This is one of my favorite Pohl and Kornbluth novels
927684
This is one of my favorite Pohl and Kornbluth novels, just behind The Space Merchants (which I devoutly hope is coming soon for the Kindle as well).  Old time science fiction as social commentary.  As dark in its way as Phillip K Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, but with a super plot and a horrific extrapolation of the Arena into a culture controlled entirely by money and Illuminati-style power.
2152324
I read this book back when it first came out, and although I have read many novels since then, this remains one of my favorites. Others have described the book in much more detail than I will, but suffice it to say that the author writes lovingly and honestly about all the characters, the story is gripping and well-structured, and you can't help but be drawn in. It's hard to say exactly what makes this one of my favorite books, other than the fact that it is just so darn absorbing.
1436775
Beatriz Williams already has already had one book published in 2015, so I was surprised - and excited- to see that another is scheduled to be released in November.

Piper Schuyler is pregnant and unwed in 1966.  Hiding the pregnancy (and the fact that the father is a well known politician) from her family, she goes about selling a rare 1936 Mercedes that is in pristine condition to Annabelle Dommerich.

Although the selling of this car should take a relatively short amount of time and not a great deal of interaction, Annabelle takes Piper under her wing and brings her to her own home.

What she sees in Piper is a young woman a bit like herself.  And although Annabelle doesn't share her past with Piper, the reader is privy to the amazing life story of this woman who fled Germany in the very car she is buying from Piper in order to escape the Nazis.

Annabelle's past is amazing.  As a young woman she fell madly in love with a young Jewish man, then married a Nazi officer.  These two men and Annabelle found themselves at a crossroad one day, and it is only at the novel's end that you realize how very complex their story is.

Williams is quickly becoming a go-to author for me.  I loved Along the Infinite Sea and can't wait for others to read this and her previous novels.
1039903
I just re-read this book after getting it for Kindle and it made me squeal with as much delight as the first time I read it in the late 90's.  It is one of my favorite novels.  I got it when it first published because I worked at a division of the original publisher and they used to supply discounted and free samples of new titles to employees.  I never expected to enjoy it as much as I did.  As someone who is not generally a Sci-Fi fan, I mostly enjoyed the historical notes in it especially as 16th century history was played out for the cyborgs via 20th Century media devices such as reporters "on the scene" at the wedding of Queen Mary and then at the subsequent burnings.  I also enjoyed the somewhat snarky conversations between the cyborgs.  But it would be a total lie to say that what I got the biggest kick out of in this novel was not the quirky love story between cyborg and Protestant Scholar.  The love story was funny, ironic, sad, sweet and even sexy.  It had me at the first apprehensive glance across  Sir Walter's orange-free breakfast table and kept me until the end.  I read the rest of the books in the Company series also and all were very good but this was my favorite.
2258303
I have read this book at least 4 (if not more) times.  It is originally a German book and very beautifully written.  Looking at the preview of the English translation it seems to be just as beautifully translated.

One reason I particularly like this book is that it starts out from Krabat's view as an inexperienced apprentice.  The reader learns right along with him more about the strange happenings at the mill.  Toward the end of the book, the story has developed very realistically so that the reader almost feels exactly what Krabat feels.  Otfried Preussler also does a good job of making the other characters believable--even those that turn out to be more than they first appear.

I also like the fact that it throws in some German/European superstitions, such as "Aller guten Dinge sind drei"-- all good things come in threes.  The book is divided into three years, three sections, three Easters, even dreams come in threes.

