A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius916 reviews Dave Eggers Vintage, 2001 A dizzying book + I really liked it, but it's not for everyone - 4 1/2 + A.H.B.W.O.S.G. Review + The Work of A Staggering Genius             The Sea (Man Booker Prize)83 reviews John Banville Knopf, 2005 The Power and Peril of Memory + lyrical + The Sea will make readers cry and cheer for the love of it. This is a very rewarding book that requires patience and close attention because of the narrative shifts in time and place. The story revolves around middle aged Max. In the present, Max is grappling with the recent death of his wife. Clearly the pair had long been a "unit" and Max is quite at ...             Paradise Alley (P.S.)44 reviews Kevin Baker Harper Perennial, 2006 Hot Times in the Old Town + Its magnificent strength is also its weakness + LIVES THAT WERE LESS THAN PARADISE The second book of Baker's planned trilogy about historical New York City, "Paradise Alley" is set during the infamous 1863 draft riots in NYC. Protest against Lincoln's attempt to draft soldiers into the Union army quickly devolves into a pogrom against free blacks struggling to live as ...             Slipping into Darkness28 reviews Peter Blauner Grand Central Publishing, 2007 Working Class Poet + interesting book + Brilliant Writing and Great Characters, But... + The skewed scales of justice + Held My Interest             The Secret History536 reviews Donna Tartt Vintage, 2004 A Very Powerful Novel + This is a great book - a must read for the winter. + Well written page turner + The Heart of the History + A Modern Classical Tragedy             The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time1455 reviews Mark Haddon Vintage, 2004 Fun and engaging + Not your usual read . . . + An unusual and striking first novel + Very Likeable Book             Slammerkin143 reviews Emma Donoghue Harvest Books, 2002 Unique historical fiction + a good, though depressing, historical novel + Fascinating bit of fiction Do yourself a favor and read this book. As an academic specializing in Regency period literature, I find Donoghue's descriptions of 19th century London flawless and her storytelling ability top notch. This is a unique story of a poor, young woman navigating through London and its environs, ...             Gilead: A Novel303 reviews Marilynne Robinson Picador, 2006 This is a nearly perfect book + A Hill of Testimony + beautifully written novel of reflection Gilead is a nearly perfect book. It is quiet, multi-layered, and deeply spiritual. Composed in the form of a letter from the elderly protagonist, John Ames, to his young son, the work is a meditative near-monologue about faith, anger, love, and forgiveness; emotional patrimony, isolation, and ...             The Echo Maker: A Novel102 reviews Richard Powers Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006 surreal landscape that sucks you in... + Intelligent and entertaining Powers knows how to suck you into the turmoil and conflict in a character's life. This book deserves all the accolades it received. I could not put this down. Great stuff on identity, sibling relationships, what it means to be intimate after decades in a romantic relationship, and how we are ...             Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: A Novel319 reviews Jonathan Safran Foer Mariner Books, 2006 Incredible + Good book for a book club discussion + Beautiful + A heartbreaking work of staggering genius + Flawed but still very good.             Life of Pi1841 reviews Yann Martel Harvest Books, 2003 no words can describe how good this is! + engaging, imaginative, thought-provoking it breaks down all barriers of imagination and offers a breathtaking understanding of life through a story of simple transition from innocence to maturity...something each adult reader can relate to. be prepared for the more graphic details in the second and third section of the book which are a ...             The Ruins986 reviews Scott Smith Knopf, 2006 Quality Horror + The Ruination of Sleep + A Good Read With Scott Smith's first novel A SIMPLE PLAN he took the literary world by storm. The novel received raves from all critics, developed a huge cult following and was called by many the best suspense novel of the year. Here we have his follow-up, THE RUINS, many years after the first and it is in a ...             Charming Billy301 reviews Alice Mcdermott Dial Press Trade Paperback, 1999 What's the real truth? + Wonderful, bittersweet book + Touching, tragic tale + Another Fine McDermott Work             The Fortress of Solitude105 reviews Jonathan Lethem Vintage, 2004 Play that funky music, white boy + Magic in the familiar + Great read + Play that funky music, white boy             Shadow Baby (Today Show Book Club #14)41 reviews Alison McGhee Picador, 2003 Beautifully written--provoked me to both laughter and tears + Strange book + One of my favorite books this year This book captivated me almost immediately and I devoured it in one sitting. I found the author's development of Clara's quirky personality to be realistic and amusing, as she reminded me greatly of myself at that age--a voracious reader, imaginative storyteller, perceptive thinker, and ...             Middlesex: A Novel854 reviews Jeffrey Eugenides Picador, 2002 You Are Such a Flirt + One of my favorites! + A Wonderfuf Read + From a pediatric Urology Nurse's view point, well done             The Brief History of the Dead123 reviews Kevin Brockmeier Vintage, 2007 One of the best books I have read in a while + Engrossing and thought-provoking + Stunningly imaginative With the world spinning around series like Twilight and Harry Potter, it is rare that one hears about a single book that is worth reading. I came across this book at the bookstore, drawn in by the title and cover. I started reading and instantly fell in love. The idea of multiple narrators is a ...             Drinking Coffee Elsewhere56 reviews ZZ Packer Riverhead Trade, 2004 A Story With A Don Quixote Flavor + Beautiful + Refreshing & thought-provoking + A new voice reminiscent of Baldwin and O'Connor             Heart-Shaped Box: A Novel291 reviews Joe Hill William Morrow, 2007 A legacy in horror honored + A great, debut thriller This first novel by Joe Hill, author of the acclaimed collection 20th Century Ghosts, makes its US debut with no little fanfare. And it lives up to its billing. From the moment aging Ozzy Osbourne-style rocker Judas Coyne is tricked into adding one more item to his collection of bizarre ...             The Kite Runner2517 reviews Khaled Hosseini Riverhead Trade, 2004 Ki + Wonderful + Fantastic + powerful and moving + Could Not Put it Down