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Review Date: 9/10/2012
"I thought this book had a wonderful premise and I was excited to read it. Parts of it were good but overall, I have to say I was disappointed. It could have ended several hundred pages before it did. I thought maybe there would be some new or different insights on Kennedy's assassination or the circumstances surrounding it but there were none. I found the ending weak. I had invested so much time in the book (it is over 800 pages) that I was determined to finish it, but it got to be more of a chore than an enjoyable read. Not a favorite of mine."
Review Date: 5/6/2012
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
"A suspenseful thriller with a very interesting premise. It is about a woman with amnesia due to some head trauma. The kicker is every day she starts anew because, she can hold onto memory only for for a day and then becomes a blank slate again after a night's sleep. She depends on her husband each morning, who she usually doesn't recognize, to fill her in on important life details each day. A nice young doctor is also of assistance....but who can she really trust? No one seems to be telling her the whole truth of what exactly happened to her. There are so many holes in what information she is given and she doesn't even trust herself because her memory is so faulty. Keeping a journal is helpful and she refers to it daily but some of the things she is told by people who she should be able to trust, just don't add up. This book is a real page turner and I highly recommend it."
Review Date: 1/21/2012
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
"I just read this book for book club. It was a good read although slow at times. I did really love Alessandra and her slave, Erila as well. Also found the 2 men in her life, her husband and the painter very sympathetic. Despite their sins, faults and quirks, they were likable characters. I agree with the reviewer who said it was interesting to get a view of women's roles from that time period. One reviewer wrote that she put the book down because it was set in a convent. That was only at the very beginning and the last few chapters. The bulk of the book does not take place in a convent. The story takes place during the Renaissance, a time I am not very familiar with. I think if I was better versed in the art and politics of the era, I might have had a greater appreciation of the story although it is still an enjoyable read even if you are not. I will say that I am very glad that I did not live in those days but it is fun to get a peek at them and experience them vicariously. Guess that's why I love to read!"
Review Date: 9/24/2011
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
"I read this book for my book club and in the beginning really struggled with it. Like some previous reviewers, I found it too dull, wordy and descriptive. It probably took me over 100 pages to truly get grabbed into the story. I was rewarded for my perseverance, though, with one of the better books that I have read in long time. The characters are very well developed and I particularly liked Marion and Gnosh. While there are very detailed medical descriptions in it (the author is a doctor after all) there are also many nuggets of wisdom. Also, the plot line is not predictable at all which I found refreshing. I highly recommend this book and encourage anyone who is struggling with the first quarter of it to stick with it. Don't give up! I'm sure glad that I didn't. Would have given it 5 stars except for the difficult beginning."
Review Date: 6/25/2010
6 member(s) found this review helpful.
"This was a pretty good book but I felt it could have ended much sooner than it did. I had it all figured out many chapters before it ended. Seemed to drag a little. Also I kept getting mixed up about who some of the minor characters mixed up. Don't know...maybe they weren't developed enough but I would get frustrated when they would pop up and I'd have to go back and figure out who they were. All in all and okay book but not a favorite for me."
Review Date: 9/24/2011
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
"Wonderful, enjoyable read. I liked as much if not more than Glass Castle. Wish I had read it first because it gives me a better understanding of Jeannette Wall's mother, Rosemary and her childhood. Love her grandmother, Lillian Casey Smith, whom this book is about. A strong, outspoken, plucky lady who in many ways was ahead of her time. Jeannette Walls is a wonderful story teller who really captures the voice of her grandmother. I highly recommend this fun read."
Review Date: 5/1/2011
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
"I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, easy read and interesting story from that part of our country's history. I found the characters very likable and easy to relate to. I did notice the mistake that some reviewers note about no internet in the 1980's but it did not bother me that much since it played such a minor role. Did not notice any other historical inaccuracies and I think author can be forgiven that one."
Review Date: 4/7/2012
"I was not interested in reading this book. Am not into futuristic novels and I didn't like the premise. My daughter and niece both loved it and then someone at book club highly recommended it so I decided to give it a whirl. I was very pleasantly surprised. It was an easy read and quite a page turner. I generally don't read series but I just may have to read the next one to find out what happens with Katniss, Peeta and Gale. Good read even for those who prefer historic novels like me. Recommended."
Review Date: 6/4/2012
"Not one of my favorites by Mary Higgins Clark. Definitely wasn't one of her page turners. Seemed sort of predictable and not up to her usual standard of suspense."
Review Date: 2/7/2012
"This was a good read although a bit slow at times. The author does a good job of making a historical event suspenseful. Even though you know what happened in history, he is still able to give the story a surprising twist at the end."
Review Date: 9/24/2011
"I came away from this book very much admiring George Dawson. His character, work ethic and attitude about life is inspirational. Full of some wonderful insights, this book and George Dawson left an imprint on me. Great true life read that I think many young people would benefit from reading, too."
Review Date: 2/16/2012
"Read this book a few years ago for book club. Was told it was "funny". Kept waiting for it to get funny but only found it to be disturbing and pathetic. For me, the only thing interesting was where it took place since I went to college in that area and at the same time the story took place. Agree with the reviewer who said it was worthless. I threw the book away when I returned home from book club. Couldn't even recommend it to any one."
Review Date: 3/22/2012
"I just finished this book and really enjoyed it. It was not predictable and there are many twists and turns. There are alot of Spanish names so I did get confused sometimes but I was able to go back and figure things out. I especially LOVED the author's style of writing and way with words. ...referred to someone as a "fascist buttock polisher"....another phrase that made me laugh out loud was when he wrote of a character "letting off farts that pierced bullet holes through the upholstery". I definitely expanded my vocabulary reading this book because although I had an idea of what some of the words meant, I was looking them up in the dictionary to get precise meanings. Words like lugubrious, denouement. polonaises, salacious, etc. Don't let any of the vocabulary discourage you. He just uses such rich language to paint the picture. It was refreshing and a real treat to read. The story is a little dark at times but a page turner. Sorry I am not putting it back in the swap right away because I might suggest it for book club."
Review Date: 6/23/2012
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
"I liked this as much as the first one, "Velva Jean Learns to Drive." In fact, I think I may have liked it even more. The story took an entirely different path than I expected, based on the first book. I really love Velva Jean's spunkiness and bravado. The author does a good job of expressing Velva Jean's internal voice...her dreams, her fears, her frustrations, her determination. Most of this book takes place during WWII and some of the characters in it were real people. Velva Jean's experience as a WASP is also based on facts. Jennifer Niven obviously put in a lot of research of this era, making for an informative and enjoyable read. I wouldn't be surprised if we haven't heard the last of Velva Jean!"
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