Customer Comments

I really enjoyed this book and think that anyone who likes Elmore Leonard or Raymond Chandler would find this book a blast. It also could be the book for all of you interested in social history; with a need to find out what caused something to turn from a dream into now a nightmare.

Recommended to any fans of Proust, or those who are embarking on their first read of the Recherche. Muhlstein offers an introduction of the major characters from the novel in the beginning of her book. Some major plot points are given away in these character sketches, and, given that she contextualizes the quotes from the Recherche rather well throughout.

For those who want to get into the work of Saul Bellow, this is perhaps one of his most accessible novels. I highly recommend this novel for anyone wanting to gain access into Bellow without having first to take a course in the philosophy of ancient scholars. This is Bellow at his most accessible and most powerful. I strongly encourage you to savor this great and highly original novel.

Again a random pick from our local library. This novel has a great structure and follows three person's stories of revelation and inner turmoil. This literally was a book that was hard to put down. The writing is very readable and direct. It heads off in directions totally unexpected that kept me turning the pages to see what would come next. I did find the ending somewhat abrupt. It was almost as if Ullman got bored with it. I do recommend this for everyone.

I was a huge fan of Ben Fountain's short story collection Brief Encounters With Che Guevara, so I was eagerly anticipating his first novel. The novel focuses on one of the author's favorite themes - innocents serving as the pawns for power players in the world of politics. The writing on every page is dazzling, and his gift at description, character building and lyricism are so jaw-droppingly good I found myself highlighting section after section until I stopped because I would have highlighted the whole book.Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down. The story is heartbreaking and penetrating and feels, ultimately, too true.

This is one of the most powerful movies I have ever seen, it was so incredible and just heart breaking. One of the things I respected about the film was the way they handled the awkward "love story" between Michael and Hannah, she's older, he's younger, but it's not even a perverted thing, so strange to say that. I don't know how to put it exactly, but their connection was real and in some sense they both needed each other. If you have the chance to see this movie, I seriously suggest that you take it, the powerful performances really make this film captivating. The story is so heart wrenching and painful, but was told so well. Kate now finally has the award she's deserved for so long and pulls in a terrific performance with The Reader.

The book jumps around in time and in point of view. A tangled mess of interconnected characters are the subjects of various chapters, one of which is written in Powerpoint. This could have been a terrible mess, or frustrating , but it was the mixed narratives kept the whole structure going. The stories are about people in various times in their lives-- during their optimistic (or not) youth, as adults struggling to make relationships and jobs work, and in a post-apocalyptic future where we are all (um) part of a machine. I didn't find it to be a cynical novel, though. People move on, move up, and keep it going. I might have had a different view of it 10 years ago, but the characters were very real. The slices of their lives that we glimpse in different chapters are the same small samples we see of our own friends. Loved it.

I would recommend any one who has an interest in art or literature. Yuknavitch’s website is also worth checking out if for no other reason than how cool the artwork throughout the website is. I also like the music. Really like. I won’t say anything more, partly because I feel I cannot do the book justice and partly because I want you to stop reading my post and go read this book. Now!

I found this book honest, endearing, relatable, well-written, and also really, really funny. And now I'm off to see if I can find some of his stand-up on Netflix. If you like Mike Birbiglia, I would really recommend this. It was an evening well-spent for me, and my tummy still hurts from laughing.

I picked this book up on a whim at a used bookstore one day simply thinking that I'd like to read something different for a change. 'Perfume' managed to root itself so deep in my mind that I still remember this novel in vivid detail to this day; I must have read it at least ten years ago. The story is disturbing in so many ways yet so unbelievably brilliant and fascinating that you can't help but be enthralled. The novel is extremely graphic at times but that's what really makes the story. Highly recommended, I love this novel it's one of my absolute favorites.

Ok, maybe I'm biased, but I really thought this book was great. Matthew Dickman is one of my favorite poets but as with any author/band/artist/etc I was a little concerned that his sophomore effort would not live up to the love I have for his first book. This book is certainly different from "All-American Poem," but it shows maturity, depth, and Dickman's signature humor. This book deals a lot with the death of Dickman's brother, among other topics. So, it will probably depress you, but it's totally worth it.

