Bookworm - Sumy Window on America Center

Book trailer Mark Twain “The Adventure of Tom Sawyer”

2012-02-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

Cormac McCarthy “The Road”

2012-02-09T03:48:00.000-08:00

“The road” was awarded the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is a post-apocalyptic tale of a journey of a father and his young son though burned America. They try to survive in a world destroyed by a catastrophe. They are heading for the Eastern coast with little hope of finding anything. The weather is bitter, the landscape colorless. They possess only what they can scavenge to eat.
They have a pistol with only a few bullets for defense, the rags they wear and the heat of their own bodies….
It’s moving story, well written with beautiful and memorable prose.
The book was intriguing and well-worth the read.
Lena

Book trailer Daniel Defoe “Robinson Crusoe”

2012-02-07T04:38:00.000-08:00

William Kennedy “Ironweed”

2012-01-31T00:18:00.000-08:00

The main hero, Francis Phelan, is a 58 years old bum, but he was not bum his whole life. A history of personal problems has brought him to his present station in life. He left his home twenty- two years ago when he accidently dropped his baby son on the floor and the boy died. Francis is a man who has made too many mistakes… I enjoyed the characters and plot.
This book reveals human kindness, sweetness, love, forgiveness.
A witty and philosophic novel, is one of those books that never leave your memory….
Ann.

Arundhati Roy “The God of Small Things”

2012-01-23T03:50:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for something different and interesting you have to read “The God of Small Things”. This is a 'Booker prize' winner book and the debut novel of Indian author Arundhati Roy. The writer is talented, certainly, and her prose is amazing, with wonderful word pictures. The words, the phrases, the structure - all fresh and alive. “The God of Small Things” is a book about what happened to a twins, Estha and Rahel. The story alternates between two time periods: the twins at seven and the twins at thirty-one. It is the story of childhood lost, it is the story of love, it is the story of death…
It was an absolute pleasure to read this book.
Lili.

Anita Shreve “The Pilot's Wife”

2012-01-12T05:50:00.000-08:00

I got a great book and I just finished reading it... “The Pilot's Wife” by Anita Shreve. It was beautifully written and it is also a good plot. A pilot’s wife in New England receives a knock on the door in the middle of the night to tell her that her husband has been killed in an air crash. The tragedy becomes the subject of an investigation, which leads her to London and a woman with two children: her husband two children. Jack Lyons has been leading a double life, married to two women in two countries.
This is a story of tragedy, love, betrayal and healing. It is a story of a strong woman who sets out to learn who her husband really was, who works to protect her daughter and at the same time copes with the rumour concerning her husband.
Olena.

Tobias Wolff “The Barrack Thief”

2012-01-12T03:54:00.000-08:00

The story is about three young boys: Philip, Hubbard and Lewis. They are from different families, and they have different characters. “The Barrack Thief” places the reader in the last weeks of young soldiers' lives before they are waiting to ship out for Vietnam.
The plot seems so real; it deals with real life situations of a human life.
Writing is really good, I like the way the story develops and this book makes me think….
I absolutely liked it and I would recommend it to anyone who loves to read!!
Olga.

Rick Bass “The Hermit’s Story”

2011-12-19T04:38:00.000-08:00

Rick Bass is the author of 16 books. ”The Hermit’s Story” is his best fiction.
Every story in this collection is amazing. My favorite stories are “The Hermit’s Story” and “Swans”. Bass explores the mysterious connections between man and nature. In “The Hermit’s Story”, a man and a woman travel across the frozen surface of a dry lake, in "Swans," a woman lights fires along the shore of a freezing pond to warm the five swans living there.
Language is wonderful, characters well developed, every story is remarkable in its own way.
Tanya

Shirley Hazzard “ The Transit of Venus”

2011-12-13T06:39:00.000-08:00

"The Transit of Venus" is an extraordinary piece of modern literature. I just finished to read it and enjoyed it so much.
National Book Critics Circle Award-winner Shirley Hazzard tells a story of two sisters, Grace and Caroline Bell. They move from Australia to England to start their lives in a new land. We watch their lives progress through the men they meet. They fall in love, meet their husbands, their lovers.
This book is a story of different place and time. It’s a very good love story.
This is one of my favorite books, which is beautifully written and language is wonderful too.
Lena

Tom Robbins “Skinny Legs And All”

2011-12-11T23:31:00.001-08:00

“Skinny Legs and All” deals with so many topics, many of which are classical in nature: love, sex, family, art, compassion, work, religion.
The book is very humorous, but it does have its serious side. The book moves across the USA from the South to the Northwest and out to New York, then to the Middle East as Robbins constantly analyzes the situation between Jews and Arabs there, as well as studies the Christian history. Tom Robbins is a master with words and best thing about his book is his writing.
I thought the story is terrific. It makes me want to live life, and live it in a new and healthy and loving way.
Olga.

Harper Lee “To Kill a Mockingbird”

2011-09-28T01:53:00.000-07:00

A classic of modern American literature “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960, it was instantly successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize.
I'm so glad I finally picked up “To Kill a Mockingbird”, I heard so many wonderful things about this book. It’s really a wonderful piece of literature, great characters, plot and prose. Every character and every little side story added flavor, color and depth to this wonderful tale. This book seems so simple, but it's about several things at once - racism, injustice, social status, innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” has become a new all-time favorite book for me.
Lili

Boyle T.C. “World’s End”

2011-08-18T01:40:00.000-07:00

World's End is a 1987 historical fiction novel by T. C. Boyle, the winner of the 1988 PEN/Faulkner Award for American Fiction. The novel tells the story of several generations of families in the Hudson River Valley from the late seventeenth century to the late 1960s with darkly humor, high seriousness, and beautiful prose. There are lots of characters, and lots of time shifts between chapters, but Boyle is able to tie it all together into a great story, involving wealthy Dutch landowners, Native Americans, poor farmers, and a rebellious youth in the 1970's. The novel is wisely readable, every character is placed with great care in the plot to do something. What I loved about the novel the most is its mix of historical fiction with family drama in the present, it never gets boring.
This book was hard to put down and well worth the read.
Olga.

