Ladue Book Reviews

This modern day rendition of Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina was a joy to read. This book combines classic literature with a modern day Gossip Girl vibe. The book is filled with glitz, glamour, drama, and romance all taking place within Manhattan's elite. This book absorbed me and was a lot of fun to read, so much that I quickly grabbed the sequel "Anna K Away". Readers may also enjoy: Gossip Gi...

First of all, I love a memoir, but this one in particular was excellent. The author describes her life growing up in rural Idaho with her survivalist (borderline cult-like) parents. She is "homeschooled" and, at 17, decides that she's going to get an actual education, partly to escape her violent older brother. Beware that there isn't a nice pretty bow on this story. It's messy and sometimes incred...

This book gave me an honest glimpse into the life of an undocumented child growing up in the United States during the 1990's. Readers may also enjoy: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou...

It was nice to read a refreshing and thrilling book like The Anomaly after most of the books I read for work and pleasure can be weighted down in realism. After reading this book, some parts really stuck with me and left many questions in my head that I still ponder. The book takes you to the brink of what is possible and expands upon our finite understanding of reality. I do not mean this review to...

A memoir by actor Wendell Pierce that through his story, tells the story of New Orleans (especially post-Katrina), his family, the African American experience in the post war South, and his life as an artist. Throughout, he touches back on the theme borrowed from the play Waiting for Godot; "Let us do something, while we have the chance....at this place, at this moment of time, all mankind is us, whether we l...

I loved the book because it was a new story concept that I've never read before, and it has plenty of twists, so that even if you guess one, you're still left wondering if you even got it right. The story is written so that it's impossible to put down, there's always something happening! I recommend this book for people who like books that make you wonder about the possibilities after death. It sort of reminds me of the movie Mulan, because the pr...

Geraldine Brooks makes history lyrical. She illuminates historical periods by creating living, breathing, flawed, heroic characters. In some of her books she adds a back and forth, time shifting approach to connect objects and stories across place and time. If you think that history is boring, she will change your mind. Readers may like: Amor Towles, The Lincoln Highway, Anthony Doerr, Cloud Cuckoo Land...

At its heart, this book is about the power of connection in humanity. That is what good history writing does, connects us to other human beings and helps us develop our own truth by entering into the truth of others. The author really helped me develop that connection with Montaigne, which is rather brilliant when you consider that Montaigne is credited with developing the literary form of the essay, whi...

This book uses fictional characters to tell the true story of historical events such as Bleeding Kansas and John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry. The author's use of humor makes this an engaging, yet informative read! Readers may also like: Author - Geraldine Brooks, TV Show - TURN: Washington's Spies, Movie - Glory  ...

Beasts of a Little Land is a story that spans across several decades during a critical time in Korea's history. I loved this story because it allows the reader to follow along and empathize with the various characters' different experiences, despite their conflicting ideals. As the title implies, the reader is also made aware of what happens to a country's entire ecosystem during war. ...

As a sports fan, I gravitate to human drama stories that touch upon competition and athletics. The author, Matt De La Pena, writes this semi-autobiographical book about Danny, who is half-Mexican, and his struggles with fitting in, whether its the prep high school he attends, or the Mexican side of his family. Danny is a talented baseball pitcher and wrestles with finding balance in his life, and on...

It's an epic story of adventure that weaves together a great cast of characters along the Lincoln Highway. I think one of the major themes is the way we follow certain paths in life, and along the way we intersect with others at crucial moments, and this is what makes life exciting and dangerous and a challenge as we try to figure out what our destination is.   Readers may also like: G...

I thought I was going on a road trip cross country on the Lincoln Highway, but I instead embarked on a journey with these characters. Each boy looking for a fresh start, a new adventure, or a place they could belong. Instead of making the journey from New York to California, as intended, they make a detour along the way to Nebraska and back to New York City. The teenage boys, each working to do the ri...

