Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

It is with distress and disappointment I discover the Jewish Book Council has listed Kristin Hannah’s historical romance, The Nightingale, as among the best books of 2015. My first concern is the meritless book itself. Stuffed with linguistic and cultural anachronisms (it is 1941, but the characters are 'on the same page'), neglecting character development in pursuit of plot (no character in this book can bear to exit a room without slamming the door, demonstrating a remarkable passive-aggressive sameness), piling one cliche upon another (twice, roses tumble over a stone wall - and one of those times the author has forgotten her winter setting), this novel bears witness to the writer's C-grade literary standards and tourist's knowledge of France. Furthermore, since the author's imagined audience is women, her contempt, in writing this poorly, is insulting. Then, I am alarmed at the lack of discernment that went into this choice. I want to feel when I see an endorsement from the JBC that I am in safe hands. If The Nightingale is a finalist in the fiction category, how can I trust the merits of recommendations and winners in other categories? Finally, support for this novel from the JBC constitutes advertising, and with such sponsorship the book’s readership will expand, spreading literary ignorance, and encouraging the intellectual frivolity that has historically undermined women’s education.