I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes to read books with interesting and unusual characters. Initially seeming simple and charming, the tension builds throughout the story with a dramatic turn of events leading to a satisfying conclusion. The only thing I disliked about it is that it took Ellie so long to develop some backbone and stand up for herself.

Just when I thought I had heard of every unimaginable thing that happened during the Nazi regime, here comes this story. Rosa is a survivor, but her story is a very different take on the others I have read. "Hired" by the Nazi regime (did she have a choice?), her job is to taste the food that was to be served to Hitler in case it was poisoned. Living with her in-laws while her husband is off to war, she engages in a course of actions that leave one wondering if she is making conscious choices, or just being human? This is a very well-written book which was fascinating to read because of the unique subject matter. Although I found it disturbing and painful to read at times, I recommend the book.

This is one of the most unusual books I have read in a long time, maybe ever. The twists and turns of the story are mind-bending. It was fascinating but also difficult to read at times because of the terrifying events. This one kept me guessing right up until the end - and beyond. I was able to identify and sympathize with Amber during the time she was in a coma and imagine her feelings of fear and helplessness. I didn't rate the book a 5 because I lost the ability to identify with her in the events that followed. This is a book anyone who likes psychological thrillers would love. But beware - it's a roller coaster ride! One book that I feel like I need to read again.

This is a book that I could not put down from almost the very first page. I had only a vague remembrance of the painting of which Christina Olson is the subject, but do remember wondering when I first saw it what could possibly be the meaning or inspiration for it. After reading Christina Baker Kline's insightful novel, now I think I know.

The author brings Christina Olsen to life through her words, and allows the readers to experience a glimpse of what it might have been like to grow up in her world. The conditions of her family history and environment alone would have been powerful forces in shaping her life and personality. The added burden of the physical limitations imposed by childhood illness create a cage in which few could flourish. But flourish she does, and perseveres stubbornly to carry on her life as normally as possible within that cage.

It's wonderful to imagine that Christina would have loved the painting, and believed that it allowed the world to finally see her.

I was drawn in to the characters' lives from the very first chapter of this book. It is a beautifully written, sometimes tragically told, tale of love and loss in ordinary lives after WWII. The underlying love story between Ani and Mac and their precocious daughter Isabella is uplifting, even in the midst of tragedy. The story takes a different perspective on the horrors of the war by showing how it affected the survivors who returned home with none of the systems that we have in place today to help them deal with the trauma. The phrasing and language in the book is wonderful to read, almost like the poetry that is pivotal to the tale. I found the book a pleasure to read because of that and because of the complexity of the characters. As a caution, this is not for readers who are looking for a happy ending in every story.

This was a good read and kept my interest nearly all the way through. But I did find parts of the story hard to believe. For example, Emmy was portrayed as an independent but compliant child, willing to go along with the future that had been planned for her. When her rebellion finally came, it seemed sudden and extreme. Her jump to an independent life as a career-oriented reporter seemed at odds with the future prepared for her by her upbringing. Her breakaway from her family was not surprising given the circumstances, but seems extraordinary given the setting and the time period. That said, the book was readable and a highly imaginative story.

Frankly, I found it extremely difficult to get interested enough in this book to plow through it. I could not identify in any way with the characters and wondered where the story was going. Then when the plot took a sudden turn, it became interesting enough for me to finish reading it. Even though two of the characters came to life in the latter part of the story, the details were unrealistic to me. I have survived breast cancer myself, and I particularly found it peculiar that a woman would either wish to or be able to hide a recent breast surgery from her husband, and carry on in the bedroom as if nothing had happened. Other reviews have indicated that the author understands how women think; I believe that he writes women as he would like them to think.

This is a spellbinding story that I could not put down. I was pulled into the story and brought to tears on several occasions. I think the author did a masterful job of portraying the circumstances in such a way that I could sympathize with and almost support the decisions the Sherbournes make, almost making me believe that they have done the right thing. It is only when I distanced myself from the spell of the place and the characters that I could awake to the reality of what was done. It is a story that really left me wondering what I would have done in their place.

This one has it all - a whodunit in a historical setting, family drama, interesting characters, unusual setting, an almost-love story. Devoured in 2 evenings, and I can't wait for more. This book should appeal to a wide range of readers, men and women alike, and be of interest for book club discussion because of the human aspect in the father-son relationship. Hope the promise of a series comes true, I can see Rees as a character to follow.

When I first started reading this book, I was sure I would not enjoy it. Oh boy, I thought, another reunion story about a bunch of privilege, self-centered yuppies who wasted all the gifts they were given. But for some reason, I couldn't stop reading it and soon found some sympathetic characters with whom I could identify on some level. It is a well-written book and the author did a great job of making the characters come to life in a way that kept me engaged and eventually even caring about what became of them! I would recommend it to anyone as an entertaining and fairly quick read.

