Customer Comments

I read this after having watched the BBC production. An industrial town version of Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It was also a surprisingly fast read for a 500-page book! Gaskell develops her characters well, but also provdes her readers with a picture of the two cultures clashing in England. She also draws out some of the social issues pervading the country at the time. Very insightful.

This retelling of the story of Guenivere of Arthurian Legend was exciting and fresh. Lackey draws upon some of the lesser-known tales and invokes Zimmerman-Bradley in her telling. The name changes Lackey makes are a bit confusing, but do a good job of trying to distance the reader from the standard King Arthur story. I found the novel not to be as tragic as some other versions I have read, but this may be due to Gwenhwyfar's separation from Arthur's court until she becomes his third wife. A fun read, following in Lackey's usual aptitude for fantasy!

Weisman provides a contrasting view of the world today with what it might look like in a future sans humans. This concept is not a new one, but the approach Weisman takes serves both as a warning for present actions and to humble our species' ego. Combining scientific knowledge of how materials break down and present examples of decaying human artifices, the book does an excellent job of painting a picture of a planet that does not need humans. I liked how there is this acknowledgment that nature will ultimately prevail, but at the same time emphasis on how many of our actions today (such as use of plastics and nuclear weapons) will leave a signature for thousands or millions of years. Fascinating book, a little dull at times, but gets you thinking. Perfect Earth Day read!

Roberts outlines the current predicament of our food system in detail and with passion. There may be an overload of information at times; and, I definitely felt overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenges ahead by the time I reached the epilogue. The two chapters on the evolution of the human diet and agricultural system were fascinating. The analysis of industrial agriculture and the economics that control our grocery shelves and influence world hunger and our health were particularly disturbing. Not as uplifting an ending as some other environmental/food books I've read, but he also didn't sugar-coat the facts and definitely gives his reader plenty to chew on (excuse the pun). Read it. Think about it. Act on it.

I "read" this book via the recorded version, and I have to say that Sherman Alexie has a way with words. The story itself is endearing, sad and happy simultaneously. The language ties you to the characters, to the 'Rez', to Junior's plight. But it was Alexie's voice, his tone and expression, that caught me. He has a way of making the story come alive - maybe because it means so much to him, is so much a part of who he is. Excellent read, even more excellent if you can hear Alexie speak in some capacity!

The premise of this novel was very interesting, and the characters were personable. However, I am definitely of the opinion that the 800 pages could have been trimmed down by about 100 simply by editing out some of the excessive romance scenes and detailed descriptions of the dark sexual events. For much of the story I was quite content Claire and Jamie's Highland adventure, but then I would reach a section that just made me feel dirty. So, as much as I would love to see where the next book takes our protagonists, I think I will pass on the trashy romance.

Excellent storyline, set in the early 20th century. The jumps between character perspectives keeps the novel lively, but it doesn't sacrifice the reader's understanding of the characters themselves. I quite enjoyed the way Lackey brings in references to Indian culture. Nice twist on an old classic, although I didn't realize until 3/4 of the way through that the inspiration was Snow White (with only loose references). First rate!

If you ever wondered about the story behind your stuff, this is a book for you. While it wasn't the carbon footprint tracking I thought it would be, Confessions of an Eco-Sinner considers more of the social implications of "stuff" than just environmental. It is a little scattered, and the stories don't flow together well, but it is a good book to make you think.

A really lovely interpretation of Sleeping Beauty set in Victorian Era England. The multi-perspective format works well with the book. The reader may be omniscient, but witnessing the characters try to piece together the puzzle is one of the most exciting parts of the novel.

Another excellent addition the 500 Kingdoms series. Really sweet story with intersecting plotlines. Main characters are well-formed, but Lackey lacks in villain character development in this novel.

Funny and creative, although a little reminiscent of Dealing with Dragons. Your classic evil queen story that Lackey seems to enjoy so much. I also liked the intersection with the Fairy Godmother.

A dark but entertaining take on the classic Swan Lake. I found it captivating, especially for my hopeless romantic side.

If you want to read something that makes you think, this is it. After studying environmental issues for five year, I already felt pretty well-equipped to discuss and fight for the cause...but Friedman introduces several more layers of complexity and does so with amazing clarity and his unparalleled authority. Although a bit of a slog at times, this book is well worth the effort and will get you riled and read to DO something!

Entertaining and inspiring. Plenty is well-written and engaging - Alisa and James bring the reader into their lives and let them experience some of the joys and trials of eating within 100 miles of their Vancouver home. It is really encouraging to learn how they succeed and the little tidbits they provide on the side for background info. Also, as a Seattlite, I felt extremely lucky to live in the PNW after reading this.

This is truly an elegant novel. The prose is a delight to read. The thoughts and references are entertaining and intellectually stimulating. And the story is endearing. Not at all what I expected when I began, but I couldn't put it down after the first fifty pages or so.

