A luminous, beautiful novel propelled by deft characterization and effortless handling of weighty themes. Patchett's prose is deceptively simple, but...moreA luminous, beautiful novel propelled by deft characterization and effortless handling of weighty themes. Patchett's prose is deceptively simple, but her understanding of human emotion and yearning is not. (less)
In the plus column for this book are the Unconsecrated. They are terrifying - really, really scary. There are also some amazing, harrowing action sequ...moreIn the plus column for this book are the Unconsecrated. They are terrifying - really, really scary. There are also some amazing, harrowing action sequences as well. I found the characters to be a bit flat, though, and wanted to know more of the back story - I guess I'll have to read further. (less)
The Postmistress is a novel of Big Ideas, as it uses the experiences of three women on the verge of the United States' involvement in WWII to examine...moreThe Postmistress is a novel of Big Ideas, as it uses the experiences of three women on the verge of the United States' involvement in WWII to examine how people rationalize, deny, or refuse to see war and its effects. The characters are drawn with a subtle hand, and much of the book is riveting - the descriptions of the Blitz are extraordinary. However, I wish that the author had written a more decisive ending. I know that it is meant to be a book about people and a nation in the time between peace and war, but I really wanted more resolution for the characters I had come to care about. (less)
The premise for this book was interesting - the book drops in on a man and a woman once a year for twenty years after their graduation from college. T...moreThe premise for this book was interesting - the book drops in on a man and a woman once a year for twenty years after their graduation from college. The characters are well developed and plausible, and though they aren't always pleasant people, their ups and downs were realistic. The book was pretty unsatisfying, though. I should probably just stop reading love stories written by men. (less)
Using amnesia as a plot device has become de rigeur these days, and this book is similar to, say, Sophie Kinsella's "Remember Me." A woman falls at th...moreUsing amnesia as a plot device has become de rigeur these days, and this book is similar to, say, Sophie Kinsella's "Remember Me." A woman falls at the gym, wakes up, can't remember the last ten years, and finds that her marriage is in shambles and she can't remember her kids. The first 100 pages or so are a bit difficult to get through. However, the narrative eventually deepens, and I found that there was a lot of food for thought toward the end. (less)
The Girl in the Steel Corset has a cool, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen kind of vibe. I felt like the story got muddled toward the end, but the beg...moreThe Girl in the Steel Corset has a cool, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen kind of vibe. I felt like the story got muddled toward the end, but the beginning was captivating. (less)
I liked the format of this second installment of the Delirium series, which kept the story fresh and taut. I also liked the intriguing ending, which r...moreI liked the format of this second installment of the Delirium series, which kept the story fresh and taut. I also liked the intriguing ending, which raises all sorts of questions about what will unfold in the third book. (less)
This is a very ambitious book in two parts - the first is a Harry Potter tale for adults and the second is a nostalgic/horrifying trip into a world th...moreThis is a very ambitious book in two parts - the first is a Harry Potter tale for adults and the second is a nostalgic/horrifying trip into a world that is essentially Narnia. It also deals with the essential qualities of magic and friendship. So, there's a lot going on. I'm not sure that the book is 100 percent successful, but it's very interesting, and I have the feeling that the next installment will be much more cohesive now that the exposition is out of the way. (less)
This one has been re-released recently, and I got it from the library for my kindle. The whole time I was reading it, I kept thinking, "This is basica...moreThis one has been re-released recently, and I got it from the library for my kindle. The whole time I was reading it, I kept thinking, "This is basically a Harlequin Romance, not up to Nora Roberts' usual standard." Then I got to the end and realized that it was a Harlequin Romance, twenty years ago.
I had to check this book out from the library three times, and I was sure that after slogging through nine hundred plus pages there would be some kind...moreI had to check this book out from the library three times, and I was sure that after slogging through nine hundred plus pages there would be some kind of amazing ending that pulled everything together or at least answered some of the lingering questions. But, no. Though I get that this is a kind of post-modern version of Proust (slow, meandering, detailed), I think I would have been better off reading the Proust. (less)
I don't have a huge interest in the Titanic tragedy, but this book actually focuses more on the aftermath of the disaster, and specifically on the Sen...moreI don't have a huge interest in the Titanic tragedy, but this book actually focuses more on the aftermath of the disaster, and specifically on the Senate hearings that helped to illuminate what happened that night. I enjoyed all the characters, primary and secondary, and thought it was an entertaining and illuminating novel. (less)
Though I was skeptical about whether I would like this book, I found myself really interested in Strayed, who makes a journey that is as much an emoti...moreThough I was skeptical about whether I would like this book, I found myself really interested in Strayed, who makes a journey that is as much an emotional one as it is a physical one. Her descriptions of the PCT, steeped as they are in pain and hardship, are truly beautiful. Srayed also aptly captures the beauty in the camaraderie of long distance hikers and the multitude of kindnesses she finds along the trail. (less)
An inventive fantasy with impressive world-building. I'll be interested to see how the series progresses, as I felt that it was a tiny bit bogged down...moreAn inventive fantasy with impressive world-building. I'll be interested to see how the series progresses, as I felt that it was a tiny bit bogged down in the details. (less)
I enjoyed the glimpse of Meghan's court that is afforded in this book, and it was nice to see some old friends from the Iron Fey series, but I had a r...moreI enjoyed the glimpse of Meghan's court that is afforded in this book, and it was nice to see some old friends from the Iron Fey series, but I had a really hard time connecting with the new characters (the chip on Ethan's shoulder was a little too big for me). (less)
The Round House was a little less challenging then the two other books by Louise Erdrich that I have read, and I think that the legal issue she is hig...moreThe Round House was a little less challenging then the two other books by Louise Erdrich that I have read, and I think that the legal issue she is highlighting here probably benefitted from a narrative that is more cohesive than those of Love Medicine and Tracks. Still, I think I was missing the scope of those previous books, and the adolescent male interchanges felt a little inauthentic to me.(less)
This is a fun popular history of the technological advances that have helped us to be more efficient in the way that we cook and eat. It is slightly d...moreThis is a fun popular history of the technological advances that have helped us to be more efficient in the way that we cook and eat. It is slightly disorganized, and the digital copy has a lot of really distracting typos and garbled sentences, but I did like the author's voice and learned a lot of interesting tidbits about how the science of cooking has evolved over thousands of years. The book made me feel lucky to be a home cook in the era of potato peelers and can openers. (less)
I wasn't sure whether I would like this book, as I definitely preferred John Green's half of "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" over David Levithan's. It is...moreI wasn't sure whether I would like this book, as I definitely preferred John Green's half of "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" over David Levithan's. It is, however, an inventive and riveting book that mulls over a lot of heavy topics, including gender and sexuality, depression and suicide, parent-child relations, and love. There's a lot packed into this book, and despite reviews warning that the mechanism for A's body-traveling is unexplained, I found that I really didn't care about the particulars. I cared about the characters and their relationship, and I found myself really interested to find out which body A inhabited every day. (less)
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