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MY BOOK LOG

As of: 05/25/2008

TITLE

AUTHOR

WHEN READ

RATE COMMENT
The History of Love Nicole Kraus 2008  
Thunderbolt Kid Bill Bryson    
The Rest is Noise Alex Ross 2008 Politically correct narration and fascination with the musical masterpieces and musical crap of the 20th century.  Pretty interesting, but not discerning, not honest, not decisive.  Tell us what you REALLY think!
Beware of God Shalom Auslander 2008 Some of the stories are well crafted and even funny. Maybe it's part of the humor, but the overall tone reflects a bitter sarcasm that is as close-minded as the society it is making fun of.
The House in Amalfi Elizabeth Adler 2008 Typical story of a hopeless romantic who falls in love with cliched beauties: Italian Men, coastline sunsets, chocolate, etc...... Very similar to Under the Tuscan Sun.  Not very original but reasonably well crafted.
Peace Like a River Lief Enger 2008 Dreamy book with a curious balance of nostalgia and novelty-- tragedy and beauty.
On the Road Jack Keruac 2008 More about personal relationships than travel... all they did was zip through the country without really seeing anything except some bars.
Mozart in the Jungle Blair Tindall 2008 Cleverly uses sex and drugs to trap readers into tirades about the business side of the classical music world.  A typical professional musician who doesn't really love music.
Rashi's Daughters: Joheved Maggie Anton 2008 Beautiful snapshot of life in 11th century France.  No real plot, just a telling of a part of a life.  Interesting bits of history to be learned too.  Especially entertaining and enlightening if you know about wine and Judaism.
Cross James Patterson 2008 Usually after reading a book you feel full, proud, learned.  This one makes you feel guilty, dirty, disgusting.  Patterson is a master of suspense but he stoops to the lowest of the low to grab our voyeuristic tendencies and our fascination with the obscene.  Just when you think commercialized noveling can't go any lower, they pull this trick: the first two chapters of his NEXT novel, leading you to believe that it's part of the old story.  GRRR
A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini 2007    
Giving Up America Pearl Abraham 2007 Potentially good story about former Hasidic girl who goes through a usual American divorce story.  Nice direct style, but never fulfills potential of her unique background, which would have given the story originality.  Instead, the character mostly mopes about her boring office job and detached husband..
The Lost Continent Bill Bryson 2007 Humorous and opinionated matter-of-fact narrative about travels across America.  Funny because it's oh-so-true, and because he's almost always negative.  When he gets what he wished for he complains and seeks what he complained about before.  Clever, revealing and personal.  (Listened on audio, excellent reading by William Roberts) 
A Monk Swimming Frank McCourt 2007 The stupidity, misfortune, and other adventures of an Irish alcoholic in the footsteps of his alcoholic father.
Angels & Demons Dan Brown 2007 Almost the exact same formula as DaVinci Code, only the riddles are even easier to solve.  I knew it was Castel San Angelo the whole time! Unbelievable riveting though, like a thriller movie.
The Idiot Fyodor Dostoyevsky 2007 Dostoyevsky could have said what he had to say in half the verbiage.  And I'm sick and tired of stories about the Russian nobility.  The Prince reminds me of some people I know, yet he's made so extreme that it comes off as artificial.
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows JK Rowling 2007 What a thrilling end to an epic series! I read them all, and I literally cried through a loving smile at the end.  This generation grew right along with Harry, Ron and Hermione.
The Alchemist Paulo Coelho 2007 A charming adventure journey, on the cheesy side, about destiny, decision-making, and the self.
Next Michael Chricton 2007 One of the most impossible-to-put-down books I have ever read.  I finished it in record time.  Even though the science fiction is typically bizzare for Chricton, he tells a great tale.
Washington Square Henry James 2007 Great story about an unlikely heroine, a simple-minded victim of more intelligent and successful people all around her.  Even the less succesful and those who love her victimize the poor ugly dummy; the whole world pitches in.
Daisy Miller Henry James 2007 Parallel antithesis of Washington Square.  Also a victim, but this time because she is charming and beautiful.
