Explorative and thought-provoking with good story telling
350686
I found this book interesting on many levels. First, it has just plain  good story-telling and an interesting (if somewhat sensational, romance  novel-esque) plot line. More importantly, though, I think this book conveys  a sense the new Russian woman of the early 1900s. The story is very edgy  and daring for its time, dealing with themes of sex, love, and identity. It  presents a picture of the ideal Russian woman and her role in society, but  Nagrodskaia uses her main character to challenge that traditional role. The  romantic experiences in the book lead both the characters and the reader to  examination of gender, individuality, sexuality, attraction, and eroticism.  If you don't speak Russian, this is a chance to experience the  "feel" of Russian lit. McReynolds maintains Russian names and a  few sentence constructions, which gives the text an overtone of the Russian  language, while letting it flow smoothly in English. I would recommend this  book to anyone looking for a good read, and especially to those interested  in Russia, women's studies, or gender studies.
3491455
I enjoyed reading this piece for its format, complexity, and captivating writing style. The dialogue of a play drew me into the back-and-forth of the characters and allowed me to see more of their personalities, which are not the black-and-white versions I had in mind from older stories. I found the scene where Devavrat watches his mom disappear into the water particularly compelling, and enjoyed the repartee in the scene with the girls playing hide-and-seek. I know many Indian-Americans of my generation, in their early 20s, who find it hard to grasp stories like that of Bhisma's origins in the Mahabharatha because there is so much that seems random and estranged from our lives. We know parts like the Bhagavad Gita are important because they present themselves as lessons, but parts like this sort of float on the surface of the story, frustratingly unexplained. I think this re-imagined account allows a creative perspective that connects an ancient story to relevant political issues of environment and population, and thus sticks in the minds of readers of our generation. While I can see in some places how the use of both old and modern English seems at odds, I think that, overall, the use of modern English is an asset to the play. It shortens the distance between the characters and the reader, while the setting and events of the play still retain the grandiosity of ancient times. I look forward to reading other re-imagined episodes from the Indian epic that will inspire me to think more about the possible complexities behind stock lore.
2541051
Suzanne Strempek Shea is a master storyteller whose non-fiction is as creative and imaginative as her novels.  I was eagerly looking forward to reading this book and it lived up to my expectations.

The idea of visiting one church a week for a year is daunting, considering the preparation and travel involved.  However, the author walked into every one with an open mind and a photographer's eye, gifting us with minute descriptions of everything from the church's building and decor, demographic profile and attire of the congregation, scripture readings, liturgy, music, sermons, bulletins, the weather, and the intangible --- without wasting a word.  Each chapter is prefaced with a brief history of the particular denomination, in itself very educational.  There is humor and introspection throughout.

Politicization of religion, both on the right AND the left, has probably alienated enough Americans to explain why church attendance is down.  Even so, several of Suzanne's spotlighted houses of worship were inviting.  SUNDAYS IN AMERICA is both thought-provoking and entertaining.  Amen.
961947
This complex narrative is told in five voices: a wheelchair-bound teacher named Mrs. Olinski and the four brilliant sixth grade members of her academic team.  Konigsburg alternates brief glimpses of their final quiz bowl championship match with short stories about the different life journeys each kid has had to make, each told in the first-person.  The longer personal narratives temper suspense about the outcome of the competition, and the resolution of all the stories is satisfying.

I didn't want this book to end.  I was so captivated by the characters that I wanted them to stay with me as long as possible.  The book seems much longer than its 163 pages-not because the plot is slow or boring, but because it is so rich and complex.  Konigsburg weaves five narrative voices into a coherent whole: Mrs. Olinski, who teaches from a wheelchair and manages one of her school's sixth grade academic teams; Noah: funny, clever, methodical, and accidental best man at a senior citizen's wedding; Nadia: introspective, reserved, wondering how to cope with her parents' divorce; Ethan, who dreams of working on Broadway; and Julian: Indian boy magician and target of the school bullies.

