Reviews by Sheryl R. (DeQuincy, LA)

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How to Be a Good Wife
How to Be a Good Wife
by Emma Chapman
The best kind of thriller (8/23/2013)
I love books that tell a deep story and that keep me guessing, but I reserve my highest praise for those which make me feel that story in my gut. From the moment I began this book, I was filled with a sense of foreboding and disorientation. The author's very words seemed to …more
Golden Boy
Golden Boy
by Abigail Tarttelin
Family drama (with a twist) (1/5/2013)
I love novels, biographies, and memoirs that delve into a family's inner workings, and I've read many of them over the years. This one, however, is the first I've ever seen that deals with the issue of intersexed individuals. Max, the adolescent at the center of the story, …more
Indiscretion
Indiscretion
by Charles Dubow
A roller coaster read (10/24/2012)
This book about the affair of an upper class writer in the "perfect" marriage began rather slowly and I found myself rather unfavorably wondering if the story was nothing more than a Gatsby redux. A short way into the book, though, I began to care about the characters and …more
Sharp
Sharp: A Memoir
by David Fitzpatrick
Painfully honest account of bipolar disorder (7/21/2012)
Even though I am a mental health professional and have heard more than my share of brutally honest, painful stories, this first-person account of David Fitzpatrick's struggle with bipolar disorder was, in a word, "sharp". Cutting through the secrecy, rationalizations, self- …more
The Buddha in the Attic
The Buddha in the Attic: A Novel
by Julie Otsuka
Beautifully conceived and written (10/12/2011)
This book grabbed me within the first few sentences and will not let me go! It is unique in every way, from the first person plural perspective from which it is written, to the subject on which it is based, to the beautifully poetically crafted sentences of which it is …more
Loose Diamonds
Loose Diamonds: ...and other things I've lost (and found) along the way
by Amy Ephron
Loose, indeed! (7/31/2011)
The title of this book of essays by one of the famous Ephron sisters may be it's strongest point. VERY loosely held together, these are "diamonds" in the rough. I'm not an editor, but I kept wanting to edit: to scratch out sentences, correct grammar, restructure the writing. …more
The Kitchen Daughter
The Kitchen Daughter: A Novel
by Jael McHenry
Interesting, but . . . . (3/30/2011)
This book, about an adult woman with Asperger's syndrome tries to answer the question, "Just what IS "normal" ? From reading the summary on the website, I expected the story to compel me. While I enjoyed the story and the themes, it was never a "can't put it down" kind of …more
Still Life
Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy
by Melissa Milgrom
Unexpectedly complex and compelling (1/2/2010)
Melissa Milgrom's comprehensive book on taxidermy and its practitioners tells you more than you ever thought you'd want to know about this strange and exacting world. Milgrom immerses herself, both figuratively and literally, in the study of taxidermy and presents a complex …more
The Secret of Everything
The Secret of Everything
by Barbara O'Neal
Not for me (10/28/2009)
Romance fans (and fans of Barbara O'Neal in particular), may be accustomed to the writing style of this book, the pacing of its plot, and its simplistic character development. To me, a first time reader of Ms. O'Neal, the characters seemed shallow, and the plot predictable …more
Sweeping Up Glass
Sweeping Up Glass
by Carolyn Wall
Complex characters, compelling story (8/10/2009)
This compelling book is full of complex characters whose lives all touch and dramatically change one another as the story unfolds. Although a little slow to get started, the development of the characters require this leisurely pace and add to the drama of the story. Full of …more
A Pearl in the Storm
A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean
by Tori Murden McClure
VERY well-written, but. . . . (4/19/2009)
This book, about the author's attempt to row across the Atlantic in a 23 ft. rowboat, is full of compelling and technically brilliant writing. Her descriptive paragraphs of the actual voyage itself are interwoven with snippets of her history and the events that led her to …more
Night Navigation
Night Navigation
by Ginnah Howard
REAL writing (3/11/2009)
This book, about a mother and son moving through their respective recoveries from co-dependence and drug addiction, is painfully raw and true to life. Although a "novel", there is no doubt left in the reader's mind at the end of the book that the author knows whereof she …more
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