Several moments here, but not worth your time really
579717
I love The Who. It's fair to say that I am a Who collector. Their music is some of the finest ever made, and it's for that reason that the group made it to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.

Take yourself back to 1979. Keith Moon has just died. John Bonham would follow Moon to the grave pretty quickly afterwards. The situation? Zeppelin and The Who were left "drummerless." The Who fixed their problem by adding former (Small) Faces drummer Kenney Jones, while Led Zeppelin pulled the plug on their group entirely.

'You Better You Bet,' of course, got the most radio play from 'Face Dances,' which joins 'It's Hard' in the worst Who record category. The song is catchy, but other than that, there is really no other reason to listen to this.

It's more of Townshend's synth-pop with Roger and John just simply playing along. This type of music would inspire Pete to do songs like 'Let My Love Open The Door,' among other songs of his in the 1980s during his solo career.

This is recommended, but only for Who completists or Townshend solo fans.
629451
I wanted to like The Goldfinch. It came highly recommended to me, and it seems many feel this book should win awards. In the end, I couldn't shake the feeling that the journey was not worth the time and effort.

There are portions of this book that are perfect--where every single word and nuance helps to paint a picture of the protagonist and his challenges. But there are lengthy portions of this book that could be ripped out without impacting the plot, character development or story.

Donna Tartt seems to be the kind of writer who cannot merely say that a character in New York's Upper East Side, "storms out, starts walking, and before long is surprised to find himself in the West Village."  Instead, the character storms out, looks in store windows, considers a crack in the sidewalk, wonders if he should see a movie, remembers some past event, walks past a park, wonders if he should see a different movie--on and on and on for a dozen pages, and to what end? I have no idea! At times I loved the organic feel of The Goldfinch and at times I resisted the urge to simple start flipping pages to get to something--ANYTHING--that advanced the plots.

To me, the rather indulgent pacing might have been excusable, but there were some nagging inconsistencies that began to bug me as the book dragged on. Because the book pokes through the mind of the protagonist, Theo, at great length, the reader comes to understand Theo's every thought, every idea and, in some sections, every moment of his life. But if we're to believe that he is obsessed with a painting--that his very being is caught up in possessing this painting--why doesn't he give it a thought for tens of pages at a time? Later in the book, Theo declares how a character he encountered once has been with him every moment since a pivotal event, and I couldn't help but think, "Really, because I just read 600 FREAKIN' PAGES and you barely gave the guy a second thought!"

To be honest, part of my misgivings about this book comes from having to spend so much time intimately bound with a character who is pretty damaged. Theo seems to pathologically avoid getting the answers he wants from people, so conversations go on and on for pages before getting to the point. He too often puts himself into seriously weird situations without applying any sense of care of logic. He whines a lot, wonders why he feels as he does, is fatalistic, lies for no apparent reason, obsesses about a girl without actually doing anything about it, and eventually throws himself into alcohol, drugs and scams that put his only friends in jeopardy. Perhaps if I had spent only 400 pages in Theo's passive, addictive head, it wouldn't have had such an impact on me, but after almost 800 pages, I was glad to put down the Goldfinch, pick up another book, and spend some time with a character that wasn't quite so dark, frustrating and depressing.

