies...then she realizes he was helping the Ally forces, but it is too late for them to mend. I love how she gets involved in the war effort. This is where the book sticks to how she assisted with the allies, while helping a Jewish family that lived across the hall. This book was unique, and captivating. I loved every word on every page. A must for WWII historical fiction fans.

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