The Circle by Dave Eggers: Like Orwell's 1984 except way more plausible. Which is just another way of saying: terrifying, couldn't-put-it-down, page-turner. I may never log onto Facebook again. EE STARS: 4

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple: A daughter's love covers a multitude of her mother's eccentricities. Clever point-of-view. Only problem: plot line gets a bit muddled and confusing near the end. EE STARS: 3

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker:   The only question I kept asking throughout this book was: why wouldn't a father at least explain to his daughter why he suddenly disappeared from her family? Annoying. Also, sad ending. EE STARS: 2

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter: The author says it took him fifteen years to write this novel. He should have stopped after five. Clunky time-jumping narrative and poorly rendered, two-dimensional characters. EE STARS: 1

Love To Stay by Adam Hamilton: Another marriage advice book by another mega-church pastor. Yawn. Nothing new or noteworthy here except a recent, troubling trend: pastors polling their own congregations and then using these limited surveys to pronounce sweeping prescriptions for All Marriages at All Times. EE STARS: 1.