Loose Diamonds: ...and other things I've lost (and found) along the way
by Amy Ephron
Interesting and Entertaining (9/6/2011)
I was drawn to the book by its title - Loose Diamonds ... and other things I've lost (and found) along the way. I read this book as soon as I received it and enjoyed learning more about our author with every new story in her book. She has some weird yet interesting stores to tell including meeting Squeaky Frome of the Charles Manson cult, entertaining her neighbor, the Birdman as a young girl, and socializing with the rich lady down the street. I especially enjoyed her story, 'Staying" about whether to divorce or not.
I found her stories interesting, entertaining, and quite delightful and some of them down right hilarious. Any modern family with a stepdad or a stepmom and step siblings will relate to her down to earth stories of disaster waiting to happen.
I really enjoyed the book and I think you will too.
The Kitchen Daughter: A Novel
by Jael McHenry
Discovery in the Kitchen (4/3/2011)
I loved this book. I enjoyed learning more about Ginny, from her perspective as the story unfolds. Her 'symptom' , although never diagnosed adds to her fight for a new independence and her grief after the sudden loss of both parents. It's a wonderful story of two sisters' love and disagreements as they try to figure out life as it is now. It is a great book for book clubs. It opens the way to discussions on the secrets families keep from each other, the help we get from our friends, coming to terms with our personality differences, ghosts from the past and giving up some crutches in order to grow and move on. You'll have to read the book for yourself to find out why.
Ever By My Side: A Memoir in Eight
Acts Pets
by Dr. Nick Trout
Wonderful Dog Memories (1/22/2011)
Ever By My Side by Dr Nick Trout is a wonderful tribute to the animals in his life and an enjoyable read. The author is a great storyteller and tells stories that make you laugh and sometimes cry right along with him. It’s a great story of the dogs in his life as a child, the ones he leaves at home when he goes to college, the ones that he gets to know as a veterinarian and the dogs that become a part of his children’s lives. The connection between his father and the family dogs is heartwarming and sincere. With his focus on the canine creatures and their place in each family, he shares great insight into the relationship between an animal and his owner. When Nick leaves home, “Six years in six minutes,” describe the years from high school to college graduation, which is just the way life can be sometimes. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these adventures and would recommend it to anyone who has or has had a special pet in their life.
The Discovery of Jeanne Baret: A Story of Science, the High Seas, and the First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe
by Glynis Ridley
An Awesome Journey (1/22/2011)
‘The Discovery of Jeanne Baret’ documents the story of a French woman who boards a ship as a man in the 16th century to travel around the world in three years. The author presents theory after theory of why this woman among all of theses men would not be safe on such a trip. Hardships she would endure ranged from possible gang rape if discovered by the 117 men on board to loneliness, starvation, and endless work hours. Only her employer (a scientist) knew of her true identity and he kept it a secret from all. Although rumors were spread early in the expedition, they remained only rumors for most of the journey. The author obtained my interest with the theory that a person” irrespective of the hand dealt by fortune, can have as much curiosity about the world as another.” Jeanne Baret was born to poverty and was destined to live and die within 20 miles of her home. Then “when she was twenty-six years old she would be living in a fashionable Paris apartment, organizing papers and preparing natural specimens” for a botanist. I particularly enjoyed the description of Paris in 1764 with its castles and royal palaces and consumed by a thirst for knowledge and trade. However, I tired of the author’s desire to document and analyze accurately all events on the ship’s journey and characters and found it exhausting to sift though all the he said, and who’s log said what (with the captain’s log lost). But the description of the thousands of seal lions sunny on the rocks and the new plant discoveries throughout the journey made it worth reading this book to the end.
The Girl in the Green Raincoat: A Novel
by Laura Lippman
A Couple of Firsts for Me (11/21/2010)
This is my first written book review for BookBrowse and my first Laura Lippman mystery. I was intrigued from the opening reference on a modern twist to the movie ‘Rear Window’ and an unexpected forced bed rest for a high risk pregnancy. Why not spend the time solving a mystery with a little help from friends?
I enjoyed the book tremendously and once I started the book, I couldn’t put it down. I found myself pursuing the evidence as earnestly as detective Tess and fearing the demise of the lovely Girl in the Green Raincoat. The book’s character’s were delightful from Mrs. Bloom, a co-worker stepping in to do the research and leg work for Tess, her best friend Whitney, who is single, rich and able to help with the brainstorming and Crow, her boyfriend who is trusting, caring and willing to organize all the bring home meals and care for Tess and the expected baby during her confinement. The suspects were uncovered as Tess received the information and very humorous when individuals were not always what they seemed at first impression.
I was totally surprised at the outcome of her research and encounter with the suspect and didn’t see it coming as the climax unfolded. The interweaving of Tess’s family stories into each chapter was a welcome perspective into Tess’s past. I loved the story of how her father and mother met and enjoyed hearing about the many interest of her father, the fixer and ‘Wonder Dad’. By telling these stories from her past, I came to know the character well without having read any of her previous novels.
I definitely enjoyed this novel and ran out to pick a couple of her previous novels so I could spend more time with Tess Monaghan and her friends. I definitely would recommend this book and look forward to the sequel.
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