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Name : Michelle M.

My Reviews

 
Informative, Interesting, Insightful
Gloomy Science lesson that could have been told in 20 pages max

It was a science lesson and not an interesting, enjoyable creative book. After the first 20 pages of the "lesson" I had enough and dreaded reading another page. One big problem is that it was totally repetitive. It must have repeated the cell issue about 300 times. This is a good book for someone who wants a science lesson. It was extremely sad as well.

 
Book Club Recommended
Fun, Pointless, Graphic
A book cocktail

I laughed out loud the entire time I read it. It's a feel good book. You have to have a somewhat sarcastic sense of humor to appreciate it though.

Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
 
Book Club Recommended
Pointless, Informative, Fun
Tired of gloomy stories?

I read this quickly and laughed a lot. Handler has a confident and hilarious outlook on life. Don't read it if you are offended by words like "fart." It's interesting how she weaves sad stories into the threads of the narrative.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay
 
Book Club Recommended
Informative, Dramatic, Insightful
Lesser known Holocaust related story

Despite my minor in history, I had never heard of this particular France-based story related to the Holocaust. It was hard to stop reading it and beautifully written.

Honolulu by Alan Brennert
 
Book Club Recommended
Informative, Interesting, Epic
Inspirational and interesting

A story about a Korean women in the early 1900s who takes a chance in a new land called Hawaii. She's very brave and creative, overcoming great hardships. It was an interesting story. I was inspired to be brave myself. It was interesting to learn about Japanese/Korean relations.

 
Book Club Recommended
Fun, Boring, Pointless
A vainglorius apoplectic romp that will put your burnoose in a twist!

It was a good read I liked the main character. I'm 43 years old and can somewhat relate to her, although I'm still married and my husband has not left me for a guy he met on Gay.com! Be ready to get out the dictionery on this. Here are a few of the words used in the book: cattywampus, depradations, belleristic, irascible, vainglorius, filial, improvident, apoplectic, bildungsroman and burnoose!

Moo by Jane Smiley
 
Confusing, Difficult, Inspiring
Too much

I liked a couple of the stories within and the writer's prose is interesting but there were way too many characters and too many stories at once.

Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue
 
Book Club Recommended
Dramatic, Interesting, Insightful
The Room, a fast read, is a masterful optimistic AND dark drama

I liked that it was very optimistic yet dark at the same time. It is masterful writing! I liked how it teaches priorities. The grandma/mom was wondering, how can someone live without Lego's? After learning about day to day life in the room, the reader realizes that's a ridiculous statement given priorities like fresh air, a walk in the park, visiting with family, and building a career. How can someone think a toy is important in comparison?

 
Book Club Recommended
Dramatic, Interesting, Insightful
Dramatic page-turner

This is one of the best books I've read in the past couple of years. The writing is clear and descriptive. The flashbacks are masterful. The characters are fascinating and the ending left me satisfied.

Just Kids by Patti Smith
 
Book Club Recommended
Interesting, Informative, Pointless
An Examination of Unconditional Love in the Era of Flower Children

Although the book starts of a bit slow with two many insignificant details painstakingly scattered like a bag of spilled marbles, it's an incredible glimpse into the world of artists and famous rockers in the flower child era, with a focus on New York City. (I originally thought I'd be reading about Haight Ashbury.) Patti Smith is a poet artist who transforms into a singer. At the heart of the book is her unconditional love story involving controversial and incredibly talented photographer and "necklace maker" Robert Maplethorpe. Together they are the ideal "Janis Joplin" era starving artist couple. No matter what he does, she stays devoted to him in the most open and creative ways.

Ape House: A Novel by Sara Gruen
 
Book Club Recommended
Interesting, Informative, Unconvincing
Great ape fun

This was a good read, not the best book I've ever read, but was worth the time. The apes were adorable and the animal facts were educational. I thought the references to the apes having sex so much were overdone. The writer did not have to include what seemed like 10,000 references to ape sex. That was a bit offensive and I almost stopped reading after the 15th mention.

The human story was so so. There were some funny parts. I thought the writer's wife was entertaining.

The Cosmopolitans by Nadia Kalman
 
Poorly Written, Pointless, Confusing
Interesting and wacky characters but too busy, too many stories inside book

This book had a ton of characters and story lines and kept switching back and forth among the various character view points. I didn't figure out what was happening until the last third of the book. The writer attempts humor but it's so hard to follow that I rarely "LOL." If you can perform intense concentration and like to read about Russian Jews and their friends and family, this book is for you. I did find learning more about the Jewish culture quite interesting though!

Ellis Island: A Novel by Kate Kerrigan
 
Book Club Recommended
Adventurous, Beautiful, Interesting
A Gentle Read

The main character is a strong woman and the story is historically significant. I enjoyed it.

Snowdrops by A.D. Miller
 
Book Club Recommended
Fantastic, Gloomy, Interesting
Behind the Scenes in Russia

The twists and turns in this book are really interesting although at times they make it more confusing. The main character is an expat attorney from the UK living in Russia. He meets a super beautiful, smart and sneaky Russian woman who takes him for a surprising ride. The book probably offends Russians because it says the government needs bribes to get anything done. I have not been to Russia so I don't know the real story.

 
Book Club Recommended
Informative, Insightful, Dark
Behind the Scenes of a Slum City in India

This book reads like fiction because it is so interesting and eye-opening. It is actually a true story though and the writer is a journalist. The book shows that people living at the bottom of the economic scale can work harder and smarter to try to live a better life. It is sad at times but it's still a great read because it makes you appreciate what you have in life. I am guessing the Indian government does not like this book because it says that officials don't do much unless they are bribed. I'm guessing it's not quite as bad as this all over India.

Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas
 
Book Club Recommended
Inspiring, Beautiful, Interesting
Beautiful relationships

This book gives you a glimpse of an interesting time in U.S. history. The relationships are beautiful and although it's very sad at times, it is generally a nice gentle read.

 
Book Club Recommended
Dramatic, Informative, Epic
A Page Turner

It\'s educational and interesting. It has more twists, turns and drama than any other book I\'ve read. What\'s funny is that the star character, a noble woman who at the age of 12 was expected to produce the next king of England is super religious yet at the same time super hungry for power. One of her husbands points that out.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
 
Fun, Addictive, Dramatic
Big Little Lies has Offensive Sterotypes

Constantly calling the parent teacher association leaders "Blonde Bobs" was a hugely offensive stereotype. I don't recommend the book or any other books by Liane Moriarty for this reason. By the way, I have been a public relations professional for 25 years and am a past member of the district PTA which taught and motivated leaders at 200 PTAs. Shame on this author for the way she stereotyped PTA volunteers.

The Boston Girl: A Novel by Anita Diamant
 
Book Club Recommended
Interesting, Informative, Insightful
A woman to admire as well as laugh and cry with

The main character has an interesting time growing up in Boston in the early 1900s. It was an enjoyable read. Not too fluffy. Not to serious. I liked the history aspect of it.

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