Member Profile
| Name : | Lora Glass N. |
| Occupation : | Reference/Adult Services Manager |
My Reviews
This is a real page turner and a great book to discuss. Throw in a phone chat with the author and it turned out to be one our best discussion so far. Bohjalian really added insight into the development of the characters as well as the plot. Bohjalian is gracious in offering his time to chat with Book Clubs who are discussing his book. The Double Bind and Chris Bohjalian are highly recommended by Niceville Public Library's Summer Book Discussion Group.
This is one of the best books I've read all year. The characters are great, the relationships are unique, and Juliet is hysterically funny. Highly recommended!
This was my second attempt at reading this book and surprisingly I couldn't put it down. Loved the history and the characters.
This was a very inspiring book to discuss just before Christmas. Our group loved the book and look forward to reading more about Mortenson's venture.
Thumbs up to Barry. Her first novel is both well written and addictive. It proved to be a great book discussion selection. I highly recommend it. Look forward to more from her.
It was a delightful book filled with beautiful discriptive scenery and inspiring characters.
We were glad we read this book. While it started off a little slow, most of our members were glad they stuck with it. Politics and history lent itself to be one of our best discussions.
We really enjoyed this book and the discussion was great. It was both insightful and inspiring. This is a must read.
Very adventurous...your husbands will love it.
Those in the club that were Anna Pigeon fans found it somewhat darker and harder to get into. However there were some including myself that throughly enjoyed it. Loved the psychological intrigue as well as the relationship between Polly and Marshall. Try it you just might find yourself enjoying this new side of Nevada Barr. I did.
We really loved this book. Most of us had never read his book but we are all avid fans now. The book plot provided a great discussion which was enhanced by the Chinese buffet that we ate. Also Connelly's website was a jewel ~ he has discussion questions as well as an interview.
Like all of Bohjalian's books this was addictive. This was a great selection for a book discussion.
Couldn't put it down...excellent book. It led to a wonderful discussion. Loved the characters and we learned about an area of history none of us had ever heard of before. Highly recommended!!!
This book started out slow but picked up after Henry's death and turned out to be a great read. Our group really enjoyed her first fiction Lady Jane and were eagerly awaiting this one. Weir's fictionalization hasn't quite reached the expertise of her historical works.
Great character and plot development! If you like Connelly you will enjoy this book.
A very insightful look at three women who come together to honestly discuss their religious beliefs.
This first novel by Kathryn Stockett is amazing. This is one of those few books that grabbed my emotions and interest so deeply that I could not stop thinking about the book when I would set it down to attend to other activities (like eating, sleeping & working!). I was engrossed and couldn't wait to read more, while at the same time savoring every chapter as the story developed.
Stockett makes the characters come to life with her scene and character descriptions; writing in the '...more This first novel by Kathryn Stockett is amazing. This is one of those few books that grabbed my emotions and interest so deeply that I could not stop thinking about the book when I would set it down to attend to other activities (like eating, sleeping & working!). I was engrossed and couldn't wait to read more, while at the same time savoring every chapter as the story developed.
Stockett makes the characters come to life with her scene and character descriptions; writing in the 'voices' of black maids and nannies in Jackson, MS in the early 1960s when and where the Civil Rights movement was getting dangerously heated. Her other lead narrator, Skeeter Phelan, is a young white woman of privilege who portrays the unintended ignorance of many white people - especially in the South in those times. As Skeeter becomes more aware of the blatant racism, bigotry and hatred exhibited by people she considered life-long friends, her eyes are slowly opened to the humanity of others.
This book is now on my list of all-time favorites. It was a very well-written novel and a delight to read. What a powerful discussion book. We were left with a deeper and more personalized understanding of just how far the country has come since the Civil Rights Law was passed. We will be on the lookout for her next book.
This book is well written and she did her research but it is certainly not up to Picoult's usual standards.
Unfortunately, we compared this to Sarah's Key and were let down. However, it was well written and we did have a good discussion about the characters and family secrets.
The sixth in the Ceepak series and we all really enjoyed it. Loved the character development and the interaction between Ceepak and Boyle. It wasn't lifechanging but it was a wonderful change.
This book blends archaeology with criminal investigation. The characters are well developed and interesting. Griffith's description of Norfolk is beautiful ~ "Norfolk is a desolate and beautiful place. It is often said that its landscape is the sky because the flat, marshy terrain offers a spectacular view of the wide, ever-changing sky." A great debut and I would read the next in the series.
Captivating debut that draws the reader in right from the begining. A pioneer story of an African-American family who settle in the South Dakota Badlands. Sacrifice, hardships and determination very reminscent of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Willa Cather.
