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Name : Chelsea B.

My Reviews

The 19th Wife: A Novel by David Ebershoff
 
Informative, Interesting, Insightful
What's the author's reason for writing?

The flip flopping between time periods was pointless and some of the emphasized characters were left undeveloped or dropped suddenly. Use of F word got to be too much. Fiction that reads like historical facts left me feeling betrayed.

 
Book Club Recommended
Fun, Inspiring, Optimistic
made me think

It really made me think about what I would like to do before I die and what should be a priority in my life. It was much harder to make a list than I thought. Club enjoyed the book and the discussion helped us get to know each other a little better.

 
Book Club Recommended
Informative, Interesting, Insightful
surprising information

It read better than I expected for a non fiction book. It is depressing and NOT recommended for anyone who just lost a loved one to cancer or know someone in the bad stages of cancer. My mom died of cervical cancer in 1984, so I found the amount of information the doctors knew in the 60's to be surprising and unsettling for me. This is a great book for discussion and we found we could still discuss even though some didn't finish the book-- or start it.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
 
Book Club Recommended
Adventurous, Dramatic, Interesting
very creative

The adventure of the TV show 'Survivor' with some of the romance and relationships of the Twilight books. If you read this book, go ahead and have the rest of the trilogy available because you will want to know what happens next.

 
Book Club Recommended
Adventurous, Dramatic, Romantic
Best of the triology

I thought the idea of another game would be tedious. I was wrong. You get to know the characters even better in this book.

 
Book Club Recommended
Adventurous, Graphic, Epic
not as good, but...

This book does not finish the trilogy as you may expect but is still a good read. I felt the ending was rushed. Mockingjay raises interesting theories of the concept of war and post traumatic stress syndrome. Does war ever really end?

 
Book Club Recommended
Romantic, Informative, Beautiful
Eye opening

I knew about Japanese internment camps in the US but this book made me think about different aspects of that situation. The parent/child relationship is written well. The whole book would be great for book club discussions. Book feels like it is a true story.

 
Book Club Recommended
Unconvincing, Optimistic, Romantic
sweet tale

Romance, betrayal, independent female, suspense equals a sweet, quick read. Great for a vacation read.

 
Book Club Recommended
Romantic, Optimistic
light read

What I love about Colleen Coble is that I don't know who the criminal is in chapter one. This book ties all the fun stuff together (romance, suspense, humor) with some historical fiction.

 
Book Club Recommended
Dramatic, Interesting, Adventurous
mysterious

At first the jumping time periods were confusing, but you quickly learn the characters. If you love mysteries with a little suspense and no gore, this is for you.

 
Book Club Recommended
Inspiring, Optimistic, Romantic
actions speak louder than words

Touches on topics of guilt and feeling unloved and the impact those topics can have on a life. This is a sweet, realistic story. Written so that I felt like a member in the community; I felt like I knew these people and places.

 
Book Club Recommended
Inspiring, Dramatic, Informative
Riveting

I will think of this story for the rest of my life. This story raises so many personal and historical questions- about life and cultures and war.

 
Book Club Recommended
Informative, Interesting, Insightful
like a time capsule

Gives a tiny window into life at that time. The characters could not the imagine the unimaginable to come. Insightful view of politics pre WWII. Provides good discussion topics for clubs.

Christy by Catherine Marshall
 
Book Club Recommended
Slow, Unconvincing, Pointless
Sweet, courageous story based on true story

If you love historical fiction, you will love this. It\'s rare that we see what life was like for independant women during this time period. A poignant story of life in the Appalachian mountains, which remained poor and isolated until fairly modern times. One of my favorite reads.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
 
Book Club Recommended
Adventurous, Dramatic, Interesting
fun, futuristic story ...

A fun, captivating read that causes you to self reflect on your own characteristics and what you would choose to be like. It's a thrill ride from start to finish.

Five Days in November by Clint Hill, Lisa McCubbin
 
Book Club Recommended
Moving

A detailed, first hand account by someone who obviously cared for the family.

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, J. K. Rowling
 
Book Club Recommended
Adventurous, Graphic, Fun
Cuckoo's Calling

Likeable characters. Can't wait for next book to see what becomes of these characters.

 
Informative, Interesting, Dark
back and forth

Two depressing story lines that are happening at the same time. LOTS of names and pseudonyms. Interesting historical information but other than that a disappointing read for this author.

 
Book Club Recommended
Slow, Interesting, Adventurous
Harry Potter author - for adults

I was intrigued by the main character. I can't say he's someone I'd want to hang out with but more like an interesting coworker. I'd like to read more stories with this character. Reminded me of reading Sherlock Holmes.

