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bnj

bnj

has 32 followers and is following 30 people

My favorite reads are biographies/memoirs and classics. Anyone who has written even one book has accomplished much more than I have, and I admire the author's talent, vision, expression and hard work. I'm not much of a literary critic, so my ratings are simply based on my personal preference. Here's what my stars mean: 5 = books that... more »
  • MO, USA
  • member since July 11, 2007

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 183 reviews
  • The River and Its Secret: From Mao's Labor Camps to Johann Sebastian Bach:  A Remarkable Woman's Destiny
    • Rated 4 stars

    Fascinating story of the life of a young pianist during Mao's Cultural Revolution and beyond.

    bnj wrote this review 9 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Inside the Apple
    • Rated 4 stars

    Great survey of NYC history and architecture. Can't wait to visit!

    bnj wrote this review 13 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Gods and Kings
    • Rated 3 stars

    I enjoyed reading Lynn Austin's depiction of the Biblical kings of Judah, Ahaz and Hezekiah. The prose was smooth and easy to manage. The author did a good job of including details from Scripture and Biblical truth. I have mixed feelings about reading biblical historical fiction, though. I feel the same way about historical fiction in general. I like to know the history, but it is too easy to forget that much is fiction. I trust Ms Austin was careful in her research as she seems to care deeply about conveying the truth of God's word. Yet, I wouldn't recommend reading this story without a good grasp of what the Bible says about these kings and prophets. Read the Bible first, then try the novels. My guess is the Lynn Austin would encourage the same.

    bnj wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Kisses from Katie
    • Rated 5 stars

    Remarkable story; remarkable faith; remarkable God we have.

    bnj wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Cold Sassy Tree
    • Rated 4 stars

    Great southern story - lots of laughs, poinant too.

    bnj wrote this review Thursday, April 26, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Angle of Repose
    • Rated 5 stars

    Absolutely loved this wonderful novel. Delicious writing that I will definitely miss. Loved the western setting - many wonderful places masterfully described. Characters and themes are fascinating and deeply crafted. Will definitely revisit this many times.

    bnj wrote this review Thursday, March 29, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Paris Wife
    • Rated 4 stars

    Fascinating story. Beautifully and deeply told.

    bnj wrote this review Saturday, March 24, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Empire Falls
    • Rated 3 stars

    This was a good book, though I'm only giving it three stars because I won't likely read it again. The characters were wonderfully crafted. I could relate to Miles in ways that I never would have thought to describe myself. To me, the main theme was manhood. The novel depicted men whose decisions and ways of relating had profound effect on wives, children, lovers, neighbors. Sometimes with disastrous outcomes, sometimes with feeble but profound hope and help.

    bnj wrote this review Tuesday, March 20, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Cutting for Stone
    • Rated 2 stars

    I'm finished with this book today, though I must admit I only made it 1/3 of the way through. Thus far, we have newborn twins and too much surgical and anatomical information. Just not interesting to me. Maybe you medical folks out there would like it, but it's just too slow to keep me going. Hate not to finish, but this is it for this one.

    bnj wrote this review Monday, March 5, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Living into community : cultivating practices that sustain us
    • Rated 3 stars

    skimmed...

    bnj wrote this review Tuesday, February 28, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
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Displaying 1-10 of 183 reviews