by Group member Meta L.
Ladies Literary League
2005-2006
Amy and Isabelle Elizabeth Strout
Mother and 16 yr. old daughter work together in shirt factory. Good dynamics. Easy pace.
Constant Princess Philippa Gregory
Historical novel. Interesting. Daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand is strong protagonist. Love sequences good. Not a must–read.
Ivy Chronicles Karen Quinn
Quick. Light. Upscale divorced New Yorker place 5 year olds in private upscale kindergartens. Fun characters.
Forty-four Scotland Street Alexander McCall Smith
Mystery. Sleuthing down a painting. Fun. Light. Engaging characters.
Language of Threads Gail Tsukiyama
Sequel to Women of the Silk. Protagonist mature, political. Informative. Not as gripping as Woman of the Silk.
Mermaid Chair Sue Monk Kid
A woman in search of self. Has issues with mentally ill mother, distant husband, has an affair with a monk. Coastal S. Carolina. Symbolism. Well written. Engaging.
My Sister’s Keeper Jodi Picoult
A 13 yr old girl is conceived as a donor for sister with leukemia. Seeks legal advice to withdraw from being a donor. Many issues. Excellent characters. Good read.
Plain Truth Jodi Picoult
Amish setting. Young girl delivers in barn. Baby found dead. City lawyer defends her. Very interesting. Well written. Different point of view.
Plot Against America Philip Roth
Expose of Charles Lindberg and anti-Semitism. Alternative path of history. Lindberg becomes president instead of FDR in 1940. Control of country. Gripping plot.
Rice Mother Rani Manicka
WWII. Strong protagonist in exotic setting of Ceylon/Malaysia. Character develops. Good read. Informative.
Thread of Grace Mary Doria Russell
Father and daughter escape Nazi/s. France. Belgium. Italy. Many characters. Good portraits. Gets confusing.
Women of the Silk Gail Tsukiyama
China 1926. Silk workers form relationships and union away from homes. Early scenes of childhood very compelling. Good read.
Women’s Minyan Naomi Ragen
Play. Israel. Ultra-Orthodox woman on trial at women’s minyan. Divorced. Husband an abuser. She is kept from seeing her children. Good read. Involving.
Ladies Literary League
2006-2007
2006-2007
Eat Pray Love Elizabeth Gilbert
Memoir account of young divorced woman who travels to Italy (food), India (ashram) and Bali(love). Interesting. Dynamic lady.
Falling Leaves Adeline Mah
A memoir. Historical aspects are interesting. Autobiography of an unloved Chinese girl. Pre-revolution and after. She becomes a doctor. Family is dysfunctional and fraught with tension. Story lingers did not sustain my interest.
Marley & Me John Grogan
Wonderful, engaging memoir of life with a ‘tricky’ dog. Deals with life/death/family/etc.
Memory Keeper’s Daughter Kim Edwards
Twins delivered by doctor-father-1963. One of the twin girls has Down’s syndrome and is given to and raised by a nurse. Lyrical writing. Powerful and poignant tale.
One Thousand White Women Jim Fergus
Fantastic. 1875. 1000 white women are scheduled to go to the Cheyenne’s as brides. (True) Although it never came to be, the story is realistic. Well-described characters.
The Pact Jodi Picoult
Teenage couple. Suicide/homicide (?) pact. Boy on trial. Different POVS. Not as well crafted as other Picoult titles.
Queen’s Fool Philippa Gregory
During the inquisition, a young Jewish girl passes for Christian. Becomes the seer, fool, for the queen. Historical. Some lengthy involvements. I did not find it an engrossing read.
Running With Scissors Augusten Burroughs
Very dysfunctional autobiographical tale. Family saga? Homosexual, pedophile explicit scenes. Raunchy. Not clever.
Ten Thousand Lovers Edeet Ravel
Israel in 1970. Love story between an Israeli interrogator and Israeli/Canadian girl. Slow pace. Story held back by linguistic discourses.
Ladies Literary League
2007-2008
The Appeal John Grisham
Corporate control/legal actions. Small Mississippi town residents poisoned by chemicals dumped into water. Characters are not well drawn. Stereotypical not real. Text is interesting but too rambling.
Change of Heart Jodi Picoult.
Death row inmate seeks to donate his heart to the sister of child he allegedly murdered. Powerful. Deals with theology, relationships, life/death.
Love In The Time of Cholera Gabriel Marquez
Historical. Discussion of life, affairs, times in Spain. Did not read it easily.
Not Me Michael Lavigne.
A middle-aged man discovers his father’s dying ‘secret.’ The man was a noted Jewish/Zionist. In reality he was a Nazi camp supervisor. Additional discussions of Florida, nursing homes, Israel.
The Pillars Of The Earth Ken Follett
Long involved story about life in the 12th century. Cathedral construction, Church, organization and politics. Some vivid characters.
Saturday Wife Naomi Ragen.
Playful. Satire. An adventurous, materialistic girl marries an orthodox rabbi.
Snow Flower and the Magic Fan Lisa See
Interesting and excellent. 19th century China. Women, friendships, marriages, footbinding.
Suite Francaise Irene Nemirosky
WWII French family on the move. German invasion. Slow read. Didn’t quite catch my attention.
Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Housseini
Dramatic. Modern Afghanistan. Historical information and dynamic personal interactions between characters. Much violent actitivy. Tender/tearful as well.
Water For Elephants Sarah Gruen.
Superb. Details the life of a former vet student who lives with circus during depression. Great characters. Also deals with the protagonist as a senior in a nursing home.
