Chance to dine with Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants

Algonquin Books is holding a huge sweepstakes for Water for Elephants, which is being sponsored by Parade magazine. The sweepstakes will be awarded to a book club (max. 5 members) and prizes include:

--Round-trip airfare to Asheville, NC
--Two nights’ lodging at the Inn on Biltmore Estate
--Ground transportation
--Dinner with Water for Elephants author Sara Gruen
--Signed copies of Water for Elephants


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The Seance

by John Harwood

Too much.

That is what comes to mind. Too much to the story. The story is too convoluted. Too many twist and turns. It strikes me that more depth could have been provided rather than more characters. It became difficult to keep track of who was who.

Some characters seemed to simply drop out of the story without explanation.They did reappear, abruptly and just as abruptly brought the threads of the story together.To me this story is reminiscent of Wilke Collins, THE WOMAN IN WHITE, but not quite uo to that standard. I had high hopes for this book up until the halfway point, when the meandering of the story seemed to get out of hand.

A running theme was the appearance both desired and undesired of spirits, or ghosts. There were fraudulent mediums and gifted ones. Marriages not blessed by love, broken families and blackmail. It was exhausting rather than entertaining. I cannot think of a single person that I would recommend this book to.

A Reliable Wife

by Robert Goolrick

It was just a story about...

You will have to make up your own mind. This is a compelling story woven within the lives of A lonely man, a broken woman and sorrow. But there is more. There is love, joy, and contentment.
by Robert Goolrick

The story is interwoven with emotion. There are so many twists and turns the reader is left feeling amazement, but never left unbelieving.

The lives of Ralph and Catherine have been flawed and empty for many years. The story of their coming together, a poor young woman and a hollow man of wealth is one that will pull you in from the beginning. You keep reading to see where the next turn takes you and and when you find out, you read more because you are so drawn into the complexity of characters and plot that closing the covers of this book begins to feel physically impossible.

What happens to this couple, for so they have become, and the people around them is labyrinth. For me, I was anxious to find my way out, and reluctant to leave it behind. This books is a keeper. I believe it will become a classic piece of literature that will be discussed, shared, read and read again. I will recommend it to everyone I know.