The Virgin Blue
by Tracy Chevalier
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (24 June, 2003)
list price: $14.00 -- our price: $11.20
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Reviews (113)

Well Done!
I did not read Girl with a Pearl Earring, so I can't comment on whether this book is better than that one or not, but I really liked The Virgin Blue. The portrayal of both women's (Isabelle and Ella) surroundings and lives read realistically, and the gradual buildup of the links between them worked just fine, sweeping me along until at the end I suddenly realized there were even several connections I hadn't thought of till then. Like another reviewer, I felt that Etienne Tournier was kind of sketchy and would've liked a little deeper of a portrayal of him. But that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book. I literally couldn't put it down, and neither could a friend I gave it to to read. If you want to get lost in a story that draws you along and constantly keeps you fascinated, I highly recommend this book.

My Virgin Blue comments
I would have to agree that the writing is a little clunky. In each chapter the author jumps between a third person and first person point of view. That threw me a bit in some parts. Through the story I kept saying to myself, 'this lady can't write!'
But at the end of it, she was effective enough to swell my emotions, and she ended it nicely (even if there were some VERY loose ends). However, it wasn't really the loose ends that bothered me.What bothered me most was the scant explanation for WHY the characters did what they did. The end was so sad, but I didn't even know the motives behind it.I fell in love with a few of the characters which was good, but I also felt drawn to some of the wrong people in the story. I actually found Isabelle's (dead character) abusive husband to be an intriguing character though I don't think he was supposed to be. She didn't delve at all into his character and his motives, when it was he who seemed to rule the direction of the plot. Also, Ella's (modern character) love interest, you can tell, is meant to be seductive, but I just didn't feel it. Ella was so strangely irrational as well. I'm torn because I love the basic idea and story, but I guess it just wasn't tied together very well. It took me two days and lots of re-reading to get a hint of what the heck was going on in the last few chapters.
Oh yes, one last thing I simply must add:
WHY WAS NOBODY ELSE SHOCKED BY THE ENDING? I was like, 'this is where the whole book has been going???'
It was like getting the wind knocked out of me when it was shown (in very distant detail) what was happening. I just didn't get it. I kept going, 'huh? why? who?' And then weeping at the same time.Very confusing=)

Captivating and spectacular....
The story will grip you from the first page.The blue will haunt you long after you are done reading it.The way Chevalier ties Isabelle and Ella together is fantastic.You will not be able to stop reading until you get to the climactic ending.A definite must-read! ... Read more

Isbn: 0452284449
Sales Rank: 12255
Subjects:  1. Americans    2. Cevennes Mountains (France)    3. Childlessness    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. France    7. France, Southwest    8. General    9. Historical - General    10. Women   

The Apprentice: My Life In The Kitchen
by Jacques Pepin
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (10 April, 2003)
list price: $26.00 -- our price: $17.16
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Editorial Review

The sparkling personality, sense of humor, and charm familiar to Jacques Pépin's television audiences carries over to the page in the superstar chef's humbly titled memoir, The Apprentice.

A clever, mischievous, and very likable boy, Pépin's earliest food memories are hungry ones from his childhood in war-torn France. After World War II, his first restaurant job was peeling potatoes for his mother at her restaurant, and he became an apprentice in a hotel kitchen at age 13. In this delightful tale he works hard, plays fair, is kind to others and good to his family, and his efforts take him to Paris, and then New York. Except for the terrible car accident that required him to reinvent himself as a teacher and television personality, he seems to have always been in the right place at the right time. He cooked for Prime Minister Gaillard and then General Charles de Gaulle, met Pierre Franey, Craig Claiborne, and Julia Child, and turned down a job cooking for JFK to accept one with Howard Johnson. But just as entertaining and enjoyable to read about are his tender memories and thoughts about his relationships with his parents and brothers, and with his wife and daughter.

