The last three books of Gregory Maguire have left me cold, and "Out of Oz" is no different. It was long, unnecessarily rambling, and just no...moreThe last three books of Gregory Maguire have left me cold, and "Out of Oz" is no different. It was long, unnecessarily rambling, and just not very interesting.(less)
Michael Lewis’ “Boomerang” is one of the most frightening books I have ever read. Most frightening, I think, because it is all too true and happening ...moreMichael Lewis’ “Boomerang” is one of the most frightening books I have ever read. Most frightening, I think, because it is all too true and happening right now.
Lewis travels to Iceland, Greece, Germany, and the United States to discover the causes of the global financial crisis and what, if anything, might be done about it. It is a bit depressing to realize that the main problem we need to overcome is ourselves. The cultures in these countries has greatly contributed to the financial crisis, and without a huge shift in the way we approach our lives and our society, nothing is going to get better. And this is not a political or religious issue. This boils down to basic human nature and the need to apply restrictions on ourselves to keep us from taking advantage of each other. Will we do that?
Hasn’t happened yet.
All that being said, I couldn’t put this book down. I highly recommend it to EVERYONE. It was intelligently approached, honestly written, and is one of the best explanations of what is happening in global financial markets I have ever heard or read. (less)
I feel like the authors rushed the writing of this book. The final installation, in what started out as a truly innovative take on the conflict betwee...moreI feel like the authors rushed the writing of this book. The final installation, in what started out as a truly innovative take on the conflict between vampires and humans, fell kind of flat. I thought that the Biblical tie-ins were weird and a bit of stretch, and I wonder why, if you are going to go that route, you wouldn’t address the theological implications. I don’t want to spoil anything, but Del Toro and Hogan missed the boat on addressing the deeper issues of their plot twist. There was also a lot of cheesy dialog . Again, I think this might be because the authors were rushed to publish. But regardless, it is not good when the reader groans over cheesy one-liners given during fight scenes. If I wanted that kind of thing I’d be watching a Syfi movie of the week, not reading a book! That being said, despite the plot stretching and background chapters, the story remained suspenseful and kept me turning the pages. I wouldn’t tell people not to read the book, because the first two were good and this one concludes the story. But I am disappointed. This final installment in the trilogy had a lot of potential that I feel was ultimately left untapped. (less)
I enjoyed this book and plowed through it at a good pace. But having finished it, I now feel like not much actually happened in it. That’s not entirel...moreI enjoyed this book and plowed through it at a good pace. But having finished it, I now feel like not much actually happened in it. That’s not entirely true, of course. Things happened. Without giving spoilers, there were some massive betrayals, some shocking deaths, scheming, etc., but at the end of the book, what was accomplished? House Lanister still keeps Kings Landing, Rob hardly moved at all, and Deneries is still trying to find some ships. I definitely feel like this book is setting the reader up for the third in the series, and in that respect it works well. I am very ready to continue reading A Song of Ice and Fire, and have already downloaded the next installment from Audible.(less)
This Dexter book was better than the last two, but that's not a glowing endorsement. It seemed like a lot of the trouble in this book could have been ...moreThis Dexter book was better than the last two, but that's not a glowing endorsement. It seemed like a lot of the trouble in this book could have been averted with a simple call to the police. Much seemed like a stretch. Still, it had some tense moments and was entertaining enought to distract me from my cold.
Still, the Showtime series is better written, I think.(less)
![Let's Pretend This Never Happened: [A Mostly True Memoir]](http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320449173s/12868761.jpg "Let's Pretend This Never Happened: [A Mostly True Memoir]")
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