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Reviews by Joyce W. (Rochester, MN)

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The Stolen Child
The Stolen Child: A Novel
by Ann Hood
A Beach Read (4/18/2024)
I was disappointed in this book. I felt it was formulaic. Jenny breaks away from her family to find herself. She then has casual sex while drunk and thinks she is in love with two men. She deals with Nick (an old curmudgeon) who grudgingly learns to like her. Something sad …more
Daughters of Shandong
Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung
A Communist Takeover (11/13/2023)
This book starts in 1948 as the Communists fight the Nationalists in China. The description of the brutality is amazing. The suffering of the Chinese landowners and their families is described in detail. Also amazing is the way the Chinese feel about girls and women as …more
Delicate Condition
Delicate Condition
by Danielle Valentine
Unbelievable (7/2/2023)
I had a very difficult time rating this book. The author does a very good job of creating suspense. I raced through this book, but was it because I wanted to know the ending OR because I couldn't stand the book and wanted to be done with it? It was both reasons.
Her biased …more
The Lost English Girl
The Lost English Girl
by Julia Kelly
Very enjoyable read! (2/5/2023)
A beautifully written book. This is the story of the English children who were sent to the countryside during WWII to protect them from the bombing of London and other major cities. This was a unique way to keep them safe, but the consequences will never be fully known. The …more
In the Time of Our History
In the Time of Our History
by Susanne Pari
People are the same everywhere (9/5/2022)
This book is well written and is in story form which educates as well as entertains. The author uses a different culture to show how people are so similar even coming from another part of the world. There is still a mixture of kind and cruel people as well as conservatives …more
The Poet's House
The Poet's House
by Jean Thompson
Something different (6/12/2022)
I enjoyed this book. Jean is a good storyteller and it was funny and warmhearted. I was pleased that some of the writers were so kind and accepting, especially Viridian who was willing to open the world of poetry to other people. I felt Carla's insecurities were believable …more
Dirt Creek
Dirt Creek: A Novel
by Hayley Scrivenor
Dirt Creek (3/6/2022)
This is a very good, well-paced crime novel. When a young girl goes missing, many questions are raised. The toughest issue for the detective is deciding who is telling the truth and who is not. The townspeople have connections with each other and their own little secrets …more
Two Storm Wood
Two Storm Wood: A Novel
by Philip Gray
Historical Fiction Thriller (12/11/2021)
This is an amazing story and this author has written other thrillers that I plan to read. This gives a very good description of the WW1 battlefield and what soldiers had to do to survive. Even though the chapters were time dated I did have some trouble jumping from …more
Honor
Honor
by Thrity Umrigar
Honor (9/12/2021)
Honor is an excellent book which did not surprise me as Thrity Umrigar is an excellent author. From the title "Honor" I knew it would be about an honor killing.
The book gave a good description of the difference between the city and villages. I was surprised at how much …more
Palace of the Drowned
Palace of the Drowned
by Christine Mangan
How hard it is when you aren't "normal" (3/18/2021)
I have often wondered what exactly an "unreliable narrator" was; and I have avoided books using this method because I didn't think I would like them. I discovered I don't like unreliable narrators. I will say there is suspense as you wonder if the protagonist is going mad.
…more
At the Edge of the Haight
At the Edge of the Haight
by Katherine Seligman
How hard it is when you aren't "normal" (10/11/2020)
I thought this was a very interesting way to tell about the homeless crisis. I am glad she told about teens and young adults rather than veterans, alcoholics and extremely mentally ill people. Each group will be very different from the others. I did feel it gave me insight …more
Mighty Justice
Mighty Justice: My Life in Civil Rights
by Dovey Johnson Roundtree , Katie McCabe
This is a must read (9/15/2019)
If you only read one more book about a black woman fighting for equal rights, you have to read this one. Dovey's determination and drive are amazing. Her life shows how a good mentor can propel a person's life; and how important it is to have a loving, nurturing home life. …more
Yale Needs Women
Yale Needs Women: How the First Group of Girls Rewrote the Rules of an Ivy League Giant
by Anne Gardiner Perkins
This is a must read (7/6/2019)
This is the story of women fighting for their rights in a male dominated college,e.g. sports, music. There also were no role models, professors, guidance counselors. My daughter and granddaughters need to read this book; some of these issues exist today, pay equity being …more
D-Day Girls
D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II
by Sarah Rose
An untold story (3/26/2019)
This book has important information and is well researched. I feel it was a little choppy in jumping to different women; a flow was missing. It needs more detailed escapades to create tension and excitement. It reads more as a thesis than a story. It is important to tell …more
A People's History of Heaven
A People's History of Heaven
by Mathangi Subramanian
An enjoyable read (2/12/2019)
This book surprised me. The total lack of sentence structure and correct punctuation was very effective but hard to get used to, and this is the reason I did not give it 5 stars. I have several friends who would stop reading this book because of this feature. I am very glad …more
Paris Echo
Paris Echo
by Sebastian Faulks
Disappointing (8/15/2018)
I have been to Paris several times and thought I would enjoy this book. I felt it was so disjointed. It hopped all over the place. The women's stories were just snippets of their lives. The chapter titles were worthless; they should have provided a map to make some sense of …more
Strangers in Budapest
Strangers in Budapest
by Jessica Keener
Hungary's history (11/10/2017)
This book gave a very good description of Budapest. I toured there five years ago. The city is beautiful, especially at night from the river. The communist buildings are bleak and the country has a long history of being subjected to other countries domination. The author …more
Young Jane Young
Young Jane Young
by Gabrielle Zevin
Jane Young finds herself (7/10/2017)
This book is light and witty. The characters are very believable. Women will enjoy the relationships and the modern internet usage. I will recommend this book to my friends because it is a quick, funny read, and we need something to read to escape from the depressing daily …more
If We Were Villains
If We Were Villains
by M. L. Rio
Fascinating and Clever (3/21/2017)
I really liked this book. There were just enough characters to keep it interesting, but not too many to get mixed up. The premise of fourth year theatre school students in a midwestern city made for an intriguing setting. The suspense was very cleverly created by giving the …more
Home Sweet Home
Home Sweet Home
by April Smith
So-So (12/24/2016)
If I had picked up this book on my own, I would have stopped reading it half way through. Since I was reviewing it, I kept reading and was glad I did. I knew a little about McCarthyism but this really showed me how gullible and fearful people were (and still are). It is …more
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