Reviews by Barbara P. (Mountain Center, CA)

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Half a Cup of Sand and Sky
Half a Cup of Sand and Sky
by Nadine Bjursten
An Internal Perspective (3/20/2024)
I graduated from a midwestern high school in 1977. The events that are discussed in this book were familiar to me, but as an American getting my information from local and national new stations. Ms Bjursten took me inside Iran and through a time of turmoil as it happened …more
The Cleaner
The Cleaner: A Novel
by Brandi Wells
Have you thought about them... (2/11/2024)
Ms Wells has delivered us a novel with a unique approach to her characters. I found this book to be a vehicle to self-exploration of my own attitudes, and a study on "don't judge too quickly." There were times I found the characters sympathetic and other times they were …more
Bad Animals
Bad Animals: A Novel
by Sarah Braunstein
Those Things that Drive Us (1/30/2024)
Maeve is a part of us all - our obsessions, our frustrations, our insecurities and our desires. Ms Braunstein takes us on a journey, sometimes feeling like a quest, as we visit the areas of Maeve's life that overwhelm and drive her. We get glimpses of who she is, along with …more
The Stone Home
The Stone Home: A Novel
by Crystal Hana Kim
A Journey Into a Nightmare (11/17/2023)
The Stone Home takes us into a world that few of us could imagine. We are introduced to a relationship between mother and daughter that feels familiar and familial, and then we are taken to a place that brings our their best and worst selves. We know of concentration camps …more
Digging Stars
Digging Stars: A Novel
by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma
Our Parents / Ourselves (7/11/2023)
First to say what this book is not: It is not an easy, happy, feel-good read. It is an exploration of one young woman's journey. We meet her as she visits her father in New York, where is surprises her with a new girlfriend and life she didn't know he had, and we watch her …more
The Montevideo Brief
The Montevideo Brief: A Thomas Grey Novel
by J. H. Gelernter
A Swashbuckler of a Story (4/13/2023)
In his historical note, the author stated that this book "may seem a little theatrical at times; pirates always do." And it is, and they are - and it all comes together in a fast-paced story of danger overcome and adventure. As the third book in the Thomas Grey series, I …more
The Nazi Conspiracy
The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill
by Brad Meltzer, Josh Mensch
Observing History As A Fly On The Wall (4/1/2023)
I had looked forward to this book since first seeing it in an ad for books to be published in 2023. As an avid reader of Historic Fiction revolving around WWII, and occasionally delving into the world of non-fiction of the same time period, this was a book that made my " …more
The Critic's Daughter
The Critic's Daughter: A Memoir
by Priscilla Gilman
A World Few of Us Experience (2/5/2023)
This is not an easy read. The Critic's Daughter lets us know right away, and continually, that she is carrying the baggage of her eccentric father and her emotionally distant mother, and we will be joining her on her journey of recovery. At times it reads like a journal and …more
Sisters of the Lost Nation
Sisters of the Lost Nation
by Nick Medina
Two Sisters and So Much More (11/4/2022)
This book will linger with me for a long time. The issues that this books touches are timely and heartbreaking. Anna struggles with who she is, where she is from and who she will become - while trying to understand who others want her to be. Then she is thrown into an …more
The Last Russian Doll
The Last Russian Doll
by Kristen Loesch
An excellent look into Russia (10/25/2022)
It is not often that you find a book that wraps so many varied personalities and motivations into a compelling mystery of discovery and self-discovery. I had a difficult time getting into this book because I felt the frustrations of the characters in a very real way - the …more
Jackie & Me
Jackie & Me
by Louis Bayard
Hindsight is 20/20 (6/30/2022)
I was drawn to this book because the idea of Jackie reminded me of my mother, who was enamored by all things Jackie - and this book did not disappoint in giving us a glimpse into her world as a young woman attempting to find her place. Knowing how the public parts of her …more
Some of It Was Real
Some of It Was Real
by Nan Fischer
More than expected (3/8/2022)
Nan Fischer did an excellent job of introducing every character and pulling me into their story. Sometimes I loved them, and sometimes I wanted to shake them senseless - but the point is, through the entire book, I was engaged. I picked the book up and didn't want to put it …more
Activities of Daily Living
Activities of Daily Living: A Novel
by Lisa Hsiao Chen
Life is Art (2/9/2022)
Let me say what this book is not: It is not light reading for the beach or plane. It is a well thought out narrative of often eccentric characters living and expressing and muddling through. Though happening on both the West and East coasts, there is definitely a New York …more
Flesh & Blood
Flesh & Blood: Reflections on Infertility, Family, and Creating a Bountiful Life: A Memoir
by N. West Moss
An Unexpected Delight (8/21/2021)
I have to admit, it took me a while to pick up this book. I chose it but then I became anxious about what I might read. it is not my usual genre and I was afraid I could not relate or would be overwhelmed with sadness. Instead it felt as though I was on a weekend retreat …more
The Personal Librarian
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
So much I didn't know (3/24/2021)
I had never heard of Belle de Costa Greene. I knew of the JP Morgan Library, but I had no idea of the woman behind library or her fascinating story. It is so appropriately a book for our time - spanning the time from the Civil War to the 1940's, as they enveloped the story …more
The Last Romantics
The Last Romantics
by Tara Conklin
The people who know us best - or do they? (12/11/2018)
I found myself engaged with the characters and drawn into this family's story immediately. Each of the four main characters has a life and perspective of their own, and draws you in to care about how they feel and how they grow. it is a story of siblings at the core, but it …more
The Last Year of the War
The Last Year of the War
by Susan Meissner
We All Need a Place to Call Home (11/16/2018)
Susan Meisner has introduced us to a family, and most specifically, a young woman, to whom we can relate and empathize with her desires to find a true friend, fit in and be her real self. Along the way we are introduced to atrocities that have gone wholly unrecognized by …more
Girl Waits with Gun
Girl Waits with Gun
by Amy Stewart
Enjoyed the book very much (5/19/2016)
I found this to be a very enjoyable and thought provoking historic fiction. I was unaware of the happenings and social conditions in the early 1900's in New York/New Jersey. The book was informative and the characters were engaging and interesting. I have recommended this …more
The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins
The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins
by Antonia Hodgson
A interest study of position, power and influence (1/13/2016)
From the prologue to the last page, this book takes us on an enjoyable yet thought provoking ride through a not so very distant England. We have the opportunity to explores the nobles, the royals and the not so honorable that keep the system working. I enjoyed the …more
The Language of Secrets
The Language of Secrets
by Ausma Zehanat Khan
The fear of the 21st Century (12/2/2015)
The villains of the 21st Century novels have become the hidden in plain sight community, replacing Nazis and Russians. The Canadian setting added an additional element. I don't believe I have read a novel set in Canada before. I found the characters to be one dimensional …more
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