Larry McMurtry “Lonesome Dove”

2011-08-11T04:38:00.000-07:00

Lonesome Dove is a 1985 Pulitzer Prize–winning western novel written by Larry McMurtry. This novel goes down as one of the finest examples of Western literature of all time. The story focuses on the relationship of several retired Texas Rangers and their adventures driving a cattle herd from Texas to Montana. I think you really feel you are on the journey with them across the wide open spaces and going through their trials. The characters in this story are more real than in any other book I've read. I came to absolutely love Gus and Clara. Lonesome Dove
is a book to make me dream, laugh….
“If you read only one western novel in your life, read Lonesome Dove…” USA Today
Lena

Wally Lamb “She's Come Undone”

2011-08-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

Wally Lamb presents the reader with a character who has lost all hope. I like Delores. She started out with a normal enough life. She was the only child in a normal family. Mother and father were together and happy, and Delores enjoyed spending time with them. But when her father decides to leave her and her mother, Dolores is not quite sure how to carry on.
The author has created an incredibly true and memorable young woman who has many of the same thoughts and feelings of your average female reader. I truly understood the feelings and thoughts of Dolores. It's amazing to me that a male author could write such engaging female character.

I think this story is a tragedy and a chance for the readers to think about the tragedies and sadness of our own lives.
Lena

Anita Shreve "The Last Time They Met"

2011-07-21T00:35:00.000-07:00

What a great book!!! This was the first book that I read by Shreve. Anita Shreve knows exactly how to make you care for her characters as close friends and to gain a deeper understanding of the character’s lives. This book really touched me and I can not stop thinking about it. I thought the book was wonderfully written. Shreve created such a powerful and emotional love between Linda and Thomas The ending was so shocking, it still brings tears to my eye. I highly recommend this novel and will be reading it again and again in years to come…A gripping novel…
Irina

John Edgar Wideman “Sent for You Yesterday”

2011-06-23T01:44:00.000-07:00

“Sent for You Yesterday” is a novel by the American writer John Edgar Wideman set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during the 1970s. The novel tells the story of Albert Wilkes, who after seven years on the run, returns to Homewood, an African American neighborhood of the East End.
Wideman tells about ordinary lives are filled with hope and despair.
John Edgar Wideman is true great writer. I never knew there could be so many thoughts and ideas in two hundred pages.
An excellent novel.
Ann

Sebastian Faulks “Birdsong”

2011-06-15T00:49:00.001-07:00

This is one of the best books about war, love, sorrow, loss, life that I have ever read.
The book is arranged into parts; one set in 1910, three set in the 1970s and the rest (the majority of the book) between 1916 and 1918. The parts set during the World War I are excellent. The battle scenes are so realistic, that as a reader I feel to be in the thick of the battle.
Birdsong begins as a love story. The young Englishman lives with a business partner's family in France and falls in love with his wife.
The novel also focuses on the life of Stephen's granddaughter, Elizabeth, and her attempts to find out more about her grandfather's experiences in World War I.

The story stays with you for a while after reading it. I could not put the book down.
I high recommend this book!
Lili

Alice McDermott “Charming Billy”

2011-06-09T05:11:00.000-07:00

A very good book! Lots of feeling, character description, a good story... Billy Lynch, the central character, is an alcoholic who has just passed away as the novel begins. The story starts at Billy's funeral and then goes back and forth through time and we know of Billy's life from the time he returned from WWII until his death from alcoholism. This book is about the life, love, and relationships of Billy's family. The story is a tale of love found, love lost, and of the close ties of family.
I really liked all the characters, especially charming Billy.
An enjoyable read!
Olga.

Susan Isaacs “Long Time No See”

2011-05-31T22:32:00.000-07:00

When a local housewife and a former investment broker is missing and then found dead in her covered swimming pool months later, the police as rule suspect the husband. His father wants to clear his son’s name. He asks Judith Springer who is now a widow and still a detective for her help in solving the crime. This brings Nelson Sharpe, now in Special Investigations, back into her life and her investigation.
I really enjoyed this book and kept on reading until I finished the book.
I highly recommend the book as a good summer reading mystery.
Lili.

Barbara Delinsky “The Woman Next Door”

2011-05-30T05:38:00.000-07:00

Delinsky does a good job. The characters are wonderful and the plot definitely realistic. I love the way she writes about real people with real problems, real emotions, and real solutions. In this novel, we meet four women who live next door to each other. One of them is the rich, young, widow who is pregnant by an unknown lover. Naturally, all the other three women suspect their husband of being the father. Each marriage is under just enough stress. The reader will try to guess who is truly the father of this woman's child. At the end her child's father is revealed and is quite a surprise……

Once you start this book, you will not want to put it down.
Lena.

Nicholas Sparks “A Bend in the Road”

2011-05-23T05:23:00.000-07:00

“A Bend in the Road” is a story of true love.
Miles Ryan and his wife Missy were young sweethearts, they married and had a beautiful boy named Jonah. Missy spent her days caring for her son while waiting for Miles to return home from his duty as a sheriff's deputy. The Ryans' were devoted to each other. Missy was killed by a hit and run driver. Two years later, Miles has tried to move on, but reminders of Missy are everywhere. When Sarah comes into his life. He finally learns to love again and move past all the horrible things in his life until he learns who the driver of the car is…..
Oksana.

Ken Follett's "Jackdaws"

2011-05-19T05:09:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed this book. I don't think I have read a Ken Follett book before.
It was intriguing fast moving and kept my interest.
It reads like a movie, it's entertaining, and it's a bit suspenseful. This is the story of Flick, a female British spy in occupied France throughout WWII. Ken Follett is the rare spy novelist whose female characters are as strong as his males. Follett’s thriller is Intelligent.
A good read, it's easy reading and the kind of book that's good for passing the time.
Alena

Billie Letts “Where the Heart Is”

2011-05-18T01:02:00.000-07:00

In her book “Where the Heart Is” Billie Letts takes her reader to the heartland of America where people live simply, care deeply and love completely.
Novalee is seventeen, seven months pregnant and on her way to California with her boyfriend. Now she finds herself stranded at a Wal-Mart in Sequoyah with $7.77 in change. Dut Novalee is about to discover hidden treasures in this small town.
This story is about real human life and survival. This book is a light read, with easy humor. It's a friendship story and a love story, that showcases the goodness of people.
"Where The Heart Is" is a wonderful book, can be read, understood, and loved by the whole family!
Ann.

Charles Johnson “Middle Passage”

2011-05-12T01:35:00.000-07:00

Middle Passage is a 1990 historical novel by Charles R. Johnson about the final voyage of an illegal American slave ship. The novel shows a personal and historical perspective on the illegal slave trade in the United States. We are introduced to the protagonist Rutherford Calhoun, a fascinating character who is a freed slave that ends up on the ship basically by accident as he flees to avoid a forced marriage to his impatient girlfriend. During the voyage, Rutherford becomes humbled, learning lessons that teach him to value and respect humanity which includes identification with his own country, America.
Great story which treats a difficult subject in an unusual and entertaining way. At times funny, at times heartbreaking, but always engrossing. Full of irony.
Olga.

