Review: The Story of Arthur Truluv

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a lovely story. Arthur has lost his wife and visits her grave every day and takes his lunch to have with her. During his lunch break with his wife, he becomes aware of a teenaged girl named Maddy who is also spending time in the cemetery.

Arthur is such a lovely man and does his best to befriend this lonely girl, as well as befriending his next door neighbour, Lucille, who is very lonely and at very loose ends.

This little trio finds ways to help each other. A very heartwarming story. I read this almost straight through.

Review: Tell Me Everything You Don't Remember: The Stroke That Changed My Life

Tell Me Everything You Don't Remember: The Stroke That Changed My Life by Christine Hyung-Oak Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an excellent read. A thirty-three year old woman has a stroke and it takes a couple of days for anyone to recognize that she isn't "right", at which time her husband rushes her to the hospital.

In order to remember, or try to remember what is happening, she writes everything in her journal. And that journal forms the basis of her novel.

This was an excellent description of what happens and what you go through with a stroke. It is probably something that everyone should read, in order to recognize stroke for yourself and for others around you.

Review: The Foundling: The True Story of a Kidnapping, a Family Secret, and My Search for the Real Me

The Foundling: The True Story of a Kidnapping, a Family Secret, and My Search for the Real Me by Paul Joseph Fronczak
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent story and account of one man's search for his identity. Paul shares everything with his readers, the good and the bad.

When Paul was about ten years old he was snooping for Christmas presents and came across some clippings from a newspaper story regarding a stolen baby. As he grew older he wanted to find out more about this and as an adult he turned to the Ancestry website.

It started a very long search with many twists and turns. But his story is sad and happy all at the same time.

Anyone who wants to know more about searching through DNA and Ancestry will learn so much from this book, but also its a story about a real person.

Review: Ralph's Party

Ralph's Party by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ralph's Party is a great story. Its not a thriller but more of what I would call a quiet comfortable read. Jem is looking for a new flat to share and she finds what she sees as a great place. The flat is owned and occupied by Smith, who seems quite financially ok and his buddy, Ralph, who is more the arty type and doesn't really have any visible means of support.

Jem has a dream of the type of fellow she will meet and that will be her soulmate and she thinks this is the place that she will find what she is looking for.

This block of flats also includes a couple living on the ground floor with their own issues and a woman on the top floor, Cheri.

Their lives intersect in ways that you wouldn't have anticipated.

This is the type of story that you just give yourself over to and enjoy. This author has become very high on my list of favourites.

Review: The Proposal

The Proposal by S.E. Lynes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have just finished reading The Proposal by S. E. Lyons. This is the second book that I have read by this author and they just keep getting better.
The Proposal was basically the story of a teacher and writer, Pippa who has written a book that is just so-so and is looking desperately for inspiration for her next novel. When a vagrant comes to her door selling cleaning products she asks him in to tell her his story of how he ended up where he is.
This is the one book of the year for me that can truly be described as the best page turner of my reading year. I have two more of Ms. Lynes novels lined up and away I go to start reading the next in line.
A super read.

Review: Lethal White

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was the fourth in the Cormoran Strike series and I did really like the first 60% of the story. After that I found that it became very convoluted and I felt the writing was done with a lot of fillers. Not really my cup of tea now.

Review: The Other Woman

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well this book was certainly a surprise. Emily falls in love with Adam and they plan a lovely wedding. What Emily didn't anticipate was that her new mother in law would be so evil. She did everything to break them up and made them postpone their wedding.

All along I could not anticipate what would happen next and it was a surprise at every turn.

An excellent read.