This its the first Detective Wallander book by the highly acclaimed Swedish author Henning Menkell. I enjoyed reading about the detective and enjoyed...moreThis its the first Detective Wallander book by the highly acclaimed Swedish author Henning Menkell. I enjoyed reading about the detective and enjoyed the musings about immigration and racism in Sweden, but found the secondary characters almost completely lacking in interest. The cold weather and Swedish countryside came through and added interest to this book that surely would have been less compelling if set in Cleveland instead. Also, I listened to the audiobook version. The narrator did a fine job with the text and the voice of Wallander, but his voices and accents for other characters were distractingly strange. Some characters randomly sounded like weird German stereotypes while others sounded like they were meant to be rural American southerners. Still, if be interested in reading another Wallander book if I happened to pick one up. If they use there same narrator, I'll probably choose there print version instead.(less)
Extremely entertaining trip through computer and video game history as well as some classic science fiction. The plot was fairly mundane, but the pict...moreExtremely entertaining trip through computer and video game history as well as some classic science fiction. The plot was fairly mundane, but the picture of a future reality where everyone spent a great deal of time logged into a Second Life like virtual reality was fun and sufficiently detailed to carry the novel. The reader for the unabridged audiobook did an excellent job narrating the story, handling the detailed descriptions of video game play, and recitations of the scoreboard in ways that kept the story moving and fun to listen to. Highly recommended for anyone with any interest in video games or science fiction.(less)
I understand the frequent comparisons to Tim Burton's work. The book has a similar combination of dark strange characters and sweet storyline. I found...moreI understand the frequent comparisons to Tim Burton's work. The book has a similar combination of dark strange characters and sweet storyline. I found the central romance of the book lacking in either interest or novelty, but the supporting cast was sufficiently strange and compelling to keep me interested, particularly since the book is quite short. The reader for the unabridged audio did a nice job of depicting the dark fairy tale feel of the book but could have done more to give the different characters more unique voices. Overall, I'd recommend the book only to particular fans of the genre, not to general interest readers.(less)
John Grisham is always a fast read, but usually an unsatisfying one for me. I'm reminded of why I stopped reading his books way back around the time o...moreJohn Grisham is always a fast read, but usually an unsatisfying one for me. I'm reminded of why I stopped reading his books way back around the time of The Firm or The Client. Grisham just doesn't really care if he gets the law right as long as it makes the courtroom story interesting, which is sort of distracting when I know what it should be. His underdog characters are also so unrelentingly pure of heart as to be sort of boring to read. And the ending of this book was far too neat and tidy for my liking.
All that said, I finished the book quickly and was interested enough to stick it out until the end.(less)
I really enjoyed this Russian satire. Peredonov, the anti-hero of the story has all of the qualities of wonderful Quixotic heroes (see, e.g., Ignatius...moreI really enjoyed this Russian satire. Peredonov, the anti-hero of the story has all of the qualities of wonderful Quixotic heroes (see, e.g., Ignatius Reilly from A Confederacy of Dunces) -- he's lazy and crazy and paranoid but oh so fun to read. This is the type of book that I wish I were reading with a class because there's lots of symbolism and references to other Russian literature and thinkers that were beyond my ability to keep up with. But even at a superficial reading level, the book is just fun. The edition that I read included a bunch of deleted scenes that showed just how extreme the author was when writing this.
Peredonov, a school teacher aspiring to a higher administrative post, gets pleasure from falsely reporting to parents on the misbehavior of students, causing the students to be punished and whipped. In fact, Peredonov isn't above whipping his fiance for imagined slights.(less)
I found this little book primarily because it fit the needs of a reading challenge that I'm participating in, but I'm glad to have stumbled upon it. T...moreI found this little book primarily because it fit the needs of a reading challenge that I'm participating in, but I'm glad to have stumbled upon it. The book traces the efforts of the family of David Marshall to maintain their position in elite Chicago society as Chicago becomes a modern and industrial city in the 1890s.
The description of the characters losing their integrity as they try to find a place in the shifting social fashions of the day felt surprisingly fresh and contemporary. Reading about the second son dropping out of college to be a general layabout, flitting through Europe and back again isn't much different than the stories of some of my college classmates who had the family funding to support efforts to "find themselves" through extended periods of unemployment. Meanwhile, the older son becomes a lawyer and doggedly pursues increased prominence and wealth. Again, I saw the modern counterparts perfectly clearly in these century-old depictions.
