It should not be so hard to write both poetry and fiction. Both arts, after all, make use of the same materials, words and punctuation. Poems...
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This novel has an epic sweep, a solid plot, memorable settings and fully formed, interesting characters. My local librarian was so impressed with it that she recommended it to me several times. When I finally read it, I was pleased to find myself on an adventure that spanned several continents (from the UK to India and from Ethiopia to the United States) and several decades. Verghese takes the time to fill in details about people and places that other writers might gloss over; in this regard, the book reminded me of John Irving's novels. Verghese, himself a doctor, also infuses the book with a surgeon's perspective and does a credible job conveying the daily miseries and miracles to be found in an African hospital. Although the book felt a tad too long in spots, it mostly hums along. I recommend it without reservations!
This was an enjoyable, easy read. I don't consider it a classic or anything, but Charlaine Harris does know how to have some fun with the well-worn vampire genre. (I'd say I liked it more than the Twilight books but not as much as early Anne Rice. It's more explicit and grownup than Stephenie Meyer's stuff, but not as dark as Rice's Lestat books.) The characters are interesting, the plot held more than a few surprises and the telepathic main character offers some creative possibilities for moving the story along.
I adored this book. It's the novel that Jane Austen would be writing if she were alive today. An incisive, witty, suspenseful comedy of manners set in modern-day England, complete with cell phones, obnoxious bankers, grasping nouveau riche Americans and interracial relationships ... and the usual tea, disapproving relatives, formal dinners, drawing rooms and brisk winter mornings. Every part of the story rings true, each character gets an appropriately complex story line and the descriptions are so vivid that you can picture each scene in your mind. It's truly hard to believe that this is Helen Simonson's first novel. I hope she's hard at work on something equally wonderful now!
I love love love Jasper Fforde, though I'd recommend "The Eyre Affair" over this novel if you've never read any of his books before. "Shades of Grey" works as a social commentary, a dystopian novel and as a mystery. It certainly doesn't lack ambition! Fforde has a solid premise and a great plot. It's a shame he didn't have a more aggressive editor, though; I think the book could easily have been 75 pages shorter.
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This truly is a must-read for parents. The authors explore topics ranging from lying to sleep and from praise to language development, using the latest social science research to make points about why children do what they do and how parents can help them to do better. It's like "Freakonomics," but for parenting. The authors keep the chapters lively, with plenty of anecdotes and real-life observations mixed in with the research findings. The book may not persuade you to make radical changes at home, but at the very least it will change the way you think about certain behaviors.
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Rachel Coker has commented on (37) products.
Cutting for Stone (Vintage) by Abraham Verghese
Rachel Coker, January 1, 2012
This novel has an epic sweep, a solid plot, memorable settings and fully formed, interesting characters. My local librarian was so impressed with it that she recommended it to me several times. When I finally read it, I was pleased to find myself on an adventure that spanned several continents (from the UK to India and from Ethiopia to the United States) and several decades. Verghese takes the time to fill in details about people and places that other writers might gloss over; in this regard, the book reminded me of John Irving's novels. Verghese, himself a doctor, also infuses the book with a surgeon's perspective and does a credible job conveying the daily miseries and miracles to be found in an African hospital. Although the book felt a tad too long in spots, it mostly hums along. I recommend it without reservations!Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse Novels) by Charlaine Harris
Rachel Coker, October 24, 2011
This was an enjoyable, easy read. I don't consider it a classic or anything, but Charlaine Harris does know how to have some fun with the well-worn vampire genre. (I'd say I liked it more than the Twilight books but not as much as early Anne Rice. It's more explicit and grownup than Stephenie Meyer's stuff, but not as dark as Rice's Lestat books.) The characters are interesting, the plot held more than a few surprises and the telepathic main character offers some creative possibilities for moving the story along.Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Rachel Coker, October 14, 2011
I adored this book. It's the novel that Jane Austen would be writing if she were alive today. An incisive, witty, suspenseful comedy of manners set in modern-day England, complete with cell phones, obnoxious bankers, grasping nouveau riche Americans and interracial relationships ... and the usual tea, disapproving relatives, formal dinners, drawing rooms and brisk winter mornings. Every part of the story rings true, each character gets an appropriately complex story line and the descriptions are so vivid that you can picture each scene in your mind. It's truly hard to believe that this is Helen Simonson's first novel. I hope she's hard at work on something equally wonderful now!Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron by Jasper Fforde
Rachel Coker, October 10, 2011
I love love love Jasper Fforde, though I'd recommend "The Eyre Affair" over this novel if you've never read any of his books before. "Shades of Grey" works as a social commentary, a dystopian novel and as a mystery. It certainly doesn't lack ambition! Fforde has a solid premise and a great plot. It's a shame he didn't have a more aggressive editor, though; I think the book could easily have been 75 pages shorter.(0 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
NurtureShock: New Thinking about Children by Po Bronson
Rachel Coker, September 20, 2011
This truly is a must-read for parents. The authors explore topics ranging from lying to sleep and from praise to language development, using the latest social science research to make points about why children do what they do and how parents can help them to do better. It's like "Freakonomics," but for parenting. The authors keep the chapters lively, with plenty of anecdotes and real-life observations mixed in with the research findings. The book may not persuade you to make radical changes at home, but at the very least it will change the way you think about certain behaviors.1-5 of 37next