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April 15
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Vince
gave
 
to:
It's All Right Now: A Novel (P.S.)
by Charles Chadwick
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Vince
gave
to:
The Bones: A Novel (Paperback)
by Seth Greenland (Goodreads author!)
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Vince
gave
to:
The Brooklyn Follies: A Novel (Paperback)
by Paul Auster
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in October, 2004
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January 21
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Vince
gave
to:
Beyond Black: A Novel (Paperback)
by Hilary Mantel
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in April, 2008
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January 11
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Vince
marked as to-read:
Auggie Wren's Christmas Story (Hardcover)
by Paul Auster
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Vince
gave
to:
The Amateur (Paperback)
by Robert Littell
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in January, 2008
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January 03
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Vince
gave
to:
The Time Traveler's Wife (Paperback)
by Audrey Niffenegger
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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recommended to Vince by:
Lenora
read in December, 2007
Vince said:
"As a teen-ager, I read The Time Machine by H. G. Wells, which began my fascination with time travel. I've enjoyed many stories that incorporate this theme, both in literature and film. How...more
As a teen-ager, I read The Time Machine by H. G. Wells, which began my fascination with time travel. I've enjoyed many stories that incorporate this theme, both in literature and film. However, the paradoxes, outlandish explanations, and accompanying baggage of the sci-fi environs make it quite challenging to embed a meaningful theme within a story that encompasses this theme.
However, Audrey Niffenegger imaginatively uses the time travel device to interweave a love story (Henry and Clare) that transcends normal temporal bounds. But Niffenegger also touches on other themes as well.
The story marches through time with first person perspectives from both Henry and Clare. Sections are laid out that effectively organize Henry's forward and backward jumps, culminating in a powerful ending to the story.
But Henry and Clare must each deal, in their own way, with a fatalistic view of human experience that ensues as a side-effect of time travel. And although Henry can move forward and backward in time, this supernatural ability paradoxically illustrates the constraints of human existence.
This novel is beautifully written and captures your interest immediately. The characters are well drawn and the plot has many interesting twists that await the reader. The time travel device is quite believable within the context of the story. Time travel is introduced not within the themes of science fiction, but as a human anomaly with which Henry explores, and at times, with which he struggles to survive.
I highly recommend this book.
...less
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Vince
gave
to:
Blind Submission: A Novel (Paperback)
by Debra Ginsberg
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in January, 2008
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December 08, 2007
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Vince
gave
to:
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian: A Novel (Paperback)
by Marina Lewycka
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in November, 2007
Vince said:
"I enjoyed reading A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. Marina Lewycka created interesting characters, all part of a uniquely extended family. The family members relate to each other because of circumstances created by an aging parent. The...more
I enjoyed reading A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. Marina Lewycka created interesting characters, all part of a uniquely extended family. The family members relate to each other because of circumstances created by an aging parent. There is something for everyone in this charming, well-told story which weaves various themes throughout.
These themes include:
* Accounts of life in Russia and Ukraine from before WWI up to, and including the post WWII era. Of all the themes, I found this the most fascinating.
* Coping with an aging father who can no longer look after himself after his wife passes away. Many of us have been through similar situations, or might have to some day address this situation.
* Sibling rivalry between two sisters who are as different as night and day, but must work together to address the crisis created by their father. How the sisters resolve their differences is a major theme of this work. I can't imagine a family that cannot relate to the differences highlighted in this theme.
* East vs West. The discrepancies between life in England and the emerging, post Cold War Ukraine make possible the plot that drives this novel.
* A hidden (or maybe not so hidden) theme is the hold a voluptuous woman can have over men, making them act as if they were still 14 year-olds. This was an amusing part of the storyline, but I thought a little over-played.
* And of course, the history of tractors thesis authored by the father. This account highlighted the accounts of Russia and Ukraine, and also the East vs. West theme.
Although I enjoyed this book, there was something about the characters that bothered me. I feel that some of the characters could have been more well-rounded, specifically Valentina and the father. I expected to eventually see a side of each of these characters that would win me over. I also felt the sisters, with the characters personified in the novel, would have handled better the situation with their father
...less
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November 30, 2007
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Vince
marked as to-read:
Away (Hardcover)
by Amy Bloom
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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