Customer Comments

I loved this book. Both parts of the book are very well-done, and although each seems to be separate at first, Lee does a great job of weaving in themes from the first into the second. The children have very child-like perspectives. They do not seem adult beyond their years. Every character - particularly each of the Finches - is distinctive. I liked how Atticus shows depth. He is not heroic simply because of who he is defending as an attorney but his entire outlook on the case and its significance to his family and career. This book seems so simple, but it's about several things at once - racism, injustice, social status, innocence, accusation, and experience.

I couldn't put this down. Probably read it twice from re-reading paragraphs I found particularly juicy. At no time does depth and understanding of character or situation depend on any knowledge of, or interest in the historical period covered. Everything is there on the page in full sensurround 3-D human condition. It is a stunning piece of fiction, and I had no idea what I was in for.

I absolutely loved this book. There are parts of this book that I earmarked to read again, simply for the beautiful writing. But what is really amazing to me is the ability that Hoffmeister has to show the flaws in people. It is a powerful thing to show the shortcomings in a parenting style and how that can turn around and be alright. People learn from their mistakes. We all make parenting mistakes and instead of coming away from this book hating his parents I came away loving them for their human frailties and being able to learn from their mistakes. This book is a true example in the power of forgiveness and understanding. I highly recommend this book

Bloodlines is a complex novel with several parallel stories. After about the first fifty pages or so, when most of the characters had been introduced, I found it to be addictive. Structured in three parts with decades between them, the book is a window into the past that's a real tribute to the author's attention to detail. The last of the three parts of the book might not have been quite as credible or satisfying as the first two, but all-in-all, it was a great ride. I'll be reading other books by Jan Burke

The Stupidest Angel is anything but the normal Christmas tale. Christopher Moore has revived the residents of Pine Cove, and some other characters from his other novels, with all their silliness and insanity and added an angel that is one part the Terminator and two part Jim Carry from Dumb and Dumber. This rather short novel has more one-liners than a Henny Youngman convention and more laughs than a barrel of tea party congressmen. I especially loved the return of Roberto T. Fruitbat from Island of the Sequined Love Nun but you do not need to have read any of Moore's other novels to enjoy this one.

One of my favorite books ever. I still remember receiving my first copy as a kid, around 1978. I could escape into a world if facts, tables, data, maps, lists and photos. I still escape and I usually buy a new copy each time there are complete election statistics.

Much more than a self-help book, How to Stay Sane is an insightful look at the workings of the human psyche, what makes it soar, and what makes it crash. I loved how the author talks about her own experiences in the book and includes exercises that can help us face life's challenges. It's a great reference for anyone who is interested in learning more about mental health and how to improve it.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot and setting/world were pretty unique, enjoyable, and well fleshed out. It was nice to see the main character struggle and grow though out the book and you got to learn right along with her. The ending definitely sets up for a sequel, but it's not a cliff hanger and this book can be read as a stand alone if you wish. Though the characters are cool enough that you'll probably want to continue their story. On the whole I highly recommend this book as a fun read and I'm interested to see what other books Dawn Cook has to offer

Extraordinarily useful for the Marx vs. "Marxists" confusion. Well researched and seems, as much as my BS detector can tell, fair to all of the major schools / thinkers that have made relevant contributions / interpretations.

I really loved this book. Daisy is a vivid, compelling narrator - she reminds me of Cassandra Mortmain from I Capture the Castle in some ways - indomitable will and dry wit and the ability to be clear-eyed even when it hurts or is at her own expense - and her story is heartbreaking and utterly engaging. I was in tears by the end. The writing is sharp and insightful and funny, and it carries the story forward inexorably, and I couldn't look away even when I was afraid of what was going to happen - I really worried for all of them, but especially for Edmond and Piper. The whole story, and especially the ending, is full of heartbreak and hope. Highly recommended.

So fascinating to read a poetry book that's so varied, but still, somehow, very much one whole piece. There's a big range of forms here, including poems not in forms at all; some are narrative, some lyrical and mystical and abstract; they seem to be narrated by many different voices, and there's no logical progression in terms of the way one poem moves into the next... but still, the book feels woven so carefully out of disparate threads, and unified in spite of all its variety and surprises. Great introduction by Mark Doty in which he discusses this idea of organic unity (which he feels this book has) vs. imposed unity. Certain of the poems I just loved, but mostly loved the book as a whole for the excitement and strangeness and newness of reading so many smart and different poems braided together by themes and ideas moving under and across the surfaces of them.

Overall, it really was a great book, especially the Ann Eliza Young story, which was very compelling. I haven't heard much about her before, but it really made me want to read more about her and her story as the first woman to actually leave a marriage to Brigham Young and speak publicly against the practice of polygamy, based on first-hand experience. Jordan's story is also very interesting and is very timely with the YFZ Ranch raid just this year and the prosecution of Warren Jeffs. I would recommend this book to anyone, I liked it a lot.

A fun book that I enjoyed reading. Sam is enlisted by the same rich & powerful French man (Francis Reboul) who was the subject of the wine theft in "The Vintage Caper." Here, Francis asks Sam to be his voice/face for a bid he is making for a real estate venture. Sam & Elena head to Marseille and the fun begins. If you like a light adventure story accompanied by plenty of descriptions of food/wine along with the natural beauty of southern France, you will enjoy this book.

I loved this book. Having not read the first two books in the series, I wasn't sure how jumping right into book 3 would feel. Right from the start, I felt perfectly at home. While characters from previous novels are present, even vital in this third installment, the main characters and the main love story are unique to this book and thus easily read without feeling lost.

Wow! I LOVED this book! IT WAS AMAZING! My favourite ever book! I've read it again a few times and enjoyed it loads. Everything about it is great and I love how it goes through how everything was before Rusty/Firepaw/heart/star. It's a lot different without him and it's great to see and hear about past cats. I loved the characters in this book, the writing, the plot and everything. This book is set before the original series and then the original series follows on straight after. Therefore, if you're thinking about reading Warriors, read BP and then the first series as they follow on perfectly. Absolutely recommended!

What I found after finishing 'Raised From the Ground' was that the history of the nation of Portugal, and truly, of any nation in history, is a story best told not by its politicians, but by its people, by those "two million sighs rising up from the ground," as Saramago puts it. In this novel we have one of those stories, told to us in beautiful prose by a man who clearly loved the subject -sometimes difficult to get through, but ultimately worth the effort.

This was a lovely surprise of a read, a beautiful story of a boy's love and care for Jenny the elephant through all the twists and turns of their lives in 18th century England. It's not faultless - I was more taken by the first half of the book when the young Tom starts to write his history of the elephant than the second which gets a little dark and tackles wider social issues. And there are slower sections that don't grip the attention as effectively. And much is made in other reviews of the speculative and inconclusive ending. But this was overall a really engrossing read (Jenny is a joy...) and I can fully understand what caught the eye of the judges of the Costa prize when they added it to their list.