This book is a ridiculous trivialization of marital relationships. Definitely didn't provide any useful strategies to use to improve a troubled relati...moreThis book is a ridiculous trivialization of marital relationships. Definitely didn't provide any useful strategies to use to improve a troubled relationship. (less)
This is my second book by this author and will not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed the story line of this book and the way the story was told from mu...moreThis is my second book by this author and will not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed the story line of this book and the way the story was told from multiple perspectives. The writing is very engaging and allows you to quickly become engrossed in the story.
I am so glad the author reached out to me to suggest I read this book. I can't wait to read my next Bette Lee Crosby book. (less)
This book was a quick, emotional read. Kristin Hannah is very good at invoking emotion from her readers. The book itself was lacking something. I thin...moreThis book was a quick, emotional read. Kristin Hannah is very good at invoking emotion from her readers. The book itself was lacking something. I think the storyline felt more than a bit unbelievable. Mikeala had an accident that left her in a coma. During the coma secrets emerged about her life that her family had to work through. It was hard to me to relate to her secrets and how she could keep those from her husband of 10 years and her children. I think the plot was a bit too predictable, a bit too syrupy. Someone else described it as a bit too Hallmark movie and I think that describes it perfectly.
The first book I read by Hannah I thought was amazing. Since then the other 2 I have read I have been disappointed. I think her attempt to make her books emotional sometimes causes the character and plot development to suffer.(less)
This was the May selection for my bookclub. I enjoyed the book in general. This is not a genre I have ever read so I wasn't sure what to expect. I did...moreThis was the May selection for my bookclub. I enjoyed the book in general. This is not a genre I have ever read so I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't enjoy some of the good witch vs. bad witch concepts. I did however enjoy the psychological themes - mutism, dissociation, etc that were discussed. (less)
Awesome resource for mental health professionals who work with international students. Provided invaluable information for the research project I am c...moreAwesome resource for mental health professionals who work with international students. Provided invaluable information for the research project I am currently working on. (less)
I found this book by accident while looking for my April book club suggestion. The therapist in me was interested by the title. I found that the book h...moreI found this book by accident while looking for my April book club suggestion. The therapist in me was interested by the title. I found that the book had lots of useful insights into the differences between the way men and women communicate based on both biology and socialization. The book is heavy on generalizations and is geared towards a female audience so it does sometime seem a bit heavy handed towards women. However, the good in this book outweighs the bad. I think most relationships could benefit from reading this book. I think the insights I gained can be helpful in all my relationships - especially in the ways I interact with and raise my son. I recommend this book for anyone in a long term relationship.(less)
This is the April selection for my book club. This book was very difficult for me to get into at first. Eventually I did become engaged with the story...moreThis is the April selection for my book club. This book was very difficult for me to get into at first. Eventually I did become engaged with the story and was curious to see what would happen. The story is told from the perspective of 2 different women in Paris. I liked one story much better than the other and would probably have preferred the story if it had been told compeletely from the post-War character's perspective. The book was mostly well written but there are many awkward sentences. I found myself having to re-read several sections to fully grasp their meaning. I also found the french words at the start of the chapters and throughout the book distracting and frankly a bit pretentious. I think I would have liked the book much more without the french language lesson.(less)
This is a book about friendship between vastly different people. The writing is well done and even though the style switches between past and present...moreThis is a book about friendship between vastly different people. The writing is well done and even though the style switches between past and present it is not distracting. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other books by this author.(less)
This is March's selection for my book club. This book is a quick, engaging read. Though the writing is entertaining enough the story has no real depth...moreThis is March's selection for my book club. This book is a quick, engaging read. Though the writing is entertaining enough the story has no real depth. The characters are all a bit one dimensional and stereotypical in their presentation. I thought the Christianity vs Muslim storyline was a bit heavy handed and seemed out of place and irrelevant to the story. The ending was predictable. Definitely not interested in reading any more of the books in the Vernetta attorney series. I actually laughed out loud when I got to the end and saw the discussion questions. This book does not seem like one that would warrant much discussion - it just wasn't that thought provoking.
If I could have I would have given it 2.5 stars.(less)
I read the biography of the Queen last year so I decided to read more about her husband. I found many of the details of his life fascinating. Who knew...moreI read the biography of the Queen last year so I decided to read more about her husband. I found many of the details of his life fascinating. Who knew that he had so much early tragedy or that his mom became a nun? I definitely felt sorry for him as a child having no real roots or parental support. The book ends soon after Princess Elizabeth ascends to the throne. I would have liked to know more about his life as a parent and as the Queen's husband.
I gave the book only 3 stars because though the story was fascinating I found the book a bit laden with trivia. I felt there was discussion of too many people who were only tangentially related to the main story and it often became difficult to keep all the Dukes, Earl, Lords, & Ladies straight.
I definitely enjoyed learning more about Prince Philip - will probably read more about him in the near future.(less)
The updated version has the photos that have won the Pulitzer Prize from 1942-2011. The book is available at the Newseum in DC. The photos are amazing...moreThe updated version has the photos that have won the Pulitzer Prize from 1942-2011. The book is available at the Newseum in DC. The photos are amazing and gut wrenching. So many of them capture visions of raw human emotions of sadness, despair, and occasionally joy or hope. Reading the stories behind the photos adds even more context and depth to the photos themselves. More than a few of the photos made me cry. So much of our world's recent history is captured in this book. (less)
Loading...
