Member Profile
| Name : | Kay V. |
My Reviews
On the "language of flowers" side, I thought about the flowered napkins and paper plates I use and give as gifts ... and the message I may be sending! On the effect of the foster-child system, my eyes were opened again to why impossible people get to be impossible--it is not that they want to be but that they are fired in a kiln of cruelty and abandonment ... but Victoria had a gift and the smarts to use it and create a life for herself. Loved the book!
The writing/translation was a huge gift/joy in itself. The story a fantasyland of kingdoms and creatures yet a gritty reality tale--how little we know of the people around us when we are 7, and what a difference it makes to slide the world onto its axis when we do know, but the price of knowing is great. I had to put myself behind the eyes of a 7-year-old to really get into the book without adult judgment. Every character unforgettable, Elsa and Granny the most of all, of course. Getting to know these people was one of the greatest pleasures ... I am so glad I had to read this book for book group--might have missed a fantastic (in every sense of the word) read!
Disturbing, surprising, leaving questions and head-shaking over the government's treatment of its citizens in an emergency, this book is really a personal story of one man, one family, surviving Katrina. Hard to believe this can happen in America, and yet, it's not hard. The value of helping people in trouble, the selflessness that is twisted by authorities, the shadow of the aftermath of such an experience--Eggers does a humane job of putting us there, in the canoe, in the cage, in the desperation. Leads to a lot of questions and reflections!
A complete panorama, and thanks to the family tree at the beginning, an understandable one, of an assembly of Ghanian kinsfolk from their painful life in Africa to multi-storied lives in America. Beautifully written, I was amazed that the young author kept such a firm grasp of her huge story-canvas all the way through. The big picture floated over the individual stories and made this a great and moving read.
Non-fiction. Book, large print, ebook (no audiobook in library, it is on Audible). 224 pp.
Older man & woman in New York = Edward wants to follow his late wife to the grave and Isabel is ready to give up on love. Edward's daughter asks Isabel to check on him--they meet weekly for glorious dinners Edward cooks and life-changing exchanges. Learned great recipes and very helpful ways to cut life to the bone.
Fiction--Book, ebook, audiobook in library. 573 pp.
Kay: Couldn't put it down; sock in the gut in last 1/3, true to history and place, people are unforgettable.
Tang Dynasty of 8th-century China; story of honor & power; Shen Tai given Emperor's gift of 250 horses--he must claim in person. Beautiful language and writing.
Pub May 2022--no paperback, no audiobook
The author said “Bloomsbury Girls is about three women (including Evie Stone from my first novel The Jane Austen Society) working in a London bookshop in 1950 and engaged in an ongoing battle of the sexes with the male department heads. I call it Mad Men meets You've Got Mail! If The Jane Austen Society was my valentine to Austen, my second book is my tribute--as a former bookshop owner myself--to the magic of bookstores and the way they bring together people from so many different walks of life.
Kay says: Fiction with some real-life characters (Daphne du Maurier!) and reference to first American bookshop owned by a woman. Real storytelling about all the characters, easy to follow, optimistic for women changing things and just plain fun to read. Plus, bookstore life is fascinating and detailed. So good!
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