Circling the Sun: A Novel
by Paula McLain
Every Word is a Pearl (5/21/2015)
For the second time, Paula McLain has knocked it out of the ballpark in bringing historical characters and foreign settings to life. The writing is flawless -- reading this literature is like holding a strand of pearls in your hand -- silky smooth and warm. Although I am inexperienced with horses and not terribly fond of airplanes I was completely captivated by Beryl's passions. Although a very young woman, Beryls strength and maturity seemed formidable. I do hope that this book will be made into a movie, and that Ms. McLain will write the screenplay.
Doing Harm
by Kelly Parsons
Fast Paced, but Disappointing (11/4/2013)
Kelly Parsons probably has a future in writing thrillers, if this book is any indication, but to be a true success, he might want to consider some character and plot development. Steve Mitchell, MD, the protagonist, is not a likeable character. He pays little attention to rules and authority (electronic hacking and privacy, defying senior MD orders) and cheats on his pregnant wife, even though there is absolutely no justification for this, other than the stress of the job and the intensity of work relationships when under stress.
Did Dr. Mitchell do what you would have done to thwart the serial killer? Unlikely. Unlikely that a moral, educated, family person would use such poor judgement. Dr. Mitchell should have confessed to his wife, and have involved hospital security, human resources and the police department in the mysterious deaths of patients. From there, an undercover strategy could have been developed that would be as interesting and fast paced, as the one used in the book.
The Laws of Gravity
by Liz Rosenberg
The complicated role of Transplant for Cancer (4/11/2013)
This is a story with medical drama, family drama, and legal drama based on the premise that the central character, Nicole, will die without a cord blood transplant using her cousin's child's banked cord blood. Having worked in hematologist malignancy research for over a decade (albeit not in a scientific capacity), I was disappointed with the medical storyline. Specifically, it would have enhanced the story to have more interaction with her medical team, and have them be more involved in her road to transplant. There was only one reference (page 73)to having made a search for transplant cells. The National Marrow Donor Program is a vast bank, and a search in the Bank would be worthy of more discussion. Lastly and most importantly, although cord blood is used in adult transplant, there are significant disadvantages such as not having enough cells for a successful transplant in an adult. Due to these disadvantages, collecting stems cells from the matching child's blood might have been a better option for efficacy, and a solution to get Nicole transplanted without using the banked cord blood. While I understand the need for some simplification, laying the foundation for the medical drama would have significantly increased my enjoyment of the book
The Edge of the Earth
by Christina Schwarz
Exciting Novel, or Tedious Anthropological Journal? (10/28/2012)
Don't judge a book by its back cover. Noted to be "gorgeously detailed, swiftly paced . . . magical", this novel is somewhat of a disappointment, little more than an isolated woman's journal of unfamiliar shore life and small family dramas. Secrets do come to life, and the pace picks up for the last quarter of the book, but you might find yourself hard pressed to justify Trudy's tolerance of her paternalistic, condescending husband, even in the historical context of a century past. The inaccessibility of the light station was well described, but the wild beauty of landscapes such as Big Sur was not captured.
This book will appeal to the reader that has patience, and is willing to meander along, quietly observing. Book clubs might consider the relationship of Trudy and Oskar, if it was consistent with the era and the locale, and if the story resonates or disappoints.
Live by Night
by Dennis Lehane
Historical Fiction at its Finest (8/8/2012)
This is a novel that those that typically shy away from violence in books and movies will want to read. In the context of historical fiction, Prohibition did beget gangers, and Dennis Lehane gives us a fully nuanced protagonist, flawed, yet worthy of our time and attention and yes, our hope for peace and redemption. Is justice served? There is some, but is it enough? This book will leave you with some questions to ask your self. It will also leave you with great appreciation for the fine writing that draws you in from the start, and keeps going until the end of the story. Well done!
My Brilliant Friend
by Elena Ferrante
First in a Trilogy, but Doesn't Stand Alone (6/27/2012)
The prologue of this book will grab you, but you will not understand what has happened any more at the end of the book, as you will in the beginning. There is a lot of character development and the protagonists are quite idiosyncratic, but it was too much of the same thing, and I doubt I will plow through 2 more books to find out more about what was happening in the prologue. A read-alike that I would give a much higher rating to would be the Big Stone Gap books.
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