I'm glad to have stumbled upon this one. I'd never heard of this author or this book before calling it up from the state library system.(less)
The audio quality of the performance of the play was less that I'd hoped. It was great to have a full cast recording, complete with music and sound, b...moreThe audio quality of the performance of the play was less that I'd hoped. It was great to have a full cast recording, complete with music and sound, but there were moments when the characters were extremely difficult to hear on this version.
The best part about this CD collection is hearing Tennessee Williams read portions of the play. He has a wonderful voice and his renditions really brought the portions that he read to life.
I don't believe I've ever seen a performance of The Glass Menagerie live, but I can definitely see it being a wonderful play. The interplay between the characters and the villian-less tragedy could be wonderfully done with the right combination of actors.
I'm glad I picked this up at the library, but I can't quite recommend it because of the trouble with the sound quality.(less)
I enjoyed this celebrity autobiography much more than I expected to, though that doesn't say much since I hadn't really thought I'd like it. The book...moreI enjoyed this celebrity autobiography much more than I expected to, though that doesn't say much since I hadn't really thought I'd like it. The book was passed on to me by a friend of my mother's and I expected it to be mostly a name-dropping, drug/alcohol recovery dishout. Instead, I found Lowe substantially more thoughtful and interesting and was actually touched by his love for his wife and children.
I'm not much of a TV or movie watcher. I enjoyed The West Wing when it was on, but was otherwise mostly unfamiliar with Lowe's acting work. I definitely could not have told you that he was in Austin Powers and don't really remember his early movies like The Outsiders and St. Elmo's Fire. I've actually added a couple of them to my netflix queue now that I've read his book.
Lowe does a nice job narrating the audiobook version. He really does wonderful impressions and several are interspersed throughout the book.(less)
**spoiler alert** I can't evaluate this book fairly as a piece of literature because I have too much personal connection wrapped up in it. That said,...more**spoiler alert** I can't evaluate this book fairly as a piece of literature because I have too much personal connection wrapped up in it. That said, I really didn't like this book and sort of wish I hadn't read it. First, my father read this book (and the rest of the series, at least those that were out at the time) around the time I was in junior high or high school and was super-positive about them and kept recommending that I read them. I can't express how glad I am that I did not do so at that time. This book is full of squicky sex scenes and elaborate musings on things like the sexiness of the lactating breasts of the title character's wife. I would not have wanted to read this, particularly at my father's recommendation, when I was 12 or 13.
Also, it's clear that my father strongly identified with the title character. Unfortunately, the title character is pretty much horrid and the book traces his leaving his wife and having an affair while the wife is pregnant with their second child. While I didn't know this in high school, turns out this is a lot closer to my father's reality than I'd really like to have spent a novel-worth of time thinking about.
Finally, in my pregnancy-heightened hormonal state, I probably shouldn't have read a book about a woman who, while drunk, accidentally drowns her newborn daughter. Not that this tragedy would have been fun reading any day, but if I'd known that this was going to happen, I wouldn't have read this book during my seventh month of pregnancy. Plus, the older child (who happens to be about the age of my son) witnesses it.
So, I know this is supposed to be a remarkable piece of literature and all that, but I definitely wish I'd had the sense to read some reviews first and realize that it wasn't a good choice for me.(less)
I really don't understand the rave reviews for this book. I found the "mystery" really pretty unsatisfying, with no great secrets actually revealed an...moreI really don't understand the rave reviews for this book. I found the "mystery" really pretty unsatisfying, with no great secrets actually revealed and no reason to really care about the family history as told. The shifting perspectives felt basically unnecessary, the "fairy tales" weren't particularly compelling, and I never really liked or disliked any of the characters. The book was long, but set in a pretty big font with lots of chapter breaks, so not really as long as it seemed at first. The writing was fine, but not particularly beautiful nor especially captivating. There are so many better books; don't bother with this one.
What the book is: An extremely interesting review of conservation efforts in Nepal, complete with political intrigue and culture clash between western...moreWhat the book is: An extremely interesting review of conservation efforts in Nepal, complete with political intrigue and culture clash between western-trained scientists and local communities. Also, somewhat surprisingly, the book provides interesting insight into the use of tamed elephants (and elephant drivers) for the rhino conservation effort.
What the book is not: A description of what rhinos are like, how they spend their time, or what makes them interesting animals.
