Review: The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"A must read for any Oklahoman. A cautionary tale of environmental care for our natural resources. Global warming is real folks. Government works. Slightly redundant writing."

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Review: Yes Please

Yes Please by Amy Poehler
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Considering how much I like her and think she is a comic genius, clearly performing and writing comedy is much different than writing a memoir. Some parts I liked, most of it was a yawner. At least for me.

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Review: Outlander

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*Sexually explicit

Clearly if you are a time traveling WWII nurse, who weds a Scot, must live in harsh conditions, is nearly convicted of being a witch, fights off a pack of wolves, saves her husband from death (multiple times)...one better hope the sex is good.

Epic storytelling. Great dialog and characters. Proceed with caution if you are offended by marital sexual exploits. And prisoner abuse.

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Review: Strapless

Strapless by Deborah Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

November book club choice.

A fascinating biography of both the artist, John Singer Sargent, and his patron, Madame Gautreau, who was immortalized in his portrait of her, now known as Madame X.

Loved learning about late 19th century Paris; loved learning about both subjects.

The book could have used more pictures of the referenced artworks. I spent much time googling pictures each time a specific piece was mentioned.

I wish more was known about her -- I felt her side of the story was slighted.

Can't wait to discuss it.

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Review: Between the World and Me

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A letter unlike an other I've ever read.
A letter of pain, of fear, of anger, of self preservation, of senseless death, of inequality...of an America I see through a looking-glass.
This was a necessary but uncomfortable read.

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Review: Night

Night by Elie Wiesel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh the horror.

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Review: The Nightingale

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars
Add this to the list of another amazing work of historical fiction recounting the heroics of survivors of WWII, the French resistance, and holocaust.
It was a little slow for me at first (I stopped reading, and picked up the book a month later), but what an amazing story of sisters, survival, selfless acts of love, depravity, inhumanity and the sheer determination to live.

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Review: Luckiest Girl Alive

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

14 year old girl, searching for popularity and acceptance at a new private school, is gang raped at a party, and the story unfolds (in a back and forth narrative) from there.

I didn't like it, against popular opinion.

It didn't help that one of the key elements in the book was sadly repeated again in real life. When will the madness stop?

It just left me empty.





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Review: Circling the Sun

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

My take: a glossy, tabloid-y, overly-romanticized novel of the life of Beryl Markham. I loved learning about her early years with her father, her expertise as a horse trainer, and her life in Africa. I liked that I'd read Out of Africa before this book -- it made for a beautiful companion piece to this novel...but Out of Africa was so much better (even though I totally get that it's a different main subject matter).

I understand that drama and controversy plagued Ms Markham, due to her frequent love affairs -- I guess I was just expecting more -- especially her life as a pilot, which only covered about 10 pages.



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Review: Beautiful Ruins

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Italian coast, movie stars, Hollywood, addicts, producers, gangsters, unwed mothers, love: all of these elements are a narrative high wire act in the hands of writer, Jess Walter, and yet, not a single element comes crashing down. I was hooked to these "beautiful ruins" and their lives.

My only complaint is the language and caustic/sexual references. Really awkward and uncomfortable. For me anyway.


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