Steven Millhauser “Martin Dressler”

2011-05-06T01:33:00.000-07:00

Martin Dressler is a young man at the turn of the twentieth century with big ideas and dreams. Starting as a cigar boy in his father’s shop, Martin Dressler, the son of an immigrant, goes to work as a bellboy in a Manhattan hotel. He begins to realize his dreams, moving up first in the hotel's chain of command and then moving out on his own as an owner first of a cigar stand, then restaurants, then grander and grander hotels.
This book is about the energy of New York, the drive to achieve a dream, the power of the
imagination. The descriptions of New York city and some of the groundbreaking innovations at the turn of the century were wonderful.
One of the few Pulitzer Prize-winning novels that I thought was truly worthy of a Pulitzer

This is clearly and elegantly written
Ann.

Jonathan Franzen “The Corrections”

2011-04-20T00:56:00.000-07:00

The Corrections is a great American novel for our time. It is the rare book that engages the heart and the head.
Jonathan Franzen tells the story of the Lamberts: Alfred and Enid, retired in their hometown, and their kids. Alfred, in particular, is having difficulties, mentally and physically. Their three grown children live on the East Coast: Denise is a chef, Gary a banker, Chip is between jobs. Gary is married and has three children.
Enid wants to bring together the family for at least one final Christmas. The story moves between present and pasts, from child to child and the story of each of the five Lamberts is told. The novel leaves the reader with both a family portrait and a portrait of America in the late 1990's.
The Corrections is a very fine read.
Highly recommended.
Ann.

Jhumpa Lahiri “Interpreter of maladies”

2011-04-04T23:46:00.000-07:00

Interpreter of Maladies is truly a masterpiece. It is a book collection of nine short stories by Indian American author Jhumpa Lahiri published in 1999. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award in the year 2000. Rich with culture, Interpreter of Maladies shows characters that are simple, human, and very relatable. They are mostly gentle, believable, foolish or strong – they’re a pleasure to be with. Lahiri is a storyteller who shows beauty in simplicity, exploring Indians and Americans, the immigrant experience. Each story is unique.
I loved her style of writing and really enjoyed this author and I plan on reading more by her.
Olga

Dean Koontz “The Good Guy”

2011-03-25T01:55:00.000-07:00

Timothy Carrier is a man who keeps to himself and tries to live as simple a life as possible. Until one day when a man sits beside Timothy at a bar and passes him an envelope with ten thousand dollars and a picture of a beautiful woman named Linda Paquette.
Tim decides that he's going to save the woman who's been targeted by an unknown to be killed. But what Tim doesn't expect is how he will feel about that woman. As they run and hide from the killer, Tim realizes that he loves her…
Good book, worth your time to read.
Lili

Pam Houston “Sight Hound”

2011-03-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

This is the story of a woman, Rae, and her dog, Dante, a wolfhound who teaches Rae that love is stronger than fear. He teaches her about the relationship between love and loss. That you can’t ever have one without the possibility of the other, and that it is worth it never the less. Rae’s had a hard life: abusive parents, a string of failed romances, and now a dog with a terminal illness. It is Dante, along with a cast of friends, coworkers, and exes, who pushes her to maintain her faith in love and, more importantly, not to give up on life.
Good read!
Ira.

Anita Shreve “THE LAST TIME THEY MET”

2011-03-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

“THE LAST TIME THEY MET” is truly a compelling novel. Shreve lets readers into the lives of Thomas and Linda as they examine their past and explore the present. The story begins, so it seems, at the end, when star-crossed lovers Thomas and Linda meet, after 26 years apart, at a writer's conference.
The ending was so shocking, it still brings tears to my eye. I highly recommend this novel and will be reading it again and again in years to come.
Powerful love story, and although the first book by Shreve that I have read, it will not be the last!
Ann.

Anna Sewell “Black Beauty”

2011-03-04T01:25:00.000-08:00

Black Beauty is Anna Sewell’s first and only novel. This story is told by a horse, in his own words. This book is almost a collection of short stories, as each chapter relates a different episode in the life of Black Beauty and other horses who he meets along the way, from his carefree days as a foal on an English farm, to his difficult life pulling cabs in London, to his happy retirement in the country.
Black Beauty is a very understanding and forgiving horse, and it does all end happily ever after.

A beautiful, compassionate story!
Olga

F.H.Burnett “A Little Princess”

2011-02-28T05:12:00.000-08:00

It is absolutely wonderful story and I enjoyed it. ...this book is one of those books that touches the little child in all of us. It is not a happy fairytale. There are some real moments of sadness. I love this book because it tells that no matter who you are, or where you come from, you are who you want to be, no matter what anyone might say to you. I always admired Sara’s imagination and courage, her inner integrity and strength of will. Sara maintains the inner nobility and generous spirit of a "real" princess.
Loved this book!!!!
Lili

Emily Bronte "Wuthering Heights "

2011-02-25T05:38:00.000-08:00

"Wuthering Heights" is the only novel of Emily Bronte. She died at the age of thirty, a year after publication of her novel. She describes the life of Heathcliff, a mysterious gypsy-like person, from childhood (about seven years old) to his death in his late thirties. Heathcliff rises in his adopted family and then is reduced to the status of a servant, running away when the young woman he loves decides to marry another. He returns late r, rich and educated and sets about gaining his revenge on the two families that he believed ruined his life.
Unique, mystical novel, which has become a classic of English literature!
An absolutely must-read novel!
Lena.

Daphne DuMaurier "Rebecca"

2011-02-14T23:40:00.000-08:00

"Rebecca" is definitely on my list of best written books. I believe there is a book for all times...
"Rebecca" is a masterpiece of the genre, and my favorite of Du Maurier's fiction. I also liked the story a lot -A naive young woman meets and marries a wealthy widower, Maxim de Winter, who owns an old English estate called Manderley.
The young bride has a difficult time adjusting to life at Manderley. She began her search for the real fate of the first Mrs. de Winter, the beautiful Rebecca, whose presence is still felt strongly by the characters in the novel.
DuMaurier has written a dark, gripping tale with atmosphere of suspicion, fear and secrets.
Great writing and reading!
Kate.

Troon Harrison "Tales of Terre:The Separated"

2011-02-11T04:46:00.000-08:00

"The Separated " is a wonderful fantasy adventure. Harrison has created a fantastic world full of creatures of all kinds, from Mara Folk to Sea Horses and Sea Witches. Thet all are here to be discovered by readers.
Three sixteen-year-olds must discover their own strength and their magical abilities in time to win the battle for their land.
"The Separated" is an exciting story for fans of fantasy tales. I'm looking forward to any future story of the series "Tales of Terre."
Olga.

