⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Theo of Golden completely stole my heart. In a world full of noisy, high-concept fiction, this novel feels like sitting on a porch at sunset with someone wise enough to change your life in a single conversation. The story begins when Theo, a mysterious elderly man from New York, arrives in the small Southern town of Golden and discovers a wall of pencil portraits hanging inside a local coffee shop. One by one, he purchases the portraits and quietly returns them to the people depicted in them. What sounds simple becomes deeply moving as each encounter reveals hidden grief, loneliness, hope, regret, and redemption. Allen Levi writes with extraordinary […]
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Penguins, Personal Growth… and a Plot You’ve Seen Before: A Review of How the Penguins Saved Veronica
How the Penguins Saved Veronica is one of those light, feel-good reads that’s easy to pick up—but a little harder to fully love. The story alternates between Veronica, a wealthy, prickly loner, and Patrick, a directionless young man. For much of the book, neither is especially likable. Veronica is sharp-tongued and judgmental; Patrick is immature and self-absorbed. It takes a while—honestly, about two-thirds of the way through—before either begins to win you over. The premise is undeniably charming, even if it stretches believability. Antarctica makes for a fresh, icy backdrop, and the penguin scenes are the highlight—sweet, informative, and often the emotional glue holding the story together. You’ll even come […]
Read more...April Reads
A new month is upon us, fellow bibliophiles, which means it’s time to post what I read in April. There weren’t any 5-star winners, but there were no real duds either. In all the years I’ve been rating books, I’ve only given two 2-stars reviews—one because of grammatical errors and the other because of objectionable content. As an author I know how hard it is to write a book, and I think most books deserve at least three stars (unless a book is self-published, and then it’s no holds barred). April turned out to be a wonderful mix of genres: mystery, thriller, historical fiction, and memoir. I laughed out loud, […]
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