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Reviews by Diane S.

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The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra
by Helen Rappaport

The Romanov sisters (6/6/2014)

Although much in this book was known to me previously, I did like the way this was presented. The writing is very readable, clear and precise. It focused more on the family, their daily schedules, the people they were in contact with and their individual personalities. …more

The UnAmericans: Stories
by Molly Antopol

The Unamericans (4/7/2014)

3.5 The thread connecting all these stories is that of the immigrant, hence unamericans. They take place in different times and places. Ordinary people often caught up in matters beyond their control, how tenuous are the connections between people and how they react to …more

Under Magnolia: A Southern Memoir
by Frances Mayes

Under Magnolia (4/1/2014)

A charming and thoughtful meditation of her youth growing up in Fitzgerald, Ga. Although she early escaped to California and fell in love with Tuscany, buying a house there, it only takes a trip to do a reading at Square Books in Oxford, MS., to bring back much of what it …more

In Paradise
by Peter Matthiessen

In Paradise (3/29/2014)

A rather strange thing happened to me while reading this novel. I went to bed last night, leaving forty pages unread and all set to give this book a three star rating. Not because this is not well written, at 86 Matthiessen has definitely perfected his craft, but because I …more

Bark: Stories
by Lorrie Moore

Bark (2/19/2014)

A wonderful grouping of eight short stories, the first by this author in many years. I liked all of them, I really do not have a favorite, don't think that has happened before. They are all such a mixture of social and political commentary, many with laugh out loud moments …more

Worthy Brown's Daughter
by Phillip Margolin

Worthy Brown's Daughter (1/24/2014)

Portland, Oregon is the 1860's is a typical frontier town, a place where things are not very easy. Yet, Matthew seizes the opportunity to relocate there from the east, and he and his wife join the wagons heading over the Oregon Trail. Matthew makes it to Oregon, his wife …more

Mercy Snow
by Tiffany Baker

Mercy Snow (1/13/2014)

Well written, wonderful mix of magical realism, very atmospheric with oh so interesting characters and a glimpse into the harm secrets can hold. To bring together or to tear apart. Love the ending as well, not everything ends happily nor should it, no matter how one wishes …more

The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly
by Sun-mi Hwang, Chi-Young Kim (translator), Nomoco (illustrator)

The Hen who dreamed she could fly. (1/8/2014)

South Korean novelette that can be read as a morality tale, a fable, or a metaphor. I just know that I absolutely adore Sprout, she is one plucky chicken that goes against the established routines at the farm to fulfill her desires. Of course she has quite a bit of luck and …more

The Kept
by James Scott

The Kept (1/6/2014)

This is a very dark story , set in the late 19th century, in rural upstate New York. The beginning is very brutal and very explicit and it is this that will set Elspeth the mother, and Caleb who is still very young, twelve or thirteen, on a quest for vengeance.

Extremely …more

Archangel
by Andrea Barrett

Archangel (1/6/2014)

Late 1800's and near the turn of the new century and scientific investigation and many inventions are at the forefront of this novel of short stories.

Loved the first story and twelve yr. old Constatine Boyd, who leaves his home to spend summers with his uncles. In 1908 …more

Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon Self-Control, and My Other Experiments in Everyday Life
by Gretchen Rubin

Happier at Home (12/23/2013)

Written in an engaging and easy to read style, I still felt that much of this was just plain ol' common sense. How to be happier at home by sections, show more affection to those you live with, spend some time each day doing something you love, show interest in others …more

The Invention of Wings
by Sue Monk Kidd

The Invention of Wings (12/20/2013)

Where to start in trying to explain all the amazing things this novel contained. It is powerful, intense, profound and amazing in every way. The real life Gremke sisters, born into a family of wealth, on a plantation that of course had slaves, in Charleston in the middle of …more

My Notorious Life
by Kate Manning

My Notorious Life (12/7/2013)

Written in somewhat of a melodramatic fashion and yes sometimes I felt a little too dramatic yet it was impossible for me to not get caught up in Axie's story. For one thing I just love this character's name, Axie Muldoon, just resonated for me for some reason.

That this …more

Safe with Me
by Amy Hatvany

Safe with Me (11/26/2013)

I feel in love with Hatvany's first book, or at least the first to be released here called, Best Kept Secret. This one I had a few problems with, I felt it lacked focus, tried to cover too many things. Organ donation is a worthy subject all its own, throw in domestic abuse …more

Brewster
by Mark Slouka

Brewster (11/20/2013)

Late 60's, in a small town called Brewster in New York, three boys and a young girl come of age. Charles Manson was in the news, being drafted for the Vietnam War was a real threat and Woodstock was happening a short distance away, these were circumstances happening outside …more

Rustication
by Charles Palliser

Rustication (11/15/2013)

Love Gothic toned novels and this was a new author for me so I did not know what to expect. Loved it, it is not scary but is very suspenseful, a winding puzzle, and many characters that are unlikable. Our main character is a young man who has been sent down from college he, …more

The Facades
by Eric Lundgren

The Facades (11/9/2013)

A very hard book to pinpoint or place into any known genre. There is a city called Trude, once known as the Munich of the Midwest, now known as a good place to commit suicide. A city that has decaying mansions, broken down buildings and an authoritarian mayor bent on …more

This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage
by Ann Patchett

This is a story of a happy marriage (11/7/2013)

I have read Ann Patchett's books for a long time now, long enough that I can see her improving in her craft, book by book. This grouping of essays cover a wide range of subjects that she has written throughout the years.

So interesting how she started her writing career and …more

Quiet Dell
by Jayne Anne Phillips

Quiet Dell (10/27/2013)

Based on a true case that had haunted the author for decades, Quiet Dell is the story of the murders and investigation that took place during the 1930's, of a serial killer that preyed on vulnerable women. A subject that is not typical for this author, but something that …more

Cartwheel
by Jennifer duBois

Cartwheel (10/23/2013)

Had quite a while to consider my rating on this book and why so much of it just did not gel with me. I never paid much in depth attention to the Amanda Knox story, so my knowledge of said story is just bare bones. So while this is being compared to that case or said to be …more

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Dream Count
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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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