I am glad that the English title has been redone.  It was originally called in English "The Satanic Mill," which I think scared away a lot of readers.  The book does involve sorcery, but it never comes right out and says, "Hey, this mill is satanic."  That is left for the reader to determine.
3048865
Having loved White Oleander and not being a fan of Paint it Black, I wasn't sure what to expect from The Revolution of Marina M. All I knew was that it had been a long time since a new Janet Fitch novel had come out and I was very excited. And I was not disappointed. I'm not very familiar with the Russian Revolution, but Fitch's writing is so vivid and descriptive that it paints a picture of what life must have been like in Petrograd from 1916. Reading  Marina's transformation from a spoiled sixteen year-old bourgeoise poet to a young woman with real struggles and challenges turns into a page turner of a novel that is hard to put down.  Marina does have her flaws, but so does everyone. The other characters are just as well-written and interesting, especially (for me) her friend Varvara and her nanny Avdokia.  I was a bit frustrated with the end, until I read the back insert on the book that said that Fitch is currently working on the second book. I can't wait to read the next volume of Marina's story.
3028454
Koontz remarked in an interview following publication of this novel that it was his favorite effort to date. The story starts with a bang and continues to be compelling, with lots of fun plot shifts, a little romance, and with an underlying element of an impending attack from both human and a not-so-human creature with an attitude that add an ominous depth to the story. But, the hero is a wonderful dog, a very smart dog, who wins over the hearts of his human owners to where they find themselves willing to sacrifice their own lives for him. What's not to love. One of Koontz's finest stories.
196684
I often reread certain books, and this is one of my favorites.
4549934
Centennial is one of my two favorite Michner novels (Chesapeake is the other), and have enjoyed reading it multiple times since it was published, also enjoyed the mini-series which came out on DVD I think about a year ago.  This novel is more meaningful to me especially, since I attended college in Colorado around the time it was published, and had the oppty to visit some of places in Colorado so aptly described in the book.  I just wish more of Michner's books had that same good, turn the page quickly feel like Centennial.  I love the way he meshes in the historical story, with a modern sub-plot......and how real some of his western character's feel.  I have only one complaint:  When will they publish the Kindle edition so i can buy it?
379539
Tattler's Branch by Jan Watson was a wonderful novel and is a sequel to Skip Rock Shallows. Having just discovered Jan Watson's novels, I have enjoyed both Skip Rock Shallows and Tattler's Branch, and I look forward to reading her earlier novels which reveal more about Lilly's past and her mother's story. Tattler's Branch has an excellent plot that flows well and includes elements of suspense, danger, sorrow, and humor that all lead to a beautifully woven and heart-wrenching story. The themes of this novel are clear and convicting and include topics such as the importance of family, honesty, and sacrificing one's own plans and desires in order to help others. I enjoyed seeing the same characters, plus a few more, in this novel that I first met in Skip Rock Shallows. The characters well all very realistic, each with their own quirks, strengths, and flaws. I liked seeing Lilly grow even more as a member of her community, as a doctor, and eventually possibly as a mother. I also enjoyed meeting Lilly's sister and seeing her mature as well learning even more about Armina as a character. My only dislike concerning Armina is that I wish Armina's thoughts and feelings had had a bigger part in the novel. I did learn more about Armina, but it was not from her perspective. The end of the novel was not what I expected and did bring some heartache, but I did find it to be perfect for the novel and in bringing the community together in a whole new way.

Overall I highly enjoyed this novel, and I look forward to reading Jan Watson's previous and future novels. I received this novel for free from NetGalley.com in exchange for a honest review.
2380297
I loved the change in this novel and the realization between Jada and Mac about why they "needed to be fixed." This novel was full of interesting realizations and some moments where I wanted to scream at it. (Actually, I did at the end of this book. I ended up getting looks when I screamed "no" at the ending.)

This wasn't one of my favorites but it was a superb story and a beautiful way to expand the series!
253737
The Coelho Medallion is the 10th of Kevin's books I've read, and I have completely enjoyed each and every one. The Dan Kotler thriller series are my favorites. Kevin describes his characters well, so that the reader becomes involved emotionally with both the good and the bad ones, anxious to learn their fates. His plots and sub-plots guide the characters through the many twists and turns. I felt like I was being pulled along in the plot's currents.

Dan Kotler is the primary, well fleshed out character. His good friend, Dr. Eloi Coelho, finds a rare, unique, and unusual artifact, named for him, which could change early American history. Dr. Kotler is involved in the dig site, too, for he will dig in the dirt, brush dirt off objects, and even crawl through caves to find treasures. There are both good and bad characters, some of whom are very misleading and responsible for the thrilling action and mystery in this book. I think you will thoroughly enjoy reading it.
2436570
Ever since I discovered Jodi Picoult by picking up "My Sister's Keeper" years ago, I find myself looking forward to March of every year, because Picoult releases a new novel like clockwork.  I always preorder the book from amazon.com, often when it first shows up on the website, because I do not want to miss it.  The thing I love the most about Picoult's writing is that she has multiple narrators, so that we can see the story from more than one character's point of view.

