Member Profile

Name : Janine L.

My Reviews

 
Beautiful, Interesting, Inspiring

Breathtakingly beautiful imagery. I was there, seeing, smelling, hearing…
Not so much a fan of the story, but manipulation of the language was exquisite

 
Inspiring, Adventurous, Informative

Loved the history!

 
Informative, Inspiring, Interesting

Loved the history!

 
Interesting, Dramatic, Insightful

Not a fan. Did not believe in the characters, but everyone else loved it!

 
Informative, Interesting, Insightful

Gut wrenching story.

Becoming by Michelle Obama
 
Inspiring, Insightful, Interesting

Loved the insight. Inspiring!

 
Dramatic, Informative, Adventurous

What a story!! True story!! Gut wrenching!

 
Informative, Interesting, Inspiring

Love Marie Benedict... loved the topic, was not a fan. Hedy lived such an incredible life...I just don’t think it was captured.

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
 
Informative, Adventurous, Beautiful

I had a hard time returning from Havana after this one! Thoroughly enjoyed!

 
Addictive, Dramatic, Interesting

Lovedlovedloved this story! Loved old Hollywood, gut wrenching personal story!

 
Insightful, Interesting, Dramatic

Gut wrenching.

Our two companion books, Dear I… and A Feminist Manifesto were phenomenal. Truly, feminist rallying calls!!

 
Inspiring, Informative, Insightful

I had Melinda Gates all wrong... important book. Soooo inspiring.

The Other Einstein: A Novel by Marie Benedict
 
Interesting, Informative, Insightful

Hated Einstein after reading this. How dare he?

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
 
Interesting, Insightful, Dramatic

Best book club discussion ever! What a great concept for a story!

 
Book Club Recommended
Interesting, Informative, Insightful

This Is How It Always Is by LAURIE FRANKEL
 
Book Club Recommended
Insightful, Interesting, Informative

This book changed all of our lives. I am not kidding. The perfect story.

 
Book Club Recommended
Beautiful, Insightful, Inspiring

So incredibly beautiful… One of my all time favorites and a real surprise!

What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon
 
Romantic, Adventurous, Beautiful

Learned so much!!! A beautiful story besides!! ????

Mexican Gothic by Moreno-Garcia Silvia
 
Dark, Interesting, Dramatic

Had so much potential… but got really really space alien weird. Uuughhhhh.

 
Fun, Pointless, Boring

A book for queens!!! After reading and rereading this hysterical book soooooooooo many times with and without my girlfriends, it never ever fails to make me pee my pants laughing!!! “The Promise”??? O.m.g. !!!

The German Midwife by Mandy Robotham
 
Dark, Beautiful

Gut wrenching. What a fantastic story!

Our second book, Maya Angelou’s memoir, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings was a huge hit. What a life!!!

Carnegie's Maid: A Novel by Marie Benedict
 
Interesting, Fun, Informative

I loved this story about Pittsburgh and immigrants and the tension between the haves and the have nots. I could see this storyâ?¦I could see Pittsburghâ?¦I could feel these characters. Itâ??s my immigrant story.



Our second book, The Orphan’s Tale was dark and gutgutgut wrenching WWII. A phenominal read!

 
Romantic, Brilliant, Beautiful

150years later and still phenomenal! It was an absolute favorite of mine growing up, and rereading it as an adult was a beautiful experience, and honestly, so much more powerful and moving! Lovedlovedloved!

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe
 
Difficult, Beautiful, Informative

A must know unbelievable true story but gut wrenching… not the best choice for a December read… but powerful.

 
Difficult, Insightful, Slow

I don’t remember this book!!! Blah!!

Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman
 
Interesting, Life Changing, Inspiring

My absolutely most favorite book about education, schools, and teaching! Absolutely Hysterical and still absolutely true!

Beyond The Moon by Catherine Taylor
 

Did. Not. Like. This. Book.
Great description of WWI battle scenes, absolutely did not believe in the characters, the love story, nor the time travel. Blah.

 
Interesting, Informative, Adventurous

I want to go live in the NYC Public Library!!!

 
Insightful, Dramatic, Gloomy

I was dreading this book, but I’m still talking about it years later! Loved!!! So different!

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
 
Informative, Insightful, Life Changing

The beginning of our social justice learning and doing together. Soooooo important!!

The Lace Reader: A Novel by Brunonia Barry
 
Interesting, Dramatic, Confusing

Loved the story! So different!

 
Interesting, Adventurous

The girls loved this book. It was interesting, but it wasn’t one that I really cared about…

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
 
Confusing, Beautiful, Difficult

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, the lush language and imagery!!

Anxious People: A Novel by Backman Fredrik
 
Fun, Interesting, Insightful

I was so scared to introduce my most favorite author to our book club… what if they did not like him??? How would that devastate me?
No worries. Loved.
Brilliant, funny, poignant…Backman.

