a serviceable police procedural murder mystery set in an exotic local with novel takes on the genre. however, large chunks of the narration come acros...morea serviceable police procedural murder mystery set in an exotic local with novel takes on the genre. however, large chunks of the narration come across not as story about or within the city of bangkok but rather as the author's fascination with the city's culture, most particularly prostitution, and his gripes with the west. not that he doesn't make some good points, but it can feel a bit preachy at times. other than that the characters were engaging and the prose solid. recommended for mystery buffs. (less)
well written and researched. the structure of the book is imaginatively broken down by chemical compound. bound to please fans of murder mysteries and...morewell written and researched. the structure of the book is imaginatively broken down by chemical compound. bound to please fans of murder mysteries and chemistry buffs, being both i greatly enjoyed this book. (less)
perhaps the highest rating i've yet given to a story that disappointed me. first my complaint, the plot of the story--as the frame narration declares-...moreperhaps the highest rating i've yet given to a story that disappointed me. first my complaint, the plot of the story--as the frame narration declares--is arbitrary, seemingly determined to be so to confute the accusation that fantasy is only about good vs evil. perhaps this was revolutionary in the late 80s, but read now in the era of GRRM and 'gritty fantasy' it seems a bit overdone. however, for me, the novel is saved by its absolutely wonderful characterization and the highly original exploration of love, obsession, and destructiveness characterized by two men. despite all of my misgivings regarding the plotting, i found myself greatly enjoying this book and--as always--admiring kushner's skill. (less)
two seemingly disparate fantastical narrations collide. early murakami, lacking the finesse of The Wind Up Bird Chronicles and Kafka on the Shore, bu...moretwo seemingly disparate fantastical narrations collide. early murakami, lacking the finesse of The Wind Up Bird Chronicles and Kafka on the Shore, but still wonderfully weird. (less)
a well plotted mystery and political thriller in ancient rome. the roman characters are lively and detailed...but strangely brittish...which is anachr...morea well plotted mystery and political thriller in ancient rome. the roman characters are lively and detailed...but strangely brittish...which is anachronistic and distracting. otherwise, a wonderfully fun read.(less)
i had high expectations for this book; they were disappointed. please don't mistake me, the story was enjoyable, but nothing close to what i expected....morei had high expectations for this book; they were disappointed. please don't mistake me, the story was enjoyable, but nothing close to what i expected. the incorporation of mexican cuisine and the element of magic realism is delightful and the book's saving grace. however, the plot was nothing short of a simple mary-sue story in which the magical element punishes characters who are cruel to the protagonist--in this case the protagonist's female relatives. aside from the protagonist and her antagonistic mother, characters were flat--the male characters especially so. (less)
a vibrant mid-seventies, over-sexed, witty, counter-culture egotistical sublime narrative. it's been said of lord byron--the progenitor of egotistical...morea vibrant mid-seventies, over-sexed, witty, counter-culture egotistical sublime narrative. it's been said of lord byron--the progenitor of egotistical sublime literature in english--that he would "find sermons in stones, which he had hidden there." one could say the same thing about robbins if one added the observation that before (and very often after) finding said sermons, robins sexually molested said stones.(less)
in his apology...er...afterward to this quick-witted and enjoyable historical adventure story, chabon discloses that the original working title was 'j...morein his apology...er...afterward to this quick-witted and enjoyable historical adventure story, chabon discloses that the original working title was 'jews with swords.' (personally, i think that would have been a pretty kick ass title.) chabon goes on to explain how it came to be that he, a capital-L-literature-author, ended up writing a story that involved swords. unintentionally it smacks of condescension, of a slight embarrassment of what it was trying to be. that was my only significant complain of this otherwise delightful romp involving two friends cum con-men who, trying to make some quick cash, end up toppling a dictatorship. the prose is erudite, polished. the narration takes great pleasure in it's wit--an experience, i think, that most readers will share, save for perhaps a vague sensation that the prose is _trying_ to be worthy of intellectual scrutiny. the characters were sympathetic and likable. despite a gosh and disturbing treatment of rape, the author executes the plot well. i hope chabon continues to produce adventures of this time...though perhaps not one that is so...self-conscious.