"Lone Wolf" was told in the voices of Luke Warren, his children Cara and Edward, his ex-wife and children's mother, Georgie, and later on, Jodi throws in the voice of two other characters - Joe, Georgie's present husband, and Helen, the court-appointed guardian for Luke (who cannot speak for himself due to a traumatic brain injury sustained in a car accident and the fact that he is in a coma - he narrates his part of the story in italics and I think, from somewhere in the great beyond, telling us his memories of living in the Canadian wilderness trying to infiltrate a wolf pack.  Luke's narrating is in part comparing life in a wolf pack to family relationships back in civilization.

Luke and his 17 year old daughter Cara were in a horrific car accident at the beginning of the story.  Somehow, with a shattered shoulder, Cara manages to get them both out before the car explodes.  At the hospital, Luke is put on life support without any hope of regaining consciousness.  Georgie calls Edward (who is gay but that isn't a big thing in the book - he's not dating anyone during the events in the book - it is just a part of who he is like his eye color or another physical characteristic.  It is something for whichI applaud Jodi Picoult.  Not only does she have a gay son herself, but she understands and accepts it as who he is.  She creates characters accordingly)  who had been overseas for the last seven years due to a falling out with his father.  Edward comes home as quickly as he can.  Luke's driver license shows that he is an organ donor, so after speaking with the doctors and nurses, Edward wants to turn off the ventilator and donate Luke's organs.  Cara, on the other hand, wants to hold out for a miracle, hoping against hope that her father will wake up and make a full recovery, despite what the doctors are saying.

I think Cara is the least likable of all of Jodi Picoult's characters, in this book and others combined.  She will say anything to get her way, regardless of whether or not it is true.  I do sympathize with her a little in that she is a young girl who is desperate for her father to recover, but that went out the window with a very loud crash the more I read of the book.  She's very immature, regardless of the responsibilities she shouldered while living with her father. I liked Edward much better - he's the one trying to do what is right for everybody in his family.  Cara, it seems, is only trying to do what is right for Cara.  She does not seem to care that the odds of her father being even half of the man he was before the accident IF he woke up are slim to none.  If I had to say why she wants her father alive, I'd say it is because she does not want to go back to living with her mother.

There are some twists to the story to keep it interesting, which works well against the story itself.  I loved this book because it got me to thinking about wolves, and not in the terms I usually think of them (which is, of course, the werewolf kind).  It was a bit refreshing to learn about the life of a wolf, and what the roles are in a pack, and how they function as a whole.  The story as a whole gave me a lot to think about, and it left me wanting to know more about wolves.  On the last page of the book, Picoult recommends another book by a real life (and "thankfully" healthy) Luke Warren, "The Man Who Lives with Wolves" by Shaun Ellis.  I cannot wait to check it out.
1647806
Generally speaking, I don't enjoy novels translated into English as much of the eloquence and humor is lost in translation.  However, I really liked this book by Bohumil Hrabal (translated by Paul Wilson).  Although the book is based on the rise and fall of a fictional person, the historical background is real enough.  We trace the personal history of a young man named Dite (which means child in Czech).  The story begins during Czechoslovakia's first republic, the nation's golden age.  Dite is working as a lowly busboy, but he has dreams and is ambitious.  We are with him when he loses his virginity at the local bordello and meets his first love.  Dite, always on the lookout to improve his wealth and status, takes a new job at a very prestigious elite hotel, where he meets a whole host of fascinating characters.

