Reviewing Books for SMSA
We would like to invite all SMSA members to submit book reviews for inclusion on our website. Book reviews are a great way to let…
Book Reviews
Quick Reviews by Members
These are the short and concise reviews left by members when they return books to the library. They provide quick feedback on their reading experience….
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Like so many women before me, I read The Bell Jar in my twenties. I thought it was ‘cool’. Sylvia Plath’s mystic was part of…
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
My first 5 star rating for 2026. I lost myself in this story. I loved Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. I loved her as an unlovable child….
The Names by Florence Knapp
The reviews for this book have been glowing: ‘heartwarming’, ‘magnificent’ and ‘heart-wrenching’ to quote a fews. However, this book needs to carry a trigger warning:…
The Impossible Fortune (Thursday Murder Club #5) by Richard Osman
They’re back! It’s been a quiet year for our intrepid sleuths as Elizabeth comes to terms with the loss of her husband. As they celebrate…
The Funeral Crashers by Joanna Nell
‘At their age, there was no point in beating about the bush.’ I confess to being a big fan of Joanna Nell’s books. They are…
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
This exquisite novel explores the human need for love, no matter our age; that deep yearning to be seen, and heard and held. Addie Moore…
Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory
“All that is needed to defeat a tyrant is the courage to say ‘no’.” Confession time – this is my first Philippa Gregory novel! Recently,…
Southampton Row (Charlotte and Thomas Pitt #22) by Anne Perry
This is the twenty second novel in a series of thirty-two featuring Thomas and Charlotte Pitt. Southampton Row is a sequel to the previously published…
Separation of Power (Mitch Rapp #5) by Vince Flynn
Vince Flynn who passed away in 2013 at the age of 47, wrote 13 novels featuring the character Mitch Rapp, a CIA assassin. The series…
The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens
Its 1976 and Tom and Alice, are traveling in their RV hoping to not only mend their marriage after tragedy but to go on an…