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laurieb755's Reviews (784)
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, Jean Guy Beauvoir, their colleagues, and the residents of Three Pines - each one of them grows and changes over time. Perhaps that is what endears them to me, and makes me feel as if I am there alongside them in Canada. Such is Louise Penny's authorial style that she whips up a blend of characters (I want to call them people) and events that seem (I want to describe them as "are") possible.
Olivier has returned home. Clara has her one-woman exhibit. Jean Guy struggles with pain, both physical and psychological. Armand copes and moves forward. Peter becomes more himself, prodded by Clara's artistry. And life goes on in Three Pines. Sandwiched in is a murder, for it wouldn't be a Louise Penny/Armand Gamache book without that defining event.
Eagerly awaitine the next book reserved at the library. :-)
Olivier has returned home. Clara has her one-woman exhibit. Jean Guy struggles with pain, both physical and psychological. Armand copes and moves forward. Peter becomes more himself, prodded by Clara's artistry. And life goes on in Three Pines. Sandwiched in is a murder, for it wouldn't be a Louise Penny/Armand Gamache book without that defining event.
Eagerly awaitine the next book reserved at the library. :-)
The Gregorian chants moved me; I heard them despite their being words on a page in a Louise Penny-Armand Gamache mystery. And I winced for Gamache and understood Jean Guy's wrath as they both dealt with Francoeur, a most despicable person. And I have, of course, logged online to my local library and reserved the next book in the series!
Riveted to my comfy living room armchair, I could not go to bed till knowing if Gamache was safe, though safe can be a relative term. Constance thought she was safe. Gamache knew he would not be safe until the lingering Arnot issue was resolved. Jean-Guy was caught in the "safety" of delusion.
Louise Penny just gets better and better at her craft, and her characters just become more and more human. No, that's not quite accurate. They become more and more like flesh and blood, and less and less like imagined actors in a printed book.
And at the very end, in my comfy living room armchair, my eyes were filled with tears.
Louise Penny just gets better and better at her craft, and her characters just become more and more human. No, that's not quite accurate. They become more and more like flesh and blood, and less and less like imagined actors in a printed book.
And at the very end, in my comfy living room armchair, my eyes were filled with tears.
I am a big fan of Churchill and have read multiple books about him. This latest is a rich album of photos compiled by his youngest child, Mary Soames. She had the same spirit of adventure as Winston, and her commentary not only provides an insider's view of Churchill's exploits, politics, and family, but also an historic overview of events through his lifetime. I wonder if this might make for a compelling entry into history for those who are not avid readers or those not usually interested in potentially dry history texts.…
Not sure how I found this book, perhaps it was from my local library's newsletter, or perhaps the NYT Book Review, but whatever the source, am glad I followed it! Pauley is four years ahead of me in age and her stories of "what's next" resonate.
Pauley shares stories of people who, for a multitude of reasons, found themselves reimagining the next steps in their lives. Often, those next steps seemed dramatically different from the life paths they had been on, yet just as often, when looking backwards, there were plenty of dots that as they connected led to the lines that were shaping the futures.
I think a lot about my next steps because my Dad had Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which manifested in his late 60s, intensified in his mid-70s, and became debilitating in his late 70s and early 80s, when he finally died into peace at 83. Not knowing what my future will hold makes me all the more determined to make the most of my future. I want the "doing" that I do to have meaning and provide inner satisfaction.
And so Pauley's book resonated. :-)
Pauley shares stories of people who, for a multitude of reasons, found themselves reimagining the next steps in their lives. Often, those next steps seemed dramatically different from the life paths they had been on, yet just as often, when looking backwards, there were plenty of dots that as they connected led to the lines that were shaping the futures.
I think a lot about my next steps because my Dad had Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which manifested in his late 60s, intensified in his mid-70s, and became debilitating in his late 70s and early 80s, when he finally died into peace at 83. Not knowing what my future will hold makes me all the more determined to make the most of my future. I want the "doing" that I do to have meaning and provide inner satisfaction.
