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Reviews by Karen S. (Allston, MA)

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The Personal Librarian
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
Already recommending to many friends! (2/4/2021)
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict was a page turner for me, and I loved every page. Somehow this author included history, art, race and identity, social norms, family ties and secrets in this great story. The backdrop of the developing Pierpont Morgan Library and …more
The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World
The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World: A Novel
by Laura Imai Messina
Spare writing that goes straight to the heart (12/17/2020)
This book was a gentle and irresistible invitation for me to inhabit the world of two very likeable Japanese adults who are grieving their losses from the 2011 tsunami. This author conveys their pain without insisting that the reader feel horrible, and allows us to root for …more
The Thirty Names of Night
The Thirty Names of Night
by Zeyn Joukhadar
This might be several different novels (8/15/2020)
Joukhadar creates beautiful and haunting scenes throughout this tale of three generations of Syrian-Americans. Blending immigration, ornithology and sexual identity is an unusual mix, and it mostly worked. The overall storytelling was where the book lost me.
I wanted to like …more
The Smallest Lights in the Universe
The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir
by Sara Seager
Widowhood and astrophysics make a compelling read (7/21/2020)
I dd not expect to like this book as much as I did, and worried that it might be too manipulative and/or too scientific. The author actually found a balance that worked and keep everything quite readable. Someone who is rather extraordinary in several ways has written a …more
The Stone Girl
The Stone Girl: A Novel
by Dirk Wittenborn
Murder and so much more (4/7/2020)
I enjoyed this book ,and it would have been a great read even if I did not need a good distraction during a long period of self-quarantining! Believable characters and many plot twists in wild scenarios—but somehow, not entirely preposterous. Good writing to create a sense …more
The Mountains Sing
The Mountains Sing
by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
Family and the civil war in Vietnam (1/19/2020)
It seems odd to note that a book about such painful events is "easy to read," but this poet, essayist and novelist tells her characters' story with clarity and beautiful language. Nguyen Phan Qu Mai protects the reader from the pain of her story more than some authors do …more
The Sun Down Motel
The Sun Down Motel
by Simone St. James
Ghosts and suspense worthy of late night reading (10/28/2019)
I would have been happy if this was just a good mystery to read between some heavier documentaries. This was much better and fun to read. The author makes some old themes fresher again: small towns and their secrets, adults who disappoint the children in their care, and …more
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    Daughters of Shandong
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    Based on the author’s family story, comes an extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters’ escape from Taiwan.
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