Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Long distance relationships    5. Soldiers    6. Fiction / General   

Reviews (21)

He doesn't deserve that Nobel.... It was a political decision!
He doesn't deserve that Nobel.... It was a political decision!

Roller Coaster Ride

A river through time
Pamuk spans the distances of time and memory in this novel as he searches for the meaning of the melancholy, or huzun as he calls it, of the city of Instanbul.Born into a wealthy Turkish family, Pamuk slowly watches his family's fortune dissolve in the hands of his father.He recounts his memories as his family moves from one quarter to another, interspersing personal accounts with various literary observations.Through it all we experience the uneasy balance between Islamic and Western forces that have shaped the city over the centuries.He explores through the writings of Europeans, how foreigners perceive the city, and how Turkish writers have attempted to respond to these views.Pamuk has such an elegant way of writing, with many undercurrents, like the Bosphorus which he so much loves.I particularly liked his literary chapters, like that of the four melancholy writers of Istanbul, and their attempts to forge an identity for the city.These attempts may have fallen short of their grand expectations, but the books became treasures, and helped to define modern Turkish writing.There are also his amusing observations on Flaubert, Nerval and other French writers and painters, who became absorbed in the city and to whom he felt modern Turkish writing owes a substantial debt.While Pamuk tries to escape this melancholy in his painting, ultimately finding a muse on which to hang all his hopes, he can never fully escape it, as he too becomes absorbed in this great city, which proves to be his literary release. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Description And Travel    4. Essays & Travelogues    5. Europe - Baltic States    6. Literary    7. Middle East - Turkey    8. Travel - General    9. Turkish (Language) Contemporary Fiction    10. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Reviews (32)

This is a story about nothing.
Every year or so,a news anchor or politician inadvertantly swears while their microphone is on, unbeknownst to them.It's in the papers in the gossip section for a few days, and it's laughed about on TV, but how can that little gaffe produce enough material to write a book about?This book gives the answer: It can't.

Rise and Shine
It seems pathetic to me that once a mediocre author has a hit, they become a commercial sucess and churn out books just to satisfy their publisher.In short, this book started out with a fair amount of interest and deteriorated into a heap of unravaled garbage.At the 1/2 way point, it was so boring and stupid, I quit.
I couldn't finish this boring, poorly written and researched book
I'm baffled by the praise for this book.I was bored from the very beginning, read about 1/3 and am returning it to the library today.I've always enjoyed her columns but something is lacking here.For one, I kept finding errors as one reviewer mentioned.For example, there is no surf in Long Island Sound.Ikept thinking as I read this book, "Who cares?" ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Sisters    5. Women journalists    6. Women social workers    7. Fiction / General   

Reviews (34)

A ten-star book
With all the drivel around today (i.e. March by Geraldine Brooks) winning prizes, I was thrilled to read The Emperor's Children. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, loved the language, didn't always like the characters, but they were human and thus flawed.
Deja Puke
Hmmm...where have I seen this plot before?
Don't waste your time.
Brutle, run on sentences, no plot, characters you care nothing for - these reviews make better reading than the book - so i would keep your money or spend it on another book or buy the book for someone you dislike-unless you like rereading the same sentence again and again because it is so long you forgot what you were reading at the beginning of the sentence twelve lines back. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Contemporary Fiction - Individual Authors +    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Literary    5. Love stories    6. New York (N.Y.)    7. Fiction / Literary   

Reviews (18)

A fading voice
Unfortunately the Sid Halley of old did not appear on a single page of Under Orders.The edgy, brilliant jockey-turned-investigator has turned into a boring, spectacularly non-verbal character who tells us things the Sid Halley of the earlier books would have ridiculed.For example, he describes for us his evening meal in long-winded, elementary school level prose.This may just be the natural end foretold in the previous books: over time the books became blander and sometimes boring.
Great to have Francis back
It is great to have Dick Francis (and Sid Halley) back. Unlike other reviewers, I think it is obvious that the person who wrote this DID write the other Francis (and Halley) books.

