Subversive Jesus by Craig Greenfield

Part of this were phenomenal and parts really, really annoyed me.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

So here's the thing: this is a decent read, but when the marketing people compare it to World War Z and The Martian, they set it up to fail by pegging the expectations way, way too high. 

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Mormon Jesus: A Biography by John G. Turner

Important and fascinating.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Nim's Island by Wendy Orr

I listened to this with T for his book group. It's a decent story.

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

I completely enjoyed this. It was fun and funny--and I'm not even a Pride & Prejudice fan.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

I really, really liked this. It was well-plotted, not derivative, with complex characters.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Submission by Amy Waldman

Phenomenally good.

Thirst by Benjamin Waner

Interesting premise, but it just seemed to drag.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Pandora's Lunchbox by Melanie Warner

Not terribly well-written, but interesting (and depressing).

The American Way of Eating by Tracie McMillan

Fascinating and depressing.

Glory Over Everything by Kathleen Grissom

There are some poignant moments and great suspense here. However, at several points, the plot flows only due to bizarre coincidences, and the ending was completely unrealistic.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Miller's Valley by Anna Quindlen

I really, really liked this. Very well done.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley

This was fun and funny. A great light read, even if the ending was a bit too perfect.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Translation of Love by Lynne Kutsukake

I really enjoyed reading this (you could tell she did her research), but the ending was a little weak.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Curious Case of Kiryas Joel by Louis Grumet

I was completely fascinated by this. If you are interested in constitutional law, religious minority practice and life, and how government works, you need to read this.

Review copy provided by publisher.

A Murder over a Girl by Ken Corbett

A tragic and interesting story.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson

This started slow. Very slow. So slow that I would have given up on it had I not liked Major Pettigrew's Last Stand so much. But I'm glad I stuck with it, because the ending was very good.

Review copy provided by publisher.

A Lady in the Smoke by Karen Odden

Judging by the cover and price, the publisher has a low opinion of this book. That's a shame because it was really good. Interesting history, decent characters, etc. I liked this.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Fowl Language by Brian Gordon

Fun and funny.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Only Ever You by Rebecca Drake

So you have an otherwise decent book marred by unnecessary tension and implausible coincidences.

Review copy provided by publisher.

At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier

I loved this book. It was really, really well done. Recommended.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Jesus Before the Gospels by Bart Ehrman

This is an important book. I like his treatment of the problems of eyewitnesses especially.

Behave by Andromeda Romano-Lax

This was fabulous. Watson was a real piece of work, and this novel was great fun.

The Power of Parable by John Dominic Crossan

This is a solid book. I like how he approaches parables and shows the development across the gospels.

The Two-Family House by Linda Cohen Loigman

 I enjoyed this. There was a lot more character development--for a lot more characters--than one might expect.

Review copy provided by publisher.