The Stars Are Fire
by Anita Shreve
Good book (3/19/2017)
I requested this story of the aftermath of catastrophic forest fires in Maine in 1947 because we had visited and been charmed by the Maine coast last fall. I was therefore familiar with many of the locations mentioned in the book. I don't know if the plot is based on an actual person's experience or not. But the story uses much historical detail to tell the story of Grace and her family and how they survived the fires. The fires are a metaphor for change in Grace's life as well. I enjoyed this book very much. I had never read anything by Anita Shreve before. I picked this book because of its setting, but I found that I appreciated Shreve's writing style. I was very interested in the book and read it as quickly as my schedule would allow.
Book clubs would find much to discuss in this book about Grace and her life before and after the fire.
Circling the Sun: A Novel
by Paula McLain
Fascinating! (5/25/2015)
I had requested this book because I had really enjoyed McLain's previous book, The Paris Wife. This one is the story of Beryl Markham, first woman aviator to cross the Atlantic. The book is not so much about the flight as what let up to her becoming a pilot and the woman she became. She was a strong independent woman in a time and society that did not appreciate those qualities in a woman. The book is also a wonderful portrait of early 20th century Africa and the fascinating people who lived there. Some of the characters you meet include Karen Blixen and Dennis Finch Hatten (of Out of Africa fame) and the British royal princes-including Edward, Prince of Wales. I hope my book club will read it because there is a lot for book clubs to discuss here. Very well written.
The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
Powerful story of war and family (10/8/2014)
I read this book almost without stopping the last 200 pages because I became so involved in what was going on. The characters were well developed and believable. The horrors of war were the backdrop for this book that shows the strength of the human spirit. To know that the book is based on a true story makes it even more powerful. Book clubs will find much to discuss with this book.
The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry That Built America's First Subway
by Doug Most
Fascinating Look Back (12/29/2013)
I really enjoyed this well researched and well written look at the development of the subway as the primary means of transportation in the late 19th century. Most has done a great job of portraying the problems, the solutions, and all the people and politics involved. The book was well written and flowed well. I often dislike nonfiction because it tries to follow too many threads unsuccessfully, but not so here. I read an advance readers copy-i hope the final edition has maps and photos! That would make the book really great!
Through the Evil Days: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery
by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Another great entry in this series (9/3/2013)
I have read all of Julia Spencer-Fleming's Clare Fergusson series and have loved every one. This one was a little faster paced and less spiritual than others, but I could hardly put it down. I do think that it helps to have read the others because then you have a history with the characters. But this could stand alone as well. Clare is a complex character with an interesting past, and the author's depictions of small town upstate New York add to her complexity. I highly recommend the whole series-this one is number 8, and yes, they often leave plot lines hanging-not the major one, but ones that run from book to book!
The Daughters of Mars
by Thomas Keneally
Tough Read (5/16/2013)
This was not a book that I took to at all. The subject matter was very emotional and the writing difficult to adapt to. I think it is more literary type fiction than I would ever want to read, but perhaps others will find it fascinating. There is a lot for a book club to discuss though, including the war, women's roles in WWI, and family dynamics.
Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World
by Matthew Goodman
19th Century Amazing Race (1/2/2013)
I thoroughly enjoyed this account of the 1889 race around the world between Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland. The book was well written and was as absorbing as any fiction book. As with all history books, it was an eyeopener as to how things seem different now but haven't really changed. Book groups would find much to talk about here: women's roles in the 19th century, changes in travel, role of railroad, the role of Britain in 19th century world history, journalism. But that aside, this was just a very enjoyable read for anyone!
The Art Forger
by B. A. Shapiro
Great Story about Art and Love (9/11/2012)
I was attracted to the subject matter because I have enjoyed other novels about art and art history before. This was a fascinating story about the science and ethics of art forgery, of fame and infamy, and the perils and joys of love. Shapiro's writing is very good, and I felt very involved with her characters. Tho it may stretch credibility to think that Claire could do what she did, it fit well in the context of the story. It is fiction after all! I read the book quickly, and the last 100 pages without stopping. Even though I had many other things to do, I needed to see how it ended! Book clubs would find much to discuss here - art history, art thefts, and ethics.
A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar: A Novel
by Suzanne Joinson
Not What I Thought (5/31/2012)
I read the description of this book and thought I might find it interesting. Upon reading it, I found it to be slow and uninteresting. It is what I would call literary fiction, a genre I don't always enjoy. The plot was interesting, but Suzanne Joinson's writing style slowed it down and I would often just want her to get on with it. I did finish the book, but I was never really involved with the characters. I just wanted to see how she would end it.
Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution
by Michelle Moran
Madame Tussand was fascinating (11/4/2011)
We have all heard of Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and perhaps even visited it, but did you know who Madame Tussaud was? This book answers that question with an exciting account of the French Revolution and the involvement of many of the most important revolutionary figures with Madame Tussaud. We thought it was a great depiction of the time and really made it come alive. This was a great history lesson-look at how history keeps repeating itself. The wide gap between rich and poor has been the undoing of many a government - Russia in 1917 is another example. We talked about the role of the newspapers in spreading both rumor and truth, and how the newspapers of that time invented things to sell papers, just as we see happen today. It was also interesting that so many of the people came to the exhibit to see what was happening - with no photography, camera phones or television, it was the only way the common person knew what these people and places looked like. Most members commented on the process of creating the wax figures and exhibits - we found it so interesting! In all, we learned so much and really enjoyed the story. We would recommend it to all book clubs!
Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure
by Beth Mcmullen
A fun romp! (2/9/2011)
I thought this was a entertaining story in the vein of Janet Evanovich - made me laugh. There is not a lot for a book club to discuss but if you are looking for a good story to help you escape everyday life (like this winter!), this is the book for you.
The Doctor and the Diva: A Novel
by Adrienne McDonnell
Not As Good As I Had Hoped (6/9/2010)
I like historical novels and thought the premise of this one sounded good. I didn't enjoy reading it as much. I never became interested in the characters and didn't really care what happened to them. I thought that the author's writing style was stiff, just didn't appeal to me. Other people may enjoy it. There is a lot of material to discuss for book groups about women's roles in the early 19th century and fertility techniques.
Beautiful Assassin: A Novel
by Michael C. White
Absorbing story of war, politics and love (3/6/2010)
I could not put down this story of a Soviet assassin's tour of America in the early days of World War II. It did remind me a bit of the book/movie, "Flags of Our Fathers". We know the outcome from the beginning, but it did not spoil the unfolding of Tat'yana's tale. I learned a lot about the war in Europe before the US entered the battle and the frantic lobbying going on between governments to draw the US into the European war. I did think the book ended abruptly, with a subplot left unresolved, but I still greatly enjoyed the book. This would be a good choice for book clubs-I hope mine will read it!
The Wives of Henry Oades: A Novel
by Johanna Moran
Gripping telling of history (12/8/2009)
Inspired by a true but little known event, Johanna Moran tells the story of Henry Oades from the point of view of his two wives. The story takes you from England to New Zealand to Oakland in the 1890's. Moran used the historical incident as the basis for this novel, but had to fill in much of it with her own imagination. I really enjoyed this novel, reading it in less than 48 hours because I could only put it down to do unavoidable chores. The novel is very well written, with the characters believable and the narrative smooth.
This book would be a great book for book groups because of the legal and moral issues surrounding the incident, not to mention that it is just a fascinating story. If you are a fan of historical fiction, you will enjoy this!
Under This Unbroken Sky
by Shandi Mitchell
Well done telling of life on the plains of Canada (9/21/2009)
This book was a very intense look at a little piece of Canadian history I was not familiar with. Ukrainian families were recruited to come and settle the plains of Canada in the 1930's during the Stalin era. Under This Unbroken Sky is the story of two of those families. The writing is rich and evocative, the characters are well drawn. You feel as if you are in the room with them, doing what they are doing, seeing the animals in the barn, or working the fields. It is not a light and happy tale, but a look at people who move far to change their lives and how it doesn't always turn out the way they plan.
The Toss of a Lemon
by Padma Viswanathan
Sweeping Novel about Change in India (8/26/2008)
I enjoyed this sweeping novel of India in the 20th century as experienced by members of one family. Caught between ancient traditions and the beginning of the new India, the family must learn new ways of being a family. Most interesting to me was the theme of the unfairness of the caste system and the place of women in Indian society. Two of the main characters are women and much of the novel's events revolve around them and their reactions to changing social and cultural traditions.Overall the book paints a compelling portrait of a family in changing times in India or anywhere in the world. The book was also a fascinating telling of customs and culture of India. A book club would find much to talk about here, but it is to be enjoyed by anyone who loves a long read about another country.
How Doctors Think
by Jerome Groopman
A look into your doctor's mind (5/7/2008)
This book should be read not only by patients and their families, but by doctors. There are many wonderful doctors in the field, but at this book points out, they are under pressure from economic forces to see more patients and spend less time with them. Hence, many of the mistakes detailed in this book are made. Groopman tells of errors made and the possible reasons why the doctor thought that way.
The most valuable part of this book maybe the last chapter, which gives concrete advice to patients and their families about asking the right questions to get their doctor to think about their symptoms in different ways when a diagnosis and treatment cannot be reached.
Groopman writes in a way that is not preachy, not too difficult for laymen but complex enough that physicians will want to read it. He says in the afterword, new to the paperback edition, that he got great feedback from his fellow doctors. This should be standard reading at all medical schools!
Heavenly Pleasures: A Corinna Chapman Mystery
by Kerry Greenwood
Heavenly Pleasures (4/2/2008)
A good book for a reader looking for diversion. Greenwood creates an interesting world surrounding her heroine, Corinna, the baker, but I felt the development of the mystery was weak. There were many inside references to Australian culture that I found hard to understand and made me feel I was missing much.
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