Tom Randall

Great beach read. Somewhat darker than I expected, but it's from the creator of True Detective so I should have known.

One of the most challenging, and rewarding, reads in a long time. A masterpiece where every sentence folds in on itself two or three times. Having read Middlesex previously, I was shocked at the similarities in theme and structure, and it was too close to be a ripoff, so I think that book must be an homage to this one.

Not really at all scary if you don't buy that it's a true story (and it's clearly not).

Just not that interesting, though not poorly written.

Best Heinlein I've read. Very good story, lots of interesting ideas throughout

Very interesting history of Garfield's assassination, and doesn't take too long to tell the essential parts. Alexander Graham Bell's connection and the medical community's resistance to antiseptic surgery were the most interesting parts.

Inspiring; better than your average autobiography.

Fascinating throughout. Most interesting might be the last chapters that discuss Paul and James in the early days of the church. Reminded me somewhat of Under the Banner of Heaven and struggles for the soul of a new religion.

I thought of it as a better-written English Great Gatsby, with actual characters instead of crude archetypes.

Decent writing, but nothing really of interest here.

Spoiler alert: they don't make it to the center.

One of the most depressing books I've read, but the father-son relationship was well-crafted.

Not all that interesting, considering the promising subject matter.

The prose was great at points but I never cared much about the story or characters.

I didn't grasp enough of the physics to give it more than 4 stars, but it's presented very well and interesting throughout.

This definitely isn't for everyone, but I loved it.

Brilliant use of the unreliable narrator in a profound story.

The history was more engaging than the modern crime aspect (which was actually the central storyline of the book). The most interesting idea is that Joseph Smith encouraged laymen in the church to receive their own personal revelations more so than in other faiths, and that contributes to the regular fracturing of Mormon sects. Not a comprehensive history, but worthwhile.

Beautiful book. The character-crafting and word economy is impressive.

Excellent exploration of the life of the main character and his/her coming to terms with being a hermaphrodite. The gender relations are obviously the main attraction, and are well done, but so are the family relations and the historical backdrop.

The theme of standing in the middle between two apparently distinct poles is revisited throughout. The most interesting for me was the position of the Greek immigrant (or 2nd generation) in the middle of racially-divided and explosive Detroit. Really well done without beating the reader over the head with metaphor.

Also happens to contain the best and most accurate descriptions of northern Michigan in the summer that I've read.

A collection of horror/sci-fi short stories. The title story is excellent and most of the rest very good. Visceral writing.

The ambiguity kept me interested, but disappointing overall.

Heavy with metaphor, and tragic. Middle third is weak but the end is incredible.

This book was on my shelf for years. I finally opened it. It is hot garbage.