Reviews by Laurette A. (Rome, NY)

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The Flower Sisters
The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
Unique portrait of a tragic event (3/20/2024)
I chose this book mainly because I enjoy historical fiction and The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson did not disappoint. It is based on the tragic and true event of the Bond Dance Hall fire in West Plains, MO that happened one hot August night in 1928. In this …more
Once We Were Home
Once We Were Home
by Jennifer Rosner
What is home? (11/29/2022)
What is home? What does it mean to "be home?" It's more than a physical place, as the novel "Once We Were Home" explains very well. Through the children Roger, Ana, Oskar and Renata and spanning the years 1946-1968 we experience "home" through their eyes and experiences and …more
The Forest of Vanishing Stars
The Forest of Vanishing Stars: A Novel
by Kristin Harmel
Home is not a place, but the people you choose to love. (5/29/2021)
Inspired by true stories, this extraordinary novel draws you in from the very first page. Yona is a young woman who uses her survival skills to help those fleeing from the Nazi invasion of Poland. How she does that and the ensuing results are the focus of the novel. I …more
The Smallest Lights in the Universe
The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir
by Sara Seager
Luminious (8/9/2020)
In "The Smallest Lights in the Universe" astrophysicist Sara Seager has written a very illuminating and moving memoir. Beginning with her navigating the early stages of widowhood, she looks both backwards and forwards describing her early life in Canada where she first fell …more
The Book That Matters Most
The Book That Matters Most: A Novel
by Ann Hood
Not my cup of tea... (6/12/2016)
I've read other books by Ann Hood and liked them, this one...not as much. I'm the sort of person who likes to read to either learn something new or to "escape." This book did neither for me. While I liked and sympathized with the character of Ava, I found her daughter …more
Home by Nightfall
Home by Nightfall: A Charles Lenox Mystery
by Charles Finch
A Satisfying Read (9/26/2015)
This is my first "Charles Lenox" mystery, but it won't be my last. It was very good. Charles and his brother Edmund are particularly well-developed and I enjoyed their interplay. The two mysteries kept me interested and I enjoyed the different character's gentle humor …more
Three Many Cooks
Three Many Cooks: One Mom, Two Daughters: Their Shared Stories of Food, Faith & Family
by Pam Anderson, Maggy Keet & Sharon Damelio
Three Many Cooks is just right. (3/8/2015)
This book was not only enjoyable to read, but the recipes shared by the authors are worthy of making...they provide a wide variety and none are too complicated. I loved the way they shared little bits and pieces of their lives with the readers too. I feel it's a very honest …more
The Book of Strange New Things
The Book of Strange New Things: A Novel
by Michel Faber
What If.... (8/19/2014)
What if you had the opportunity to go to another world and bring the Good News to a people very different from yourself? What if it entailed leaving your wife/partner in your ministry behind here on earth? Would you go? This is the situation Peter Leigh and his wife Bea …more
Henry and Rachel
Henry and Rachel
by Laurel Saville
Can we ever really know a person? (9/22/2013)
I started out not liking this book, but pushed on because I didn't want to leave it unfinished...I'm glad I did. Henry and Rachel are, like most people, very complex and Laurel Saville explores this in very distinct and unique "voices" in each chapter. This book caused me …more
The Sisterhood
The Sisterhood
by Helen Bryan
Good...but... (6/2/2013)
Having recently begun researching my own family tree I was excited to read this book. I liked it, but not as much as I had hoped. While the author put great detail into the background stories of the girls in the convent, I never felt she fleshed out the main character, …more
Eighty Days
Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World
by Matthew Goodman
Very enjoyable. (1/20/2013)
Reads like fiction only it's not! Part history lesson, part travelog, part adventure story and totally engrossing. Eighty Days is immensely informative and a pleasure to read. While I had heard of Nellie Bly I had never heard of Elisabeth Bisland and I did not know the …more
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake: A Memoir
by Anna Quindlen
Gowing Up and Growing Wiser...You Bet! (5/11/2012)
I thoroughly enjoyed "Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake" by Anna Quindlen. Once again Ms Quindlen has demonstrated her marvelous talent in giving us a book that is spot on with the experiences and thoughts a lot of us have had but have never quite been able to put into words …more
The Dressmaker
The Dressmaker: A Novel
by Kate Alcott
New spin on a familiar story (10/31/2011)
I've just finished "The Dressmaker" by Kate Alcott and found it to be interesting and well written. Ms Alcott takes a sad incident from the past and places it as the backdrop in her story of Tess Collins, a young woman longing to find her own way in life in an America on …more
Before Ever After
Before Ever After: A Novel
by Samantha Sotto
A totally surprising and very satisfying read (7/4/2011)
"Before Ever After" took me literally by surprise. Samanth Sotto's first novel hooked me from the beginning and slowly reeled me into the story to the point where I had to make myself stop reading in order to get anything else done. Without giving the plot away let me say …more
Radio Shangri-La
Radio Shangri-La: What I Learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth
by Lisa Napoli
Visiting the "Happiest Place on Earth" (2/28/2011)
"Radio Shangri-La" is part travel guide, part historical narrative and part adventure story, and well worth reading. As a journalist, Lisa Napoli was long acquainted with the hustle and bustle of working in the media profession, but nothing had prepared her for life in …more
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