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Reviews by Portia A. (Monroe Township, NJ)

Power Reviewer  Power Reviewer

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Strong Passions
Strong Passions: A Scandalous Divorce in Old New York
by Barbara Weisberg
It finally hit me… (12/6/2023)
The story of a scandalous divorce in the 1860's was interesting, but my awakening came when I realized that now, in 2023 there are efforts to drag us back to the days when men won and women had no rights. Read the book if you can, it is good to be aware.
Delicate Condition
Delicate Condition
by Danielle Valentine
Wow (7/1/2023)
Not the type of book I would normally read..but I’m glad I did. The author held my attention till the very end. I will say that this is a book for women, but that may be a prejudiced point of view. Please give it a try.
Pieces of Blue
Pieces of Blue
by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Unexpectedly good (1/28/2023)
This book told an excellent and surprising story. I don't believe in spoilers, so just read and enjoy this book.
Margot
Margot: A Novel
by Wendell Steavenson
Mixed feelings.. (12/7/2022)
I wanted to like Margot, both as a person and a book. I really did until she used the drugs and free sex of her era to assuage her pain. I believe most of us have back stories...we all didn't give in to them.
I really liked the book, I wish the ending were more positive. Anyway "Margot" is worth reading.




Margot should have been stronger, both as a person and a book. None the less, the
In the Time of Our History
In the Time of Our History
by Susanne Pari
An Unexpected Pleasure (8/29/2022)
I didn’t know what to expect when I received this book. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself thoroughly involved in the plot.

(I’ll not reprise the book, as it has already been done).

Might I just suggest that the writing is excellent and you would read an interesting and absorbing story…
Natural History
Natural History: Stories
by Andrea Barrett
Another Book Browse winner (7/29/2022)
As usual any book recommended by BookBrowse is worth reading. Written in a rather different format the story retained my interest through the entire book...please read it if you can.
Fruiting Bodies
Fruiting Bodies: Stories
by Kathryn Harlan
An interesting book (5/10/2022)
The stories are beautifully written, but not my cup of tea.
As an old woman (90), I found it impossible to relate.
Yet, the book is well worth reading. Kathryn Harlan has a bright future..
One's Company
One's Company: A Novel
by Ashley Hutson
Fate takes odd turns (5/1/2022)
Fate had been very unkind to Bonnie Lincoln..suicide, murders and rape had been her past. But, suddenly a change..Bonnie hits the lottery and gets her wish..to live an a fantasy world of a 1970s sitcom. An interesting plot in an interesting book. I found it fascinating.
Dirt Creek
Dirt Creek: A Novel
by Hayley Scrivenor
A Novel Worth Reading (3/8/2022)
A small town in Australia. A group of people with problems boiling over. A very well written book, worth your time.
The Latinist
The Latinist: A Novel
by Mark Prins
Erudition and Obsession (10/7/2021)
An interesting juxtaposition of scholarship and desire, the story it tells is compelling. There is no point in rehashing what has been written concerning the plot..just read it.
ps: it has been 75 years since my high school Latin classes, but It was good to see the translations.
Lady Sunshine
Lady Sunshine
by Amy Mason Doan
Almost Good (5/8/2021)
I enjoyed this book in parts, but I felt that the author left too many clues regarding the ending...I wanted to be surprised, but I wasn't at all...an almost good read.
Smalltime
Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob
by Russell Shorto
The history of a time (2/15/2021)
I'm not Italian, no one I know was in the mob (with one possible exception) but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Really a tale of a part of America and a history of a small town with small-time mobsters in an era from the 1930s to now..of a family trying to make it any way they could..
I highly recommend this as history and the as the author's very personal story.
The Widow Queen
The Widow Queen: The Bold #1
by Elzbieta Cherezinska
A Hard Slog (11/9/2020)
I received an ARC which doesn't have the maps or family trees which will be part of the final book.

The story is fictional, based on the Nordic Sagas which may or not be factual. There are many intertwined facets all centered on Swietoslawa, the queen of the title. I found it difficult to keep track of the various characters involved because many of their names were unfamiliar and similar.

I persevered and finished the book, but if you are looking for an easy read, this isn't it.

Interesting factoid..Bluetooth was named for one of the characters in the story.
Stories from Suffragette City
Stories from Suffragette City
by M.J. Rose, Fiona Davis
One Day in Oct. 2015 (10/20/2020)
An excellent group of stories connected by the Suffragette March held on Oct. 23, 1915. A good overview of the time. Read it if you can.
He Started It
He Started It
by Samantha Downing
The shortest review I ever wrote... (2/2/2020)
Wow!
And They Called It Camelot
And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
by Stephanie Marie Thornton
Mixed Feelings (12/7/2019)
Generally I liked the book, written in the voice of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Whether the references to their "hooked noses" when referencing a couple of Jewish persons were her statements or that of the author alone I don't know, but they were off putting to me so It took some of the positive feelings away.
The Big Finish
The Big Finish
by Brooke Fossey
What's next? (9/24/2019)
As an 87 year old woman I really appreciated this book. I could relate to the elderly in assisted living because that may be next on my agenda. Read it and laugh or read it and weep. Or both.
The Seine
The Seine: The River that Made Paris
by Elaine Sciolino
A delightful journey (9/7/2019)
I believe my title says it all. Elaine Sciolino has captured the Seine and its history in a most enjoyable way. Recommended for romantics, travelers, history buffs and anyone else looking for a good book.
Nothing to See Here
Nothing to See Here
by Kevin Wilson
A very fine book (6/2/2019)
A little suspension of belief is helpful. Children who can set themselves on fire and not be burned are the focus of the story, yet the characters surrounding them are very real. I really enjoyed reading the book, and I recommend it.
D-Day Girls
D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II
by Sarah Rose
Heartbreaking (3/9/2019)
It is very difficult to say you would like this book...it is hard to read about a war and torture and not recoil. Yet the stories of these incredibly brave women should be told, and honored.

The book is well researched and well written. Recommended.

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