Reviews (55)

Efron Is Real
As a university professor originally from New York City and definitely past the "baby Boomer" stage, I still found time to read Nora's essays and thoroughly enjoyed them."Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail," are not "Hilarious" as so many people expect, but rather poignant portrayals of real-life human dilemmas presented in a lighter voice.Nora has been the one who can capture the rare moment within the chaos of reality, and her essays in the "neck" book do just that. This was obviously not meant to be the "book of the year," but a snapshot of the woman behind the captivating novels and films.The essays allow us to see that, she too, is aging with the rest of us, and it comes on all so quickly.I plan on gifting this book for the holidays, along with Gangi's "Forget The Cures, Find The Cause," and "Crazy Salad."The combination will help to get many minds and bodies on a better track.

A disappointment
I ran to get a copy of Nora Ephron's newest book, as I always liked her work. I'm glad I didn't spend the money, and instead got it from the library. I expected a very funny book that would be filled with wisdom and wit. Instead I found a slightly funny book that lacked originality and really had nothing to say. It would be too harsh to call it self-indulgent, but in a way it was. So she had a rent-controlled apartment that she loved, so parenting has changed,and so she has to dye her hair (often). Yawn yawn.
Women (and men) Will Love This Book
I was one of the 5 women in Azzarella's car going to Rayna Gangi's book signing(another great book, by the way) and all of us are at least over 50.Nora, the Golden Girls, even Oprah, will love these stories. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aging    2. American Satire And Humor    3. Form - Essays    4. Humor    5. Women's Studies - General    6. Humor / Essays   

Reviews (12)

To Be Or Not To Be, That Is The Problem.
To Each His Own, But To Deface History in This Way.
Horrible
After reading Inheritance of Loss, I immediately turn to read Salman Rusdie as a way of reminding myself what great Indain writing is.
Ambitious but Satisfying
Cho Oyu, a crumbling old house in the foothills of the Himalayas is home to the main characters of Kiran Desai's Booker shortlisted The Inheritance of Loss.
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Subjects:  1. Asian American Novel And Short Story    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Literary    5. Popular American Fiction    6. Fiction / Literary   

Reviews (66)

World War Z Makes This Reader Want MORE
Max Brooks' shamblingly good World War Z made this zombie-genre-fan want more, more, more. This "oral history" chronicles the stories of many who fought in and survived the zombie wars. If any one of their stories were expanded into a full-length novel, I would snap it up. I'm sure he's already been asked, but I must add my voice to the clamor: Please, Max Brooks, if youhave a third zombie book in you, write one that follows a protagonist from start to finish so we can go even further into the scary, creepy, wonderful world you've created.
A cut above genre
Zombies as a genre fit overwhelmingly into a visual medium, and there have been quite a few great zombie movies, "Night of the Living Dead", "Sean of the Dead", "28 Days Later",as well as some fun zombie graphic novels, "Marvel Zombies".Zombies are simple creatures that translate well to visuals with their sole moviation of kill, eat and infect. In "World War Z" Max Brooks takes on the zombie genre in the form of an intelligent oral history from the survivors of the global epidemic. Each chapter is the story told from a different survivor and organized chronologically from the start of the infections in China, throught the rise of zombies globally, the human resistance, and eventual human triumph. How do you translate the zombie genre from their success in the visual mediums into prose form? Mr. Brooks does exceedingly well by telling the human side of the horror story.
Worthy Read for Zombie Lovers
A fun read that has a bit of difficulty maintaining a tone. Is this serious, sometimes its very serious, at others a bit comicbooky - as the narrative of war against the undead unfolds we have some rather uneven snap shots - but the highs definitely outweigh the lows. Recommend reading for Zombie or survival fiction enthusiasts. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Satire And Humor    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Men'sAdventure    4. Humor    5. Humorous    6. War    7. War & Military    8. Fiction / General   

Reviews (166)

Absolutely Fascinating!
I was hooked after reading only the first line!What a wonderful picture of Life in 19th Century China.Gloriously written.I've not read anything by Ms. Lee before, but I'm definitely going to explore some of her other books!