Sadly disapointing
I was so looking forward to a new Sid Halley story.What a disapointment.Who wrote this mess?It doesn't have the tone of the author's previous books.The same characters are back but with totally different personalities. Their behaviours and dialogs just do not mesh with the earlier Sid Halley stories.Is Mr. Francis past his writing prime or did his late wife write the earlier books?I suggest taking this out of the library instead of purchasing it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. England    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Francis, Dick - Prose & Criticism    5. Halley, Sid (Fictitious character)    6. Horse racing    7. Mystery & Detective - General    8. Private investigators    9. Suspense    10. Thrillers    11. Fiction / Thrillers   

Reviews (645)

I actually liked the ending
My book club picked this book, and as each of the other members finished the book, they reported to me how much I was going to hate the ending (I'm sort of known in my book club for hating the endings of books).As I got further and further into the story, which is poignantly written, I saw no good outcome for the ending.Maybe I was so focused on the obvious endings - without giving anything away - whether Anna would win or lose the lawsuit and what the possible outcomes of each were, but I didn't think the ending was at all predictable, sappy, or "Lifetime" like.I really think this was the only way to end the book without being sappy or predictable.
Oh, if she'd only stopped twenty pages before it actually ended.
Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper (Washington Square Press, 2004)
Heartbreaking story!
This is a wonderful story of love.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Literary    5. Fiction / General   

Reviews (15)

Superior LeCarre and a superior novel
For most long-time LeCarre fans, the question is not "should I buy this one" but rather how does it rate with his other works.Happily, this continues his strong recent showing and return to form in "The Constant Gardener" and "Absolute Friends."While "The Constant Gardener" had a compelling plot and "Absolute Friends" was perhaps stronger on characterization, "The Mission Song" manages to do well in both categories.Although both "Gardener" and "Friends" had their critics, I found LeCarre's new-found political commitments providing a logical and compelling direction for his fiction in the post-Cold-War era. Not all readers will agree, of course, depending probably largely on their own political views, but there seemed to be a loss of direction in the middle works such as "The Little Drummer Girl" and "Russia House." But it seems as if the current rancid state of world affairs, brought about largely by the lunatics in charge of this country and their UK facilitators, has energized LeCarre and prompted some of his best novels since the early classics.
Naive hero fails to convince
The orphaned love child of a Catholic missionary priest and a Congolese woman, the narrator of Le Carre's 20th book, Bruno Salvador (Salvo), grew up resourceful and compliant in Congo's Catholic missions. Rejected by both white and black classmates, sexually abused by the priests, he seeks refuge in the servants' quarters where he listens spellbound to their tales and absorbs their tribal languages.
Bravo! Le Carre
Not since The Tailor of Panama has Mr. Le Carre depicted his characters with such bravura!A timely piece of work with all, and I mean all, of Le Carre's trademark intrigue and humour.Loved it and recommend it highly to anyone that enjoys an excellent read.Boy, does he use the language in a superior way.A joy to behold! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Espionage/Intrigue    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    4. Intelligence officers    5. Le Carre, John - Prose & Criticism    6. Thrillers    7. World politics    8. Fiction / General   

Reviews (40)

The Ultimate Gift
This is a book that easy to read and comprehend for most teens as well as adults.Its teachings are powerful.Each chapter would make an excellent topic for discussion and tasks to implement the teachings into the lives of the readers. It should be a mandatory reading and a discussion topic in high schools through out our Nation.I enjoyed the book immensely and recommend it highly.

