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May 13
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Jrobertus
gave
 
to:
Going After Cacciato (Paperback)
by Tim O'Brien
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Jrobertus said:
"I read this book AFTER I had read Lake of the Woods, since I was so overwhelmed by that novel. This is a lesser book. It is clear that O'Brien is playing with plot devices and styles appropriate for his big story, but they haven't gelled yet. His ...more
I read this book AFTER I had read Lake of the Woods, since I was so overwhelmed by that novel. This is a lesser book. It is clear that O'Brien is playing with plot devices and styles appropriate for his big story, but they haven't gelled yet. His next book is the total package....less
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May 09
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Jrobertus
is currently reading:
The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule (Paperback)
by Michael Shermer
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Jrobertus said:
"I am just beginning this book, but it looks like a most engaging piece of scholarship.
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Jrobertus
gave
to:
The Best American Travel Writing 2007 (Best American (TM))
by Jason Wilson
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Jrobertus said:
"I enjoy this series immensely. The 2007 compilation was not as good as some others, but was still a fun read. The story of the Manila trash mountain was interesting and the journey to visit a new Buddha in Nepal was hilarious.
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April 19
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Jrobertus
gave
to:
The Wee Free Men: A Discworld Novel (Mass Market Paperback)
by Terry Pratchett
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Jrobertus said:
"Terry Pratchett is a treasure and his Disc world series is wonderful. The connection to the Disc world is tangential in this story, but no matter. Tiffany is a milk maiden who wants to be a witch (good witch) and has a chance to show her metal when...more
Terry Pratchett is a treasure and his Disc world series is wonderful. The connection to the Disc world is tangential in this story, but no matter. Tiffany is a milk maiden who wants to be a witch (good witch) and has a chance to show her metal when her world collides with one ruled by a wicked fairy Queen. Fortunately, she has help from some of the most delightful characters in all of literature, the Nac Mac Feelges. They are 6 inch tall, blue pictsies who love stealin', fightin' and drinkin'. They are absolutely hilarious. If you don't read this book, your life will be a hollow shell....less
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Jrobertus
gave
to:
Travels with Charley: In Search of America (Centennial Edition)
by John Steinbeck
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Jrobertus said:
"I am not a great fan of Steinbeck's novels, but I do enjoy his travel writing. He is very observant, thoughtful, and has a wry sense of humor. In Travels with Charley he fits out a camper RV and sets out to find America in the company of his old do...more
I am not a great fan of Steinbeck's novels, but I do enjoy his travel writing. He is very observant, thoughtful, and has a wry sense of humor. In Travels with Charley he fits out a camper RV and sets out to find America in the company of his old dog Charlie. It is generally good fun as he wheels through the northeast, mid west, and mountain west. He has a very reflective section on his return to Salinas CA, his ancestral home. The mood turns darker as he enters the deep South, which in 1960 was a violent and hate-filled place. He observes a virulent mob in New Orleans trying to stop black children from attending school, and it is quite a jolt. America seems to have made some progress in the past 40 years though. ...less
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April 06
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Jrobertus
gave
to:
The Names of Things (Paperback)
by Susan Brind Morrow
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Jrobertus said:
"This is an unusual read. Morrow is a linguist with an interest in the nature-based origin of ancient Egyptian words and hieroglyphs. She loves Egypt and its people, no matter their poverty and superstition. This narrative mixes her life, family me...more
This is an unusual read. Morrow is a linguist with an interest in the nature-based origin of ancient Egyptian words and hieroglyphs. She loves Egypt and its people, no matter their poverty and superstition. This narrative mixes her life, family memories, and observations of beauty with her travels and studies. The result is quite interesting. Oddly enough for someone interested in words, I found her sentence construction awkward and often difficult to follow; I guess its the poetry coming out....less
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March 17
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Jrobertus
gave
to:
Right as Rain (Paperback)
by George P. Pelecanos
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Jrobertus said:
"This book sucks. I recently finished a Pelicanos novel that I enjoyed and I thought,"hey a new Michael Connelly". It is not to be I fear. Right as Rain has plot feartures that are unbeleivable but that is not the most irritating part. I...more
This book sucks. I recently finished a Pelicanos novel that I enjoyed and I thought,"hey a new Michael Connelly". It is not to be I fear. Right as Rain has plot feartures that are unbeleivable but that is not the most irritating part. It is clear the author has some arcane Blues and jazz fetish and so ALL his characters like the same obscure music and all actions are accompanied by a description of which tracks of which album the character is listening to. Also there is needless descriptions of random sex acts which make this seem like a pulp story instead of a well plotted thriller....less
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Jrobertus
gave
to:
The Book Your Church Doesn't Want You to Read (Paperback)
by Tim C. Leedom
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Jrobertus said:
"This book is not as great as I hoped. It does provide useful information and references about biblical errors, and about the ignorance and brutality of fundamentalist religions. However, it is not a very dynamic read.
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February 26
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Jrobertus
gave
to:
The Sweet Forever (Five Star)
by George P. Pelecanos
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Jrobertus said:
"George Pelecanos has written a number of thrillers, and I am looking forward to reading more. I like his style. The dialog is crisp, the characters interesting, and the detail is engaging. IN this story, a black record story owner and his Greek Am...more
George Pelecanos has written a number of thrillers, and I am looking forward to reading more. I like his style. The dialog is crisp, the characters interesting, and the detail is engaging. IN this story, a black record story owner and his Greek American buddy face up to a Washington DC drug lord and his muscle boys. Pelicanos is a writer for the fabulous HBO series "The Wire" and it shows here. He has the same kind of gritty characters and episodic narrative as the TV show....less
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Jrobertus
gave
to:
The Last Man Who Knew Everything: Thomas Young, the Anonymous Genius Who Proved Newton Wrong and Deciphered the Rosetta Stone, Among Other Surprising Feats (Paperback)
by Andrew Robinson
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in February, 2008
Jrobertus said:
"This is a biography of the early 19th century polymath Thomas Young. He is well known for his work in physics (Young's modulus) and in optics. What I did not know was his accomplishments as a linguist and Egyptologist. His work laid the basis for ...more
This is a biography of the early 19th century polymath Thomas Young. He is well known for his work in physics (Young's modulus) and in optics. What I did not know was his accomplishments as a linguist and Egyptologist. His work laid the basis for the deciphering of hieroglyphics. The narrative, however, is not all that inspiring so this interesting story is not all that engaging....less
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Books I Loathed
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— last activity 17 hours, 23 min ago
