Maybe this deserved three stars, since it was better than I expected for the book that it is. The book is a send-up of "Brownstone Brooklyn" and the "Maybe this deserved three stars, since it was better than I expected for the book that it is. The book is a send-up of "Brownstone Brooklyn" and the "sactimommies" and other charicatures who live here. Full of name-dropping (both of celebrities and local venues), sex in various combinations between the characters, and relatively amusing satire, the book managed to keep my interest. But I don't know that it will really appeal to the usual chick-lit audience -- none of the characters are particularly likable, none of them really learn anything or change their evil ways, and no great romance works out in the end. Still, the author had her funny moments when poking fun at the mother who makes her pre-K son wear kneepads at the playground and the politics of school districts and in-playgrounds. ...more
An excellent companion book to Oryx and Crake. I think they could probably be read in either order, but reading both really improves both books. This An excellent companion book to Oryx and Crake. I think they could probably be read in either order, but reading both really improves both books. This book gives the perspective of a few additional characters from Oryx and supplies some color for how the general population is living in this dystopian future world. Surprisingly, this book is also substantially more optimistic than Oryx. Recommended to readers of dystopian fiction and Atwood fans, and of course to anyone that read Oryx and Crake. ...more
I actually only got to read the first half of this book before loaning it to my husband and having it left on an airplane. That said, the essays that I actually only got to read the first half of this book before loaning it to my husband and having it left on an airplane. That said, the essays that I read were enjoyable if somewhat too short to be truly fulfulling. For a book that spent a great deal of energy looking at old research and "debunking" accepted wisdom, the authors should have shown a bit more skepticism when confronted with the studies reported in this book....more
I wish I'd just read the first third or so of this book. That would have been enough to absorb the interesting future-tech bits of computer science anI wish I'd just read the first third or so of this book. That would have been enough to absorb the interesting future-tech bits of computer science and projections of cool ways the internet could evolve without having to slog through the fairly boring plot and unlikeable, flat characters. I'm surprised that this is an award-winning book by a much acclaimed author because it struck me as very poorly executed clever ideas.
The book spends an inordinate amount of time tracing the travails of a recovered from Alzheimer's former poet to adapt to the new technology. In excruciating detail. About his contact lenses. And his remedial high school classes and class project. Blah.
Then there's an almost incomprehensible sequence about competing "belief circles" between some group interested in a Terry Pratchett universe (a reference that might have made more sense if I had read whatever Pratchett book it referenced, but was lost on me) and a Jerzy Hacek universe (which, as far as I can tell is made up for this book).
Even the ultimate "saving the world from the baddies" part of the plot managed to bore me.
So, not recommended. Maybe this author's other prize winning books are amazing, but I probably won't be seeking them out right away....more
I loved these stories despite the overall depressing nature of the book. This is one of the few novels in short stories that works on both levels -- eI loved these stories despite the overall depressing nature of the book. This is one of the few novels in short stories that works on both levels -- each of the stories works as a stand alone story, but there is also character development and history across the stories that holds it together as a novel. I thought the best story was the first one, but many of the others were also quite compelling. I wish there had been a story from the perspective of Olive's son, Christopher. He seemed to be the least well-drawn of the primary characters....more
An enjoyable memoir of a silly but fun project -- the building of a cork boat (no metaphor). With the help of Cork Supply USA and the collection of coAn enjoyable memoir of a silly but fun project -- the building of a cork boat (no metaphor). With the help of Cork Supply USA and the collection of corks by a variety of individuals and businesses, the author and his friends manage to build an extremely heavy, vaguely seaworthy boat. With further sponsorship from Cork Supply USA, they take the boat to Portugal for a sail down the river. The author says that people either "got" the project or didn't -- I think I mostly fall into the didn't category. Even though I enjoyed the book, the project itself continued to see pretty hokey to me. But whatever floats your boat and all that. Recommended for readers of memoirs and travelogues....more
I enjoyed the writing in this book, and thought the ending was appropriate and thoughtful if somewhat predictable, but I never really connected with tI enjoyed the writing in this book, and thought the ending was appropriate and thoughtful if somewhat predictable, but I never really connected with the characters. Somehow, despite the wonderful descriptions of sights, tastes, and smells of Nigeria, the characters felt a bit flat to me. I want to read Half of a Yellow Sun, which I've heard from many people is a better book....more
An interesting follow up to the Uglies trilogy. This book is set a few years after the end of Specials and in a different city (a fantasy Singapore). An interesting follow up to the Uglies trilogy. This book is set a few years after the end of Specials and in a different city (a fantasy Singapore). The creation of the "reputation economy" in which everyone is given a "face rank" and competes for levels of fame and goods and apartments are distributed in part based on face rank is fascinating. Unfortunately, the primary plot driver in this story is weaker than in the previous three books. Worth reading for fans of the series....more
