Written as an homage to "Anna Karenina", and all the other great Russian novels, "The Last Russian Doll", is the story of Tonya and Valentin and of Rosie. It begins right after WW I and tells of the transformation from Tsarist Russia, to a Socialist state, to a Communist state, to the 1990's and the glasnost period that gave rise to Putin.

I did have a hard time getting into this book. Perhaps it was because of all the Russian names and places mentioned. But once I did, the narrative seemed to flow into a wonderfully sprawling love story that carried me along with it. For the story of Tonya and Valentin is a love story, while the story of Rosie is one of self discovery; who she is and how she is connected to the other people in the novel

"The Last Russian Doll", stands out, because it is so different from the novels of recent years. It is a throwback, after all. And I highly recommend it.

What I remember of Jack and Jackie Kennedy are the Camelot years. It was a time when they were the occupants of the White House and they were the glamorous, golden couple that everyone envied. Men wanted to be Jack. Women wanted to be with Jack (and teen-aged me was one of them) and at the same time wanted to be and/or look like Jackie. Later on, we would learn of the escapades of our hero; all the women coming through the back door. And we would wonder why? After all, he had Jackie!

"Jackie and Me", opens the door to the one sided romance. One can understand why she was attracted to him and he to her. But why did it go so far? Why did they ever marry? She knew who he was before they tied the knot. And as for him, did he ever really love her? Was he capable of loving anybody?

Mr. Bayard's book was terrific; allowing us a glimpse into the lives of two historical figures who barely know one another, and that the world glorified even though they didn't know them either. His writing kept me glued to the pages, wanting more and more of the story. I loved this book and truly recommend it. It was a delicious read.

Sometimes a book confronts you with the question, "What would you do?", or "What should you do"? That is exactly what Cate Ray does in her novel, "Good Husbands". And she does this brilliantly.

Three women each receive a letter that tells of a horrible event that took place 30 years earlier. Each of their husbands are purported to have been involved. But were they? How well do we really know that person we fell in love with and still are in love with? The three women must try and answer all of these questions and more before getting on with their lives.

Cate Ray is a terrific writer. The plot unfolds beautifully. Her characters literally jump off the page. And the conclusion is wonderful and satisfying. I highly recommend this book.

A group of students get a free ride to attend a Washington D.C. College. All they have to do is participate in a special psychology department program. And did I mention that they are all diagnosed psychopaths and that's why they were chosen? What could possibly go wrong?

When students in the program start dying, some of the other students start their own investigation into the murders. Who is the murderer? That is the focus of this fast paced psychological thriller.

It was an interesting look into modern college life as seen through the eyes of three of the students. The story was well plotted. The characters were well drawn. All in all a good story that I do recommend.

In 2016, my husband and I were fortunate enough to see, "Shuffle Along", on Broadway. All of the shows stars were well established Broadway performers and they were the reason why we got tickets. And while we'd heard of Eubie Blake, none of the other people responsible for the 1921 "Shuffle Along, were familiar to us. The show was great!
"Footnotes", the book, examines the contributions made to American theater by Eubie Blake,Noble Sissle, Flournoy Miller, and Aubrey Lyles. Their contributions influenced the musicals of their time and forever changed the complexion of theater casts forever.
While the book was very interesting, especially to frequent theater goers like myself, it read more like a textbook. It especially got bogged down with the telling of the many attempts to revive the original musical; introducing all of the names of the people involved with each attempt. Many of these names were not very recognizable. And even folks like myself, who are familiar with theater history might find these portions tedious. With the exception of the last chapter, I feel the last quarter of the book needed to be pared down.

Brilliant! A masterpiece! Those adjectives don't even begin to describe how incredible this book is. Toni Morrison must be jealous up there in heaven, for Mr. Jones seems to have picked up where she left off.

I have read many books about slavery in America, and a lot of them were excellent. But, none seems to come close to capturing the mood, the torment, the horror, the monstrosity, of this terrible time in our nation's history.

Mr. Jones' writing is so very beautiful. His characters are finely drawn and came to life in a world that is achingly beyond belief.

