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Reviews by Louise J

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A Hundred Flowers: A Novel
by Gail Tsukiyama

Powerfully Written! (8/17/2012)

Gail Tsukiyama has done it once again. This was a powerfully written story. I’ve read every novel she has written and have never been disappointed and this one was no different. I seriously hope there will be a sequel to this story so we can find out conclusively what …more

The Good Dream: A Novel
by Donna VanLiere

The Good Dream (8/16/2012)

I would highly recommend this book to everyone!! I won’t forget Ivorie and Peter for a while.

The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai: A Novel
by Ruiyan Xu

Good But a Tad Too Long (8/11/2012)

This was an interesting read however I found it to be a bit too long. The author could have shortened this story and still got her point across. I felt she went into too much detail and almost kept repeating the same things over and over only in different ways. I am glad I …more

The Secrets of Mary Bowser
by Lois Leveen

A Novel You Won't Soon Forget!! (8/3/2012)

This is the true story of Mary Bowser, a freed slave who spied for the Union during the Civil War.

This was a well-researched book filled with familiar and imagined historical events. Lois Leveen has written a novel that will grab you in at the beginning and not let you go …more

Sweet Mandarin: The Courageous True Story of Three Generations of Chinese Women and Their Journey from East to West
by Helen Tse

Beautiful Memoir (7/30/2012)

This family suffered tragedy after tragedy but managed to pick themselves up and keep moving forward in spite of the most horrible conditions and abject poverty. The strength of these Chinese women is astounding and a tribute to the culture they were born in to.

This story …more

In the Sea There are Crocodiles: Based on the True Story of Enaiatollah Akbari
by Fabio Geda

Intense (7/28/2012)

The true story of Enaiatollah Akbari is one wrought with immense courage. It took a great deal of courage, fortitude, determination, and resilience to accomplish what Enaiatollah did at such a young age. It boggles my mind that a very young 10-year-old child could …more

Baking Cakes in Kigali
by Gaile Parkin

Totally Charming! (7/23/2012)

This was a funny, sad, heartwarming read. Angel Tungaraza bakes and decorates the most beautiful cakes. As each of her customers come to see her to ask her to bake one, she hands them her portfolio to look at while she makes them tea. Her best client is Ken Akimoto who …more

A Land More Kind Than Home: A Novel
by Wiley Cash

Couldn't Put It Down! (7/19/2012)

The author did an excellent job at conveying to the reader the emotions that people show when they’re riled up and in the spirit of the moment and how things can be over-looked when caught up in the emotion packed moment of loud music, hand clapping and rattlesnakes. A …more

Night Road
by Kristin Hannah

Amazing & Emotionally Charged! (7/8/2012)

Night Road was a page-turner! I felt warm and fuzzy at the friendship that Mia, Lexi, and Zach held onto so dearly. They were thick as thieves and loved and respected each other in ways that a lot of us wish we had with our friends. They knew how to love and respect each …more

The Lifeboat: A Novel
by Charlotte Rogan

Captivating! (7/7/2012)

As a debut novel, this was well-written, well thought out and left you feeling hopeful that you yourself are never put in the same position as these people found themselves. Charlotte Rogan has written a compelling, page-turner that should not be missed.

The Chaperone
by Laura Moriarty

Fantastic Read! (6/21/2012)

The Chaperone is a wonderful novel of self-courage that is filled with insight yet gracefully poignant. I loved this book and might just read it again!

The Song of Achilles: A Novel
by Madeline Miller

Storytelling at it's Best! (6/17/2012)

I looked at this book many, many times on the shelf at Chapters trying to decide whether I really wanted to read this book or not and if it would be something that would interest me. I’m happy to report it is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! The novel is packed …more

All Woman and Springtime: A Novel
by Brandon W. Jones

Don't Miss This One!! (6/7/2012)

This was a fascinating, fast-paced story without a minute to put the book down! Being caught up in the lives of Jasmine, Gi, II-sun and Cho was undeniably real. I felt like I was being tugged along with these four women as they struggled through their daily lives, trying to …more

The Headmaster's Wager: A Novel
by Vincent Lam

Disappointing! (6/4/2012)

Vincent Lam’s novel The Headmaster’s Wager seemed to be a bit slow and I had a hard time keeping my mind from wondering off and thinking of other things, then would have to come back and re-read the paragraph. However, the story did seem to pick-up somewhat after he meets …more

When The Emperor was Divine
by Julie Otsuka

When the Emperor Was Divine (5/20/2012)

Overnight signs appeared on trees, billboards, bus stop benches, and store windows in Berkeley, California, in 1942 ordering Japanese Americans to a dusty internment camp in the Utah desert. They had been “reclassified” as enemy aliens. This novel follows one family’s story; …more

The Queen of Water: A novel based on a true story
by Laura Resau, Maria Virginia Farinango

Amazing True Story! (5/9/2012)

The story was extremely well-written and I was hooked from the first page and believe a great deal of adults and teenagers will get a lot out of this story. Very well done!

Radio Shangri-La: What I Learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth
by Lisa Napoli

Interesting Story! (5/6/2012)

I found the book to be extremely interesting as very, very little is known about this closed and secluded country. However, I felt there was something lacking, perhaps more information would have been helpful. I would still definitely recommend this book to others who have …more

The Buddha in the Attic: A Novel
by Julie Otsuka

Stunning Novel (5/1/2012)

This wonderful, captivating novel reads almost like a documentary and would, in fact, make for great t.v. viewing...An excellent novel!!

The Dovekeepers: A Novel
by Alice Hoffman

Hoffman At Her Very Best!! (5/1/2012)

I have read a lot of novels about ancient Jerusalem during this era but I must begin this particular review with one word – WOW!! I was completely entranced with Alice Hoffman’s The Dovekeepers which took place during the Roman siege during the first century CE.

The story is …more

Cane River
by Lalita Tademy

Riveting Family Saga (4/18/2012)

CANE RIVER covers 137 years of Lalita Tademy’s family’s history, written as fiction, but deeply rooted in years of research historical fact, and family lore. It is a family saga that covers four generations of women born into slavery and searching for freedom. Every time I …more

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Dream Count
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A searing new novel from the bestselling author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists, exploring four women's desires.

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The Jackal's Mistress
by Chris Bohjalian

From the New York Times bestselling author of Hour of the Witch, a Civil War love story of a Confederate wife and a wounded Yankee.

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