A Girl Made of Dust
by Nathalie Abi-Ezzi
A Girl Made of Dust (5/26/2009)
I expected to be thoroughly captivated by this book. However, I was not. After the first 60, or so, pages.....I lost interest. I found it slow...and slower. None of the characters interested me. I don't know why.....but, that's how I felt while plodding through this novel. I am extremely disappointed that this book was less than I anticipated.
A Golden Age
by Tahmima Anam
A Golden Age by Tahimima Anam (1/9/2009)
A Golden Age is an eye opening account of a time and place in history that I knew nothing about - Bangladesh's war of independence from Pakistan in the 1970's, Ms Anam has vividly captured the flavor and atmosphere of the general public at the time through the eyes of the main character and her family. This book conveys the deep divides that existed culturally and historically at that time as well as the triumph of the human spirit and gives an understanding and appreciation for the country of Bangladesh.
Someone Knows My Name: aka: The Book of Negroes
by Lawrence Hill
Someone Knows My Name (1/9/2009)
A powerful historically accurate book that brings alive the life of one woman enduring the emotional and physical hardships of slavery - written so well and so lyrically that we feel and see all she does - we are there - it is a visceral experience to read this book and I could not put it down - a true look at and experience of the human experience as it endures the unthinkable and yet retains it's humanity. It raises fascinating questions and one can see that to go against the tide is never easy but the results are world changing. This book will appeal to book clubs and older school students - as slavery is still happening today in other guises. Outstanding and beautifully written - I could not believe it was written by a man - he got into the mind and soul of the extraordinary life of Aminata. Highly recommended; a must read.
How Doctors Think
by Jerome Groopman
A must read for every patient (1/9/2009)
This book should be given to every patient, so they can be on an equal footing and now how the system works and why it works the way it does. Well researched and explained from the inside out, it demystifies a whole area of life that all of us will have to deal with at some stage, it helps the patient understand the doctor and thus the doctor to understand the patient, and here is to understanding!
Something Like Beautiful: One Single Mother's Story
by Asha Bandele
Something like mediocre (12/1/2008)
Within the first few minutes of reading this book I knew I would have a difficult time finishing it. I found Asha Bandele's memoir only middle of the road. Her style of writing was ho-hum and plain. She never fully developed her relationship with Rashid. I would have liked to have seen more of that. Her story is the same as so many women out there who are single moms and struggling. I didn't find her life unique at all. She just wrote about it. I would not read any more of her memoirs nor would I recommend this book to other readers.
Madapple
by Christina Meldrum
MadScrabble (4/8/2008)
This was an average read with an unusual and provocative kind of plot. Much of the time I was disturbed by the subject matter. If this is meant for teen readers I am surprised. It was definitely geared toward a mature audience. I thought switching from the courtroom scenes to the story was clever. In fact, the courtroom scenes were what kept me reading. The character development was not up to what I would call "in depth" and the conversations between characters did not add clarity to the plot.
Desert Cut: A Lena Jones Mystery
by Betty Webb
Just So So (1/1/2008)
This book was mediocre. Aside from Lena, the characters were not very well constructed and had little depth. The dialogue was just ordinary. She kept my attention, however, with the mystery that was unfolding. The main theme of the novel was one that shed light on a barbarous practice in today's world to which millions of women are subjected by cultures that are clearly misogynist. While Ms Webb was graphic about the practice and its consequences (to the point of being distasteful), I was disappointed that she did not go into more detail about the cultural background of this heinous custom. She, however, caused me to want to educate myself about this horrendous practice and what is being done to alleviate it.
Dervishes
by Beth Helms
Dervishes by Beth Helms (11/28/2007)
I thought this book would be an interesting read with fully fleshed out characters and a mesmerizing plot. I was very disappointed. The character development was shallow; the characters were all cardboard figures with no depth and very superficial dialogue. The writing style was difficult to follow. I kept wondering when Ms Helms would get to the point of the novel. I was confused much of the time. I found myself having to go back to what I had read previously in order to understand what I was reading in the present. The author didn't provide many details about the country and the city where the action takes place. I thought that would be integral to the story. I think the author did not achieve what she had set out to do; namely, to show the intrigue and deception that was supposed to be at the heart of the novel. I had to force myself to keep reading it, I finished the book, however, I just skimmed the last ten pages or so. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
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