Hooked on Books

  HOW TO WRITE LIKE TOLSTOY: A journey into the minds of our greatest writers  Written by Richard Cohen and Reviewed by B. Lynn GoodwinISBN3 #:978-0-8129-9830-6Random House Writer’s Don’t Fit Molds What makes a book effective? What makes the great authors stand out? Richard Cohen, a highly skilled editor and writer, explores both questions in his outstanding

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    EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED Written by Jillian Lauren and Reviewed by B. Lynn GoodwinISBN # 978-0142181638Plume The Courage To Get What She Wants What does it take to get a second chance at life? For Jillian Lauren it means adoption. She wants to be a mother. She wants to protect a child from

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    BLEAK HARBORWritten by Bryan Gruley and Reviewed by B. Lynn GoodwinISBN-13: 978-1503904682Thomas & Mercer Manipulation Creates Mayhem   Excessive manipulation? Kidnapping? Disappearance combined with threats? What lengths will a person go to in order to extort money? And why? The motives will surprise you in Bryan Gruley newest book, Bleak Harbor. When 16-year-old

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  THE WEIGHT OF AN INFINITE SKYWritten by Carrie La Seur and reviewed by B. Lynn GoodwinISBN-13: 978-0062323477William Morrow Overseeing Reality and Drama   Carrie La Seur’s third novel, The Weight of an Infinite Sky, is filled with beauty, sorrow, tradition, land encroachment, intimidation, guilt and all kinds of human resistance and drama. It’s laden with

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SMALL GREAT THINGSWritten by Jodi Picoult and Reviewed by B. Lynn GoodwinISBN #: 978-0345544957Random House Publishing Group The PC World and the Real World Collide Best-selling author Jodi Picoult writes about right, wrong, and race in Small Great Things, a novel about hard choices, justice, and the inherent prejudices in American society. Ruth Jefferson is

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     THE WIDOW’S HOUSEWritten by Carol Goodman and Reviewed by B. Lynn GoodwinISBN-13: 978-0062562623William Morrow Paperbacks Smudged Lines Between Illusion and Reality Ever been in the midst of a mystery? Puzzled by a partner’s behavior? Envious? Uncomfortable about your own skills or your place in the world? You are not alone. Clare Martin faces all

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      JANE DOE JANUARY: My Twenty-Year Search for Truth and Justice Written by Emily Winslow and Reviewed by B. Lynn GoodwinISBN #: 978-0062434807William Morrow; First Edition (May 24, 2016) The Best Revenge: A Unique Memoir Is there a statute of limitations on the need for justice, truth, or closure? Apparently some states think

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     SIRACUSAWritten by Delia Ephron and Reviewed by B. Lynn GoodwinISBN #: 978-0399165214Blue Rider Press Psychological Thriller Meets Travelogue My husband says, “The secret to a good marriage is no secrets.” Too bad the two couples in Delia Ephron’s Siracusa don’t know that. Couples keeping secrets are primed for drama.  Here are the basics:

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  WILDE LAKEWritten by Laura Lippman and Reviewed by B. Lynn GoodwinISBN: 978-0062083456William Morrow Heroes and Illusions How much of our memory is accurate? How much of it is shaped by expectations? How much is shaped by whether we grew up as insiders or outsiders? Laura Lippman’s newest heroine, Lu Brandt, is on a quest

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TELL ME ONE THING Deena GoldstoneISBN # 978-0385538756Nan A. Talese, Publisher Counteracting Loss I misunderstood the title of Deena Goldstone’s TELL ME ONE THING. I expected it to be about writers telling their stories. Instead I found a fascinating collection of characters engaged in their own tragedies and triumphs. I was glad to be along

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Reading the Scintillating Starts you submitted was an eye-opening experience. I had trouble knowing whether many of them were memoir or fiction. That didn’t figure into my decision about the winners, but it made me realize that I could honor more people if we had separate contests for fiction and memoir. In 2016

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