Absolutely the best book I've read in a long time. Terrific use of language, snappy dialogue, interesting characters, best use of first person narratiAbsolutely the best book I've read in a long time. Terrific use of language, snappy dialogue, interesting characters, best use of first person narration, fun time period, riveting story. I had a hard time putting it down but I kept forcing myself to go slowly so that I could savor the language as much as possible. Even still, I'm tempted to re-read the book just to take it all in again, one more time. Maybe while drinking some gin....more
It's been a while since I read any Murakami and I always forget what a great voice he has. This collection of short stories was vastly fun to read. I It's been a while since I read any Murakami and I always forget what a great voice he has. This collection of short stories was vastly fun to read. I love how you can always count on a Murakami story to riff on similar themes in fun and strange new ways. A story will start out with a straight narrative line and then blamo! you are talking to cats, anthropomorphizing waves and feeling ok about infidelity while drinking whiskey with a stranger.
I read this in the hazy days after my daughter was born, so I felt like maybe I was missing some of the metaphors/allegories that the author intended.I read this in the hazy days after my daughter was born, so I felt like maybe I was missing some of the metaphors/allegories that the author intended....or maybe they weren't intended and were just not very well constructed?
It's a weird story, told in a kind of round about way. I can't say I enjoyed reading it but it was oddly compelling for its weirdness....more
Is it possible to give a book zero stars? Hideously insensitive and most definitely not funny. Not even in a "cute" way. Barf.Is it possible to give a book zero stars? Hideously insensitive and most definitely not funny. Not even in a "cute" way. Barf....more
David Foster Wallace was an amazing writer. He had a remarkable way with language and a way of melding topics that surpasses most if not all of his peDavid Foster Wallace was an amazing writer. He had a remarkable way with language and a way of melding topics that surpasses most if not all of his peers. He also seemed overly self-indulgent, self-conscious, and cynical as a writer. These essays are great, really, but I couldn't read more than one at a time before I started to feel that bitter irony was taking over and winning. I feel too old to find it funny. I just found it sad and occasionally annoying.
The interesting part is that these were mostly written in the 90s, way before hipster was even a word let alone trend, yet these essays felt SO hipster to me. ...more
I really enjoy Allende's style of storytelling. She's like a cross between a Wise Woman whose stories are parables and your neighbor who knows all theI really enjoy Allende's style of storytelling. She's like a cross between a Wise Woman whose stories are parables and your neighbor who knows all the family dirt on everyone in the neighborhood and will gleefully embellish it for dramatic emphasis over cookies.
This is not my favorite of her novels (that would be Daughter of Fortune), mostly because I think the plot loses a lot of steam towards the end when the central narrative surrounds the atrocities committed by the Chilean government during the military Coup of the 60s instead of the characters....more
Hmm. I thought I already reviewed this one...wonder what happened to that review?
Anyway, I loved this book. Everything about it - the characters, the Hmm. I thought I already reviewed this one...wonder what happened to that review?
Anyway, I loved this book. Everything about it - the characters, the various plot lines, the beginning, middle and end. And even though it was translation, I loved the language and the writing.
Although it took me a while to really get into this book, in the end I quite enjoyed it. It is both satirical and hopeful at the same time.
It takes aAlthough it took me a while to really get into this book, in the end I quite enjoyed it. It is both satirical and hopeful at the same time.
It takes about half the book before the plot actually emerges. The first half of the book builds the 2 main character's separate stories, which, while amusing at times, can be tedious given that they don't really interact with anyone else. Once the plot lines finally begin to intersect though is where it gets delightful.
Sweet and funny, this book is a slender collection of anecdotes about the hijinks of a very German professor. The book is quite nice for a relaxing reSweet and funny, this book is a slender collection of anecdotes about the hijinks of a very German professor. The book is quite nice for a relaxing read but don't ask too much from it or it will disappoint....more
I love Deanna Raybourn's voice in this series, I love the characters and the setting, and I enjoyed reading the book. But after I finished I realized I love Deanna Raybourn's voice in this series, I love the characters and the setting, and I enjoyed reading the book. But after I finished I realized that it wasn't as satisfying as her first three of the series. In those books there is a delicious tension and you can get completely lost in the puzzle of the story. This book is delightful but it feels like the author is pandering to her romance novel readers by shoe-horning in sex scenes at the expense of fleshing out new villains and creating exciting new layers to the mystery for us all to get lost in.
Plus, since the characters are married, the tensions that arise are more of the garden variety marital problems which are decidedly less sexy that those they faced before they married. Here's hoping the next one takes it up a notch....more
Very thorough review of concepts. I found it really helpful to work through the problems in the back of each chapter to cement each topic point. I'm cVery thorough review of concepts. I found it really helpful to work through the problems in the back of each chapter to cement each topic point. I'm curious to compare it to the Hanford guide which is supposed to be the best one out there and is sadly out of print. ...more
I've been meaning to re-read this delightful little novel for a while to remind myself of what YA writing was back when I was a kid. I got the free veI've been meaning to re-read this delightful little novel for a while to remind myself of what YA writing was back when I was a kid. I got the free version for Kindle and adored it. It is the perfect antidote to the dreary doldrums of mid-February as the whole book is about the coming of Spring and all the growing and healing and renewing that occurs during that transition. It is about hope and improvement and connecting with nature and each other.
