Packed with all that captivates
921017
With beautiful phrases, ugly truths, and awesome perseverance, Viola shares her journey in the Sudan where she was victimized to refugee camp where she felt lost but found an anchor, to America where she struggled to identify herself. Anyone who has ever questioned, mocked, condemned, or prayed for a person or group moved from their home needs to read this book.
893009
Intriguing, engaging, fun and full of spirit!
655278
Both the twelve stories of this wonderful book and the sum of the whole book are immensely satisfying. I would liken the book to a twelve course  gourmet meal, which leaves the fortunate reader with a cornucopia of lavish memories and contemplation of each story and the characters. This book explores the life which is traveled, all of the ironies, the pain and the love. It was a pleasure to read Bonds of Love & Blood. I will be rereading it again and again. The stories are inventive, intelligent, and believable. I can highly recommend this Marylee MacDonald treasure trove of short stories.
4275712
This is one of the most captivating books I've read in a while
775186
This book was purely captivating with a finely-spun story line and rich line-up of characters. The author's generous use of details allowed this reader to "see" the story as it unfolded in my mind's eye so that I felt as if I were walking right alongside Dooley. Hoping the sequel is in the works already so that readers can continue to follow the friendship and adventures of these two seemingly unlikely friends.
1632081
There are no words for how much I love this book. The author's style has a way of transporting the reader, whisking away the real world to leave only the story behind. And this is an amazing story. From the beginning, it's clear Omar and Devi are meant to be together. Their natural friendship just begs for more, which makes the transition to a relationship superbly organic. Much of the story takes place over a short period of time, but between the characters' shared past and the beautifully portrayed, insanely romantic setting, they couldn't have come together in a better way. This is so, so far from insta-love...it's more like a dawning of something that has been there all along. And in every, EVERY regard, I don't think anyone captures the senses as well as Ms. Warner. Her attention to detail allows the reader to thoroughly experience every moment, but these engaging details don't weigh down the story. Instead they provide a superb backdrop to the delightful crescendo of the relationship between Omar and Devi. This book is absolutely full of lines that are so artistically crafted that I actually savored them, and for that reason alone--for the beauty and subtly of the background--I'm sure I'll revisit this story. I'm thoroughly looking forward to the next book in the series, but in the meantime I liked this one so much that I actually gifted copies to a couple of friends. This is a must-read!
1726165
This book captivated me with the first set of small, image laden vignettes and only got better.  Not only is the plot intriguing, the language used is so rich and fertile that I felt I could taste it.  Each scene has an undercurrent of mingled sensuality and religion running through it and the reader becomes aware of how the two seemingly dichotomous aspects of life are highly dependent on each other.  This book left me with heightened senses; it left me wanting more.  I recommend reading it slowly and focusing on what's implied, not just what's being said.
4767985
The page-turning suspense of the story itself was enough to keep my attention. However, the detail and depth that was put into each character made it even more exciting. I could literally feel the emotions they were experiencing as well as the suspense that built with each page. It opened with a significant event that made me want to know more; each intricate detail tied in with something else until it all came together brilliantly in the end. I have always been fascinated with dreams and the research, attention to detail, and the twists and turns made for an incredible journey. The thought that dreams could be inherited is such a well thought out concept. The diversity of good and evil is seen in ways and at times that are so unexpected. I felt like I was at a theatre, at the edge of my seat, anticipating the next scene. It was one of the few books with about 400 pages that I finished within a few days because I could not put it down!
4160125
I was absolutely enraptured by this book with its lush, beautiful imagery, its well-constructed plot, and its outstanding prose.  There are parts in which  I was moved to tears, which does not usually happen for me with literary works.  The characters are colorfully described, and the reader is allowed into the thoughts of the characters as well as the backstory behind the character himself/herself.  There is a luscious, astonishingly metaphysical  feel to the book...descriptions are felt rather than read, and the words flow and integrate into one's mind; the reader has a sense of bring there...and yet not, because it is fiction...but it heavily leans on the strength of the human spirit, and the fact that we, as a planet, are all connected as one.  I highly recommend this book, with enthusiasm to those who enjoy exceptional prose.  This book is not to be read; it is to be savored.  I cannot wait to read the second book!!
108105
Do not allow the length of Largent's book keep you from opening it. Whether it takes you a short or long time to read, it promises to take you on an engaging journey into the rich tapestry of characters, history, assassination plots, monasteries, the kingdoms and queendoms of kings and Seers. You'll even get to peer into the 'Edge of the World!' Largent masterfully weaves all of these realms into a story that you will feel yourself a part of by the time you know that Cuin, the beloved protagonist in the story, is in danger. Largent's ability to fashion the dialog to match the era really helps the reader feel as if they are taking a journey back in time. He does a great job of including the varying cultures that were interacting at the time: the politics of kings and their armies, the undercurrent of hidden negotiation and diplomacy, the monasteries and spiritualist healers and their practices...with a bit of love and a lot of intrigue thrown in. An impressive work of story-telling. Thank you!
2555444
This book I wanted to read slowly so that I could soak in every detail in hopes that the last page would never come. After reading the introduction though, I never imagined that I would soon be so captured by such colorful characters in this story; it was so much more than the synopsis stated. The descriptive writing and characters created cinematography in my imagination and the arrangement of each individual scene was so well expressed. The writing was detailed in such ways that the prose came across the page almost visibly in my mind. This novel was richly complex but simply layered at the same time. I was enticed from the very first page until the last.
941815
Reading "Rented Rooms" is like opening a window.  I could see so many things and listen to so many vivid sounds.  You will read a couple of lines of any story and will think you know what's going on, but suddenly a new discovery will jump from the page, surprising you.
This collection of written beauty is a masterpiece, full of unusual descriptions.  Phrases like "hair tweeded with gray" will elevate your perception of detail in such a way that you will celebrate the moment in which this magnificent book made contact with your senses to stay within you forever.
Do not get scared if, like Georgina, you receive a gift from a stranger at the public library.  If it happens, will happen because you have very good luck, and you will see how good your luck is at 2:00 o'clock in the morning.
2529361
The silly words ("full of surprises," "steady") that Amazon asks for in order to get to the point of being able to write a review just don't do justice to this wonderful collection.  I picked it up a year ago, and it's stayed in my mind, to the fore, ever since, from the poetry of sky to the one-line entries, to the mysteries, and, for me, best of all:  the love and details of place.  (Please check out McGregor's photos of East Anglia for the Guardian.)  I simply can't rate this book highly enough - a mixture of Beckett and Hardy (Thomas, not Laurel).  Do yourself a favor:  switch off the computer and enter into a slow, beautiful world....
541044
Non stop thrills, art, science, religion, intrigue all mixed in an engaging plot. And a new city to go explore Barcelona!
2478575
There's a richly layered tapestry of voices inside this anthology, some familiar and others intriguingly mysterious. Their perspectives and their stories are playful and serious, inspiring and inscrutable. The undercurrent flowing through this "diversity of voices" will be familiar to everyone; its timeless quality achieves the book's stated purpose of engaging today's and tomorrow's readers.