Touching and informative
The setting of this book is 19th. century China, a time when men's and women's roles are rigidly defined by age-old customs and rules.The two main characters are Lily, the narrator, and Snow Flower, her "laotong", who are bound together by contract and by love developed through many shared experiences.They are closer than husband and wife, or parent and child and they give one another much-needed love and support in a society where they are women and therefore useless for anything other than producing sons.Lisa See reveals details about many practices of the day, including foot-binding and nu shu, a specialized "women's writing" which is used by Lily and Snow Flower to communicate.They write hearfelt messages to one another on a fan, which becomes a chronicle of their intertwined lives and their most priceless possession.This is a fascinating look at what life was like for Chinese women in the 19th. century, and on another level it is a timeless lesson on the necessary components for a successful friendship between women.I highly recommend this book.

Intriguing Look into A Different World
What I thoroughly enjoyed about Snow Flower and the Secret Fan was becoming engrossed in the time period of the novel, learning about a culture I knew little about, and coming to understand the role of women in the Chinese society of the day. The friendship between Snow Flower and Lily was very well drawn, but the relationships between all of the female characters in the book was intriguing. This novel proved to be an excellent choice for my women's book club! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asian American Novel And Short Story    2. China    3. Female friendship    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. Fiction - Historical    7. General    8. Historical - General    9. Popular American Fiction    10. Psychological    11. Reminiscing in old age    12. Women    13. Fiction / General   

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   

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   

Reviews (7)

Other than Kenyon, awful compilation
I didn't like one story in this book other than Kenyon's, and even that wasn't her best.The book was actually so bad that I resent the money I paid for it.And to add insult to injury, the other book I bought that was a compilation including Kenyon was even WORSE.Just a total waste of money.Two of the stories are written in the first person -- and come on, are you a 12 year old writing a story for composition class? -- and all of them are hokey and, to be blunt, lame.

severely disappointed
Severely disappointed is the only way to describe my reaction to this anthology.I ran right out to buy this book because of all the positive reviews.Save your money and buy it used.

Some are silver and the others gold, but all GREAT!
To say that I was looking forward to this book for the authors that I already know and love is an understatement.I couldn't wait to read L.A. Banks' story and Sherilyn Kenyon's.However, I have to say that I not only enjoyed the stories from the authors that I am already familiar with and love, but I enjoyed the stories from the authors who were previously unknown to me as well.What a great introduction to something new!I am definitely going to be broadening my book collection with some new authors and of course will continue on with the ones I love and know already.This was a book filled with interesting, romantic and exciting tales and I would recommend it to anyone.KUDOS to these writers for a capital accomplishment.
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Subjects:  1. Fantasy    2. Fantasy - General    3. Fantasy - Short Stories    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Fantasy    6. Horror tales, American    7. Occult    8. Weddings    9. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (1150)

The politically correct shall inherit the earth
Mr. Bradbury's prophetic work has come to pass in the politically correct world of thought controlled by political expediency and special interests.
Thought provoking, but not amazing
What made me pick up this book in the first place was everyone's fixation on how "thought-provoking" and "different" it was. I read it, and found myself agreeing with some aspects, confused by others, and downright bored by some.
read me
Fahrenheit 451 is a read rich with a delicious story and social commentary.Guy Montag lives in a world made ironic because of the stark contrast to the way we wish our society was today.Firemen don't keep people safe from fires, they bust into houses starting fires.Scholars and professors live on the outside of society because of their love for books, philosophy, and sociology where in our world professors are on the inside and the ignorant majority are on the outside because of their lack of interest for the said disciplines.
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Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Literature - Classics / Criticism    3. Science Fiction    4. Science Fiction - General    5. Book burning    6. Censorship    7. Fantasy    8. Fiction    9. Fiction / Science Fiction / General    10. Science fiction, American   

Reviews (33)

You're kidding me, right?
Not insightful, not even humorous. I am willing to admit that maybe I just don't get his writing style, whatever that might be. I hope Mr. Rakoff gets into a new line of work

Well Written, but Non-Productive
This is some brilliant writing.It moves right along, it keeps you interested, and it has a very clear voice and strong point of view.I defintely think it's worth reading, but it's like a bucket of KFC -- delicious, satisfying, but probably bad for you.

