Member Profile

Name : Lisa C.
Gender : Female

My Reviews

The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling
 
Book Club Recommended
Slow, Interesting, Insightful
The Casual Vacancy

As one of maybe 12 people on the planet who has not read any of the Harry Potter books, I was pleasantly surprised by the descriptive and wonderful writing style of JK Rowling. Many characters reside in this novel, but they are so fully developed and unique, it isn\\\'t hard at all keep track of who\'s who. At times funny, sad and poignant--- one of the rare books that when not reading it, I was impatiently counting down the minutes until I could. Quirky, flawed, people populate this small town--some you hate, some you love. Some you cheer for, some you cheer when life gives them their just desserts! One of my favorite books this year.

 
Book Club Recommended
Slow, Interesting, Adventurous

JK Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith in this page turning crime novel. The author does a great job of shifting focus to various suspects. Just when you think you know "who did it", another descriptive section re: a different character pops up. The crime novel genre is not one I frequently read, but I have to say that I really enjoyed reading this book. After reading Casual Vacancy (which I gave 5 stars) I am truly a fan of JK Rowling's writing style. Her characters are so well developed and interesting.

The Dinner by Herman Koch
 
Book Club Recommended
Dark, Interesting, Slow

Ah, The Dinner. While our book club read this book and had a great discussion, most didn't like the overall tone of the book. None of the characters are redeeming. Personally? I didn't care what happened to any of them! All were so self-involved and dysfunctional that when bad things occurred, I did not feel an ounce of remorse for anyone. I recommend this for book clubs because it does spark a good discussion but I definitely disagree with it being compared to Gone Girl.

 
Book Club Recommended
Beautiful, Inspiring, Romantic
Read it now!

If I could give this book 6 stars, I would. Brilliantly written YA book that absolutely does not read like a YA book. Characters going through awful times that are so wonderfully, brilliantly written--you want to know these kids. Changes the landscape of terminal illness--showing that while dying, people are still living. Philosophical, funny, ironic, heart breaking and just a lovely, lovely book. Read it.

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
 
Book Club Recommended
Interesting, Dramatic, Addictive

This book is fabulous! It's messy and complicated and real. The characters all have flaws and issues--just like us. Nothing is wrapped up in a tidy bow--which so appealed to me because it made the book and characters so much more relatable. Life is messy and hard and sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't. And sometimes they work out in a different way than you'd ever imagined. There are laugh out loud moments, and ones that break your heart. Superbly written.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
 
Book Club Recommended
Fun, Addictive, Dramatic
Page turning fun and mystery

I adored The Husband\'s Secret and could not wait to read Big Little Lies, but wondered if it would be as good. I needn\'t have worried. The writing is perfect, dialogue is fabulous---at times laugh out loud funny--and the characters are fully developed, flawed people. Funny and sad. Thought provoking and anger stirring. It is a book I could NOT put down. After reading this, I downloaded all of Lianne Moriarty\'s other books!

 
Epic, Informative, Boring
Repetitive & slooooooooooow

While the author should be commended for the vast amount of research she did to put this book together, it reads more like a textbook than a book solely read for entertainment. The first 2/3 of the book are so repetitive, and detailed, that I found myself skimming. And not missing a thing. While well written, it is more a read for those who are students of Russian history or those who don\\\\\\\'t mind reading sentence after sentence about the same thing, described slightly differently!

 
Book Club Recommended
Dramatic, Addictive, Interesting
Addictive and compelling read.

So, I read a bunch of reviews stating how readers couldn\'t put this book down. Then I read it and experienced the same thing.
A true page turner, twists galore and intriguing look at the real lives people lead---not the ones we imagine them to. Full of beautifully flawed characters.

This year\\\\\\\'s \\\\\\\"Gone Girl\\\\\\\"

Absolutely loved this book.

The Aviator's Wife: A Novel by Melanie Benjamin
 
Book Club Recommended
Informative, Interesting, Insightful
Anne Lindbergh more heroic than charles

Wow, What a story. Beautifully written look at the inside of a complicated relationship. Our book club read it and the vast majority thought Anne was redemptive in the end, versus her husband. Fascinating look at a difficult, complicated man and his marriage.

 
Book Club Recommended
Informative, Insightful, Interesting
Fabulous debut!

This book is so beautifully written, juxtaposed with the harsh subject matter. Concise, succinct use of words, but every word is fraught with depth and importance. Our book club read this for our January meeting and everyone loved it. Truly an insightful look into the world of eating disorders and how they affect not just the person suffering, but the ones who love them.
A must read for all book clubs....great discussion!

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