Book Review: Climbing the Stairs (Venkatraman)

Climbing the Stairs Author: Padma Venkatraman Publisher: Speak Genre: Young Adult Subgenre: Historical Fiction; Military; Lit & Fiction Reviewer: Sara Book received by: Purchased at writer’s conference Synopsis: Life for fifteen year-old Vidya holds tremendous promise. Despite living in British-occupied India during the 1940s with a rigid caste system in place, she aspires to attend…

Book Review All Fall Down (Weiner)

All Fall Down Author: Jennifer Weiner © 2014 Publisher: Simon and Schuster Genre: Literature & Fiction Subgenre: Women’s Literature, Domestic Life, Family Life, Contemporary Fiction Reviewer: Sara Book received by: Purchased at book fair     Synopsis: Mother, domestic engineer and paid blogger Allison Weiss has the picture-perfect life. She left full-time work to stay…

Book Review: Nightfall Over Shanghai (Kalla)

Nightfall Over Shanghai Author: Daniel Kalla © 2015 Publisher: Forge Books Genre: Literature & Fiction Subgenre: Historical Fiction, Jewish Fiction, Reviewer: Sara Book received by: Gift from family       Synopsis: Shanghai in 1944 is an increasingly dangerous place for the Jewish refugees, including the Adler family. Father, daughter and step-mother find themselves in…

Book Review: First Comes Love (Giffin)

First Comes Love Author: Emily Giffin © 2016 Publisher: Ballantine Books Genre: Women’s Fiction / Literary Fiction Sub-genre: Sisters, Domestic Life, Literary Reviewer: Sara Book received by: Purchased on Amazon     Synopsis: The Garland sisters, Josie and Meredith, shared a sisterly bond and love for each other that became a challenging relationship in their…

Book Review: Another Day in the Frontal Lobe (Firlik)

Author: Katrina Firlik, M.D. © 2006 Publisher: Random House Genre: Medical memoir / autobiography Sub-genre: Nervous system-surgery, Neurosurgery, Medical history & records Reviewer: Sara Book received by: Purchased at B&N.     Amazon book synopsis: “Katrina Firlik is a neurosurgeon, one of only two hundred or so women among the alpha males who dominate this high-pressure, high-prestige…