Ann Patchett fans have probably already read this amazing book. It was Ms. Patchett’s first novel. I can’t believe that because it is so polished and well-done. I am not a full-fledged Ann Patchett fan because I found Commonwealth tedious at best and I only modestly enjoyed State of Wonder. But I loved Bel Canto […]
#MyBookReview–Britt-Marie Was Here 5 Stars!
After I read A Man Called Ove, I decided to find another book by Fredrik Backman @Backmanland #mybookreview Click To Tweet Reading the reviews of his latest works, I selected Britt-Marie Was Here with trepidation. Some of the reviewers complained that it didn’t match Ove; Others liked it even more. Being a savvy buyer, I decided […]
3 Reluctant Stars for Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead #mybookreview
This book really disappointed me #undergroundrailroad #myreview Click To Tweet I’d heard Colson Whitehead interviewed several times and was anxious to read his new novel. But, I found it very frustrating for several reasons: 1) It is not historical. It’s a fantasy 2) It becomes preachy and annoying at the end 3) It left me […]
Three Simple Steps to Write a Book Review
I know I’ve asked my friends, colleagues, people on the street and people everywhere to write a book review after they read my book and others. Yes, I’ve asked and asked and still people don’t do it. That made me write a post some months back about how to write a book review. But, that […]
#MyBookReview The Storied Life of AJ Fikry
This is a hard review to write. I found The Storied Life of AJ Fikry entertaining, but with major writing flaws. The characters are interesting if not too well developed. I couldn’t really see the main character (AJ Fikry) in my mind’s eye. Nonetheless, as a reader, I wanted good things to happen to him […]
Still Life with Bread Crumbs–Review of Anna Quindlen’s book
I don’t know how I stumbled on Still Life with Bread Crumbs, but I’m glad I did #bookreview Click To Tweet It was a very pleasant read. Anna Quindlen created a believable female character of a certain age. The book is about Rebecca Winter, a semi-famous photographer from New York City who has fallen on […]
My #BookReview Five Quarters of the Orange–5 Stars
Joanne Harris, best known for Chocolat, writes about village life in France better than anyone #amreading Click To Tweet In Chocolat she created a magical place, full of interesting characters with all kinds of flaws. In Five Quarters of the Orange she does the same. But, this time, she adds quite a bit of mystery […]
5 Stars for the Hare with the Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal
If you enjoy historical memoir, you’ll love the Hare with the Amber Eyes #amreading Click To Tweet This is not just a story about art–the netsuke, hand-carved Japanese figurines–but a story about people. The author traces the home of his family’s collection of 264 netsuke (BTW, I Googled them so I could visualize them) from […]
Homer & Langley: A Novel My #Review
I knew going into EL Doctorow’s book Homer & Langley: A Novel that the ending would be sad. Anyone reading it knows that the story is a fictional telling of the lives of two brothers who were found dead in their New York City apartment. The brothers were major hoarders. It took weeks to dig […]
Historical Writing that Feels like a Detective Mystery–The Lost Painting–My Review
Jonathan Harr wrote a very intriguing book about the discovery of a long-lost Caravaggio #amreading #art Click To Tweet If you are an art lover who also loves Italian art, this book will entertain you. I qualify in both respects. I was fascinated to learn more about Caravaggio’s rather rakish life #bookreview #amreading #art Click […]