Ladies Literary League
2008-2009
Blood Of Flowers Anita Amirrezvani
Iran-1600’s. Peasant girl becomes a carpet marker. She and her mother live with an uncle after her father dies. Insights into the times, love, marriages and the carpet makers. Well-defined characters. Excellent read.
Disobedience Naomi Alderman.
Jewish woman brought up in orthodox community in London returns from NYC for father’s funeral. Much discussion of orthodox regulations. Lesbian issues. Very good read. Characters are well developed.
Girl From Foreign Sadia Shepard.
Young Indian woman, of Christian/Muslim parents, from Boston travels to India to trace her Jewish grandmother's roots in a small Jewish community.
People Of The Book Geraldine Brooks
Scholarly historical fiction. Australian archeologist traces the ‘life’ of an ancient haggadah. Deals with cultures and conflicts through the ages: Muslim, Spanish etc.
Saving Fish from Drowning Amy Tan
Memoir account of young divorced woman who travels to Italy (food), India (ashram) and Bali(love). Interesting. Dynamic lady.
Falling Leaves Adeline Mah
A memoir. Historical aspects are interesting. Autobiography of an unloved Chinese girl. Pre-revolution and after. She becomes a doctor. Family is dysfunctional and fraught with tension. Story lingers did not sustain my interest.
Marley & Me John Grogan
Wonderful, engaging memoir of life with a ‘tricky’ dog. Deals with life/death/family/etc.
Memory Keeper’s Daughter Kim Edwards
Twins delivered by doctor-father-1963. One of the twin girls has Down’s syndrome and is given to and raised by a nurse. Lyrical writing. Powerful and poignant tale.
One Thousand White Women Jim Fergus
Fantastic. 1875. 1000 white women are scheduled to go to the Cheyenne’s as brides. (True) Although it never came to be, the story is realistic. Well-described characters.
The Pact Jodi Picoult
Teenage couple. Suicide/homicide (?) pact. Boy on trial. Different POVS. Not as well crafted as other Picoult titles.
Queen’s Fool Philippa Gregory
During the inquisition, a young Jewish girl passes for Christian. Becomes the seer, fool, for the queen. Historical. Some lengthy involvements. I did not find it an engrossing read.
Running With Scissors Augusten Burroughs
Very dysfunctional autobiographical tale. Family saga? Homosexual, pedophile explicit scenes. Raunchy. Not clever.
Ten Thousand Lovers Edeet Ravel
Israel in 1970. Love story between an Israeli interrogator and Israeli/Canadian girl. Slow pace. Story held back by linguistic discourses.
Ladies Literary League
2007-2008
The Appeal John Grisham
Corporate control/legal actions. Small Mississippi town residents poisoned by chemicals dumped into water. Characters are not well drawn. Stereotypical not real. Text is interesting but too rambling.
Change of Heart Jodi Picoult.
Death row inmate seeks to donate his heart to the sister of child he allegedly murdered. Powerful. Deals with theology, relationships, life/death.
Love In The Time of Cholera Gabriel Marquez
Historical. Discussion of life, affairs, times in Spain. Did not read it easily.
Not Me Michael Lavigne.
A middle-aged man discovers his father’s dying ‘secret.’ The man was a noted Jewish/Zionist. In reality he was a Nazi camp supervisor. Additional discussions of Florida, nursing homes, Israel.
The Pillars Of The Earth Ken Follett
Long involved story about life in the 12th century. Cathedral construction, Church, organization and politics. Some vivid characters.
Saturday Wife Naomi Ragen.
Playful. Satire. An adventurous, materialistic girl marries an orthodox rabbi.
Snow Flower and the Magic Fan Lisa See
Interesting and excellent. 19th century China. Women, friendships, marriages, footbinding.
Suite Francaise Irene Nemirosky
WWII French family on the move. German invasion. Slow read. Didn’t quite catch my attention.
Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Housseini
Dramatic. Modern Afghanistan. Historical information and dynamic personal interactions between characters. Much violent actitivy. Tender/tearful as well.
Water For Elephants Sarah Gruen.
Superb. Details the life of a former vet student who lives with circus during depression. Great characters. Also deals with the protagonist as a senior in a nursing home.
Ladies Literary League
2008-2009
Blood Of Flowers Anita Amirrezvani
Iran-1600’s. Peasant girl becomes a carpet marker. She and her mother live with an uncle after her father dies. Insights into the times, love, marriages and the carpet makers. Well-defined characters. Excellent read.
Disobedience Naomi Alderman.
Jewish woman brought up in orthodox community in London returns from NYC for father’s funeral. Much discussion of orthodox regulations. Lesbian issues. Very good read. Characters are well developed.
Girl From Foreign Sadia Shepard.
Young Indian woman, of Christian/Muslim parents, from Boston travels to India to trace her Jewish grandmother's roots in a small Jewish community.
People Of The Book Geraldine Brooks
Scholarly historical fiction. Australian archeologist traces the ‘life’ of an ancient haggadah. Deals with cultures and conflicts through the ages: Muslim, Spanish etc.
Saving Fish from Drowning Amy Tan
Travel agent Bibi Chen dies the day before she is to lead a group of 11 friends on an exotic trip through Burma via China. The group goes on without her, so they think. Bibi hovers above in her "unearthly" state narrating the trials, tribulations and humor of this outrageous journey. (Lorelei)
**Please send your reviews for the above books or future book club selections.
***Also, share books that you are reading on your own or suggest as a future selection
for our book club.
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