Explore 500+ honest book reviews and star ratings. From literary fiction to hidden gems, find your next great read on my digital bookshelf.
The Overstory by Richard Powers
512 Pages, Published In 2019
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A novel about trees. Really, it is a novel about people, and their relationships with trees. The lives of several families, across multiple generations, were woven together by the trees. I am in awe of the author’s broad knowledge of plants, literature, gaming, and technology. I can guarantee you will never look at trees the same way again after reading this book.
Circe by Madeline Miller
393 Pages, Published In 2018
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A plethora of characters (gods and mortals) and stories from Greek mythology, woven together by the Goddess Circe. It was the first book I read about Greek mythology and I loved it. Full of adventures, wonders, and love; also sorrows, pains, and hate. The author accentuates the women’s voice and power with her tender, beautiful writing.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
283 Pages, Published In 1947
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The dairy of a 13-year old Jewish girl during the two years hiding behind a bookshelf in a warehouse building in the Nazi occupied Netherlands during WWII. She wrote about her thoughts, feelings, ideals, dreams, and hopes. She wrote about her relationships with her mother and father, sister, and boyfriend. Many of her dreams were not realized as she died in a concentration camp in 1945. But her father, the only survivor in the family, fulfilled her one dream to be a writer, after publishing her diary in 1947. Her passage on 4/5/1944: Will I ever be able to write something great, will I ever become a journalist or a writer? I hope so, oh, I hope so very much, because writing allows me to record everything, all my thoughts, ideals and fantasies. She certainly was one of the greatest diarist in history.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
320 Pages, Published In 2020
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So many hidden, dark secrets were revealed one at a time at a “perfect” wedding, on a remote island. The story has a slow start with two dozen characters, all the wedding guests, and finally it bursted out with a murder. If the reader can get over the slow buildup, the ending is worth it.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
400 Pages, Published In 2020
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Loved all the magical characters in the story. It’s a charming and heartwarming tale, at a remote island in the cerulean sea. We shall all accept and embrace the differences in our children, and adults alike. We shall fight against prejudice, one step at a time. We shall all cherish our own uniqueness and strength. A fantasy, also a classic.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
353 Pages, Published In 2005
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What a heartwarming memoir by Jeannette Walls! Throughout the book, I was captivated by the beautiful and candid writing of her love for her family- the flawed parents, four siblings. Her father was alcoholic; mother was selfish; life was hard with a nomadic family of six without stable jobs. However, the love was salient. The father-daughter relationship was tenderly written. Jeanette was the champion of her journey. Thanks the author for sharing the journey with readers.
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
336 Pages, Published In 2018
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Library is an enchanted place.
Last Train to Istanbul by Ayse Kulin
396 Pages, Published In 2002
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Last Train to Istanbul by Ayse Kulin. A dramatic WWII rescue journey from Paris to Istanbul through the perilous war zone. An engrossing and uplifting tale with well developed characters. A master piece from one of Turkey’s most beloved authors. The translation by John W. Baker was great!