tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post868951758048344283..comments2024-03-14T08:18:20.779-04:00Comments on Sarah Laurence: Mini Book Reviews: Jane Green, Valerie Martin, Louise Erdrich, Beth Fantaskey, E. Lockhart and Meg CabotSarah Laurencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00423008641739156182noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-5282493058599751822010-08-18T18:59:17.700-04:002010-08-18T18:59:17.700-04:00Both of those Valerie Martin books-- The Unfinishe...Both of those Valerie Martin books-- The Unfinished Novel and The Confessions of Edward Day--are in my stack--yay!cynthia newberry martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04088261237123157140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-54894091639641236542010-08-17T21:52:21.786-04:002010-08-17T21:52:21.786-04:00Barrie, thanks for reminding me to read Juliet Nak...Barrie, thanks for reminding me to read Juliet Naked. My husband loved that novel too. I was short and a little silly this week – must be all the time in the sun.Sarah Laurencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00423008641739156182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-43556583328473274412010-08-17T21:47:48.994-04:002010-08-17T21:47:48.994-04:00Love these quickie reviews! I just finished Juliet...Love these quickie reviews! I just finished Juliet Naked by Nick Hornby and LOVED it. Oh, and your disclosures are the best!!Barriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04678698296265168217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-53638482458481172532010-08-17T21:05:07.492-04:002010-08-17T21:05:07.492-04:00Beth, I think you'll appreciate The Disreputab...Beth, I think you'll appreciate The Disreputable History as much as I did once you get past the first chapter.Sarah Laurencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00423008641739156182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-69206028146564142162010-08-16T12:35:16.171-04:002010-08-16T12:35:16.171-04:00you have convinced me: It is time time time to re...you have convinced me: It is time time time to read Disreputable History.Beth Kepharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14236487532413398431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-86058667817382753692010-08-15T20:32:21.047-04:002010-08-15T20:32:21.047-04:00Rose, the Butcher book sat for months on my shelf ...Rose, the Butcher book sat for months on my shelf before I read it, and then I couldn’t put it down. I haven’t read Eat, Pray, Love either. Sometimes I find myself avoiding books that are that popular, but it looks amusing.<br /><br />JAPRA, grandparents know how to please granddaughters. My parents looked after our daughter while we were in Quebec City. <br /><br />Cynthia, you are so lucky; I love Valerie Martin. You would adore her short story collection, The Unfinished Novel. I also reviewed The Confessions of Edward Day. I recall your fabulous review of Maytrees and the Mary Sutter book sounds interesting.<br /><br />Troutbirder, you would appreciate the historical details in Property. I’ve heard the heat has been tough out where you are. Even Maine has been hotter than normal but we never hit 100. It’s now back to the 70s during the day and 50s at night.<br /><br />Booksnyc, I could have guessed that you’d love Jane Green. Thanks for adding your endorsement. Yes, Edinburgh is heavy but beautifully written. I’m reading it concurrently with the lighter One Day, my beach book. You will enjoy One Day although I’m not all of it will make sense to Americans.<br /><br />Alyson, now that I’m writing YA fiction, I have the perfect excuse to read along with my daughter. She’s what got me started.<br /><br />Sapphire, I’d love to hear your reaction to Property. It is very atmospheric and captures the heat of the south. I haven’t read Light in August although I read Faulkner’s stories and poetry in school. You are very well read in American literature.Sarah Laurencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00423008641739156182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-7080291076917467642010-08-15T19:25:40.194-04:002010-08-15T19:25:40.194-04:00Hello
Thanks for the 6 interesting reviews, Sara...Hello<br /><br />Thanks for the 6 interesting reviews, Sarah! "Property" sounds very interesting. I'll order a copy of it at Amazon. As I was reading "Light in August"(it is set in MS, though) again in a Shinkansen train, what you call "fresh perspective" intrigues me a lot! Is "Property" atmospheric as well? <br />I've also read your review of "Touch Blue". The setting of the novel is tempting!☆sapphirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13444996989089740303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-57833873800418001082010-08-15T11:26:21.935-04:002010-08-15T11:26:21.935-04:00I love summer reading! Thanks for including so ma...I love summer reading! Thanks for including so many. I love variety and I love having books to recommend to my 13 year old daughter.Alyson | New England Livinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16209837924378793507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-33685891363694454822010-08-14T15:38:38.731-04:002010-08-14T15:38:38.731-04:00I read Promises to Keep earlier this summer and LO...I read Promises to Keep earlier this summer and LOVED it! Jane Green's books are generally hits for me.