A Great Book to Wrestle Through
The Ultimate Gift is a short, quick read but gives you a little something extra to think about other than the story at hand. Stovall wrote the story about a young man who wants a part of his grandfather's will. At the begginning of the book, the young man is angry that he didn't receive money or other material items like his relatives did. But his grandfather has other plans for the young man and wants to give him the "Ultimate Gift."
Inspirational (but not religious)
I agree with the other reviewers -- this is a powerful inspirational story.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Religious    3. Great-uncles    4. Inheritance and succession    5. Religious - General    6. Travelers   

Reviews (61)

Troubling
In STORM the Germans are an impersonal calamity, like Katrina.We see French of every class and sort scatter like ants whose anthill has just been stepped on. There's good sardonic social observation here and I'm afraid it's probably accurate.But as a reader you sit and feel rather smug at the spectacle.In DOLCE we meet the German occupiers. They are not the evil Huns we have met hundreds of times in the war movies. They have names, faces and, be it confessed, impeccable behavior.(The irony of what was in store for the author is heavy here.) But the troubling part is how naturally so many of the French in this particular village fall into the routine of collaboration.Without judging or condemning, Nemirovsky shows us how it must have happened.The scenes are so vivid here you can't help placing yourself there, and wondering if you would have been a whit more heroic. Or, for that matter, if you had been one of the Germans, would you have been much different than they? Be honest.
How it was possible
Reading these two novellas was, for me, like standing for hours, looking at painting after painting by a great artist.For every page, every chapter was filled with amazing colorful details; the details that make up the lives of those populating these novellas--lives torn apart by the terrible earthquake that results from a defeat.
Novel of the year
Storm in June is the best book I've read since Vikram Seth's An Equal Music.The second part of Suite Francaise is good, but Storm in June is a gem everyone will love.I didn't expect to laugh out loud with the Nazi's at the door.Happy reading.I'm wondering when Nemirovsky's earlier novels will be translated into English. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. France    4. French Novel And Short Story    5. German occupation, 1940-1945    6. Historical - General    7. History    8. Literary    9. World War, 1939-1945    10. Fiction / Literary   

Reviews (64)

As informative and insightful as his TV show!
Olbermann - whose journalistic work could prove him to be this century's Edward R. Murrow - has written a fine alternative to Bernie Goldberg's "100 People Who Are Screwing Up America" that's far more witty and not nearly as one-sided...for those who deride him as another lackey of the "liberal media", I suggest you take a look back @ his coverage of Lewinskygate during the Clinton administration.
Bill O'Reilly wannabe
Give me a break. . . People you have got to be more intelligent than this.All this guy does is essentially ride Bill O'Reilly's coat tails.He's looked at what Mr. O'Reilly has done with his career, realized that he is not even CLOSE to being able to beat him at his own game, so he becomes the "anti-O'Reilly" wow - what a novel (and idiotic) concept.Keith Olbermann is a Bill O'Reilly wannabe - and can't even come close to measuring up.I thought this book was more of a typical liberal whining session.BORING and TERRIBLY PREDICTABLE!!Don't waste your money on this one. . . go check your neighbor's trash dumpster for a copy.

Great book coffee table book
While this book does not look like the typical coffee table book (no pictures) it is a great book to keep somewhere handy for those moments when you have a little time to kill.The stories are incredibly funny and enjoyable, and don't take very long to read at all.While all of them appeared on tv during Keith O's show, the ones I remembered were still funny the second time.Love his show, and love his book!
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Subjects:  1. American Satire And Humor    2. Celebrities    3. Conduct of life    4. History & Theory - General    5. Humor    6. Miscellanea    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Topic - Political    9. United States    10. Political Science / General   

Reviews (10)

Not Fiction
This is a wonderful book as most everyone states, but it is not fiction. Meg Tilly has recently admitted that this is a true account of her childhood. Keep that in mind as you read...

Meg Tilly is a fabulous writer!
I read the original edition of Ms. Tilly's debut novel about 2 years ago and greatly enjoyed it. She reminds me of Dorothy Allison in a lot of ways -- similar subject matter, similar compelling story, you can't put it down, despite the horrors these abused children endure at the hands of their mother and stepfather, along with his sons. I re-read Singing Songs recently -- I got my grubby little hands on an advance reader's copy of the new edition of Singing Songs being reissued this fall by Syren Book Company, at the same time the publisher is releasing Gemma, Ms. Tilly's second novel. This new edition is BRILLIANT! Ms. Tilly wrote a foreword to the new edition that will KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF! As will the new cover art. All I can say about the new cover of Singing Songs is: a picture is worth a thousand words. Ms. Tilly's decision not to make any more movies may be film buffs' loss -- but the fact that she's writing fiction is book readers' gain.

