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Case Histories: A Novel
Kate Atkinson
Little, Brown and Company, 2008
(3.5) "Time was a thief, he stole your life away."
As her recent novel has shown (When Will There Be Good News?), Atkinson's talent has developed over the years, a unique style that is more an aggregation of circumstances than fluid narrative. As the title indicates, there are three mysteries that form the crux of this ...
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The Toss of a Lemon
Padma Viswanathan
Harcourt, 2008
Cultural Imersion
This book is an intriguing novel. It relates in exquisite detail the long and rich history of a family across several generations. It is rich with a variety of philosophical gems. At times the detail is almost excruciating, but at the same time, it is the relating ...
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A Short History of Nearly Everything
Bill Bryson
Broadway, 2004
Simply Amazing!
Let me start by saying that this was one of the most interesting and enjoyable books I have ever read!
The author starts by explaining the beginning of the universe and he discusses it in a very intriguing and easy to understand way. The truly "astronomical" numbers ...
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Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories (Modern Library)
Truman Capote
Modern Library, 1994
Holly Golightly's 50th Aniversary Edition
Fifty years after its initial publication, Truman Capote's famous novella Breakfast at Tiffany's finds new life in this special anniversary edition. Holly Golightly is a New York socialite, leading a carefree life filled with parties and spontaneity. Our narrator, ...
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The Best American Comics 2008 (The Best American Series)
Houghton Mifflin, 2008
Third Time's a Charm
This was definitely the best in the series so far. Lynda Barry turns out to have been a really inspired choice for guest editor, because she picks a set of entries that are virtually all outstanding. She even illustrates her introduction, which is both a nice touch ...
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Katherine
Anya Seton
Chicago Review Press, 2004
The best in historican fiction
Don't let the fact that this book is 50 years old dissuade you--it's one of the best historical novels I've ever read. It tells the tale of John, Duke of Lancaster, and his third wife Katherine, during the 14th century. Factual details about Katherine's life are ...
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Suite Francaise
Irene Nemirovsky
Vintage, 2007
Unfinished masterpiece
Suite Francaise sat on my permanent "mountain" of waiting-to-be-read books for about a year, unopened. Had I only known...
The Holocaust claimed the lives of innumerable people. Irene Nemirovsky was among them. She died at Auschwitz a year after writing the first ...
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War and Peace
Leo Tolstoy
Knopf, 2007
An Amazing Book
From the time I was a young boy, I had knowledge of the existence of this sprawling and intimidating work of literature. I finally decided to tackle it a few weeks ago after taking an interest in Dostoevsky and reading some of his greatest works. My understanding is ...
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Away: A Novel
Amy Bloom
Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2008
READ THIS BOOK!
I LOVED this book. I picked it up at the airport before a long flight because...wait for it...I liked the cover. I was transported. It is unlike any book I have ever read, and I've read a few. It was spare and neat, and yet at the same time, beautifully and ...
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The Great Bust Ahead: The Greatest Depression in American and UK History is Just Several Short Years Away. ...
Daniel A. Arnold
Vorago-US, 2002
Very logical description of the BIG PICTURE
I thought this book was very informative and logical. I think that the "experts" sometimes get lost in the details and completely ignore the BIG PICTURE. It's like they are laying sandbags along a swelling river in front of them and ignoring the growing leaks in the ...
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Islam: A Short History (Modern Library Chronicles)
Karen Armstrong
Modern Library, 2002
Fascinating Book
This was a great book for trying to understand a very complicated religion. I found it easy to read and very insightful.
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A Short History of the United States
Robert V. Remini
Harper, 2008
It is brief but not very compelling
Having read this book I have to admit that it can't be faulted for not being true to its advertising. It is short. Other than that the book does fall short in a number of different ways. It offers readers an extremely superficial view of U.S. history with neither ...
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The Great Depression and the New Deal: A Very Short Introduction: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short ...
Eric Rauchway
Oxford University Press, USA, 2008
The Depression and New Deal Discussed Concisely
The Oxford University Press publishes a series called "Very Short Introductions" written by authorities in their fields. The series helps to introduce busy and curious readers to a wide variety of subjects. The series numbers nearly 200 volumes and includes subjects ...
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Three Kingdoms: Chinese Classics (Classic Novel in 4-Volumes) (No. 1-4)
Luo Guanzhong
Foreign Languages Press, 2005
Great story of heroics and loyalty: Truly an epic
This is the unabridged version and truly a masterpiece. I was familiar with a very small portion of the history during this time period before I read it, so that encouraged me to try it out. If you love epic stories, this is a great one. Guanzhong based his novel on ...
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Showdown (Paradise Series, Book 1) (The Books of History Chronicles)
Ted Dekker
Thomas Nelson, 2007
There's More Than Good Story in Showdown
Showdown. You'll come to know it better as Project Showdown, as Ted Dekker kicks off this series with a premise big enough to reach into the Circle Trilogy and a host of his other works.
Showdown shines in that the story is great AND the allegory is even better. By ...
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