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<book id="773454">
  <title><![CDATA[Crescent: A Novel]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[0393325547]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9780393325546]]></isbn13>
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  <original_publication_month type="integer" nil="true"></original_publication_month>
  <original_publication_year type="integer">2003</original_publication_year>
  <original_title>Crescent</original_title>
  <rating_dist>total:572|5:158|4:220|3:156|2:29|1:9|</rating_dist>
  <ratings_count type="integer">572</ratings_count>
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  <reviews_count type="integer">839</reviews_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">114</text_reviews_count>
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  <average_rating><![CDATA[3.85]]></average_rating>
  <ratings_count><![CDATA[98]]></ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[20]]></text_reviews_count>
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/773454.Crescent_A_Novel]]></url>
  <authors>
        <author id="6330">
      <name><![CDATA[Diana Abu-Jaber]]></name>
      <role><![CDATA[]]></role>
      <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6330.Diana_Abu_Jaber]]></url>
      <average_rating><![CDATA[3.78]]></average_rating>
      <ratings_count><![CDATA[1337]]></ratings_count>
      <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[311]]></text_reviews_count>
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      </authors>
    <reviews start="1" end="20" total="839">
    <review id="8434916">
    <user id="588488">
    <name><![CDATA[Rebecca]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Cleveland, OH]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/588488-rebecca]]></url>
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  <isbn>0330413279</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780330413275</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">438</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">85</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
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    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Oct 30 09:12:04 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Oct 30 09:23:34 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book's description of Arabs, particularly students and academics, who live in the diaspora is heartbreakingly accurate.  Abu-Jaber's descriptions are both intense and palpable.  Just as you can taste the mujadara, so too can you feel the homesickness of the characters.  Most are suffering from ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8434916">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8434916]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="8678554">
    <user id="478617">
    <name><![CDATA[Sunshine]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Brooklyn, NY]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/478617-sunshine]]></url>
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    <book>
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  <title>Crescent</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9701.Crescent</link>
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    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[other halfies, other middle easterners in america]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Nov 04 21:09:40 -0800 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Nov 04 22:34:48 -0800 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book gets an extra star (its fourth) for telling a story of a fair, blond iraqi-american woman born and bred in L.A., working an Arab kitchen in Tehrangeles.<br/><br/>There are few, very few, pieces of fiction of second-generation  arabs/persians/muslims in the states.  (lots of memoir, yes, ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8678554">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8678554]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="42509691">
    <user id="856955">
    <name><![CDATA[Elizabeth]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Spring, TX]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/856955-elizabeth]]></url>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">85</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166051954m/9701.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9701.Crescent</link>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="2009-a-z-reading-challenge" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Jan 09 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jan 09 16:24:14 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jan 11 09:44:14 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Named  as one of the 20 best books of 2003 by the Christian Science Monitor and winner of the 2004 PEN Center USA Award for Literacy and the Before Columbus Foundation’s American Book Award , Crescent­  is a delicious love story set in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, an area  often refe...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42509691">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42509691]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="67619466">
    <user id="2591608">
    <name><![CDATA[Mrs.soule]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Suffolk, VA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2591608-mrs-soule]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1249479866p3/2591608.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">1196213</id>
  <isbn>039305747X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780393057478</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">27</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">9</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent: A Novel</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181793487m/1196213.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1196213.Crescent_A_Novel</link>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Aug 16 11:30:17 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Aug 16 11:39:17 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[An American chef of Iraqi heritage works at a Middle Eastern cafe and allows her cooking, her friends, and her uncle to be her world - until she is introduced to a handsome Iraqi professor with whom she begins a passionate love affair. Due to his influence - his longing for home and frustrations wit...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67619466">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67619466]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="8195190">
    <user id="568664">
    <name><![CDATA[Camas]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Portland, OR]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/568664-camas]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1215468416p3/568664.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">773454</id>
  <isbn>0393325547</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780393325546</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">98</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent: A Novel</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178225605m/773454.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/773454.Crescent_A_Novel</link>
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    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Oct 24 14:29:32 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Oct 24 14:32:00 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I admit it, I'm such a design whore that I have a hard time NOT choosing a book by its cover.  Sometimes I really luck out, as was the case with this PSU professor's book.  A beautifully written, intensely rich and evocative book about love, family, food, and finding your place. Which is a really cr...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8195190">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8195190]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="70479931">
    <user id="967914">
    <name><![CDATA[Lianne]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/967914-lianne]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">9701</id>
  <isbn>0330413279</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780330413275</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">438</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">85</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166051954m/9701.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9701.Crescent</link>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Sep 07 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Sep 08 10:48:23 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Sep 08 10:58:01 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Diana Abu-Jaber, the author has a Jordanian father and American mother. Her main character, Sirine,lives in Los Angeles and cooks in a Lebanese restaurant. Her parents were aid workers who died in Africa. She has been raised by an uncle. Sirine falls in love with Han, an Iraqi professor with secrets...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70479931">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70479931]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="3407566">
    <user id="198526">
