Joy's Book Blog
“The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family” was not a book I would have picked up on my own, which is why I’m in a book club; the chance to read good books I normally would have overlooked. And this is one! I really enjoyed this book. Told from both Ron and Clint Howard’s …
“The Stranger in the Lifeboat” was a last-minute book I decided to read because it was short and by Mitch Albom. I liked parts of this book, but not other parts. And by “not other parts,” I mean most of the book. And the ending. I really didn’t like the ending. “The Stranger in the …
“The Maid” is an interesting mystery set in the opulent Grand Reagent hotel. Molly, the main character, is a maid who has worked there for years and thinks it’s the most satisfying job in the world. Sadly, Molly has just lost her grandmother, who raised her, and now finds herself alone in the world and …
“The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett” was one of the books I read for my book club recently. It’s the story of an 85-year-old woman who is simply waiting to die; however, it’s taking too long so she decides to seek help from an assisted suicide facility to end life on her own terms. But …
“The House in the Cerulean Sea” is one of the best books I’ve read in awhile. It’s got the whimsical feel of Harry Potter but without all the intense drama. Linus Baker, the main character, is a lovable, large, slightly balding gay man who is a caseworker with the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. …
Every once in awhile, I get in the mood to read nonfiction biographies, and I have to admit, my go-to author is Alison Weir. For some reason, I am drawn to the characters of Tudor England, larger-than-life people who lived and died in this era of political intrigue, scandal, and beheadings! And she writes in …
I lost a whole weekend to “The Dictionary of Lost Words.” Originally, I had planned to be very industrious: clean the house, fold the laundry, go the grocery store. In the end, only one of those things happened (I decided we all needed to eat, but the house and laundry could wait). The rest of …
“Fly Girls” tells the true story of how “five daring women defied all odds and made aviation history.” It was an interesting story, but to me, not a good book. To be blunt: I wish these women’s story had been told by another author. The biggest problem I had with this book was the characters. …
I admit I read this book because Liane Moriarty wrote it. I didn’t need to know the storyline or really anything else about the book, just the author. I’ve read every single one of her books and always compare them, so this review is no different. For the record, here are my rankings: 1. Big …
I really liked “The Personal Librarian.” That being said, yes, I did find it alittle dry at times, but the content more than made up for it with me. I really liked the subject, how the authors described the characters and made them come to life, and of course, the library! After I finished reading …