Author: Nikki Erlick

I think this was one of the books that came from a Facebook group I belong to. I have trouble finding any of their recommendations through Libby and while we were traveling I went a long way down my list before finding one that was available.

On a certain date, all over the world, every person receives a small box containing a string that measures the length of time they have left before death. Some choose to open their box and live with the consequences of a short string or breathe a sigh of relief if their string is long. Others choose not to look at their string at all.

There were a lot of characters in the book and I worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep them all straight but there was no problem; each character and their circumstances were well described.

Goodreads Rating: * * * *

Author: John Irving

I’ve read and liked other books by this author but I can’t find any reviews on this website or on any older versions of the website. A few months ago Pat was sorting through some books for donation and this one was in the box. I hate to admit it but I pulled it (and a couple of others) from the donation because I thought I might like to read them.

Jack Burns was raised by a single mother (a tattoo artist) and never knew his father; this book is a memoir of Jack’s life. The first half of the book is Jack narrating his life through school and into the acting business in Hollywood. Among his memories are the stories his mother told him about his father. After his mother’s death stories come to light that cause Jack to question everything his mother told him.

This is a big book (800+ pages) and there was very little in it that amused me. This time the book will definitely be donated.

Goodreads Rating: * *