Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Reviewed by Laura Caran

The book was about a young girl abandoned by her whole family and left to fend for herself from 7 years old. She learns to survive on her own and all about the marsh where she lives. She lives mostly in isolation but made a few friends as she grew older. She only went to school for one day and never returned because other kids made fun of her. She falls in love with a local boy who also abandons her when he goes to college. She dates another young man who abandons her when he marries someone else and that young man is found dead, and she is accused of murder. Great book very well written. I loved it!

How many stars does the book deserve?: ☆☆☆☆

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Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams

Reviewed by Paulette Aspesi

Summer crowd with money versus locals without. What happens when a bastard son is born and not recognized by his father? What happens when the romance that led to his birth goes all wrong? A lot of very interesting characters — so many that at first it is hard to figure out how they are all related to each other — some of which is kept secret from us for a while. I really liked this book. I could not put it down and I loved the ending.

How many stars does the book deserve?: ☆☆☆☆

A Life of Triumph: Unleashing Your Light Upon the World by Ryuho Okawa

Reviewed by Paulette Aspesi

This book was a little too Pollyanna for me. In it, the author urges us to overcome adversity and to never feel defeated — that there is a winner in all of us that we must allow to emerge. One should, never allow failure to defeat us, and we should only know success. However, in REAL LIFE, many times when things are going against you and wherever you turn, you only meet with disaster and loss, negative feelings can not help but emerge. We are living in such stress-filled times, and with so much hatred and nastiness coming at us from all sides, that this book was very hard for me to swallow.

How many stars does the book deserve?: ☆☆☆

Heart of Work: 10 Keys to Living Your Calling

Reviewed by Paulette Aspesi

He writes about 10 goals that will help you to achieve all that you would want in life. The ones that I related to most were having a long life and health, a job that you love, how to overcome adversity, and how to be calm and composed no matter how hectic life gets. The last one is the one I have the most trouble with. This is another book to be savored and taken a chapter at a time.

How many stars does the book deserve?: ☆☆☆☆

Think Big! Be Positive and Be Brave to Achieve Your Dreams by Ryuho Okawa

Reviewed by Paulette Aspesi

Okawa is a leading author and self-help guru in Japan. His message is simple — have a positive outlook, be persistent and do not give up, and expect in life that there will be roadblocks and you need to overcome them. At first, I though it would not be a book for me, because he starts out by emphasizing how this book could benefit young people, but once into the book you realized it was for all people of all ages and all walks of life. It was a very inspiring book, but I do not think that it should be read in one sitting, which can easily be done because it is only 140 pages. Instead I would recommend that you take it one chapter at a time, and after each one leave yourself time to ponder and reflect.

How many stars does the book deserve?: ☆☆☆☆

A Delicate Touch by Stuart Woods

Reviewed by Claire Daley

A Delicate Touch is a fast reading novel, starting with Stone Barrington arranging for the moving of an old safe containing criminal histories of high-level mob bosses into his apartment. Now start the adventures of the mob as they try to retrieve the histories so that they can be destroyed. Stone is, in addition, trying to save the future president.

How many stars does the book deserve?: ☆☆☆☆

Conversations with Friends

Reviewed by Paulette Aspesi

This is the story of 21-year-old Frances and her relationships with her girlfriend Bobbi, and Nick, the husband of a business acquaintance of theirs. I do not relate to stories like this. It seems like their whole lives revolve around their sexual relationships. Whatever happened to going to work, doing house chores, and living like “normal” humans do, or I am the one who is crazy! The book is too wordy and boring at times. It could have been edited down a great deal. I will pass on her next book.

How many stars does the book deserve?: ☆