    <name><![CDATA[Clare]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Kansas City, MO]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/198526-clare]]></url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">773454</id>
  <isbn>0393325547</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780393325546</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">98</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent: A Novel</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178225605m/773454.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/773454.Crescent_A_Novel</link>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="blockbookgroup" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[people who lke food better than sense]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jul 23 08:57:44 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 01:38:16 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This was the first book I read for my block's book group, and what an inauspicious beginning it was.  The intertwined stories were meandering and dull.  The heroine had nothing interesting to say, nothing that made me care about her relationships or life whatsoever.  Some of the recipes sounded pret...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3407566">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3407566]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="50401081">
    <user id="897219">
    <name><![CDATA[Heidi]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[London, The United Kingdom]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/897219-heidi-polk]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1260382554p3/897219.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">9701</id>
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  <ratings_count type="integer">438</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">85</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166051954m/9701.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9701.Crescent</link>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="fiction" />
        <shelf name="fiction---middle-east" />
        <shelf name="fiction---political-historical-soci" />
        <shelf name="fiction---united-states" />
        <shelf name="stand-alone" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Apr 09 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Mar 25 08:35:42 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Apr 09 13:12:48 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Reading this book was like diving into a bottomless pool...<br/><br/>it almost didn't matter if I drowned in the process; reveling in the depths would've been worth it...<br/><br/>This book was wonderful - one of those books that you pick up on a whim and can't believe (once it has been complete...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/50401081">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/50401081]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="55938637">
    <user id="1690507">
    <name><![CDATA[Aimée]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Portland, OR]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1690507-aim-e]]></url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">773454</id>
  <isbn>0393325547</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780393325546</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">98</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent: A Novel</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178225605m/773454.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/773454.Crescent_A_Novel</link>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jun 14 17:45:02 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed May 13 10:29:41 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jun 14 17:45:02 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I first read this book in 2006, when Diana Abu-Jaber came to Eugene on a book tour for her food memoir, The Language of Baklava.  I was able to participate in a student writing workshop that she lead (amazing experience!), hear her speak a couple of times, and attend a large reading group at the loc...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55938637">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55938637]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="866334">
    <user id="68246">
    <name><![CDATA[Anna]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Washington, DC]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/68246-anna]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1177436781p3/68246.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">9701</id>
  <isbn>0330413279</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780330413275</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">438</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">85</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166051954m/9701.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9701.Crescent</link>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="fiction" />
        <shelf name="great-food-descriptions" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Apr 24 15:35:43 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Apr 25 09:00:49 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Beyond the DELICIOUS food stuff, this book really changed the way I thought about what it means to live in exile. Compelling all the way through, which is rare.]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/866334]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="57385852">
    <user id="349438">
    <name><![CDATA[Kirsten]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Williamstown, MA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/349438-kirsten]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1211852754p3/349438.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">9701</id>
  <isbn>0330413279</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780330413275</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">438</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">85</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166051954m/9701.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9701.Crescent</link>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon May 25 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue May 26 11:33:29 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue May 26 11:40:11 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This was pretty good, though the middle dragged a bit.  About the Arab-American experience, the immigrant experience, and Middle Eastern food.  And a love story.  Gorgeous lyrical yummy descriptions.  Made me *crave* the food (fortunately, I had several meals in the last few days that met this cravi...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57385852">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57385852]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="50989102">
    <user id="1252746">
    <name><![CDATA[Jenn]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Portland, ME]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1252746-jenn]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1220618343p3/1252746.jpg]]></image>
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  <isbn>0393325547</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780393325546</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">98</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent: A Novel</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178225605m/773454.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/773454.Crescent_A_Novel</link>
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    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Apr 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Mar 30 20:00:18 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Apr 04 12:40:18 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[There's some truly beautiful descriptive writing here, and you'll definitely want to have some good Middle Eastern food close to hand while reading—the food is lavished over, cooking and eating and sharing food all metaphors and grounding elements in the story. I liked the story-within-a-story alm...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/50989102">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/50989102]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="45940460">
    <user id="60463">
    <name><![CDATA[Mike]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[West Linn, OR]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/60463-mike]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1176677289p3/60463.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">9701</id>
  <isbn>0330413279</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780330413275</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">438</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">85</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166051954m/9701.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9701.Crescent</link>
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    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Feb 10 10:36:18 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Feb 23 12:23:39 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[  Abu-Jaber is an instructor at my old school, Portland State University.  I'd heard her interviewed on NPR and always told myself that I'd read her someday.  <u>Crescent</u> is the first book of hers that I've read.  I enjoyed it.  The writing is lyrical and lucid.  I very much enjoyed the glimpses into t...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45940460">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45940460]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="35103128">
