I really thought I was going to love this book...I think Stephen Greenblatt's Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare is one of the best...moreI really thought I was going to love this book...I think Stephen Greenblatt's Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare is one of the best biographies I've ever read. This book still has some of the same characteristics that made Will so winning, but this narrative felt slightly padded. I was expecting more about the Lucretius book itself and its impact...but the book doesn't really come into the story till over 150 pages into the book. Still Greenblatt is a great writer and the book reads quickly and smoothly.(less)
This story seemed very zeitgeist-y telling about the after effects of a young girl sending a classmate a sex video and then that video going viral. T...moreThis story seemed very zeitgeist-y telling about the after effects of a young girl sending a classmate a sex video and then that video going viral. The book seemed a little overwritten at first, but it gets better as it progresses, but sometimes it feels like the idea of a really great short story overextended to 160 pages.(less)
I just couldn't get into this book...which is disappointing because I really thought I was going to like it. But for me it was a bit too much like Th...moreI just couldn't get into this book...which is disappointing because I really thought I was going to like it. But for me it was a bit too much like The Girl With Dragon Tattoo books where the author throws boatloads of characters at you, but without really differentiating them in any concrete way. I kept thinking "Wait who's Gulliam? Who's Max?" Some of the writing was really nice, but for a thriller, thrilled I was not.(less)
I like the conceit of this book...alternating chapters written by two authors...and I respect it as an experiment. The book has an engaging tone, but...moreI like the conceit of this book...alternating chapters written by two authors...and I respect it as an experiment. The book has an engaging tone, but the plot ends up going every which way, with characters added and dropped left and right. (I listened to the audio book version of this title and the different readers interpretations of the same character could also add some confusion).(less)
My favorite Inspector Gamache mystery yet! The inspector and his wife are away on vacation in a secluded cabin when one of their fellow travellers is...moreMy favorite Inspector Gamache mystery yet! The inspector and his wife are away on vacation in a secluded cabin when one of their fellow travellers is crushed by a statue. Some great characters (I'm especially fond of Bert Finney) and some interesting insight into Gamache's backstory.(less)
Poirot investigates a crime that happened 16 years previously with only the memories of the five central suspects...the book gets a little repetitive ...morePoirot investigates a crime that happened 16 years previously with only the memories of the five central suspects...the book gets a little repetitive as Poirot talks to all five suspects and then we read their written recollections of the same event. But the writing is really good and the mystery (and solution) quite satisfying.(less)
I really liked the way this graphic novel was drawn and the story definitely kept surprising. In the end I felt like the story line was a little over...moreI really liked the way this graphic novel was drawn and the story definitely kept surprising. In the end I felt like the story line was a little over wrought for the message conveyed. (less)
Although I don't think this books succeeds at revealing the inner workings of the marriage of Franklin and Eleanor (after the early courtship and the ...moreAlthough I don't think this books succeeds at revealing the inner workings of the marriage of Franklin and Eleanor (after the early courtship and the history picks up you don't have a real sense about what they felt for each other on a personal level), it does succeed and creating an engaging and fast-paced tour of the early part of the 20th Century. For a little over 300 pages Rowley covers a lot in this page turner of a history.(less)
I thought this was the best Jackson Brodie book since the original Case Histories. I haven't got so wrapped up in a story's narrative in quite a long...moreI thought this was the best Jackson Brodie book since the original Case Histories. I haven't got so wrapped up in a story's narrative in quite a long time. The other Jackson Brodie books seemed to be a little too fond of their own cleverness and this one sticks more to just telling the story. The was a little unsatisfying, but I read the entire thing over two days, which hasn't happened for me in a long time.(less)
This book definitely falls more on the literary end of the mystery fiction spectrum. I liked this book enough to try more in the series...it's very w...moreThis book definitely falls more on the literary end of the mystery fiction spectrum. I liked this book enough to try more in the series...it's very well written, but I wanted a little more plot propulsion. That being said Brunetti is a great character to spend 270 pages with and I liked the relationship between him and his wife.