Unfortunately, he loses his job, but lands a new one at the swank Paris Hotel in Prague (still exists by the way).  He falls in love with a Czech citizen of German ethnicity - unfortunately in 1938 when the Germans had seized the Sudetenland and some Czechs had become extremely hostile toward all ethnic Germans.  (Czechs have a long history of being occupied/exploited and are consequently xenophobic.)  His girlfriend Lise is attacked by an angry Czech group, and Dite seeths with anger.  The tables are turned, however, when the German army occupies Prague later that year, and Dite and Lise are being served by now subservient Czechs.  Dite, despite being Czech, is nominally accepted into the ethnic-German community.

His life begins taking a surrealistic turn when he lives in a Nazi-designated breeding town, Decin.  Though once passionately in love with Lise, they are drawn apart as the pressures of war and Nazi ideology separate them.  Typically, despite this, they have a little boy, which Dite later discovers to be somewhat retarded.  When the war comes crashing through Bohemia, Dite's life with Lise lies in ruins, and he is jailed first by the Nazis and then by the Czechs.  After many months in prison, he is released and is determined to start a new life.

Dite takes all the substantial savings he has accumulated over the years and invests it in a rather fantastic idea for a hotel.  His idea takes off and is hugely successful.  Unfortunately, fate deals him another cruel hand as the communists come to power in 1948.  Inexplicably, he turns himself in to be imprisoned with all the other successful bourgeois hotel owners he has worked for.  After his stint in a monastery prison, he is exiled to the now-depopulated Sudetenland to work as a roadkeeper on a road going nowhere.

The beginning of the book is fun, racy, and exciting, but as the book continues it becomes more sober, introspective, and melancholic - much like the life of an average man I suppose.  Hrabal does a wonderful job of bringing characters to life and revealing much of the humor and sadness of everyday Czech life.
4206076
Vicki Baum was both Austrian and Jewish. Her novels "Grand Hotel" and "Hotel Berlin" make a wonderful read. In "Grand Hotel," she captures 1920s Berlin while in "Hotel Berlin" she moves us to a few weeks before the collaspe of the Third Reich. Both books were made into movies which are well worth seeing. Who can forget the immortal Gretta Gardo's famous line in "Grand Hotel"- "I want to left along."  Baum does not write in a condemnatory style. She creates real life characters who face no win choices. Her protagonist in "Hotel Berlin" is the actress Lisa Dorn (played brillantly by Andrea King in the movie of the same name). Dorn is a star in Hitler's Reich. While the bombs are dropping over Berlin she continues playing to a full house. She is involved with a German general slated for execution because of his involvement in the July 1944 plot to kill Hitler. He is given a choice suicide or hanging. Dorn is given a choice- abandon the general or face arrest. All the characters in this book are faced with choices- some make the right choices while others make the wrong choices and must face the consequences.  Vicki Baum has been out of print for many years. In some ways readers may find these types of WWII novels dated. However, I throughly enjoyed Baum as she helps me to better understand an era that has always been beyond comprehension. (A trivia note- this book was written before Berlin fell to the Russian army. It is a testament to Baum on her knowledge of Berlin and German culture and mannerisms that make the book so strikingly realistic.)
3766925
This is one of my favorite novels!!! WH Hudson's prose is very lush. He pulls you into the hypnotic South American jungle and reveals a strange unforgettable tale of adventure and romance ... so unlike today's stale and predictable "stories." This isn't an easy read ... you'll need lots of time to savor the prose. As others have noted = the ending is underdeveloped (and a disappointment). I don't often buy books but this one is a keeper!!!
634122
The Center of the World by Andreas Steinhofel is by far one of my favorite books. I hate to see it labeled into one category because while the main character, Phil, is coming into his own identity, the book encompasses so many different themes that I hesitate to label it at all. Written so seamlessly and clearly (credit to the translator) and with vivid, interesting, and developed characters it's more than easy to get lost in this 400+ page novel. The scenes are unforgettable and there are no loose ends when the story wraps itself up. The nearest thing I can compare this to is "Lost in Translation" because of its raw emotion and fluidity when almost nothing seems to happen, but in that nothingness lies inherent meaning. I'd advise everyone to pick this up. My only complaint is that the prologue is not nearly as well-written (credit to the translator) or interesting as the rest, though I suggest reading it (the prologue) for the heck of it.

  This is not, however, a book for children as this book does contain sex (not graphic) and violence.