Faithful by Alice Hoffman

I am not going to re-hash the storyline here. I am somewhat surprised at the number of negative reviews this book has received. I read this in a few hours, I was so drawn in. This is the first Alice Hoffman book I have read, now I am compelled to read more of her work. This is a wonderfully written book that exposes mental health and complicated family relationships. Shelby, the main character, is finely drawn, even if a little unlikeable. Her relationship with her mother is tear inducing. I cried and cried, it was absolutely so relatable. I loved this book. Netgalley.com graciously provided me a free edition of this book for an honest review.

I Am No One by Patrick Flanery

I Am No One by Patrick Flanery is a relevant book for today's highly monitored world. With wire-tapping, hacking of email accounts and even your basic stalking, most lives have been impacted in some way by excessive knowledge of other's lives. Patrick Flanery is an excellent writer, and the book almost feels autobiographical. Jeremy the main character moves back to his beloved NY after having lived in Oxford in the UK for a number of years. He is a professor and supports himself quite well but is often lonely. He depends a lot on his daughter and her husband for support on a personal level. In addition, Jeremy carries a good bit of guilt, because he left his daughter who lived with his ex-wife; while he lived and taught in Oxford for 10 years. This background lends an element of melancholy to the story at the beginning, and Flanery does amazing things with words to convey Jeremy's sense of isolation and sadness. Unfortunately, and maybe as a result of this isolation is the fact that Jeremy comes across as a little paranoid, until some strange things do actually start to happen. It appears someone is following him, he has forgotten critical appointments with one of his best students, and someone is mailing printouts of his email history to his apartment. These things combine to create a sense of unease and uncertainty. Just how much does someone know about Jeremy? Will his past come back to haunt him in some way? You must read on to find out the answer. I found this book to be quite well written, if a little long on detail at times. Flanery is an excellent writer with a nuanced way with words. BloggingforBooks.com graciously provided me a copy of this book for an honest review.

Still Here by Lara Vapnyar

This book has in interesting premise, but I felt a little lost and disinterested while reading. With an impressive cast of characters, many of whom immigrated to the United States from Russia, this book initially had a lot going for it. Sergey, the creative banker type, who just can't seem to keep a job, wants to develop a new app that manages death so to speak. He proposes the idea to Bob, who happens to be married to Regina, who is Sergey's old girlfriend. There are many convoluted relationships just like that, with people trading partners, and I found it to be a bit tedious after a while. While I did find the Russian component interesting, and the characters desire to fit into the American culture, the story itself did not carry enough action to keep me interested. BloggingforBooks.com graciously provided me a copy of this book for an honest review.