Loose Diamonds by Amy Ephron
This small book of essays chronicles life experiences, has wonderful insights and exhibits the wit that we associate with the Ephron name. Amy Ephron's writing style is very down to earth and oh so readable as she tells stories about herself, her family, their experiences and the lessons that she has learned. This was a book that was a pleasure to read and one that I will no doubt return to on a rainy just because I can.
Rated of 5
by Janet P. (Spokane, WA)
Things I've also lost and found along the way
Amy Ephron's new book of 18 essays brought chuckles and tears to me, a woman who had lived through similar times. I'm a mother of four, wisely divorced, happily remarried, a daughter of a mother who would never dream of putting a milk bottle on the table, and a somewhat ADD adult who loves to laugh at the absurdities of life. Amy Ephron fits my style perfectly. I've wobbled back and forth between a 4 and a 5 on this rating, basically because I think that someone who wants to read a writer who gets right to the point and who writes equally for males and females, might not like this book. But, what the heck...I loved it! Each essay was a story in and of itself, so it was perfect summer reading. I could read one while waiting outside the bank for my place in line and read another just before nodding off to sleep. In the end, I want to be friends with Amy Ephron, so doesn't that mean her book was a success?
Rated of 5
by Sandra S. (Huntington Woods, Michigan)
Learning To Look Forward To Changes In Life!
Amy Ephron's most recent book is a collection of short memoirs from her life's journey, up to this present moment. The title caught my eye, and from the first page to the last, I enjoyed every experience she related. The first essay was titled Loose Diamonds, it was about a remembrance she had of loosing her "valuable" jewelry to a robbery in her apartment and what she learned from that experience. The first memoir also set the tone for the rest of her book. Her writing is wonderfully descriptive, frequently humorous, and she doesn't miss a beat when it comes to describing the different people that encompass her life. She discusses what she believes to be a true life changing moment for her. As Amy Ephron's life journey continues to challenge her, she never gives up her optimistic outlook. I would recommend "Loose Diamond" to anyone who enjoys reading essays, as well as, memoirs.
Rated of 5
by Janice H. (Savage, Minnesota)
Interesting and Entertaining
I was drawn to the book by its title - Loose Diamonds ... and other things I've lost (and found) along the way. I read this book as soon as I received it and enjoyed learning more about our author with every new story in her book. She has some weird yet interesting stores to tell including meeting Squeaky Frome of the Charles Manson cult, entertaining her neighbor, the Birdman as a young girl, and socializing with the rich lady down the street. I especially enjoyed her story, 'Staying" about whether to divorce or not.
I found her stories interesting, entertaining, and quite delightful and some of them down right hilarious. Any modern family with a stepdad or a stepmom and step siblings will relate to her down to earth stories of disaster waiting to happen.
I really enjoyed the book and I think you will too.
Rated of 5
by Mary Ellen B. (Hebron, CT)
Upscale Amusement
This thin book has some witty moments as the author reminisces about her privileged childhood, marriages, and life in LA. There is some name and luxury brand label dropping that can be a bit tiresome. Fun, if you crave a diversion that turns trivial adversity into drama.
Rated of 5
by Judith G. (Ewa Beach, HI)
A great beach read
I grew up in Hollywood so really enjoyed knowing the location of the streets/beaches/roads mentioned in this book. Each short story stands on its own and the entire book can be read quickly (or savored slowly if one prefers.) Light fare for a relaxing read.
Rated of 5
by Catherine M. (Grand Forks, ND)
Loose Diamonds
Loose Diamonds by Amy Ephron was a fun read. Like her sisters, Nora and Delia, she has a way of making just about any situation amusing as well as thought provoking. She does, however, give a great deal of white space to describing her expensive possessions--lost and found along the way--by their supercilious product names. I passed lightly over her descriptions, except for the Piaget watch. That I coveted.
Fearless, gripping, at once darkly funny and tender, spanning three continents and numerous lives, Americanah is a richly told story set in today's globalized world.
The story of an American family, middle class in middle America, ordinary in every way but one. But that exception is the beating heart of this extraordinary novel.
First time novelist Vaddey Ratner captured my heart and senses in this novel based on her childhood in Cambodia. Her story transcends any news story...
read more
From the first page, I was drawn in by the lyrical writing of the author and mesmerized as the narrator, eight year old Raami, remembered the years...
read more
Trite but true, all good things must come to an end. I so wanted to keep reading the wonderful prose, the settings that let one think they are part...
read more
Amazon cuts off 5200 affiliates in Minnesota(Jun 19 2013) With Minnesota's online sales tax law due to take effect July 1, Amazon has played a familiar card by cutting ties with 5,200 members of its Associates...
Full Story
of 5
by Patricia W. (Richmond, VA)
of 5
by Mary Ellen B. (Hebron, CT)
