Author Archives: beckylindroos

Ordinary Love & Good Will by Jane Smiley 1989 / 208 pages / Kindle Two different novellas with the same theme – Ordinary Love is the first person tale of a woman who destroys her marriage because she wants to … Continue reading →

Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War by Tony Horwitz 2011 / 384 pages non-fiction / history rating 9.5 I’ve read quite a number of Horwitz’ books,  Confederates in the Attic,  On the Road,  Blue … Continue reading →

Still Midnight by Denise Mina – 2009 audio – 11h. 3m.  narrated by Jane McFarlane rating – 6/10  – fairly high for crime fiction Interesting book takes place in an immigrant community in Scotland where an Asian family’s home is … Continue reading →

  by Karen Russell 2010 / hard-cover – 316 pages fiction/    rating – 7 I really didn’t particularly like this book either –  that’s two in a row,  I think.   Swamplandia is simply kind of silly although I … Continue reading →

 by Chris Tsiolkas – 2010/496 pages  narrated by Alex Dimitriades/ 15h. 42m.  rating 6 (mixed)  I am sooooo glad I am finished with this book.  I feel a bit dirty and like I’ve been overly  involved    with a soap-opera. … Continue reading →

by Adam Mitzer 2011 / 384 pages Audible – read by David LeDoux 11h 33m legal thriller rating 8 REVISION – I rated this an A after my ratings change. I don’t usually rate crime novels higher than 7 (except … Continue reading →

I don’t know what’s happening but i’m in a slump – no interest.  This is probably due to the gaming where I had to kill a dragon who didn’t really have to be killed if I’d done it right – … Continue reading →

The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill 2010 / 528 pages rating 5 Interesing concept – a man is arrested, tried, found guilty and spends 15 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. There is really no way to get … Continue reading →

The Ministry of Special Cases Nathan Englander   (Argentina) 2007 – Kindle – 342 pages rating – 9.5 The story of Jews in Argentina where life was not easy – not only did the officials make it difficult but the … Continue reading →

BOOMERANG: Travels in the New Third World by Michael Lewis 2011 – 224 pgs audio read by Dylan Baker 7h 14m rating 8.5 Sometimes Lewis is reminds me of an economic Bill Bryson – he comes off as arrogant in … Continue reading →

Here’s to looking forward to a great  year!  First up on the Kindle/iPad  is The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander – I’m about 1/3 done and so far it’s quite good.    And I’m listening to Michael Lewis’ … Continue reading →

The Trinity Six Charles Cumming mystery/spy – 2011 / 368 pages audio 11: 23 – read by John Lee rating 7.5 Almost John Le Carre – not quite.  But when the old Cold War animosities, intrigues and scandals are extended into … Continue reading →

by Patricia Wentworth 1942 / 268 pages / audio 7h 58m read by Diana Bishop rating – 6 At a a family New Year’s Eve party, James Paradine the patriarch, announces that someone has betrayed the family and that he will … Continue reading →

by Halldor Laxness 1957 /246 pages finished 12/28 rating – 9 Mostly this is a delightful book,  a wonderment,  but there are places it’s confusing and draggy, too.   At first it really didn’t seem like it was going to … Continue reading →

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes 2011/ 176 pages / Kindle – rating ? I was bored for most of this book – it’s way to philosophical for me, too many generalities about human nature with emphasis on … Continue reading →

I haven’t read much this month because I’ve been busy getting Christmas together and playing a new game just out (last week) by Spiderweb Software – an old, old favorite company.   The game is Averunum: Escape from the Pit … Continue reading →

by Sean B. Carroll 2009 / 352 pages – paperback rating – 6 (mixed) This was a really dry book for me,  not a subject I have much interest in nor knowledge about.   I suppose some of the chapters, … Continue reading →