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Reviews by Diane D. (Blairstown, NJ)

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Lost Luggage
by Jordi Punti
Well Written, but... (9/11/2013)
...too drawn out.

I think the backgrounds of Gabriel and the other characters was very well written, and you got a sense of the people and areas at that time in history. That being said, the book could have been about 1/3 the size without losing anything.

The story kept memore
The Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane
by Kelly Harms
Heartwarming & Fun (4/24/2013)
Two girls named Janine Brown...one enters a contest to win a fabulous house in Maine; the other's aunt enters her name, without her knowledge. The first is SURE she is going to win it, but it turns out that the other one does.

Both girls go to claim the house, and things getmore
Palisades Park
by Alan Brennert
One of my favorites! (3/10/2013)
This book is SO interesting, especially to someone (like me) who lives in New Jersey. The history of Palisades Park was something I expected, but I wasn't thinking about the other history that would play into the book...even though the book jacket mentioned it. I loved howmore
The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War
by Daniel Stashower
Eye-Opening Book! (1/4/2013)
Since I knew Abraham Lincoln had lived to become President, I was surprised that the book kept me on edge, wondering what would happen next. It is very well written, though I was also surprised that it was also a biography of Allan Pinkerton. I wasn't expecting that!

It wasmore
My Brilliant Friend
by Elena Ferrante
Not my style (6/18/2012)
I have to say this is not a book I would ordinarily read. I kept hoping it would get better, but it just didn't interest me. The way it was written, made it difficult for me to get interested in it; and I didn't understand the lifestyle, which just didn't make sense to me.more
The First Warm Evening of the Year: A Novel
by Jamie M. Saul
Interesting Characters (4/20/2012)
I liked the book, though it bothered me that Marian didn't seem to be able to get past the death of her husband. After all those years, you would think she'd be able to get on with her life. The characters in the book were interesting and described in depth; I had to feelmore
The Red Book: A Novel
by Deborah Copaken Kogan
Interesting Book! (2/9/2012)
I found this book held my interest from beginning to end, even though (or maybe because) I had no personal knowledge of people who had gone to Harvard. It was good to be able to read their entries for the Red Book and then see how their lives played out at and beyond their 2more
Arcadia: A Novel
by Lauren Groff
Fascinating, but disturbing book (12/21/2011)
I enjoyed the book, which held my interest throughout, but the lifestyle of Arcadia disturbed me, as I thought it would. The characters were very well done, which you don't always find in a book.

I think this would be a great book for a book club, because there ismore
The Language of Flowers: A Novel
by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
! (5/30/2011)
This was a very well-written book, but the subject matter made it hard for me to read...especially at first. Our granddaughter was in a group home for several years, before she was adopted (around the age of 13) by a good family. We're just thankful we were able to keepmore
Friendship Bread: A Novel
by Darien Gee
Loved it! (3/14/2011)
I JUST finished this book and couldn't wait to let everyone know that I consider it one of the best books, about women & their relationships, I've ever read! Book clubs would get a lot of discussion with this one, and that's something we always look forward to having.

Imore
Ever By My Side: A Memoir in Eight Acts Pets
by Dr. Nick Trout
Fascinating Book! (1/9/2011)
Our last dog was a black lab, Max, who was also a member of our family. This made this book especially interesting to me. As I read the book, I kept thinking of words that it made me feel. The first was, "Oh, my!", due to all that happens in the book. The others were: Joy,more
The Stuff That Never Happened
by Maddie Dawson
Bumpy Ride (8/28/2010)
The book held my attention, but it was upsetting at times...probably because the whole sexual revolution thing always bothered me. I think those, who went through that, would be more likely to understand what Annabelle was going through than I was. I could never imaginemore
The Secret of Everything
by Barbara O'Neal
A Great Read (12/3/2009)
I knew I was going to like this book from what I read on BookBrowse's synopsis of it, and I was not disappointed; it captivated me from beginning to end!

I enjoy books that are about women who overcome odds, and this is one of those. There were times, when I was on the edgemore
Water, Stone, Heart: A Novel
by Will North
Really Good Book! (5/3/2009)
I just didn't want to put this book down, because there was always something new on the next page. I really didn't know what to expect, and the characters were fascinating.

At the beginning of each chapter, there is a report of rains for the area, but you aren't sure ifmore
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