I thought I would like This is the Water and it definitely grew on me as I went along. However the “This is” beginning so many sentences got old after a while. The plot, however, was gripping, and even though it was a little unbelievable at points, I wanted to find out what was going to happen. I read this on the airplane in a few hours, so if you are looking for something quick, it’s a decent one.

The art teacher at Primary Day recommended Provenance by Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo to me a while ago. While the subject matter wouldn’t generally appeal to me, her effusive praise for the book compelled me order it from the library. It was a wonderful book. I really enjoyed learning about art forgers and art forgery and highly recommend it.

I skimmed a review of Lucky Us by Amy Bloom that almost convinced me not to read it. But, since I also kept reading such praise for the book, I thought I should give it a try despite the poor review it got from the blogger with whom I generally agree. But, no, I wouldn’t recommend it either. I can’t believe it made so many best of 2014 lists. I didn’t like any of the characters and only finished it because it was so short. I kept thinking I was missing something. But, when it came to the end, I was just glad to be finished.

Well, if the first page of How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran doesn’t surprise you and make you want to read on, I don’t know what will. You’ll have to trust me on this one. This was a very quick read and a good one. It was irreverent and shocking in parts, but very “Bridget Jones’ Diary.” It was a good vacation read – nothing particularly heavy, but fun and funny.

Small Blessings by Martha Woodroof is a quiet gem of a book. You are thrown into the meat of the story right from the beginning and while it is quiet, there is a lot going on in a short period of time. That and the strange twist near the end are a little unbelievable, but otherwise, it’s an engaging story that was a pleasure to read. I recommend it, especially at this time of year.

When these words, “as dawn poured over Rambla de Santa Monica in a wreath of liquid copper,” are in the first paragraph of a book, you know you are dealing with something special. The Shadow of the Wind got rave reviews from everyone I know. I loved it in fits and starts, but it often stalled out for me in the middle. However, I am so glad I stuck with it because the last 200 pages were unbelievably wonderful. It was beautifully written and had a compelling and fascinating storyline. This is another good quote: “I didn’t manage to get to sleep until dawn cast a hundred tones of dismal grey on my bedroom window.” I highly, highly recommend it and thank all those who suggested I read it next!

I feel like I am just coming up from air after having spent the last few days immersed in Ayelet Waldman’s Love and Treasure. What a treat! I highly recommend this interwoven story of characters who were affected by the Hungarian Gold Train. I loved the way the individuals’ narratives wove back and forth across time. It was also a topic I knew nothing about, which increased my interest in the book. I will need to pick up her Red Hook Road next, I think.

I have had The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill on my wishlist for about a year. I don’t know how it got there. It was a decent read,  but nothing stupendous and rather disappointing at the end. While I liked that Hannah made a decision that worked for herself as a woman, it made me sad because it was practical, not emotional. If you have an interest in astronomy, you would enjoy this, and that part was certainly interesting, but it wasn’t the most appealing to me. (Special thanks to Will for his help in this response.)

The Story Hour was a wonderful little book. Maggie, a therapist, ends up in an increasingly complex relationship with one of her patients. The connections between the characters, the spare writing, and the plot all made this a winner and one that I very much enjoyed reading each night. I was sorry when it ended. I haven’t read any others by this author, but I plan to. I expect they will be equally enjoyable.