Reported by Laura
The
first book reviewed this week was Sweet Judy Blue Eyes by Judy Collins. Unfortunately, it was a
disappointment to the reader. Though she acknowledged the many talents of Ms.
Collins, she felt the book missed the mark. There was a lot of name-dropping of
famous folk singers, but the stories were not well developed, and a lot of the
book focused on the excessive drinking she did during her life. The reviewer
would not recommend this one.
The
next book reviewed was very, very good. Doing Sixty and Seventy by
Gloria Steinem is a beautiful book that really made sense to the reader. Ms.
Steinem is an American feminist and social/political activist. In the book, she
speaks to the way aging has changed her, “The older I get, the more intensely I
feel the world around me…” The reviewer loved the book and would read it again.
She felt it was something that all would enjoy.
We
Fed an Island by Jose Andres was an amazing Who’s Who of Chefs in the
world. After Hurricane Marie decimated Puerto Rico, Andres got some of his chef
friends together and proceeded to feed hundreds of thousands of people. The
reader found Andres to be very caring, kind, and resourceful. He knew exactly
where to go and what to do to get things done. Besides telling this wonderful
true story, the book also offers suggestions for how to address a crisis like
this in the future. A cool side note is that a portion of proceeds from the
sale of this book will be donated to the Chef Relief Network of World Central
Kitchen!
A
Pure Heart by Rajia Hassib was a beautifully written book about two Muslim
sisters: Gameela, who stays in Egypt, and Rose, who immigrates to America. It
is a brilliant portrait of how the decisions these women make in work and love
determine their destinies. The reviewer learned a lot about Muslim and Egyptian
thinking and beliefs and loved the book! She felt it was picturesque and
enlightening. While reading, she felt she was right there in the story and it
helped her to remember to meet people where you meet them and take them as they
are right now without regard to their past. Highly recommended!
The
next book was a down-to-earth parody of Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing
Magic of Tidying Up. Written with tongue-in-cheek, Tidy the F*ck Up
by Messie Condo was very funny and had some good ideas. The reviewer thoroughly
enjoyed it.
My
Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout concentrates on a woman with three
siblings who grew up in poverty. She manages to get away and attend college,
but finds that you really can’t escape your past or family ties. The reviewer
loves this writer, who also writes the Olive Kitteridge series.
Maid
by Stephanie Land is a memoir that chronicles the life of a single mother who
works hard scrubbing the toilets of the rich to keep a roof over her daughter’s
head. Our reviewer found nothing to admire in the heroine of this book. She
felt her life was the result of a string of bad decisions and that the child
was just dragged along at the mercy of those choices. She would not recommend
it.
The
Stone Diaries by Carol Shields was the winner of the 1995 Pulitzer Prize.
It is the story of Daisy Goodwill, an ordinary woman trying to figure out her
place in the world. She was an orphan who came from a poor background, yet she
lived a good life. This book spans nearly 90 years, from her birth on a kitchen
floor in Canada to her death in a nursing home in Florida. The reviewer felt
that it was a very good book.
Dark
Lake is a romantic suspense novel by Clare Revell. The reviewer felt there
was a lot going on, but she enjoyed the book. Dr. Lou Fitzgerald, the central
character, is an archeologist who is used to overcoming obstacles, having lost
her leg at the age of 11. Unexpected happenings rarely faze her, but Dark Lake
is more than she bargained for. Expecting to find an ordinary dig, what she
encounters is beyond her wildest imagination with dark forces appearing to be
at work.
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