Carol G

• Rated 3 stars

“An okay book. Not really my taste, although I do love paranormal and mysteries. I guess it just got a little too "out there" for me.”

Carol G wrote this review Tuesday, November 4 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I absolutely LOVE this book! It's a great sequel, but you don't need to have read the first to enjoy it. If you have read it, you'll recognize descendants of the characters in Pillars of the Earth, which is kind of fun. Follett has done such great research and is so good at painting a picture of this time period that you really feel you are there experiencing it along with his cast of characters.

I'm hoping he has another sequel in him taking us forward a few more centuries!”

Carol G wrote this review Tuesday, November 4 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Loved it!”

Carol G wrote this review Sunday, October 5 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I really got caught up in these characters, although I often didn't understand their motives or the friendship. Still, I loved the notion of the book within the book. It does take some getting used to, however! Stick with it, though, and it's quite a read!”

Carol G wrote this review Sunday, October 5 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“What a wonderful book! I loved the sisters and town characters and can't wait to try some of the recipes included at the beginning of each chapter. I've started searching for Persian restaurants in town to sample the delicious sounding dishes. I loved the Zoroastrianism concepts of garm and sard, opposites that need to be in balance for a healthy, happy life. This book perfectly illustrates that idea.”

Carol G wrote this review Thursday, September 4 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 1 stars

“Disappointing. Maybe I was lucky, but this just re-states what my parents taught me. I'd hoped for deeper insights.”

Carol G wrote this review Tuesday, August 19 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Another great read from Ruth Reichl! Her descriptions of food leave you salivating; this one includes recipes that look do-able for an average cook like me. I envy the clarity with which she recalls incidents of her life. What a treasure! I can't wait to read her next book.”

Carol G wrote this review Tuesday, August 19 2008. ( reply | permalink )

0 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 2 stars

“I have to say that although I hated this book, it does linger in my mind, raising serious questions worthy of thought.

Although it is quite a slender volume, I had a hard time reading it, not because it is difficult reading, but because I dreaded picking it up. I could find no character to admire, to "root for" or even mildly like. I found Miss Brodie herself horrifying. As a teacher myself, her practice of singling out a select group of her "girls" to favor appalled me, especially as her goal was not to improve them as individuals, but to establish a coterie of admirers.

Given that, I can see the themes Spark addresses, but I don't like the style she uses. Her shattering of the timeline is interesting, but she keeps us too distant from the characters for my tastes. Everything feels as if it is seen from a distance. Nick Carraway, in the Great Gatsby, tells his story from a similar distance in time and place, but we are still brought up close to the characters with vivid details of their world and lives. Spark keeps us an arm's length (or more) away. ”

Carol G wrote this review Friday, July 11 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Loved it!”

Carol G wrote this review Friday, June 27 2008. ( reply | permalink )

0 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 2 stars

“Well written, but a little disappointing to me. I much prefer Ender's Game and the sequels. I kept waiting for something more to happen. A little too much focus on Mormonism for my tastes too.”

Carol G wrote this review Friday, June 27 2008. ( reply | permalink )