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Reviews by Vivian H. (Winchester, VA)

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The Red Book
The Red Book: A Novel
by Deborah Copaken Kogan
The Red Book - a Familiar Theme (2/5/2012)
"The Red Book" is a readable story about 4 friends who met at Harvard and reunite at their 20th reunion and how life changes and how it is possible to reinvent oneself at mid life. The theme is not new. More Magazine profiles such women monthly. This is essentially an …more
The Face Thief
The Face Thief: A Novel
by Eli Gottlieb
The Face Thief is an engaging read! (12/11/2011)
I just completed "The Face Thief" and loved the musical tone of Eli Gottlieb's prose. There are passages that's reminded me of the beautiful turn of phrases by James L. Burke. While certainly not a perfect read, it was quick, creative, engaging and kept me turning the pages, …more
Tides of War
Tides of War: A Novel
by Stella Tillyard
Love & War during the Regency (11/10/2011)
"Tides of War" is an ambitious historical novel that tries to be a sweeping epic, but just falls short. I very much enjoyed the fictional Harriet Raven, Robert Heaton, David McBride X& Anne Cobbold as well as the portrayals of Kitty Wellington and Frederick Winsor, who …more
The Cookbook Collector
The Cookbook Collector: A Novel
by Allegra Goodman
Excellent story (9/5/2011)
I read this book after hearing a review about it featured on NPR. Were it not for my seeing the overall reader review lower than I could have imagined, I might not have felt compelled to write a review.

The book is not perfect and there were some facets that were not quite …more
Next to Love
Next to Love
by Ellen Feldman
Heart Rending and Impossible to Put Down (7/16/2011)
I began reading "Next to Love" during a 10 hour car ride over 4th of July Weekend and was absolutely mesmerized. Despite the fact I was visiting family, I kept sneaking off to read a few more pages and then felt a bit bereft with I as done - it left me wishing for more.

…more
The Daughter of Siena
The Daughter of Siena: A Novel
by Marina Fiorato
Enjoyable Historical Romance with Intrigue (5/1/2011)
The Daughter of Siena is a book I couldn't put down. Having spent my honeymoon in Tuscany with several days in Siena, I came to love this medieval city and thoroughly enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the contrade, the historic rivalries, the hatred of the Medici, the …more
Jamrach's Menagerie
Jamrach's Menagerie: A Novel
by Carol Birch
Jamrach's Menagerie~Darwinian themes throughout (2/11/2011)
The beautifully lyrical imagery of the prose in Jamrach’s Menagerie draws the reader into the 19th Century world of those who collect of exotic species, of sea adventure and misadventure, of friendship and camaraderie, of the wonder and awe of nature, of the nature of man …more
The Discovery of Jeanne Baret
The Discovery of Jeanne Baret: A Story of Science, the High Seas, and the First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe
by Glynis Ridley
18th Century Adventures in Botany (1/8/2011)
It is always a challenge to tell the story of those for which there is little written record. However, there is enough on the history of Jeanne Baret to make this a fascinating tale of a woman who should never have lived past the age of 26, yet managed to become the …more
The Philosophical Breakfast Club
The Philosophical Breakfast Club: Four Remarkable Friends Who Transformed Science and Changed the World
by Laura J. Snyder
The Birth of Modern Science (1/2/2011)
This book is for anyone who has an interest in 19th Century history - not just scientific developments. Four men of quite different backgrounds met at Cambridge and came to believe in the Baconian view that scientific discovery should benefit humankind, make the lives of …more
The Confessions of Catherine de Medici
The Confessions of Catherine de Medici: A Novel
by C.W. Gortner
One of History's Most Fascinating Women (12/12/2010)
I loved this book. It is well written, well researched historical fiction at its best. Catherine de Medici is one of history's most fascinating, misunderstood and maligned women, a contemporary of Mary of Scotland and Elizabeth of England. She has intrigued me since I was a …more
Agent X
Agent X: A Novel
by Noah Boyd
A Real Page Turner (12/3/2010)
Agent X is a real page turner. I debated between rating this a 4 or 5 and lean towards 4.5. I love a good thriller. And this story is engrossing, albeit improbable - a 21st Century spy thriller involving the Americans and Russians and moles. The narrative is extremely well …more
Fall of Giants
Fall of Giants: Book One of the Century Trilogy
by Ken Follett
Not Follett's Best, But Still An Engrossing Tale (10/29/2010)
"Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End" are among my favorite books of all time. I love Follett's style of writing and his in depth research. While I enjoyed the story told by "Fall of Giants", I did not love any of the characters in the book. For the most part they …more
Bury Your Dead
Bury Your Dead: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, #6
by Louise Penny
Bury Your Dead (9/5/2010)
I loved this book and hated to put it down. After finishing Bury Your Dead I am anxious to read the prior episodes in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery series.

The plot involves a delightful cast of eccentric, artfully crafted characters that feel real and …more

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