The God of War: A Novel6 reviews Marisa Silver Simon & Schuster, 2008 "The sea was my biggest treasure, a jewel as huge as I could imagine the earth to be." + Marisa Silver and THE GOD OF WAR...and a boy named ARES RAMIREZ + The God of War + I visited a place I had never been too and loved it!             The Shadow of the Wind502 reviews Carlos Ruiz Zafón Penguin (Non-Classics), 2005 All time masterpiece. + A moving allegory + Quote Mine + Stuck In A Rut?             The Gift of Rain: A Novel4 reviews Tan Twan Eng Weinstein Books, 2008 'I was born with the gift of rain ..' + Luminous, Sweeping Epic With a Unique and Complex Hero + a deeply satisfying historical novel + Compelling Read             The Other Boleyn Girl (Movie Tie-In)779 reviews Philippa Gregory Touchstone, 2008 Pick it up, you won't want to put it down + A good read, but be warned + Excellent Read + Great! + Better than the movie             The Alchemist1229 reviews Paulo Coelho HarperCollins, 2006 "Everything in life is an omen.." + A timeless story. + your journey begins here + Heartfelt + The Alchemist             The Kite Runner2402 reviews Khaled Hosseini Riverhead Trade, 2004 A fantastic story! + Great book + Commonality + An amazingly majestic, sweeping, emotionally powerful moving story of friendship and sacrifice             Peony in Love: A Novel89 reviews Lisa See Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2008 Nice read, interesting topic + PEONY IN LOVE + My Thoughts About Peony In Love This is a fairly short novel about a girl in a well-to-do family in Qing Dynasty China (probably late 1600s-early 1700s). At first glance it's about first love gone awry but it's really much more...there's a big twist that happens in the first half of the book that entirely changes what the novel's ...             Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel573 reviews Lisa See Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2006 Wow! A wonderfully rich story- my highest recommendation. + Only Through Pain Will You Have Beauty... + Wonderful Story + kept me up all night             The Outlander11 reviews Gil Adamson Ecco, 2008 `Abundance lay about her but she starved' + The Outlander + Engrossing book! + We All Become Outlanders             The Philosopher's Apprentice: A Novel12 reviews James Morrow William Morrow, 2008 Morrow's brilliance continues + this book, this book is like wild dude!!!!!! + "Wouldn't last two sentences in Tehran..." James Morrow continues to poke Western society in its most sensitive spots, never resorting to the cudgel, and always making us laugh, chortle, or smirk even as we wince. The Philosopher's Apprentice continues the grand Morrow tradition, slaughtering the sacred cows of cloning, abortion, the value ...             Moral Disorder and Other Stories18 reviews Margaret Atwood Anchor, 2008 A BRILLIANT, DEEPLY MOVING, TOUR DE FORCE CHARACTER STUDY -- AND SEIMI-AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL TO BOOT! + Brilliant Writing at its Best! + Good, but not her best "Moral Disorder" by Margaret Atwood is a collection of eleven short stories. Each stands easily and delightfully alone; in fact, five of them have previously appeared in magazines. But taken as a whole, this collection gathers synergy and eventually morphs into a most uncommon and extraordinary ...             The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears29 reviews Dinaw Mengestu Riverhead Trade, 2008 Mirrors my Immigrant experience + The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears + Solid fiction... I am glad to have found an Ethiopian-American " Jhumpa Lahiri". Who can convey and bring to light our African immigrant experience through his words. I hope Dinaw will continue to write, help us explore and make sense of our two world existence. As an Ethiopian immigrant, my incredible ...             Tangerine Dream75 reviews Ken Douglas Bootleg Press, 2003 You Never Know What Might Change You + Made me wonder, what if? + Engaging and disturbing both at the same time + A Good Story is a Good Story No Matter What it's About             Chez Moi Agnes Desarthe Penguin (Non-Classics), 2008 A profound and tender novel about a woman’s troubled past— and her enduring love of cooking At forty-three, Myriam has been a wife, mother, and lover—but never a restauranteur. When she opens Chez Moi in a quiet neighborhood in Paris, she has no idea how to run a business, but armed only with her love of cooking, she is determined to try. Barely able to pay the rent, Myriam secretly sleeps in ...             Dream When You're Feeling Blue: A Novel107 reviews Elizabeth Berg Ballantine Books, 2008 In the Mood... Good read with lots of informative history of this era. The author seemed to rush towards the ending and then all of a sudden, there it was, leaving the reader wondering if a chapter got missed. The ending didn't seem to fit without a bit more story.             March135 reviews Geraldine Brooks Penguin (Non-Classics), 2006 well deserved award winner + A good read with an interesting spin on an old story + A Poignant Awakening Interestingly, I read Year of Wonders ages ago and never picked this up even though I LOVED her earlier books. I thought if I wasn't so hip on recalling Little Women and remembering their story, that I'd be lost. I was WRONG. This is a delightful and incredibly written book and there is no need to ...             Then We Came to the End: A Novel183 reviews Joshua Ferris Back Bay Books, 2008 Living up to the hype + SO damn good + Fun, inconsistent 2007 novel on life at a failing ad agency + dark comedy             An Irish Country Doctor (Irish Country Books)15 reviews Patrick Taylor Forge Books, 2008 An Irish Country Doctor + Gentle Irish Story + An Irish Country Doctor + A gentle tale             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!             Body Surfing: A Novel84 reviews Anita Shreve Back Bay Books, 2008 "The family never stays after Labor Day. Never." + Surfing Through Life There are very few books in my life that I picked up and read all in one day. Body Surfing is one of those books. Sydney, age 29, has not had a terribly easy life thus far. She has had two marriages, one of which ended when she divorced her husband and the other ended when she was widowed. We meet ...