The Goldfinch a must-read!
595473
It's very interesting...can't wait to get back to it when I have to do other things like work.  I feel like I never know what will happen to Theo next.  What a life!  He's had more experiences in his twenty some odd years (that's how old he is at the part I am up to) than most people have in a full lifetime.  I wonder how he is still alive tho.  Also,  he is kind of a mess but so likable.  I know people in the real world like that.  They make the wrong choices almost always but have a kind heart and a special kind of charm.  Can't wait to see how it all turns out!
3027143
Fantastic story beautifully written. Donna Tartt's very best book yet. Have read all of her books and once I started Goldfinch it was hard to put it down. Don't let the length be daunting.
2325457
Wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated, a must-read for readers of all ages! This book is proof that a simple and easy read is just as capable of tugging at the reader's heartstrings. :)
4554438
Once I picked up this book I could hardly put it down. Im so glad I brought it along with me on my trip to Chicago last weekend! I rode the train which took so much longer than I thought and it was a perfect companion. I finished it the very next day because I was so tired on the ride back that I had to put it down for the last hour of the trip.

This is quite an exceptional book. Though I find the ending to be a bit far from what would actually happen, I cant imagine this story without it.
As I read this book I loved the three characters more and more. I like how each chapter was styled to fit with each voice of the character it took on. Vivis chapters always started with an entry in her birding journal. It was so fun to learn more about birds and see how they related to her (and the book title). Birds are always used in literature as a contrast to humans, and I like the different way that its used in this book. I love how Vivi sees the world through and with birds in them. Its something I didn't think about before and I immediately wished that I could see each one of the birds she wrote about in her journal immediately.

ngel was definitely a voice I wasn't expecting. We don't get to read his POV every third chapter like some books, and I found myself looking forward to each one that I did get to read. He had a unique perspective and his role in the book became more and more apparent as more of his story was revealed. I feel that ngel gave depth to the book that couldn't be achieved any other way.

TJ was a fun character to get to know too. His family reminded me a little bit of mine, but mine isn't as conflicting as his. Except I would be more like his cousins family because mine is so big. His voice was well written and I enjoyed his dialogue and the way he changed over the course of the novel. Seeing him interact with Vivi and ngel was my favorite part of the book.

This book deals with a lot of serious topics. Grief and death are strong themes throughout. The topic of immigration is also something that comes to play a big part in this book. Its something that is handled and written about well. I feel that anything but writing it with the utmost care is something that could go awry quickly. Marquardts care with these are apparent and I respect that about her strength as a writer.

I did feel that the ending was a bit unrealistic. It was something that was of the ideal situation in the way that it happened, but I cant quite go along with this one. I cant imagine it any other way though. Im glad it ended this way in the very end.

I hope you take the time to find this book this Tuesday! Its a unique read that is well worth your time.

Happy reading,

Sophie
242465
I absolutely loved this story. I'd never read it before, but I had such a hard time putting it down. I agree with the other reviewers in how good it was. I love the way the author (Beaner) does his counting of things, and I can imagine my cat feeling this way.
Definitely a must-read book. You won't regret buying it.
2808462
Driving the Birds is fantastic !  It captures your heart in the first chapter and you will not want to put it down.  Jabonka is truly a person we want to rescue from her painful childhood. This is going to be a best seller one day and I know that anyone who reads it will be talking about it and telling others.  The author is gifted as a storyteller.....and we are emotionally invested in this amazing true story.
803765
One of my favorite books EVER! I read it on the recommendation of a friend when we were discussing The Goldfinch.  As it turns out, we both liked it far better, and we really loved The Goldfinch. Donna Tartt spins a tale that brought me in, so that I had to know more about the characters--a good thing, since she developed so many of them so fully. Her prose is erudite and lyrical. While the tale was truly contrived (as many good yarns are), I really felt that she captured the truth about people--in so much fiction, the story seems plausible, but not the characters. What happened after the death, with the police and the family and the press, really gave me pause--in how many other situations is the truth so far from the conclusions of those looking on?  I read it on my new Kindle, so the words I did not know, and there were many, were at my fingertips.
4395937
The Wonder of Birds: What They Tell Us about Ourselves, the World, and a Better Future by Jim Robbins is journey of love and fascination between mankind and birds. A journal where man has benefited by watching our feathered friends in different ways and how they have enriched our lives, how they have helped our planet, and have pleased our eyes and warmed our hearts. It is written so warmly, and tenderly, I can feel the love for the feathered creatures from far away and it warmed me...As a bird lover, nature lover, this is a treasure! For everyone, this book will delight and open their minds to our magical friends of a feather. The author takes us, hand and wing, on a journey through differences and changes that link us together. It is amazing how we are linked together in this amazing thing called life. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.
4450796
From beginning to end, The Goldfinch was one of the most idea-driven, beautifully written literary novels, I have read.  Donna Tartt's confidence never failed me and it's ending did not disappoint me like so many otherwise well-written novels have.
313096
Not since "The Prince of Tides" by Pat Conroy, which I read several years ago, have I been so enmeshed with a story and a character as I found myself with Theodore Decker in The Goldfinch.  The book gripped me from the very first chapter and I actually felt a bit of  sadness and loss as I read the final sentence.  Ms. Tartt has created such believable characters, filled with such profoundly identifiable human characteristics of both the good and the bad that my heart overflowed with empathy as well as joy.  I thoroughly enjoyed the character, Boris, and loved how his energy and humor served to balance out the darker, sadder, more introspective feelings of Theo, and I found myself laughing out loud whenever Boris was in the spotlight.  Reading fiction is one of my favorite pastimes and I was thrilled to have found such a beautifully written, interesting novel with such depth and brilliance.
1718096
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the previous books in the Fowl Series. It was very captivating, with the usual plot-changes of a book in the series. A fantastic, fun, read, that I would totally recommend! Enjoy reading!
1866906
Donna Tartt's "The Goldfinch" is a sad, funny, wonderful coming-of-age novel featuring unforgettable characters, beautiful
prose, fabulous descriptions of art and artists, and much more. It is Dickensian in its breadth and themes. My only complaint
would be in the ending, which seemed both rushed and long-winded at the same time.
912625
I enjoyed The Goldfinch very much. I did find the ending a bit confusing but all in all it was well written.
4767919
The Kite Runner is one of the best books I have ever read.  It is a powerful story of friendship, betrayal, and redemption in an unexpected way.  It also made me really see that part of the world in a whole new way and paints an interesting picture of the Middle Eastern immigrant trying to make it in the U.S.  I have been recommending this book to everyone ever since I chewed it up in two days over Christmas.  A must-read!
1921570
I read it for the second time recently and enjoyed it much more this time. I had also recently read 'The Goldfinch' (brilliant!) so decided to refresh my memory of this book. It seems to be a theme of the author's to have youngsters cast adrift and groping their way to adulthood through the most difficult of circumstances. And the drugs!! It would frighten any parent if it is so normal to consume endless supplies of drugs and drink. Yet the heroes survive and in both books are likeable in spite of mistakes made and some unfortunate choices. I loved both stories and would recommend them highly.
964576
I loved the Goldfinch so thought I'd try this book too.  It was good.  I enjoy Donna Tart's writing.
147309
The Winter Bird is an entertaining, informative and enthralling story set in Barrow, Alaska. A look into a world seldom seen by modern societies. Daniel Forster's storyline is both fun and gripping. I highly recommend The Winter Bird. It is very enjoyable read!