I very much enjoyed reading about the conservation movement in Nepal and the author's experiences over several decades of work on rhino study, conservation, and relocation. Still, I was sad that there wasn't more description of what wild rhinos are like, what their social structure is, why the author loves them so much (and love them he clearly does--even describing having connected deeply with the soul of the rhino), or more about their behavior in the wild. There were descriptions of the reactions of the rhinos to capture (e.g., for relocation purposes), but very little discussion of their natural behaviors.
The book ends around mid-2007, just as the political situation in Nepal is very uncertain and unstable. I'd love to read a follow-up essay about what's happening now.(less)
Part biography of Hugo Black, Felix Frankfurter, William Douglas, and Robert Jackson, part review of their theories of constitutional law, I don't kno...morePart biography of Hugo Black, Felix Frankfurter, William Douglas, and Robert Jackson, part review of their theories of constitutional law, I don't know how much appeal this book would have to a non-lawyer, but I found it fascinating. The stories of how these four justices came to know Franklin D. Roosevelt such that they were appointed to the court was great and the details of the infighting between the justices made the book lovely to listen to.
The narrator for the unabridged audiobook version did a nice job with what could have been a fairly dry text. There's not much dialogue, so no opportunity for a narrator to showcase voices for different characters, but Cotter Smith kept the narration moving and handled the text well.(less)
I don't know why I continue reading this series. It must be the excellent narration provided by Gerald Doyle for the audiobooks. This book is way too...moreI don't know why I continue reading this series. It must be the excellent narration provided by Gerald Doyle for the audiobooks. This book is way too long and not much really happens. There's no reason why the third book of this "trilogy" needed to be broken into two 850 page/30 hour books. Still, dragon warfare is good fodder for commuting -- it requires very little mental attention but is mostly entertaining. The ending of this book/series was pretty disappointing; after the final battle, the author then spent a huge amount of time tying up every single loose end and sending the characters off into the rest of their lives in mostly unsatisfying ways.
I wouldn't recommend starting this series, but if you've started it, you probably want to know how the final battle plays out since the villain is sufficiently interesting to be worth following. Unfortunately, you'll likely be disappointed with the way his defeat is finally brought about.(less)
An extremely depressing look at the way that overfishing has depleted the cod stocks around the world, perhaps irreparably. I enjoy Kurlansky's writin...moreAn extremely depressing look at the way that overfishing has depleted the cod stocks around the world, perhaps irreparably. I enjoy Kurlansky's writing most of the time and found the combination of history, fishing details, and politics focused and entertaining. This is a fairly dense narrative, not a lighthearted romp and the ultimate message left me feeling overwhelmingly sad about the destruction of this seemingly indestructible species. I should probably do some follow up to see what's happened since the book was published, but we'll see if I get around to it. Recommended to those who enjoyed Salt: A World History.(less)
I liked this book, but I didn't love it. The descriptions of Sicily in the 1100s were fun, but I found the characters sort of boring and didn't really...moreI liked this book, but I didn't love it. The descriptions of Sicily in the 1100s were fun, but I found the characters sort of boring and didn't really sympathize with the continual innocence of the narrator. Overall, the portions of the book that should have entranced me with political and court intrigue never quite worked -- I kept losing track of the characters and couldn't remember which one was motivated by what forces. In part, I think that related to the choice to tell the story through the eyes of a naive bureaucrat rather than from a more omniscient narrator.(less)
While this book is called a set of short stories with interconnected characters, it reads best as a whole. The book tells the stories of three sisters...moreWhile this book is called a set of short stories with interconnected characters, it reads best as a whole. The book tells the stories of three sisters, focusing mostly on Christine with a couple of stories from Rosa and Patti. The writing is immensely powerful and the stories are extremely compelling. In particular, the stories tracing Christine's time working in the United States (in Los Angeles and Washington, DC) before returning to Uganda tell the story of identity, race, politics, diaspora, and power in an incredible way. The book also unflinchingly reflects the beginning of the AIDS epidemic and its effect on modern Uganda through the personal story of Rosa in a letter to a former lover. Highly recommended.(less)
I've been reading these on the kindle reader on all my devices over the past three months. They served as the perfect diversion when waiting in line o...moreI've been reading these on the kindle reader on all my devices over the past three months. They served as the perfect diversion when waiting in line or on hold or other short waits. Some of the stories were familiar, though some were only familiar because of the cleaned up Disney versions. Other stories were completely unfamiliar but wonderful in their handing out rough justice to the good hearted and harsh curses to the arrogant or mean spirited. Yet other stories were just completely weird or incomprehensible. But since the collection is free and reasonably typo-free through the Gutenberg project, it's worth the download to have some short stories to use as gap filters that are better than paying yet another round of soduko on the blackberry.(less)
This is an extremely odd little book. I can't remember where I heard about it but it reminds me of other absurd fiction I've read--books like The Thir...moreThis is an extremely odd little book. I can't remember where I heard about it but it reminds me of other absurd fiction I've read--books like The Third Policeman and even Ridley Walker. The premise of the book is that the protagonist finds himself traveling over the body of a giant that supports various parasitic societies (such as the warring residents of Left Buttocks and Right Buttocks). He explores the territories while also finding himself caught in strange relationships. While hard to describe, I found the book surprisingly readable and compelling. I'll be very interested to see more reviews of this one.(less)
This was my first Atkinson book, but it won't be my last. The reader for the unabridged audiobook did a terrific job differentiating the voices for di...moreThis was my first Atkinson book, but it won't be my last. The reader for the unabridged audiobook did a terrific job differentiating the voices for different characters, which made for a great listen.
