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Name : Carla O.

My Reviews

 
Fun summer read!

My mom, my best friend, and I all read this book. It's a fun read when you don't want to have a deep book discussion. Perfect for summertime. We all enjoyed it.

Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani
 
Fun, Optimistic, Informative
My favorite book

Our book club read this, and we all loved it. I enjoy most all of Trigiani's books.I didn't want this one to end. She makes you feel like you are part of this big Italian family. I envisioned Lucia looking like a young Audrey Hepburn as I read this book. I will definitely read this book again!

 
Fun, Interesting, Inspiring
A book about lifelong friendships

Our book club read this, and we enjoyed it very much. There are many characters and you are bound to relate to one of them. This book spans many years, and shows the value of true friendship.

 
Fun, Romantic, Dramatic
Not a light read

The cover looks like this book will be a light summer read but it isn't. There are many upsetting situations in this book. None of us liked the story, but we did have a good discussion about it.

Bread Alone by Judi Hendricks
 
A story about a woman that is forced to grow up.

This is a fun read. It tells the story of a woman that is forced to grow up because she has no choice. Not too long, and pretty good overall.

Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani
 
Insightful, Fun, Romantic
A little disappointed

I am a huge fan of Adriana Trigiani books, and could not wait to read this series. Lucia, Lucia, one of her other stories, is my favorite book. I never read beyond this first book in the series because the main character was so whiny. My mom felt the same way. Many others in our club really enjoyed this one, but it was a disappointment to me. I will probably try reading the next in the series though.

 
Difficult, Boring, Unconvincing
Very long, Disappointing ending

I agree with the prior reviewer. The ending left me scratching my head. I wanted a lot more after such a LONG, LONG story. There were parts of the book I enjoyed very much, but it was a lot of time invested to not satisfy the reader with a strong ending.

The Known World by Edward P. Jones
 
Informative, Difficult, Confusing
I could not finish

Our book club read this. I tried and tried to get through it, but it was the only book I could not finish. It was so dark and sad to me. A few other members gave up on this one as well, and those that finished were not too thrilled with it either.

Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
 
Romantic, Interesting, Beautiful
Very confusing

I detested this book. It was long, and very confusing. You either love this book or you hate it, and it sure wasn't for me!

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
 
Insightful, Dramatic, Inspiring
Great book

Our club read this and it was a hit with all. There are some upsetting situations, but I think the author handles it well, and makes the book very readable. Really good summer book club choice.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
 
Inspiring, Insightful, Optimistic
Very Different read

Our club read this, and I wasn't expecting to like it, but I did. It isn't very long, but it is very powerful

 
Adventurous, Optimistic, Inspiring
Good coming-of-age story. Very touching at times!

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
 
Fun, Romantic, Interesting
Good Holiday Read

Our club read this, and it was an enjoyable holiday story. It was far-fetched but sweet. Everyone liked it.

 
Informative, Dramatic, Insightful
Not My Cup of Tea

Our club read this and it was given a luke-warm reception overall. It has some downright gross descriptions. We couldn't agree on the ending either. Some of us thought one thing, and others thought another. We did have a good discussion but it is far from a light read.

 
Beautiful, Insightful, Dramatic
Another Winner!

Trigiani is by far my favorite author. I really enjoy her writing style. My mom and I just finished this for our book club, and we both enjoyed it very much. It chronicles an Italian-American family over about a fifty year span. I listened to this on an audio book. There is an interview at the end with the author, and she tells how this is based on her grandmother's life. Very touching. I really enjoy her books. Hopefully you will to!

Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
 
Interesting, Fantastic, Beautiful
A coming of age story set in 1906 Cold Sassy, Georgia

We just had our book club meeting for this book. We all liked it. It is very long, and has many interesting characters. It is written in the vernacular ("local speak") of a small southern town in Cold Sassy, Georgia in 1906. It is told from the point of view of a 14 year old boy that lives there. It is at times humorous, and at times tragic. My grandmother was from the south, and a lot of the sayings made me laugh because they were some of the things she used to say. If you enjoy period pieces, this one is great for discussion.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
 
Romantic, Inspiring, Beautiful
Powerful Page-Turner that really makes you think!

This book is about 465 pages long, but luckily the print is fairly large. I started this on Thurs. night and finished it Sunday at 4 am! I can't believe I stayed up all night reading it! I just had to see what happened! There are times I wanted to scream at Angel, but I kept having to remind myself about her background, and how it was amazing that she had any capacity to love someone at all. I love that Francine Rivers teaches the reader about a Bible story without being preachy. I like to learn about the Bible, but it definitely has to be in a non-intimidating way, and this book succeeds. This story will keep me thinking, especially when I think I'm all alone with a problem. This book has tough subject matter, but is written in a way that most readers will be able to handle. It stops short of describing the horrors of prostitution in too much detail. An amazing read, and a great book for discussion. I will be reading other Francine Rivers books for sure!

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
 
Interesting, Adventurous, Informative
Very Brutal and disturbing

I finished this book but it took all I had. It was very brutal and disturbing. I didn't feel good when I finished this, I was just glad it was over. It probably has enough "meat" for discussion, but it won't be an uplifting one.

Golden State: A Novel by Stephanie Kegan
 
Book Club Recommended
Insightful, Dramatic, Addictive
The Read 'Em and Weep Book Club Review-July 2016

I won ten copies of this book for my book club on BookMovement.com The author sent me a sweet note with the box of books and I told her we would read the book and give her an honest review.

Collectively we gave this book a 4.08 star rating out of 5 stars. It was pretty well received. The author did a good job letting us "feel" many sides of an unbearable horrifying situation to be thrust into.

Some of the comments from book club members:

All members: We LOVED the short chapters. Something about short chapters made us all feel that we were conquering the book at a rapid pace. A few members felt the book was a little too "wordy" but even they agreed it moved along quickly.

Member: I loved the story. It kept my interest the entire time.

Member: I felt some of the present-past didn't transition well.

All members: There were a few major parts that weren't sewn up as well as we would've liked. We would've liked to have known what happened in some of the major plot points at the end. I don't want to give anything away so I won't give details. LOL I will be more specific in the email I send to the author.

Overall, we felt this was an impressive read. We felt she effectively showed us different sides to a very complex situation. Depending upon what we "brought to the table" we sided with different characters in the story. What a thrill to win and really enjoy the prize!

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