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Reviews by Shirley L. (Norco, LA)

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Our Missing Hearts
Our Missing Hearts: A Novel
by Celeste Ng
Absolutely Beautiful (8/27/2022)
I do not enjoy reading dystopian novels. They make me angry and anxious. But Celeste Ng wrote this and I would read a phone book if she wrote it. Although the setting and plot both were very dark and upsetting, the characters were so well drawn and loving I found this novel …more
Palace of the Drowned
Palace of the Drowned
by Christine Mangan
Not a Page Turning Thriller- Better Than That (3/2/2021)
The back cover of this novel describes it as a fast paced thriller. It is not. Shortly after beginning this story I got impatient. Nothing was happening. I would have rated it only 2 or maybe 3 stars. Thrillers are action packed, fast paced. Rather this book was a beautiful …more
The Three Mothers
The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation
by Anna Malaika Tubbs
Needs More Heart Less Info (11/17/2020)
I loved the opening story the author told of the night she discovered that she was to become a black mother to her son. It was heartfelt, relatable, and so human. I only wish that tone had continued throughout the book.

This book read like a very good, well researched …more
The Girl in White Gloves
The Girl in White Gloves: A Novel of Grace Kelly
by Kerri Maher
Interesting Read with Some Limitations (11/3/2019)
The author does a reasonably good job of telling the story of Grace Kelly. The biggest weakness was in the writing of her career development; it read like a dry recitation of one play or movie after the next, and one lover after another without much heart or soul. The …more
Cartier's Hope
Cartier's Hope: A Novel
by M. J. Rose
People Can Surprise You (9/8/2019)
Although I read a good amount of historical fiction, I was unfamiliar with this author. Like other reviewers I found the author's style of giving the reader clues about future events at the beginning the book to be somewhat confusing. Once the story developed I found it to …more
Never Have I Ever
Never Have I Ever
by Joshilyn Jackson
Satisfying Read (4/10/2019)
I am a fan of Joshilyn Jackson and enjoyed her latest work with some reservations.
The first seventy-five or so pages seemed slow and stilted. The narrator seemed strangely disconnected from her own story. I didn't care much about any of the main characters and would have …more
The Last Collection
The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel
by Jeanne Mackin
More Than A Story, A Work Of Art (2/18/2019)
The three primary issues in this delightful book are fashion, politics and love. The author does a brilliant job of mixing the three onto a beautiful canvas. The stories about the inner workings of high Parisian fashion pre World War II are fascinating. The two main …more
American Princess
American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt
by Stephanie Marie Thornton
A Fun, Educational Read (11/11/2018)
I would not expect this book to win any major awards for literary style or originality. I was not inclined to reread sentences or passages for the sheer beauty of the words. This book was just a very interesting, entertaining story about an American Presidential daughter. …more
Listen to the Marriage
Listen to the Marriage
by John Jay Osborn
An Interesting Approach (5/25/2018)
I am a Marriage Therapist and was intrigued as soon as I heard the premise of this book; the entire story takes place solely in the therapist's office. This is a slice of the life of a particular marriage and illuminates the inner psychological worlds of the husband and …more
The Summer Wives
The Summer Wives
by Beatriz Williams
THE Summer Book (4/13/2018)
I enjoy all of Beatriz Williams' books and this one is my favorite. The uniqueness of this story is not the plotline but rather the time- bending fashion in which it is told. Reminiscent of the hit TV show "This is Us", rather than learning events in a linear manner the …more
Other People's Houses
Other People's Houses
by Abbi Waxman
An Enjoyable Ordinary Read (11/30/2017)
This is an ordinary story about four ordinary families who live in an ordinary middle class neighborhood in L.A. Nothing really extraordinary happens in the narrative. The writing does not take the reader's breath away. The novel will probably not win any major literary …more
Next Year in Havana
Next Year in Havana
by Chanel Cleeton
Excellent Historical Fiction (10/1/2017)
I am planning to travel to Cuba at the end of this month, so I was very excited for the chance to read this book. I learned a great deal about living conditions during the revolution. I thought the author did a very good job of exhibiting various political viewpoints rather …more
Young Jane Young
Young Jane Young
by Gabrielle Zevin
Excellent Author (7/10/2017)
I had read The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, and was eager to read Zevin's new novel. I loved it. It was breezy and fun but had a quiet depth to it. It was about mothers and daughters and making the best of an imperfect life. Zevin does a great job using several different …more
The Stars Are Fire
The Stars Are Fire
by Anita Shreve
Not Shreve's Best But Still Enjoyable (2/22/2017)
I'm a fan of Anita Shreve and although this was not my favorite of her works it was still solid and very readable. It is set in the state of Maine in the late 1940s. Women were viewed by a certain type of man as little more than property and society reinforced this view in …more
Underground Airlines
Underground Airlines
by Ben H. Winters
A Dark Fascinating Read (8/18/2016)
The topic of this alternative history novel is very dark and horrifying. It is a very well written thriller. The characters are complex and the reader cares about their fate. Plot details are clear and the pages turn quickly. Two themes which I found to be particularly …more
The Children
The Children
by Ann Leary
A Tender Family Story (5/1/2016)
When I reviewed Ann Leary's previous novel, The Good House, for BookBrowse in 2012, I gave it high marks. I enjoyed this book even more. Charlotte Maynard's voice was clear, poignant, humorous and brilliant. This novel, although set in rural northern Connecticut, was …more
The Dark Lady's Mask
The Dark Lady's Mask
by Mary Sharratt
Heart vs. Brain (2/12/2016)
My heart loved this book. The characters were very developed; the settings were described beautifully. The plot was entertaining and the pages turned quickly. The problem my brain had with this story is contained in the first paragraph of the author's afterward. Most …more
The Forgetting Time
The Forgetting Time
by Sharon Guskin
Interesting Story with an Inspirational Message (12/9/2015)
Some stories are difficult to break in to. Not this one. From page one, the author opens wide an entire assortment of characters for our reading pleasure.
The plot is entertaining. The characters are believable, complex and well formed. The message is beautifully delivered, …more
Frank & Ava
Frank & Ava: In Love and War
by John Brady
Interesting but Shallow (7/31/2015)
I don't judge a book by how much I like or don't like the characters. Great books can be full of despicable characters and a story about only virtuous people can be a bore. I did find the tidbits about Hollywood in the 40s and 50s interesting. And that is my problem with …more
Fear of Dying
Fear of Dying
by Erica Jong
Like a reunion with an old friend (4/26/2015)
Erica Jong is a great writer. When she and I were much younger I marveled at her adventures in Fear of Flying. We both have matured and I loved her words of wisdom about grower older and facing death. Her story was poignant, funny, sad and hopefully...just like life itself. …more
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