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fun slightly morbid YA adventure fantasy. very british. would make an _amazing_ miyazaki movie. i very much enjoyed sabriel but did not fall in love w...morefun slightly morbid YA adventure fantasy. very british. would make an _amazing_ miyazaki movie. i very much enjoyed sabriel but did not fall in love with any of the characters. the disjointed magic system(s)--charter magic vs. free magic vs...um...bells? yeah, bells--irked me. far and away the best aspect of the book is Nix's fluid and precise prose. would recommend to any fan of YA fantasy.(less)
many of the anecdotes about the different elements are engaging and informative. kean's great enthusiasm shines through his prose, often driving the t...moremany of the anecdotes about the different elements are engaging and informative. kean's great enthusiasm shines through his prose, often driving the tension of the narration but at times bordering on breathlessness. i would recommend the book to those who did not major or minor in chemistry; i found myself speeding through some of the stories often repeated in college chem lectures. however, on the whole, a fine piece of science writing that many will find assessable.(less)
2.6 stars. a careful if slightly dry narrative of the southern american plains. more focused on things texan than things comanche. mostly even handed,...more2.6 stars. a careful if slightly dry narrative of the southern american plains. more focused on things texan than things comanche. mostly even handed, but at times frankly imperialistic. fascinating subject matter, perfunctory prose.(less)
beautifully thought sometimes excessively descriptive. striking and vivid settings and characters, a beautiful imagination. most impressively, well wo...morebeautifully thought sometimes excessively descriptive. striking and vivid settings and characters, a beautiful imagination. most impressively, well worth a read despite the nearly stifling hype. i had some grips about the story logic toward the end, but that was more than compensated for by the memorable imagery and gilded prose. (less)
wonderfully complex and densely plotted ya. jones's characters possess both flair and believable personalities. their problems are both fantastic and ...morewonderfully complex and densely plotted ya. jones's characters possess both flair and believable personalities. their problems are both fantastic and made of everyday life. the plot is far more complex than is portrayed in the beautiful miazaki movie, making the book well worth the read even (especially) for those who have seen the movie multiple times. (less)
well written, accessible, quickly paced, surprised me on many accounts and i consider myself a buff of classic history. the major thesis, that alexand...morewell written, accessible, quickly paced, surprised me on many accounts and i consider myself a buff of classic history. the major thesis, that alexandria was the crucible of modern western thought can't be denied. the more i read, the stranger it seemed that this unique and fascinating city--with it's mixture of native egyptian, greek, jewish, and later christian cultures--is so neglected.
for those who care: i picked it up for research for my third novel. you might see some parallels in spellbreaker.(less)
a classroom classic i never got around to until i was far away from the classroom. a wonderful narrative. adventure, classical themes, sympathetic and...morea classroom classic i never got around to until i was far away from the classroom. a wonderful narrative. adventure, classical themes, sympathetic and memorable characters told with a lively imagination for the everyday naturalistic life. the passages describing the english countryside are elegant, tender. a delight to read.(less)
3.5 stars. I admire GRRM and all that he's accomplished. He's remade epic fantasy. However, he just killed o...more**spoiler alert** **Spoilers**
3.5 stars. I admire GRRM and all that he's accomplished. He's remade epic fantasy. However, he just killed off Jon Snow. I haven't been this irked since the Red Wedding. I'm now certain he's going to kill any character I come to like. I wish nothing but success for him, but I think I'm done with this series. But perhaps I'll change my mind after the impact of the book settles. It's likely going to be a long wait for the next installment.(less)
nothing too fancy, no claims to be so despite an erudite subject mater. girl with a pearl earring is a lovely historical day dream with many likeable,...morenothing too fancy, no claims to be so despite an erudite subject mater. girl with a pearl earring is a lovely historical day dream with many likeable, if not terribly memorable, characters. chevalier does an excellent job making the city, the culture, the era accessible and enjoyable. a quick, fun, easy cultural read.(less)
