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July 24
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Rowena
is currently reading:
The Sparrow (Paperback)
by Mary Doria Russell
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Rowena
gave
to:
Still Life with Woodpecker (Paperback)
by Tom Robbins
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Rowena said:
"What a nutty read. Definitely one of the stranger love stories I've ever come across. In essence, this novel tells the story of how a couple strives to make love stay. It also explains the existence of redheads and what the purpose of the moon is......more
What a nutty read. Definitely one of the stranger love stories I've ever come across. In essence, this novel tells the story of how a couple strives to make love stay. It also explains the existence of redheads and what the purpose of the moon is...sort of.
Robbins' writing reminds me a lot of Neal Stephenson's. They tell the story but every once in awhile, they find it appropriate to stop and rant and rave about something that really doesn't have that much to do with the plot. It's highly entertaining and pretty hilarious but it makes it difficult for me to take the story seriously.
The best part of the book is the end, where Robbins writes freehand. Maybe love does leave when the mystery fades. If that's the case, then is it humanly possible to maintain that sense of enigma with someone you've been with for years and years? I mean it must be...considering how many marriages don't end in divorce. It's heartening to at least think of the possibility. ...less
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July 23
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Rowena
gave
to:
Him Her Him Again The End of Him (Paperback)
by Patricia Marx
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Rowena said:
"This is the age-old story of "girl falls for boy, girl loses boy, girl spends entire existence pining away for boy, boy gives girl hope and then shatters her heart again, girl seeks revenge."
Patricia Marx is a deliciously funny writer. ...more
This is the age-old story of "girl falls for boy, girl loses boy, girl spends entire existence pining away for boy, boy gives girl hope and then shatters her heart again, girl seeks revenge."
Patricia Marx is a deliciously funny writer. So many times I chuckled aloud while reading this book, especially when she polled her friends for comments about the infamous Eugene. However, maybe because the book itself was so short, I just didn't feel like there was enough meat to the story. It seemed more like an opportunity for Marx to show how funny she can be in 200 or so pages. Maybe she has a funny quota and it can't exceed a certain page count.
The appendices were probably the best part of this book...especially the conversation between her and her mother....less
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July 20
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Rowena
gave
to:
London: The Novel (Paperback)
by Edward Rutherfurd
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in July, 2008
Rowena said:
"London is really a great read. It chronicles the history of the city from its creation to present day through the stories of five or six families. Rutherfurd managed to touch on everything from Caesar's rule, to the Norman conquest, to Henry VIII, to...more
London is really a great read. It chronicles the history of the city from its creation to present day through the stories of five or six families. Rutherfurd managed to touch on everything from Caesar's rule, to the Norman conquest, to Henry VIII, to Elizabeth the I, to Shakespeare, to the Industrial Revolution, to WWII and the Blitz...etc etc.
The most intriguing parts of the story were the characters and how their physical and mental traits passed on from time period to time period. I've always been a fan of historical epics and ever since living there, London is my favorite city. The reason why I didn't give this book 5 stars is because Rutherfurd tended to bog down his stories with excessive detail. Usually, I'm all for detail but after about 5 pages of describing the finer points of Protestantism and Catholicism, I had had enough.
I've read his other epic, Sarum, and I definitely prefer this one. At some point I'll give The Dublin Saga a shot....less
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July 07
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Rowena
marked as to-read:
Blindness (Paperback)
by José Saramago
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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July 01
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Rowena
marked as to-read:
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Hardcover)
by Junot Díaz
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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June 30
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Rowena
marked as to-read:
Mahfouz Trilogy: Three Novels of Ancient Egypt (Hardcover)
by Naguib Mahfouz
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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June 27
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Rowena
gave
to:
This Charming Man (Hardcover)
by Marian Keyes
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in June, 2008
Rowena said:
"I was a bit disappointed with this one. I adore all of her books...they're smart, sexy, hilarious. But this one just didn't fill the bill for me. The story is told through the viewpoints of Lola, Marnie and Grace...three women who have had varying ex...more
I was a bit disappointed with this one. I adore all of her books...they're smart, sexy, hilarious. But this one just didn't fill the bill for me. The story is told through the viewpoints of Lola, Marnie and Grace...three women who have had varying experiences with a man named Paddy de Courcy.
Per her usual style, MK manages to raise some pretty serious and intense issues beneath the "fluff" of her story. Maybe it's because I felt like this storyline wasn't as original as some of her others....maybe also because I felt that Paddy was too one-dimensional, predictable..I dunno. I just didn't get that zing I usually feel for MK books.
However, kudos to her on the character of Lola. Loved loved loved her story...what with her escaping to the ass-end of nowhere Ireland, hosting trannie parties and generally getting herself into the most ridiculous situations. Laughed out loud countless times....less
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June 26
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Rowena
marked as to-read:
After Dark (Vintage International)
by Haruki Murakami
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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June 16
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Rowena wrote Chance: A Short Story.
"She believes she is in love with him. No, she knows she is in love with him. The dim morning light f"
...more
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Language & Grammar
— 298 members
— last activity 36 minutes ago
50 Books 2008
— 584 members
— last activity 48 minutes ago
