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Reviews by Patti P. (Phoenix, AZ)

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Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob
by Russell Shorto

Review of Smalltime (2/18/2021)

When I started reading this book, I was a bit distracted. After I read about 50 pages, I decided that I was missing integral, pertinent information and started again. I cannot say enough how very glad I did just that - started again. I really loved this book!! Rich in …more

Beirut Hellfire Society
by Rawi Hage

I did not get this... (6/3/2019)

I found this to be a struggle to read. Perhaps I am simply thick-headed, as found nearly nothing of note to positively rave about. This was a painful journey of reading, and I only finished it because I appreciate being given the chance to read it and enjoy it. I am, …more

The Last Year of the War
by Susan Meissner

Mixed emotions (12/13/2018)

This one was a tough one for me to review. Not quite 4 stars, but definitely better than 3. I absolutely loved the budding friendship between the two girls (both residents of USA internment camps during WW II, one a German-American and one a Japanese-American), but I found …more

Me, Myself and Them
by Dan Mooney

Fractured Reality vs the Power of Healing (7/2/2018)

Enjoyable from its beginning to ending sentence, Dan Mooney creates characters that are both lovable and infuriating. Mooney does a great job in taking on a crippling illness like depression, developing a storyline that has the reader laughing, cheering and brooding--often …more

A Place for Us
by Fatima Farheen Mirza

Emotionally impacting (3/18/2018)

I am so thankful I was selected to read/review this ARC. The emotions it created will stay with me for quite some time. The rich detail and the author's chosen words, so greatly impacted me, that I am rendered speechless. A story of Love, Identity, and Belonging and the …more

The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After
by Elizabeth Weil, Clemantine Wamariya

How can one properly "rate" another's pain? (2/25/2018)

4.5...Wow!! What a magnificently, powerful and emotionally raw memoir. This greatly impacted my entire being--down to the most basic fiber. Additionally, I was surprised at how effectively it humbled me--making me aware of my ignorance and my sheltered experiences. I now …more

Anatomy of a Miracle
by Jonathan Miles

Interesting concept (2/2/2018)

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The author kept my interest, albeit a bit too wordy at times. This book reintroduces interesting concepts of Medical Healing vs a God-Given Miracle, and leaves the reader able to argue for and against both. The only thing that kept me from …more

BookBrowse Book Club

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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