Marguerite Henry "King of the Wind"

2011-02-11T04:20:00.000-08:00

King of the Wind is a novel by Marguerite Henry that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1949.
King of the Wind is the story about the a young, mute horseboy named Agba who works for the sultan of Morocco. He travels to France with a gift for Louis XV. The gift is a horse named King of the Wind who is also known as Sham. Sham and Agba run into many adventures and find themselves living with many different owners and in many different situations.
I absolutely loved it and I would recommend it to anyone who loves horse stories.
Tanya.

Robb Forman Dew "Dale Loves Sophie to Death"

2011-01-31T04:05:00.000-08:00

American author Robb Forman Dew made a nice debut and won the National Book Award for "First Novel"."Dale Loves Sophie to Death" is quite and elegant novel. It tells the story of a woman whose husband stays behind in New England while she and their kids spend a hot summer in Ohio. There are no exciting actions. R.F. Dew can convey feelings, real relationships between parents and children, marriage partners, and between friends.
I like R.F.Dew's characters, they are so appealing.
Good read.
Olga.

John Kennedy Toole "A Confederacy of Dunces"

2011-01-24T05:09:00.000-08:00

"A Confederacy of Dunces" is a great, perfect comedy, revolves around the amusing adventures of 30-year-old Ignatius, who is overeducated and underemployed, as he tries to find a job,who has two college degrees but cannot seem to last more than a month on any job. He lives with his widowed mother. This story is fulled of origional characters and comic adventures that all tie together at the end in an unexpected way.
A funny book that made laugh.I enjoyed it a lot.
Alla.

Gina Berriault "Women in Their Beds"

2011-01-10T22:59:00.000-08:00

Gina Berriault’s short stories ‘‘Women in Their Beds’’ was published when the author was seventy."Women in Their Beds" won a number of prestigious national literary awards.I really enjoy reading this well-written collection of thirty-five stories about women. Gina Berriault offers a truthful vision of life in a beautiful prose.The endings are never happy, but you can find hope and courage in each of story.
Great read.!!
Tanya.

Ernest Gaines "A Lesson Before Dying"

2011-01-10T05:18:00.000-08:00

"A Lesson Before Dying"is an deeply touching and moving story
and it very much deserves the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction that it received in 1993. It is set in the south in the 1950’s. Three men are killed. Jefferson, a young black, is an innocent witness, he is convicted of murder and is sentenced to death. Grant, the town's black school teacher, is asked to visit Jefferson in jail, to help him to be ready to die with dignity.Grant learns the true meaning of friendship and what it means to be a man.They both learn from each other some important life lessons.
This book touched me deeply and actually moved me to tears.
Ann.

William Wharton "Birdy"

2010-12-09T00:29:00.000-08:00

Birdy” is a story of childhood friendship, family, war, love, obsession and madness. The novel tells of the lifelong friendship of two boys, Al and Birdy. From a young age, Birdy is obsessed with birds and with the flights. Both boys went to war and Birdy, who comes back from Vietnam started think that he is a bird, an animal that has obsessed him since childhood. Birdy is confined to a military hospital, where he spends his time sitting naked in his room, not acknowleding anyone. Birdy actually becomes birdlike, refusing to act as a human, moving and acting like a parakeet. His best friend Al , also a wounded Vietnam soldier, visits Birdy every day, he is expected to bring Birdy back to his normal state of mind.
A stunning novel...
Lena.

Edith Wharton "The Age of Innocence"

2010-12-06T06:32:00.000-08:00

Edith Wharton won the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 for "The Age of Innocence" and once you start reading, you can see why. The love story was beautifully written, and the descriptions of New York’s high society were funny and witty. Newland Archer is about to marry May Welland when her cousin, Ellen Olenska returns from Europe. Ellen is mysterious, independent- all the things that Newland is looking for. He falls in love with Ellen, but still marries May. As he finds himself more and more intrigued by Ellen, he must finally choose between his duty and his heart....
Olga.

Joseph Roth "The Radetzky March"

2010-11-30T01:17:00.000-08:00

"The Radetzky March" is Joseph Roth's brilliant tale of the declining years of the Austro-Hungarian and the Hapsburg Empire as told through the fortunes and misfortunes of three generations of the Trotta family. This touching drama of parents and children, the state and it's citizens, men and their deeds. The eldest Trotta was a Slovenian lieutenant who, as fate would have it, saved the young, soon-to-be Emperoror Franz Josef on the battlefield. This is a novel about the eternal cycle of the rise and fall of human affairs and empires.
"The Radetzky March" is generally considered to be masterpiece. Joseph Roth has written a beautiful, complex novel with humour and tragic irony.
Ann.

F.Scott Fitzgerald "This Side of Paradise"

2010-11-15T04:35:00.000-08:00

"This side of paradise" is Scott Fitzgerald's first novel, written when the author was twenty-four, brought him immediate popular success on its publication in 1920. It tells the story of Amory Blaine, story of his life, but more than that it is the story of his search for love of others and finds only himself. In the first part of "This Side of Paradise" we see young man going to Princeton, full of himself, living a college life, falling in and out of love.
What really made this book important is the second part, after college and after Blaine had done military service during World War I in France.
"This side of paradise" is also autobiographical novel.
Lili.

Kate Chopin "The Awakening"

2010-11-08T23:24:00.000-08:00

Writing in the late 1800s, Kate Chopin describes a young woman's dissatisfaction with her roles as wife and mother. Edna is the main character, and she becomes unhappy with her life. However she finds her life boring and wants to be more independent. She is not in love with her husband, though he is a very respectable man. After taking a trip to a resort for a summer, she falls in love with the handsome Robert, who falls in love with her.
"The Awakening" is a defining work of feminism. It features the awakening of Edna to find her true self.
"The Awakening" is a beautifully written brilliant story.
Olga.

F.Scott Fitzgerald "The Great Gatsby"

2010-11-08T05:33:00.000-08:00

"The Great Gatsby" is a great american novel and one of the best books of the twentieth century. I think the biggest surprise about The Great Gatsby was what a pleasure to read it! Fitzgerald’s writing is absolutely poetic, his plot and his characters are always interesting and the book is almost never boring. It is a portrait of America between the two World Wars, a nation searching for meaning and trying to achieve the American Dream. "The Great Gatsby" takes place during the 1920's. This is a period of women rights, gangsters, new technologies, especially radio and cars. In some ways it is a love story and it also shows the dynamics of the class system.
Ann.

Andrea Barrett "Ship Fever"

2010-10-26T06:27:00.000-07:00

Loved reading these short stories, some set in the late 20th century, some set in the late 18th. This collection is excellent, all about scientists, many historical stories. Andrea Barrett is one of the best, most intelligent, and most sincere contemporary writers of realist fiction.
"Ship Fever" is my favorite story about the Irish immigrants emigrating to Canada during the potato famine.
Barrett has a beautiful style of writing.
Tanya.