A satisfactory end to the trilogy. There's a fourth book in the series, but I believe it deals with mostly different characters. Only worth reading ifA satisfactory end to the trilogy. There's a fourth book in the series, but I believe it deals with mostly different characters. Only worth reading if you've read the first two as the book's universe and slang won't make sense otherwise. The author does a nice job of creating a plausible language and culture for the dystopian world....more
An enjoyable follow-up to Uglies, I read this immediately after finishing the first book. The characters continue to be compelling and to develop throAn enjoyable follow-up to Uglies, I read this immediately after finishing the first book. The characters continue to be compelling and to develop through this book. I'm looking forward to completing the trilogy....more
This is a flawed book, but I loved it anyway. The project was ambitious -- an effort to write about the British detention centers for asylum seekers aThis is a flawed book, but I loved it anyway. The project was ambitious -- an effort to write about the British detention centers for asylum seekers and other immigrants; an effort by a white man to capture the voices of two women (one a Nigerian immigrant and one a white British native). It didn't always work. But certain passages were so compelling that I was willing to forgive the flaws. And the plot of the story carried it through at a quick and compelling pace.
Neither Little Bee, the Nigerian girl who makes her way to the UK, nor Sarah, the UK resident on whose doorstep Little Bee appears, are flawless. The characters make annoying and stupid choices, their motivations are complicated, and they are, generally, believable and interesting characters.
Their lives are linked by an encounter two years before the start of the book on a beach in Nigeria. The book carefully circles around this history before finally revealing the details. The suspense and build up worked beautifully to help hold what is otherwise mostly a character-building story together.
This book gives a wonderful peek into the mind of a psychoanalyst working with his patients. These descriptions were by far the best part of the book This book gives a wonderful peek into the mind of a psychoanalyst working with his patients. These descriptions were by far the best part of the book - I'm tempted to give four stars just for that. The primary storyline, however, concerned the psychoanalyst's family and a tracing of a story from his recently deceased father. While the use of the author's father's journals was a lovely way for the author to collaborate with her father, and while the journals themselves were interesting, no truly compelling plot was really developed. Most of the characters seemed underdeveloped and somewhat random in their behavior and the book jumped around between storylines in ways that didn't quite hold together....more
A very funny set of essays written during the first year after the birth of each of the author's three children. I think I read the whole book in an aA very funny set of essays written during the first year after the birth of each of the author's three children. I think I read the whole book in an afternoon. Recommended for new parents....more
A very interesting look at the meaning of work and the transformative role that work plays on an individual and life. The author coherently traces phiA very interesting look at the meaning of work and the transformative role that work plays on an individual and life. The author coherently traces philosophical, sociological, and psychological research into work, thought, and organizational structure and makes a strong argument that integrated, meaningful work is important and can often be better achieved in manual work rather than "information" or "knowledge" work. The book has also made me again sad that I wasn't able to take auto mechanics in high school....more
An entertaining fantasy novel -- no real new ground here, but a compelling female lead and an interesting world with enough internal politics to be inAn entertaining fantasy novel -- no real new ground here, but a compelling female lead and an interesting world with enough internal politics to be interesting, but not so much as to distract from the usual quest-type story. Marisol, the young and suddenly-thrust-into-important-role lead, is a fun character in the fixed mold of regular girl becomes great. She struggles to learn her new role as Chalice (a sort of priestess) while keeping her down-to-earth beekeeper/woodskeeper roots....more
A very strange little book. The style reminded me a bit of Jeanette Winterson, but darker and more sinister. Somehow, the book didn't quite come togetA very strange little book. The style reminded me a bit of Jeanette Winterson, but darker and more sinister. Somehow, the book didn't quite come together for me despite the interesting elements and lyrical prose. The facts about female murderers were interesting and provided a nice backdrop for the story of this strange British family living in Mexico City. But the main character, Emily Neale, never really came alive enough for me to be that interested in her story. ...more
Another confirmation that chick-lit is just not really my thing. The book was cute enough and completely light fast reading, but I found it rather preAnother confirmation that chick-lit is just not really my thing. The book was cute enough and completely light fast reading, but I found it rather predictable and trite. None of the characters were all that compelling or interesting and the story just seemed sort of silly. That said, it served as a nice diversion for the few hours it took me to read....more
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