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A Curious Earth| author: | Gerard Woodward |
| discussion date: | 2008-06-16 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2008-06-17I loved the ending of this book -- I wish I had known the book was part of a trilogy, but perhaps it was for the best because I still enjoyed it. It started off slow and I had no sympathy for the main character at first, but I grew to like him and appreciated how the author told his story.
March| author: | Geraldine Brooks |
| discussion date: | 2008-05-19 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2008-06-04Though sometimes the coincidences made me groan, overall I liked this look at the life of the Little Women's father. it was well-written and considered and managed to portray both the large issues of war and the smaller issues of marriage with equal depth and interest.
Jennifer Government
bizzyb posted on: 2008-04-22The social satire was interesting, but the plot was so clichéd and the characters so cartoonish that they ruined the dystopian society the author built.
A Man Walks Into A Room| author: | Nicole Krauss |
| discussion date: | 2008-03-19 |
| picked by: | luv2cry |
bizzyb posted on: 2008-04-09If this is the worst book I read all year, I'll be happy.
Utterly Monkey| author: | Nick Laird |
| discussion date: | 2008-02-21 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2008-03-04I didn't think the slim events of the childhoods of these characters was enough to justify how they came back together as adults and influenced each other's lives. Much of the action seemed cartoonish, and I didn't feel I learned anything about anything or anyone after reading it.
Adverbs: A Novel| author: | David Handler |
| discussion date: | 2008-01-16 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2008-02-12I spent so much time trying to reconcile the characters throughout the book -- you know, trying to find the "novel" in what really read to me like stores even though it was heavily, heavily packaged as a novel -- that I grew frustrated and bewildered with the book, and, possibly, with myself. I wanted to like it, some of the stories were great (the second in particular), but as a whole it was a closed world, impenetrable to all but the author.
A Spot of Bother bizzyb posted on: 2008-01-11I really liked this book at first -- the author's voice is funny, and he has a good way with dialogue. But as the story went on, the characters grew increasingly cliched, and then the ending was just too happy happy happy to be believed.
Slow Man| author: | J. M. Coetzee |
| discussion date: | 2007-11-14 |
| picked by: | luv2cry |
bizzyb posted on: 2007-11-19He writes well. This was not a difficult book to read as far as sentence structure, things happening, etc. But it was confounding. For every minute I spent trying to figure out every possible role the Elizabeth Costello character might be playing (ghost? writer? God?) it was one more minute I spent souring on the book. I wish I could have just read about Paul Rayment's life, and not had Elizabeth Costello thrown in.
The Kite Runner| author: | Khaled Hosseini |
| discussion date: | 2007-10-17 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2007-10-23I suppose I am grateful if this book helped many Americans better understand a Middle Eastern country, but I wish it could have accomplished it with less melodrama and cinematic pomp. The book was far too classically American in its good guy/bad guy / redemption / religious structure, which made it a false and hollow portrayal of Islam and Pakistan.
Small Island| author: | Andrea Levy |
| discussion date: | 2007-09-19 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2007-10-23At turns laugh-out-loud funny and heartbreakingly sad, this intricately woven tale of being a stranger in a strange land is an engaging look at being human.
The Emporer's Children bizzyb posted on: 2007-09-10A pleasure to read with very interesting, somewhat complex, wholly believable characters. The writing was deceptively simple, and even though the book ended with 9/11 -- normally a huge turn off for me -- I enjoyed it.
Elements of Style| author: | Wendy Wasserstein |
| discussion date: | 2007-07-25 |
| picked by: | luv2cry |
bizzyb posted on: 2007-07-26Having heard a lot about the author's plays and what a talented writer she was, I looked forward to this novel. I was disappointed with its formulaic plot and shallow characterizations. While it certainly wasn't difficult to get through, I felt it was all style, and no substance.
Suite Française| author: | Irene Nemirovsky |
| discussion date: | 2007-06-20 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2007-06-21The author's personal story was fascinating. In fact, I was more riveted by her notes and correspondance, included as the Appendices of this book, than by the actual book itself. I am curious, though, how the book would have turned out had she had the opportunity to finish and revise. I think this is an important historical document and story, and I'm curious to see what her other books are like.
Please Don't Come Back from the Moon| author: | Dean Bakopoulos |
| discussion date: | 2007-05-23 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2007-06-21An interesting take on an everyday-situation -- when life gets tough, what makes some people hang in there? what makes some people leave? And can people ever change? The author draws his characters deftly, and their stories are at once the stuff of everyday and magical. What I liked most about this book was that there was a realistic ending -- a little bit happy, a little bit sad, a lot like life.