It totally made me anticipate Spring in a whole new childlike way. Happy....more
I always forget just how hilariously sarcastic and witty Jane Austen can be at times. I love her treatment of Emma - she's a fool but Austen never letI always forget just how hilariously sarcastic and witty Jane Austen can be at times. I love her treatment of Emma - she's a fool but Austen never lets anyone degrade or condescend to her without suffering for it. Funny how as you get older and read these novels again, it's the sub-plots and secondary characters that pull on your attention. I found myself really loving the character arc of Miss Bates, the chatty and annoying spinster aunt.
I also found myself looking for construction seams, so to speak, in the narration. Those moments where the story stalls and someone has to pull out a gun or set the building on fire to get it going again. In this novel, I found the story didn't hang together quite as nicely as P&P or S&S - there were moments where I thought, she's left poor Mr. Elton in Bath for an awfully long time! And then when he comes back, his wife is so obviously a plot stirrer. Delightful to be sure, but still, rather less subtle than I had remembered Austen.
Anyway, always charming and full of literary surprises, Emma is definitely among her most solid works. ...more
This book made me very sad. I was SO excited to read an Umberto Eco book for the first time. I'd heard so much buzz about him and it seemed like everyThis book made me very sad. I was SO excited to read an Umberto Eco book for the first time. I'd heard so much buzz about him and it seemed like everyone whose taste I admire had read him.
The story was interesting and when I got to reading it, I enjoyed the plot. I was horribly distracted by the sheer amount that LOST (the TV show) lifted from the plot and themes and narrative style (flashbacks!), but it was still enjoyable.
The part I really didn't like was the fact that I felt like Eco was trying to make me feel dumb. Or himself smart. I haven't needed to read with a dictionary next to me in a LONG time and it was kind of annoying. That, I was willing to chalk up to a bad translation. But there were also entire paragraphs that referenced art history, ancient history, mythology and obscure philosophy in the SAME paragraph and in the end, it went over my head. I couldn't help but feel like if I even got to the end of the book, I wouldn't have read the same book that Eco wrote. I couldn't tell also if Eco put that many references in because it really made a difference in the story or if he was just effing with his readers.
I like challenging, meaty books just as much as I like my fluff but I don't care for being jerked around by authors in demeaning ways. I know I'm probably just sounding defensive and silly but I was peeved.
Sadly, Dorothy Sayers seems to be abysmal at short story writing. I braved through 3 of the stories before chucking the book. They all feel like firstSadly, Dorothy Sayers seems to be abysmal at short story writing. I braved through 3 of the stories before chucking the book. They all feel like first drafts or character studies and none of them have the distinctive dialogue or wit of her full blown novels. ...more
Interesting literary experiment on the part of Sayers in this novel. She breaks with her usual format of Murder! Enter charming rogueish detective! WiInteresting literary experiment on the part of Sayers in this novel. She breaks with her usual format of Murder! Enter charming rogueish detective! Wild goose chase! Arrest and Feathers in Caps all around! and for the first 100 or so pages we don't know what the crime is or who the detective is. It's also less of a murder mystery than a crime fiction novel which seems to be her attempt at noir. It's an amusing attempt but I prefer her at her genre best. ...more
This Christie was surprising in it's light touch (until the end, when things kind of spiraled out of control) and fantastic social commentary. PlayingThis Christie was surprising in it's light touch (until the end, when things kind of spiraled out of control) and fantastic social commentary. Playing throughout the murder case is a dissection of generational interplay across the divide of the War, the deep xenophobia and the suspicions and doubts they engender and the changing of family values and community bonds. Utterly fascinating and surprising given how fluffy most of her novels are.
Of course, none of the changes in society hold a candle to the powerful murder motives of Power, Greed and Blackmail. ...more
Reasons I love Miss Marples stories: 1. She treats murder/crime like a breach of etiquette that needs to be corrected post haste. 2. SYay, Miss Marples!
Reasons I love Miss Marples stories: 1. She treats murder/crime like a breach of etiquette that needs to be corrected post haste. 2. She is adorable in her cover as a delicate old knitting lady. 3. Gossip is serious detecting business, not to be trifled with by the likes of official people. 4. The murderer is always the VERY LAST person you suspect. In fact, if at the end you don't roll your eyes heaven-ward and wonder what THAT was all about, I don't think we could be friends.
Reasons I'm not so fond of Miss Marples stories: 1. The sexism. Really, I should expect more from a female author but I guess spinsterhood was considered a moral degeneration in Christie's day. 2. The ageism. Yikes. 3. The murderer is always the VERY LAST person you suspect. This gets rather tiresome (when you read four or five in a row).
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