false 15 370 334 true 5727414 read 2 true 3367773 currently-reading 34 true 3367772 to-read 18 false 3368015 favorites 10 false 3368036 almost-favorites 2 false 4817245 read-twice 1 false 5239361 to-go-back-and-finish 0 false 5239367 books-to-try-again-later 0 false 7985735 wishlist http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79010369 to: Bringing Down the House : The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions (Hardcover) by Ben Mezrich
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79010207 The Peculiar Memories of Thomas Penman (Paperback) by Bruce Robinson
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77253902 to: Expecting Adam: A True Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic (Paperback) by Martha N. Beck
bookshelves: favorites
What a great book! It is a memoire that can be enjoyed on a few levels, and I enjoyed it on all of them. The author, Martha Beck, writes about the birth of her second child, conceived when she and her husband were both pursuing fast track, combined Masters/Phd programs at Harvard. Pregnancy brings with it an array of unpleasant physical symptoms that go far beyond simple morning sickness, but also a number of wonderful, unexplainable, otherwordly occurences. Partway through the pregnancy, amniocentesis shows that the baby has Down syndrome. Against the advice of doctors and academic advisors, she and her husband decide to continue the pregnancy. Before the child is born, the couple realize that both of them have been having similar, unexplainable experiences. Over time, they gradually let go of their previous, driven, academic selves and begin to accept a different reality. The changes they experience are profound, as are the lessons they learn from their son after he is born. If this was all there was to the book, it would be a good, worthwhile read. What makes it a 5-star, must-read book is the fact that Marth Beck is very funny. Very funny. This book goes onto my all time favorite book shelf. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40822328 Irene's review of Aegypt (Bantam Spectra Book)
by John Crowley

I've just finished the first book of the Aegypt series and I'm simultaneously disappointed and ready to lauch into the 2nd book. Other books by John Crowley have had me under their spell right away. This one didn't. In fact every time I picked it up I'd fall asleep before I got very far. The problem, for me, was the structure of the book. There's a lot of jumping around. The main character is reading older books, and for a while the books he is reading become the narrative. Ditto for one of the other characters. It seemed like just when you got engaged in the story there would be a time shift and you'd have to get re-caught up in the story.

The encouraging thing is that the main character, an author, is planning to write a book about the very themes explored in this first book of the Aegypt series. More than once he thinks about how he will lay out the book he is planning. And it is clear that the of The Solitudes fits this plan.

I think I need another quick read before jumping into the second book. But there is no questioning John Crowley's brilliance, enormous grasp of detail, and abiity to create an alternate reality. I just hope to be spellbound by the subsequent books in the series. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40822328 to: Aegypt (Bantam Spectra Book) by John Crowley
I'm banking on this book grabbing me before too long. I'm nearly halfway though and it hasn't happened yet. It's the first of a 4-part series and I am so sure I'll like it that I've already bought the other three. I'm a big John Crowley fan, ever since reading his classic -- Little, Big -- and the reviews and descriptions of this series sound wonderful. Stay tuned... ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77056662 Parkerbetsy's review of The Once and Future King
by T.H. White

I just got this book, which I read long ago, and added it to my TBR pile. It's nice to hear that you've re-read it more than once and found it enjoyable each time. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76868090 to: Lolita (Penguin Modern Classics) by Vladimir Nabokov
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76868082 to: The Princess Bride (Paperback) by William Goldman
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76868069 to: Catch-22 (Paperback) by Joseph Heller
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76868067 to: Stardust (Paperback) by Neil Gaiman
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