Plenty of Short Book Reviews
The Fall by Simon Mawer: Simon Mawer has given us a good novel, just not a great one. It can be electrifying and dizzying at one point and then detached and mired in its characters’ own lack of inertia the next. A more even novel would have been received better, but The Fall is still an enjoyable read that will leave you guessing the truth until the very end.
The Havana Room by Colin Harrison: Still, The Havana Room manages to capture the soul of a city, although it’s not an honorable one. New York is as complex as the characters within The Havana Room and just as full of secrets and desires for more. Perhaps the city is really the central character here, flawed, beautiful, and impossible to understand. Within its scope, Colin Harrison paints a portrait of a man struggling to understand himself and his place within it, and to give up wanting more and appreciate what he has. Enjoy the secrets of The Havana Room.
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner: With Freakonomics, Levitt and Dubner have given us a new way to look at our world. This is a short book, about 200 pages, and reads very quickly. As each story gleaned from the data unfolds, you’ll find yourself surprised, laughing, and reading passages aloud to someone else. It is like a treasure hunt, with little secrets unearthed that were there in plain sight much of the time. The authors have created a book that is both entertaining and educational. The last thing you should do, though, is take my word for it. Get a copy and find out for yourself.
Gazelle by Rikki Ducornet: Gazelle is ultimately a sad, but beautiful, book. Rikki Ducornet creates a vivid world of fragrance and sensuality, and the power those forces have on those caught in their spells. Like the magician of the story, though, it can be an empty power and just a delusion. Not even the ancient powers can control a heart and bring love where it’s not offered. Enjoy Gazelle for its adventure through the realms of sensuality and let the fragrance of this story waft to your mind. Rikki Ducornet casts a tantalizing spell.
Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon: While the usual thematic elements of good versus evil are played out in Gentlemen of the Road, there are no deep issues at work here. Michael Chabon has created a short, adventure novel (less than 200 pages) that delivers all the expected pleasures of the best of the genre, making Gentlemen of the Road a pleasureful way to pass an afternoon. It’s almost enough to make you wish you could read the further adventures of Zelikman and Amram, but perhaps that’s too much of a good thing. The morsel of temptation provided by Michael Chabon attains that desired effect – leave them wanting more.
Easter Island by Jennifer Vanderbes: Easter Island is a satisfying read that explores the mysteries of the human soul in the most isolated place in the world, the navel of the earth. Both Elsa and Greer find that searching for oneself can be fraught with peril, since no man, or woman, is an island.
Islands of Silence by Martin Booth: The chapters in this novel alternate between the present-day Alec and his story as a young man, striking out on his own as an archaeologist in 1914. The elder Alec tells of the discipline necessary to maintain his silence, the kindly doctor who wants to draw Alec out of his shell, his dreams that content or frighten him, and the horrors and evil he has seen in the past. He is a man most certainly sane, lucid in his thoughts, and convinced of the nature of evil that exists outside of his controlled environment.
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is a wonderful, entertaining, and thoroughly enjoyable novel. I am glad I came under Susanna Clarke’s enchantment and I’m eager to press this novel into the hands of family and friends and urge them to read this book.
Annette Lybacki hopes that you found this piece helpful and invites you to read her articles on Do You Need a DUI Lawyer? for some Hints and Tips on DUI Lawyers.
categories: book reviews,books,novels,reviews,mystery,fiction,science fiction,hobby,read,reading,story
Relevant Sites
- Camp Alumni Gathering in The Havana Room
- Plenty of Simple Book Reviews
- The Glass Room by Simon Mawer « THE HONEYBALL BUZZ
- 27th Birthday Party in The Havana Room « Testimonials for Eat, Drink & Be Merry
- Plenty of Quick Book Reviews – Culture-ish
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Crafts and Hobbies: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creative SkillsAn exceptional instruction book of over 40 crafts explained in detail-leatherworking, candlemaking, basketry, stained glass, origami, quiltmaking, woodworking, wine-making, book-binding, and much more. Also includes specific projects for most of the crafts.
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PDY Systems Lift-n-Lok Rapid Auto Fastening Grey and Black Toolbox /OrganizerLIFT-n-LOKs unique features will provide reliable, quick and easy access to all essential tools, equipment and parts, enabling even the smallest of co... Read More >
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