Great Circle: A novel by Maggie Shipstead
 
Adventurous, Informative, Slow

Not a favorite… most of us did not like the dual timelines…especially the modern time line…

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
 
Dramatic, Addictive, Interesting

A new author with her debut novel which we all enjoyedâ?¦ Love learning about nNative American culture! Love YA literature! Look at that gorgeous cover! We will be looking out for her!!

Eternal by Lisa Scottoline
 
Informative, Romantic, Beautiful

A different WWII perspective! We all enjoyed this heartbreaking story!

Daisy Jones & The Six: A Novel by Reid Taylor Jenkins
 
Interesting, Fun, Addictive

What being in a rock band must be like…the dark side of fame.

The Family by Naomi Krupitsky
 
Beautiful, Informative

Love this book about the mafia- our first! The friendship between the two girls was so beautiful… loved this story!!

 
Fun, Beautiful, Interesting

Light read…

 
Interesting, Insightful, Informative

Learned so much about the the unsung sheroes and women who raised and nurtured our Black heroes…important to bring these amazing women to the forefront.

The Night Watchman: A Novel by Louise Erdrich
 
Informative, Adventurous, Insightful

The girls loved this novel, and Louise Erdrich has become one of our favorite wordsmiths.

 
Beautiful

YA literature. LGBTQ literature. Important.

 
Insightful, Beautiful

Important to empathize…

The Change: A Novel by Kirsten Miller
 
Fun

Go women power!!! Fun!

In Five Years: A Novel by Rebecca Serle
 
Romantic, Beautiful, Fun

A unique story!

Our second read, One Italian Summer, is of course to be blamed for all of us packing up immediately and moving to the Almalfi Coast. All of us. Right now.

 
Difficult, Informative, Beautiful

One of my most favorite books ever from this gorgeous wordsmith… o… m…g…

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
 
Dramatic, Interesting, Adventurous

How does Ann Patchett do this? She is brilliant. This novel is off the charts brilliant! Lovedlovedloved.

 
Romantic, Fun, Optimistic

I fell in love with this bumbling lost soul. Fell. In. Love.
The sequel Less is Lost is just as funny and beautiful, but now I am in love with Freddie too… ????

 
Fun, Inspiring, Interesting

This is our mother’s story.
Loved.

West with Giraffes: A Novel by Lynda Rutledge
 
Adventurous, Inspiring, Interesting

 
Romantic, Beautiful

Demon Copperhead: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver
 
Brilliant, Beautiful, Dark

 

A nice story.

 
Fun, Brilliant, Dramatic

This was great fun! Loved the witty characters!

 
Beautiful, Optimistic, Interesting

What a story!!! We are still talking about Marcellus! Loved him so much and so loved this story! Gorgeous!

Horse: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks
 
Informative, Interesting, Insightful

Love a good animal story! Important history to know; we had mixed feelings about the dual time lines.

 

I Lovedlovedloved Wild… this didn’t quite live up to that. Some great poignant stories, some that didn’t matter…

Beartown: A Novel by Fredrik Backman
 
Insightful, Interesting, Inspiring

Lovelovelove these characters and their relationships with each other. So invested in their lives! How does Backman do this?
Love him.

 
Dramatic, Insightful, Brilliant

There is no better male story teller.

 
Insightful, Beautiful, Dramatic

Sososo Hard to walk away from the ending of this trilogy. Backman’s characters are so real. His stories are so gut wrenchingly beautiful.
I. Love. Backman. He still remains my most favorite male writer.

 
Inspiring, Dramatic, Insightful

Loved the characters! Loved the Pennsylvania history!

There There by Tommy Orange
 
Dark, Insightful, Boring

Hard history again. Must know.

 
Interesting, Informative, Insightful

So important to know this hard history!!! Love Lisa See!!

Family Family: A Novel by Laurie Frankel
 
Beautiful, Optimistic, Dramatic

The Bee Sting: A Novel by Paul Murray
 
Brilliant, Slow, Dark

So many layers! So deep! The more we talked, the more we uncovered… and kept uncovering and uncovering…we were into the wee hours for this one!

 

Hmmmmmm…Read Makkai’s The Great Believers the same month for Social Justice Book Club…now that was brilliance!!!

 
Insightful, Dramatic, Interesting

What have we done?? Gut wrenching the choices we forced Blacks to make…

Tom Lake: A Novel by Ann Patchett
 
Beautiful, Insightful, Slow

 
Romantic, Informative, Beautiful

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
 
Optimistic, Adventurous, Unconvincing

Goodbye for Now: A Novel by Laurie Frankel
 
Insightful, Romantic, Beautiful

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