While the beginning of the book may be a little slow, it does become a lot better. A archeological dig in Kenya during the 60's when Africa was in turmoil. Really enjoyed his descriptive passages of Kenya and the wildlife. Invovles personal secrets, family issues that includes betrayal, murder,and deceit which will certainly keep your interest. It all makes for a great discussion.
It wasn't a riveting novel, but it was intense at times, and it did bring you culturally into another very interesting society. The characters were well developed, and you could feel their pain, fear, triumphs, comradery, and all emotions that may have been felt from living in the middle of a beautiful, exotic African landscape. Being a passionate, knowledgeable paleontologist would have been even more helpful for enjoying the book.
A little girl is found abandoned on a ship to Australia. A mysterious woman who has sworn to protect her has disappeared. Terrible secrets which have been hidden for 21 years are revealed and a hidden inheritance is discovered. Everything you could want for a book discussion.
While the majority of the group did not enjoy reading this book, we did have a great discussion. The characters, themes and the author herself provided excellent material for discussion. We can now say that we read it and know more about Ayn Rand and her philosophy, which is what book clubs are all about.
This book was a disappointment to our group. While in ways the book was typical Evanovich, she introduced role-playing, angels and demons, and otherworldly almost-boyfriends.
While not the best book, it had certain qualities that were enjoyable. We loved the way the author wrote about Kenya's landscape and animals. Also interesting was the political atmosphere in Kenya. My favorite was the archealogical references in the book. The ending was our least favorite.
This was a wonderful surprise. Extremely well written, beautiful story and character development. We loved it!
The Room provide a lot of thought-provoking ideas and images which lead to a great book discussion. This subtly profound
novel is told through the eyes of a young boy who has spend his whole life in captivity with his mother. Sadistic, mindprovoking, and even heartwarming at times. Donoghue does an excellent job of capturing her readers.
This book lends itself to many areas of discussion - women's rights, nurses, civil war, beginning of the Red Cross. The author did an excellent job weaving in historical facts without weighing the book down. A very good read.
The author, Tina Whittle spoke with our group via speaker phone and was awesome. While we all loved the book, she provided more insight into her character development and her research. The book itself was a total delight to read. Loved the quirky characters,the twisty plot and the southern location. Tai is adorable and a perfect foil for Trey's eccentricities. You definetly need to add this witty, fast-paced crime novel to the top of your reading list.
What a great book for a discussion. Airline crashes, herblists (witches), and ghosts! Bohjalian is the king of wicked twists and this one will not disappoint. We were blessed to have the author for a speaker phone discussion of this book which was awesome. He provided stories from his research as well as insight into how this storyline became a novel. One of our favorite authors!
This was a great book for discussion. We went into the discussion with an open mind and while we didn't alway agree with the author we could relate to her ideas.
This wasn't up to Philippa Gregory's usual standards. It was well researched but some members found it was slow moving. We did however have a great time discussing Margaret Beaufort's faults and strengths as well as marriages, and the legacy she created.
We enjoyed the book and the discussion was good. However the book was slow moving and we would have liked more information on where the materials such as the thread came from. Also a little more background information on Kamila would have been beneficial in understanding her situation more.
What an inspiring and truely motivational book this was. While his experience as a POW was terrible, he was able to overcome. Hillenbrand did an excellent job researching and constructing another inspiring book. We can't wait for her next.
Half of our group liked this book and the other half didn't like it. Those who didn't like it thought it moved slow and was somewhat repeatitive. Those that enjoyed it did state that the book started out slow but picked up once the characters and the plot began to develop. It did offer a lot of topics to discussion.
It doesn't happen often especially with a debut but we all loved this book. Sisters was well written and the characters were believable. We really enjoyed the multi-generational aspect as well as well developed plot of the story.
Good debut novel about a misunderstanding between two sisters and how their lives are affected.
What a great book for discussion. It was hands down one of the best books of the year. Our book club loved it.
While the majority of the group did like the book, some found it a little slow. This book does provide plenty of subjects to discuss and we do recommend it for any group who enjoys Barbara Kingsolver\'s books.
Our discusion was good and for the most part we enjoyed various aspects of this book. It was the PCT trek that was the most interesting. A couple people in our group felt stronly that made up some to the incidents an the trail, which just led to a lively discussion.
Since our group had read the first one we decided to try the second book in this series. It was a little slow but eventually picked up. I would have liked to know more about his brother.
Great discussion book! So many issues and controversies...be ready to stay a little late.
One of our members won copies of this book for our club which was an added bonus. Then to top it all off the author, Kim Boykin agreed to discuss her book via a telephone chat session. She was a delight to speak with and added so much to our enjoyment of her book. \\\"The Wisdom of Hair\\\" was more than just a good beach read. It looked at family dynamics and that we can create a family from close friends. We thought her character development was very well done. This was her first published book and we can\\\'t wait till her next...oh, and our group got a heads up on what it will be about and it sounds like anothe winner!
