Lorayne Burns

Lorayne Radtke Burns is a retired librarian who over the years was solicited by publishers large and small for comments on book galleys.

Book Reviews by Lorayne Burns

Image of State of Wonder: A Novel
Author(s):
Ann Patchett
Genre(s):
Literary Fiction

State of Wonder: A Novel

February 4, 2012
Reviewed by: 
Lorayne Burns

“The writing throughout never waivers from the rich prose readers have come to expect from this talented writer.

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Image of State of Wonder: A Novel
Author(s):
Ann Patchett
Genre(s):
Literary Fiction

State of Wonder: A Novel

April 5, 2011
Reviewed by: 
Lorayne Burns

Ann Patchett’s newest novel, State of Wonder, begins when a Minnesota pharmaceutical company receives word that one of its researchers has perished “from fever” deep in the Amazon jungle,

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Image of The Solitude of Prime Numbers: A Novel
Author(s):
Paolo Giordano
Genre(s):
Coming of Age, Families, Literary Fiction

The Solitude of Prime Numbers: A Novel

October 1, 2010
Reviewed by: 
Lorayne Burns

Alienation, teen angst, and loneliness are the themes of this debut novel by the youngest winner of Italy’s prestigious literary award, “The Prima Strega.”

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Image of The Unbearable Lightness of Scones: 44 Scotland Street Series (5)
Author(s):
Alexander McCall Smith
Genre(s):
Literary Fiction

The Unbearable Lightness of Scones (44 Scotland Street Series)

October 1, 2010
Reviewed by: 
Lorayne Burns

One could scarcely choose a better book to ward off a dreary winter's day than this latest installment to the 44 Scotland Street series.

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Image of The Tulip Virus
Author(s):
Danielle Hermans
Genre(s):
Literary Fiction

The Tulip Virus

October 1, 2010
Reviewed by: 
Lorayne Burns

In the wee hours of a London morning, a wealthy, elderly man, Frank Schoeller, is brutally attacked in his home.

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Image of The Gin Closet: A Novel
Author(s):
Leslie Jamison
Genre(s):
Literary Fiction

The Gin Closet: A Novel

October 1, 2010
Reviewed by: 
Lorayne Burns

“Occasionally the literary world is treated to a book that seems to have been written with divine inspiration.

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