This trilling new novel by Atwood fills in some of the gaps left by its companion, Oryx and Crake. As it bounces between times and characters, the novel builds an even more frightening futuristic world, of corporation control and fanatic alternative life-stylers. Not surprising, it raises many questions of our own capitalistic society, but it also presents well-written entertainment. Unfortunately, this gem is concluded with an even more nail-biting cliff-hanger than its sibling. Waiting for the next one!

While not quite up to par with the classic Once and Future King, I Am Mordred is entertaining and well-written. The first half is a little bland, but the story picks up later. Springer spends the majority of the story exploring Mordred's inner struggle - which can be tiresome at times, but does add depth to his character. I would have liked to see more linkage to her other tale from Camelot.

This epic telling of the story of King Arthur, based on the Morte d'Arthur, is entertaining and thoughtful. I liked how the focus of each of the four books changes slightly. A little slow at times, it is generally captivating and made me want to read further, despite already knowing the tragic end of this tale.

Hale's fourth installment of the Bayern series is entertaining, but doesn't quite live up to the standards of its predecessors. While some may enjoy reading about Rin's inner struggle before and after discovering her powers of "speech", I felt that these musings were a bit excessive and skimmed over much of Rin's self-loathing and unvoiced whining. I do admit that the twist of the novel that ties together all the events in the four books (no spoiler here!) made for a more interesting read, and overall this was a pleasant piece.

Funny and fresh plot. The style of the novel was captivating and the story was pretty innovative. I was even surprised in the end, which is a bonus in these fairy-tale-esque stories. A good read if you like young adult fiction!

Having grown up on the picture-book version of this fairy tale, reading the more complex and mature story that Pattou presents was thoroughly enjoyable. The format of the narrative novel is captivating and it is hard to put the book down once you get pulled in.

Wow, this novel was a surprising find! It doesn't take very long to finish, particularly as the story progresses and you feel an increasing need to find out what happens. Captivating, clever, and has something for both young adults and adults young at heart. Highly recommended!

Wonderful sequel to the first Vegan Lunch Box. There are some great recipes in here, but what makes this cookbook stand out from the countless others, are the packable lunch menus that McCann dreams up. The pictures are the best part, though the selection is much better on her blog. I can't wait to try out some of these tasty tidbits!

while the concept of this novel - the ability to "read" characters out of books - is fantastic and leads to some pretty interesting events, Funke lost me many times along the way as she drew out the storyline for over 500 pages. It doesn't help that the majority of the novel takes place in or around Capricorn's village. That said, I still enjoyed the novel enough, especially near the end, to stay up late into the night trying to finish!

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. Organized by season, this book is full of interesting combinations, inspired main dishes, and hearty breads and desserts. A really fun cookbook to use and a good one to have on hand for any devoted vegan or vegetarian. Recommended with volume II (which has some excellent vegetarian recipes).

This cookbook provides delicious, simple recipes that will solve any produce dilemma. Organized by season, the book is easy to use and very practical!

This is eye-candy for the gourmet. While most of the recipes themselves are time-consuming and a bit complicated, with multiple components to every dish, they are innovative and fun. This is a great resource if you are interested in getting ideas about good combinations and seasonings, are planning a special gathering that merits a little extra culinary effort, or simply like to look at beautiful images of mouth-watering delicacies.

Unlike to the previous commenter (is that a word?), I liked this book more than Enna Burning...however, this may be due to the fact that I unwittingly read it prior to the first two in the series! Hale does throw a lot of characters at the reader in the first few chapters, and the ending was a bit of a let-down, but overall I was happy to get to know Razo better. I liked traveling to a new country in Hale's fantasy world, and I was hard pressed to close the book for the night after hitting the halfway mark. A good read for any Hale fan.

While an interesting tale, this is probably my least favorite of the three Bayern books I have read. Enna spends a considerable amount of time ruminating over the challenges of being a fire speaker, which provides some good insight into the character's personality and values, but gets old after a while.. I also just don't care too much for books with wars in them (I didn't like the Two Towers as much as the other two LOTR for the same reason), so I may be somewhat biased. Still, this novel acts as an important, if not essential, tie between the Goose Girl and River Secrets, and is worth devoting a few hours to reading.

Fun, gripping, but typical fairy tale ending. I really enjoyed how Hale builds up the cultural differences between her characters. It makes their struggles more real and provides a deeper reading of the novel. Good book over all!

This book controlled my life for twenty four hours; it was painful to put it aside and do daily tasks. Collins presents a fantastical future society reminiscent of a Brave New World or 1984, in which democracy is thrown aside to put control into the hands of a few. Unlike these other two novels, the Hunger Games track the gruesome trials of teens pitted against each other, and takes a look at how personality alters in animalistic struggles for survival. The pages are captivating and the main character is well-explored and complex. I can't wait to read the sequel!

Susan Hale definitely knows how to weave a fairy tale. As a loyal fan of fantasy novels, this first book of the trio satisfied my craving. It's your typical story of a princess in disguise, trying to get back her stolen crown from her corrupt lady in waiting. There is magic, mystery, and a bit of livestock to keep things fresh. Draws you in and then keeps you tied to the pages until you are done!