Our Mystery Book Club read this and the majority of the group liked the book but they wondered why after 486 pages Oliva never did meet her father. Also the paranormal aspect is only hinted at which for some was great for others a disappointment.
Great book for book club...we had a wonderful discussion.
We liked the book but did find some part a little slow. Grisham did a good job developing the judge's character which was a favorite.
Unfortunately, the majority of our group didn\\\'t finish this book because they didn\\\'t care for it.
Wow another book everyone liked. This was the author's first book and he did a good job with research and character development.
The was a lot to discuss with this book. Our group for the most part enjoyed it and found it very interesting with all the various elements.
We really enjoy a book that not only is a great read and discussion but provides education on a subject that we were not aware of. Highly recommend!
Our Mystery Book Club read this book and the majority liked it. Slow starting in the beginning but the tempo picked up. Slaughter is one of the best authors when it comes to building suspense. Not meant to be a spoiler but some of our members found it little to gritty and graphic for them. If you love Karin Slaughter\\\'s books you will not be disappointed.
Our library book club loved this book and the discussion was one of best! You will find a lot of discussion topics to discuss. The characters were well developed and the story had a good flow. A little slow at times but don\'t worry the author doesn\'t drop the ball. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Enjoyed this book! Well written and very informative about a period in our country\'s history that most of us were unaware of. Great book discussion. Loads of topics.
Our book club had very mixed feelings about the book which is why I gave it three stars. Some members thought it was interesting while others thought it was slow. Her previous books have been some of our favorites.
The author uses the word meandering quite a bit his book and it is a good word to also describe his book. History of Rain was a book club selection and the majority of our group found it very slow and stopped reading it. Those that did finished it also found it slow however there were some very humorous moments in the book that were almost worth the read. In addition the last 50 pages were \\\"almost\\\" worth the wait. As a librarian I personally enjoyed the aspect of being surrounded by books as well as getting to know our loved ones through what they read. Keep in mind the word meandering when you pick up the book...it is slow but eventually it gets to the good part.
I selected this book for our Summer Adult book club since it was a Feb. 2015 Librarian selection. The majority of the group enjoyed the cast of quirky characters but thought the plot was just a little convoluted. We are all willing to read the 2nd book in her series.
Great book for discussion. Full of suspense and very well written.
Our group found this book slow and somewhat boring especially since it referenced so many great books. The author\\\'s writing was good unfortunately the use of extremely long sentences was tiresome as well as the use of capitol letters within sentences.. Overuse of clichés and sentimentally were tedious as well. A redeeming factor for some of our group was the author\\\'s sense of humor. Reading bad poetry to the cows...who else would listen.
This book is I am not mistaken won the Guggenheim Award. Ring of Steel would be great for history majors or those WWI buffs. However it was very, very, very long and hard for a novice to understand. We did listen to a great interview with the author Alexander Watson which was very informative.
The book was not even close to the standards of To Kill a Mockingbird but it provides a great discussion.
Great read! While this was the 2nd book in the Cab Bolton series, it didn't matter. The book was great as a stand alone. However once you read it, you will want to read Bone House.
Season of Fear was a suspenseful thriller. Set in Florida with a ranging storm brewing. This book had everything...murder, intrigue, deception and of course political drama! It was Brian Freeman at his best.
The Promise is a great book for discussion groups. Ann Weisgarber has done her research. Our book club loved the book and our club gained a wealth of knowledge about the Galveston hurricane and life on this barrier island during the 1900s. Highly recommend this book.
This turned out to be a great book for a great book club selection. Loved the whole concept of silo's...lots and lots of steps. This post-apocalyptic world is actually filled with mystery and intrigue. This is the first in the series and I can't wait to read the others.
This memoir was a captivating inside look at a young girl who had a deprived childhood in a polygamist cult. This was a gut/heart wrenching story of growing up with several of her siblings in a household in need of serious help with their disabilities,not enough adequate food, no electricity, no indoor bathroom, lack of adult supervision, neglect, physical verbal and sexual abuse, fear, filth & poverty. It is also a book about recovery, love and finding oneself through family. A must read.
Loved all the quirky characters especially Frank. This was a delightful read. If you enjoyed "The Curious Incident of the Dog at Nighttime" you will like this one.
One of the best book discussion book so in 2016 so far! The author did an excellent job researching for this book. Her characters where very well rounded and her writing was great! Loved learning about the women who sacrificed for others. Courageous, eye opening...would you give up everything maybe even your life for others??? Awesome a must read for book clubs.
What a delightful book. Loved all the characters, especially Ove. Everyone knows an Ove and can relate to his cantankerous ways. I highly recommend this book for book club groups. It was beautifully written and it was filled with colorful characters and even a mangy cat!
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