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Reviews by Jana

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My Broken Language: A Memoir
by Quiara Alegría Hudes

A compelling memoir (3/3/2022)

In this memoir, the author reflects on the contrast and difficulties involved in being part of the two languages and two cultures of her divorced parents – the large, noisy family of her Puerto Rican mother and the culture of her white, Jewish, hippie father, who lives on a …more

The Gypsy Moth Summer
by Julia Fierro

Confused by ending (6/1/2017)

I gave this novel 4 stars because it is beautifully written and held my interest to the end. It describes one summer on an island off the coast of Long Island. Leslie, who grew up on the island, returns with her African-American husband and 2 bi-racial children. There are a …more

The Woman Next Door
by Yewande Omotoso

Interesting characters, but could use more humor (4/5/2017)

Two women in South Africa are neighbors, and one, Hortensia James, is black, and the other, Marion Agostino, is white and very prejudiced. They have been feuding for years, and have both recently lost their husbands. Hortensia is very bitter, especially when she finds out …more

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake: A Memoir
by Anna Quindlen

Extremely disappointed (7/17/2013)

I have always been a fan of Quindlen’s writing, but I was extremely disappointed in this book. Being a baby boomer myself, I was looking forward to some amusing insights to help with the ageing process, but I found this book to be a collection of random thoughts that were …more

The Aviator's Wife
by Melanie Benjamin

Loved this book (7/17/2013)

This book was fascinating reading. Although I was familiar with the Lindbergh kidnapping case, I learned a lot I didn't know about Anne and Charles. I didn't know that they were plagued by reporters everywhere they went, even before the kidnapping. I also didn't realize …more

The Perfume Collector
by Kathleen Tessaro

An enjoyable read (7/17/2013)

The story is told in alternating chapters by Grace Munroe, a young English woman looking for a resolution to her marital problems and Eva d'Orsey, her mysterious French benefactor. As Grace tries to discover why this woman she never met or even heard of has left her a …more

BookBrowse Book Club

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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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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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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Ginseng Roots
by Craig Thompson

A new graphic memoir from the author of Blankets and Habibi about class, childhood labor, and Wisconsin’s ginseng industry.

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Awake in the Floating City
by Susanna Kwan

A debut novel about an artist and a 130-year-old woman bound by love and memory in a future, flooded San Francisco.

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The Original Daughter
by Jemimah Wei

A dazzling debut by Jemimah Wei about ambition, sisterhood, and family bonds in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore.

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Serial Killer Games
by Kate Posey

A morbidly funny and emotionally resonant novel about the ways life—and love—can sneak up on us (no matter how much pepper spray we carry).

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