The Year of Endless Sorrows: A Novel bizzyb posted on: 2007-04-26I was charmed by the opening pages of this book -- the right-on midwesterner-to-manhattan details and funny tone -- but as it progressed, I lost all interest as the characters and happenings became implausible. I appreciated that the ending seemed realistic, but I wish I cared at all about the main character by the time I got there!
Veronica| author: | Mary Gaitskill |
| discussion date: | 2007-03-28 |
| picked by: | luv2cry |
bizzyb posted on: 2007-04-05There were descriptions that I found to be very evocative of time and place, but as the story went on, I wondered what the point was. I didn't feel a sense of purpose in the rememberances of this woman's past -- what she achieved by rehashing this story. So when I got to the end, I didn't really care, because I didn't know why I should.
The History of Love| author: | Nicole Krauss |
| discussion date: | 2007-02-21 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2007-03-01The second reading of this novel won me over to it -- the author does a great job interweaving the narratives, and the characters were interesting and charming.
Housekeeping: A Novel| author: | Marilynne Robinson |
| discussion date: | 2007-01-17 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2007-03-01There were passages that I thought were beautifully written, poetic in their structure and sound. I enjoyed the symbolism and theoverall theme of transience, and to what degree we are all transient on the earth.
Wickett's Remedy: A Novel bizzyb posted on: 2007-01-18This book is based on the 1918 influenza epidemic, which I thought was fascinating. But the style of having the dead speak in the sidebars was irriitating. It really detracted from the story's thrust I thought, as did all of the different writings at the end of each section -- the newsletter and historic newsclippings and such. But most of all, I was appalled that the ending of the book was different in the hardcover and paperback editions. It completely changed the entire meaning of the story!
Liars and Saints: A Novel| author: | Maile Meloy |
| discussion date: | 2006-11-15 |
| picked by: | luv2cry |
bizzyb posted on: 2006-12-15I was swept away by the first half of this multigenerational family saga. I mean, I read half of it in one night. But, ultimately, there were too many questions unanswered for me, and the convenient turning point at the book's end disappointed. Still, I was not unhappy I'd spent a little time in this family's world, and I thought the exploration of religion was interesting.
The Sea| author: | John Banville |
| discussion date: | 2006-10-18 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2006-11-15SPOILER ALERT! Read no further if you don't want plot points revealed!
I liked this book -- it was not the easiiest read, but I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the two main life-changing deaths the main character faced. The language was beautiful and the storytelling dense, but I could see rereading this at certain points in my life and getting different things out of it each time.
The Confessions of Max Tivoli| author: | Andrew Sean Greer |
| discussion date: | 2006-09-20 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2006-10-17I am sorry for picking this book. What was I thinking? I am sort of shocked still at how much I did not like it. In theory, the concept is interesting, but I just couldn't get over the over-the-top writing style and convoluted plotting (an orgasm timed exactly with the detonation of a huge rock in Golden Gate park? Really?).
Saturday bizzyb posted on: 2006-09-06One thumb up for this entertaining, but excruciatingly detailed novel. While McEwan's finessed style of writing worked well in Atonement and Amsterdam, I found it hard to take in parts of Saturday. It didn't bother me enough to dislike the book in general, but I didn't love it as much as I did his other works.
Middlesex: A Novel| author: | Jeffrey Eugenides |
| discussion date: | 2006-06-21 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2006-06-27I don't feel able to be objective about this book -- I can't think of anything other than how much I enjoyed it. I'm amazed at how many different characters and time periods are packed into one narrative without the flow of the book getting bogged down, and I think the device of telling this multi-generational family saga from the present tense with a bit of action moving forward in the current time is such a smart way to make everything move and tie all of the characters together. Looking forward to book #3 from Mr. Eugenides!
Never Let Me Go| author: | Kazuo Ishiguro |
| discussion date: | 2006-05-17 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2006-06-12I chose this book because of all the amazing reviews it received. I didn't read them, though, because I wanted to enjoy the story without really knowing what it was about. The characters were very simple, even obnoxious in their naivete. The writing was very plain. I found myself wondering what all of the fuss was about this book other than its futuristic subject.
But after I finished the book, thought about it, and read some of those reviews that prompted my interest in the first place, much of what had baffled and disappointed me about Kathy and her crew made more sense. I now appreciate NEVER LET ME GO a bit more, but while I am certainly not the most insightful reader, I think it is telling that I had to read reviews to gain a better understanding of the author's intentions.
