Reviews by Kelli Robinson

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The Goldfinch
The Goldfinch: A Novel
by Donna Tartt
Big Fat Book Worth Reading (11/25/2014)
Although I agree with many other readers that the ending is less than satisfying, I highly recommend this book for its adventure and characters. I'm not sure how much I "cared" about the main character, Theo, but I was more than curious to find out his next move and that …more
Arguably
Arguably: Essays
by Christopher Hitchens
A Thought-Provoking Literary Challenge (11/25/2014)
This was not my first foray into the work of Hitchens. I read God is Not Great as well as several Vanity Fair articles prior to this set of essays. This book, however, illuminated the huge gap in intellect between Hitchens and myself. Not a surprising discovery but rather …more
A Discovery of Witches
A Discovery of Witches: A Novel
by Deborah E. Harkness
Good Contemporary Paranormal Fiction (11/25/2014)
I waffled back and forth between 3 stars and 4 stars and settled ultimately on 3 stars. I prefer the Anne Rice world of witches and vampires to the Stephenie Meyer or Charlaine Harris worlds. I like my paranormal universes to be dark and I don't mind a story steeped in …more
The Warmth of Other Suns
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
by Isabel Wilkerson
Great Study of the American South (11/25/2014)
As a Yankee transplant to the South who has lived in Birmingham, Alabama, for nearly 20 years, I found this book fascinating. From the minute I arrived in Alabama, I was acutely aware of the race relations issues still lingering and I found myself studying the history of …more
Wife of the Gods
Wife of the Gods: A Novel
by Kwei Quartey
Good Mystery Set in Ghana (11/25/2014)
This was a quick read and a good mystery. I appreciated being transported to Ghana and I was intrigued by the clash between traditional customs (i.e., faith healers, polygamy) and modern medicine (i.e., AIDS education). This wonderful blend seemed real to me although I have …more
On Black Sisters Street
On Black Sisters Street: A Novel
by Chika Unigwe
Be Transported to Nigeria and Belgium (11/25/2014)
I discovered this book while looking for a Nigerian author for a reading challenge. As with any book set outside of the United States, I liked being transported to two different countries: Nigeria and Belgium, neither of which I had ever visited. I also liked the structure …more
We Need to Talk About Kevin
We Need to Talk About Kevin: A Novel
by Lionel Shriver
Incredibly Powerful (11/24/2014)
This was an incredibly powerful book for me on so many levels. I repeatedly felt a sense of guilt as I read through Eva's letters to her husband sensing that these were too personal to share, amazed at her level of complete honesty. At many times, Eva said things that I …more
Defending Jacob
Defending Jacob: A Novel
by William Landay
Classic Legal Thriller (11/24/2014)
In the classic legal thriller tradition of John Grisham or Scott Turow, this book also proved to be an admirable companion to We Need to Talk About Kevin. Thrown in for good measure was some interesting science on behavioral genetics, specifically the gene encoding the …more
The Hummingbird's Daughter
The Hummingbird's Daughter
by Luis Alberto Urrea
Beautifully Written (11/24/2014)
This book is beautifully written and I had the added pleasure of listening to the unabridged audiobook read by the author. This meant that each Mexican name or word was perfectly pronounced and the pace and timing of the poetic prose was set forth before me just as it was …more
The Husband's Secret
The Husband's Secret
by Liane Moriarty
Much More Than Australian Chick Lit (11/24/2014)
Some readers have described this book as light Australian chick lit perfect for the beach. I read my fair share of chick lit beach reads but I would NOT place Liane Moriarty's The Husband's Secret in that category. This book is much more substantial than that description. …more
Still Alice
Still Alice
by Lisa Genova
Walk in the Shoes of Alice (11/24/2014)
I decided to read Still Alice because the average reader rating is extremely high. I'd never heard of the book or the author but gave it a try. I cannot even recall the last time I felt this emotionally moved by a book - ever. Something about this story, this educated woman …more
Still Missing
Still Missing
by Chevy Stevens
Read Elizabeth Smart's Memoir Instead (11/24/2014)
This was my least favorite book this year - thank goodness it was a short one. There were only about 75 or so pages in which I found myself a bit captivated by the story, but I did not care for the first half of the book, nor did I like the last quarter of the book.

Here …more
Still Alice
Still Alice
by Lisa Genova
Early Onset Alzheimer's Examined (11/22/2014)
I decided to read Still Alice because of its many favorable reader reviews. I'd never heard of the book or the author but gave it a try. I cannot even recall the last time I felt this emotionally moved by a book - ever. Something about this story, this educated woman who is …more
All Over But The Shoutin'
All Over But The Shoutin'
by Rick Bragg
Great Southern Memoir (11/21/2014)
Although Yankee-born, I have lived in Alabama for nearly half my life and I feel a kinship and loyalty to this State - with all of its beauty and flaws. So that is why I'm quite ashamed that it took me 17 years to read Rick Bragg's memoir of growing up in Calhoun County, …more
Necessary Lies
Necessary Lies
by Diane Chamberlain
Eugenics in 1960s North Carolina (11/21/2014)
This was my first Diane Chamberlain book but was just OK for me. I was drawn to the book because it was set in the 1960s in North Carolina (southern fiction is one of my favorite genres) and involved the controversial Eugenics Board of North Carolina. I agree with others …more
The Poisonwood Bible
The Poisonwood Bible
by Barbara Kingsolver
Southern Gothic Fiction Set in the Congo (11/20/2014)
This is exactly what I want from an award-winning novel! I was hooked immediately by the author's authentic southern voice and the way she expertly molded and shaped the four Price girls and their mother. The Poisonwood Bible was my kind of Southern Gothic fiction, but …more
Accidents of Marriage
Accidents of Marriage
by Randy Susan Meyers
Liked It But Wanted More (11/20/2014)
This was a solid 3-star book for me. I liked it, but wanted more. Liane Moriarity, one of my new favorite authors for her wit and willingness to tackle difficult subject matter, endorsed this book as "one of those rare novels that is both unputdownable and unforgettable." …more
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