Peter Matthiessen "The Snow Leopard"

2010-10-19T01:41:00.000-07:00

Matthiessen decided to travel through Nepal with his friend to study Himalayan blue sheep and to try to get a glimpse of the mysterious and rare snow leopard. The author never does find the snow leopard but his journey in the Himalaya helps him to begin to find himself and discover the meaning of life. This book works on several levels, as a spiritual text, travelogue, and naturalist text.
What I liked best was Matthiessen's writing style, it’s as poetry in a prose. His language and imagery are extraordinary. This is a book not to be missed.
Lili.

Laura Hillenbrand "Seabiscuit"

2010-10-15T04:29:00.000-07:00

I loved this book! Seabiscuit is one of the best horse books I could ever read and an excellent example of how interesting non-fiction can be.
Hillenbrand is a wonderful storyteller with a graceful style, she writes the story with a funny, unique tone.
Seabiscuit is about one of the most famous American racehorses, who ran during the 1930's. He was a symbol of hope for many. In addition, Hillenbrand tells the amazing stories of his jockey,trainer, and owner.
I would recommend this for anyone who has ever been interested in horses or racing, anyone who enjoys reading about American history.
Tanya.

Edward P.Jones "The Known World"

2010-10-06T03:48:00.000-07:00

"The Known World" tells the story of two plantations: one owned by Henry Townshend, a young, black slaveholder, the other by William Robbins, Henry's former master. The plantation is the center of the book connecting families and individuals to one another. The book is really a series of stories about the families, friends, neighbors surrounding Henry and his wife Caldonia. It looks closely at the complicated relationships between free and enslaved people of that time period.
A very good read, especially for those who are interested in that time period of American history.
Lili.

Stanley Elkin "Mrs.Ted Bliss"

2010-10-04T01:35:00.000-07:00

It is a very good book. Mrs. Ted Bliss is a smart woman but does not quite realize that she is. An elderly Jewish widow lives out her retirement in Miami Beach. The story tells of her coping with old age, her grown children and grandchildren, starting life anew after the death of her husband. Elkin creates a comic plot with a deep character of a woman overcoming loss, a woman who is both recognizable and unique.
This is one of those books that taught me about writing.
Olga.

Edith Wharton "Roman Fever & other Stories"

2010-09-10T04:21:00.000-07:00

Edith Wharton also distinguished herself as a short story writer, publishing more than seventy-two stories in ten volumes during her lifetime. The best of her short fiction is collected here in "Roman Fever and Other Stories". I like to read short fiction and i never regret it. "Roman Fever" is my favorite story. "Roman Fever" is about two adult women who are very close friends who grew up together and knew each other’s husbands. Visiting Rome with their daughters, the older women fall into conversation about old times, around the time period they were each married. Wharton finished the story with a surprising end.
Lena.

Alice Sebold "The Almost Moon"

2010-09-06T04:51:00.000-07:00

The Almost Moon is a journey through a woman’s complex motives for a horrific crime, which only the reader can decide whether to sympathize or condemn. The book takes place over a 24-hour period, but during that time the reader comes to know the dominant character, Helen Knightly, intimately. The author uses both memory and current event to persuade the reader to come to its own conclusion about the guilt of Helen. Was her crime justified? Can we understand the reasons? Regardless, we know, as does Helen, that there is no turning back once the deed is done. What Sebold skillfully transmits in her novel is that an intense love/hate relationship can dominate our inner being and the direction of our lives to such an extent that choice does not seem an easy option.

Sebold’s writing style is almost prosaic. It is simple, direct, but with nuances and subtleties that reveal hidden meanings and underlying emotions. There are also moments of dark humor in the reading, a relief when raw emotions and graphic images captivate the story. As with her other American “#1 National Best Seller,” The Lovely Bones, Sebold leaves us thinking about The Almost Moon experience long after the last page is turned.

Arden.

Ellen Gilchrist "Victory over Japan"

2010-08-31T04:43:00.000-07:00

In her second collection of short fiction, ‘‘Victory Over Japan’’ (1984) Ellen Gilchrist chronicles the adventures of a young girl- Rhoda Manning - during the final days of World War II. Gilchrist creates
the world of deep, funny, and dangerous women and the men who love them.
Once you meet Gilchrist’s characters, you want to know them better.
With each introduction of a character, author showes the humorous and serious side of them.
I really enjoyed reading this book to find out what was going to happen next.
This book was very exciting, funny and wise.
Olga.

Olivia Goldsmith "The first wives club"

2010-08-31T03:30:00.000-07:00

Cynthia Griffin is dead from suicide over her divorce. Elice, Brend and Annie decide enough is enough. Over lunch one day with Elise's money and connection, Brenda's impudence and Annie's information and personality, they form the First Wives Club. They plan the downfall of first husbands, especially those who cast off first wives for prestige, social power, money, or boredom.
A funny novel!
Lili

Robert Morgan "This Rock"

2010-08-14T04:12:00.000-07:00

Robert Morgan gives a portrait of a North Carolina family during the 1920s. Ginny Powell, widowed for years, tries to keep her sons together while they struggle to survive in an Appalachian Mountain world. Moody has a reputation as a knife-fighter. The younger brother, Muir, is an innocent, shy man with big dreams. He finds something he wants to do, tries to do it, and when it doesn't go his way immediately, he finds something else to occupy his time.
This is a tale of two brothers searching for the meaning and purpose in their lives.
Great characters and a great story of family and faith.
Good read!
Tanya

Rich Cohen "Lake Effect"

2010-08-11T23:38:00.001-07:00

"Lake Effect" is about growing up in Chicago, student's years in New Orleans but really centres on an unforgettable friendship, and the pain of looking back on that friendship with adult eyes. Everyone has a friendship like Rich Cohen describes in Lake Effect: a friendship that defined you at a critical time, that gave you courage, that transported you from adolescence into the beginnings of adulthood.
Jamie is an extraordinary and delightful character.
A fine book, highly recommended to read!
Ann.

Rick Bass "The Hermit's story"

2010-08-09T00:38:00.000-07:00

Rick Bass is an american short fiction writer, novelist, and essayist. He is a skillful storyteller who explores the mysterious connections between man and nature. His stories express an admiration for nature. They are most excellent. Bass's prose is lyrical, characters well developed.
I love most of his stories and Rick Bass is a new favorite my author!
Lili

Anthony Hope "The Prisoner of Zenda"

2010-08-06T04:34:00.000-07:00

The Prisoner of Zenda is a historical adventure novel and a great read from beginning to end. Wealthy young Rudolf Rassendyll, a young Englishman, visits Ruritania looking for action and amusement – and is suddenly involved in adventures beyond his wildest dreams. He is the exact look-alike of the King of the country; and when the King's life is in danger, there is only one thing to be done – for Rudolf to become the King himself...
I read this book in one sitting.
Olga.