<br /><br />Edinburgh seems to cover quite a heavy topic and is not what I expected it to be about based on its title. <br /><br />One Day is on my TBR list - the premise if very interesting!<br /><br />Thanks for a great post and recommendations!Booksnychttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11197753056299399065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-72742408346346244932010-08-14T07:43:47.328-04:002010-08-14T07:43:47.328-04:00Nice selection. I think I'd be especially inte...Nice selection. I think I'd be especially interested in "Property". The whole premise sounds intriguing. I'm embarrased to say I've read few books and no really good ones this summer. It must be the heat and humidity.troutbirderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-64426993601740046152010-08-13T20:13:15.877-04:002010-08-13T20:13:15.877-04:00Summer reading! What fun. I haven't read any o...Summer reading! What fun. I haven't read any of these but have a stack of Valerie Martin's books, including Property, that were a gift from the publisher. Best novel I've read recently would have to be The Maytrees by Annie Dillard. Also wonderful and hot off the presses is My Name is Mary Sutter, by Robin Oliveira, about a midwife who wants to become a doctor at the time of the Civil War.cynthia newberry martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04088261237123157140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-19725437484074342202010-08-13T14:39:35.326-04:002010-08-13T14:39:35.326-04:00Oh, I feel like I hit the jackpot here, Sarah! Tha...Oh, I feel like I hit the jackpot here, Sarah! Thanks for this list. And I loved your disclosures, especially: <i>daughter bought the first novel with her book allowance. Grandparents bought her the next 2 books on her request.</i> It made me smile!TBMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05587580447766102705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-49394865988669916332010-08-13T08:36:54.065-04:002010-08-13T08:36:54.065-04:00Thanks for all the great reviews, Sarah. "Th...Thanks for all the great reviews, Sarah. "The Master Butchers Singing Club" would have put me off with that title:) <br /><br />I've been reading a lot this summer, too, but mostly it's been my standard fare of mysteries. I'm probably the only woman in the US who hasn't read "Eat, Pray, Love," but with the movie coming out tomorrow, I might just have to give in and read it.Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384059342847120951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-44333025179544966952010-08-12T20:46:43.736-04:002010-08-12T20:46:43.736-04:00Elenka, good to hear that you appreciate them.
Bo...Elenka, good to hear that you appreciate them.<br /><br />Bonnie, Promises to Keep is fiction, but it draws from the author’s personal experience. Thanks so much for your list of recommendations.Sarah Laurencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00423008641739156182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-22605087551580636322010-08-12T19:43:00.833-04:002010-08-12T19:43:00.833-04:00Wonderful reviews Sarah. I am tempted by the firs...Wonderful reviews Sarah. I am tempted by the first three - especially Promises to Keep. I do enjoy memoirs and autobiographies.<br /><br />I am always reading several books at the same time. A few on my bedside table at the moment are:<br /><br />The Journal of Helene Berr<br /><br />The Dance of the Dissident Daughter (Kidd)<br /><br />The Mindful Therapist (Siegel)<br /><br />Being True to Life - Poetic Paths to Personal Growth (Richo)<br /><br />The Journal Keeper (Theroux)<br /><br />Thank you for sharing your summer reading. Will return to take notes on your readers suggestions too!Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00282469017360136275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-68912900589102989332010-08-12T11:14:50.200-04:002010-08-12T11:14:50.200-04:00Thank you so much for your reviews. I appreciate i...Thank you so much for your reviews. I appreciate it when you do them.Elenkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377371859667172825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-79176873171323232142010-08-12T08:32:16.138-04:002010-08-12T08:32:16.138-04:00Lakeviewer, I started reading the Hedgehog in a bo...Lakeviewer, I started reading the Hedgehog in a bookstore but stopped because it was too dark and bitter. Perhaps I should have kept reading.<br /><br />Amanda, I haven’t read anything by Rosemary Mahoney. Thanks for the recommendation. You started my day with a big smile, knowing you wanted to order “as u like it.” The reason you couldn’t find my novel at Barnes and Noble is because it’s not published yet. My agent is submitting the manuscript to publishers. Should it sell, I’ll announce the news on my blog. It’s nice to know that I’ll have readers, thank you!<br /><br />Elizabeth, I’ve always meant to read Penelope Fitzgerald, but I haven’t heard of Kai Bird, Denis Mackail or Virginia Nicolson. Thanks for the recommendations.Sarah Laurencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00423008641739156182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-12904838882361950672010-08-12T07:11:29.201-04:002010-08-12T07:11:29.201-04:00Fascinating reviews.
