The Blue Notebook: a Novel everyone should read!
925761
What a powerful book!  I know it's a novel, but reminds me again of all the things we need to do to bring the world back to what God intended it to be!  Well done!
555433
The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison?s first novel, is a spectacular rendition of what our world truly thinks about appearance.  With very vivid detail and meaningful language, Morrison puts her soul out there for everyone to see.  Morrison opened up my eyes to the painful outcomes our society can create.  This book kept me turning the pages so I could see what happened next.  Morrision?s use of language made me feel like I was right there beside each character listening to all their stories.  Morrision?s organization of the book sets you up to the ultimate understanding at the end of the book.  As a lover of fiction this is a novel that I will never forget.  It offers us poetic language and striking detail that takes us on a journey through life.
 This novel tells us the story of young Pecola Breedlove who desperately yearns for blue eyes to gain acceptance and love.  Everyone torments this young, African American girl, in her hometown of Lorain, Ohio because she is unsightly and does not look like the symbol of beauty, which is blond hair and blue eyes.  Pecola lives in an abandoned store and has a very disturbed home life.  Her drunken father is very abusive, her mother is a strong woman, but is in love with the symbol of beauty and her brother always seems to run away.  Each of these characters has a devastating effect on Pecola?s destruction on her quest for blue eyes.  Pecola?s life changes profoundly for the worse.  She is inevitably shattered by the negative thoughts of people all around her and destroyed by the emotional and sexual abuse from her family.
 This novel expresses some serious themes that are present in our society today.  Morrision presents to us the notion of black self-hatred and what society does to people who want to be beautiful.  It hurts me to know that the only thing Pecola prayed for was blue eyes. Pecola just wanted to be loved and capture the attention her family was not providing her with.  This is a very good book to read if you are feeling down about your appearance because it makes you realize that you cannot go by what society thinks is beautiful, you have to go by what is on the inside.  Pecola was a beautiful girl on the inside but nobody realized that because everyone was too caught up with what beauty is on the outside.  Pecola hated herself because she wanted to be just like Shirley Temple and all the grown-ups emphasized this too.  The lesson in this story is people need to be true to themselves and know who they really are and not be caught in the deadly trap of the media or society.
If you like serious, touching, make you want to cry, fiction novels, then this is the book for you.  I think anyone can learn something from its deep and somewhat hidden themes.  This novel touched me and made me want to go find Pecola and give her a big hug and say to her ?I will be your friend.?  This novel threw me into a whirlwind of different emotions.  At times I just wanted to cry and at other times I was completely raging.  There were times when I wanted to scream at the characters and there were times where I just wanted to put myself in Pecola?s head and defend her and make things right.  This book should reveal to you how bad things can get in our society and that we need to stop them from happening.  I think that this is what Morrison was trying to get across.  Everyone needs to realize these things and then we can work on changing them for the better.
1783898
Poignant, sweet, and engaging, this novel and its characters will carry you along as they learn from one another about life, choices, and integrity. Heartwarming and life affirming, the novel explores the Holocaust and its enduring impact on families today. Centering around one modern family and one Holocaust survivor, the novel explores their daily lives while revealing the gut wrenching decisions made in crisis during WWII. No earth shattering action or shocking plot twists, but a page turning story regardless. The characters are confronted with modern antisemitism; the protagonist's decisions regarding how to cope with these destructive views is a wonderful lesson for us all.
4644247
This is a very well-written and thought-provoking novel.

Carl, an old and bitter man is given a chance to "relive" three days of his life and possibly change its course.  The writing is wittily and profoundly descriptive.  It made me cry in places, but it also made me smile.  To be honest, I couldn't put it down!  And it made me ponder and take a long hard look at my own life and the "what-ifs" that sometimes cross my mind.

This story will most certainly resonate with a lot of people.  Its a must-read.  I also think it is intriguing enough to be made into a movie.  I would love to see this on the big screen.
