Susan Vreeland is the internationally known author of art-related historical fiction. Her newest book is Luncheon of the Boating Party which reveals the efforts and the personalities behind Renoir's masterpiece. Her works include Life Studies, stories of Impressionist painters and contemporary people encountering art; Girl in Hyacinth Blue, tracing an alleged Vermeer painting through the centuries; The Passion of Artemisia, illuminating Italian Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi; and The Forest Lover, following rebel Canadian painter Emily Carr into the British Columbia wilderness. Vreeland's NY Times and LA Times bestselling novels have been translated into twenty-five languages.

Read our Susan Vreeland Interview

This month we spotlight Courtney A. who works as a Children’s Librarian at Independence Regional Library. She has reviewed fiction and non-fiction for adults and teens. Here are her thoughts on reading and writing book reviews:

“I fell in love with reading at an early age. As a young girl I would spend time in the country with my Great Grandmother, the days were devoted to climbing trees and mud pies but the nights were devoted to reading. She was a voracious reader and we would lie in bed at night reading for hours. She shared with me a love of reading that I will cherish always. She is one of the main reasons I chose to be a Children’s Librarian so that I could share that love with others especially children who might not otherwise be exposed to what fun reading can be. It only takes one person like my Grandmother to light the fire of learning in a child’s heart and if in my career I can encourage just one child, it will be worth it.

Reading is my escape from the busy world around me. When I pick up a book all my stress and worries float away and it is simply me and the story. As a child I grew up reading anything and everything I could get my hands on. The classics however are what I most enjoy. Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy and George Eliot are some of my favorites and I tend to lean towards period British literature. As I grew older I found a love of historical fiction as well. Margaret George is my favorite historical writer but I also enjoy Beverly Swerling, Geraldine Brooks and Edward Rutherfurd. I enjoy books that take you away to another time and place so completely that their words become your memories. I also try to keep up on modern fiction as much as possible including Elizabeth Berg, Jodi Picoult and Khaled Hosseini.

I enjoy reviewing books because it gives me the opportunity to share my impressions and assist in helping others find a book they will enjoy, a book to help them escape. I usually only review a book if I truly enjoyed it and think others will as well. I probably only review a tenth of the books I read. I save reviewing for the works that I enjoyed so much that I find pleasure in writing their praise.’’

Read Book Reviews by our Featured Reviewer

We have information on a multitude of reading resource websites. Visit our Reading Resources page to find out more.