Member Profile
| Name : | Kathy M. |
My Reviews
While this was a good selection and I enjoyed the book, I felt the author kept avoiding some of the key questions and exploration of consequences. Particularly the last quarter of the book just felt like skipping the waves. Perhaps it is because the true life Beryl Markham was such an iconoclast and larger than life character she could not be contained on the page.
Very disappointed with author's pendactict stryle. Tremendous amount of filler with a constant tension between trying to determine if this was a political bio or a personal profile. The lack of personal context with his wife and family was disappointing. However when dealing with Bush's diplomacy it became gripping and insight8.
This is an extremely well written memoir of life as a young Marine officer in both Afghanistan and Iraq. It is a rare glimpse into the risk, adrenaline and boredom that are war,
Probably our least well known founding father, Alexander Hamilton, was likely most responsible for placing the foundations of American banking and commerce. This book is a comprehensive biography of a most complex individual who overcame poverty, illegitimacy, and prejudice to become a key figure in our history. Chernow manages to straddle successfully the line of intimate revelation with statesmanship and avoids the trap of minutia in the details. The book while big enough to serve as a door stop reads more like a novel. Well worth the time and effort.
Great exploration of how we cope with aging parents and how this needs to change. Excellent for making peace with the lack of control the adult child has and the need for parental autonomy for as long as possible.
this is like traveling back to a time of glamour, sophistication, and naivete. For those of us of a certain age it brings new insight to brief memories of the main participants. Underscores the observation that Capote was a hell-of-a writer and a complete failure as a person.
Gripping story with an excellent exploration of implicit bias and the golf of understanding between groups. The strong need to really discuss difficult subjects.
Who knew a book on the Oxford Dictionary Edition 1 (ostensibly) could be so captivating? The exploration of sexism in language, the harshness of Victorian England for women, even with a woman running the country, and the lovely characters are captivating. My only reason for not giving this a 5 is the last part of the book in wrapping things up simply is not worthy of the book.
This is such a fresh story. The activity that triggers her adventure caused our club members to start looking up Mud-Larking tours. We are threatening a trip! The author does an amazing job of bouncing between present-day London and London of 1790. The characters are well-formed and you truly care about them. To the point of wanting to talk them out of what they are going to do. The only disappointment was how the modern character handled the intrusion of another. Otherwise, it was amazing
I am well-versed in art and pretty familiar with the works of the great Renaissance artists. Michelangelo and DaVinci were revolutionary leaders at a time of great art explosion in both composition and technique. While having a vague knowledge they were working at the same time, I was gobsmacked by the overlap. This book paired with the recent Ken Burns documentary on DaVinci makes for a great foundation of this artistic time of enlightenment.
Now that being said, while very informative and showing a good deal of we done story telling, the book is not particularly well written. At times she does an outstanding job of immersing you in Renaissance Florence. At others, you're left wondering why include this character or taking too long to get to the point.
This is worth the time for the education and historic context.
Based upon the reviews, title, & blurbs, I expected a drill down into the tensions between brilliant creative art (in all forms but especially film) and artists (actors, directors, producers etc.) who commit horrible acts, espouse repugnant views, and commit sex crimes.
Many women especially, struggle with the question of what is the morally correct stance.
While this was introduced as a subject it was far more and author's memoir than the philosophical practical answer of what do we do with such masterpieces of work but not reward horrid people.
She did name some films that are true conundrums. Brilliant works like Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown, The Pianist by Polanski but the fact he is a convicted rapist of a minor, survivor of the holocaust, and widower of Sharon Tate.
This book was such a disappointment and could have benefitted from a good editor.
Magnificent work produced by an amazing author. Incredible insight into China over the last 60 years. This is a transportive work into a world few of us know or understand. The nexus of traditional, rural, moral, and modern values is a universal theme with culturally specific nuances.
The story of tea becomes as important of a thread through this work as the people's stories.
It is truly a brilliant, moving and insightful story.
Book Club HQ to over 88,000+ book clubs and ready to welcome yours.
Get free weekly updates on top club picks, book giveaways, author events and more
