Susan Hesson > Recent Status Updates

Fascinating, compelling read. What a small town does to itself and it's residents.

If you only read one book this year, this is the one. Sweet Jesus, what an amazing read. Well done!

So well-written and engrossing!

Arguably Wharton's finest. Powerful female characters. I'm casting this in my mind as I read it. Would love to see a dramatization of this. My initial impression wasn't nearly as favorable as of other Wharton books, but just before midway, she truly hit her stride. This is a powerhouse of emotion and authenticity.

The saddest book I've ever read, and this includes most of the books I've read on Holocaust topics. This book is just heart-breaking. Very well-written.

So, here's an entire chapter on how Westclox was the main client for the Ottawa, IL division of the Radium Dial Company. In Ottawa, the girls painted the faces on the Big Ben alarm clocks for Westclox, which is the model that my parents owned. So, their clock was one of the ones painted by one of these girls...

Only a few pages in and it's already breaking my heart. When I was a child and I was supposed to be napping, I would play with the Westclox clock that sat on my parents' nightstand. The numerals glowed in the dark and I was fascinated by them. I would hold that clock close to my face for a long time, examining those numbers in minute detail. Now, I wonder...

I love Zadie Smith's style of writing because she is relentless and unapologetic, much like life. She tells stories from the narrator's unflinching point of view, and her tales are harsh and sometimes merciless. "Swing Time" does not disappoint. It's a long view of relationship: familial, friendships, frenemies, lovers, employer/employees, cultural, and economic. Women are so hard on one another and themselves.

I'm not usually a big reader of self-help books (perhaps I should be?) but this is a useful guide in assessing skills, strengths, and goals. Look past the kitschy, twee, title and the suggestions about tea (I'm a bit of a tea-snob) and be prepared to work and search your soul.

gave up. can't get into it, no matter how much I like Horny.

Oh, how I love this book! it breathes Life into so many writers, politicians, and historical figures. this is a book I want to give to everyone I know.