The Normals : A Novel bizzyb posted on: 2006-05-17I enjoyed the ride of this novel most of the time -- I think the subject matter of drug testing is fascinating and a goldmine for examining the human psyche -- but ultimately I couldn't connect with the main character -- or with any of the characters. So the larger issues of humanity, hope (or lack thereof) and individual purpose were lost on me because I didnt care about the protagonist. That said, the dialogue was well-written and fairly believable. I just don't think this was the book for me.
A Million Little Pieces| author: | James Frey |
| discussion date: | 2006-03-15 |
| picked by: | luv2cry |
bizzyb posted on: 2006-03-29I didn't want to read this book. I didn't want to pay for it, be seen carrying it, or have it enter my psychic space in any way. But for the love of Booklyn, I sucked it up and approached it with as open a mind as I could muster.
But the attempt to read this as a novel is futile: it's too full of cliches and trite expressions to be satisfying fiction. I had to stop myself from throwing the book onto the train tracks when I read about Leonard's last encounter with his adopted mafia father, for example.
Also, the writing is in a pseudo-stream-of-conscious style that is supposed to harken a confessional tone, I think. But ultimately, the continual repetition and "unpolished" voice prohibits any self-examination of the situations James finds himself in. This deliberate choice to be "real" instead feels wildly overstyled -- bolding whole sentences and using capital letters to evoke tone and emotion is the most blatant way to tell a reader what to think about a character instead of showing them insight into that character's mind and behavior.
If a story is supposed to be about overcoming addicition, there needs to be some analysis of the character's struggle or an attempt by the writer to bring us close to the demons a character is grappling with. It is wholly lacking here, resulting in my absence of sympathy for James, whether he was real or not, and ultimate dislike of the book, non-fiction or fiction.
Play It As It Lays: A Novel| author: | Joan Didion |
| discussion date: | 2006-02-15 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2006-02-24There is more to talk about in this slim book than in many that are twice its size. At breakneck speed, Didion feeds you a stream of stories, characters, and images. It's brilliant, spare writing that illuminates the dots for you to connect.
Snow| author: | Orhan Pamuk |
| discussion date: | 2006-01-18 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2006-02-02A difficult but worthy read. Weeks after reading it, I am still thinking about the characters. While the writing seemed unnecessarily dense in some areas, the subject matter is timely and fascinating.
Little Children bizzyb posted on: 2006-02-02This deceptively easy read leaves you asking questions you thought maybe you knew the answers to already. It's characters are well-drawn and entertaining and the writing is fast-paced. An excellent, observant look at Americans approaching mid-life and the consequences of choosing a certain kind of suburban lifestyle.
The City of Your Final Destination| author: | Peter Cameron |
| discussion date: | 2005-11-16 |
| picked by: | luv2cry |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-11-17The storytelling is unique in its tightly focused scope -- the author tells you more by withholding details than by explaining away each character. The result is a story that unfolds pleasantly slowly and unexpectedly, and reveals the many intricate levels we all have with the definition of belonging, of being home.
The Laments : A Novel| author: | George Hagen |
| discussion date: | 2005-10-17 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-10-18A refreshing sorbet of a book. It's the perfect thing to pick up between reading meatier books to cleanse the palate and wake up the senses. This book is laugh-out-loud funny in parts, and I haven't read a book that made me do that for a while. It's heavy on dialogue and feels like it was written more as a screenplay than a book, which isn't bad, but it's nice to know going into it. I was slightly disappointed with the last third of the book as I felt it was rushed and the ending was too tidy, but the characters were engaging and the action swift.
Bandbox| author: | Thomas Mallon |
| discussion date: | 2005-09-23 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-09-30The pace is fast -- but the payoff isn't worth the breakneck speed. I think every publication on the planet gave this book a great review, so my hopes were really high for some fun and a rich, complex story. I got the fun, but there was no meaty plot to back it up. Perhaps it was a case of built-up expectations on my part, but I felt very let down as this novel drew to a close.
Atonement bizzyb posted on: 2005-08-25It may take some getting used to the prose style, but after a few pages, you are completely under McEwan's spell. His writing is amazing, clear as a bell, incredibly moving. A fascinating meditation on sin, guilt, forgiveness, stamina, and class. Everyone should read this!
