Category Archives: books

Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy 1878 / 448 pages rating:  9.5 / Brit classic I was very interested in reading this book until I read the first chapter.   Oh-oh – bo-ring!   But I picked it up … Continue reading →

The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones 2007/ 278 pages read by Elizabeth Rogers /James Chen /10h 54m rating:   7 /romance-cooking I got this one in an Audible sale because it sounded kind of interesting what with a liberal … Continue reading →

The Fourth Watcher: A Novel of Bangkok by Timothy Hallinan 2008/320 pages read by Victor Bevine 10h 53m rating  A / crime  (#2 in Poke Rafferty series) In this gritty, fast-paced novel of Bangkok,  the series protagonist,  Poke Rafferty, a … Continue reading →

David and Goliath:  Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell 2013/ 320 pages rating: 7.5 / nonfiction – psychology I didn’t get along with this book terribly well until the last quarter or so.  I’ve read … Continue reading →

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman 2013/259 pages (Kindle) rating:  7 /  fantasy First off,  I am NOT a fantasy fan and I’m not sure I would have read this had it not  been for … Continue reading →

Zoo Station by David Downing 2007 / 304 pages read by Simon Prebble 10h. 1m. rating  B / WWII spy novel I am so ready for a straightforward crime/spy novel.  This choice is thanks to 4_Mystery_Addicts reading group. Between Kristallnacht  in late 1938 and … Continue reading →

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton 2013/848 pages rating  9.5 / literary and historical The setting for this marvelous,  page-turner (kept me up very late last night)  is  Hokitika, New Zealand circa 1866, during the gold rush there.  The first Part,  about … Continue reading →

Sanctuary by William Faulkner 1931/ 315 pages rating:  7.5 / classic This is one of Faulkner’s lesser known works and with good reason, imo.   He said himself it was a “pot-boiler” and written only for the money.   That … Continue reading →

Civilization: The West and the Rest by Niall Ferguson (Brit) 2011 / 432 pages Rating:   8.5 /  Socio-Economic History Very interesting book – I’ve thought some of these things but I don’t think I’ve ever read them – not … Continue reading →

Pilgrim’s Wilderness: A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier by Tom Kizzia 2013 / 336 pages read by Fred Sanders 10h 15m rating:  A / true crime When I saw this book mentioned on Amazon’s  “Best … Continue reading →

The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Alexander McCall Smith (The #1 Ladies Detective Agency series #14) 2013/256 pages read by Lisette Lecat  9h 43m Rating:  A / VERY cozy crime (guilty pleasure) I’ve followed this series from the time when book #1 came out … Continue reading →

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (Italian) translated by Ann Goldstein 2012/ 336 pages rating:  9.5 /21st cent lit At the age of 65, Lila Cerullo,  the best friend of Elena Greco who is the 1st person protagonist,  is missing. … Continue reading →

Norwegian by Night x2 by Derek B. Miller Read by Sean Mangan 10h. 36m. 2013 / 306 pages Rating:  A- / literary crime I used to never listen to a book twice but this time I kind of had to … Continue reading →

Sycamore Row by John Grisham 2013/464 pages read by Michael Beck rating  A+ /  legal thriller Grisham is back!   For awhile there it looked like he’d permanently changed his genre but with the last book,   The Racketeer,  and … Continue reading →

The Moor’s Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie  (India/Britain) 1995 / 434 pages rating 7 / 20th c. fiction Okay,  so I’m a Rushdie fan since Midnight’s Children and totally fell in love with The Satanic Verses (the first book I ever read twice in … Continue reading →

Turtle Diary by Russell Hoban  (American ex-pat) 1975 / 185 pages Rating  9.2  /20th cent. fiction Odd rating,  I know,  but I wanted it to make the 9+ category.  It’s that good,  but still,  not more than that.  It’s a … Continue reading →

A Glass of Blessings by Barbara Pym (England) 1958 / 246 pages Rating:  8 /classic I discovered Barbara Pym several years ago but have not even nearly got all of her books read.    Pym was very popular in the … Continue reading →