Prey Michael Chricton 2007 Typical Chricton, not one of his best, but interesting ideas about biology, evolution, and science coming together in the swarm concept.
The Far Euphrates Aryeh Lev Stollman 2007 Weird book about 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation holocaust survivors. Holocaust's ripple effects continue to wreak their pain on victims.  How many generations will it take?  Given how we remembered the temple's destruction and before, this will haunt for millennia.  Solitary Canadian Jewish family's particular tale. Lots of cryptic symbolism, I think. 
The Good People of New York Thisbe Nissen 2007 Cheese galore.  Hadas recommended it.  A middle class life.  Moody teenager, divorce, career, bla bla bla.  Nothing extraordinary, except how it changes focus from  mother, to the daughter.  Cheesy happy ending.
Moby Dick Herman Melville 2006 READING it was an adventure.  Mind boggling, bizarre work that surpasses all genre and anything that came before it.  Exhausts the subject of whaling.
Tuesdays With Morrie Mitch Albom 2006 An old man bravely and jovially faces death.
Five People You Meet When You Go to Heaven Mitch Albom 2006 This guy (Albom) is obsessed fixed on this idea of death.  A fantasy trip through life after death.
Kite Runner Khaled Housseini 2006 Riveting story about growing up in Afghanistan.  The cruelty and injustice is appalling, but the ending is heartbreakingly beautiful. 
Don Juan Byron 2006 Shockingly and mesmerizingly beautiful verse about that mischievous little Johnny boy.  Many favorite lines about the true beauties of life: women, wine, and sunshine.
Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand 2006 An epic masterwork, but woefully misguided and delusional.  The logic is practically impeccable, but she makes the wrong fundamental assumptions (in my opinion) about the reasons for being.  Other main flaw in the logic is disregard for the environment and ignorance of the side-effects.
Sometimes Art Can't Save You Jill Ferguson 2005 Refreshingly but shockingly honest tale about domestic abuse of an artsy teenager.  Jill is not afraid to write about the most gruesome details, even though the happen every day all over the world.
1001 Arabian Nights Sheherezade 2005 After a few of these, you get the idea, and then they all meld together.  The idea is: a tale within a tale within a tale, usually about genies, sultans, and adulterous females.
The Odyssey Homer 2005 What a great adventure tale! Infinitely better than the Iliad.
Travels With Charley John Steinbeck 2005 Inspiring journey across America
The Iliad Homer 2005 Had to put it down after the 1000th description of a fleet footed hero stabbing this or that fiery eyed hero.  Basically a play by play of the Trojan War. Historically significant, ok.  But as reading material?! Pointless!  Where's the "masterpiece" everyone is claiming?
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince JK Rowling 2005 The wizarding tale gets ever more complicated and dark.
Fathers and Sons Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev 2005 Sad story about changing times.
Pere Goriot Honore de Balzac 2005 Sad story about the irrationality of love, especially filial.
Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll 2005 Interesting to read the source after being so familiar with the movie, pop culture references.
Clara Janice Galloway 2005 Disappointing when stories about interesting people turn out to be mostly run of the mill.
The Queen of Spades Alexander Pushkin 2005 Short story about a gambler who goes crazy. 
The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde 2005 Excellent story about the picture that absorbs its subject's sins.  Written in Wilde's witty style, overflowing with wonderful details. 
The Music Lesson Katherine Weber 2005 Turns out to be neither about music nor a lesson nor even the Vermeer painting.  Typical female book- a woman fed up with a comfortable life, who needs an exotic man somewhere else.
Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck 2005  
An Na A Step From Heaven 2005  
The Joy Luck Club Amy Tan 2004  
A Solitary Blue Cynthia Voigt 2004  
The Bad Beginning Lemony Snicket 2004 Formulaic storytelling style gets annoying very quickly.  Harry Potter wanna be.
Longing JD Landis 2004  
The Kreutzer Sonata Leo Tolstory 2004  
War and Peace Leo Tolstoy 2004  
Shoa Shelanu (Hebrew) Amir Gutfruend 2004  
Airframe Michael Chricton 2004  
Music of a Life Andrei Makine 2004