Liked it better than The Claw of the Conciliator, but this series isn't speaking to me the way I thought it would.

Funny, smart, and savage. One of the best books I read this year. No idea why it didn't get better reviews.

Possibly the best book I read this year. Well-written, thoughtful history of science in the Romantic era.

I resisted this book all year long, but it turned out to be fabulous. Highly recommended.

Minor Shakespeare. Not my favorite play by a long shot. The bits with Suffolk and Margaret in the 5th act were nice, though.

I don't know. I wasn't in love. I liked the first volume in this series much better.

If your corniest, most curmudgeonly great-uncle were an expert on Shakespeare's sonnets, this is the book he would write. (In case you can't tell, that is a rave review.)

I liked Red Mars better.

One of my favorite of the Pratchetts.

Perhaps not as exquisite as, say, Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage. A couple of stories (like "Wood") left me cold. Still stellar.

Disturbing. But yet predictable. The writing is lovely. Not as good as Carry Me Down, but I'll pick up whatever M. J. Hyland writes next.

I loved it at first, but lost interest toward the end. I think this says more about me than about the book itself.

Fascinating. But oh so harrowing.

The first Garry Wills I've read in a long time. Very enlightening perspective on Jefferson.

These Terry Pratchett rereads are holding up quite well.

I was surprised at how little of this book I remembered--I had a very clear memory of the first half, but remembered almost nothing about the second half. Still a great read.

Richard Powers joins the list of prodigiously talented writers who turned out minor, disappointing works in 2009. Although this was considerably more ambitious than Sag Harbor or Nocturnes, I'll give him that much.

Sigh. I now join the legions of fans eagerly awaiting A Dream of Dragons. Which is still. Not. Finished.

A little disappointing, but still interesting. I wanted more narrative and less analysis.