This book was wonderful read
I loved Singing Songs and think Meg Tilly is as talented a writer as she is an actress. She reminds me of Dorothy Allison or even Alice Sebold. She is able to write about these incredibly painful things in such a way as to completely draw the reader in to her world and care about the characters.Wow. I hope to see more novels from Meg Tilly. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (1561)

The classic classic... that I still don't get why it's one.
This is another of those books that everyone tells you how wonderful and incredible it is. I read it, and... okay. It's a book. And a not-bad one at that. But is it amazing? Is it the greatest, most thought-provoking book of all times? Is it truly just overrated?
"It's a great book....."

A Classic Can Be Interesting
Scout Finch is a girl that wants to be just like her father, even though the rest of the world wants to see her as a young lady. She worries that when she's away, Calpurnia, her cook and friend, will not have anything to do. She is also very protective of her family, especially her father Atticus.
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Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Fathers and daughters    3. Fiction    4. Girls    5. Legal    6. Literature - Classics / Criticism    7. Literature: Classics    8. Race relations    9. Trials (Rape)    10. Fiction / Classics   

Editorial Review

Yann Martel's imaginative and unforgettable Read more

Reviews (1619)

Great for discussion!
Although I had a bit of trouble getting into the first 3rd of this remarkable novel, my persistence was rewarded with an incredible book, which leaves so much open to interpretation and discussion.The story of a boy who is shipwrecked, and forced to live on a lifeboat with a tiger for months, it is also the story of our world, our lives and our families.One can't help but wonder about the nature of truth and meaning of our coexistence.In short, it's an impressively rich and meaningful literary journey.Well worth your time.

SPIRITUALLY INSPIRING AND AN INTRIGUING JOURNEY
The Life of Pi is actually a book in two parts. The first half is based primarily on Piscine (Pi) Patel's exploration of three very different religions - Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, as well as his family's ownership of a zoo. The second half of the book is the story of Pi's journey by barge to Canada. The boat sinks leaving Pi, a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra and Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, adrift at sea in a life boat.
Life of Pi Book Review
The Life of PI was a very interesting book about a very religious boy named Pi. By very religious I mean he took up Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity. Just for the record Pi lives in India where these are common religions. In india Pi lives with his mother, father and brother.
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Literary    5. Psychological    6. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure    7. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (11)

Like taking a class with the author
In her book Reading Like a Writer Francine Prose, herself the author of some 14 novels as well as other works of nonfiction, advocates "close reading"--reading fiction "word by word, sentence by sentence, pondering each deceptively minor decision that the writer has made"--both as a means of appreciating literature and as a practical aid in writing one's own prose. After introducing her method in chapter one, Prose spends the next eight chapters showing us how it's done, focusing initially on individual words, then sentences, and broadening her focus eventually to consider characters and dialogue and narration.
One of the two or three best books on writing I've encountered
Ms Prose takes seriously the idea that one learns to write by studying models of good writing, what she calls "close reading." She examines different features of classic fiction, most of it from the 19th century, but some of it contemporary, and analyzes specimens of solid craftsmanship.
"Putting every word on trial for its life."
Francine Prose, in "Reading Like a Writer," argues that creative writing cannot be taught in a classroom.A workshop may provide valuable encouragement and support for a fledgling writer, and a good instructor may show a novice how to edit his work more effectively.However, a writer learns his craft by reading and rereading the books, novels, plays, and short stories of great writers, and he improves his skills through practice.Prose recommends studying "meter with Ovid, plot construction with Homer, comedy with Aristophanes."She backs up her thesis by giving a host of examples from writers she admires, such as Austen, Hemingway, Joyce, Chekhov, and others who are a bit more obscure.
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Subjects:  1. Authors    2. Books & Reading    3. Books And Reading    4. Composition & Creative Writing - General    5. Creative Writing    6. English language    7. General    8. Literary Criticism    9. Literature - Classics / Criticism    10. Rhetoric    11. Literary Criticism & Collections / General   

