Bottom Line: Decent (if a bit shallow) look at wildfires, but left me feeling "meh" all the way through reading it. It has some very dry writing, very much like this was a book full of journal/newspaper articles that were written to read like creative non-fiction - and then missed the mark completely. The subject of climate change and its affect on wildfires was interesting the first few times it was mentioned, but by the end of the book it was just too repetitive. 2.5 stars.

A book to spend an afternoon reading, but not a very deep book. My favorites were Madeline Albright, Nora Roberts, and Vanna White. I least liked Joyce Tenneson, which was so arty-farty pretentious, all I did was roll my eyes.

Honestly, if you enjoy Oprah's network programming or her magazine, you would like this positive book. It is filled women from various walks of life and careers, but they are all famous and successful. If you are seeking something more in depth for self-improvement, this book isn't it.

2/5 stars.

Overall, this book left me with a meh feeling.

The history and social structure of Afghanistan from the time of King Shah through September 11, 2001 was very interesting and informative. I feel I gained an appreciation for what the Afghan people have gone through with the different regimes.

However, the author intended (as she wrote both in the introduction and epilogue) for the story to be uplifting and positive; there were, in the author's words, enough "victims of war stories" out there. I felt that there was points in the story where there was too much positivity and not enough reality. Kamila was depicted as a saint, a warrior, and business genius; she was never taken to task for the risky behaviors she took during the Taliban years that put her life and those of her family members in danger. Also, her parents and older brother just left Kabul when the Taliban rolled in and left her and her nine sisters to stay in the house and fend for themselves. The story was just too picture perfect to be believable; it seemed a bit of propaganda from the American side of the war.

3 stars.

Holly Bailey is a journalist specializing in politics, but when dangerous tornadoes (record breaking dangerous) hit her hometown of Moore, Oklahoma, she went back home to report what happened and the aftermath. Those initial reports became the basis for this book.

Ms. Bailey goes beyond the event to the people and history of the area. Many people profiled were natives to Moore and were familiar with tornadoes and the need precautions. However, the tornadoes that ripped through on May 20 and May 31, 2013 were not the usual. These tornadoes harken back to the tornado that went through the same area on May 3, 1999, which was often used as a comparison for the people of Moore to determine how severe a storm is.

There are two chapters that deal with the local television weathermen, which may not seem like a good editorial decision, but once the book gets into the nitty-gritty details of the tornado, those early chapters help make sense and add to the tension to the story. I cried at the end when the author wrote about the children who died at the elementary school and the PTSD many are suffering from. No longer are spring storms exciting; they bring mostly fear and flashbacks to the day. I will say there is a lot of Southern Christianity displayed by the people profiled, but it seemed that when going through something like this, a reliance on one's faith is naturally going to be a part of the story.

An amazing look at a weather phenomenon that is still so much a mystery to weather scientists and public officials alike. 5 stars.

This was a quick and enjoyable read. I did laugh out loud at several chapters. This book was written towards the career women who want a family life too. It also focused a lot on her writing career (for both improve, sketch, and scripted comedy shows). I did feel a connection with Fey, but also feel she self-edited a lot.