    <user id="1477945">
    <name><![CDATA[Kendall]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Dallas, TX]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1477945-kendall]]></url>
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  <ratings_count type="integer">438</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">85</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166051954m/9701.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9701.Crescent</link>
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    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Oct 12 07:38:03 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Oct 12 07:39:11 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A well written but less than compelling story.  ]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35103128]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="55364662">
    <user id="1769997">
    <name><![CDATA[Marilyn]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Los Angeles, CA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1769997-marilyn]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1237663260p3/1769997.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">9701</id>
  <isbn>0330413279</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780330413275</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">438</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">85</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166051954m/9701.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9701.Crescent</link>
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    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri May 08 07:50:53 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri May 08 07:57:50 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[American born chef, half Iraqi, works in Lebanese eatery among other Middle Eastern cafes along Westwood Blvd. near UCLA. Abu-Jaber writes with humor and insight of college students and professors from several countries, falls in love and a mystery begins to unfold.  Enjoyable, slowly unwinding tale...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55364662">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55364662]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="14592170">
    <user id="837540">
    <name><![CDATA[Pamela]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Fort Collins, CO]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/837540-pamela]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1226786735p3/837540.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">9701</id>
  <isbn>0330413279</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780330413275</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">438</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">85</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166051954m/9701.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9701.Crescent</link>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Feb 04 22:06:57 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Aug 04 22:21:26 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I'm a little conflicted on this one and I'm not sure why. (Okay, I know why in some ways because I just wanted to throw the book across the room and yell AARGH!) The writing style was a little different. It was as if each noun required a descriptor (a little annoying at first). After I got the rhyth...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/14592170">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/14592170]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="8465961">
    <user id="66498">
    <name><![CDATA[Marigold]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Portland, OR]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/66498-marigold]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1187330130p3/66498.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">773454</id>
  <isbn>0393325547</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780393325546</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">98</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent: A Novel</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178225605m/773454.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/773454.Crescent_A_Novel</link>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Oct 30 21:39:22 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Oct 30 22:46:26 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I liked everything in this book except the love story, which I thought was rather slow moving. I didn't fully understand why an Iraqi professor who is a famous translator, would fall instantly in love with a 40 year old half-Iraqi woman brought up in LA, who has spent her somewhat sheltered life wit...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8465961">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8465961]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="48971226">
    <user id="175735">
    <name><![CDATA[zilf]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Los Angeles, CA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/175735-zilf]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1183815565p3/175735.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">9701</id>
  <isbn>0330413279</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780330413275</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">438</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">85</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166051954m/9701.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9701.Crescent</link>
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    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Mar 11 16:58:10 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Mar 11 17:01:34 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I've read this twice now (once a couple of years ago and again just last month for our book group), and it definitely holds up on a second reading.  Lovely writing, exquisite food descriptions (you'll get hungry!).  My only quibble is with the final 20 pages or so, in which the author uses a very cl...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48971226">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48971226]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="46523916">
    <user id="1715259">
    <name><![CDATA[Jeanette]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Hayward, CA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1715259-jeanette]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1226632925p3/1715259.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">9701</id>
  <isbn>0330413279</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780330413275</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">438</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">85</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Crescent</title>
  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166051954m/9701.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9701.Crescent</link>
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    <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at>Wed Jan 21 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Feb 16 10:23:43 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Feb 16 10:29:02 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The book started off slow.  It became interesting to me towards the end.  When Han started sharing about his childhood; that caught my interest.  When Han left that felt believable, but at the end when Sirine sees Han's picture, and then receives a phone call, that  was a bit too much.  Was it Han t...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46523916">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46523916]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="35450156">
    <user id="232376">
    <name><![CDATA[Sarahdorothy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Madison, NJ]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/232376-sarahdorothy]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1186201212p3/232376.jpg]]></image>
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  <ratings_count type="integer">438</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">85</text_reviews_count>
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  <average_rating>3.85</average_rating>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9701.Crescent</link>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Wed Oct 15 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Oct 16 06:29:28 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Oct 16 06:36:31 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[&quot;You are the opposite of exile&quot; Han, the Iraqi-in-exile UCLA Professor tells Sirine, his love-interest, a half-Iraqi chef working at a Lebanese restaurant in Los Angeles that caters to college students, especially visiting international students struggling with loneliness.<br/><br/>There...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35450156">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35450156]]></url>
</review>
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