This book introduces Jackson Brodie, retired cop and army veteran turned private detective. His own background is intermixed with the "case histories" tracked in the book. Atkinson cleverly interconnects several storylines and manages to keep the characters interesting. There wasn't much mystery in the sense of a who-done-it here, but I remained interested in the outcomes of all the cases through the whole book.
I will definitely keep an eye out for a copy of the next Brodie book.(less)
I was disappointed by this book. I'd heard that it was a fabulous spiritual novel, but I found it rather boring to read. To me, Siddhartha seemed rath...moreI was disappointed by this book. I'd heard that it was a fabulous spiritual novel, but I found it rather boring to read. To me, Siddhartha seemed rather spilled and selfish even as he pursued and even achieved enlightenment, he had little care for his friends or family, he left his life with no warning to follow whatever new spiritual path he became interested in. Maybe the messages in this book have just become sufficiently familiar that I didn't find them all that new or enlightening and certainly not life changing.(less)
Really about 3.5 stars. This book tells the story of Manhattan in the coke-addled 1980s for twenty-somethings suffering their own version of existenti...moreReally about 3.5 stars. This book tells the story of Manhattan in the coke-addled 1980s for twenty-somethings suffering their own version of existential angst and "quarter-life crises." The use of the second person to drive home the lead character was interesting and there were definite moments of brilliance in the writing. But I still felt like the book was mostly a lot of navel-gazing about a failed marriage and a lousy job in the Fact Verification Department of an unnamed fancy magazine. I wanted some resolution for the characters or at least some progress in thinking or organizing of life, and instead was left with what felt more like a drop-in snippet than a complete story. All that said, I can see why this book made the author famous and could feel it's autobiographical pull working within it.(less)
I adored this collection of short stories. Before picking up this book, I'd never heard of this author, but now I'll look for his other work. There st...moreI adored this collection of short stories. Before picking up this book, I'd never heard of this author, but now I'll look for his other work. There stories are full of the very odd - e.g., men who find themselves strangely and unexpectedly turned into plants, strange inhabitants of department stores, and love affairs with mannequins. Of course, not every story grabbed me, but there were enough germs to make this a fast and highly entertaining read. I've shared the book with my mother and am looking forward to passing it on to another friend I think will really like it when my mother returns it.(less)
The reader for the unabridged audiobook did a great job with all of the voices except for the voice of Turtle, the six year old child whose story this...moreThe reader for the unabridged audiobook did a great job with all of the voices except for the voice of Turtle, the six year old child whose story this is. For whatever reason, the reader decided to give Turtle a weird, mopey voice that was distracting every time Turtle had something to say. Luckily, Turtle doesn't talk much in this book.
The book continues the story that Kingsolver started in The Bean Trees and makes a run at looking at white adoption of Native American children and the different perspectives of Native American tribes compared to mainstream white society. While the issue was discussed with a fair bit of sensitivity, I found the characters and their lives slightly too convenient, allowing the book to reach a reasonably nice resolution without having to pick sides.
Overall, I wanted more from this book, from these characters, and from the plot generally. I never felt connected enough to Taylor, the white adoptive mother of this tale, to feel for her as she tries to go into hiding with her daughter rather than face a potential court battle. I didn't end up feeling connected to her struggle to survive as a single mother, even though I thought it was realistically depicted.
I'm glad to have completed the story of Taylor and Turtle that I started in the previous book, but I wouldn't recommend this as a stand-alone novel.(less)
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