The Girl Who Played Go : A Novel| author: | Shan Sa |
| discussion date: | 2005-07-30 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-08-01I was shocked by this ending, only because I found it to be pretty improbable. But when I compared it to the same major writing that all the reviewers did, it shed some light on why it ended up that way. The writing has moments of stark clarity, but I didn't fall in love with either character fully enough to say this book moved me very much.
The Intuitionist| author: | Colson Whitehead |
| discussion date: | 2005-06-08 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-06-10I loved the world this novel put me in, even if I wasn't sure where it was or what time era it was in. The language and phrasing and characters pulled me along through some struggles with the race metaphor and the mystery itself. It's safe to say I haven't read anything like it, and I mean that in a good way. The writer took chances, some of which paid off and others that were just a bit too confusing to make a full impact.
Disgrace bizzyb posted on: 2005-05-12Sparse, powerful writing and a few unexpected explosions propel this book forward at an interesting speed. I think if I knew more in-depth details about the racial tensions in South Africa I would have found this book even more compelling, but as it was I enjoyed pondering the many difficult questions it raised about salvation, guilt, surrender and, of course, disgrace.
Aloft| author: | Chang-rae Lee |
| discussion date: | 2005-04-20 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-04-21I usually hate stream-of-conscious writing, but I loved the strong narrative voice here. It convinced me that I was in Jerry Battle's head, figuring out his life -- the mistakes and the triumphs -- as he did. I thought some parts of the story were underdeveloped (Jerry's relationship with Kelly and Theresa's entire character), but I loved the all-too-accurate descriptions of noveau riche striving and what we learn, and don't learn, from the generations before us.
Bel Canto| author: | Ann Patchett |
| discussion date: | 2005-03-16 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-03-17Spellbinding is the only way to describe Ann Patchett's writing in BEL CANTO. Even though I wasn't deeply engrossed in the story until about halfway through the book, her writing is so fluid I wanted to read more of it, just to hear how she described things. Ultimately, the novel was fulfilling, especially because the Epilogue added an interesting twist on how people cope with trauma.
Hottentot Venus: A Novel| author: | Barbara Chase-Riboud |
| discussion date: | 2005-02-16 |
| picked by: | postmodern willy |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-02-17While there is great potential in the true story of the Hottentot Venus for a powerful imagining of her life, this author pushed her own agenda too hard and clogged up the fiction with too many factual anecdotes. if she had focused more on telling what she thought Sarah was feeling and less on all the nifty research she did, I would have enjoyed the book more.
What Was She Thinking? : Notes on a Scandal: A Novel| author: | Zoe Heller |
| discussion date: | 2004-12-13 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Uh, fornicating with those underage might be fun, but please don't let's obsess over them! Well-formed characters, not enough happening in the story to make me love it.
Motherless Brooklyn| author: | Jonathan Lethem |
| discussion date: | 2004-11-17 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Hated it at first, but the characters have stayed with me, and I find myself thinking about them now and again. You know, like when I'm (shit!) sitting in the car (damn!) waiting for (fuck!) a mark to walk out of the (shit!shit!shit!) Zentopia.
The Namesake bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Beautiful writing, beautiful characters, engaging plot. Has provoked much thought and discussion about 2nd generation Americans and their experiences. Loved it!
Brick Lane : A Novel| author: | Monica Ali |
| discussion date: | 2004-09-15 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12I dare you to read the first page and not want to eat copious amounts of delicious Indian food! Okay, Bangladeshi food, but still. Highly enjoyed the character details and descriptive writing. I'd pick up Namesake first, but this was a close second.
Set This House in Order: A Romance of Souls| author: | Matt Ruff |
| discussion date: | 2004-08-18 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12The first half rocked. The second half, not so much. Interesting subject matter and I always love cool little drawings in the book.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12When everything this autistic kid thinks starts to make sense to you, it's obvious the writer has immersed you in a perfect fictional world. Much better stream-of-conscious writing than any crap Kerouac did.
Oryx and Crake| author: | Margaret Atwood |
| discussion date: | 2004-06-16 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12ChickieNobs. Pigoon. Say these words to me in broad daylight and watch me flee. Totally believable and totally icky and totally great. I'm STILL creeped out by it.
My Year of Meats bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Fiction that is not quite fictional when it comes to the details of cow processing and all that goes with it. It's more touching than Fast Food Nation and Super Size Me because it presents the carnivore's conundrum through characters you empathize with.
Carter Beats the Devil| author: | Glen David Gold |
| discussion date: | 2004-04-21 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12I'm a sucker for the big, sweeping historical novel. And let's face it, magic is just cool.