I found Accidents of Providence very compelling because of the topic and the way it is written. The author's style of writing puts you right into the place with vivid descriptions of the sights, sounds, and smells of the period. The topic was extremely interesting to me because it is based on the historical facts of infanticide and the Levelers movement in 17th century England, both of which I was unaware until reading this book. The intense affair between Rachel and William Walwyn brings the characters to life in a very human way.

This would be a good book for a group discussion, and the topic should be carefully considered by those in our society today who are seeking to curtail women's rights.

Sara Poole has created a cracking good tale, filled with intrigue, mystery, plots twists, and romance told by the heroine Francesca Giordano, poisoner to Pope Rodrigo Borgia. I loved it that the central character is an interesting, independent woman, living a life unlike most other women of her time, yet made believable by the setting and circumstances created by the author.

Set in 1493 just after the discovery of the New World by Columbus, it brought me a new perspective on and interest in the effects of that discovery on the European world, and the power struggles it set into motion. Francesca deals with her job of protecting the pope and his family, while also trying to avenge the murder of her father, against the backdrop of the historical drama taking place as a result of that discovery.

The only slight criticism I have of the book is that it gets a bit carried away with the lurid love scenes, bringing it back down into the realm of a lightweight "romance" novel.

It was a quick read and one of those books that once started was hard to put down. I definitely plan to go back and read the first novel in this series, "The Poisoner", and look forward to the rest of Francesca's story yet to come - I hope in many, many more adventures!

This extremely well-researched and written book goes beyond just an account of four extraordinary men and their accomplishments. It provides rich descriptions of their personal lives and the events that affected them emotionally and personally. Since I spent my career in the Information Technology industry, I was particularly fascinated by the sections dealing with Charles Babbage, but the lives of all are intertwined and each of their ideas influenced the others.

This is not a book for everyone, and I found that I had to read it in small sections. Like a great meal as opposed to fast food, sipped and savored.

When I read something comparing this book to "The Help", I was skeptical and fully prepared to be disappointed. After only a few pages, the skepticism was put aside and I became immersed in Grace's story. Her tale of the trials she endured as an immigrant in this country are told in a very personal way, making her character come alive. The use of vernacular and dialect makes all the characters and events real and believable. While Grace's inability to remove herself from her situation with the Bruckners was at times frustrating, her poise and equanimity makes her a sympathetic figure and I felt she would triumph in the end. I'm ready for the sequel!

I was mesmerized by this true-life account of Amy Chua's approach to child-rearing, and the resulting affect on her children, family and friends. She approached parenting as a Chinese mother, with a fierce and unwavering certainty that the harsh, strict discipline and insistence on obedience and hard work is the superior way to raise children. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of her reinforcement of the children's music lessons and the resulting accomplishments. Because of the jarring differences between Eastern and Western styles of parenting, I had to keep reminding myself that this is actually a true story and not a work of fiction. I think the book will appeal to anyone who has struggled with the challenges of raising a child and wondered about the effectiveness of their own approach to parenting. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is well-written, brutally honest, amusing, infuriating, and entertaining - I couldn't put it down!

This book takes the reader to another world and time, and into the young life of Carolina as she journeys into adulthood. The author creates scenes that are richly detailed, as Carolina attempts to record everything in her mind because she finds she is going blind just as she is preparing for her marriage. There is a dreamlike quality to the story as we share her visually shrinking world and transition into the images she stores only in her mind. Her relationships with her family, her husband, and her childhood friend Turri frame the insular world in which she lives. I found the book to be very well-written, and I think the story will appeal to readers who love the written word and the well-turned phrase. But it may lack a wide appeal because of the difficulty in relating to the characters and circumstances of their lives.

Beautiful Assassin is a fascinating tale that takes the reader on a journey from war-torn Europe to the United States before America had entered the fight in World War II. I really enjoyed the way it combines historical fact with fiction, and combines real-life characters with those in the story. Anyone who grew up in the 50's and 60's will find the accounts of espionage between the Soviet Union and the U.S. to be very believable and frightening. I was a bit troubled at the beginning of the book believing that the journalist researching Tat'yana's life would get her to talk so easily. But after reading the whole account, and reflecting what it must have been like to live most of one's adult life looking over the shoulder for fear of being found, I could see why she was able to do so. The book made me want to read more from this author.

Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. It is a gripping story of a woman who finds herself forced to ensure the survival of her family in a flu pandemic which is sweeping the country. The story certainly made me think hard about what I would do if faced with some of the same decisions that Ann was forced to make. Given the timely nature of the subject, I think any mature reader would find the story interesting and though-provoking.

The book opens with an account of Eastern Jewel, a Manchu princess, caught spying on her father having sexual relations with a young girl, after which she is sent away from her home to be raised in Japan. The story of her life from that point, told in the first-person, gave me the voyeuristic feeling of reading someone's secret diary - guilty, but I could not stop reading it. I enjoyed the way the author managed to bring a richly imagined life to an historical figure by revealing her innermost thoughts and feelings. The book contains a thoughtful reading guide and suggested related reading.