We all wish we could cook like Pepin (and every chapter ends with one of Pépin's favorite recipes), but this enchanting tale will make you wish you knew him. The clear, simple way he expresses himself and the honesty with which he tells his story will bring you to tears, and make you laugh out loud. --Leora Y. Bloom ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Charming, delightful, lovely writing
What a marvelous read!!What's not to like about this memoir?Jacques is a life-loving man who has had a fabulous life cooking and living.The book reveals a man very much like the generous, creative, charming cooking teacher I've admired for so long.His book now demonstrates his skill as a writer and raconteur.Do yourself a favor and read this remarkable book.I was sorry when it ended.

Easily the Best Memoir I've Read this Year
The skills that make an awesome chef are the same skills that make an awesome writer, patience, a loving devotion to detail, an appreciation of the sensual - this has it all. It's a great slice of history and does what a great memoir is supposed to do - it allows you to enter the world of another.

Jacques Pepin's book, "The Apprentice : My Life in the Kitchen", is a light and compelling, can't put it down read.

Delightful Reading
I enjoyed every minute of this delectable memoir. Amusing and thoughtful; Pepin shares an intimate look from WWII France and as an ex-pat in America. I hated to see the book end. ... Read more

Isbn: 0618197370
Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Cookery    6. Cooking    7. Literary    8. Pepin, Jacques    9. Personal Memoirs    10. Pâepin, Jacques    11. Biography & Autobiography / Literary    12. Pépin, Jacques   

The Da Vinci Code
by Dan Brown
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (18 March, 2003)
list price: $24.95 -- our price: $14.97
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Editorial Review

With The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoteria culled from 2,000 years of Western history.

A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his granddaughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle. The duo become both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu's grandfather's murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France, England, and history itself. Brown (Angels and Demons) has created a page-turning thriller that also provides an amazing interpretation of Western history. Brown's hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries--from the nature of the Mona Lisa's smile to the secret of the Holy Grail. Though some will quibble with the veracity of Brown's conjectures, therein lies the fun. The Da Vinci Code is an enthralling read that provides rich food for thought. --Jeremy Pugh ... Read more

Reviews (3049)

Best Ever
This is the best book I've read this year.Not because I think it's true (it is a work of fiction) but because the research done to create the illusion of reality was amazing.Excellent work by the author.It was really a page turner.The only other book I've read this year that I've been this excited about what The System by Roy Valentine.Very different kind of book but also highly recommended.

Nilly Vanilly
The characters are predictable one dimensional cartoons, the good guys are the atheist tree hugging narcissistic pagans, the bad guys include a very pale man who believes in God; the hedonistic oh-so-witty and sophisticated heroes manage to have the upper hand at every turn so there is zero suspense once you catch on to his technique. This book is just not very good fiction plain and simple. Pass on this [...]. Go waste your money on something [...] fattening, but please do not encourage the dumming down of the reading public.

Gread read
Even though it is a historical fiction, this is a very good book to read. True that some of the points he wrote about were true. But we should know that this is open to interpretation. What is also important is that as readers, we should be able to discern where historical truths end and where fiction begins. I have read a great deal of historical fictions, and know how misleading historical fictions can be. Nothing that is written in this novel is exact. The father of this theme that Dan Brown took in this book is Michael Baigent , the author of HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL. He said it succinctly that he did not believe about the grail story because he did not know. What he wrote was what people said, many of whom were hazy about it. So, he wrote using "it is said that". That is what makes writings glaringly historical fictions. Equally good historical fictions are HOLY BLOOD HOLY GRAIL,DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE, THE TRIUMPH OF THE SUN. ... Read more

Isbn: 0385504209
Subjects:  1. 1452-1519    2. Appreciation    3. Art museum curators    4. Crimes against    5. Cryptographers    6. Fiction    7. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    8. Leonardo,    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. Secret societies    11. Thrillers    12. da Vinci,    13. Fiction / Thrillers    14. Leonardo    15. Manuscripts    16. Reading Group Guide   

Eat Cake : A Novel
by JEANNE RAY
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (27 May, 2003)
list price: $19.95 -- our price: $13.57
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Reviews (38)

Outstanding!!
Absolutely one of my most favorite authors! Ms Ray is a delight and I will never rid of her and her books. This book has lots of obstacles, but as the characters learn, we can do it with determination, help and love.