Brit Bennett has the most beautiful writing style - I haven't been able to put either of her books done when reading them. She pulls you in and weaves such a beautiful, heart-wrenching, and moving story. Her characters are always messy and complex and you will see true humanity in each of them. In The Mothers, Bennett tells the story of a very complex and heavy love triangle between Nadia, Aubrey ...

This book is a conversation between Dr. Jane Goodall and Douglas Carlton Abrams. They talk about lots of relevant topics today surrounding the environment; meanwhile, Dr. Goodall connects many things to stories of her illustrious past. ...

I loved reading this book because the story is exciting with twists and turns that keep you guessing. With a little bit of King Arthur folklore woven into a fantasy world that is hidden inside of the real world, it's a fun adventure from start to finish. Also, the second book comes out soon!...

I couldn't put this book down. If you read the plot summary, it sounds utterly bizarre, but the storytelling made it all seem believable and easy to understand. I am not usually a science fiction reader, but Crouch made the story seem like something that could happen to anyone and I found myself really caring about the main character, Jason, and so interesting in what was going to happen next. It is th...

Dave Grohl is best known as the founder/front man of the Foo Fighters and drummer of Nirvana. His tales of growing up will relate to so many students, especially those who are trying to find their place in life or, in punk rock fashion, just don't care about fitting into a mold. He has beautiful stories about those who influenced him in positive ways and what their support meant to him. Dave's sense...

The storyline was intense and often sad, but the characters were so vivid that you couldn't look away. The writing was also lyrical and beautiful. ...

Great story about a young woman growing up during the 1950s-1970s and discovering who she is amidst the changing culture of those years. ...

Lee Cole has written a book for anyone who struggles with relationships, new and old. His protagonist faces imposter syndrome as his family's politics and small-town constraints hinder him from realizing his goals as a young writer and threaten his relationship with a woman whose unique life experiences leave him feeling insecure. The novel pulls back the complicated layers of classism in a way that a...

The writing is beautiful and evocative, and I was able to learn a lot about 1950s/1960s India through the prose. 

Being a fantasy novel, world building is something that can make or break a book. The world described is filled with a rich history, interesting geography, and a great magic system. There are numerous factions that, through their own actions, make it easy to love or hate them. The characters are written believably (sometimes difficult for a fantasy novel) and you get attached to them easily. There i...

I loved this book because it starts in the aftermath of a plane crash, so it immediately pulls you into the adventure and terror of having to survive in the Amazon without proper supplies. After the initial scene, it gives the backstory and fleshes out the complexities of the characters while still letting you see the full picture of their complicated relationships one small piece at a time. The main ...

The book described how Ben Franklin and his son struggled to maintain a loving relationship as circumstances slowly and incrementally brought them into conflict. The author does a great job of humanizing historical figures....

This book looks at the basic Hobbesian premise that human beings are simply brutish and bad (war, prejudice, dehumanization of others, etc.) and posits that that just isn't true. The author looks at evolutionary psychology, famous social psychology experiments, and huge social movements of the 20th century and argues that what we think we know about "human nature" is based on incomplete and faulty i...

After seeing Elton John in concert on a whim (my friend had an extra ticket), I wanted to learn more about him and his journey. His story is fascinating. He is humble, overcame obstacles, shows genuine care for others, and is living an authentic life. ...

I really enjoyed this book because it goes back and forth between what is happening in a murder investigation and courtroom, and flashbacks from the defendant's life. It reminded me a little bit of To Kill a Mockingbird, a book I absolutely loved when I was in high school. I recommend this to those who enjoyed reading To Kill a Mockingbird....

In this story, a man who is past his days of youthful adventure had a brand new adventure thrown at him - he has to deliver a little girl back to her parents. And to do so, he has to do incredibly brave things! This book is set in the western US right after the Civil War, and it is a really good escape from the day-to-day of our modern lives, and it also reminds us that in whatever phase our life is cur...