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Reviews by Carolyn S. (Decatur, GA)

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Ashes of Fiery Weather
by Kathleen Donohoe

Ashes of Fiery Weather (3/21/2016)

This novel is a book about how the Irish dominated the fire service in New York City over generations from women whose husbands served. While interesting, the story skips about to different time periods too much and it is often hard to know exactly where you are. I think the book could have been edited and arranged more coherently.

What Lies Between Us
by Nayomi Munaweera

What Lies Between Us (11/8/2015)

What Lies Between Us is a story of a women living her life with the Civil War in Sri Lanka as a background. It is described as a beautiful and colorful place full of birds and nature, but marred by the tragic events caused by the war. The book asks the question of how the war has affected the main character and if the tragic events would have happened if not for the war.

Fear of Dying
by Erica Jong

Fear of Dying (5/6/2015)

In Fear of Dying, we get the same sexual Erica of old, but now she is dealing with the death of her parents. It is not a new theme, nor does she handle it well. Sex at sixty is not as funny as when she was young.

Lusitania: Triumph, Tragedy, and the End of the Edwardian Age
by Greg King, Penny Wilson

Lusitania (1/2/2015)

The book was very interesting to read, however I think it would have worked better as historical fiction. It seemed like they felt they had to include every quote they found. As a result they couldn't weave in an extended story line which would have made a good book a great book.

Vanessa and Her Sister
by Priya Parmar

Vanessa and Her Sister (10/21/2014)

While Vanessa and Her Sister was filled with very interesting stories of the era, I thought is was difficult to read. The printed form of the book was very pleasing, but having all the letters and telegraphs back and forth made it a bit confusing at times.

Island of a Thousand Mirrors
by Nayomi Munaweera

Island of a Thousand Mirrors (4/15/2014)

This books gives one a excellent portrayal of the cultural and ethnic differences faced by the people in Sri Lanka during their war. The characters are engaging and the descriptions leave an impression. However, with many characters to follow and changing from past to present, it is difficult to keep the time periods and characters from getting confused.

Glitter and Glue: A Memoir
by Kelly Corrigan

Homage to Motherhood (12/7/2013)

While acting as a nanny to a bereaved family in Australia, Kelly Corrigan recalls the many things her own Mother would have said and done in different situations that she faces in Glitter and Glue. The novel has a weak storyline and seems more like an essay about paying homage to motherhood.

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

Illunination (7/2/2013)

The mystery How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny is the most compelling and dramatic book of the Inspector Gamache series. It brings together plot lines from all of the previous books and adds a new one that is most interesting. The struggles Inspector Gamache has been having are finally illuminated. The language, the beloved characters, the town of Three Pines, and the nuances of the plot make the book superb. I am giving the book 5+ stars.

Indiscretion
by Charles Dubow

Indiscretion (10/24/2012)

Indiscretion by Charles Dubow was a less than satisfying novel because it used a predictable and overused plotline with characters that did not fit in the present day. The characters, the rich and the dissatisfied did not seem authentic. There was nothing about them that you could have empathy for in today's life. The narration of the story between the first and third person was disruptive. I would not recommend this book.

My Brilliant Friend
by Elena Ferrante

My Brilliant Friend (6/21/2012)

This ia a story of two young friends set in Naples in the 50's. The story was a little gritty and the characters were not fleshed out enough to keep them separate. It was difficult to get through the book because there was not a strong plot.

The Most Dangerous Thing
by Laura Lippman

The Most Dangerous Thing (8/21/2011)

This was my first Laura Lippman book and I was looking forward to expanding my reading horizons. I was disappointed. The plot was weak, the characters sad, and the pace was slow and the back and forth from past to present distracting. We never received enough information about the main character Go Go.

Heat Wave: A Novel
by Nancy Thayer

Heat Wave (5/17/2011)

I found Heat Wave to be a light, airy, and very enjoyable book for personal summer reading. It has a fun, romantic and predictable plot line as well as a more serious unpredictable one.

Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure
by Beth Mcmullen

Original Sin (2/4/2011)

This story about the life of a former spy is humorous and engaging, but at times the story is not fleshed out enough to suspend belief.

By Nightfall: A Novel
by Michael Cunningham

By Nightfall (1/7/2011)

By Nightfall is a moving account of a man struggling with his middle aged, his career choice and his marriage. It makes you feel compassion for the complexity of his situation and his desire to change it against all odds.

The Discovery of Jeanne Baret: A Story of Science, the High Seas, and the First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe
by Glynis Ridley

The Discovery of Jeanne Baret Glynis Ridley (12/31/2010)

Ridley’s book about Jeanne Baret, woman herbalist, is very well researched and contains very interesting material about the day and the history of the period. I think this historical background is the strong point of the book and as interesting as the story of the young woman herself.

For a historical work, with only the facts to work with, the blanks are filled with conjecture backed up with diligent research, almost taking away from the story of Jeanne who remains a bit fuzzy with some of the other characters taking over due to the fact that no personal diaries were found for Jeanne.

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