Reviews (285)

Back On Her Game
After a disappointing 11th book, Janet seems back on her game, maybe taking it to another level with TWELVE SHARP. This one is about Ranger, who it turns out has been married and has a daughter. The daughter has been kidnapped, and it appears she was kidnapped by Ranger. But looks can be deceiving, and it's Stephanie to the rescue.
The Love Triangle HAS to go.
I read all of the Stephanie Plum novels in a month and cannot wait book 13 (which I would love to be named Lucky 13)!The Ranger, Stephanie, Morelli trianlge is KILLING me!
Twelve Sharp
I really, really, really love the Stephanie Plum series. And I love Janet's other series as well. I really disliked this book. I felt the whole time I was reading it that Janet is just pushing out another book because we fans are waiting for more.
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Subjects:  1. Bail bond agents    2. Bounty hunters    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    6. Mystery/Suspense    7. New Jersey    8. Plum, Stephanie (Fictitious character)    9. Trenton    10. Fiction / General   

Reviews (62)

Patterson is great
James Patterson and Andrew Gross have another great novel in Judge and Jury, along with a previous combined effort, Lifeguard.

Loved the ending
I read all of Patterson's books--even those he co-writes which perhaps means he's not the writer. But I enjoy most of them for what they are--fun to read. And in this one, I loved the ending. It made me smile. And to me, that helps to make it a good book and a fun story.
buy it at a garage sale
James patterson aka whoever he is writing with at the moment has totally lost it... shallow plot, no in depth characters, really not much of a story. i didnt want to buy it but my neighbor insisted. it was her first patterson novel.. anyway, he is laughing all the way to the bank.. bad book.i didnt even finish the first 100 pages, thank goodness Target takes back books or i would be out 20.00. thank you . lisa baker. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    3. Legal    4. Mafia    5. Mafia trials    6. New York    7. New York (State)    8. Organized crime    9. Thrillers    10. Fiction / General    11. Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural    12. Psychological    13. Suspense    14. African American police    15. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction   

Reviews (7)

A refreshing change
I have all but given up on the so called "Vampire Hunter" books (there is no hunting only sex), but this book was why I first started reading her work in the first place.She can weave a great story, and leave the reader on the edge of their seat waiting for more.Everyone changes as time goes on, and I can appreciate that but they say when you are lost look to your roots.Maybe there is hope for Anita yet.No sex, just wonderful short stories that prove Hamilton can do it.

OMG
Ouch.This was pretty painful.Oh, Goddess; where to start?Okay, first:If you are totally stoked about the December release of Mistral's Kiss, DO NOT read this book.Most especially, do not read the introductions - at least not if you'd like to continue to think of Laurell Hamilton as a nice person.I was totally stoked about the December release of Mistral's Kiss, and now I'm wondering if I will read any more Hamilton ever.
See?
She can write and excellent story (stories) without burying it in endless creative sex. These stories are a collection of various places in her very creative worlds. No Merry Gentry story but two Anita stories an early one and a more evolved later one. And some stories from the world of Nightseer. Ms Hamilton has a very good grasp of how short stories work and an excellent ability to make them pop. The pacing is totally different. The difference between a sketch and a painting. She does it well. Now if we could just get her to do this with the Anita novels: more story, less paint. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Erotic fiction    2. Fantasy - General    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Fantasy    5. General    6. Occult fiction    7. Short Stories (single author)    8. Supernatural    9. Fiction / General   

Reviews (9)

Legal thriller set in Rome
Imperium tells the story of the adult life of Cicero as seen through the eyes of his faithful slave Tiro. At first I found this story pretty boring. Cicero is sort of a dull character, and for a story set in Ancient rome there wasn't a lot of 'color.' After a while though, the book really began to hook me. The narrator does an excellent job of pulling you into the story, especially the legal details.
Good for the history, but a little flat on the story
I enjoy Harris's wor