Book and Product Reviews by Roundtable Reviews

 Genre: General Fiction Release Date: December 6, 2023 Walmart doesn't have this title available, but So Long, Chester Wheeler: A Novel is so beautiful and touching that I want to make sure there's a link to the Amazon page. I may not get a commission this way, but I really don't care. I just want readers to get to know Chester. So Long, Chester Wheeler just about broke my heart, and I mean that in the nicest way. Many, many years ago, I became so incredibly hooked in another Catherine Ryan Hyde novel and I said she's been an author to watch. I was definitely right, and many years later, she has topped Pay It Forward . Chester is a grumpy, homophobic jerk. He's also dying. That's why his daughter is so desperate to find a caregiver who won't give in to his attitude and quit within a week. Enter his neighbor, Lewis Madigan, a gay software engineer who is expecting the first sizable raise in his new career only he gets a pink slip. Not only that, but Lewis

 Release Date - January 24, 2023 After pulling off a minor miracle, Andie Rose has managed to transfer from her local community college to her boyfriend's competitive college, Blue Ridge State. Only, once there, she learns he transferred to her college to be closer to her. Now, they're apart again, but Andie's mother (deceased) and her father went to Blue Ridge, so she wants to stay, even though it's far more challenging than expected. As she acclimates, she starts to make great friends and her reputation as The Fixer is helping her fit in, but it's not helping her studies. She needs to to fix herself before she can fix others. Begin Again is kind of a coming-of-age story that adds a lot of humor, a touch of romance, and plenty of real experiences that the reader can relate to. While the plot didn't seem that complex, I found myself enjoying how laid back the characters were (for the most part) and how it really just focused on finding yourself before you can

Genre: Time Travel and Mystery/Detectives Release Date: January 17, 2023 One thing always stands out to me when I'm reading a Preston & Child novel. The imagery is mesmerizing. The last time I felt so absorbed in the gritty, filthy street in the past, I was playing a video game as Sherlock Holmes or Watson, depending on the section of story. As Constance scoured the NYC streets with her helpers, I couldn't feel like I was part of the group, smelling the smells, feeling the drafts and damp. I was hooked. The Cabinet of Dr. Leng starts in the past with Constance Greene having time traveled to save her brother and sister and stop the notorious killer Dr. Leng. Doing so puts her own life at risk. Meanwhile, Special Agent Pendergast is stuck in present time trying to figure out how he can rescue Constance when they're centuries apart. If he's unsuccessful, Constance may never come back to his time. In the past few years, I've become hooked on Sherlock novels, and s

Genre: Mystery/Suspense Release Date: January 3, 2023 The House in the Pines is both a Reese Witherspoon pick and a very twisting, turning suspense/mystery. When she was a high school senior, soon to be college student, Maya met the somewhat older, very intriguing Frank. Frank cared for his aging father while building his own home in the woods behind his dad's house. Maya fell hard. She believed she was in love, until something happened and her best friend ended up dead under mysterious circumstances. Fast-forward several years later. Maya lives in Boston and is in a happy relationship. One day, she catches a viral video of a young woman dying suddenly on camera, with no one touching her, in the middle of a diner. The man with that young woman is none other than Frank. Two suspicious deaths with the same man is too much of a coincidence with Maya. She returns to her hometown to get to the bottom of it. The story also delves into the past with Maya's father, he died before s

 Release Date - February 8, 2022 For years Amazon hasn't offered any commissions to me because of where I live. For that reason, I've decided to shift from their site and become a Walmart affiliate. Please feel free to purchase this book from whomever you choose, however. I honestly prefer people support their local bookseller or buy directly from the author if that's an option. In The Night She Went Missing , Catherine's daughter vanishes after leaving a party. While her car is found, there's no trace of her. Morgan's son, Alex, is the last one seen with her, and he's been accused of rape in the past. As much as Catherine wants to believe her friend's son could have nothing to do with it, she can't help but wonder about the past accusations. Leslie wants to be the town's darling, something Catherine was handed when she married into the town's wealthy family. To gain favor, Leslie sets up the search parties, but nothing has helped. The girl

 It's a new year, and that means new reviews. This year, I'm going to be adding more than book reviews from time to time. Every now and then, I get a product that stands out as a must-own. I think they deserve praise, too, especially when I use them all of the time while I'm reading.  Coffee is one of the biggies. I always start my morning with a cup of coffee and the book I'm currently reading. News is first and then I dive into a book. I have been experimenting with roasting my own coffee lately. I buy green coffee beans and roast them to my preferred darkness at home. This roaster took a few days of getting used to how to roast beans perfectly, but now that I know the first crack, second crack rule, I'm having great success! Sit down with your tea or coffee (or whatever else appeals) and enjoy hopefully a less stressful year of reading, writing, and fun.