If you're a patient reader who loves lots of detail and richness, The Goldfinch is for you. I loved portions of the book, was frustrated with more of it, and cannot recommend it without reservations.
470277
Too full with details, slow and sometimes tiresome.
3168875
I found this McMurtry book to be less than satisfying. Primarily it's a travelogue, an account of a trip he took a couple of years ago to Tahiti, the Tuamotus and Marquesas Islands. It is also in part a reflection on the lives of his parents and on the meaning of paradise. The main problem with the book is that it has a rushed-into-print feel to it. It seems in need of further editing and rewriting, as if the editors at Simon & Schuster told McMurtry, just give us your notes and we'll put the book together. There are several places where the narrative changes verb tense in mid-paragraph. There are also some passages that seem out of order, where the author makes passing reference to a subject as if it has already been broached, though it's not until later that the subject is truly introduced. Other passages have a non-sequitur quality. For instance, an interesting consideration of Milton's Paradise Lost segues abruptly to a discussion of horses and seasickness.
My other problem with the book is that I began to lose patience with McMurtry as passive observer. I wanted him to jump ship, like Melville, and really experience life in the Marquesas, rather than simply record his fleeting impressions. Well, maybe a good work of fiction will come out of his working vacation--Some Can Hula, or maybe All My Friends Are Going To Be Dinner.
All this said, I still enjoyed the book and read it straight through. McMurtry's fine mind and refreshingly non-academic erudition make everything he writes worth reading. But I do not think Paradise is on par with his other recent works of nonfiction, Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen, and Roads.
2637789
If you believe that a few good ideas makes it worth your time, then reading this book is OK.  Much is repeated and restated over and over.  I did get a few ideas of value and that in itself made this worthwhile, but I must admit I found the book in total a disappointment.
2587403
There are very very good things in here, for sure, but they're not quite polished. Keegan's writing also seems a lot better when read on a computer screen, not sure if it's the style or what. Anyways, worth reading but not amazing.
2197221
There is certainly information of value here, but the number of words and pages used to get the points across is far too many. In its attempt to be culturally inclusive it tries to be universal in its description of different death concepts, and I think you lose some depth of substance to the discussion this way.
3220258
Well there are quite a few story lines here...sometimes crossing meaningfully and sometimes not.  I thought this was too rambling.  One does get an inside look at family services and religious end of timer wackos.  Not terrible but not great.
3683499
I'm not sure who actually wrote this memoir but, it certainly wasn't worth the time it took to read it. Not the greatest experience one could hope for...
2991267
There was a good book here somewhere, but it was hidden behind too many inconsistencies in the plot, in the characters actions, and in implausible events. Many times you find yourself wondering how, or why something  happened because when you think back to other events it just makes no  sense. And some of the events are very implausible as well. The murders at  the start of the book are a good example of this if you really think about  it.
On top of this, the writing isn't particularally good either. He  jumps around with multiple viewpoints in almost every scene for starters.  And many sections are not really clear either, you end up reading over  parts twice to figure out what is happening. Still, the book isn't that  bad. It is definitely readable if you like this kind of thriller, but there  are a lot of better options. It will probably make a good movie someday.
1221885
I understand the attraction of the topic--dysfunctional family members trying more and more desperately as time and circumstances push and pull, to resolve old angst and disagreements; to satisfy the innate needs of family connections and cope with individual attitudes. Add mysterious vibrations and emanations apparently rising from past connections. But at least for this reviewer, the hook and pull of events and deep ruminations are insufficient to maintain my interest.
First is Birdy Burke, resident owner of an ancient island on a dark and restless lake that appears to have its own problems. The island has been in her family for only slightly less than forever and while she feels comfortable there most of the time, she does have troubling dreams. Add to that, Birdy isn't always the most pleasant person to be around.
Emily, a young drifting member of Birdy's extended family is hooked up with an entirely unsuitable young man and about to see her life disintegrate. Another family member, Kate, who apparently was never quite suited for much of anything, though married with a somewhat settled life, has taken an interest in old family journals and records and actually written a novel.  For various reasons, some centered around traditional family routines, these three women, representative of three different generations, and the children and men in their intimate lives, are drawn to this brooding, somnolent place called Heart
And so, crime, ambition, murder and depression swirl around a cast of characters who, without exception are deeply flawed and seem mostly uninterested in exploring a more positive life. For some, this well-written dark novel offers a gripping, even mesmerizing view of life, but for this reviewer I found it a struggle.
3180081
There's some good stuff in here, as well as some pretty mediocre stuff. The writing starts to get pretty predictable after a while (not just what he writes, but how he writes it).
4095735
I have a really difficult time rating this book. It strikes me as sometimes self-indulgent and in a few spots, lyrical. It more or less is travel in search of self, a common technique, and ends with where it begins, in Shetland and in Tallack's  memory. I found myself impatient at many spots in the book, yet finished it in one sitting. Tallack has some talent and I hope his next book better reflects his talents. It's better than three stars but four seems almost inflated. Call it four and reader, preview a few pages before buying.

