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LaurelLit.com

Writer, Reader, English Teacher

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My Book Reviews

I love novels! My favorite genres are high-end women's fiction, suspense, and psychological thrillers, but occasionally I'll also pick up some chick lit or YA. I mostly read books on my kindle, and I also listen to audio books every morning when I go for my run.

I do NOT love star ratings for novels. For each book I review, I will give a bit of background, my thoughts, and end by saying if I would recommend it or not. Full disclosure: if I'm not into a book, I don't finish it. Since I'll only be reviewing books I finish, most of the reviews posted will be positive.

All About Anna Karenina: Part 1, chapters 22 & 23–The Ballroom Scene

Laurel Osterkamp · December 15, 2022

Although I am still only posting about part one of Anna Karenina, reading-wise, I am well into part three. And I can tell you, I still dislike Levin. Vronsky and Anna are okay, but my favorite character by far is Kitty. I find it so interesting the scene where Vronsky and Anna fall in love is mostly seen through her eyes. After adapting it into first person, I got a really good sense of who Kitty is, and she's awesome. But don't take my word for …

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Literary Lifestyle Gift Guide

Laurel Osterkamp · December 9, 2022

Are you having trouble shopping for the reading/writer/English Teacher in your life? No worries! Here is my literary lifestyle gift guide. *Note: I did not include actual books. It's too hard to pick out titles for the true bookworm.

Klever Hardback Book Cover for Kindle Oasis

This Kindle cover is perfect for anyone who wants the romantic feel of reading a classic found on some dusty …

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All About Anna Karenina: part 1, chapters 16-19

Laurel Osterkamp · December 1, 2022

I'm reading Anna Karenina so you don't have to.

And the story continues, like a slow moving train groaning down the tracks...

Chapter 16

We get a peek inside Vronsky’s mind. He had an absentee father and his mother was “a brilliant society woman, who had had during her married life, and still more afterwards, many love affairs notorious in the whole fashionable world.” In other words, Vronsky’s had no model of a stable …

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All About Anna Karenina: part 1, chapters 10-15

Laurel Osterkamp · November 29, 2022

I'm reading Anna Karenina so you don't have to.

When I told my husband I'd started reading the novel, he said, "Did you lose a bet?" No...but I'm hoping I haven't bitten off more than I can chew. Right now, I'm all about Anna Karenina, and here is my summary/analysis/modern interpretation of part 1, chapters 10-15.

Chapter 10

Levin and Stiva go out for dinner and Stiva gets all fancy, ordering champagne and …

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All About Anna Karenina: Chapters 1-9

Laurel Osterkamp · November 28, 2022

I'm reading Anna Karenina so you don't have to.

So, I took the plunge and began reading Anna Karenina. I've decided to document my reading experience, summarize & analyze some parts, and adapt what seem like pivotal scenes using a modern tone & first person POV. Look at it this way: If you've always been tempted to read the novel but something is holding you back, now I can read and experience it for you. A couple of thoughts: The Russian names ARE …

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My Favorite Authors

Reading novels is more than a pastime to me; it’s a way of life. I love escaping into a captivating story, and when that story is well written, I find myself learning about all sorts of things, like how to be a better writer, how to understand others, and how to understand myself. I mostly read books on my Kindle or listen to them on audio, but sometimes I’ll read from a hard copy. When I like a book, I’ll review it. Since you’re required to give star reviews on places like Goodreads, I will give every book I like enough to review five stars, even if I get nitpicky in my written review. (I HATE giving books star ratings since I don’t think good writing can really be quantified. But as an author myself, I know how devastating anything less than a five star rating can be, so I’m never going to do that to a fellow author.)

Below is a list of some of my favorite authors and links to their sites. You’ll find a mix of Women’s Fiction, YA, Psychological Suspense, and Literary Fiction. This list is always growing, so please check back as I continue to add to it.

Links to my favorite authors:

Curtis Sittenfeld

Hank Phillippi Ryan

Ruth Ware

Kate Moretti

Renée Rosen

Anna Pitoniak

Tracy Chevalier

Catherine McKenzie

Kara Thomas

J. Courtney Sullivan

Kelly Simmons

Jessica Strawser
Jessica Goodman

Jacquelyn Mitchard
Katherine St. John

Ann Garvin
Chandler Baker
Lori Rader-Day
Carol Goodman
Megan Miranda

Amy Impellizzeri

Ali Hazelwood

Karen McManus

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