Andrew's Brain by E.L.Doctorow

 

 

I thought this book, being by E.L.Doctorow, would be really interesting. Nope, it wasn't. I couldn't help thinking 'This is the same author who wrote Ragtime???"  I'm one of those people who, having started a book, is loath to not finish it, so I slogged my way through to the end of this one. I was mildly curious to find out where the story was going, what happened to Andrew, what was true, what was imagined, etc., but was disappointed in the results. The final ramblings about Andrew's time in Washington were particularly kind of laughable, and the ending was anti-climactic.

I like a book that I am eager to get back to after pauses in reading. This was not one of those books. I only looked forward to finishing it up as quickly as possible so I could move on to a much more engrossing book. I may have to rethink my self imposed compulsion to finish any book I've started.

Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts

Sadly, mass shootings are a big issue these days, so it was interesting to find a book with that as the theme. The story told of the feelings, and reactions of the victims and survivors, particularly detailing the lives of 3 of the survivors, both during and after the event in a way that seemed both real and insightful.

The characters were interesting and compelling, both strong and weak, both confident and hesitant, both negative and positive. The tragedy was a turning point which for most led to purpose in their lives.

The story grabbed me right at the first page and I found it difficult to put the book down. There was mystery, there was crime fighting, there was detecting, there was romance, there were strong women and equally strong men not at odds with one another. All in all, in spite of the subject matter, I really enjoyed this book.

(I received an advanced readers copy of this book through the publisher's Shelf Awareness giveaway)