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Reviews by lani

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The Second Mrs. Hockaday
by Susan Rivers

Compelling (12/3/2016)

Another goodie that readers will have to devour in the New Year; a nice way to start off 2017. At first I wasn't sure if I would like the structure of this novel. Set up as letters and diary entries, I actually thought it might be stultifying. Rather, it was engrossing with …more

Edgar and Lucy
by Victor Lodato

An award winner... (11/11/2016)

How many languages can you spell love? I would shout it from the rooftops exclaiming my adoration for this novel about a special little eight year old and his family. I could tell from the very first page that this was a novel that I was going to savor and enjoy. Eight year …more

The War Reporter
by Martin Fletcher

A Serbian thriller (8/3/2015)

Martin Fletcher is an inveterate foreign correspondent who brings his probing skills into this interesting fictional work .Tom Layne is an American journalist who has returned to the Balkan region after being captured and detained 10 years prior along with his translator …more

Irritable Hearts: A PTSD Love Story
by Mac McClelland

Disappointing (1/2/2015)

I really wanted to like this book but reviewing this book was a difficult task. On the positive side I admired the author's writing and her raw openness about her condition and its effect upon her life. However, I couldn't help but question her credibility. Being somewhat …more

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair: A Novel
by Joel Dicker

Be prepared to be hooked! (6/25/2014)

Despite my non belief in the 15 year old girl's voice, I was thoroughly entranced with this novel and read all of its 640 pages in 2 days, although getting done with nothing else in my life. A perfect summer book on the beach or long plane ride where you want to be swept …more

Island of a Thousand Mirrors
by Nayomi Munaweera

An exploration of war and loss (3/27/2014)

I was very anxious to read this book after being in Sri Lanka last year and visiting friend's relatives who lived there. Although, the first 80 pages felt like a poorly written soap opera, this dynamic devastating story picked up steam after that and never let down. This …more

How the Light Gets In: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, #9
by Louise Penny

a dazzling winner! (7/6/2013)

This is my first experience with Louise Penny and her Inspector Gamache series. I had long heard whispers about how good the series was but did not take it seriously. "What a fool am I!" What seems like a straight forward plot is filled with twists and turns and surprises …more

Peking to Paris: Life and Love on a Short Drive Around Half the World
by Dina Bennett

witty travelogue (3/6/2013)

In this amusing book, the author recounts her trip with her fearless husband in a 1940 Cadillac La Salle (alias Roxanne) for an antique automobile race from Beijing to Paris. Never having driven distances without car sickness, this intrepid traveler outlines the various …more

Rage Against the Dying
by Becky Masterman

Riveting Read (12/25/2012)

As a 61 year old, it was an incredible treat to find such a feisty steel eyed older female heroine the likes of Brigid Quinn. This tough as nails ex-FBI agent is the principle character involved in a homicide case that was never completely solved and involved one of her …more

Where'd You Go, Bernadette: A Novel
by Maria Semple

Hilarious (9/5/2012)

This is one book that I am urging all my friends to read - a perfect end of the summer wrap up. I laughed so hard throughout this witty novel and didn't want it to end. Run to the store for this one. You won't regret it..

Gone Girl: A Novel
by Gillian Flynn

Don't plan on sleeping (6/7/2012)

I adored this book..the writing, the twists and turns of the plot kept me up until 1am because I just wanted to keep reading..This one is a winner!

The Innocents: A Novel
by Francesca Segal

good beach read (5/7/2012)

A light hearted rendition of Edith Wharton's Age of Innocence taken from a Jewish family's perspective. Being Jewish myself, I found the cultural proclivities,kinship and value system to be "spot on". For individuals not familiar with Jewish culture, it will be an …more

Girlchild: A Novel
by Tupelo Hassman

A book like no other... (3/14/2012)

Tuppman's expressive and inventive prose is a delight that lifts one's imagination with each sentence. I would often stop and picture the image that her gorgeous writing would produce. Her savage depiction of trailer park life and the woes of single motherhood will leave …more

All Woman and Springtime: A Novel
by Brandon W. Jones

Good first effort (3/13/2012)

Would I run out to tell someone to read this book? No...but was the author able to maintain a level of tension and spur one on to finish this quick read...Yes! That said, the book was good but with limitations. The beginning dragged with similes that were trite and …more

The Healing: A Novel
by Jonathan Odell

Run to the store (3/2/2012)

If I could give this book a 6, that would be well earned. Quite simply,I adored this book which explored slavery and subjugation in a prose so lyrical and moving that I heard the characters lilt in every phrase I read. I was also so astonished at the sensitivity by the …more

The Informationist: A Thriller
by Taylor Stevens

Harrowing! (1/12/2012)

I read this book when it first came out but I only remember not being able to put it down. I just finished her latest sequel,The Innocent,and have to let everyone know that they should run out and read it. It is just as good as the first!! Fast paced chiller action with a …more

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
by Katherine Boo

Clarity in disparity (12/27/2011)

First, I must declare my conflict of interest. I am in love with India, have visited 4 times and spent time in the Dharavi slum. I thought I understood intellectually the plight of the poor and disenfranchised but nothing prepared me for the emotional wallop of Katherine …more

When She Woke: A Novel
by Hillary Jordan

fascinating (11/2/2011)

A wonderful Margaret Atwood type of dystopian tale but, I tend to disagree with the reviewers. I was looking for something more. In fact, what I loved about it was how this mild dystopian nature could be related directly to today's events. I thought it was a winner and …more

Before I Go To Sleep: A Novel
by S.J. Watson

Run...to get this (7/13/2011)

I almost got into 3 accidents because I kept trying to read this at every stop light while I was in the car. Perfect for vacation, a long flight or just everyday reading. The tension continued to build in this book until the last couple of pages and I still am haunted by the conclusion..

The Hypnotist: A Novel
by Lars Kepler

perfect summer reading (7/13/2011)

The tension in this book continued from the first page to the last. Achingly good book that will intrigue people who love Stieg Larsson's work.

BookBrowse Book Club

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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Dream Count
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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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