Merry's Book Club
Brought to you by The Merry LibrarianDouble Review: “True Colors” by Kristin Hannah and “Midnight Bayou” by Nora Roberts
reviews by wendy’s house
True Colors by Kristin Hannah
Three sisters who are very close go through the trials and tribulations of family life. Their mum dies when they are very young, leaving dad to raise them. They fall in and out of love, have arguments, party together, and basically go through life as sisters do. They were raised on a ranch and have always worked hard to ensure it runs smoothly. As in real life, Dad has his favourite much to the annoyance of the other two sisters.
The youngest decides to marry someone whom her oldest sister loves and this tears them apart in a small way. When the youngest meets a new farm hand and falls deeply in love with him, the family are torn even more apart, as nobody trusts this new man.
Read the book to find out how this once loving family helps each other to come to turns with changes, upsets, etc. They argue continuously but always seem to make up as only family members can.
I’ve enjoyed this book as I have five sisters and this reminded me that all disagreements can be sorted out if you believe they can be.
Kristin describes the country side in detail and at times, it felt as if I could picture the village, ranch and countryside.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good family story with normal family upheavals.
Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts
Just when I thought I had read them all, I found this older book by one of my favourite authors. Published in 2001, it shows why this author has sold millions of copies of books.
If you are after a ghost story with romance and mystery, then this is just the book for you. The story starts in 1899 and winds its way to 2002, when a family descendant buys the manor where the mystery took place.
Declan is a descendant of an occupant of the manor and just happens to fall in love with another descendant but from a different family. The spirits want them to uncover the truth about the mystery and are definitely not shy about causing great upheaval with the new owner, friends and contractors who are there to help restore the great manor back to its glory.
A wonderful read which kept me wanting more, time and time again. Be prepared to want to keep on reading long after your allotted time has come to an end….you won’t want to put this one down!
“God of the Hive: A Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes Mystery” by Laurie R. King
review by lindsaywrites
I discovered Mary Russell several years ago when, desperate for something to read while visiting my aunt and uncle, I plucked “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice” off an over-crowded bookshelf. I’m really not much of a mystery reader, and hadn’t read any Sherlock Holmes related works prior to Laurie R. King’s first book in the Mary Russell/ Holmes mysteries. Basically, I was going in blind, and just hoping the book would be entertaining enough to get me through my Spring Break.
I never expected to develop such an insatiable addiction.
King’s writing is, first off, fast-paced and completely engrossing. Despite my lack of Holmse-ian knowledge when I started the series, I never felt lost with the characters. And while the mystery of each novel is as masterful as it is gripping, the real love affair for me with these books is in the characters. Sherlock Holmes is everything you expect him to be: intelligent, brooding, quick with a dry wit, and some how, despite his tendency to remain distant, lovable. Mary Russell, who enters the series as a 15-year old genius with a knack for stepping into trouble, remains charming and effervescent while simultaneously maintaining her independence as a strong, fiercely intelligent and capable woman.
I tell you, I want to hang out with Mary Russell. I adore this woman.
In King’s latest addition to the Russell/ Holmes series, the characters find themselves facing an advisory whose powers seem as vast as they are mysterious . Holmes, who is caring for his ailing son and trying to keep him hidden from the authorities, is relying entirely on the cunning of his wife, Russell, and the strength of his brother, Mycroft–both of whom are in another country and incapable of communicating with one another. As Russell tries desperately to protect her husband’s young granddaughter from the man who tried to kill the girl’s father, she is forced to put her trust–and their lives–in the hands of a man whose sanity is as questionable as his past. But when Holmes and Russell are dealt the ultimate blow, their paths take a turn they could never have predicted.
“God of the Hive” will not leave fans of the Russell/ Holmes series disappointed. King has once again proven herself a master of suspense and storytelling in this riveting novel.
Just a note: “God of the Hive” is a continuation of the mystery started in its predecessor, “The Language of Bees.” I strongly recommend reading “The Language of Bees” first–but I even more strongly recommend starting the series at the beginning!
“Hey, Good Looking” by Fern Michaels
review by wendy’s house
Darby and Russell have been friends since they were young children and remained friends throughout their university days and into their working ones. Russell asks Darby to be the executor of his will, to which she agrees. He states in his will, that he does not want any organs to be donated in the event of his death. Unfortunately, Russell is killed in an accident and before Darby can get back to their hometown, his stepmum has his organs donated to various people. Darby and her family try to understand why she has done this and also why she is trying so hard to become a member of different organizations in the area.
The novel will have you in stitches of laughter on one page and in tears on another. The author is extremely descriptive of the landscape and areas around the Horseshoe (Baton Rouge neighbourhood).
This book involves kidnapping, research, dolls houses (which Darby builds for children), love, laughter and lots more.
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