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Jean L

Jean L

the avatar illustration is from http://www.athertonlin.com/
where greeting cards, calendars, etc. are available from my son and son in law

teacher- every level from pre-school to university, and library literacy programs- loved them all! retired

poet- my book, Breathing Rice, An East West Love Story was just nominated for... more »
  • CA, USA
  • member since October 28 2007

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 235 reviews
  • The Art Student's War
    • Rated 4 stars

    i enjoyed this book a great deal particularly because of the ww2 setting. The characters were vividly portrayed and the plot was compelling. The writing was good but uneven sometimes it was strong and poetic othertimes it veered on being written like a soap opera. Still I liked it. If I could I would give it 3.5 stars. I would like to read more of the author's work to see if the writing is more consistent.

    Jean L wrote this review 7 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Lacuna
    • Rated 5 stars

    My favorite Kingsolver since Poisonwood Bible. A real page turner with Kingsolver“s amazing writing and a look at Mexican and American history, artists, revoluntaries, politics, romance, it has it all. Highly recommended.

    Jean L wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance
    • Rated 3 stars

    I liked this but found it faulty in a number of ways. The author seems very charming and has a great sense of humor and some chapters are really funny but there is a lot about her dating life that i found boring. (probably i'm too old). interesting to learn about a liberal mormon's perspectives, however. so for me a mixed bag.

    Jean L wrote this review Tuesday, November 17 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Let the Great World Spin: A Novel
    • Rated 4 stars

    While the subject matter is often gritty and raw, the writing is beautiful and poetic. I sometimes had to just stop and admire the author's use of words even as the plot propelled me forward. Some of the characters and sections of the book were not quite as interesting to me as others but overall an amazing novel. I had read his previous books Zoli and dancer and liked them as well and will look for his other books.

    Jean L wrote this review Monday, November 16 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Cartwheels in a Sari: A Memoir of Growing Up Cult
    • Rated 2 stars

    I just kept finding myself horrified by the spell the cult leader, guru, had on his followers and the writing was not strong enough to get me past the guru on every page. It almost seemed as if the guru was still controlling the author's life in a weird way even though she left the cult. Emotional child abuse is portrayed with the guru controlling the family and his chosen one, the author. Creepy.

    Jean L wrote this review Monday, November 2 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Necessary Sins: A Memoir
    • Rated 3 stars

    I wish I could give this 2 and 1/2 stars as I liked it with reservations. At times the language was quite poignant and it was always intelligent. I had very mixed feelings about the author and since this is a memoir that colored my feelings about the book. An interesting insight from a very sophisticated "other woman" who marries the man she has an affair with. Very touching final portion. The book could benefit by being longer and covering more.

    Jean L wrote this review Friday, October 16 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Half Broke Horses
    1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
    • Rated 2 stars

    very different in style than her previous book., Glass Castle which I really liked. i couldn't get interested in the style of the writing very choppy, very short chapters that were like little reports and didn't have a narrative flow. i would recommend the book, Little Heathens by Mildred Kalish, instead for a look at an American child growing up on a farm. walls was trying to imagine her grandmother's world but Kalish lived her story. nice idea but didn't care for the execution of it.

    Jean L wrote this review Thursday, October 15 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Laments: A Novel
    • Rated 3 stars

    Really enjoyed the characters and the author's writing style and could identify with this much traveled and rather quirky family. A fast and enjoyable read but with a very sad turn at the end i wish had been different.

    Jean L wrote this review Friday, October 16 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa
    • Rated 0 stars

    Couldn't connect with this book so just looked through it but might try again at another time. I was just not in the mood for reading about the politics involved.

    Jean L wrote this review Wednesday, October 14 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • South of Broad
    • Rated 2 stars

    This novel was a big disappointment to me as a Pat Conroy fan. I really loved Prince of Tides and also enjoyed Beach Music. While Conroy's usual beautiful prose is still there in parts, the plot is pure soup opera with a cast of characters who never seem to grow past their high school years. A long wait for this book. I hope his next book will be more substantive. I will try it for the moments of grace his language can produce.

    Jean L wrote this review Friday, October 2 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Displaying 1-10 of 235 reviews

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