The book itself can be sipped and savored, which is how I've been reading it, dipping in and out of the different sections, marveling at how these stories speak to me about relationships, families, and the human experience.
254983
RED is not a quick read. It is a book that demands your full attention. However, that attention will be abundantly rewarded. Pamuk is an author of such great talent that I would rank him with Calvino and Borges. And, like those two great artists, Pamuk presents you with many puzzles, many visions, and vivid details of lives both real and imaginary.

Superficially, RED is a murder mystery--and a very fine one--but I doubt that any reader who has gotten beyond the first 15 pages would continue reading merely to solve the mystery. As you read, Pamuk provides you with a great variety of treats: a living picture of Istanbul in 1550, a window into the lives of the master miniaturists of the period, an exploration of the attitudes of Islam towards varying degrees of artistic realism, a finely-nuanced love quadrangle, etc. And, the narrator of each chapter is, fairly often, an object rather than a person. These non-human narrators fit seamlessly into the telling of the story: there is nothing self-conscious about them. My favorite narrator of this kind is a gold piece; you learn where it was minted, where it has traveled, what it might buy, what it feels about being counterfeit--and, of course, how it feels about its role in the larger narrative. This chapter is a tour de force, but then so are the chapters with more usual narrators.

I cannot imagine the research involved in the creation of such a novel, but Pamuk wears this erudition lightly. When I read this book, I felt as if I had been casually welcomed into listening to the conversation of not one, but several, story-tellers of great fascination.

Another plus: there is no complex vocabulary--merely complex ideas gracefully presented.

This book is very hard to put down, but it is rich in so many ways that it would be a shame to rush greedily through it. Better to savor every page. You will very seldom come across writing this good.
854257
Lush, busy, filled with delights and surprises.  This book is a steal; full of treats that more than compensate for the modest cost.  The tome reeks of the bizarre sort of arrangements of billings and posts the wizarding world seems to be caught up with, such as sideway headlines and very busy pages. The designers are the same people who did much of the set designing, and it is a madcap sort of book.
  Every page is a delight and an adventure.  The wonderful actors reflect on their roles and how they felt about being cast in their roles (don't miss Imelda Staunton's reaction at being considered a natural for the role of Dolores Umbridge).
  The movies are, of course, a pale reflection of the books; a memoir; maybe a Cliff's Notes production.  But this marvelous chronicle told me why, and pointed out the incredible magic that went into the production.
  Like a high school yearbook, but chronicling a decade of these youngsters' lives, this is a memorable volume.
  I so well understand now why the particulars of the various books were highlighted in the movies, and why so much I loved in the books had to be cut from the films.  This book is a true appreciation and reflection of the decade of concentrated effort it took to produce such a magnificent chronicle.
  If you love HP the books, and have enjoyed the movies, you need this book to wed the media.