Still Great, Even if the Author is Different
929455
This was a very good read.  I was apprehensive about the change in writers, but this book did not disappoint.
2743151
Although the author's English appeared to be a bit off in places, this is still a very informative book.
4644011
The Kingkiller Chronicles is not a series that is "normal," that I feel I should be bored with but thoroughly enjoy anyway.

The Slow Regard of Silent Things is even more abnormal. It's about Auri, after all.

Her way of thinking is not TOO difficult to follow, but it's quite different. Still, she's relatable. She's meticulous. Things must be done in a certain way, in the proper way. Because if a person doesn't go with the flow of life, things become skewed. The more you fight against things that happen, the more off-kilter you and life around you become. You can't change things that are, especially if they are where they belong.

What is extremely interesting about Auri is that she senses many things beyond what most can (or are willing) to sense. She knows names. She knows the true shape of the world.

She is Auri.

The illustrations didn't add too much to the book, but they were still nice to have. A little something different.
2590381
Although this is a strange 'Trunk Book' as Patrick puts it, it's still an interesting read worth reading.  It isn't conventional:  character build, conflict, arch and climax.  It's more a filling of character from his other two books, Auri.  She was mysterious in The Naming of the Wind (I haven't read the second, yet) and I definitely wanted to know more about her.  As Patrick also suggests, I wouldn't read The Slow Regard of Things without at least having read The Naming of the Wind first.  Otherwise, this story would be too strange.  That aside, this character and her behavior is highly suggestive of an illness of which many suffer.  I'm not sure if that was his intent, nor will I further elaborate for fear of spoilers.  Has Patrick Rothfuss let me down, here? Hell-freaking-NO!
4803032
Very different from most of his writing, although the circumstances previous to the writing had certainly colored his outlook. Still, very worthy of reading because of the different angle from which it is written.
342221
I love this book. It has some really touching moments and some dry humor that I like. For me, as a 23 year old, it is nice to know that people who made the same choices I am making right now, are living happy lives. I do think that Daum is right to mention that all of the contributors in the book are writers, because I do think that colors the stories for non-artist types. As someone with a 9 to 5, I don't relate as much with the writer lifestyle, even though I have a degree in writing (ironic much?). Regardless of the perspective, this book is still great. Its the first book I've read outside of a class assignment in four plus years. Even if you have or want kids, its still a good read.
2018416
First of all, I love this book among with the vast majority of those who have read it, so there's no misunderstanding about that.
My review is more a reflection on those who criticize the book for such obvious faults  as racial and gender bias.
Isn't it a bit ridiculous to choose the  "enlightened" late 20-century politically aware perspective to  review this book? Some of the really great classical books (greek, roman,  medieval, i.e Shakespeare and so on) could so easily be laid to blame for  the same faults if one chooses that approach.
I find that Tolkiens way  of creating "deep lore", in his own terms, out of the intricate  mechanics of "good" and "evil", however inappropriate  these terms may be, are astounding and make for fantastic reading on any  level.
To anyone who likes to read - do yourself a favour and read  Tolkien. For the older readers it might be interesting to start with The  Silmarillion which puts not only The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings in  perspective but actually Tolkiens whole perception of life and love.
I  hardly think that anyone could be "hurt" or become a racist or  sexist by reading Tolkiens books, a claim almost too ridiculous to contest.
I do, on the other hand, believe (and there are many millions who would  agree) that there's a very great chance that reading any work of Tolkien is  the start of a lifelong relationship to Tolkien and Middle-Earth.
605639
This book wasn't quite what I expected. It's written by two different authors, with very different styles. On the plus side, this means that one or the other of the authors is likely to resonate with readers. On the downside, it means the book isn't quite as cohesive as it might have been with one author. The two authors to complement each other, though, both in the types of adversity they've faced and their reactions to them.

The book didn't hold any earth-shattering new insights for me, but it is always comforting to hear someone else's ability to trust God even when it's hard, even if I don't always agree with every attitude they had during their struggles.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House to review.
3813186
HMG's early books are more amazing than her later works, I am afraid.
But she is very fluent writer, which is rare lately.
Whenever I am tired of recently-released books, I go back to her works.
2487444
I've been a fan of P. D. James's work for decades. She's written some astonishingly good books, a few that were clunky, and one attempt at science fiction that was scarcely readable. While she can still surprise the reader with an almost quintessentially British matter-of-factness about issues both psychological and sexual, in this book Adam Dalgleish has lost much of his heat and intensity, much of his unique (and romantic) appeal. If this were the first book for a new reader, they probably wouldn't find the Commander the compellingly charismatic figure he was in earlier books. Death In Holy Orders just isn't up to the remarkable level of The Skull Beneath The Skin (which doesn't feature Dalgleish at all) but which is one of the finest mysteries James (or anyone else)has ever written.
That said, her plotting skill is very much intact and I kept on reading, even though at times the material gets very dense indeed--to the extent that I was tempted to skip pages of details on the new versus the old Anglicanism. The setting is wonderfully realized, the secondary characters are well drawn and are, upon occasion, more interesting than the primary ones. The resolution is somewhat less than satisfying, and I found it hard to believe in the device (a letter) James uses at the denouement to tie everything together.
If you're new to James, I would suggest starting with the earlier books and working up to this one. You'll get a better understanding of Dalgleish and be, as a result, more sympathetic to his depiction and his actions in this book.
2457671
I read this as a beta reader, and I am excited I'll get a chance to read the "new and improved" version, with additional chapters.

I love this author's work - she continues to surprise me.  This story is no exception.  My thoughts still return to parts of the book that are sweet or devastating, and they still have the same intense effect on me as they did when I first read it.

