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Reviews by Linda A. (Palo Alto, CA)

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The House We Grew Up In
The House We Grew Up In
by Lisa Jewell
A Treasure (3/3/2014)
At what point did I get hooked? For the first 30 pages or so I thought I wasn't going to like this book. And then everything changed. I say this as encouragement to anyone who has the same initial reaction. Keep reading. There is treasure in those pages.

Lisa Jewell's …more
Under the Wide and Starry Sky
Under the Wide and Starry Sky
by Nancy Horan
Fascinating Narrative (11/4/2013)
This book captured my interest from the beginning as we journey through the lives of Fanny Van de Grift Stevenson and Robert Louis Stevenson. Horan portrays her characters as flesh and blood, real-life people who brave the unknown in search of a home where Louis can survive …more
Letters from Skye
Letters from Skye
by Jessica Brockmole
A Good Summer Read (6/11/2013)
The fact I read Letters from Skye in less than three days is evidence that I liked this book! It held my interest as I read correspondence from two World Wars written by smart, witty, compassionate people with troubled lives and strong desires. These are imperfect people, …more
Illuminations
Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen
by Mary Sharratt
12th Century Women's Rights Advocate (9/8/2012)
Illuminations is the powerful story of Hildegard von Bingen, songwriter, abbess, religious leader who established the first monastery for women. At odds with the requirements of women to submit to the authority of powerful monks, Hildegard found a way to honor her visions, …more
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake: A Memoir
by Anna Quindlen
A Book for the Journey (4/7/2012)
There are many things with which I identify in Quindlen's musings about family, girlfriends, relationships, control, solitude, loss. Some observations are humorous...attributing Kevin Bacon, the good news is that the eyes and the face go at the same time so you can't see …more
Falling Together
Falling Together: A Novel
by Marisa De Los Santos
Falling Together (9/1/2011)
I rate this book somewhere between poor and average. While the situations at times are compelling, the endless brackets within parentheses diversions are extremely annoying I wanted to tell de los Santos to "just get on with it." At times it seems as if she doesn't know …more
Heat Wave
Heat Wave: A Novel
by Nancy Thayer
A Good Summer Read (5/10/2011)
Thayer invites the reader to know the place and selected people of Nantucket Island, a place I've never been but one I'd like to visit...especially after reading this book. An easy read, the story leads us through the ups and downs in the lives of Las Tres Enchiladas, their …more
Snowdrops
Snowdrops: A Novel
by A.D. Miller
Naivete or Innocence? (11/29/2010)
As much as I wanted to like this book, I found the premise so implausible I had a hard time feeling any sympathy for the protagonist. For me, writing the story for the purpose of telling his finance things he could not tell her in person was artifice. What torture to read …more
Solomon's Oak
Solomon's Oak: A Novel
by Jo-Ann Mapson
Solomon's Oak (10/20/2010)
This is a wonderful heartwarming story about people I cared about, set in geographically familiar territory - always a plus for me. Themes of love, trust, grief, and connection run throughout.
The Doctor and the Diva
The Doctor and the Diva: A Novel
by Adrienne McDonnell
Good but... (5/31/2010)
Were it possible, I would rate this book 3.5. On the positive side, I was compelled to keep reading to find out "what happens next." However predictability, an anecdotal style creating a certain choppiness, and too many implausible occurrences keep it from being a solid 4 for me.
The Journal Keeper
The Journal Keeper: A Memoir
by Phyllis Theroux
Wise and Wonderful (12/25/2009)
The Journal Keeper is an intimate look into the life, heart and mind of a older middle-aged woman whose creative turn of phrase gives added dimension to her personal journey. We meet people important to her...her mother, friends, students, children. We travel from Virginia …more
Burnt Shadows
Burnt Shadows: A Novel
by Kamila Shamsie
Burnt Shadows (5/3/2009)
Kamila Shamsie has written a book of immense scope, following the intertwined lives of two families from 1945 to post-9/11; from Nagasaki through Delhi, Pakistan, New York and Afghanistan. I found the earlier days in Nagasaki and Delhi more believable even though the horror …more
While My Sister Sleeps
While My Sister Sleeps
by Barbara Delinsky
Compelling Reading (12/3/2008)
My book arrived yesterday, mid-day. I've just finished it, and I'm not a fast reader! While My Sister Sleeps weaves medical ethics and moral values into a family story told over a week's time, a week during which much is revealed and lessons are learned. The realistic …more
How Far Is the Ocean from Here
How Far Is the Ocean from Here: A Novel
by Amy Shearn
Too Old For This Book (6/28/2008)
Although the concept of surrogate motherhood is intriguing, this book is not compelling for me. There is no character in the book with whom I can identify. It seems every character is intentionally quirky, making the book unbalanced. There is no normal from which to play..

…more
Evening Is the Whole Day
Evening Is the Whole Day
by Preeta Samarasan
Evening Is The Whole Day (4/26/2008)
Set in Malaysia, the novel revolves around one immigrant Indian family and yet includes so much more--history, politics, race, class, and gender issues. Samarasan's creative imagery paints vivid pictures. In the scene where Amma discovers her suitor is missing the sense of …more
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