Pocketbooks » Book Reviews

Reader Review: "The Healing"

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:56:03 +0000

by Jeanette (Marietta, GA): I read The Healing in two sittings it is a fascinating story of plantation life at the beginning of the Civil War. Granada, a slave newborn child whom the plantation mistress takes from the slave mother to fill-in her grief over the lost of her own child, is raised in the big house as the mistress pet; then there is Polly, the Healer, whom Master Satterfield has paid quite a bit of money to acquire and heal his sick slaves from a mysterious plague sweeping thru his plantation. When we are introduced to Polly we learn that she has the gift of healing both body and soul, she is the only one who dares stand up to the boss and while she is healing she is also planting ideas of freedom and escape. Polly recognizes “the gift” in Granada and requests her as an apprentice; this begins a battle of wills between Polly and Granada. All the characters are well developed; we feel their pain and their joy and become part of their every day’s life. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

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Reader Review: "The Uncommon Reader"

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:42:23 +0000

by Cloggie Downunder (Thirroul NSW Australia): The Uncommon Reader is a novella by novelist and playwright, Alan Bennett. The story starts with the Queen coming across the mobile library van parked near Buckingham Palace, where Norman, a young man from the kitchens, is choosing a book. After making small talk with the driver/librarian and the kitchen hand, she feels duty-bound to borrow a book. Which she, of course, dutifully reads and returns the following week for another. Soon enough, she has Norman transferred from the kitchens to assist her in her new favourite pastime, reading. This delightful dose of British humour speculates on what happens to the royal duties and the royal household as the Queen gives in to her obsession. Full of laugh-out-loud moments, especially the last line.

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Reader Review: "The Sense of an Ending"

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:24:10 +0000

by Kim (Massachusetts): I devoured this book in a day. Like another reviewer, I find it difficult to describe this story. Much of it consists of the narrator ruminating over what memory is (or isn’t), which I sometimes found a bit annoying—and yet, his ruminations are the heart and soul of the story. He is searching for what we all search for: truth and meaning in our lives. As he is drawn back in time by by an old letter, he is forced to reconsider his views on memory and the passage of time, history, and happiness. Why did I like this book? It’s a short, compelling read; it is well-written; the characters are powerfully drawn; there is a mystery involved; the end result is rather shocking. The concept, as well as the title of the book, are brilliant. Most of all, I liked it for its honesty in presenting life and our memory of the past as a messy, uncertain business. As the narrator sums it up in the last sentences, "There is accumulation. There is responsibility. And…… there is unrest. There is great unrest."

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Reader Review: "The Greatest Generation"

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:54:09 +0000

by Ranae (Fort Worth Texas): Reading this book started as a assignment to write a review about in world geography, but to me it went much farther than that. There was a book selection to choose from and most people in my 9th grade class chose this book or The Millionaire Next Door. When I began reading it I was intrigued by it and took it everywhere with me, at one point it even brought me to tears. I now believe this was the greatest generation and have a new found respect for my elders. I strongly recommend this book and think that everyone should read it at one time or another.

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Reader Review: "Running the Rift"

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:11:33 +0000

by Barb (Western New York): "Running The Rift" by Naomi Benaron is an incredible tribute to all who perished in the Rwanda genocide in the early 1990′s while the world looked the other way. I picked it up because of the wonderful cover & a quick peek at the book synopsis. I read it basically in one sitting and was blown away by the moving story of Jean Patrick and his coming of age during the upheaval and horror in Rwanda. His dream was to make the Olympics – his reality was to slowly confront the truth of his life amid the horror….and somehow to continue to believe in the goodness of people and our ability to love. Benaron’s incredible storytelling makes us care about all the characters, admire their strengths, realize the beauty of Rwanda and set the stage for what’s to come. We watch Jean Patrick grow up – we see that people who live in horrible (by our standards) circumstances, actually, sometimes have more than we do. The love of family is forefront in this book – regardless of the horrific events happening around them. This book will be my standard for 2012 – my only complaint was I couldn’t figure our what "Rift" stood for until I dug out my atlas and saw that it’s a valley that runs through that part of the world. If it was mentioned, I missed it. One final note: I have reread the final chapters and realized that this is a book to be read again to truly appreciate all the beautiful layers that comprise it. I highly recommend this book!

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Reader Review: "Moon Over Manifest"

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:30:51 +0000

by Lynn (NYC): This book was recommended to me by the librarian at the k-8 school where I worked. It was new and she wanted an opinion. I loved it – a great story about a young girl living in a new town where she knows no one – not to mention that her family situation is difficult. She shows great strength as she explores that new life and as she learns about who she is. I wish this book had been available to me when I was a young reader.

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Reader Review: "The Secret Life of Bees"

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:30:51 +0000

by Cloggie Downunder (Thirroul NSW Australia): The Secret Life of Bees is the first novel by Sue Monk Kidd. Set in 1964, this is the story of Lily Melissa Owens, who lives on a peach farm in South Carolina. At four years of age, Lily accidentally killed her mother. Her father is a harsh and cruel man, and Lily craves her mother’s love. She does have the friendship of Rosaleen, a Negro servant, but when events put Rosaleen in jail and in danger of her life, Lily decides they need to escape. Lily follows the scant trail left by her mother and they end up living with the eccentric Boatwright sisters, farming honey and learning to understand the world and themselves. Filled with facts and anecdotes about bees and beekeeping, this heart-warming tale has tears and laughter and much wisdom. For me, it was reminiscent of novels by Alice Hoffman and Alice Walker’s The Colour Purple. The epigraphs about bees at the beginning of each chapter were a delightful touch.

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Reader Review: "I Know This Much Is True"

admin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 05:03:15 +0000

by anonymous (Canada living abroad): Rarely does a book take me on a voyage of self discovery, and this book definitely has. I could never really identify emotions and feelings in my own life until I read this book and then many questions about myself were answered. A definite must in any collection of books.

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Reader Review: "The Greater Journey"

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:27:11 +0000

by Lynn (Atlanta): Take some of the most important American authors, artists, doctors, and other historical figures that lived in France for some period of time during the mid-1800′s to early 1900′s, and you have a really remarkable book about how France influenced America — for the better. First of all, I am a huge fan of David McCullough. I didn’t know that this book would be so interesting and full of fascinating history. I particularly enjoyed the stories involving James Fenimore Cooper and John Singer Sargent. But this book has so much more. I recommend it highly.

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Reader Review: "In the Sea There are Crocodiles"

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:14:17 +0000

by Chris (New York): Thank you to BookBrowse for recommending this book to me. In comparison to” A Long Way Gone", the story of a young boy’s daunting walk out of Darfur, “In the Sea There are Crocodiles” is not as graphic and disturbing , yet just as hideous and harrowing. Enaiat’s story told through the pen of Fabio Geda is a much softer and simplistic tale. A much lighter easier read, it lends itself to the Young Adult/Teenage book category, and slowly grabs adults by the throat and drags them into a world that one can only imagine in the best fiction. Only Enaiat’s story is real and his resilience and fate will leave you amazed. You find yourself cheering when he arrives in Italy 5 years later. You find yourself saddened and shocked by what is happening in Afghanistan and other parts of the world today and the unspeakable losses of children and families the world over. Required reading. Bravo Fabio Geda and God Speed Enaiatollah Akbari!

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