Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors. Her novels revolve around chance meetings and community or family relationships that develop and evolve. The bulk of this story takes place during one 24hr period, and so the events are incredibly intense. Characters are fully developed and I was hooked from the first chapter to find out the next thing in the story line.

Essential reading for any Bostonian. Period.

Excellent quick read, took this one on vacation and couldn’t put it down. I loved the character interactions, the tensions, and the story line is very unique.

This isn’t my review, but its a review from the Washington Post, part of which explains exactly why this book is excellent and I agree completely with the reviewers conclusion for what must be Hirsi Ali’s greatest gift:

“Even the bare facts of this unusual life would make fascinating reading. But this book is something more than an ordinary autobiography: In the tradition of Frederick Douglass or even John Stuart Mill, Infidel describes a unique intellectual journey, from the tribal customs of Hirsi Ali’s Somali childhood, through the harsh fundamentalism of Saudi Arabia and into the contemporary West. Along the way, Hirsi Ali displays what surely must be her greatest gift: the talent for recalling, describing and honestly analyzing the precise state of her feelings at each stage of that journey.”

Reluctant Fundamentalist is an interesting book. The subject matter I found fascinating—the response of a young Pakistani man in NYC and his emotional response to the years surrounding 9/11. I didn’t love the writing style; the overly formal conversations in Lahore seemed contrived. However, the flashbacks to his years in America flowed smoothly and overall I’m happy I read the book.

Easy read, consuming love story, and enough action to keep it interesting. Might not ever be considered a classic, but I enjoyed myself and it made a few plane rides much more pleasant!

This is a book I was prepared to love, especially given the strong reviews and the Pulitzer Prize. I did enjoy the history and the intriguing life of Oscar. Unfortunately, I thought it was slow-moving and the overzealous use of footnotes detracted from the story.

Flowers for Algernon was so interesting! I loved that the premise was unique and the circular progression of the writing style was fascinating. The author raises such important issues about how someone like Charlie Gordon views the world and what a life from that perspective could be like. Of course its just one opinion and the book is fictional, but it opened my eyes to something that I rarely consider. And we all should consider it more often with regard to the people in our lives who have these challenges.

I loved this book. Lewycka knows how to be witty and her humor really is right up my alley. I love the blunt statements that make me laugh out loud and how the mere facts presented as she writes are so comical. Of course the book wouldn’t be half as good without a real meaningful story line, which follows the several years after the death of Nadia’s mother and chronicles her relationship with her sister Vera and the often hilarious, often sad happenings to her aging father. Overall an excellent read!

First of all, I will say that I ended up liking the book much better than I anticipated after the first 50ish pages. In the beginning, the author seemed shockingly self-centered and insensitive to those around her, but slowly I understood that that actually was the point. I don’t find her inspiring, but her travel stories are mildly interesting and I enjoyed hearing about the characters she encounters in all three countries.