James Hadley Chase Come easy go easy

2010-07-15T03:50:00.000-07:00

I like to read all books written by J.H.Chase. His detective novels are very wonderful. I'd love it. Nataly

David Baldacci “The Collectors”

2010-06-29T04:45:00.001-07:00

The book “The Collectors” by David Baldacci is undeniably a masterful thriller, which never leaves you bored. It has an enjoyable, exciting and fascinating plot, rather realistic and true to life. When you once start reading, it takes your breath away, and it leaves you only to guess, what the author prepared for the reader.

Олена Шелехова

W.G.Sebald "Austerlitz"

2010-06-22T05:46:00.000-07:00

This has been my first acquaintance with Sebald. I hadn't heard of him until a friend recommended this book. This book is not a happy read, but probably an important, rich and complex book. Sebald writes about a man who, as a small child, grows up in the Welsh family, only to find that he was one of the Kinder Transport in summer of 1939 and his name was really Jacques Austerlitz. He spends the rest of the book--his life--to find out who he really is.
The book is beautifully produced and illustrated with a collection of black and white photographs.
Lili.

J.K. Rowling “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”

2010-06-17T02:40:00.000-07:00

Well, friends ... at last happened I read a book by J.K. Rowling “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”. To make a long story short I read it with pleasure. Felt myself like a kid again. As to the book itself … Harry Potter, along with his best friends, Ron and Hermione, is about to start his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry can’t wait to get back to school after the summer holidays. (Who wouldn’t if they lived with the horrible Dursleys?) But when Harry gets to Hogwarts, the atmosphere is tense. There’s an escaped mass murderer on the loose, and the sinister prison guards of Azkaban have been called in to guard the school …

T.

P.G. Wodehouse "Right Ho, Jeeves"

2010-06-16T06:22:00.001-07:00

“Right Ho, Jeeves” – a great book for fans of real British humor. P.G. Wodehouse, the famous classic of humor stories, did his best here. The main characters are inimitable Bertie Wooster and his manservant Jeeves. Lots of comical situations in which they took part are related with Bertie’s friend Gussie Fink-Nottle. There are as well many other famous Wodehouse’s characters. Among them are Madeline Bassett, Cousin Angela, Aunt Dahlia, Uncle Thomas, young Tuppy Glossop and the cook Anatole. Familiar names and very much loved characters. Great stuff! That’s the reason I recommend to follow me and read this masterpiece. Indulge yourself!

Tangero :))

Jeffrey Eugenides "Middlesex"

2010-06-16T00:48:00.001-07:00

This is an excellent book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in reading a lyrical,thrilling, painful and beautiful story, all in one. "Middlesex" is the story of Cal Stephanides, a forty-year-old man who was born a girl called Callope, and three generation of the Greek - American Stephanides family, who travel from Greece to Detroit to San Francisco. Its about family, culture, adolescence, genetics and so many more things.
The writing is so great, the story is compelling.
A great read... a modern classic.
T.

Alice Walker "The Color Purple"

2010-06-12T00:52:00.000-07:00

Alice Walker's "The Color Purple", was published in 1982, and won the Pulitzer prize for fiction in 1983. The Color Purple is a very powerful book about the life of an African-American woman,Celie, struggling to become an independent, self confident woman.I liked this story because it was about a girl who overcame her troubles to become a great person.This book is told in the form of letters from Celie, to God. Celie and her sister Nettie are separated at a young age. Nettie travels to Africa where she becomes a missionary. Celie is married off to a cruel man.
I've read it several times since then and I find new things to love about it. This is one of those books that will remain in your memory.
Maria.

Sebastian Faulks "Birdsong"

2010-06-10T22:44:00.000-07:00

This excellent story of love and war is beautifully written. "Birdsong" is a long novel about the World War I and life and death in the trenches. The books opens with a love affair and describes everyday life in a french village and the contrast with the hell that village becomes during the war.
A stunning, thoughtful, romantic, realistic and dramatic novel. One of the best historical novels ever written!!!
Highly recommended.
T.

Sue Miller "While i was gone"

2010-05-26T00:39:00.000-07:00

This book is a very good read.
Jo Becker is a successful veterinarian, with a good marriage, lovely children and a beautiful home. One day, however, someone walks in and her past comes back to haunt her, the past that she tries to escape for many years. Miller's novel moves back and forth between Jo's present life and her past.
The story is interesting and made it difficult for me to put down the book once I picked it up.

Olga.

Blue Balliett "Chasing Vermeer"

2010-05-21T01:25:00.000-07:00

On a warm October night in Chicago three unidentified people get a mysterious letter. A really fun adventure starts when three these letters appear with the stealing of a famous Vermeer painting. Two University of Chicago students, Petra and Calder, use all their intuition and intelligence to find it.
The characters were great and believable and plot was pretty good.
It's a lot of fun!!!
Kate.

Ayn Rand "Anthem"

2010-05-20T00:13:00.000-07:00

I consider "Anthem" to be one of the most interesting and provocative novels of the 20th century. "Anthem" is written as the diary of Equality 7-2521, a young man living in a future in which people have lost all knowledge of individualism. He is born into a collectivist society in which everyone's life is controlled by various Councils. He has no words for love or self, and being alone is a crime.
This is a book to make you think. This is a book to make you want to be selfish.
This book was actually really interesting.
Ann.

Marianne Fredriksson "Hanna's Daughters"

2010-05-12T03:45:00.000-07:00

I liked this book from the very first page and i could not put it down. "Hanna's Daughters" is a story of three generations of Swedish women. They try to find out who they are in a world that never seems to fit them completely. Hanna, Johanna and Anna - grandmother, mother and daughter, their lives go through one hundred years of Swedish history: war and famine, great love and great loss.
I loved this book for its history.
Well told and beautifully written.
Ann.

J.M.Barrie "Peter Pan"

2010-05-11T00:37:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed this book; much more than I expected. It was a quick read and very enjoyable.
Peter Pan is the boy who wants never to grow old. This is the story of some of his adventures while on the island of Neverland, this wonderful island of imagination and adventure.
He and his friends have many adventures involving pirates, Indians and mermaids. They fight pirates, they can fly, they magically have food to eat and they get to run around with real swords and weapons! There are no rules, no chores to do, there is time for everything in a life free of cares and hardships.
Natalka.

