Customer Comments

I actually read this book on accident, thinking it was another book that I had been told about. It turned out to be very good. I really enjoyed the southwestern, small town setting and the larger scope created by flahbacks of the first two settlers. The story ends up being a beautiful, melencholy blend of the mystical with this gritty tangible thing called life.

There are a lot of reasons to be cynical about politics and human nature. But this is one of those books that reminds me there is hope. Tutu's description of South Africa cuts to your soul. At times I was repulsed by the bestial, depraved acts that humans are capable of. At other times I was overwhelmed by the strength of moral character exhibited during this time. The TRC brings to light the full gammit of human behavior in a way that very few experiences can. And the way Tutu describes the process is both informative and inspiring.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is absurdism at its best. It is much more witty and intelligent than something like Ubu Roi or Waiting For Godot. I know. I know. Waiting for Godot is the poster child for absurdist theater, but Stoppard is a master of words. His dialogue is acrobatic, full of puns and word plays and nonsensical banter that is, ironically, saturated with meaning. I recomend this very highly to anyone who enjoys plays and especially to those who enjoy absurdism.

Enders game is science fiction, but it is also a book about relationships. It is a study in community. I was actually stunned at how much this book caused me to reflect on my own life. Amidst the antigravity, lightspeed, and lasers (which were all great too) sat deeply human themes that really spoke to the soul. In fact, I enjoyed it enough that I went out and grabbed a handful of other books by Orson Scott Card.

The characters in this series have so much depth. I don't particularly like Dream as a person, but I root for him in the same way you might root for a family member even when they do things that bother you. Death and Destruction are the two I enjoy most because they are antistereotypical, also because they are so personable and relatable. I adore them like I would a favorite uncle or good friend, and found myself missing them when the story was over. I also very much enjoyed the epic scope of the story. It covers hundreds of years, and the same people tend to pop up now and again throughout. The progression of the story is fluid in spite of the fact that it focuses on numerous characters and does not progress chronologically. The first book is not necessarily my favorite, but it is the best place to start . . . and they are all fantastic. I know this is a bold statement, but I consider this series one of the best things I've read.

The writing style in Syrup feels casual, and it is interspersed with little marketing tidbits and whatnots. Some novels feel more epic or formal, as if you are going out to a nice dinner. This one feels as if you and the author are at home hanging out, in a good way. Hanging out is easy. Sometimes you don't feel like getting all dressed up and you'd rather just order take out.

Jennifer Government is action, humor, and social commentary all rolled into one. Barry's writting is top notch, the read is fast, and the book is difficult to put down.

This book had some interesting information in it, but it was way too long. I thought she could have made her points much more succinctly than she did. My impatience may just go to show that I have missed the point of the book, but that's how I feel. I also did not enjoy her sense of humor, although that's a matter of taste. Someone else I know thought she was really funny. So I guess my final evaluation is that it's probably a decent book, but it just didn't jive with me.

I would really like to recomend the whole series, but I figure if someone decides to read the first book they won't be able to stop. I would put Martin up there with Tolkien as one of the greats. Although their styles are different. Tolkien is very black and white, whereas Martin writes in shades of gray. It is very difficult to root specifically for any one of the royal houses. I had my favorite characters. But the ones I liked did things that bothered me, and the ones I didn't like had a way of garnering my sympathy. I also love the fact that Martin is not afraid to kill off characters. That, mixed with all the political intrigue, made for an edge of your seat kind of read. My only regret is that he is still in the middle of the series. I need to know what happens, damn it!

Superhero zombies! What a cool idea (in an incredibly cheesy B movie sort of way). Unfortunately I found the idea more entertaining than the actual story.

Both the plot and the character development in this book are fantastic. The scope of the story was much larger that I expected. Chabon explores varius aspects of the characters lives including escape artistry, comic art, jewish mysticism, war politics, sexual orientation, and family. And he does it a coherent, realistic way that makes his characters believable. It's one of those books where you become so attached to the characters that you actually miss them once the book is over.