His observations of places are generally good, sometimes sharp. He describes places in Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Siberia, St Petersburg, Finland, the Aaland Islands, Sweden, Norway and back in Shetland. His observations in Greenland strike me as sharpest and most interesting, with Canada next, particularly as he describes native peoples and their placement in society--characterized by alcoholism, depression, suicide and perplexity at how the mainstream cultures regards the planet.
4116578
It took a year or more for me to wade though this book.  As a book of short stories, it's probably not intended for a continuous read.  Many of the stories were written in the late 1800's and early 1900's and in the often ponderous prose of that period.  Some of the stories are actually pretty good including The Country of the Blind but many just drag on and on and at the end left me wondering what was the point.  In some cases it seems the writer had some number of words to write and when he got there, he stopped - and I was glad he did.  I only got though it because my compulsion to finish any book I've started.  I don't think most modern day readers will like this book though all this may seem like heresy to those who appreciate "good" literature - what ever "good" literature is.
2344075
I wanted to like this book, but had a difficult time sticking with it. The chapters are quite small, some a few pages and others just a few paragraphs. Sadly, the book was merely a collection of random daily life snippets in a foreign country. This collection had no real development nor connection. Reading this made me feel like a total stranger was trying politely to make small talk. The humor that a few reviews mention just was not there for me.
I am thrilled that the author and his wife had the courage to uproot themselves and move out of their comfort zone in a bold way. (My husband would vacation in but never move to a foreign land.) With a deep, sincere sigh, I envy the Van Sickles. You rock with the follow through! However, the events that they experienced simply needed to be expressed better.
1300235
LONELY PLANET UNPACKED, one of the first in LP's line of Journeys travel stories, is a collection of reminisces by twenty-six Lonely Planet travel guide writers about disastrous experiences on the road, from getting robbed to waking up with a scabies infection in a bed and breakfast. The idea may sound interesting, but the book isn't much fun at all.

The first thing that hits the reader is the low level of much of the prose. While these travel guide writers may be experts at compiling a useful list of monuments, restaurants, and hotels, but many are not very good story-tellers. Ironically, the more interesting tales are written incoherently or repetitively, while some of the most insubstantial are penned with literary flair.

And this reviewer also seconds reviewers who have pointed out that the authors seem overwhelmingly concerned with getting drunk or--in the case of one contributor about Cambodia--completely stoned. It's understandable that a traveller might have some rage against a nation after a bad experience, but few of the writers were seeking much contact with the local people before their unpleasant turn of events. They jaded go through a country to add another one to the list and write a book, but they ignore  the language and common people, spending a lot of time in bars for tourists and ex-pats.

I can't really recommend this book at all. If you are an independent traveller, think about how far the cover price of this book would get you towards your own (hopefully more sunny) adventures.
606103
Entirely taking place within the Ballard-dreamt landscape the desert resort named Vermilion Sands, each story is based on some exotic art form conjured up by the author. One of the running themes is the `sonic sculpture' which tend to record sound, reproduce frequencies and harmonize with each other sculptures. The idea is intriguing (especially to someone like me with a history of both sculpting and audio production) but it is mentioned too often and becomes commonplace, rather than a centerpiece for a single story. Likewise, all the stories involve some sort of artsy gloss (poets, painters, sculptors, florists, singer, etc.) and the monotony of witnessing the artists' world is tedious and best taken in bits, like one story a day (it would have been torture to complete this in two days).

While each story in itself is good or great, treat the book as a whole and the collection spurs ennui. If Ballard were to switch it up a bit, the book make not have been as monotonous as it had been. But because, after a few days, I took it bit by bit, I found the collection to be pretty good.

The Cloud-Scultpors of Coral D - 4/5 - Flying cloud sculptures are hired to depict their work in dedication to a narcissistic heiress with varying degrees of portrayal, types of cloud meanwhile trying to withhold the artistic license. 20 pages

Prima Belladonna - 5/5 - A beautiful songstress enters town, much to the pleasure of the boys across the street but fails to impress the sonic florist, whose arachnid flower takes envy in the talent of the singer. 16 pages

The Screen Game - 3/5 - A film production crew move into town to shoot and hire a painter to color the canvas of a million square meters (nearly) who falls for an ashen prisoner who then also falls for the painter's prints. 18 pages

The Singing Statues - 4/5 - Two sculptors deceptively sell a gaudy collector a large piece, only having to return secretly every fortnight to replace the magnet tape storing the sympathetic music. 16 pages

Cry Hope, Cry Fury! - 3/5 - A lonely sand yacht captain rescues a man from the desert only to have his likeness portrayed onto canvas, which mysteriously changes overnight to be more like her long lost love. 20 pages

Venus Smiles - 4/5 - A sculptor is hired to create a sonic sculpture for the square but when unveiled, the piece is much despised so the curator takes it home and much to his dismay, the thing grows in dimension and cadence. 16 pages

Say Goodbye to the Wind - 3/5 - Organic cloth shop owner sells a new wardrobe to the girlfriend of a dead organic cloth designer and when the cloth begins throwing spasms, the relationship and mystery begin. 18 pages

Studio 5, The Stars - 4/5 - The editor of a poem magazine full of poem by so-called poets possess auto-poem machines, but when his new neighbor, also a poem, forces to handwrite their odes, chaos ensues. 40 pages

The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista - 5/5 - Psychotropic houses are imprinted with the personalities and memories of the previous tenants, but that doesn't stop a couple from moving into a house with an eerie, familiar past. 24 pages