Reviews

The Imperfectionists is a series of vignettes that tells the story of several "imperfect" people involved with the  publication of an unnamed English language newspaper in Rome.  Why the mysterious businessman, Cyrus Ott, choose Rome as the newspaper's headquarters is a recurring question answered in  the last few pages of the book.

This memoir, that reads like a novel and should appeal to anyone who enjoys family drama, defies convention when it comes to predictability. Jeannette Walls grew up in a family of nomads. She and her three siblings were born in the west to a couple who were brilliant but ungrounded, to say the least.

The author visits the places or as close to the places that he thinks are the present day places mentioned in the Bible. Trouble is, there are always at least 5 possibilities for each place. But that does not stop him. He is on a journey! A quest! And an interesting peregrination it is.

When Annie and William Taylor witness an execution in the woods they run to the safety of the first passing car. But the driver isn’t just a passerby; he is one of the executioners. They escape and are on the run again, this time knowing they can’t trust anybody. Eduardo Villatoro, a newly retired detective, just happens to be in town following up on some unlikely clues to the only unsolved murder of his career. As Villatoro gets closer to solving the crime, he also gets closer to Annie and William. But will he get there in time?

Annie O'Sullivan is at at good place in her life. She's thirty-two, a successful relator with a line on a big project and a wonderful boyfriend. Annie is looking forward to dinner with her boyfriend, Luke, following her Sunday afternoon open house. As she is finishing up the open house a final prospective buyer approaches her outside the house.

Belgian novelist Georges Simenon is best known for his detective series featuring Parisian policeman Jules Maigret. But he also wrote a number of bleak psychological novels that deal with people whose lives are disrupted by seemingly random happenings or impulses.

Whether you are a chronic sourpuss or cheerful optimist, Bright-sided will appeal to you. Author Barbara Ehrenreich’s premise is that positivity often leads to harmful outcomes.

It’s always hard to write a review for a book you didn’t care for when it’s gotten rave reviews from pretty much everyone else. But that’s the great thing about books. There’s something for everyone, and if you don’t like it, you can always read something else.

Full Moon Feast by Jessica Prentice (I discovered after I wrote this entry that it is not in the JCL catalog, but is readily available Interlibrary Loan.)

Author Jessica Prentice is a professional chef and food activist, co-founder of Locavores and a founding worker-owner of Three Stoner Hearth: A Community Supported Kitchen in West Berkeley. Her website www.chelseagreen.com