 
Book Club Recommended
Interesting, Dramatic, Informative
Fiction of true horrors we've never heard

I love history and was shocked that I had never heard of the world's worst genocide after holocost. My club thought it was too dark a topic to read for pleasure reading. I was glad to read just for the knowledge and cultural differences.

 
Book Club Recommended
Inspiring, Dramatic, Informative
OMG

The scenes in the story go from "It could never be worse than this" to "Oh, yes it could". Powerful story. Helped me understand my grandfather's never talking about War in Japan.

 
Pointless, Poorly Written
I lost brain cells reading this

My idea of a waiting room read. It gives southerners more of a stupid, eat roadkill- stereotype. The Mama stories were better than the others but their weren't enough to put her in the title. Think old TV show Mama's Family

Longbourn by Jo Baker
 
Book Club Recommended
Romantic, Interesting, Beautiful
Below stairs story

Half of club felt it was slow and boring, the other half enjoyed it along the lines of Downton Abbey or Pride and Prejudice. You do need to know the characters and plot of Pride and Predjudice to "get" the book.

 
Book Club Recommended
Fun, Interesting, Insightful
Refreshing spin on romantic novel

Funny but not in a mocking way. I don't know how the author managed that. It was refreshing to have a male voice for the narration of a "romance" novel.

 
Book Club Recommended
Dramatic, Interesting, Insightful
Dark book but good to discuss

NOT for someone who has recently experienced loss. This is a great book club book for discussion. It has so many tangent issues going throughout the novel- loss, deception, prejudice, what determines your behavior standards, what if they are different from your loved ones...

 
Book Club Recommended
Insightful, Interesting, Fun
Can you have too much money?

In many ways this is a sad read. It's unfathomable to see what money does and doesn't mean to various characters. A very insightful book that may have you second guessing your "If only I had...." dreams.

 
Book Club Recommended
Adventurous, Optimistic
Early Sci Fi

It was hard for me to remember that this book was written before we had men in space and pictures from space. When you keep this in mind, it was a creative story. I felt that Lewis was trying to make a greater point than I understood with the overall message of the book. I enjoyed it.

The Farm by Tom Rob Smith
 
Book Club Recommended
Dramatic, Dark, Addictive
Secrets

Makes you question your initial perception of people...maybe even those you've know a long time.

 
Book Club Recommended
Adventurous, Dramatic, Romantic
Realistic old west adventure w romance

I loved the way it was written not just diary format (which normally I don't like so much) but the way the entries changed over time just as a real life journal would. This story has action, adventure, romance, grief, history, humor, etc. I got sadder as I read because I knew I was getting closer to the end of the book.

 
Book Club Recommended
Beautiful, Interesting, Inspiring
Descriptive of coastal region

A tale of melancholy sweetness. It read like watching the tide come in and out... with the same slow predictability. I found it a jolt the few times the narrative perspective changed. As a native North Carolinian, who can "I reckon" with the best, I found the vernacular a little false AND with all the coastal nature descriptions, I can't believe the author left out a Venus Flytrap! A bit like a modern To Kill A Mockingbird or Nell.

 
Book Club Recommended
Informative, Interesting, Dramatic

 
Book Club Recommended
Informative, Insightful, Interesting

The Au Pair by Emma Rous
 
Book Club Recommended
Adventurous, Addictive, Fantastic

 
Book Club Recommended
Informative, Interesting, Insightful
Never learned this in school

Book club was shocked that we didn't know any of this history. Reads like a fiction novel...except it's true

 
Book Club Recommended
Adventurous, Dramatic, Interesting

 
Book Club Recommended
Inspiring, Fun, Optimistic

A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik Backman
 
Book Club Recommended
Fun, Insightful, Beautiful
Get past initial pages

A moving, funny story with a dark theme. Sounds contradictory and it is until you read it. Extremely unique storytelling.

 
Book Club Recommended
Beautiful, Inspiring, Optimistic
Like a hug

This book is warm and beautiful and funny and sweet sad. The character development should be taught in schools. It's amazing.

 
Book Club Recommended
Informative, Insightful, Inspiring
Should be required reading in US

I expected the author to tell me what to think on the prison system in America. Instead, he presents the information, his opinion is obvious, but he leaves you room to interpret the information as you will. I kept looking at the dates thinking I was reading about pre- Civil Rights era but it was my lifetime/ more current!

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
 
Book Club Recommended
Interesting, Insightful, Dramatic
Interesting writing style

A master storyteller! This book is unusual in it's writing style from so many characters point of view. Somehow it's done in non-defined way (you have to discover the "who" narrating) and it's not confusing.

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