What Is the What (Vintage)147 reviews Dave Eggers Vintage, 2007 Simply Speaking-An engaging, enthralling novel. + Unflinchingly Honest + Educational and quite entertaining + An inticing read             The Namesake6 reviews Jhumpa Lahiri HarperPerennial, 2004 A Gem + A warm portrait of an immigrant family dealing with America + A new look at the immigrant experience Beautifully and gently written, this book holds and builds your interest as you read on. It is a study, on one level, of people from India in the USA; on another level, it is a wonderful study of the life history of families everywhere. Highly recommended (and I am completely baffled by the ...             The Beggar, The Thief and the Dogs, Autumn Quail5 reviews Naguib Mahfouz Anchor, 2000 Hope and disillusionment in post-revolutionary Egypt + Three tales of post revolutionary Egypt + Awesome! But I don't know if it's good translated + Socio-political impact from the Revolution + WoW , this is really worth buying             The Inheritance of Loss143 reviews Kiran Desai Grove Press, 2006 Powerful, realistic A powerful novel, which kept me up reading every night. At once so many dimensions-a political novel, tackling issues of class, prejudice and race; one of the few works portraying the realities of the illegal immigrant underclass in America-and the hopes and dreams that started it all; the self ...             Memoirs of Hadrian56 reviews Marguerite Yourcenar Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005 Perhaps a Masterpiece + A masterpiece. + Memoirs of Hadrian + Enlightened Caesar + beautifully composed             Gilead: A Novel291 reviews Marilynne Robinson Picador, 2006 An enjoyable read + A Book for Reflection The critics hailed Marilynne Robinson's second novel, Gilead, when it was released in 2004. However, everyone I talked with about the book confessed that it was a total snoozefest. The novel came up in conversation with a new friend recently who was sure I would enjoy this character-driven novel. ...             Autumn Quail2 reviews Naguib Mahfouz Anchor, 1990 Dynamics from the New Egyptian order + Revolution and after. In the Autumn Quail Mahfouz traces the relationship of the past and present within the Egyptian Revolution and the possibilities of co-operation and coexistence in the future. Autumn Quail provides the reader with the sentiments and insights on the Revolution put into play by the language of the ...             The Sister4 reviews Poppy Adams Knopf, 2008 (4.5) "Vivian walked into my head and littered it with doubt and anger and turbulence." + "Life becomes a treacherous board game, the people within it the counters." + An intriguing exploration of the mind... I am struck from the start with the eerie déjà vu of this strange tale, two sisters reunited in the rambling Victorian home in the Dorset countryside after fifty years. Ginny has always lived here, but for a few years of schooling with her vivacious younger sister. Vivi left home long ago, not ...             The Dogs of Babel : A Novel356 reviews Carolyn Parkhurst Amazon Remainders Account, 2004 "Let it wash over you. It ends soon enough." + We all do it differently... + An incredible book. + The Dogs of Babel             The House at Riverton: A Novel85 reviews Kate Morton Atria, 2008 EXCELLENT BOOK + A House with Character + Good read but Poor ending + A very good modern version of the classic Gothic romance + Loved it!             Peace Like a River380 reviews Leif Enger Atlantic Monthly Press, 2002 Best book I've read this year! + here's what I saw; here's how it went.. + Enjoyable for this novel novice... + In my all time top 5 + Doesn't Get Any Better Than This             Black Swan Green: A Novel59 reviews David Mitchell Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2007 Black Swan Succeeds + ...ouch + Amazing read + engaging at times + Excellent!             In the Country of Men21 reviews Hisham Matar Dial Press Trade Paperback, 2008 An Excellent Audio Book / Information from Interviews with Matar + Very well written!! + "Elucidating, disturbing ..... worthwhile" THE AUDIO BOOK (Unabridged) Though I have yet to listen to the CDs, my mother reports that "not only is the book is beautifully written; the reader is also terrific." By this she especially means 1) that he read slowly enough for her to digest the material and savor the language and 2) that he ...             Luncheon of the Boating Party34 reviews Susan Vreeland Penguin (Non-Classics), 2008 Boating Party a Luxury Cruise + Vreeland's Boating Party This has to be one of the best books about the Impressionists I have read in quite awhile, and I have read several. It captures the inner struggles of an artist perfectly. The characters are drawn beautifully in words. I highly recommend it.             Drop City112 reviews T. C. Boyle, 2003 My first Boyle + Another Look at Communal Life Wow. What an author. Boyle's characters are compelling, diverse, real, full and believable. The story captures the landscape very well, populated with nature and humans. The story is engrossing and entertaining while still containing beautiful examples of good writing. Boyle never falls into ...             Suite Francaise355 reviews Irene Nemirovsky Vintage, 2007 Moving and poignant reflection on the persistence of humanity + Suite Francaise When I started "Suite Francaise," I thought it would take a lot of time and effort to complete. Happily, I was wrong. Once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. The novel is actually composed of two novellas, "Storm in June" and "Dolce", which Nemirovsky had intended to be the first of a ...             Baudolino (Best Seller) Umberto Eco, 2003             Snow129 reviews Orhan Pamuk Vintage, 2005 Snow + Relevant, Beautiful and Absurd Orhan Pamuk's novel "Snow" is a meditation on Religion, Poetry, Love, Gender relations, and Politics. It is a difficult, challenging work. Although the author himself described "Snow" as a political novel, it is much more. I learned something of Turkey and its politics fron the book, but I was ...             MY NAME IS RED ORHAN PAMUK FABER AND FABER, 2002             The Red and the Black (Modern Library Classics)4 reviews Stendhal Modern Library, 2004 Ambition, piety, and pride all at odds + the misadventures of Julien Sorel + Ambitious Young Man Makes Decisions The first great psychological novel ever written, THE RED AND THE BLACK centers around Julien Sorel, a tender and honest young man, but one consumed by ambition, and "filled with imagination and illusion." Napolean is his hero, yet he believes the Church has now rightly re-established its position ...