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America America: A Novel 38 reviews
Ethan Canin
Random House, 2008
The finest American novel I have read in many a year!
+ Much appreciated.
+ A Lovely Present
+ A familiar, mythical story well told
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Finding Nouf: A Novel 22 reviews
Zoë Ferraris
Houghton Mifflin, 2008
A current favorite
+ a Woman's Life
+ An Excellent View of Another Culture
+ A frighting look at our "friends" in the Middle East
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Stalin's Ghost: An Arkady Renko Novel94 reviews
Martin Cruz Smith
Pocket, 2008
Arakdy Renko is Back and it was Worth the Wait
+ Another good Russian story
+ Remarkably good at details of Russian life
+ Arkady Is Back!
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The Third Angel: A Novel44 reviews
Alice Hoffman
Shaye Areheart Books, 2008
Wow Excellent Book
+ Lovely
+ Wistful and sad
This is the first book I have ever read by Alice Hoffman and it will not be the last. I am on my way to my local library today. I LOVED this book.
I actually cried while reading through parts of the stories. She has so
much emotion in her writing.This book is a MUST read.
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Change of Heart: A Novel 188 reviews
Jodi Picoult
Atria, 2008
This one really made me think...
+ One of the Best Picoults Yet
+ Mesmerizing. One of a kind.
Change of Heart was the first novel of Jodi Picoult's that I'd ever read. I really didn't know what to expect when I first picked it up, but what I discovered was a story that literally gave me chills.
I am generally against capital punishment, but what made me so uncomfortable about this novel ...
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Love the One You're With269 reviews
Emily Giffin
St. Martin's Press, 2008
Fabulous!
+ Nothing Tougher than the "Sexy Ex"
+ Beyond Chick Lit
+ pretty good.
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Bulls Island44 reviews
Dorothea Benton Frank
William Morrow, 2008
Bulls Island
+ Another great tale
+ Easy read
I have read all of Dorothea Benton Frank's novels. I am a fan because she always accurately includes the history and local color of the Low Country. While this was not my favorite, I enjoyed reading it while vacationing on Isle of Palms.
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The Pillars of the Earth (Deluxe Edition) (Oprah's Book Club)1297 reviews
Ken Follett
NAL Trade, 2007
Engrossing and fast read - fantastic!
+ A page-turner about cathedral construction? YES!
+ Excellent Long Read
I read this for book club and wondered whether I would get through it at all. After the first couple of chapters, I was hooked. It is fun reading and hard to put down.
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A Patent Lie16 reviews
Paul Goldstein
Doubleday, 2008
Patent law for the non-professional
+ Gripping, good explanations of patent law - but no Markman! - mostly unrealistic female characters
"A Patent Lie" is an excellent read. A trial lawyer from Buffalo is brought to San Francisco on short notice to try a patent law case. The plot is well crafted, including many of the nuances peculiar to patent litigation, but without lapsing into legalese or dwelling on arcane legal procedure.
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The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel642 reviews
David Wroblewski
Ecco, 2008
I loved this book even though it tore my heart out
+ The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
+ A Beautiful Evocative Read, but a Disappointing Ending
I finished this powerful book yesterday and find myself filled with grief at its tragic ending after so many pages of serene and beautiful moments. The book is a story of love, trust, and faithful devotion. It is so hard to come to the end of a book like this and the story haunts me.
...
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The Things They Carried705 reviews
Tim O'Brien
Broadway, 1998
"Some dumb thing happens a long time ago and you can't ever forget it..."
+ O'Brien Cuts To the Core Of Our Fragile Lives
+ Perfection
+ Great read - Not what I expected
+ The ThingsThey Carried
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The Alchemist1287 reviews
Paulo Coelho
HarperCollins, 2006
A classic
+ Inspiring
This classic, beautiful tale about following one's quest and the power of the "Personal Legend", as the author calls it, was an easy and enjoyable read. I found the story of Santiago's (the main character's) spiritual travels through Spain very inspiring.
It reconnected me with the magic and ...
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Peony in Love: A Novel103 reviews
Lisa See
Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2008
Favorite Summer Fiction Read
+ Loved this book.
Such a wonderful love story. I wanted to be there and in the moment. It felt so real at times. I wanted to believe in the story so much....that all of it was really possible.
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World Without End417 reviews
Ken Follett
Dutton Adult, 2007
Love It
+ Fabulous Book
+ Good novel
+ Wonderful read!
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The Enchantress of Florence: A Novel55 reviews
Salman Rushdie
Random House, 2008
a little hard to follow, but beautiful poetic writing
+ India and Italy in the 16th Century
+ Decameron & Arabian Tales rolled into one
+ Couping a set of flippant short stories to a serious novel does not work
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The Story of a Marriage: A Novel33 reviews
Andrew Sean Greer
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008
A multi-layered shimmer that bedazzles
+ Intimate and surprising
Andrew Sean Greer is a riot of talent. He carves his words with such precision that one can have no choice but to be surrender to his writing. His works, including Story of a Marriage, always deal with the subtle underplay of the human mind, and ultimately reveal the fragility of our existence.
I ...
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The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao221 reviews
Junot Díaz
Riverhead Hardcover, 2007
Joys, suffering, fears and passions
+ One of the best bad novels or one of the worst good ones?
+ The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
+ The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
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The Garden of Last Days: A Novel 83 reviews
Andre Dubus III
W. W. Norton, 2008
Worthy follow-up, didn't let me down
+ couldn't put it down but got bored with the Muslim characters
+ WORTH THE WAIT!!!!
I loved House of Sand & Fog and was so excited when I learned that this author was coming out with a new novel. I think this was a worthy follow-up, I was not disappointed. All 500+ pages I was on the edge of my seat.
The novel actually only takes place over only a couple of days, but even at ...
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Netherland: A Novel58 reviews
Joseph O'Neill
Pantheon, 2008
Amazingly sublime
+ Lyrical and flexible prose captures relationships and sports
+ Cricket in New York
Joe O'Neill captures the angst that pervaded the city post 9/11 by channeling a collection of fascinating characters and genres.
Even if you're not a cricket fan you'll get this!
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Then We Came to the End: A Novel217 reviews
Joshua Ferris
Back Bay Books, 2008
I Laughed, I Cried - Three Thoughts
+ Adperson's anomie
+ Funny, fantastic, tragic book (and gorgeous dust jacket design!)
+ Funny, and a little bit of drama
+ One of the best you'll ever read!
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