This is a book that the publishing house should and must go full press in an advertising campaign to promote, "The Prophets". For it needs to be read. It needs to be shared in this time of, Black Lives Matter. It stands out and is truly remarkable.

I was hoping for a light diversion when I undertook the job of reading this manuscript. What I found was at times a tedious and disjointed often rambling account of the author's life. It was at times humorous. But, the subject matter too often was out of my range of knowledge. Maybe being from the east coast put me at a disadvantage. In any event, I just did not like The Madwoman and the Rhoomba.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've been to Paris five times and am in love with the city. Mr. George did a great job bringing the heart and soul of Paris to life and making it one of the essential characters. I could smell the aromas and hear the accordion song that is so much a part of this special place.

Mr. George's prose is lovely and his characters compelling. He brought to life an essential part of Paris history in the '20's, when so many Americans came to explore and hone their creativity.

I truly recommend The Paris Hours. It was a wonderful read.

So many books have been written about the Holocaust. So many compelling stories have been told; some even based on factual occurrences. What makes this book stand out, is the beautiful, almost lyrical way it is written.

The story tells of the bond between mother and child, their love of music, and their efforts to survive during the most dire of circumstances. In some ways, I found it reminiscent of "The Pianist".

Somewhere in the middle of the book, I predicted how it would end. But that didn't stop my tears from flowing throughout. I dare anyone who reads, "The Yellow Bird Sings", not to cry!

I recommend this story to everyone and anyone with a heart. I only hope the publisher hypes it sufficiently, so that as many people as possible can share in the heartbreak and joy of this marvelous book. It is truly outstanding.

In the fall of 1969, I was finishing my senior year at Hunter College in NYC, a school that had admitted men for the first time only a few years before. I was totally unaware of the drama taking place in Yale or Princeton or any other private college. I had no clue about the traumas those women faced as I enjoyed my studies and the social life afforded me because of my choice of school. But I do know now!

What an eye opener "Yale Needs Women" is! It is informative. It is beautifully written. And it is a must read for anyone with a heart and a conscience, male or female.

Ms. Perkins has written a compelling narrative that brings to life the trials and tribulations of some of those brave women who endured their untenable situation with as much dignity as possible, and actually fought back!

This book is so relevant today, when the, "MeToo" movement, has forced everyone to take note, and in many cases, take ownership of the misogyny that has gripped this nation for far too long. Bravo Ms. Perkins and bravo to those women who endured Yale during the early years of the women's movement for equality.

There are thrillers and there are THRILLERS! This book is one of the latter. Joshlyn Jackson takes us on an amusement park ride of a novel with, "Never Have I Ever". The are twists and turns that you never see coming until you arrive breathlessly at the conclusion.

Ms. Jackson certainly knows how to create tension as well as tender moments that allow us the necessary time to recover from whatever she has taken us through. Her writing is wonderful and so is her story. Her characters and situations are well drawn and realistic. I highly recommend this book.

The author may not be a talented violinist, but she sure can write! Her words are, at once, lyrical and engaging. Her story is instructive and compelling.
Memoirs of unknown quantities can sometimes be uninteresting to the reader and make you wonder why they were even published. Not so with, Sounds Like Titanic. Most of the time, I won't even read them. Now, I find myself obsessed with the idea of finding out who The Composer is and outing him.for his selfishness towards his musicians and deception and greed when it comes to his audiences.
Naive, in need of money for college tuition, and desperately wanting to be a paid musician, it is easy to understand why our author went on tour with him. That she was able to come out of this with a greater understanding of herself and her strengths and limitations made this a good read. And, in the end, may also inspire others who find themselves stuck in a situation in which they too find themselves out of their depth, to take control of their lives and move on.
i highly recommend this book.

This was one of those books that I wanted very much to like because of the subject matter. But, alas, it wasn't meant to be; which was very disappointing.

Paris Echo is mainly about two people who are each looking for a connection. One knows nothing about history and doesn't care. The other's whole life is history, to the exclusion of everything else.