ShoppersParadise
If you're like a man like me, you hate to shop. But my wife is a shopaholic, that's why I've found this book to be so delightful, I didn't actually have to leave the house, to go shopping. Too bad it doesn't really count with my wife, I'm going to the mall where I'll sit on anything stationary this afternoon
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Subjects:  1. American - General    2. American Satire And Humor    3. Essays    4. Form - Essays    5. Humor    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. Social Science / Essays   

Editorial Review

Since his debut in 1951 as Read more

Features

• Unabridged

Reviews (2665)

Nothing incredible
This book rather disappointed me. It wasn't able to catch my attention, and didn't really have a point. There wasn't really a plot, and the character was a rather flat, bland young man. The writing style was interesting, certainly, but it got extremely annoying and repetitive after a while. Too many things were used again and again, which didn't help this story one bit.
American Classic
This coming of age story should be read by everyone. However, smart young people will gain more from it than less observant (or more stupid) young people. Take the test, if you like the book, then chances are you are smart. If you didn't like the book, or you didn't read the book, then you are probably stupid.

"...incredibly attractive breakdown."
Some people really hate this book -- I can see why you think Holden is irritating, but...it's not that he's right about things, or that you're meant to think he's right. Or that you should even BELIEVE half the things he says. He's not going to come out and say,
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Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Fiction    3. Literature - Classics / Criticism    4. Literature: Classics    5. Fiction / Classics    6. Modern fiction   

Reviews (16)

A real disappointment
If these stories were by some unknown writer, they would have been boring and dull.But from Jennifer Weiner, they are a real disappointment.I can't imagine this book would have been published but for the fact that it was an automatic "sell" to Weiner fans.
Stinker!Big disappointment!Save your money!
Her other two books were awesome so I expected the same out of this one but was sorely disappointed.I kept slogging through the short stories expecting them to be connected in some way but alas, I was wrong.The entire book is a series of short stories that go nowhere.They're not connected with at all.I'm left totally unsatisfied.
Gloomy & Boring
Jennifer Weiner is such a good writer; if only she could get past her neuroses! Enough with divorce, enough with overweight women! Many of these stories made me uncomfortable or turned me off altogether. There was a reason why various publications rejected these stories way back when, and so should have her current publisher. Ms. Weiner needs to break from the advice of many a writing teacher, i.e., write what you know. Explore new situations, new emotions, and include some happy endings! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Popular American Fiction    5. Short Stories (single author)    6. Single women    7. Fiction / Literary   

Reviews (32)

Now that's what I'm talking about!
The only bad part about this book is it had to end! Red was conniving and dirty as they come in this scandalous tale of deceit and consequences. The narration really exemplified the story. It was almost like a good friend was giving you the scoop on what was going down. This wasn't your typical ghetto street saga either because the author has substance. She knows how to grab your attention and keep it. Based on the wild ending, I know a sequel will be hitting shelves in due time. Hopefully the wait won't be too long!^5.

Can't put it down...
I sometimes read urban books since I can relate a lot, and this was a fast read! Red was pathetic...if she'd been a go getter with some scruples I'd have liked her better....

So Dirty...So So Dirty
The title of this book definitly described who Red really is.I read this book in one day and was nowhere near being disappointed.Red did so many people "dirty" that there has to be a sequel to this, just to see what happens next.I don't want to sit here and give away any details, but I am sure that you will all agree with me that this book is (1) off the hook and (2) there needs to be a sequel.I mean it is only right!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. African American Novel And Short Story    2. African American women    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. General    6. Love stories    7. Popular American Fiction    8. Romance - General    9. Romance: Modern    10. Fiction / General   

Reviews (1032)

White and Nerdy
I think "Of Mice and Men" was an good book.It had some good parts in the book along with some bad parts in there. I thought that the book taught a good story of people living a different life.Then also it was a sort of racial and had a lot of cursing in it.I think that older people should read this book and not young kids.

