This is writing as it should be. McCullers pulls you into the lives of her characters, all fascinating and fully realized. Rich in detail. A writing style that is both informed and modern. Sometimes it’s apparent that this is a first novel… but if this was her first, I can’t wait to read the rest of her work.

Although I enjoyed the story, the writing did not appeal to me. The characters rarely spoke to each other except to develop the plot. The main character seemed more like an old mop stuck in the broom closet - dull and lifeless - until he miraculously becomes heroic. Gaiman could have worked on the novel longer. I think the story and characters deserved more. One thing I will say, though, he does a great job with description.

Having seen the movie, I decided to check out the book. There were five copies in my local library system and I was number six on the waiting list… so the book seems very popular. Scanning through the text, I saw a lot I recognized from the movie. It should be good.

Books on consciousness and the scientific search for a soul seem to be in vogue these days. So far, this book seems to be the best of the lot. Cairns-Smith begins with the historical search for the subatomic to illustrate how science works and point out the limitations of scientific models. From the subatomic he builds a startlingly complete foundation, explaining chemical processes, genes, cell structures and activity, all before touching evolution and the mind. A completely thorough text.

Not many English-language books on Ruby out there… this was the only one I could find in my library. Like the other books in the “In a Nutshell” series, this is meant to be a handy reference, not an introduction to the language. There are a few errors, and the code can be exasperatingly dense, sometimes lacking even the most basic examples. But, like I said, there’s not much else to choose from in print.

Just starting this one, so I haven’t picked up much of the plot. So far the writing is simply beautiful.

This is my favorite sort of sci-fi… it reads like literature which happens to have a sci-fi twist. The purpose is not the premise, rather the characters are the primary focus. Truly a romance story—I suppose you could say it’s a story about a timeless love. Everyone around the two main characters seems incidental but not completely removed from the story. It’s a thick book, but easy to read. A good bit of dialogue.

A quick read. Interesting in its ordinariness. The story is told via a series of letters written to an unnamed recipient. The narrator’s voice sounds authentic without being unreadable. The minutia and introspection adds quality to the story… but there is a story developing. I didn’t know exactly where it was heading, but that made it even more interesting.

I like the writer’s style. Feels genuine for a ninth-grader’s voice. Laid out almost like a weblog… written in short blurbs, line space between paragraphs. So far, no real mystery behind the book. The plot is as clear as ice.

Just started it. Not too bad so far, although the writer seems to try too hard at being an observant writerly type.