slow out of the gates, a facile science fictional premise, but then...but then...an engaging and quiet narration of childhood, innocence, sex, mortali...moreslow out of the gates, a facile science fictional premise, but then...but then...an engaging and quiet narration of childhood, innocence, sex, mortality, character. a short novel, brilliant and heartbreaking.(less)
First, my usual disclosures: I count Daniel not only a friend, but a mentor; his Long Price Quartet profoundly influenced my present trilogy. So, clea...moreFirst, my usual disclosures: I count Daniel not only a friend, but a mentor; his Long Price Quartet profoundly influenced my present trilogy. So, clearly, I can't be completely objective regarding his work. However, I don't know Ty. I think I stood next to him back when WorldCon was in Denver. In fact, I'm pretty sure I accidentally spilled beer on his shoes at some post-Hugo party. In for a penny, in for a pound...so I can claim to be pretty objective regarding him. Not that I dislike his contributions more than Daniel's, not that I could parse the two out, not that this book seems like the work of two authors. I love nothing so much as a book that knows exactly what it is and is unabashedly that. Leviathan Awakes is just such a book. A solar-system-wide mystery of the highest caliber, LA is the perfect summer read. Space ship captains, detectives from an asteroid's police force, mysterious alien influence, LA is pure and delightful space opera. The characters are understandable, solid and likeable. The mystery fun to tag along with and comes to a satisfying conclusion. Most impressively, the spacy type science stuff is believable--at least to someone with only a pre-medical education in physics. And, most delightful of all, the book makes takes human physiology into account. I find a lot of space SF unreadable because of the exquisite detail the authors pay to explaining a faster than light drive (or what not) without explaining how a body could live through being flatter than a sheet of paper. Though there is more handwaving about the medical stuff but only to an extent that biologists or medical types would be mildly irked. Overall an impressive feat for a space opera. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes SF, space opera, and a lively summer adventure read.(less)
2.5 stars. i was surprised that i did not like this book more. a classic, an adventure, a historical setting--these are all characteristics i love in ...more2.5 stars. i was surprised that i did not like this book more. a classic, an adventure, a historical setting--these are all characteristics i love in a novel. and yet i cared for none of the protagonists, in fact i found myself quite bored by their flat, violent, characters. women in the book could be easily divided into the dumb and the evil. dumas's astute observation about character and his skills as a story teller are all the kept me reading. perhaps i would have enjoyed it more if i could have read the original french...(less)
gail is a personal friend, in fact a writing partner of many years, so i cannot hope to be objective with this review; however, given the phenomenal n...moregail is a personal friend, in fact a writing partner of many years, so i cannot hope to be objective with this review; however, given the phenomenal number of copies sold and the alex award won, i don't think it will be hard to convince you how charming this book is. with her witty melange of victorian fashion, supernatural intrigue, and gay vampires, gail will any reader happily chortling from cover to cover.(less)
brilliant, unabashedly erudite, and yet compassionate, the celebrated case narrations of a celebrated neurologist. a humanistic philosophy of dysfunct...morebrilliant, unabashedly erudite, and yet compassionate, the celebrated case narrations of a celebrated neurologist. a humanistic philosophy of dysfunction.(less)
I must disclose that I have had the pleasure of becoming Priscilla's friend and cannot claim to be completely objective; however, you can go dig up wo...moreI must disclose that I have had the pleasure of becoming Priscilla's friend and cannot claim to be completely objective; however, you can go dig up wonderful reviews from the Huffington Post and Kirkus to corroborate my opinion. The Anti-Romantic Child is both a lovely memoir and a thoughtful literary introspection. Priscilla writes with precision, honesty, and most importantly compassion about the trials and unexpected joys of raising a special needs child. Highly recommended, especially for those interested in parenthood, disability, and poetry!(less)
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