Rated of 5
by Laura H a glimpse of la and new york
This book seems spare and yet the observations in it stay with you. The use of language is also spare and yet evocative. I lived in Los Angeles in the late '70s and it captured the time for me in a way, like snapshots, like real-time. The voice of each of the pieces is also evocative of the time they're written in. I couldn't stop reading it. The one on one parody of "Why I Quit Being Psychic", the weird piece about the Manson family and the Spahn Ranch, a place I'd never go have dared to go to. And yet it brought back memories for me, some of which I'd had, some of which are imagined. In a way, the sub-text is almost as important as the writing which was so simple as to be deceptive. And reminded me of bygone times.
Rated of 5
by Bea C. (Liberty Lake, WA) Loose Diamonds
This book is a collection of stories and musings from the author's life. It is like reading a bunch of newspaper columns that have a little humor and not much feeling or intrigue. I would rather read one of them a day with the morning newspaper than try to read them all at once since I hardly remember any one of them. They are not terribly interesting, but they are filled with name dropping. It is definitely not like reading a collection of quality short stories. I would recommend this book to anyone trying to get to sleep.
Rated of 5
by Joan V. (Miller Place, NY) Lumps of coal
This book was very disappointing. I expected the writing to be charming and witty. “Loose Diamonds” has absolutely no substance and very little style.
The constant name dropping was extremely annoying. When Ms. Ephron was not dropping names of famous people it was high end brand names she was brandishing about.
Instead of warm and approachable Ms. Ephron came across as very self-centered; a “poor little rich girl.”
Rated of 5
by Sheryl R. (DeQuincy, LA) Loose, indeed!
The title of this book of essays by one of the famous Ephron sisters may be it's strongest point. VERY loosely held together, these are "diamonds" in the rough. I'm not an editor, but I kept wanting to edit: to scratch out sentences, correct grammar, restructure the writing. Perhaps these essays are better received in New York, but one review I read which compared this collection to Joan Didion was offensive to me (and, I would suspect, Ms. Didion!). I read books of this sort to mine other people's lives and thoughts for any truths discovered, lessons learned, or universal experiences lived. I found none of these in this collection. Average at best!
Rated of 5
by Irene B. (Denton, TX) loose diamonds
This is not a good book. I would not buy nor recommend it to anyone. It is the equivalent of a movie magazine, a me,me, me book.
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.
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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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of 5
by Laura H 
of 5
by Bea C. (Liberty Lake, WA) 
of 5
by Sheryl R. (DeQuincy, LA) 
of 5
by Mary Ellen B. (Hebron, CT) 
