The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

Are some authors paid by the word?  This book had an interesting story with strong characters, but the writing seemed very drawn out and wordy.  Maybe if the book had ended when my Kindle only said 50%, I would have been happier.  If you pick this up expecting Eat, Pray, Love, you'll be disappointed.  This is historical fiction, and I'm sure Gilbert did a ton of research prior to her writing.  And maybe she felt that she needed to weave each fact she learned into the plot somehow.  OK, I'll confess that I did like the first half of the book where we meet Alma and her family. And yes, there was quite a bit of detail about mosses and masturbation.  (Bet those two topics haven't been covered in too many other books.)  But overall it was a long book that didn't need to be that long.  -June

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

I've been trying to decide how I feel about this book for days.  Yes, I was caught up in the mystery of secret, but once it's known, the mystery just becomes how the characters are all going to work their way through the messes their lives have become.  Cecelia (the perfect wife and mother) finds a letter in the attic addressed to her and written by her husband.  It's to be opened when he dies but he's still very much alive.  Her life changes as soon as she reads it.  Another character, Tess, finds out her husband and her cousin are in love.  Rachel is an elderly woman who's teenage daughter, Janie, was murdered 20 years ago.  All these lives are woven around each other and come to a dramatic ending.  And a pretty predictable ending too.  Let's just say it's good chick lit but the writing seemed repetitive and drawn out much of the time.  I'd give a lukewarm recommendation at best.  -June

The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson

I remember loving the book Crow Lake.  In fact, I remember giving it to several friends and explaining that it was a quiet book but so well written.  So how did Mary Lawson manage to write a book in 2006 and I haven't seen it until now?  I guess I've just been busy with other authors, but I'm so glad I found this one.  Like Crow Lake, the characters are rich and deep.  And like so many books, the time shifts around so we see the characters in different times of their lives.  The main characters are Arthur and Jake, two brothers who could not be more different.  And Ian, a young boy who is struggling with his future and the departure of his mother.  Ian works during the summers on Arthur's farm, and he is there when Jake comes home.  There are so many themes in the book - jealousy, rivalry, duty to family, revenge - it's all there.  I loved it and highly recommend it.- June