Reviews by Beverly D. (Palm Harbor, FL)

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The Milk Lady of Bangalore
The Milk Lady of Bangalore: An Unexpected Adventure
by Shoba Narayan
COWS !!! Who knew??? (12/13/2017)
What a delightful and "unexpected adventure". The author's return home after years in NYC offer a perfect opportunity to educate both her daughters, AND us on some of the more interesting customs and beliefs of the Hindu religion specifically and India in general. Cows are …more
Never Coming Back
Never Coming Back
by Alison McGhee
Six stars! (9/5/2017)
This was the best book that I have read this year. I had tears streaming down my face more than once. Alison McGhee just "gets" the whole mother/daughter dynamic and has been able to put it down on paper without being overly cynical or overly sweet. Her writing evoked so …more
A Piece of the World
A Piece of the World: A Novel
by Christina Baker Kline
A quiet gem (12/26/2016)
The quietly contemplative story of the inspiration for Christina's World. The lyrical writing invites us into her world, a hardscrabble farm life from which she never escapes.Kline's sense of place and the times makes her story memorable and moving. Highly recommended... …more
I Am No One
I Am No One
by Patrick Flanery
Too Close for Comfort. (7/27/2016)
The writing is chock full of descriptors, asides, but never overbearing; simply lyrical. The subject is one we ALL need to consider...how paranoid does one need to be in this age of hyper (if sub rosa) surveillance ? "He is a completely ordinary American whose life is no …more
North of Crazy
North of Crazy: A Memoir
by Neltje
Neltje (6/13/2016)
Another poor little rich girl story...A seriously dysfunctional family forces Neltje to claim her own way in the world. Unfortunately, getting to her new life in Wyoming takes up a lot of the story and I found the writing to be uninteresting, "and then, and then"....Once …more
The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins
The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins
by Antonia Hodgson
18th Cent London at its finest! (1/5/2016)
A quick, entertaining read for those who enjoy historic fiction laced with true events. Well researched and including the "History Behind" I appreciated the fast paced storytelling and the assortment of characters...gents, criminals AND royals. Based on her descriptions I …more
Hunters in the Dark
Hunters in the Dark
by Lawrence Osborne
Too many words... (11/18/2015)
Why say "It was a dark, rainy night" when you can add so many descriptors to change the statement into a literary masterpiece??? This was a very difficult read for me, even though the locale was a big draw. Robert was not a likable character and his "whatever" attitude just …more
Girl Waits with Gun
Girl Waits with Gun
by Amy Stewart
WOW. (7/8/2015)
Loved this book. Smart, interesting subject matter, very well written and fun! Seemed like an old fashioned serial in some ways. Constance is a well developed character and I'd like to see what happens next with her and her family. I would recommend this novel for …more
What Doesn't Kill Her
What Doesn't Kill Her: A Reeve LeClaire Series Novel
by Carla Norton
ZZZZZZZZ (5/11/2015)
To quote author Debra Doyle...... "The Author is Making a Point; things work out the way they do because The Author's Point Requires It." I have become skeptical of all thrillers...why do all the protagonists seem to have almost super human abilities...I would feel so much …more
Shocking Paris
Shocking Paris: Soutine, Chagall and the Outsiders of Montparnasse
by Stanley Meisler
Outsiders (1/7/2015)
If I could rate 3.5 I would. The amount of information in this book regarding Soutine & the School of Paris is prodigious; however the repetition of documented facts (Modigliani's cafe antics, Soutine's Russian accented French) simply became annoying. The writing style …more
Vanessa and Her Sister
Vanessa and Her Sister
by Priya Parmar
AMAZING !!! (10/2/2014)
I could not put this book down. Convincingly written as Vanessa Bell (nee Stephen) diary entries, we see the interactions between the siblings and their soon to be infamous group of friends, the Bloomsbury group. As an intro to the early 20th century "leaving" of Victorian …more
The Romanov Sisters
The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra
by Helen Rappaport
Readable Russian history! (5/14/2014)
Comprehensive and well documented, this biography of the last Tsar's four daughters stops just short of their violent deaths as the tide turns in Russia. Half of the book is spent with their mother Alexandra,( her relationship with Queen Victoria) and her ill health, their …more
The Cairo Affair
The Cairo Affair
by Olen Steinhauer
wow. (12/3/2013)
I LOVED this book.I am generally not a spy/thriller reader but this story was so current and gripping. Keeping track of the various characters was simple as the author flowed the story seamlessly. That the "main" character was a woman was a big plus for me. Their secrets, …more
To the Moon and Timbuktu
To the Moon and Timbuktu: A Trek through the Heart of Africa
by Nina Sovich
NOT a travelogue.... (6/22/2013)
I really enjoyed this memoir...a story of discovery of both self and unknown places. The writing simply flows and carries you along with Nina in the dust and the heat of the western Sahara. Her revelation about the company of women absolutely struck my soul. The need to go …more
A Nearly Perfect Copy
A Nearly Perfect Copy
by Allison Amend
Not even Nearly Perfect. (3/5/2013)
Art world, cloning, perfect copies....of art works and humans???? I couldn't relate at all to the plot, nor the characters. The writing was less than enticing,"Gabriel had a quick flash of reverie being in Lise's all-white apartment, children hanging off him like rats in …more
Golden Boy
Golden Boy
by Abigail Tarttelin
a different perspective (12/27/2012)
This novel was very readable, almost compulsively so.I would call this a coming of self story. I liked the different voices forming the chapters so that each "side" of the story was being examined. What disappointed me was that I could see what was coming ...several of the …more
With or Without You
With or Without You: A Memoir
by Domenica Ruta
ANOTHER addiction memoir.... (11/26/2012)
I liked this memoir because of the writing, not the story so I gave it 3 instead of a two. Guess there has been one too many addiction memoirs out there and I don't need to read another one where a gifted kid overcame her surroundings. The writing, however, is clean and …more
The Devil in Silver
The Devil in Silver: A Novel
by Victor LaValle
less than expectced (8/9/2012)
I wanted to like this book. It is not REALLY a horror story other than the horror of the conditions at the mental hospital and how the patients are treated. The four main characters are well drawn but it took too long to engage me. Simply written with direct comments made …more
The Age of Miracles
The Age of Miracles: A Novel
by Karen Thompson Walker
the miracle is life goes on... (5/13/2012)
The slowing of the earth's rotation does nothing to slow the growing pains of 11 yr old narrator Julia. A coming of age story in an eerily altered world, Age of Miracles is a well written, easily read novel about how life goes on. In spite of the cataclysmic slowing of the …more
The Land of Decoration
The Land of Decoration: A Novel
by Grace McCleen
faith and family (3/13/2012)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A story of unwavering faith and a protective imagination that threatens to upend a father- daughter relationship,McCleen is able, through her crisp writing to let us see how a 10 yr. old understands the world. Judith is a completely …more
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