Customer Comments

Mr. Fox is a book that will not be great fun for readers who like a linear plot or story lines. The stories within the story lead the reader to places around the world and beyond, personal challenges are issued all the time, and the voices change (or do they?). It is quite a ride, funny, heart-warming and full of surprises.

A simple story by the great teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, based on a Vietnamese Buddhist legend. The main character of the story, a young woman who disguised her identity to become a monk, and having faced much undeserved adversity in her life, demonstrates the true meaning of love and forgiveness. A good, very basic primer, in parable form, for beginners learning about Buddhist ethics, particularly compassion and loving-kindness.

Ian McEwan is my favorite writer when it comes to style. There's something about the rhythm of his sentences that works for me. I thought he could write with aplomb in any genre until Solar came along and I found out McEwan definitely can't write satire. With Sweet Tooth, he's back on track. The novel isn't profound, but it is the most entertaining novel I've read this year by far.

Only occasionally do I read short stories, and when I do, they are invariably of the mystery or suspense genre, usually with a 'twist' in the ending. I had of course heard of Alice Munro, but I didn't really know much about her writing. I knew that the stories in this book would be different from what I was used to, but I was not prepared for how very much I enjoyed them.

The author is a grief counselor. She writes how her marriage and the birth of her daughter helped her to put her life back together again, to feel less alone, and more grateful for what she had and not focused on what she didn't have. A reader will sense that cutting alcohol out of her life is a great first step to facing life and loss head on. I rarely read such emotional stories but this book changes that.

38 Nooses is an imposing work, a moving story of an event enveloped within the most calamitous four years in American annals, and a book proving that obscure does not translate to unimportant when applied to events in history.

This is beautifully written, emotional, soul-searing and laugh-out-loud funny fiction at its very best. It's anyone's guess as to whose soul is bared the most throughout the book, Madeline's or Cornelia's, and it really doesn't matter. What does matter is that I want more. Lots more.

This book got under my skin. Not in the negative way, like what Tony, the narrator, may be doing, or trying to do, to Veronica, who 40 years ago was his first serious girlfriend, but in the way he describes how his ex-wife would dress a chicken -- slipping butter and herbs under the skin, with a delicate hand, never breaking the outer layer. I was hooked from the first page and even when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it, even in my sleep, or, more likely, semi-sleep. I was pulled into the dream of someone else's life, like the best novels do to the reader, and I stayed there.

I was lucky to get an ARC of this book. I loved it. First of all, it's very well written. At the very beginning, when the little brother is abducted by the crows, I was a little weary, as it started off feeling like a Lemony Snicket wanna-be. Luckily the book hit its stride early and didn't falter the rest of the way. The basic concept of Wildwood, that there is a fantasy world in the real-life woods just outside of Portland, Oregon, is what made me want to read the book in the first place. Meloy does a really good job of transitioning between real world St. John's and fantasy-world Wildwood. The book is very atmospheric, and does a good job of making you feel like you are in those woods. Prue and Curtis are great main characters, The Dowager Governess is a fun villain. And the book is dark. Characters get shot or injured, and some die. The Governess's backstory is very dark, and the story of Prue's parents is very real and sad. Oh and the illustrations are nice and help with the atmosphere. I would recommend this to anyone 4th or 5th grade and older.

This guy’s artwork is truly amazing! He has a different artistic style that is worth seeing! I came across his book by accident really, while snooping around the Half Price bookstore… one of my favorite places to be… I love bookstores really… partly because I am an author, but also partly because I just love books. I found this gem in with the fantasy art books section and started taking a look quickly through the pictures. His artwork has this cool cartoony faerytale style to it that really grows on you if you are a fantasy lover. Some of his work has this awesome hidden picture inside of a picture that has several designs all in one and you have to look closely to see them all… truly brilliant!

This is an interesting book, often full of sarcastic barbs, Whispr is secretly longing for the beautiful, determined and brilliant Ingrid. There is trouble all along the way, from dangerous animal attacks, to near drownings, to being hunted by the evil hired killer, Napun Molé, a psychopath tracking them on their African trek. Interspersed throughout the action is some dry humor, which brings more life to this book! Fascinating read for those who enjoy sci-fi, human enhancements! A story well-told!

I'll be cooking from this from now on. This is a gourmet cookbook, no matter how friendly, simple and easy Ina Garten tries to make it sound. Lush photos, a number of recipes featuring lobster (not for the ordinary family) and a lot of mention of how easy it all is (we'll see). From her introduction you can tell she is a precise and organized person, and she wants you to be that way, too, thus the emphasis on menus and timing. This is probably perfect for those who must cook to impress.

I thought, as a whole, this book definitely qualifies as a GOODREAD! I'll admit my expectations weren't high. The premise of the novel was interesting. But, having never read any of Kovacs material; I was not expecting to become attached to the story so easily. A few of the characters names I found sort of goofy. Which isn't a deal breaker, but does effect how you visualize them. Honestly, Cliff (the protagonist) is a slightly messed-up man; he's smart, tough, a bit unorthodox, into gadgets, and down right likeable! Him and Decon made the book. The story is fun, witty, laid-back and clever. So, ask me if I'd recommend this particular book...and, without a doubt, I'd say YES!

