Steven Johnson: The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World
Fascinating. Although there were points that could have been developed further and a few places that could have stood some editing, it was an interesting and thought-provoking read. (****)
Jess Walter: Beautiful Ruins: A Novel
Very Good. Like jigsaw pieces scattered on a table, the book is a series of vignettes which come together and make sense only as a whole. (****)
Michael Ruhlman: House: A Memoir
B. light. Interesting. Ephemeral: like a puff of smoke. (***)
Louise Erdrich: The Round House
Rich and layered, and yet also a page-turner. (*****)
Gillian Bagwell: Venus in Winter: A Novel of Bess of Hardwick
B. Lovely. I enjoyed this. (****)
John Muir: Travels In Alaska
beautiful, but I suppose not my cup of tea. The writing was not difficult but I found myself slogging through it. (***)
Lea Carpenter: Eleven Days
Beautiful novel of mothers and sons, commitment, love, and courage (****)
Ken Wilber: The Marriage of Sense and Soul: Integrating Science and Religion
Brilliant. A game changer for me; it really helped me to coalesce several chains of thought. Now I want to re-read much of the philosophical texts not touched since my youth. (*****)
Sena Jeter Naslund: Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer: A Novel (P.S.)
Novel based on a brief mention in Moby Dick of Captain Ahab's wife. Brilliant derivative work, attempting to recreate a 19th centery heroine in her own voice. Too much effort is spent attempting to make the subject worthy of the effort and situate her in time, to the detriment of the story itself. (****)
Pam Johnson-Bennett: Think Like a Cat: How to Raise a Well-Adjusted Cat--Not a Sour Puss
(*****)
Marie Bostwick: Between Heaven and Texas (Cobble Court Quilts)
B. not as good as some of the previous books. Perhaps these particular stereotypes grated more. (***)
Marie Bostwick: Ties That Bind (Cobbled Court Quilts)
B. Continues to hold my interest. (***)
Marie Bostwick: Threading the Needle (Cobbled Court)
B. Heartwarming (***)
Marie Bostwick: A Thread So Thin (Cobbled Court)
I read this once before, visiting my mom both times. Got me through and evening and to sleep. (***)
Marie Bostwick: A Thread of Truth
light read about women's friendships and relationships (***)
Marie Bostwick: A Single Thread
light. heartwarming. (***)
Amor Towles: Rules of Civility: A Novel
Entertaining light read. A polished and romanticized portrait of New York in the 1930s. Reading it is like watching a Carole Lombard film. (***)
Howard E. Gardner: Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century
Some thought-provoking points and recommendations, many of which may be completely impractical. Overtly self-laudatory and lacking in meaningful new insight or valid argument. (***)
Frances de Pontes Peebles: The Seamstress: A Novel
Good, compelling novel that sometimes gets mired in detail. (****)
Dominique Browning: Around the House and in the Garden: A Memoir of Heartbreak, Healing, and Home Improvement
Charming. Comforting. (****)
Lee Smolin: The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next
Enjoyable. Smolin manages to write about theoretical physics in a clear and understandable way. He makes many good points. Unfortunately his opinions are sometimes marred by an increasingly petulant tone in the later half of the book. (****)
Elizabeth George: Believing the Lie: An Inspector Lynley Novel
Interesting. Complex. Inspector Lynley seems to have not yet recovered some essential part of himself that he misplaced with the death of his wife. Too much emphasis on some of the more self-absorbed and hapless characters (almost painfully so) (***)
Danielle Steel: Friends Forever: A Novel
Enjoyable. Better than most of the author's more recent works.
Stuart Woods: Under the Lake
Interesting ghost story written before the author found his metiér.
Eric Jensen: Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and What Schools Can Do about It
Boring. Nothing new. If one is the least bit familiar with the referenced data the recommendations are common sense.
Elizabeth Goudge: The Scent of Water: A Captivating Story Filled With English Charm, Luminous Wisdom, and Astonishing Spiritual Insight
Stunningly Beautiful
Stuart Woods: White Cargo
Entertaining read. Good for sitting and spending time. (****)
Ruby K. Payne: A Framework for Understanding Poverty 4th Edition
Interesting and thought provoking points on class differences and their importance in education. Also full of generalizations and few hard facts. (****)
Barbara Vine: The Minotaur
Good. Satisfying though not complexly developed. (****)
Stuart Woods: Severe Clear (Stone Barrington)
The soap opera continues. I've missed a few episodes. Still entertaining. (***)
Catherine Shanahan: Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food
Obviously thoroughly researched with a fair amount of good information, and yet not rigorous. I feel the author gets ahead of herself, lets her enthusiasm and writing get ahead of what she can actually prove. This doesn't mean she is wrong but it doesn't also mean she is completely right. Still, worth reading. (****)
Ian McEwan: Sweet Tooth: A Novel
Rather annoyingly clever. Not as interesting as I hoped it would be until the end, when as I realized what he was doing, I was dismayed at not having seen it from the beginning. (***)
Jonny Bowden: The Great Cholesterol Myth: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won't Prevent Heart Disease-and the Statin-Free Plan That Will
I found this to be an incredibly easy read. I would say it is good if it makes people question and not just take everything on faith (even this book). Not rigorous. (***)
Francine Rivers: Redeeming Love
Christian Romance based on the story of the prophet Hosea. Very good and powerfully told for the genre, at times even poetic. (****)
Audrey Niffenegger: Her Fearful Symmetry
thought-provoking novel of great intensity and detail masquerading as popular fiction. Does not quite work as a simple story but is very rewarding for those willing to plumb its depths. (*****)
Ken Follett: Hornet Flight
Flawed and derivative but highly enjoyable (***)
Dennis Lehane: Shutter Island
Gripping. Fast read. (***)
Lee Child: One Shot: A Jack Reacher Novel
Good. Tightly written fast fiction. (***)
Audrey Niffenegger: The Night Bookmobile
wonderful but also disconcerting. (*****)
Norm Robillard: Fast Tract Digestion Heartburn
Interesting, informative. (***)
Sam Kean: The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code
fascinating and entertaining read which made me rethink some assumptions about how I viewed the word. The author has a talent for making the complex understandable. (*****)
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