Sarah

This was a nice quick read. The characters seemed straight out of central casting - not a lot of depth and fairly stereotypical. That said, I finished the book in a weekend and found myself engrossed in the story. The parallels between orphan train passengers of the early twentieth century and contemporary foster kids added depth.

Charming and moving. I found the characters very human - flawed but lovable.

It pains me to admit, but I am just not a short story person. I picked this book up anyway since it had so many amazing reviews. While I can admire Saunders' craft and skill, and admire some of the ideas played with in these stories, I just don't like short stories. I think the form is too brief for my taste - too many powerful emotions in a few pages!

I'm glad that Wood returns to Ashton Place for this, the third book chronicling the little wolf children :) Some secrets are revealed while others emerge as new conundrums. After listening to Katherine Kellgren make little yipping sounds and long howls, I can't imagine simply reading any of these books! Kellgren does a wonderful job of pulling the listener in to the story. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment.

A fun historical romp. I quite enjoyed this, actually, which was a nice surprise. It was just literary enough to satisfy my snotty standards and, living in Colorado, I appreciated the local lore.

Oh, how clever. Somehow dog thoughts condensed into poems makes all the misbehavings of my troubled pups seem funny :)

Kizzia explores some interesting dynamics between the Park Service and remote Alaskans. I found Hale's control of his family very disturbing, as well as the fact that his abuse could go on for so long, masked by the family's “quaint” charm and the respect for privacy (particularly in Alaska). Hale was truly a psychopath.

Cute and yet informative

“Like” is not the right word to describe this book (or any book about North Korea, for that matter). I preferred Barbara Demick's Nothing to Envy but this, too, is a story that needs to be told and repeated until the human rights atrocities in North Korea stop. It's sickening what we all allow to happen simply because there is little monetary benefit to be had from entering a war with North Korea.

Excellent. The YA rating is mostly due to issues of extramarital affairs, so it may be appropriate for some younger readers as well. The nuances and storyline are sophisticated and elegant - I devoured it in two days.

Perhaps this is just not a mystery one can read whilst reading 3 other books. The vast character list was confusing, and I confess that I was quite lost by the end of the book - too confused to care about the solution to the crime.

I rounded up from 3.5 stars :) I felt like Kaaberol couldn't decide if this should be a dark thriller or a tidy but suspenseful mystery. It certainly falls on the mystery side but the boy of the title adds a darker element.

Fun, mostly upbeat stories - a quick listen at 2 CDs. My dogs did not appreciate listening to yips and barks from unseen canines, however! :)

Oy vey, with the student loan whining already! I'm sympathetic to the cause - throwing people barely out of their teens under mountains of debt to get a college degree - but the cause is certainly more complicated and nuanced than Ilgunas portrays it. He concedes at the end of his book that his education was worth the debt, but this resolution may come too late for those who tired of his arguement by the third chapter. He still sounds like what he is - a young man with a good education who wishes everyone could simply follow their dreams and learn the lessons of simplicity. Noble, to be sure, and much easier to accomplish without the baggage of worries like health insurance, a spouse, or children. Also, I would like to point out that Ilgunas was incredibly lonely living in his van and that not many can handle the monastic, nomadic life (see: spouse, children).

I couldn't get past the first page of this novel. The narrator was whiny and annoying and I didn't see any redeeming literary style.

Quite charming and engrossing! Cath reminded me of my younger self, if only I had her drive to write nonstop! Her love interest, Levi, was a little too good but offers young readers an idea of all the wonderful things men can be - thoughtful, caring, and genuine. The book plays with some interesting ideas of art and plagiarism, as well as the nature of family.

I always enjoy Hiaasen's juvenile books. Entertaining characters, crazy situations, a little mystery and a little humor.

I confess that I gave up on this book about 90% of the way through. The premise just spiraled too far from plausibility for my taste - a woman moves in with her obese brother to help him lose weight and essentially cuts off all contact with her husband. Yes, family is important, but so is the family that you chose - i.e, your spouse. Edison's main attraction as a weight loss project for Pandora is that filial tie. Otherwise, he is pretty much a lazy, self-centered lout. So I couldn't listen any more.

This book really got going in the last twenty pages! I wish more of that action could have been incorporated into the first half of the book. I know I would have been devouring this series in middle school :) It's fun and thoughtful without being inappropriate for a younger audience.

I confess that all the different characters and plot lines confused me a bit. Maybe that was a side effect of listening to rather than reading the book, but I enjoyed the lilting Indian accents of the reader.

I was disappointed by this novel. After focusing on the perspectives of a few main characters, Dalton introduces a new POV in the second half of the novel. If introduced in the first half as well, this character might have offered additional insight and more complicated layers of character development. Instead, a book that could have been a nuanced look at human frailty, the rush to judgement, and the idea of intelligence falls flat and, to be honest, is a little offensive.

I had a difficult time rating this book. On one hand, it was very readable and almost lyrical. On the other hand, nothing happens and there are many missed opportunities for character development and drama. It also ends quite abruptly and unsatisfactorily. All in all, this book has a lot of potential but could have used significant edits.

Excellent “light lit” read - fast-paced, funny, and human. The character of Rachel fell a little flat in her portrayal of the American everyman intellectual, and her boyfriend Nick was just a little too good. Also great for audio with all the old Asian lady accents :)

Not as good as some of her others - the characters were odd and unrealistic and naming a football team the Stars feels childish.

This is probably the best dog training book I've read. Yin is sympathetic to the difficulties of positive training instead of lecturing. She understands both human and dog behavior and wants the best for both. She should be more well-known than Cesar Milan so spread the word!