Desai’s prose is both restrained and erotic at the same time. She has mastered the art of telling the profoundest of stories with the simplest of words. In the three stories, each of the main characters finds within themselves a vast sea of melancholy which warms one’s heart instead of breaking it. The situations may not be life-threatening but it makes them rise above their mediocrity. There are no crystal clear resolutions and that makes the stories more compelling. The themes of isolation, loss and art are handled with grace and sensitivity and I find the insights fascinating without being overbearing. I am looking forward to reading more of her work.

Goolrick has an almost poetic way with the language and builds suspense beautifully in this, his first, novel. It is a very gothic tale. As I was reading it, for some reason I kept thinking of Edgar Allan Poe, and the poem of his that came to mind was Annabel Lee. Not that the stories that the poem and this novel tell are particularly related but the cadence of the language and the use of repetition struck me as being similar. The book also reminded me of younger (much younger) days when I used to devour the novels of Daphne du Maurier and the Bronte' sisters. This book would be right at home on a shelf with those ladies' works.

After so many books about how fun and easy writing can be, it's great to have a book that shows how painful and difficult it really is. Lamott puts a premium on discipline, the discipline of writing every day at a set time and trying hard to get the first draft out, no matter how bad it may be. This message may not be news to most, but along with the added info that neurosis and writing go hand in hand, Lamott is not here to inform, she's here to encourage. She's a real teacher, someone who isn't just trying to show you how to get to where you're going, but also to help you restart if you've missed a step. She's also very funny and a good writer to boot so the book was an absolute pleasure to read. Pick it up when you're feeling down

Finally, some magic. I haven't read a book this magic since Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Leni Zumas' dream-like book is lucid enough to put you in the reality of her characters and plot, but with sentences and prose that glimmer in the subtle ways of our unconscious world. The Listeners tells the story of a tragedy of our tribes - family and friends - wrestling with demons imagined and real, and forging a path forward despite yourself and the obstacles of the past. This is a beautiful novel. Read it.

This is the second book I've read by Carl Zimmer, and so far he's consistently captivating, mind provoking and thorough. I'm a fan of popular science, and I'm surprised how unfamiliar Zimmer seems to be in the field. I haven't seen book stores carring his books, or his name mentioned in lists, among the likes of Simon Singh. That's a shame, because his work deserves much more recognition than it gets.

This is not the standard high color classic art style usually represented in Spawn titles. Never-the-less it works. It has a feel that reminds me of medieval representations of demons and conflict ,and it definately works. The writing is sloid,and you will easily breeze through the 500 pages faster than you think,its hard to put down. A must read.

The greatest compliment that I can give this book is that I would gladly read it again. I also now desire to read more of the brilliant combination of storytelling and writing that David Mitchell. I admit that many readers may find this challenging to grasp as a novel but once you push past the first areas of the novel it is incredibly fulfilling. Five well-earned stars for this novel and a definite feature on the 1001 books to read list.

I love Ansel Adam's work. He just had the eye for composing his photos. I'm not a photographer of much talent, so I don't know the words to describe his art and his talent. His black and white photography is stunning! I was unaware that he took color photos. This book is the only published collection of his color pictures. The colors are subtle, and it is the contrast of light and shadow, sun and cloud that captures my eye. His picture of a sunset is gorgeous! I wish I could capture the sky like that!

I lOVE this book. The bread is so easy and tastes delicious and is good for you too. I have been working my way through the recipes and it has been a lot of fun. So far my favorites are the Quinoa bread and the Pumpkin Brioche. It is so great to have dough in the fridge ready to be pulled out and make breadsticks, flat breads, pizza, crescent rolls. Yum! You just dump the ingredients (the only ingredient that might not be common in your pantry is vital wheat gluten) into your kitchenaid and in under five it is mixed. Then you just let it rise and either bake it or put in the fridge for up to two weeks. The only special equipment you really need is a stone to bake the bread on. The other great thing is that the authors have a completely updated website that they visit often and actually respond to you personally about their recipes

I found this novel by accident, while quickly browsing shelves at the local library, and let me just say it was the best accidental find i've had in years. From the very first line to the end i loved it, and as a reader i am not easily pleased by anything. I love stories out of the ordinary that captivate my imagination and run away with it. That is exactly what The Shadow of The Wind did.

Every time I read Malcolm Gladwell's work, it makes me think about my life and what is going on around me with a slightly bigger lens. Often, there is something in his work that makes me want to sit up a little straighter and work a little harder. I would recommend this book of writing collections by Gladwell to many young readers.