A*

It is a very adult novel - lots of sex and nudity. But it is very tastefully done. I could have listed this under science fiction, since it is a time travel story. I am totally impressed by how Niffenberger put a new spin on the idea of time travel.

A+

I don't usually like trilogies, but this was REALLY interesting. I was totally hooked, and immediately started reading the second book.

A+

It expands the view from the main character (from the first book) to include many others. I really loved the continuing exploration of the complexities of this world.

A+

This completes the journey from the second book. The key addition this time was showing how EVERYTHING started. The author really held my attention, and I was captivated until the end.

A+

A+

I simply loved reading this book. Each chapter has a new parasite / host relationship, most of which I had not heard about. The author does a great job of explaining the inventive experiments that researchers devised to study the cause and effect of each parasite.

A+

We may find solutions to problems such as obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, Crohn's disease, and many others. But it is very difficult to fully understand the microbiome and how it interacts with the rest of our body. This book lays out a lot of the experimental work that has been done by researchers to gain this understanding.

A+

I really loved the prose and the author's writing style. There is a nice conclusion to the story, and I felt quite satisfied in the ending.

A+

A+

A+

Anil is a very entertaining writer - he really knows how to tell a good story. His technical explanations are quite clear, and he also explains the historical background. As usual, I learned a lot!

A+

It is a story of three generations of women from the same family, and the first part comes off as a bit of historical whimsy. But the second and third parts are really interesting. I really enjoyed this, and was impressed with how well the "feel" of each of the three sections matched the historical time.

A+

This was a very educational book for me - I learned quite a lot of history. This also shows the huge divide between the more progressive members of Iranian society versus the others.

A+

There are several interesting plot threads. This is very nicely written, and everything comes to a satisfying conclusion at the end.

A+

Rory Stewart has quite a talent for writing - this was fascinating reading. As usual, I learned a lot!

A+

There are lots of colorful characters, including a few really evil baddies. This is very nicely written, and everything comes to a satisfying conclusion at the end.

A+

This book describes the basis of some of the conflicts between the Sunni Muslims and the Shiite Muslims. It is quite an eye opening read - I learned a lot.

Dirt
by Bill Buford

A

This is a really fun book to read, if you enjoy French food. The author is an excellent writer, and really tells some entertaining tales.  

Holes
by Louis Sachar

A

There he meets lots of other misfits. Stanley slowly unravels the mysteries of Camp Green Lake. This is really well written, with lots of shocking reveals about his family history and the history of Camp Green Lake.

Sea of Tranquility
by Emily St. John Mandel

A

Yes, this is somewhat similar to Station Eleven. But not quite as good IMHO.

A

The story mainly focuses on the life of Caro (Caroline Bell), and introduces numerous other characters. The ending wraps up everything very nicely.

A

A

A

A

This is a fairly long story about two friends. Patricia is a true magical girl, who can talk to animals, while Laurence is a scientific genius. They are both VERY important to the future of the world, and they are being hunted by an assassin. This is a very long and interesting book.

A

This is a story about two people, who have vastly different worldviews. Judy sees all possible futures branching out as a series of choices. Doug sees only one unalterable future. This was nicely done, and a very interesting short read.

A

A

In spite of that, I REALLY can't complain - this is a fascinating profile of a psycho-bitch character.

A

The main character is a woman who is has been educated about medicine. She is tasked by the Church of England to discover the identity of a killer. As a result, she becomes one of the first Crime Scene Investigators. This has all the elements of a typical murder mystery (suspense! horror! romance!), but I found it well written.

A

A

A

This book held my interest, and I really liked it. I only have one quibble - the body count is very high. For a 500 page book, it seems like at least 50 characters are killed off. With this much violence, I found many of the deaths a bit too gruesome for my taste.

A

This is nicely written, and an inspiration to read. I keep this near at hand, and refer back to it often.

A

There are two aspects to the story. First is the story of survival of four family groups. The second is the story of those people assigned to put things back in working order, which includes engineers and the military. The major theme is that "Human evil is bottomless". This is a thrilling and exciting read (and educational). At times it is hair raising, but ultimately satisfying in the end.

A

The author has actually worked in the White House, and has worked on the design of these types of eavesdropping systems. I found this a challenging read, but ultimately satisfying in the end. I really enjoyed reading it.

A

I found this a challenging read, but ultimately satisfying in the end. I really enjoyed reading it.

A

This is a essentially a murder mystery. I really enjoyed reading it.

A

This is the first book by McCarthy that I read. It was hard to take in large doses, because it is so very dark.

A

This is NOT a "light and fluffy" book, but I really enjoyed reading it. The recipes look quite good to me.

A

There are also some quiet interludes based on Paul and Julia Child. These are nicely done, and are a timely counterpoint to Julie's kitchen escapades.

A

There are also a few sketches of Albert Einstein to help tie everything together. I found this a fascinating read. It is only 140 pages long, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.

A

This is a fascinating story, and the prose is wonderful. You will learn a lot about animals and zoos!

A

A

I read the complete book in one day, and enjoyed it very much. I couldn't wait to see how the four people fared in their frustrations with their lives.

A

After about 3/4 of the book, I simply could not put it down. I was happy that all the mysteries were explained by the end of the book.

A

I really liked the fact that this was NOT a murder mystery. The book was more about discovering who Susie was, and what her life was like. I found it captivating, and read this rather quickly.

A

Much of Louis' story is told in flashbacks. It is strangely compelling, and I did enjoy reading it.

A

A

A

A

A

A

A-

A-

A-

A-

A-

It took a while to get used to the different point of view, but this was very well done ... still love this series.

This book is a bit more clever than The Atrocity Archives. It is definitely tongue in cheek, and another good example of Stross' wide range of writing skills.

This sounds pretty silly, but it is quite well done. It is definitely tongue in cheek, and another good example of Stross' wide range of writing skills.

A-

I found it really interesting, but there was not much science fiction here. It is mostly a story of survival, and men's inhumanity towards women. Some of the scenes are quite harrowing.

At the end, I had to go back and re-read the first 50 pages to make sure I understood everything. This is very well written. A really interesting read - I enjoyed it a lot.

A-

A-

I read this in a single day. It was hard to put down, and quite an education!

A-

The story focuses on the status of a divorced woman in India - essentially persona non grata. It discusses her relationships with the rest of her family. The story is told from the first person plural point of view. It was an interesting read, but not one of my favorites.

A-

I read this in a single day. It is a "light and fluffy" book, told with a good sense of humor.

B

Even after reading the final set of chapters, there were still too many unexplained occurrences that were hinted at in earlier chapters.

B

B

B

B

B