One of the things I loved about Watchmen was how human the super humans were. You get all the stuff you love about comics (errr...graphic novels), but with a gritty accessibility that you don't often find in this genre.

This is not the most current book on physics, but it is interesting in that it talks not just about the science but also about the philosophical implications of the science. It is also a fairly easy read and not at all dificult to understand, but Zukav's explanations sometimes lack detail in order to accomplish this.

This one didn't really draw me in until the last couple chapters, but at that point it became retroactively profound. I began to remember back over the book and realized that it was actually REALLY good. So I read it again.

The evocotive images found in Persepolis convey meaning that might have been lost in pure text. The story itself is informative and touching, but the way in which Satrapi uses the form of graphic novel so effectively is what really makes this book a work of art.

It's been a while since I read a book that actually made me feel guilty. Alot of Christian authors are mid to upper class, educated, land owners talking about how we should emulate a gritty, blue collar, homeless guy (Jesus). And I'll be honest; it's hard for me to read books like that without a smirk and a slight feeling of superiority, but Claiborne is different. He is one of the few Christian authors I would describe as truly authentic.

Them is all about paranoia. Ronson looks at a number of extremist groups exploring both how they view themselves and how they view each other. His reporting is done in a lighthearted way that is humorous and informative. I did, however, like The Men Who Stare At Goats a little bit better, but they were both pretty good.

Brian Greene has a talent for conveying complex ideas in a way that is easy to understand. He is constantly using word pictures (and sometimes actual pictures) to explain relativity, quantum theory, and other topics that are utterly fascinating but are sometimes difficult to get your brain around. Elegant Universe is not a light read, but for those looking to get a moderate understanding of the subject matter I highly recomend it.

This book made me smile. The descriptions were vivid. I enjoyed the zoology included in the plot. And Pi himself was delightful. It was just the right mix of the plausible and the fantastic.

This collection includes poems from Rumi, Rabia, Meister Eckhart, John of the Cross, and a number of other mystics from several religious traditions. I enjoyed the variety of styles being unified be a common spiritual theme. And the translation of the poems felt quite comfortable.

Macarthur purports to be championing the cause of Truth. What Macarthur actually does, ironically, is to disregard truth in favor of his own opinions. The point of the book is to demonize both postmodernity and the emerging church movement, but the book is little more than a rant.

Choke is as intensely sexual as fight club was intensely violent (That's a good thing by the way). And it's wildly humorous. I spent much of my time with the book camped out on my big cushy reading chair, giggling mischievously.

This book of short stories contains some of the most wonderful imagery I have ever read. If there is one thing Obrien does in his writting it is to convey the emotion and meaning of an experience deeply, on the gut level. It's more than just understanding what he is trying to communicate; the text seeps into you. Fantastic! I would also recomend Going After Cacciato.

This book contains its fair share of interesting information, but it seems that Pinchbeck has less and less of relevance to say as the book goes on. I also find the personal information he chooses to include particularly annoying. I would be willing to recomend the first half of this book, but after that it kind of pitters out.

I've always loved Camus for his glass-is-half-full version of existentialism, and The Plague is my favorite of all his fiction works. It is a vivid picture of the beauty which can be found in an imperfect world.

This book is about the more esoteric practices of the United States military. Since Ronson is a bit of a skeptic, there is a underlying tone of playfull mockery throughout the book. I found it mildly informative, but quite homorous.

As always, Gaiman's work is fantastic! I love how comfortably he is able to weave mythologies of various cultures into the fabric of modern america.

I actually didn't like this one as much as Palahniuk's other books. Don't get me wrong. It was good, just not AS good. What I enjoyed was the information on all the interesting and out of the way places around Portland, stuff you wouldn't find in your typicall travel guide. I even grew up in Portland, and there were places I'd never heard about before reading this book.

Company reminds me of a really long Dilbert comic with a good plot. If that's not a top notch recomendation, I don't know what is.