Of Mice and Men. Breaz*Plum, Student at Maces Lane Middle School.
The book, "Of Mice And Men," is one of the best books I have ever read. It is about two men, Lennie and George. They ran away from thier old ranch, Weed because Lennie is mentally retarded and he grabbed a ladies dress because he likes soft things. He got accused of rape. Later, they found a ranch in Salinas, California. Many events occured at this ranch, Lennie got in a fight with curly. Curly is a little man unlike Lennie and he is jealous of big men. You will have to read the story to find out the best ending. If you like breathtaking, loving, but yet harmful books you should read this book.

Great Book!C.L.M. Student at Mace's Lane Middle School
The book "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck, has a very good plot and good setting. The setting of the book is in Salinas,California. The two characters Lennie and George are two people who have travelled together ever since Lennie was on his own. They have gotten all of their jobs together, and they have gotten fired together. Then they finally get a job as ranch hands and they get paid fifty dollars at the end of each month. While the two are there they meet seven more people, but I will let you figure them out for yourself.
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Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Fiction    3. Literature - Classics / Criticism    4. Literature: Classics    5. Fiction / Literary   

Reviews (567)

The House on Mango Street
The House on Mango Street is a story of Esperanza Cordero.Esperanza is sharing her life in a poetic form.She writes poems to describe her life on Mango Street.She is embarrassed to point and say, "That's my house."Her mama says, "It's for the time being," papa says, "its temporary."Esperanza shares her stories of love, friendship, and the trail of life.Esperanza's friend Sally gets into lots of trouble with boys and her papa doesn't tolerate this.Working at such a young age isn't very easy, but papa doesn't want Esperanza to go to public school, he believes you'll turn out bad.Living in the ghetto of Chicago can get difficult sometimes in ways that can just confuse you, like your friend getting married when she hasn't even reached eighth grade.Sandra Cisneros will share Esperanza's feelings and descriptions about neighbors and family great.Boys, where should we start?To Esperanza, they live in separate worlds, you can really only rely on your true friends.In the end, all these moments of feelings only equal one word, Life.
this book is so weird
this books chapter titles were random as hell and so was the book. its so weird.there is no plot whatsoever. i hated it, don't buy it cuz it sucks major balls.

For ESL students
I teach a beginner writing course for ESL students preparing for college, and we use this book to help students develop that all-important voice. The stories are simple but full of feeling, and resonate deeply with my mostly Latino students. Yes, there are incomplete sentences and words that don't belong in academic writing, but I find my students understand the concept of personal vs. academic writing, and can enjoy the book on its own terms. In addition, it could easily form the basis of a reading course for students once they are beyond the very early stages of learning English. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bildungsromane    2. Chicago (Ill.)    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. General    6. Girls    7. Literary    8. Mexican Americans    9. Popular American Fiction    10. Research And Report Writing    11. Fiction / Literary    12. Modern fiction   

Editorial Review

This landmark book is a loosely fictionalized account of Governor Huey Long of Louisiana, one of the nation's most astounding politicians. Read more

Reviews (144)