At first, I was very skeptical about this book.  As I listened to the characters, I often thought, "No, I'm not buying this.  Real kids don't talk, think, or write this way-especially sixth-graders."  I noticed that Nadia rarely uses contractions, often making her speech stiff and mechanical.  Noah begins numerous statements with the word "Fact."  Ethan makes sophisticated observations such as the differences between farmers and suburbanites ("A farmer likes dirt.  Suburbanites like to get rid if it") and describes people with a maturity beyond his years: "His skin was the color of strong coffee with skim milk-not cream-added."  Julian is a skilled magician who sends his new-found friends on puzzling journeys through Lewis Carroll.  I have taught middle-schoolers for many years, and have met only one who could even come close to writing this way-but never four at once.  Yet after a bit, that didn't matter.  I was so caught up in the masterful way that Konigsburg shifts the point of view and the setting that I really believed in these kids.  Just as Mrs. Olinski came to believe in each one that she chose for the academic team, I too came to believe in them as I journeyed with them through their memories and stories.
3805451
This book can be taken as allegory, speculative fiction, and a philosophical thought experiment. It uses a powerful narrative device--that of consciousness as experienced through the perspective of a butterfly--to put human life into a broader, transcendent context. It confronts the reader with basic and sometimes uncomfortable questions about the purpose of life and death. The reader is taken on a journey alongside Grace as she experiences the remarkable contrast between the seemingly simple life trajectory of a butterfly and the apparent complexity of a lawyer's life. Grace's expectations are turned inside out as the narrative guides the reader though the trials and tribulations of a troubled soul's self-awakening.
2493926
When I read books for pleasure, I want them to include an interesting story line, and something unexpected that I may not find in other books. This book contains both.

The story line, of a departed doctor who finds himself in purgatory after a selfish life, develops as the doctor is taken to a spirit "hospital" for rehabilitation, and learns about this new spirit world which operates on principles far different than those generally lived on earth. As the doctor gains in humility and understanding, he is permitted to participate more fully in the service undertaken in this spiritual colony. He joins the rehabilitative balancing of souls just leaving the earth plane's violence and inequalities.

I appreciated the spiritual wisdom shared through the medium of the story. It's also interesting comparing earthly society with this next level up in vibration, and realizing how the simplest process of simply choosing to change one's thoughts from negative to postitive can make an immense difference to one's experience of life on earth. Reading this book is good preparation for that time which is to come.
2493670
I won a copy of this book through a good reads giveaway. This has not influenced or biased my opinions.

I almost did not feel like I was reading a book. Rather, I felt I was being told a story by a traveling bard. The language of this book is crafted beautifully. It was descriptive and engaging. However, at times the way sentences are constructed are different from how you would expect them to be, so I had to re-read the way things were worded here and there. I liked how things were worded. It challenged me but also set the tone for the tale itself. And it fit perfectly with the story line and setting. This book is more description than exposition. Yet the story never lost me or bored me.

There were only a couple spots where there was an editing error (a period instead of a comma, etc). Otherwise, the book itself was well crafted. I look forward to reading more from this book series. The ending is hopeful yet ominous all at once. I liked the hints at the history of the world too. I very much look forward to discovering more of the Illuen and the world beyond Consolation.

Good story and well told.
717341
[I received this book as a gift from the author, whom I know.]

While faith-based Christian literature and commentary are not typical genres I follow, this books clever narrative style draws and engages the reader, regardless of genre or classification.

Situating the reader with conversational ease, the author uniquely alternates from autobiographical shorts to close reads of his primary text. Providing reenactments of biblical verses in engaging prose, he transforms commentary into something vivid and experiential for the reader. Reading is much like attending a play and watching a colorful scene unfold.

5-stars for the sharp writing (often laced with humor at just the right times), but also for the eloquent style that deftly braids story, autobiography, and commentary into one cohesive narrative.

Theres much to be gleaned from the writing strategy itself for those interested, and certainly the messages and questions of the book itself will resonate with many across Christian tradition.
2469499
Can a world exist where science and faith are kept separate, in two distinct societies? This complex tale explores religion, science, relationships, and government.  Woven throughout is also a story of a young girl seeking forgiveness, a couple trying to find their way to each other, both dealing with their own personal issues, and government figures who question and seek answers.  I found this story to be compelling and interesting.  It made me think deeply and ask questions of my own about the world in which we live.
3700234
This book is frequently recommended in science fiction circles, and with good reason: it's an excellent exploration of the implications of contact with an alien race. It thoroughly explores the political and cultural  reactions on Earth, while providing a very deep and thought-provoking story  for the alien race as well.
The quality of the writing is excellent; the  imaginative plotting makes for a gripping read. I recommend this book  highly due to its breadth of appeal: it is approachable and  appealing.
It's in my personal collection, but I have to keep buying more  copies-- I loan it out frequently to friends and never seem to get it back!  I consider that to be a sign of a great book.
4034503
I enjoyed this book a lot. The ideas were both thought provoking and original and the stories were easy and enjoyable to read. Each of the chapters is a self-contained narrative, set in the future. The future worlds have a bleak, dystopian quality, but, in general, the characters themselves are ordinary people who are not especially good or evil. Le Dain asks us to imagine how regular people would react in strange, Kafkaesque circumstances, and also, perhaps, how such circumstances come into being in the first place as a result of the actions of regular people in the aggregate. Le Dain is a talented writer and I would definitely read his work again and would recommend him to others.
2067013
Ventre's insight into the human condition in a wide variety of contexts displays his ability of observation and storytelling. He experiments with language and narrative in ways that are refreshing and unusual. I am looking forward to many more stories by him.
1371458
An excellent, thought-provoking book with an unusual structure and perspective. It's an accessible YA book but has a sophisticated, literary vibe that will also appeal to adults, especially if they're interested in storytelling, social issues, community, and creative writing. Jason Reynolds definitely has a new fan here.
4645355
In this collection of related stories, Adam Wassil leads us on a trek through an exquisitely-drawn post-apocalyptic landscape.  His characters, with all their human flaws, are engaging and solid - variously inspiring sympathy or horror as they navigate the wasted World That Is.  Wassil's writing is crisp and sensory: in places, it virtually crackles off the page.  But perhaps my favorite element here is the composition of this work as a set of interwoven stories told from different perspectives, leaving the reader to fill in and imagine the non-written parts of the story-line.  I'll be reading this book again, and looking forward to more  from this author!
2976028
Woven by Leon, The Mechanical Man,  the story of three "wonders" emerges as a unique exploration of the status of humans.  He has a mysterious metal heart, visible through a hole in his chest.  He joins Kathryn, covered in wool from a gene therapy she had undergone for Huntington's; and Christos, who has had the framework for articulated wings grafted into his back.  They are managed by Rhona who has promised that rather than freaks, they will be presented as the rock stars in a finely tuned fulfillment of the public's wishes to view the extremes of our lives.

