Once I understood the sudden shifts in time, locale and characters, I was drawn into the personal pain of brothers and the women they loved and the pain of the Holocaust repeated in the present day struggle of two brothers and a woman, a survivor of the Holocaust herself. My heart ached again for the Holocaust victims as highlighted by Jenoff. Having lived in that era, I felt again the madness of those times, the old struggle of love and pain in wartime, everything loosely held together here by a clockmaker, the Nazis and an antique clock.. It is a novel of love in the horrors of war and in the sufferings of the men and women who lived it.

For one interested in the 19th century, in the business of selling wild animals and birds and in the whaling industry, this is a treasure.. For one who can distinguish and accept the reality closely interwoven with fantasy, it is a must. The reader who pays close attention to Birch’s marvelous word pictures, will feel the swell of the sea, hear the scream of the sea birds, smell the stink of the vomit and shudder at the butchering of the whale. A masterful piece of writing, but one that I would recommend only to those I knew had a mature imagination. It is not a fairy tale for children.

EVER BY MY SIDE is a book for all who have ever had a love affair with a dog. It is written with such love and tenderness, I felt I was living those days and years starting with Marty, Cleo and most of all, Patch. Here are all the joys and sorrows, the understanding, and most of all, the unconditional love that comes into our lives along with a dog and how it carries over to our human companions. I know I will read it again and laugh and, undoubted, cry at all the same places. . .so much does Dr. Nick touch the heart.

"Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" was a delightful read, a charming story. The heart of it was a vivid picture of the conflict of child rearing – the Chinese way as opposed to the Western way. As a former teacher, I would say "yes!" to some of the Chinese values and "no" to the laxity as shown of the American easy "whatever" attitude. Then again, I would find myself disagreeing with the strictures of the Chinese mother but agreeing that there is a lack of discipline in American households.

Amy Chua presented an excellent picture of the differences, not only in the methods of education, but also in the final results. I hope there can be a meeting place between these two before the educational standing of the US will fall even further below its already low spot on the world's graph of educational standing.

A good read! The writing is excellent. The characters were of immediate interest and the setting so skillfully done, I wasn’t aware how much I was learning about Kenya. As for the plot, I found it a “page turner.” I felt it a privilege to read and review this novel.

After reading some splendid reviews, I found The Lovers very disappointing. While the settings were interesting and some of the supporting characters memorable, the main character, Yvonne, seemed overdrawn and analyzed to the point of boring. If there were some plot, some deep understanding of her life, I didn’t find it. While completion seemed a total waste of time, I kept hoping it would all come together somehow, Didn’t happen for me.

Stuffed is an absolute delight. Cardello, a former executive in the food industry presents the history of our “improved” foods and their role in the current obesity crisis. He shows how profit has been more important than nutrition. His language, with his flashes of humor is straightforward and easy reading. Everyone concerned with the obesity problem of adults and more so of children will find Stuffed well worth the read.

In many cases the settings are pure poetry. However, I found the plot slow to develop, the characters without much appeal and words used, especially regarding food or clothing, that had no translation. A glossary would be helpful. I would recommend this book to anyone familiar with or studying Malaysan culture and history.

The Commoner is a “must read” for those who have any interest in other cultures. It presents a riveting picture of life, not only unknown to most westerners, but unimaginable. The customs and settings were meticulously researched and beautifully vivid. The characters were drawn with such sympathy, one could not help caring about them. The plot is well-planned although I regretted the years “lost” to passing time. I wanted to stay with Haruko, not to miss a moment of her life and loves. It has been a long time since I learned so much and was so totally captivated by any novel. This one will be long-remembered and remain as a favorite on my shelf.

The Critic will be enjoyed especially by those who know wines and are interested in their production. The setting is splendid. The plot and the characters could be introduced sooner and I think the characters need more development. Once the plot begins, giving shorter descriptions of the surroundings would help to keep it moving. The Critic will delight readers who love wine. A very enjoyable novel.