Southern Storytelling
The author has a way of weaving seemingly far-flung stories into the backbone of this story.If you're used to that sort of thing, you'll be in heaven.If you're not, hang in & go with the flow -- RPW writes as theough he swallowed a dictionary and the complete works of William Faulkner, but before you know it, you'll get into the mental rhythm and you'll feel as though you're in a rocking chair on a hot summer day, drinking sweet tea from a Mason jar and listening to the cicadas.
False Advertising, Blatantly Unethical
Yes, All the King's Men is one of the 5 greatest American novels, for all the reasons people here cite, and more.
A great American classic
If you are looking for a great example of American literature you can't do much better than Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize winning classic "All the King's Men". It ranks up there with Mark Twain, Herman Melville, Harper Lee, Truman Capote and all of the other greats. "All the King's Men" is a quintessentially American tale of politics, greed, corruption, idealism, friendship, betrayal, family, and just a touch of romance (but not too much -- this is, after all, a very masculine-centered novel). It is a sprawling tale of the political career of Willie Stark and his journey from the innocent do-gooder "Cousin Willie" to the jaded, corrupt "Boss" who governs the state of Louisiana with an iron fist. After a failed bid for governor where the idealistic young Stark is used as a pawn by one of the other candidates to siphon votes away from his competitor, Stark is crushed and left feeling like a sap. But he comes back and runs again with a new political attitude -- determined that if winning means playing the game that from now on he will outplay everyone else. And he does it, too, maneuvering and bribing and blackmailing his way to the top like a well oiled machine. When he sets his eyes on the Senate, however, his odyssey begins to spin into tragedy. His transformation is narrated by Jack Burden, a reporter who first met Stark when he was toiling thanklessly as county treasurer and later gets a job in his administration at the capital. Burden was, perhaps, once an idealist too but now stumbles cynically through life all too aware of the foibles inherent to human beings (his name, Burden, is quite apt for this position in which he must live). His struggle asks some meaty philosophical questions (can good exist without evil? Is it necessary to do bad things in order to have a good outcome, and is such a thing possible? and more) and thankfully doesn't get too bogged down moralizing the reader (although Warren does dangerously toe the line in a few parts). Reading this book was unique for me because I found myself unable to read it without a pen in hand so I could underline passages and write notes and reactions in the margins of the pages -- agreeing and disagreeing with what was being said. That was great fun, and it was a thrill to feel so involved in a book to be doing that. I do have a few minor complaints, however. I thought that Warren's chronology was slightly jarring as it went back and forth through time and took long detours to get to the point, but since those detours were usually filled with some meaty themes of their own I can forgive them. I thought that Warren's proclivity for repetition got annoying by the end of the book (hitting it zenith when Anne Stanton proclaimed in one flashback "Oh, Jackie, Jackie, it's a wonderful night, it's a wonderful night, it's a wonderful night, say it's a wonderful night, Jackie-boy, say it, say it!" on page 425), but since this is only really present in the dialogue -- and mostly in Anne's dialogue at that -- I can forgive this too. I also took offense to Warren's portrayal of women as either manipulative or wishy-washy but always responsible for the downfalls or travails of men. That's a tough one to get by, but since he can be equally critical of men for their own corruptions and failings I guess I won't let it bother me too much. It's very much a product of the time it was written and of the setting it depicts, and you can't necessarily fault it for that. At any rate, on the whole I would definitely recommend this classic. I don't know how either of the film adaptations compare, but I can't imagine that they could accurately capture the scale of Warren's epic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Fiction    3. Literary    4. Literature - Classics / Criticism    5. Political    6. Political fiction    7. Politicians    8. Southern States    9. Juvenile Fiction / Classics    10. Modern fiction   

Reviews (108)

One of the better books I've read
The first 7 chapters of "The Great Gatsby", by F. Scott Fitzgerald, were 7 of the most entertaining and interesting chapters of literature I've ever read. The last 2 chapters were among the most lackluster and anti-climatic chapters of literature I've ever read.
Revealing the ugly side of the American Dream
+++++
Easy Read
The story was interesting, but not spellbinding.It is a short, easy read.Not sure why it is considered a classic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Fiction    3. General    4. Literature - Classics / Criticism    5. Fiction / General   

Reviews (170)

I Hope You Don't Need to Eat or Sleep...
...because you won't, when you take up this engaging and delightful novel.I found it so difficult to believe it wasn't a true story that I turned to the introduction and read it again and again--trying to concentrate on what the author plainly tells us is complete fiction.How could it be?May Dodd was the most real person I've ever known!I was riveted by the (very accurate) portrayal of the historic events; entwined masterfully as they were with this wonderful tale--therefore making the story so hard to deny as truth.As it concerns the Plains Indians, you can bet it does not have the bodice-ripper "fairy-tale ending".However, the culmination of the story was so poignant and moving that you could scarcely mourn, only sigh with deep satisfaction. And THEN you will mourn, that it was not twice as long!Do not plan to stop reading this book until you finish it--it will take most readers about six hours.Plan on it.

A Mixed Medicine Bag(Beware of Spoiler)
I came close to tossing this book fairly early on.By page 64, May Dodd,