There are several problems with this book. First and foremost, the characters are poorly developed. More time is spent describing Parisian streets and neighborhoods than delving into the characters. We know too little about them to really care.

Second, Faulks seems to think that all of his readers are language experts. I love Paris, but my knowlege of French is not very extensive. He uses French words and phrases too frequently and also throws in the occasional phonetically written Arabic word or phrase for good measure, lest we forget that Tariq is from Algeria.

And third, the book is not at all interesting; not the way it was written, at least. The author had a great idea; that history and the present are intertwined. And, he was telling the story of a young American woman who loved French history and an illegal Algerian teenager who expected Paris to be his savior. But the narrative got bogged down in too much extraneous nonsense that prevented the good story that could have been, from ever materializing. And that was a shame.

A terrific story. Lovely prose. Beatriz Williams has once again written a book that will linger in memory long after the last page is turned. I loved The Secret Life of Violet Grant, which I read only a few months ago. But, The Summer Wives is even meatier. She has better developed characters and a writing style that flows so beautifully that one can't help but get caught up in this wonderful tale. Absolutely brilliant.

Sometimes a book just feels comfortable. It wraps itself around you like a warm shawl on a cold winter's night and makes you feel just right. "Other People's Houses", is that kind of book.

I laughed. I cried. And I felt better for having immersed myself in this world.

I want to be a part of this neighborhood. I want Frances to be my friend, or mother, or cousin.

Waxman has drawn characters that feel like they are flesh and blood, not just two dimensional. She reads people so well. Whether they're 4 or 40, male or female, she gets inside them and really knows what they're feeling at any given time or in any situation. She writes dialogue that rings true and never seems forced.

This is one of the best books I've read this year! I only hope that Waxman writes a sequel.

While the writing of this book is engaging, I found that the title was quite misleading. Perhaps the book could have been called, The People You Dislike That You're Related To. There was a lot of whining throughout, right up to the very end. And, I must note, that the characters were totally self absorbed and unlikeable. This was a very disappointing read.

Sometimes a book grabs you and won't let go. "Our Short History", is one of those. Poignant and heart wrenching and full of joy and life, it held me enthralled from beginning to end.

This is the story of a young woman who is dying of cancer and who wants her young son to remember her long after she is gone. Yet, it is uplifting and not just sad. And this is due to the author's well drawn characters and her ability to tell a story so well, that you feel you know these people. You could be these people.
This book will stay with me for a long time.

I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. The lovely prose just sucked me in and drove me to find out more about the various characters whose lives were all bound together; whether they knew it or not. I just knew that everyone involved would have to come together at some point. But the outcome just left me breathless. I highly recommend this book and hope it achieves the success it deserves.

The premise of this book, in which there is an alternate world where slavery is still prevalent in 4 states, seemed very promising. However, too much of the story goes beyond far fetched; even for an alternate world.

The tortured protagonist is better drawn than any of the other characters. But the situations in which he finds himself are just not believable.

The ending seemed to merely be a set up for future novels and was a rushed job at that.

Mr. Winters' writing does shine in places but just not enough to make this book the masterpiece it could have been.

I live in New York and am used to seeing Hassidic Jews. I've always looked at their bizarre clothing and wondered why they continue to dress in this way, no matter the temperature or century. The story told in, "The Devil In Jerusalem", gives me further pause to wonder; are all of these people steeped in a traditional religion, or are they, too, involved in a cult. Also, how does one tell a religious leader from a charlatan? And, how do we know that our rabbi, or pastor, or priest is someone we can trust?

Both rabbis in this story were sick and yet they found people who were eager to believe in them and follow them unquestioningly. And that is truly frightening.

While organized religion can help many people cope with these troubling times, this book is a cautionary tale for those who are seeking some sort of an anchor. All religions should come with a label - Buyer Beware!

This was not an easy book to read. Although interesting and well written, this is not a book I would recommend to everyone. The graphic description of abuse visited upon the children was really too much, and knowing that this story is based on a factual account makes it even worse.