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Reviews by Shirley S. (Batavia, IL)

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Accidents of Providence
by Stacia Brown

Accidents of Providence (12/1/2011)

A great 17th century history lesson of both customs and religion feed by a wonderful, descriptive writing style. The protagonist a strange but endearing character. One might guess the ending from the beginning but the journey is worth the taking. Never overly written, the …more

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake: A Novel
by Jenny Wingfield

Homecoming (7/4/2011)

Homecoming coaxes you into the ark of this family from the first page. It reads like a family member relating a history you were too young to experience but yet long to know. The serious elements can be difficult to read but as life is sometimes difficult, it portrays these …more

Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander (3/9/2011)

I tried very hard to read this book, really really hard. I got lost in the rhetoric and a cast akin to reading war and peace. The story is formulaic and wordy, perhaps classic readers of the genre would find it interesting after they read through the nonsense. I had hoped …more

The Map of True Places
by Brunonia Barry

Map Of True Places (4/9/2010)

There is nothing good to say about this book. The story is unbelievable, the events too coincidental, the characters forgettable. Too much conversation and too little plot development. I truly didn't care what happened to these people. It was a chore to read.

Savage Lands
by Clare Clark

Savage Lands (11/25/2009)

A vividly detailed historic perspective and beautifully written saga of early Louisiana. Though the story is predictable, the characters come alive through the enjoyable writing style. The intensely personal description of not only the people but the time and place make …more

Sweeping Up Glass
by Carolyn Wall

Sweeping Up Glass (8/10/2009)

A well written look at life and poverty in the south. the beauty of place and thankfulness for small things make the writing lovely. The story, especially the first part, of how everyday life unfolds for these people and their neighbors and with the pleasure found if …more

Blacklight Blue: The Third Enzo Files
by Peter May

Sorry (8/29/2008)

Rarely, if ever, has it been necessary for me to skim descriptive pararaphs to finish a book, but this was the only alternative in finishing this book. The plot unbelieveable, the redundancy of fact unnecessary made this a difficult read. The characters not compelling, the …more

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows

My highest recommendation (7/27/2008)

Having to say goodbye to the people in this book is like losing close friends. The format of a book written in letters put me off at first glance thinking characters could never be developed properly in this manner. Was I wrong, I loved this book, loved the people I met in …more

The House at Riverton: A Novel
by Kate Morton

The House At Riverton (5/7/2008)

A superficial novel, never developing the characters enough to encourage interest in them or their plight. Dialogue too monotonous to allow imagination. One feels on the verge of interest when the plot is redirected leaving one searching to rekindle caring. Although the …more

Killer Heat
by Linda Fairstein

Killer Heat (3/1/2008)

The breezy prose and conversational style allow this formula mystery an easy flow. The interjection of historical perspective fits well with the plot. What detracts from its content is the improbable situations the reader is expected to believe. Too many coincidental …more

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The Lilac People
by Milo Todd

For fans of All the Light We Cannot See, a poignant tale of a trans man’s survival in Nazi Germany and postwar Berlin.

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Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung

Based on the author’s family story, comes an extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters’ escape from Taiwan.

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Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus

Praised by Parade and The New York Times Book Review, this debut features a 1960s scientist turned TV cooking star.

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