Just finished Offshore by Pen...Fascinating reviews.<br />Just finished Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald a gem --such elegant and perceptive writing.<br />I really recommend the stunning and fascinating non-fiction book<br />Crossing Mandelbaum Gate by Kai Bird.<br /><br />On a quite different note<br />for light summer reading<br />Denis Mackail's Greenery Street was a delight --about a happy marriage in the 1920's.<br /><br />Virginia Nicolson's Singled Out , non fiction, is a beautifully written account of women in England post WW1.<br /><br />So many books!<br />So little time.elizabethhttp://elizabethwix.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-38654242966715148502010-08-12T00:00:50.769-04:002010-08-12T00:00:50.769-04:00great reviews sarah, thanks for recommending these...great reviews sarah, thanks for recommending these titles. there are still a few weeks left in summer to fit in some more reading!<br /><br />i recently read and really enjoyed down the nile: alone in a fisherman's skiff, by rosemary mahoney. also liked her earlier nonfiction book about spending the summer as a teenager on martha's vineyard working for lillian hellman.<br /><br />(by the way, i'd like to read your book as u like it. for some reason my barnes and noble wasn't able to order it - would i be able to purchase a copy from you directly?)Amanda Summerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00942636545948440422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-27377904547717045072010-08-11T22:59:37.000-04:002010-08-11T22:59:37.000-04:00Just finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog. It is ...Just finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog. It is so rich, it needs to be reread.Rosaria Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03133147851332084180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-6764864226217927832010-08-11T16:46:42.955-04:002010-08-11T16:46:42.955-04:00Edith, thanks for the recommendation. I haven’t r...Edith, thanks for the recommendation. I haven’t read Dunmore and shall have to check her out.<br /><br />W2W, I love your new profile image. Give the Cabot book a miss unless you want to get into the head of teenaged girls. Midwives by Bohjalian is one of my favorite books, but I haven’t read that one. It was a lovely beach day today, thank you!<br /><br />Cid, I haven’t heard of “The Slap.” I’m planning on rereading To Kill a Mockingbird with my daughter when she reads it for school this year. It’s one of my favorites. Good to hear you are reading.<br /><br />Tina, if the FCC makes me write the disclosures, I may as well have a little fun with them.<br /><br />Stacy, Property is a must read book. How funny that you liked those 2 troublesome titles. The Erdrich one is out of print and it’s fabulous so I’m guessing the title was to blame. I’m not big on red meat so the title turned me off. The YA book was too wordy – Dating on the Dark Side would have been better. Also Jessica is not the right name for a teenaged girl now – too 70/80s. <br /><br />Donna, thanks for the feedback! My book review club posts are long, but my earlier book reviews tended towards brevity. I’m encouraged to do more of the shorter ones unless I’m interviewing the author. In general, I too find it easier to write more than less.Sarah Laurencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00423008641739156182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-75571352979674996182010-08-11T16:10:21.261-04:002010-08-11T16:10:21.261-04:00Summer is great for relaxing and reading books. Yo...Summer is great for relaxing and reading books. You've read some good ones. You have the ability to summarize quickly and clearly what a book is about. For some reason I have a hard time doing that. I either want to include too much information or not enough. Yours are a good example of how to do it, so thank you!Donnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10352909161587824227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-79402136672444136092010-08-11T12:00:59.070-04:002010-08-11T12:00:59.070-04:00Those all sound great. Well, maybe not the last o...Those all sound great. Well, maybe not the last one. <i>Property</i>, in particular, sounds like a thought provoking read.<br /><br />Funny. I loved all the titles that you hated. To each her own, I suppose.Stacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03980711066816198415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-1104632334456749082010-08-11T11:49:09.995-04:002010-08-11T11:49:09.995-04:00I am writing these down! Thanks!
Have you read, W...I am writing these down! Thanks!<br />Have you read, What Is Left The Daughter, by Howard Norman?Pamela Terry and Edwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12746603636884819522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-1208136862802821432010-08-11T09:31:46.058-04:002010-08-11T09:31:46.058-04:00Good job on getting six knocked out at one time. I...Good job on getting six knocked out at one time. I like the disclosures too.tinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17415302577518111227noreply@blogger.com