Login
Don't have an account? Register now
Did you forget your password? Get it by email
Book Reviews
Search All Book Reviews
The Blood Runs Like a River Through My Dreams
by Nasdijj
View in Library Catalog
book cover


This memoir is told in fragments, shards of a brutal childhood and racist schools, survival on the margins of society. But it is also about the southwest landscape, Navajo stories and spirits. The language is both poetic and sometimes almost stream of conscious. Nasdijj is a fascinating and unusual writer.

Mike Fink
by James Cloyd Bowman
View in Library Catalog
book cover


This book tells the life of the legendary Mike Fink, brawler and noted keelboatman on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Nicely illustrated and full of tall tales of the rough life of the men rowing the river boats until displaced by steamboats.

Shamans and Kushtakas: North Coast Tales of the Supernatural
by Mary Giraudo Beck
View in Library Catalog
book cover


For the Tlingit and Haida peoples, both shamans and kushtakas, land otter spirits of those who had drowned

10 lb. Penalty
by Dick Francis
View in Library Catalog
book cover


A frustrated teen aged steeplechase jockey agrees to help his father's campaign for a seat in Parliament. Sabotage and murder attempts ensue in this page turner. This is a quick and fun summer read.

Half Broke
by Ginger Gaffney
View in Library Catalog
book cover


This memoir by a woman who feels herself a bit of a misfit finds her calling training horses. She is asked to help out at a ranch for prisoners finishing off their sentences, most of whom have been drug dealers and addicts. By teaching the residents patience with training the horses, she finds a number of them react with love and care for the horses and overcome many of their personal difficulties.

Breakout
by Kate Messner
View in Library Catalog
book cover


Breakout, by Kate Messner is amazing! I loved how it was written in letters and documents. I have one thing that kept me from giving it five stars though. The characters are supposed to be in middle school I'm pretty sure, but they do not seem as mature, or educated in society matters as middle schoolers these days are.

The Little Friend
by Donna Tartt
View in Library Catalog
book cover


Overall, I did enjoy this book. But there was about 150 pages of BORING content in the middle, and the author seemed to use the fact that the main protagonist is 12 years old to justify her doing some REALLY senseless things... even though her main attribute is (supposed to be) classic 12-yo quick thinking. The last 50 or so pages were kill but.... the book opens with a mystery that is never solved. And ends with two characters who have NEVER mattered having a pointless conversation. It feels like they left 150 pages of boring writing in the middle and cut an extra 30 pages that should have wrapped up the end. But still, the writing was enjoyable enough that even though the plot didn't resolve as well as I wanted, I still liked the process of reading it.

If We Were Villains
by Ml Rio
View in Library Catalog
book cover


I would recommend this book because it was both quick to read but also because the events of the story move quickly as well. The author does an excellent job characterizing the main 7 throughout. There are certain times when you have to be familiar with Shakespeare to get more out of the scene- for example, important references/parallels are made with both Hamlet and Pericles (among others). The Hamlet themes are easier to pick up on, since nearly everyone has read it, but with a more obscure show like Pericles I ended up googling a lot of information that effected the events of the book. But if you have ANY interest in Shakespeare (or found family dramas) then you'll probably really enjoy this book.

We Have Always Lived In The Castle
by Shirley Jackson
View in Library Catalog
book cover


Love that this book was selected for the 2018 Community Read! Shirley Jackson's writing style flows dreamlike and makes for a fast, engaging read. The story encompasses many issues, including bullying, individual and group neuroses and the cruelty of mob mentality and attacks on anyone who is different. A perfect read for October!

To The Hilt
by Dick Francis
View in Library Catalog
book cover


This is another action packed thriller. Francis is always fresh with different topics and characters and believable plots, all connected centrally or tangentially to horses. This plot involves embezzled money, foreign bank accounts, and murder. It is a fun lockdown read.
Copyright (c) 2013-2026    ReadSquared