Bel Kaufman "Up the down staircase"

2010-05-06T03:48:00.000-07:00

Here are the wonderful adventures of a teacher who started the career in teaching of high school kids. It was hard and she thought the kids were just bad, but time passed, she was able to looked into the kid's outside life and the reason why they were like that. She was able to change the life of many kids especially their feeling towards English. This book is one that will make any day better by taking you through the daily struggles and triumphs over every obstacles. The book is a collection of the main characters' letters, notes, and memos and such that could be found in any high school.
This book is an optimistic book. A wonderful read which kept my interest.
Lily.

Anne Tyler "A Patchwork Planet"

2010-04-22T00:41:00.000-07:00

Anne Tyler creates a lovable character of Barnaby Gaitlin. He's almost 30, lives in a run-down basement, is divorced, with a young daughter who he seldom sees, works and tries to find his place in the world. He has habit of breaking into other people's houses, not so much to steal things, but because he likes to read other people's mail and sees photo albums. He learns that his family and friends really don't trust him, and his world falls apart...
This is a wonderful novel - don't miss it!!!
Lili.

Penny Vincenzi "No Angel", "Something Dangerous", "Into Temptation"

2010-04-16T04:03:00.001-07:00

When I finished these books I was so disappointed. Not disappointed in the ending, but sad that it ended at all. The story goes through three generations of the Lytton Family, it's wonderful family saga.
The characters you first met as children are all grown up, have children and grandchildren of their own, and each is given their own drama. The development of each character was brilliantly done. I felt like I knew the family personally.
These books are a wonderful read.
Sveta.

Carol Shields "The Stone Diaries"

2010-04-15T23:26:00.000-07:00

The Stone Diaries is the story of one woman's life, Daisy Goodwill, which is followed from her birth through to her death. We learn of her childhood, marriage, widowhood, remarriage, motherhood, old age and death. Shields tells the thoroughly human story of Daisy Goodwill who tryed to understand her place in her own life. I found this book sad because Daisy is so alone most of her life, especially at the end.
It is a thoughtful book and i like it!!!
Iren.

David Guterson "Snow falling on cedars"

2010-04-12T05:05:00.000-07:00

This is a story about a murder, but it is also a story about life in a small fishing island in America, about political, social and interpersonal racism between different cultures and about love that cannot be. David Guterson tells us a history lesson too : the story of the Japanese immigrants in the USA during the World War II. The characters are realistic, well presented and the relationships between characters are brilliantly and deeply developed throughout the novel, especially the relationship between Hatsue and Ishmael and you feel as if you know them.
This book is excellent. Highly recommended.
Olga.

Rafi Zabor "The Bear Comes Home"

2010-04-07T03:47:00.000-07:00

Rafi Zabor writes his first novel, about a bear who performs jazz on the saxophone, and wins the PEN/Faulkner Award.
What really impresses about the book is jazz, magical world of improvisation and creation. The most great aspect of this book is the historical picture of the jazz scene. Rafi Zabor, a longtime jazz journalist and drummer, writes about music with a passion and inspiration.If you play jazz, or love jazz, or know a jazzer read this book!!!
Lili.

Marilynne Robinson "Gilead"

2010-04-06T05:33:00.000-07:00

This is one of my new favorite books, a very simple, beautiful novel, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2005.. It is written as letters to an old man's son. John Ames is dying. He has lived seventy six years in the small town. He is married quite late in life and has one son, whom he never thought he would have and realizes he will never see him grow up. Ames is a great character, he knew himself, his feelings so very well. Ames lived through some very hard times and a long period of loneliness.
This is a powerful, thought-provoking novel about life, history, love and belief.
Olga.

Barbara Kingsolver "Homeland and other stories"

2010-03-30T23:45:00.000-07:00

Barbara Kingsolver gives us a lovely collection of twelve stories: comic, heart-warming, wise, tender, true to life tales, about life and family.The title story is the first story in the book and probably one of the best.
Just the kind of prose I like. I loved every single one of these short stories, I like every single character in this book, be they young, old, man, woman, happy, miserable and recommend them to everyone.
Lili.

Robert Clark "In the deep midwinter"

2010-03-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

A novel about the MacEwan family. Their life is predictable and well ordered. He's a lawyer, she's a housewife and their divorced daughter, Anna, is seeing a young man with a bright future. But after Richard's younger brother James death life exposes well-kept secrets and hidden passions.
I really like this powerful and disturbing novel.
Rita.

Susan Conant "The Dogfather"

2010-03-23T04:27:00.000-07:00

"The Dogfather" is a funny and entertaining mystery. If you like other Holly Winter books, you'll like this one. Holly is a delightful character. Guarini loves dogs and when his new puppy doesn't behave, he sends for Holly Winter, dog trainer.
Holly knows enough about Guarini and his reputation, to accept the job, but when one of Guarini's assistants is killed during a training session, things really start to go out of control...
"The Dogfather" is a fun evening read.
Written with humor.
Lena.

Julia Glass "Three Junes"

2010-03-22T00:14:00.000-07:00

"Three Junes" is a wonderful, carefully written story of family, loyalty and understanding. It tells the story of a scotish family in three parts, all of which take place in June. We learn about Paul, recently widowed, traveling in Greece, about his past life with his wife, how they met, and raising their three sons, about Fenno, the eldest son, about his life in New York where he deals with his homosexuality and his feelings of not belonging to the family.
I really enjoyed this book. It is well written, touching and full of life.
Tanya.

Charles Frazier "Cold Mountain"

2010-03-11T05:28:00.000-08:00

The story of Inman and Ada is a moving tale of love... so romantic!! I highly recommend it to read!
A wounded soldier in the Civil War returns home to Cold Mountain and to Ada, the woman he loved there years before. Ada tries to revive her father's farm and learns to survive in this world.
"Cold Mountain" is a beautifully written novel about two people who struggle to survive in the Civil War, hope to reunite and make some kind of a future for themselves despite the many hardships they have faced.
Truly a good read.
Tanya.

Thomas Keneally "Schindler's List"

2010-03-01T03:56:00.000-08:00

This powerful and moving novel based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, German Catholic businessman who saved more than a thousand Polish Jews from the gas chambers than any other single person during World War II.
A masterfully written and very interesting book and the movie is great too.
Elena.

Sena Naslund "Ahab's Wife"

2010-02-24T00:37:00.000-08:00

This novel is very beautifully written, very exciting tale that is hard to put down.
It begins with Una as a little girl and her journey from Kentucky to Nantucket where her mother sends her to live with her aunt and where she meets two young men who change her life forever. Her story is not an easy one, but i loved Una's strong character.
"Ahab's Wife" is one of the best contemporary novels i have read in years.
Lena.