This is a real-deal hard-boiled tale of criminals searching for who-knows-how-many millions stashed 30 years ago after an airport heist. Stroby, after 5 books, has really nailed the rough and tumble atmosphere and the take no prisoners mentality. What makes this stand out though are the human qualities of the characters...particularly Crissa, seeking to be reunited with her daughter, who never chooses the easy way.

This is a book for people who are in love with Story. I love that it's not about the mundane girl whose life is changed by a freewheeling, magical friend (though I do love those stories too!). It's about two magical, freewheeling friends and what happens when one of them loses his way. Hazel is such a lovable main character, so well captured. This book is fun and thoughtful and above all TRUE. It made me laugh and it brought me to tears and left me full of deep thoughts. I wish I had a time machine so I could go back and give this to myself when I was in fifth grade.

Not just five stars…one million stars, two sister moons, and two pairs of wings in flight. That’s how beautiful this book is. I hope this is a huge hit, and all the kids read it. Listen up kids, this book has everything that you’re looking for: secrets, paranormal creatures, hot guys, best friends; passionate, enduring, forbidden, love…and angst! But unlike all the rest, this one is the real thing. I can’t believe that it got through to me so much, but it really did. I think that it will be difficult for even the most committed of cynics not to be affected by this book.

Pretty good book. Really enjoyed the story, the characters, and the setting. I can't bring myself to give it five stars though because I hated the religious stuff that was thrown in. Everything I read about the book before starting it led me to believe that it was a dark fantasy about a rivalry between Santa and Krampus but it's more like Santa and Christian mythology vs. Krampus and Norse mythology. One thing I really loved was that there was no clear good guy between Santa and Krampus. You might think Santa is the good guy because... well he's Santa. But then you find out he used blood on the magic bag to use it for delivering toys... who and how many did he kill to twist that magic bag to his will? You also learn about worse things when Krampus and his Belsnickles explore Santa's workshop.

The book is all on the Akira manga. There's nothing on the animated movie except for some designs drawn for the laserdisc release. It collects illustrations, preliminary sketches, all the title pages from the manga, promotional art and rejected art that were unpublished. It's pretty cool looking back at the works that were published in 1982. They were still using halftone dots to create grays. The art is great, and you can see that Otomo is amazing at drawing rubble and scenes of urban destruction. If you have the manga editions, then you've seen all the title pages. This book includes a few unpublished ones. Majority are in black and white, some of them are coloured but not sure if they were coloured by Steve Oliff or Otomo. The commentary that goes with the title pages aren't related in any way, but just short musings of Otomo on what was happening to him that day, like his birthday or attending a friend's wedding. What I enjoyed reading is the design commentary, talking about why sequences are arranged in a certain way, why some scenes don't work and have to be redrawn, what's difficult to draw. Most are just afterthoughts. There wasn't any information on his drawing techniques or production process though. And since the book doesn't include the animated movie, it doesn't talk about the differences between the manga and the movie. This book is more for the Akira manga fans and those who like Otomo's art.

This novel is a brilliant accomplishment; I'd urge anyone interested in history to read it as a matter of course, and even those who were lukewarm about its predecessor to at least give it a try, as I think it is better, and more focused. (I'd still rate both books as the full five stars, however.) The style, the tight plotting, the characterizations, and Mantel's ability to capture England itself and the mundane details of 16th century English life, are without parallel. This goes straight to the top of the list of the best novels I've read this year, and I can't see how it might be displaced.

Dead End in Norvelt was a superb choice to take the crown of the 2012 Newberry Award. From the very beginning, Jack Gantos has the audience hooked with gory details and peculiar characters that boys and girls can fall in love with. Based on the events of Gantos’s childhood of growing up in Norvelt, Pennsylvania, this historical fiction for young adults is sure to please readers of all ages

I loved this novel, each chapter exploring the life of a different woman photographer. Inspired by actual photographers but reimagined by this talented author. The stories take place at different times, with some overlap (late 1900's, 1920's, '30s, '50's, 1980's, so that some characters actually meet, while others discover earlier photographer's work while pursuing their own. Some fabulous references here that I'd never heard of: Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, Bomarzo Garden of Monsters. The women in this novel explore their art while fighting convention in order to live their lives authentically. Highly recommended, would be an ideal book club choice!

Christine Shearer has written one of the most important books on the impacts of climate change that is out there today. Sometimes the science can be complicated and deter some readers. This book gets right to truth of how real people are impacted by the changes in climate that we are all seeing today. Those who deny climate change do so out of fear, ignorance or greed. I would recommend they read this book and put themselves in the shoes of the Kivalina people. Afterall, they may find themselves in similar shoes before they know it.