Jen

I gave this 4 stars because I thought it was a really well-done sequel and I actually “really liked it”. It has a good pace, mystery, suspense and action, a lot comes together at the end, most of which is surprising. Katniss' character is very likable; although she is standoffish, she has inner and outer strength, loyalty, intelligence, but at the same time her weaknesses give her the right amount of humility. I've shied away from the hype of the movie but I will definitely read the third book.

I am impressed by this 23 year old's first novel, what amazing insight and understanding at such a young age as well as a restrained, skilled style in revealing her complex characters. While it's rare that I enjoy a dark story, I truly appreciated her skill and interesting, thought-provoking characters.

So interesting to hear about Stieg Larrson's life and how the trilogy came to be and to also learn a little more about Sweden. I was inspired by their activism, desire for truth and motivation to support so many causes. I'm glad Eva wrote this, she needs to be heard (trying not to be a spoiler).

Decent character development and likable characters with sometimes less than desirable traits which is something I like, keeps things interesting. There was a surprising ending but with decent closure. This author was recommended to those who like Anne Rivers Siddons (at our local used book store). Based on this book alone, I tend to like Siddons more.

Before reading this, I liked the idea that this story was not only a mystery but that its main character has Tourette's, unfortunately the mystery part fell a little short for me. The main character, Lionel, is quite lovable; you keep reading to follow his journey investigating a murder all the while afflicted with uncontrollable verbal and physical tics. I commend Lethem for the wit behind the Tourettic prose, I laughed out loud many times. Entertaining but not necessarily a must-read.

I would really give this book a 3.5 stars, excellent character development, skilled and at times unexpected prose, thought provoking. This was my first Toni Morrison book, I put it down feeling immense respect for her talent but I didn't love the story.

14 year-old Lily is a character who's easy to love, has observations about life that are fantastical, intense and at times hilariously honest. The other characters are equally lovable and the bees bring a magical element to the story. While at the end the lessons and advice border on trite, throughout the book the difficulties and tensions related to segregation and the beginning of the civil rights movement are impactful. This book was a fast, easy, light read, perfect for summer.. plus I'm a sucker for mid-century southern fiction.

While I really enjoyed Mr. McEwan's prose, the story did not pull me in as I thought it would given the hype and acclaim. Possibly my crazy schedule during the time of reading this book coupled with fatigue not allowing me to get through more than a few pages at a time but for whatever reason, I just wanted to see exactly what was the atonement and be done with the book! In spite of that, I liked the ending and thought it was gracefully handled and did allow the story to come full circle.

This book reminded me of why she is one of my favorites, uniquely and thoroughly detailed, dark, imaginative. I'm amazed this is her third book.

Great ending to the trilogy, couldn't put it down. Exciting, smart, multilayered. Although, I hope I don't have to read any Swedish city or street names for a long time.

A good, fast-paced, adventurous read. I enjoyed the characters, got swept up in their connection and their love for each other, more than I anticipated. There is a lot of description of emotion through bodily response which, toward the end, was a bit tedious but I will continue and finish the trilogy as there are some things left unexplained but also I want to continue the ride. Fun.

I really want to give this book 3 1/2 stars, I enjoyed the writing and the characters, the points of view from different characters in different times. I thought it was going to be scarier but I enjoyed it all the same, the main character is funny and likable, vulnerable; this is a really good first novel.

Great tool for communication, really exciting when your child starts to understand then use the signs but I found when the vocabulary starts to take off, you don't use/need it as much. I still go through the signs with her for fun, and it may come in handy someday, in a noisy room, etc.

Stunning, beautifully written and crafted.

Good read, well written. I was impressed by the massive effort by all involved to try to help get a dog out of Iraq. The details about Iraq at the time: a brief look into what it was like to be there, the risk to life, the constant tension, the politics/elections, it was intriguing and interesting.

A fast fluffy read, the writing trite and predictable enough to elicit eye rolling. The mystery part of the story line created enough tension to keep me reading.

A tame, quaint read, entertaining enough. I appreciate that the story was well told even though it was through letters only, I think that takes some skill. The details about the German occupation were sobering and this was well balanced with the quirkiness and spirit of the characters.

I loved The Far Pavilions and along those lines, M.M. Kaye does not fail to deliver India in unbelievable detail: the culture, food, smells, ways, religion, weather, landscape. This book talks a lot about politics, how the East India Company slowly took over India and the mutiny and war that ensued as Britain failed to respect or acknowledge religions and customs important to the natives. There was quite a bit of violence that I didn't expect but it was there to tell the story. Of course, there is a love story.. Alex and Winter. It may be a sign of the time when it was written but it is agonizing, most of the time unrequited, slow to evolve but I guess that keeps you going through all the political detail and intrigue. This is 800 pages, spans a great amount of time. It was worth the read to me because I like this author, it was written in 1956 and I love the way things were said: “Mr. Barton's countenance became dangerously empurpled..”. An overall good but long read.

Wow, I finally finished! Some of it is that I have a newborn but the other half or I would say quarter was that is was just a harder read for me. The story line was somewhat interesting but not that entertaining. Also there were many, many, many footnotes or whatever they're called when they're in the back of the book. I read every one. Didn't need to. Really, some would just explain a region in India where a city was located. Still didn't know where it was. Anyway, there were some good passages, an endearing relationship with a lama and his chela (disciple) - yes this was one of the many hundred footnotes - and the story of this boy's development as an agent of the state. I don't need to read all brain candy but I sludged through this one.

Very informative, to the point and w/o fluff, written by a doctor. If “what to expect when you're expecting” isn't for you when you find yourself pregnant, try this reference.

A great memoir, some passages are just amazing, very intense. Most that read this book will feel their childhood was tame and uneventful. Between the social and political environments, the landscape and climates, her parents, what an amazing upbringing... well told.

I forgot how much I love Rick Bass until I picked this from my TBR shelves. Symbolism, deep character development, an antagonist you love to hate, protagonists you have to root for. There were a few instances of unbelievable circumstances (something I'm a bit of a stickler for unless reading fantasy of course) but other than that I loved this story.

Hmmm, not what I expected of Wally Lamb... what I know is it took him about 9 years to write which isn't an issue in and of itself but it seemed to have evolved with the times. It seems that it started out as a book portraying Columbine then as more time went on, although many things were happening in our country... 9/11 then the Iraq war then Katrina, it's almost like he tried to bring in too much, that maybe there wasn't a lot of focus to begin with, it just happened to meld into the end product. Maybe that's the way the writing process goes... On the positive side, there was interesting symbolism, connections and ties, a likable and humble protagonist.

An intriguing and well told saga, I wanted to believe that it happened! I'm so glad I read this book, interesting viewpoint... continual religious discussion and discord. A look into royalty, power, greed, deceit, hypocrisy, love - both fickle and eternal, I would recommend this to anyone.

My first Gaiman book, recommended to me by someone to whom I recommended Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. This was a light, fast read, descriptive and entertaining to the imagination. Fantasy can be deep, tedious and intellectual, this was the opposite end of the spectrum but sometimes that's what you're in the mood for.