Ann Patchett "Bel Canto"

2010-02-23T23:35:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for deeply moving, charming and captivating novel, I would definitely recommend you to read "Bel Canto". A birthday party is being celebrated for a Mr. Hosokawa, one of the most wealthy men in the world. To attract a business man from Japan to the party, his favorite opera singer is invited. The party is going well until interrupted by a group of terrorists... I am not opera-lover, but this novel makes me want to listen to it.
Good plot and enjoyable read.
Ann.

Louisa May Alcott "Little Women"

2010-02-15T00:23:00.000-08:00

"Little Women" is the earliest american children's novel to become a classic, very simple and heart-warming. "Little Women" is the story of the four March sisters, who couldn't be more different. But with their father away at war and their mother working to support the family, they have to rely on each other. Every reader can find themselves, or a little bit of themselves, in at least one character in the book.
This story is very interesting and character are so great.!!!
Lena.

G.Heyer "Detection Unlimited"

2010-02-12T01:22:00.000-08:00

Georgetter Heyer is a writer of great wit and style (Daily Telegraph)
"Detection Unlimited" was an enjoyable mystery with a number of twists and turns in the plot kept me interested to the end.
Sampson Warrenby was discovered by his anxious niece, Mavis, under an oak tree with a bullet through his brain. Mavis was one of the ten people in the village who disliked him. Only Chief Inspector Hemingway could uncover the murder.
Tanya.

Jack London "The Call of the Wild"

2010-02-12T00:23:00.000-08:00

I like this novel, it's a thrilling and memorable reading!!!
I think it's London's greatest novel, which tells the tale of Buck. He is a heroic dog who lives in his own world and he lives by his own rules until he is stolen and shipped off to Alaska, where he is sold as a sled dog. In Alaska he begins to understand the brutal ways of the wild and faces a choice between living in man's world and returning to nature.
A wonderful tale of courage!
Olga.

John Updike "Rabbit Angstrom.The Four Novels"

2010-02-09T05:37:00.000-08:00

This is a great series by Updike, who describes the history of a man and his time from the 1950s to the 1980s. Athlete and lover, husband and suburbanite - Harry Angstrom is Mr. Middle America in the second half of the twentieth century. John Updike has given us the representative American story and also has created a picture of American life.
Ann.

Danielle Steel “The Ghost”

2010-02-02T05:45:00.000-08:00

I have read the book “The Ghost” by Danielle Steel. From the gist of the book I can convince that it is a novel (love story) with a small piece of mysteries. The author presents us a specific plot line: with a marvelous economy of word Danielle Steel leaves a great number of details for the reader to read between the lines. From my point of view, this story contains courage, history and adventures on the basis of love two people: Charles and Carol Waterston. Having read this book, you’ll get the opportunity to appreciate or neglect the main heroes. To my mind, they are rather courage, brilliant people who transform their life and overpowered al difficulties. “The Ghost’’ is worth reading.
Yulya.

Virginia Woolf "Mrs Dalloway"

2010-01-26T00:51:00.000-08:00

This book was amazing! Can’t wait to re-read this book – because I must. I know that I will find something completely different to love about it next time. It was wonderfully written with great characters and event. We meet Clarissa Dalloway, her husband Richard and daughter Elizabeth during one day.From the morning with its activity, through afternoon with its tea and rest, to the evening with Clarissa's party, Woolf tells the story of many lives and a death.
Tanya.

Oscar Wilde "The Importance of Being Earnest"

2010-01-25T23:14:00.001-08:00

"The Importance of Being Earnest" is one of Oscar Wilde’s most famous plays. He called it “A trivial comedy for serious people.. The young Jack Worthing and his good friend Algernon find themselves in a situation when their fiancées learn they are engaged to the same man.
I think this is an amazing, sparkling, delightful, witty play and very easy reading!
Olga.

Virginia Woolf "To the Lighthouse"

2010-01-25T22:50:00.001-08:00

One of the most popular twentieth-century novels "To the Lighthouse" is a story about a family's vacation house but really about relationships and life. We see what Mrs. Ramsay thinks of herself, and what everyone else thinks of her and the lives of the characters and their relationships with one another. I very much enjoyed "To the Lighthouse", beautiful prose and typical of Woolf, it is deep, thoughtful. You can't simply read it, you need to feel this book.
Ann.

Wilkie Collins "The Woman in White"

2010-01-19T01:37:00.000-08:00

Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) was the author of hundreds of literary works, one of the lucky writers who enjoyed immense popularity in his lifetime.Wilkie Collins is a master of mystery, and "The Woman in White" is his first excursion into the genre that combined horror with psychological realism.
"The Woman in White" is a story of love, mystery, and danger.
This book is unforgettable. The characters are irresistible and the plot won't let you go.
Do please read this book.
Ann.

Danielle Steel "Malice"

2010-01-19T00:30:00.000-08:00

This is the first Danielle Steel book I've read. Great plot, great characters, great writing! When Grace's mother dies, it is the end of Grace's father sexual abuse to her. In self-defense, Grace shoots her father after he brutally rapes her. Grace had real problems she was in prison. Upon release two years later, Grace goes to Chicago where life starts looking up when she finds a job as a receptionist in a modeling agency.
When Grace meets Charles she has found love and happiness.
"Malice" is a very inspirational story. I definitely recommend it!!
Olga.

Mikhail Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita"

2010-01-08T05:01:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for fascinating, complicated, funny, memorable, unique, and unlike anything you've ever read book take Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita". I love this book very much. It is a work of magical realism, dealing with the themes of God and the devil, good and evil, heaven and hell. While the stranger and his friends are visiting Moscow ( 1930s), Bulgakov takes us back to the moments before the execution of Jesus. He introduces us to Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator who approved, against his own will, the execution of Jesus. In between the two storylines, there is a third about Margarita and her lover, the Master.
I could not put the book down! It was a WONDERFUL book!
Lili.

Salman Rushdie "Midnight's Children"

2010-01-06T03:48:00.000-08:00

Saleem Sinai, the hero of "Midnight's Children" is one of the children born in India at the moment of its independence from British rule. The tale weaves in and out of real events both past and present. Saleem is put in the middle of many political events. This book isn’t just about Saleem, though, it is about several generations of his family and the history of his country, all of which makes it into a literary saga.
Rushdie can write like no other, all his characters’ are fully developed.
Good read if you want to be better acquainted with India and her culture.
Ann.

Gish Jen "Typical American"

2009-12-22T06:05:00.000-08:00

"Typical american" is truly an american story about the cultural, social, and monetary difficulty of immigration. Gish Jen writes intelligent, funny, heartbreaking novel about young man who has come to America to study to be an engineer and then return to China. His sister, Theresa, is able to reach the US with a family friend and finds a perfect wife for him. Together they make the american dream come true: making money in fast food, buying house in the suburbs.
Good read!
Lena.