The Secrets of Mary Bowser
by Lois Leveen
Very touching and informative (5/1/2012)
I have a special place in my heart for historical fiction, and this was a really amazing book. What makes it more inspiring and interesting is the real life and events it was based on. Sometimes I hear people lamenting about the state of things, and I read a book like this and think how nice the world could be if we were all so brave and willing to make the kind of sacrifices and chances Mary did. The events and characters were believable, and I agree with the other readers who have said that they enjoyed the perspective of a city slave. I am also very used to the story of the slaves on the plantations and such, but it was nice to read of the experiences in Richmond, away from the fields. Pacing was a little slow in the middle, but not enough to stop my reading, or be too distracting. Definitely would recommend.
Loose Diamonds: ...and other things I've lost (and found) along the way
by Amy Ephron
Very nice concept, but did not follow through (8/24/2011)
I loved the idea of the book, and looked forward to reading it. However, like most of the other readers here I found the name-dropping and constant references to brand names extremely distracting and irritating. It would have been a quick read, except that I kept putting it down. It had it's moments of wit and some touching revelations, but overall I was extremely disappointed at the gap between what is described on the back cover, and what is actually written on the pages.
Turn of Mind
by Alice LaPlante
Intriguing and unsettling picture of Altzheimers (5/19/2011)
The story was not spectacular, but I mean that in a good way. It was the story of a woman who had raised a family, pursued a successful career, and then (where we meet her) begins to lose herself and all the memories/feelings that she had cultivated. The murder isn't all that important in the end, except that for me it was a really dramatic picture of how dementia starts to eat away at your ability to be accountable for yourself. If you can't rely on your memory, where can you gain conviction or hold onto even a shred of confidence? A very compelling story, filled with people it felt like I knew. Like many other readers, I found the story reminded me very much of Still Alice. I would highly recommend this book to a book club.
Prophecy: An Historical Thriller
by S.J. Parris
Enjoyable Read (3/22/2011)
I have not read "Heresy", the first book featuring Bruno, but the author makes it easy to get into his character and the story without the feeling of being out of order. It was a fun read, and held my attention. I really enjoyed the historical references, especially the reminders of just how much of a role the stern rules of class etiquette played in Courtly life. There were no surprises when it came to solving the mystery, but I liked the quality of the story enough not to be disappointed.
The Devotion of Suspect X
by Keigo Higashino
Twists and turns to a dramatic end (2/4/2011)
I very much enjoyed this book, and will be recommending it to my book club primarily because so often in the story the sense of what is right and fair is distorted by sympathy for Ishigami and Yasuko, even when in hindsight it would be completely unjust for things to turn out the way they would have liked. I appreciate that not only is the big picture spectacular at the very end, but also that once the whole of events is revealed I found myself remembering little glimpses all along the way that lent validation to the final chapters. Very well thought-out and much potential for group discussion.
Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer
by Wesley Stace
Descriptive, rich and enjoyable. A touch slow in pace (12/3/2010)
I was immediately drawn into the question of whether this was a story about HOW the event described in the first pages came to pass, or if it was about how that event did not happen as described. Along the way, I enjoyed the passion for music that the author shared through his characters, as well as the subtle wit and humor throughout. The only thing that bothered me was that very often I found that the narrator's excessive descriptions and musings tended to bog down the rhythm and take me out of the story fairly often. A little streamlining would push this story from a 4 to a 5 for me.
Little Bee: (aka The Other Hand)
by Chris Cleave
I Dearly Loved This Wonderful and Moving Novel (12/3/2010)
I was pulled into the story by Chris Cleave's very believable characters and beautiful use of language, and was astounded at how he was able to keep story from lagging, even while balancing two completely different narrators. I absorbed every word he wrote, and bought wholeheartedly into every part of the lives he created with this novel. They felt very real to me. The voices he lended to both Little Bee and Sarah were captivating, and I found I missed them immediately upon finishing the book. It was a great story, both uplifting and completely heartbreaking. I led the discussion of this novel at a book club and we had a wonderful meeting on everything from asylum seekers to the wars over natural resources and everything in between.
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