I love the way each one blossoms and becomes richer as the story goes on. It made me go and bake a carrot cake last night. Has me wanting to bake!! Our characters already have grandma living with them and then we had grandpa who has two broken wrists and can't help himself, AT ALL to the mix. Dad loses his job and is finding himself, and of course we have a teenager with an attitude who blossoms.

BRAVO!!!! Why can't we have cake for dinner??!?!?

Humorous Quick Read
An enjoyable humorous story!
Cakes have been a big part of Ruth's life since she was a little girl.Now she finds her life taking a turn.Ruth is a stay at home mom/wife. Her mother had moved in a while ago, and now her estranged father moves in after becoming injured.To make matters worse and finances tight, her husband loses his job. Now it is her time to shine...with cakes!Cake recipes included!

Such a sweet book
I loved this and all of Ms. Ray's books.They are uplifting, sweet and comfortable.I feel at home when I am reading one of her creations.She has a way of drawing you right into the book.Sometimes I felt I was in the kitchen eating one of the cakes.I truely love her writing and am very excited to see she has another book coming out.YOu will not be disappointed.I recommend all her books. ... Read more

Isbn: 060961004X
Sales Rank: 120504
Subjects:  1. Adult children of divorced par    2. Adult children of divorced parents    3. Conflict of generations    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. General    7. Minnesota    8. Women    9. Fiction / General   

The Wife: A Novel
by Meg Wolitzer
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (14 April, 2003)
list price: $23.00 -- our price: $15.64
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Reviews (51)

poorly timed heart attack
The character development is compelling and the issues confronted are challenging. I am dumbfounded at the decision to make a cheap Hollywood ending for this woman faced with answering the crucial question of do you negate your own self-worth to support your man/your marriage.

The Costs of Compromises; 4.5*s
It must be devastating to want to be a writer, to work at it, devote much effort to writing exercises, adopt the proper mannerisms and culture, meet all the right people and yet have minimal talent for the craft. Depending upon what point that poignant fact is finally learned, the writer has choices, but with psychological costs: simply slipping away is an option, or perhaps the more risky path of concealing one's limitations is taken. On the other hand, it is also sad when a person with talent is not in a position to express it, whether due to personal reasons or external pressures. "The Wife" is a very keen look at the world of writing and authorship and the impacts on those with and without talent. In addition the politics of getting published and accepted, especially in regard to gender, is explored, as well as the subtleties and demands operating within marriages of authors.

The marriage of Joe Castleman, a creative writing professor, and Joan, a totally smitten student, examined over forty-plus years, serves as the vehicle for exploring all of these themes. What could be more joyous: Joe, at the pinnacle of a highly acclaimed and rewarded career, is finally receiving the prestigious Helsinki Prize for fiction. But the beaming Finnish hosts have not a clue at the high costs that have been exacted on the long journey from the grungy Greenwich Village apartment that Joe and Joan shared. Compromises have been made with rippling consequences.

The book is sharply written, with great insight and even a touch of subtle humor. One might have wished for a slightly deeper plumbing of Joan's thoughts along the way. Is there a surprise ending? Yes and no. Regardless, the story grabs the reader and won't let go.

Enjoyed the journey, but not the destination
Written in the voice of a famous novelist's wife, this recounts the life of a woman who buries her talents under mounds of housewifely duties. Finally, unable to bear the brunt of a secret (revealed at the end of the book), she decided to leave her husband at the apex of his recognition.

Her flat narrative tinged with a bitter wit, bespeaks a sharp and observant mind. She recalls the struggle in the early women's lib days, of bright women to be heard and taken seriously. She also brings across the exhaustion of raising and tending to a family, and the toll it takes on one's creative spirit.

The end came too abruptly for me. I felt that the narrative could have been fleshed out a bit more. Or was the author trying to convey the "last straw" mindset of her protagonist? ... Read more

Isbn: 0684869403
Sales Rank: 97900
Subjects:  1. Authors' spouses    2. Authorship    3. Collaboration    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. General    7. Literary    8. Married women    9. Fiction / General