And so Pauley's book resonated. :-)
I discovered Maya Angelou in her death, thanks to my wonderful local library having included this book in their weekly newsletter soon after Angelou died. Mom & Me & Mom is powerful, forceful and moving. Maya Angelou's words are to the point, yet rich in telling her tale. The print and spacing between lines are large enough to make it comfortable to read and read and read and finish in a matter of hours. I did not want to put this story down, and at times had to remind myself it was a story of a real person and not a fictional novel, for some portions are so far removed from my own life experiences as to astonish.
While our lives bore little similarity, I had in common with Maya being a daughter, and I thought of my Mom, who died in October 2010, and how now, these few years afterwards, my Mom's lessons and strengths often come to mind.
I have purchased a copy of this book to give to my Aunt (my Mom's sister).
PS Upon hearing about the book being purchased for her, my Aunt said that since she is hosting the next book group meeting, she gets to choose the book, and it is going to be this book. :-)
While our lives bore little similarity, I had in common with Maya being a daughter, and I thought of my Mom, who died in October 2010, and how now, these few years afterwards, my Mom's lessons and strengths often come to mind.
I have purchased a copy of this book to give to my Aunt (my Mom's sister).
PS Upon hearing about the book being purchased for her, my Aunt said that since she is hosting the next book group meeting, she gets to choose the book, and it is going to be this book. :-)
This is two stories in one, and I liked them both, but. This is an historical tale coupled with a modern story, but. There is much description of and many parallels between the main characters in each story, but.
It's the "but" that keeps me from giving this book a 4th star. The descriptions were somewhat interesting but seemed like they were written for an historical yet contemporary guidebook. The descriptions of time and place were the background fodder against which the two overlapping stories played out. Most of the relationships in the historical story were interesting, though not surprising, save for one unveiled at the end (nice surprise!) The contemporary relationship was interesting, as well, and I would have preferred knowing even more about the characters. While I had a sense of what he looked like, I was never able to conjure up an image of what she looked like. And since she was the narrator, I felt there was an amorphous, faceless person at the helm.
I read The Firebird at home curled up on an armchair and on an Adirondack chair on our deck, but it would also make a fine book to take to the beach. I recommend the book, but suggest lower expectations. Who knows, you might appreciate that which I did not!
It's the "but" that keeps me from giving this book a 4th star. The descriptions were somewhat interesting but seemed like they were written for an historical yet contemporary guidebook. The descriptions of time and place were the background fodder against which the two overlapping stories played out. Most of the relationships in the historical story were interesting, though not surprising, save for one unveiled at the end (nice surprise!) The contemporary relationship was interesting, as well, and I would have preferred knowing even more about the characters. While I had a sense of what he looked like, I was never able to conjure up an image of what she looked like. And since she was the narrator, I felt there was an amorphous, faceless person at the helm.
I read The Firebird at home curled up on an armchair and on an Adirondack chair on our deck, but it would also make a fine book to take to the beach. I recommend the book, but suggest lower expectations. Who knows, you might appreciate that which I did not!
I only discovered the writings of Maya Angelou after she died. Something about her obituary stirred me to read Mom & Me & Mom, which led me to Letter to My Daughter. Maya's simple yet powerful words hit home with their poignancy, honesty, and call to think. I purchased Mom & Me & Mom for my Aunt, and now feel that I'd like to gift Letter to My Daughter to her and each of my friends on their birthdays. Perhaps what strikes me most about her writing is the peek into the being of a woman who had the strength to see the good and fair, and the determination to search and advocate for it.
Rayona, Christine and Aunt Ida. Their stories stick with me as they intertwine, 15 year old Rayona, her mother Christine, and Aunt Ida. Through each of their eyes their shared past unfolds. I almost stopped short early in Rayona's story, until my Aunt reassured me that my thoughts at what might come next were unfounded. It was my Aunt who recommended this story, and she was spot on in her suggestion.
Yikes, I was curious to know more about Michael Dorris, the author, and just did some research. I was wondering if he was American Indian and if his story was based upon personal experience. Alas, Dorris's own story is tragic.
Yikes, I was curious to know more about Michael Dorris, the author, and just did some research. I was wondering if he was American Indian and if his story was based upon personal experience. Alas, Dorris's own story is tragic.