Katie

Man, this is a great idea for a book! But, OMG, the organization of it drove me nutso.

I pretty much love anything that Mary Roach writes. This one didn't disappoint. My gag reflex was engaged from time to time, but otherwise I loved it!

I always gave crows a wide berth for some reason. After reading this book, I realize my gut instincts were correct. Crows are smarter than most men that I've dated.

The characters in this book had very distinct voices, at least in my head. Fun and easy read. Things were wrapped up a little too nicely for my taste, and the Afterward took the shine off her nice ending.

I made it halfway through and then couldn't finish. Tooooooooooo long, dude!

I was compelled to read this, the same way I was compelled to read Twilight. It was a page turner, but the writing was not great and the foreshadowing made me gag. (Don't think I'm a snobby adult, I even disliked YA fiction when I was a YA) Everyone I know loved this book. I didn't love it, but parts were good. Some characters were memorable, but few were really interesting. I think the drunk guy was the best.

I wanted to like this one. The author was so cool when he was on Anthony Bourdain's show. I liked Winters Bone. But.. this was just a collection of stories with the same feeling over and over. Too much emphasis on evil or wrong makes it seem diluted. Or, overwhelming, like when you pour too much hot sauce on your dinner and then it's no fun to eat. Great writing and creepy ideas, but just not something I looked forward to reading.

Some pieces of the story line worked better than others. I found it compelling and interesting. I kind of wish the whole story had been about the first section.

Despite the confusing switches between the father and son, this was exceptional.

Yawn.
This happens every time when I read Jonathan Franzen. Halfway through, I literally stop caring about all of the characters. Even if I have 300 pages invested, I give up! (and I don't give up easily on books..)

I loved this at first, and then it fizzled.

Well, I thought this would be better. The author lost major points by 1) calling Cleveland a ‘wasteland,' and 2) referring to a library science degree with what could be contempt, but is probably just ignorance. An English major does not a Librarian make.

Even though I disliked the author's premise and assumptions (and at times tone), I did really like the characters in the book and how he describes their effect on him. The shining moment was the realization that he (and many others) had been glamorizing the pimp/ho dynamic when in reality it is an ugly, ugly thing.

This book would have gotten another star from me if Russo had omitted that Marguerite element at the the end.

Many of these stories had a harsh element, that lingered in my mind a lot longer than most short stories.

I've tried to read this two times.. I think mainly because I like the title.

Books about how great NYC is bore me to death. It's as tiresome as those people that continue to refer to it as “the city” when they move away from there. And the art gallery world? snooze... Pity, because I really like his writing style.

try as I may, I can't get into graphic novels.

What a wistful ending! It made me teary the same way this song does:

http://lyrics.wikia.com/The_Helio_Sequence:Looks_Good_%28But_You_Looked_Away%29

If it becomes a movie I think that last scene should sound like this.

I wish the editors had a few less hipsters and a few more natives write the chapters. Tennessee ended up being my favorite, Ohio was pretty accurate too.

simply wonderful. :)

An absolutely wonderful book! The only thing I would change is the repetitive description of Jesuit characteristics. I think if I didn't already know about the order, this might turn me off a bit.

This book totally captivated me. And, like most others, made me cry. And not the kind of crying with quiet little tears.

I was so happy with this book for the half of it that I've read so far.. Compared to most mystery thriller type crap, it has a lot of good writing/character development, etc. The story is actually told without constant dialogue!

Basically, I loved reading this book until it incorporated the element of woman as rape/torture victim. Reading those kind of story lines are troubling, for sure, but more importantly, they have become really boring and stereotypical. Seriously, are there any thrillers out there without this stuff? Part of me thinks that readers of these types of books become numb to REAL violations of women's bodies and rights, or at least expect it to happen. (I guess I should have known when Lisbeth was described as so thin and vulnerable that the author might disappoint in this way)


I do have half the book left.. we'll see if it gets better (or worse).


update... It didn't get better, but at least he's not playing fake relationship with Lisbeth anymore.

I tried.. I really tried, Mr Spiegelman, to like graphic novels.

Reading this book is like cruising along as a passenger in a race car. It's a fast and easy read and requires no special exertion from the reader. The best thing about it is that the dog is a narrator. The worst thing about it is how the author forgets this from time to time, or has to work at getting the dog into the scene to be able to describe to the reader what is happening. I would have definitely preferred a story without all the ends tied up, but more closely aligned with what Enzo, the pooch, might have seen/heard/thought.


I appreciated the last few pages- they made me smile in a way I was hoping to smile through the entire book.