These stories read so quickly that it's easy to think that they're slight, but the best of them (Liliana, The Children, Travis B) stick with you. Mos...moreThese stories read so quickly that it's easy to think that they're slight, but the best of them (Liliana, The Children, Travis B) stick with you. Most of the stories take place in Montana, but they're all very different. I'm not usually a short story book fan, but this one was quite good.(less)
I'm not usually a fan of thrillers that are such Alpha Male machismo fantasies...but this book was solidly written and Jack Reacher was an intriguing ...moreI'm not usually a fan of thrillers that are such Alpha Male machismo fantasies...but this book was solidly written and Jack Reacher was an intriguing character. As Reacher tries to figure out what really happened in a seemingly random sniper shooting spree in a small city in Indiana. The plot went on a little long, but I was interested enough to stick through the book until the end, and may even give another title in this series a try.(less)
An utterly delightful celebrity memoir. Dick Van Dyke is a wonderful companion to spend 270 pages with...thoughtful, funny, optimistic. I thoroughly...moreAn utterly delightful celebrity memoir. Dick Van Dyke is a wonderful companion to spend 270 pages with...thoughtful, funny, optimistic. I thoroughly enjoyed learning the behind the scenes of some of my favorites (Dick Van Dyke Show, Bye, Bye Birdie, Mary Poppins). A quick and charming read.(less)
Larsen does a really great job of transporting you to pre-WWII Germany and showing you the perspective of Americans who experienced the rise of the Th...moreLarsen does a really great job of transporting you to pre-WWII Germany and showing you the perspective of Americans who experienced the rise of the Third Reich without necessarily realizing that that is what they were experiencing. I've read other histories of this period and few have been as vivid. The book does have some clunky foreshadowing that I believe is supposed to build dramatic tension, but this story doesn't need that novelistic trickery.(less)
In the third installment, things pick up again...the action moves along at a much quicker pace. Sometimes with the black and white drawings it can st...moreIn the third installment, things pick up again...the action moves along at a much quicker pace. Sometimes with the black and white drawings it can still be hard to differentiate characters, but for the most part the delineations are clearer. This volume also introduces a few more weightier issues that give the comic a bit more depth than the earlier installments.(less)
I'm not usually a fan of war novels, but this book won me over. I came in not knowing much of anything about the Battle of Gettysburg, so I enjoyed g...moreI'm not usually a fan of war novels, but this book won me over. I came in not knowing much of anything about the Battle of Gettysburg, so I enjoyed getting a chance to learn about it. My only complaint is that most of the action of the battle takes place away from the books narrative. Its told from the general and other leaders point of view and I think it would have been interesting to hear the point of view of one of the soldiers in the middle of the mix.(less)
Nicely written, but the content was a little too intense and disheartening for this particular reader...especially the second book that focuses on the...moreNicely written, but the content was a little too intense and disheartening for this particular reader...especially the second book that focuses on the details of horrifically described drug addiction. (less)
I think I disagree with the central thesis of this book...i.e. I don't think puns are all that important. It feels like the historical narrative is a...moreI think I disagree with the central thesis of this book...i.e. I don't think puns are all that important. It feels like the historical narrative is a bit forced and selective...but I did enjoy the examples of punning. That made me laugh.(less)
This book may be my favorite novel of the year so far. It looks at truth and faith and familial relationships while also incorporating a lot of Shake...moreThis book may be my favorite novel of the year so far. It looks at truth and faith and familial relationships while also incorporating a lot of Shakespeare. Arthur Phillips (the character in the book) is bequeathed a "lost" Shakespeare play from his father, a convicted forger and con man. The first 250 pages are his introduction where he recounts the story of the play and his family's history. Then the last one hundred pages are the play itself. I was expecting it to be painful, but Phillips created a convincing and entertaining psuedo-Shakespearean play. Thumbs up!(less)
Sometimes it's hard to decipher exactly what's going on in the black and white graphics and sometimes it's hard to distinguish the characters by their...moreSometimes it's hard to decipher exactly what's going on in the black and white graphics and sometimes it's hard to distinguish the characters by their drawings, but the plot keeps surprising and raising thought-provoking situations. A solid series.(less)
Loading...