I want to say *so* much more, but I am overly cautious about what may or may not be spoilers for some folks.
1403652
So 15 years ago (good god), I picked up the beginnings of the original Wraeththu trilogy and fell very much in love with the characters, the style of the author, and so forth.  When I found a hardcover of the third about 3 months later, I bought it and then gave it to a friend so I wouldn't read it out of order... and waited 6 more months for the second book to publish in the US.
Since then, Storm's done a lot of different things in her books.  Some of these books I've been less than thrilled by, others I have been completely floored by.  About 5 years ago, I noticed that her narrative voice had changed a lot, and in March of this year I consumed the most recent trilogy that she's written (the Magravandian Tapestry), and found myself surprised to find that not only is she writing again in the style I most enjoy- but her writing in that style is far stronger than it once was.  And so she returns, 15 years later, to the same storyworld that first captured my mind.
I'm writing this about 100 pages into the book: her new writing style is much stronger; much more human in scale.  Before she often wrestled with these huge metaphysical contexts and her characters were, while not badly drawn or uninteresting, secondary.  This batch of characters (thus far secondary characters from the first trilogy) are far more strongly drawn- and far more accessible.  I eagerly look forward to more. And more and more (this is the 'First Book of the Wraeththu Histories', per the frontispiece).
As the dedication states, this book is for all of us who would claim to belong to that world.
269413
The first is by far the best book and the collaboration of styles certainly makes a marked difference in the latter books. For instance, whereas the first book left an impression of the details of an alien landscape and a sense of awe at the mystery that unravelled, the co-authored books have an element of sexuality and religion within them which sets them a little uncomfortably apart. Having said that, and despite the differences in style, I was glad to see the rest of the series eventually unfold to give more details to this world. As a series they are well worth the read, despite what one reviewer here says.
1662976
I was introduced to the first book by the author a few years back and really fell in love with style of the author's writing.  It's reminiscent of sitting and listening to my Grandfather talk about his past... and this book is no exception.  It's not quite as thoughtful or deep as the previous books (I prefer it when Zach gets philosophical about stuff!), but it continues the story and gives a bit more insight into the main character.  If you haven't tried any of the author's novels, I definitely recommend you try them!
3233764
It's such a pleasure to pick these up again and be reminded of just how cool of a writer Baudelaire was. He manages to move between ruminations on lonliness, decay, and death, and these really great, decedent, in-your-face satires of everything in Paris that pisses him off/makes him fall madly in love. I don't know much French, but the Mathews edition seems kind of uneven to me, probably because it was done by so many different people. Sometimes they just hit this perfect stride and the poems will leave you floored, other times it seems like some of the translators just don't have the energy to render stuff this lively into English without it getting a bit clunky. Maybe I'll read Paris Spleen next?
4169372
Most of the reviews for this book are several years old, and the book itself is now half-a-dozen years in print.  So why bother with another review?  One reason is because the show is thriving now in syndication and may be attracting new fans who will find this book for the first time, and I want those fans to know it is still a relevant and insightful work to get.  But perhaps not for the reasons you think...

Another reason is because time provides perspective.  While the show is still wonderful and truly an established classic now, it is no longer the reason to go looking for books and more information about it.  Other shows have come along an replaced it in terms of popularity or "must-see" status.  The stories of the behind-the-scenes life are mostly passe' for contemporary audiences, other than for historical interest.  So why should you spend the money, time and effort to read "Motherhood and Hollywood"?

A few years removed from "Raymond," Patricia Heaton is an award-winning actress who can still attract legions of male fans with her looks and her style, and there is something about her that makes her so real she is all the more attractive.  For a woman in beauty-saturated Hollywood who is now past 50, that's quite an accomplishment.  Amazingly, at the same time she can also attract legions of female fans because she is down-to-earth approachable and her "real life" is not so different in priorities, challenges, and nature than their own.  Again, for the public to have this general perspective says a great deal about Patricia.  For many, she is the wife men desire and the wife women desire to be, and that is a rare combination indeed.

But this is a review of her book, not Patricia herself.  Here is my point on why you should read "Motherhood" and how perspective fits into it:  From all accounts I have found, she is still the same woman.  Sound trite?  Hollywood is a place of compromises, failures, and facade, yet Heaton is still the same woman you meet in this book, and that, to me, indicates a depth of character worth looking closer at.  She is still married and committed to that, she still talks about motherhood as her life, she still maintains her independent views despite their low popularity among the celeb elite, and she still is grounded in faith and family.  Despite the success, despite the unrealistic expectations of fans, despite new trials to find success again.

There are plenty of descriptions in the other reviews on the tidbits Heaton chooses to cover and what she doesn't, but I want to make a point on her style.  It has been criticized for hopping around or for using some course metaphors, and those things are true.  She seems selective in what she says and doesn't say, and that is true.  But there is, to me, a huge benefit to this.  I finished this book feeling as though I had spent time in conversation with a real human being.  It's not a formula driven publicity piece.  It's not intended to be a comprehensive biography of every nuance of her life.  It is like she sits down and says "here are the things I want to tell you about myself, because of all the things in my life, these are the ones that I define myself by."  Upon finishing the book, I felt like I knew Patricia Heaton, not that I just knew a lot of things about her.

So, get to know this unusual star.  You can get the background on "Raymond" in many other books and places, and don't expect a lot of that here.  It's worth a few hours, though, to sit down and get to know the person Patty Heaton.
1561565
It's been YEARS since I first (and second) read this book. Still love it. Despite Mr. Heinlein's chauvinistic point of view, he's still a great writer!