This paragraph does little to prepare the reader for the fine tuned prose that informs the character development throughout the novel.  The plot flows in a tempo that is finely timed to reveal the story without shorting the lovely vignettes of the world Rhoda has prepared for her wonders.  Literature is quoted with finesse and an eye for its optimal use.  I find myself entwined with the story and indeed, remembering the secret thoughts iI have ever encountered in questioning myself.

I have to say, in one of my highest compliments, I will now seek out this writer's others works, bumping my teetering "to read list" out of the way.  In this market saturated with the freakish and the supernatural, this book finds an envied place of a new way to think about "different". It is a gem to squirrel away in this long winter.
2892738
The two tales in this work are very thought provoking. I especially enjoyed the feeling of building in "If you go into the woods". The language of the author bespeaks a poetic abstractness that is enticing and quite entertaining. In "The Reset Button" I believe we can all find something in common with the main character. I would definitely take the time to read these two stories, they will definitely keep you thinking long after you put them down.
4945701
I enjoyed Janissaries and Other Stories by Phil Moss. The stories in this collection vary in both content and length, and each comes with a unique premise. There is experimentation in both the scope and subject of these tales, and I personally appreciated their range and diversity.

The title story, Janissaries, is among the most dramatic, involving the sale and diabolical use of a powerful, devastating nanotechnology. The storyline and writing style is refined and shows Moss' ability to sequence and frame events so that the plot is revealed artfully without being either too vague or abrupt. Additionally, much of the dialogue is believable and reconciles with the individual presence of the characters, though I did feel that their human qualities could be brought out a bit more with additional visual description. The story has a consistent pace and is well-constructed.

In the longer pieces especially, there are shifts in the narrative that refresh the mysteriousness of the plot while bringing the overall story together logically. This was a useful mechanism for telling the story of Jimmy Jones and His Wonderful Perpetual Motion Machine, which centers around some very serious interest in a free-energy device invented by a child. As in other stories in this collection, dialogue is a strength and a truly original concept is brought forth.

While a few of these stories have a more serious tone, others are on the more jocular end of the spectrum. In these pieces, there is a trend toward parody paired with an open invitation for the reader to think a little to appreciate the humor. A common thread in all the stories is an intelligent voice, and for this reason I would especially recommend this collection to a "thinking" person. There are clever expositions of ironies regarding religion, culture, and politics, presented in flashes and installments. The Devil Made Me Do It was one of my favorites, because it takes a brings a faith-based idea into a context of theoretical physics, suddenly making it not-so-ridiculous. In a similarly paradigm-shifting manner, Nice Work if You Can Get It humorously reduces to the mundane the origin of some bible passages.

Again, you've got to think about it with these stories - it's a theme that binds all of the material in the volume, both serious and in jest. Furthering the cerebral tone, additional scientific themes make their way into the stories, along with some related to the practice of law. The Litigation Game, for example, is a story about the infection of sensationalism in legal matters related to a tragedy, making a statement about how backwards human values can be, all the while retaining a steady undercurrent of humor. Wit and social commentary is also found in stories like Eureka!, which concerns the inducement of right-wing thinking through pharmaceuticals, and the brief but poignant Solomon, which would perhaps even encourage discussion.

It would be difficult to pigeonhole Janissaries and Other Stories, which is one of the reasons why I like it. It moves around. It has more than one flavor. It is also definitely worth a read and I would recommend it, in particular for its intelligence and a sense of humor.