731327
Blue Hydrangeas is a beautifully written novel that tells the story of a mans all-consuming love for his wife who is suffering from Alzheimers. It is also the story of how this terrible disease affects the entire network of family and friends that surrounds the affected person. Marianne Sciucco does not mention a personal connection with Alzheimers, but Im sure she has dealt with it in her career as a nurse. She definitely writes about the dementia experience with the insight and sensitivity of one who has watched a loved one disappear slowly, one memory at a time.

The story is about more than the disease, though. Sciucco paints lovely word pictures of the Blue Hydrangeas Bed & Breakfast and of the love between Jack and Sara that is stronger than the trials they must face together. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am looking forward to the prequel that will be coming soon.
3816718
I recently reread this novel, and it didn't take long for me to remember how much this book affected me the first time that I read it. It is definitely a must read novel for anyone. It demonstrates many lessons that everyone should learn including compassion and standing up for what you believe in. The point of view in which it is written strongly affected me: seeing racism in the south through the eyes of a young girl definitely put everything this novel touches on in perspective for me!
738841
I first read this book probably 8 years ago, but I decided to read it again, because I didn't really remember it. I have to say, although while reading it, I started remembering parts, I absolutely loved it! The connection with the characters from the Notebook- Noah and Allie- and the whole new development of Wilson and His family- was told beautifully. I would highly recommend this book!
4902971
The Scrimmage captivates the reader from beginning to end.  Following 16yr old Jarrett through his internal conflicts truly gives the reader a better understanding of the real pressures that teenagers face growing up in today's world. `The Scrimmage' portrays how important it is for Jarrett to be what's expected of him, but what about what Jarrett really wants?  The author skillfully adds twists and turns throughout this novel that you may not expect, which keeps you wanting more!

This novel expertly addresses issues that face so many young people today, from the point of view of a popular, yet very confused, 16 yr old young man.  I believe this coming of age story should be required reading for (7th-8th-9th grade level) students. I sincerely hope that there is a follow up book to `The Scrimmage' so that I can continue on this literary journey that I truly did not want to end.
2702257
Presidential Conclusions grabbed me at page one and kept me on the edge of my seat until I finished it two days later!  It is a brilliantly written novel blending history, politics, and current world issues that although frightening to read about, are all too possible in today's world.  In addition, the author's selection of particularly apt quotes at the beginning of each chapter lend an added philosophical dimension to the novel which not only enhance the plot but also engage the reader in an internal debate about morality in the 21st century.  Samantha Harrison is a likable character who would be a wonderful choice for the first female president of the United States.  I hope the author will continue the series as I am eager to see how President Harrison fares in the rest of her term and possible reelection.
4087811
Gloria Goldreich's "Dinner with Anna Karenina" is a wonderful novel about women's friendships and the power of literature to illuminate and transform lives. Six women members of a Manhattan book club meet regularly to share dinner and literary insights about novels ranging from Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" to Edith Wharton's "The Reef." The novel isn't so much an in depth critical review of the chosen novels, as it is a reminder of how great novels force readers to reflect on their own lives and relationships, and how novels and book clubs have the power to expand personal horizons and nurture and deepen friendships. The members of the book club are all intelligent, interesting, and believable women. Readers will feel a kinship with all of them, and will feel satisfied by the end of the novel at how their various situations are resolved. Frankly, I felt as though I were a seventh member of the group, and having at one time or another read all but one of their picks, I vicariously participated in their discussions. Although the novel ends exactly when it should, on the perfect note, I know I will miss these sympathetic characters who Goldreich so skillfully brings to life. This is a wise, moving, and memorable contemporary novel.
4455997
The book arrived on time, and I started reading this masterpiece immediately, I could not put it down. The beginning pages reminded was very personal, As I have had identical memories. I do recommend to read  this book for everyone to read! It is truly a masterpiece! Moreover, Patrick Modiani, Nobel Prize winner in literature - the world highest honor- announced that he is reading Colorless at this moment!
Beatriz
3767216
The Notebook is literally like a forshadow of things in MY OWN LIFE...so i can connect with the characters in the story as if it were me...WOW! Nicholas Sparks is really a Genius. If you are or have ever been in love with someone..then THE NOTEBOOK is definitely as must read. Being male or female, because it is told from both points of view. I really love this book, and i think if any of you read it...you will love it to...
