Jeez. A zombie story that broke my heart-- who knew? Rather gorgeous prose, and a protagonist and antagonist that really deliver. Some gothic-y set pieces and enough "ew" to satisfy, especially in a middle section that was not to be believed. Unexpected, to say the least.

This is where I wish I had an Irish accent so I could say, Ach and I'm wrecked, sure. Tana French's novel puts you in the non-cute Dublin quickly, and immerses the reader in a family filled with love and a lot of other bad shite. The mystery is compelling; the characters more important. Is it a bad thing I kind of want to marry the main character, a majorly messed-up Irish undercover cop?

A series in a genre that really should be oh so very bad: the thriller/procedural with supernatural elements. But I do love Charlie Parker so. And I must say I love the bad, bad, very bad guys too, kinda. This book also featured a lot of thought about PTSD and the woeful way we are treating (or rather, not treating) our most recents veterans.

A fine book, though one that more laborious to get through than I had anticipated. I'm still thinking about the story, though, so I believe it will be more affecting than it feels right now. Mitchell writes in ways alternately ephemereal, visceral, visual and tactile. I love what he does with words. However, I don't think (maybe this will change) that I loved this book as much as "Black Swan Green" (because of the emotional attachment I had with it) or "Cloud Atlas" (because I squirmed with pleasure the whole damn time I was reading it.) Time will tell.

Interesting premise: make a story about Indiana that's scary, creepy and malevolent. And not for the usual reasons Indiana is scary, creepy and malevolent. Another reason to visit Larry Bird's hometown, French Lick! Not really.

An unfortunate instance of an author taking an interesting idea and making it a lot less interesting. Yawn.

Devastating. The first half reads as a meditation on life with teenagers and all that gets wrapped up with that. As a mother to two teens, I felt acutely the spot-on observations and nuances that make life with teens lovely/horrible. Then, the second half of the story starts with a wallop that would be over the top if it had been handled by a lesser writer. The book becomes a treatise on grief, not the so sad then get happy kind of movie grief, but the real thing that remains a fresh wound forever. I will be thinking about this book for awhile. Hopefully not all while sobbing in the corner, as I spent the finishing of this one.

Like a middling episode of "CSI", and not even one with the hot Asian guy in it.

Okay, I'm a sucker for this kind of shit, and I'll freely admit; even the bad ones hook me, if only for a little while. This one has its grip on me still. I may just start it over, I love it so.

The story meanders a bit and tries to incorporate too many subjects, including female Chinese revolutionaries, the "new" China, eating disorders, etc etc etc. But for me, a first-generation Chinese American, a sharp sense of recognition of what it's like to feel Other in a place you've lived your whole life.

Transporting to a point; the setting (the Eastern Front of WWII and Hungary's Budapest) was dreamlike and wonderful; the leisurely pace left me knackered by the end. The ending was quiet, which was nice, but I find that perhaps I like a louder ending....

A fitting end to the trilogy (I'm glad there wasn't a completed reported ten book series). Salander is a great character, to be sure, though I've heard her described in ways that make me wonder... Not enough Mikael and Lisbeth together in this book. And too much boring shite about the Swedish secret police. I skimmed a fair amount this time.

What is it about coming-of-age stories set in the South? A strange mix of milkman deliveries, triceratops, boogers, civil rights and parrots. Should not have worked, but apparently did, for me, because I was charmed. And now I'm craving milk delivered in a glass bottle.

A satisfying debut novel about the (for me) fascinating world within a world isolation of Appalachia.

Well written, some clumsy plotting machinations, but overall rather affecting. Scenes set in London during the Blitz and during the first, panic-tinged exodus from Europe by European Jews were very good, and in some places, wrenching. Did some crying. And I love me a book that reduces me to a tear-filled mess.

Literary Snickers: fast, fun, forgettable. I said I'd be honest about everything I read and document it. Even le shit.

For some reason, I always expect books highlighted on the Indiebound site to be better than they often are. This book had a compelling idea, poorly executed. Besides the cool setting, wasted (a fictional Mackinac Island), a clunky plot and junky writing. For some reason, I hear in my head a woman with a Russian accent (which has nothing to do with the book) saying, "This book. She is dreck."

A re-read for book group; very interesting and different on a second read. The compelling story this time is not the main character's uncovering of the "mystery' but rather watching more closely the unfolding of the main character's psyche.

I kind of liked "The Historian"; it was just too weird and goofy not to like. But I was wary of this new novel because it got rather bad reviews and everyone seemed to find it boring. But I kind of liked this one, too, though very different than the Dracula-as-tenured-professor story of her first novel. The paralells between the modern-day story and the older one were somewhat clumsy, and hey, kind of icky, if you must know. But I did lose myself in the France of the Impressionists, for just a little, at least. That's all I ask of a good tale.