Five Quarters of the Orange| author: | Joanne Harris |
| discussion date: | 2004-03-17 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Figured out pretty much what would happen early on in the book, and couldn't enjoy the rest of it. Some of the Frenchy stuff is cool, though.
The Book of Salt bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Don't read when hungry. Mouth-watering is one way to describe this book, which seemed to me like one long tone poem about food. Even the words were delicious!
The Razor's Edge| author: | W. Somerset Maugham |
| discussion date: | 2004-01-21 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Clearly a book to be read at a certain point in your life. I don't think I was at that point, but I'd give it another shot in a few years.
Dreamland| author: | Kevin Baker |
| discussion date: | 2003-12-17 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Loved everyone in this book, even the bad guys. Such a great job pulling in the historical fact and wrapping it around these fictional characters and situations. Very engrossing if you're interested in old NYC history.
Bee Season: A Novel bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12You can't help but love Eliza and her spiritual, familial and internal struggles. Anyone who doesn't remember the spelling bee with some combination of fear, joy, pain and indifference might not love this, but they'd still certainly like it.
Norwegian Wood| author: | Haruki Murakami |
| discussion date: | 2003-10-22 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Not as mystical as his other books, but still deeply touching. The characters are quirky but real and if you can't see yourself in them, you can certainly see someone you know.
You Shall Know Our Velocity| author: | Dave Eggers |
| discussion date: | 2003-09-17 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12A letdown. The premise is great, but I didn't think the characters learned anything and I certainly didn't learn anything. I didn't even learn that we don't always learn something, even though I have previously learned that this is true.
Tomcat in Love| author: | Tim O'Brien |
| discussion date: | 2003-08-20 |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Who cares? Really. Tell me. Did you like this book? Please tell me why. I would really love to know. I tried to find the subtext, but couldn't see past the characters being odd crapheads.
Three Junes bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Reverberated with me for quite a while after reading it. Had a very different rhythm than many other books -- sor of meditations on characteristics that make people who they are.
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America| author: | Barbara Ehrenreich |
| discussion date: | 2003-06-18 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Ding Ding Ding! You are Correct! This is not fiction. But we read and we're all damned glad we did. Or we should be. Even if you disagree with her methodology, it's fascinating to see the people she encounters and how they're trying to get by.
Life of Pi| author: | Yann Martel |
| discussion date: | 2003-05-21 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Was there really a tiger? Was there really a flesh-eating plant? Who cares? This was a fun ride with a whiplash ending that I dare you to not enjoy.
The Human Stain bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12This one is tough. First, the movie sucked. Seriously, don't even go there. I mean, the movie has totally gummed up whatever I can remember about the book. I think I liked it, but I wouldn't swear it. Sorry, Phil!
Mrs. Dalloway| author: | Virginia Woolf |
| discussion date: | 2003-03-19 |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Didn't hate it, didn't love it. Thought it was an interesting look at a particular time, and a particular place women held at the time. Think I'd be interested in reading this again in about 10 years and seeing what I think then. Be sure to check back!
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay| author: | Michael Chabon |
| discussion date: | 2003-02-19 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Run out and buy this book and buy seven thousand copies to give to every person you've ever met. Might be my favorite book we've ever read in book club.
The Crazed| author: | Ha Jin |
| discussion date: | 2003-01-22 |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12A quiet book. I liked it, but I didn't love it. Masterful writing -- there is very little action so his pure descriptive powers pull you along. I would not want to read this on a vacation or very long train ride.
Love in the Time of Cholera| author: | Gabriel Garcia Marquez |
| discussion date: | 2002-12-18 |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12I really wanted to like this book. I mean, really. But I so did not. Not at all. Oh well.
The Cheese Monkeys: A Novel in Two Semesters| author: | Chip Kidd |
| discussion date: | 2002-11-13 |
| picked by: | chiclet |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12I liked it even if the writing was a bit weak. Package design is awesome, as it should be from Mr. Kidd, and I enjoyed reading about the undergraduate design experience and comparing it to that of my friends.
The Quick and the Dead bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Liked it personally, loved it as a book club book. This was our first really good discussion because the book is so crazy! It was a tough book to read, and only after talking about it with everyone did I feel I understood it better. Coolio.
Empire Falls| author: | Richard Russo |
| discussion date: | 2002-09-18 |
| picked by: | bizzyb |
bizzyb posted on: 2005-01-12Entertaining in every way. Great characters, great plotting. I was a little taken aback at the ending, but gotta give him props for trying to tackle a hot current topic.