3641019
I bought this book over a year ago and didn't get around to reading it until this Thanksgiving. I'm glad I did!  What a great novel!  Donovan draws you in from the first page and doesn't let go.  The story is so much more than a tale of a war-stricken country.  It dives deep into the complex nature of humans.  The concept of Schopenhauer's Telescope is new to me (you dont' find out what Schopenhauer's Telescope is until 2/3 into the book), but is something that will not escape me anytime soon. This book will make you think about, reflect upon, and thoughtfullly consider many topics that don't come up in day to day conversation. The book itself is like a diary, with the author revealing a dark secret every few pages. Highly recommended to all.
2256112
Ashley Farleys Sweet Tea Tuesdays is a genuinely heart-breaking novel written with deep compassion and understanding of the complex relationships existing in the lives of women.  Three women, friends for over twenty-six years, have shared the tears and laughter in each others lives over sweet tea at 4 oclock on Tuesdays afternoons.  Now each woman faces a different set of challenges that promises nothing will ever be the same again; even their long-standing ritual.  Farley deftly creates these woman so that we recognize ourself, our relatives, our friends.  We understand their concerns, their fears, their hopes, their sorrows.  The two daughters thrown into the mix help readers see such issues as cross generational, overlapping, caused by, and supported by the differing perspectives of time and place.  The men in the novel are not caricatures, but rather the men in all our lives whose needs and wants challenge women trying to find themselves without losing the kernel of our being.  This is a thoughtful novel with meaning on a wide array of levels.  I highly recommend this book.
3028767
I believe that a highlight of a remarkable book is how much the characters sink into one's soul. Blue is just such a book. Not only was I anxious for Daisy, angry with Monica and saddened for Isabel but I really want go to Miriam's for tea. When you have an author that develops even the secondary characters with such life it makes one tend to neglect the rest of 'real' life so you can finish reading the book. I was lucky enough to have received my pre-ordered copy early from Amazon. Blue is definitely a book that I will keep on my bedside table to read again.
1784538
"The Blue Flower" recently won the outer book critics circle award and it is well-deserved.  Eventhough it may be considered a short novel the material presented is enormous.  For such a complicated piece, Ms. Fitzgerald does not waste a single word, nor a single punctuation mark and her thoughts, as complicated as they are, are presented neatly without any extemporaneous circumstances - that, in itself, is masterful.  The novel is based on the life of Fritz Von Hardenberg who later became the great poet and philosopher, Novalis.  Under the guise of his father he is trained to be a businessman.  Studying at the top universities, Fritz realizes his true passion for poetry and philosophy. He meets 12 year old Sophie Von Kuhn on a visit with a friend of his father who he is staying with to study administration for his business career.  Upon meeting Sophie ("in a half-hours time" according to Fritz) she becomes his "true philosophy" and he falls in love.  This relationship may seem peculiar, even wrong.  But in the hands of Penelope Fitzgerald this relationship seems justified.  Sophie represents what the great philosophers teach us thru their writings - she is the guiding spirtual force which leads us to question romance and the search for the meaning of life.  Fritz even engraves Sophie's engagement ring with the inscription "Sophie be my guardian spirit." Like all great romances, tragedy results not only for their relationship but for them as well.  The title "The Blue Flower" is a story Fritz is writing; he reads his opening chapter to various people.  "What is the meaning?" he asks.  People respond, but is there an answer?  Is Sophie the blue flower? Philosophers extrapulate life and love in trying to find the meaning which governs our existence.  Our lives are subject to questions and interpretaions which often need to revisited.  No doubt, reading of "The Blue Flower" will have to be revisited to explore further the art of life and love.  Isn't life about interpretation and soul-searching?  Bravo, Ms. Fitzgerald!
253021
I loved "The Humans" by Matt Haig and couldn't wait for this to come out.  So many profound truths are contained in this book.  Combine this with a fascinating story:  a glimpse back in time ( with its attendant atrocities, moral ambiguities and
beauty) and you have a novel I couldn't put down.  I loved the sense that all time is present because the future would not be possible without the overlapping circles of the past.  I devoutly hope Mr. Haig writes another book soon.