Loose Diamonds: ...and other things I've lost (and found) along the way
by Amy Ephron
Lumps of coal (7/31/2011)
This book was very disappointing. I expected the writing to be charming and witty. “Loose Diamonds” has absolutely no substance and very little style.
The constant name dropping was extremely annoying. When Ms. Ephron was not dropping names of famous people it was high end brand names she was brandishing about.
Instead of warm and approachable Ms. Ephron came across as very self-centered; a “poor little rich girl.”
The Daughter of Siena: A Novel
by Marina Fiorato
Daughter of Siena (5/4/2011)
I wish I had enjoyed this book more. The beginning was very predictable with stock characters, i.e., the good people were SO “good” and the bad -the other extreme. Many parts of the book were overly melodramatic. It was not until almost half-way through the book that the mystery and intrigue hooked me. That was when the twists and surprises emerged. In my opinion, the Violante was the most fully fleshed out character and the most interesting.
The author did a very good job in describing the Palio, you could truly feel the tension in those scenes. Obviously she did a LOT of research into the history of Siena – which was wonderful to read – and also a lot of detail about horses and the way they were trained.
This would be a good, light, vacation read, but I don’t think particularly suited for a book club.
Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure
by Beth Mcmullen
The Spy Who Comes in from the cold (1/30/2011)
I wasn’t expecting to like this book very much. The shocking pink cover screamed “chick lit.” At first I thought Ms. McMullen was trying too hard to be funny/cute. The premise of the book – a former undercover agent who has been a stay at home wife/mother for nine years is pulled back into the world of espionage did quickly lure me in.
Once I got into the book I really did enjoy it! Ms. McMullen is an excellent writer. She makes the transitions from "Sally’s" current life to her past seamlessly. There is no problem for the reader to follow the story. It is a fast read, perfect for vacation, plane or beach reading. Not particularly suited for a book club, but lots of fun.
Would I read any sequels? Possibly titled "Venial Sin", "Mortal Sin" or "Deadly Sin"? Probably. However, I would love for her to write something a little more weighty to showcase her talent. I am really looking forward to reading more books by this writer.
Minding Ben: A Novel
by Victoria Brown
Don't call her (12/18/2010)
A very satisfying read. The story revolves around 16 yr old Grace who comes to America by herself and is thrown into a situation she has not planned on. The plan was for Grace to mind her cousin’s children in exchange for room & board, but her cousin never shows up at the airport to meet her. Instead Grace eventually ends up with a family in NYC minding Ben. How she survives and her “adventures” (as she refers to them) is a fascinating story. The book is a fast read, one that you get into immediately and don’t want to put down. You just HAVE to learn what happens next!
Some of the characters are a bit stereotypical, i.e. the Bruckners, Ben’s parents; Sol and Miriam are sometimes a bit too much. However, we do get to see shades of Miriam’s past and that helps to make her more likable.
A good book club choice; it has a lot of points that would be ripe for an interesting discussion. I really want to read more novels by Ms. Brown.
The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul: A Novel
by Deborah Rodriguez
A Cup of Friendship (11/1/2010)
This book immediately gets your attention. It's a fast read and enjoyable.
Set in current day Kabul it centers around the lives of five women: Sunny an American and owner of a coffee house; Connie, also an American, who is looking for love; Isabel, a British journalist and two Afghani women Halajan – owner of the building and Jazmina both of who work in the café.
The stories of other Afghani women are woven throughout the book and the fear of the Taliban regaining power is strongly felt.
I would have given this book a higher rating except that it often gravitates into the 'romance' novel genre. Too many cliques of eyes meeting across a room, unspoken longings and shortness of breath, plus a few sex scenes are unnecessary.
The theme of survival, strong women, and a positive look at the Muslim religion overcame some of the weaknesses in this book.
The Stuff That Never Happened
by Maddie Dawson
The Stuff That Never Happened (8/21/2010)
At first I feared this book would be a trite story about a woman having a mid-life crisis. This book is so well written it rises above that. Annabelle is going through the 'empty nest syndrome' with a husband who shuts her out physically, emotionally, and hardly speaks a word to her. They are total opposites and now they are growing further apart. She feels after 20 years of marriage there is nothing between them and begins to reminisce about her past and a man named Jeremiah.
The book goes back and forth between the present (’05) and the past (1977-80) when she first meets and marries Grant.
Jeremiah does not appear until almost half way through the book and it’s easy to see why Annabelle falls in love with him. He is everything her husband is not – handsome, a man who shows his feelings; successful; established in his career, and totally engaged when he is with her.
The scenes between Annabelle, her mother, and her pregnant daughter, Sophie, are very touching. The book discusses the roles of women and how some things change and some remain the same between the three generations.
Because you care about these people, you become totally hooked on their lives and want to keep reading to find out what happened in the past and how the problems in the present will be resolved.
The Blind Contessa's New Machine: A Novel
by Carey Wallace
The Blind Contessa's New Machine (5/31/2010)
This book was an interesting read, but the ending was rushed and left a lot of questions unanswered. Some of the characters, Pietro, the husband were a bit too conventional. To me the most interesting and original character was Turri. He was the most three dimensional person in the book.
On the positive side, the descriptions of the Contessa going blind and her eventual blindness were very vivid. You could feel Carolina’s fear mounting as her blindness progressed. The scenes where she learned to travel around the house at night and find her way to the lake were interesting, but became a bit repetitious after awhile.
I definitely would like to read more by this writer.
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Power Reviewer
