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Nicole R

Nicole R

has 182 followers and is following 88 people

I am a graduate student in biology and LOVE to read in my spare time! Unfortunately, my shelf is not very representative of all of the books I have read. I thought that going back and adding all of the books I have ever read was a little unrealistic so all the books on my shelf with a review are ones I have read since joining shelfari; the... more »
  • Washington, DC, USA
  • member since May 12, 2008

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 317 reviews
  • A Clash of Kings
    • Rated 4 stars

    The Seven Kingdoms are fractured.
    Allegiances are made and broken.
    Lies and deception are second nature.
    Death is around every corner.
    And, amidst it all, kings clash for a seat in the Iron Throne.

    I could not put this book down. Well, after I got past page 200, I could not put this book down. The first several hundred pages were great! Thoroughly enjoyable, but easy to put aside each night when I went to bed. And then, the story reached out and grabbed me and the next thing I knew, I had read over 400 pages on a Saturday! (A Saturday I should have spent working, by the way). I never knew what was coming next - the lies and deceptions are so elaborate and well-thought out that I found myself gasping aloud when some of them were revealed. This is more than just an epic fantasy novel...it is medieval politics at it's best!

    I still think there are too many characters! I cannot keep them all straight. I have the main ones down and even some of the major minor characters, but everyone else I just assume will die soon in a bloodbath and the time I spent remembering their geneology and allegiance will all have been for nothing. So, I am sacrificing fully understanding the true brilliance of Martin in order to read at a breakneck speed because this book is like my own personal brand of heroin (Edward Cullen, eat your heart out. Bella has nothing on Jon Snow).

    Will I be reading the next installment? YES! However, I need to take a small break to work in other books that are waiting. Plus, I need a break from reading about Sansa....she drives me insane and is banal. However, I know that I will be dying to know what is happening to Jon Snow and Tryion....

    Nicole R wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray
    • Rated 2 stars

    The concept of this book is fantastic! A beautiful yet naive young Dorian Gray poses for a portrait and silently laments that the picture captures his outer beauty but will forever be a juxtaposition to his inevitable aging. Oh, if only the picture could age and leave his appearance in tact and all of the luxuries being young, rich, and attractive afford! Be careful what you wish for...especially when the picture doesn't just age, but reflects your moraless decisions and innermost desires.

    In theory, the book is a great. I loved the moral implications. I enjoyed that the hidden picture almost gave Dorian a license to commit sins. The ending was brilliant. Given that this was written in 1895, it was easy to read but did contain lots of flowery self- and societal- reflections which I often got bogged down in. Overall though, I would probably have rated this a 3.5 or 4 stars.

    So, what was my problem? you may ask. My problem was this: I didn't want to read it. I had trouble finding something I really wanted to read for the Ireland tag, Dorian Gray has been on my shelf for years, so it was the least of several evils. However, every time I picked this book up I was simply angry that I wasn't reading something I enjoyed more. Also, I have been extremely busy with work/dissertation writing - both of which happen to be very intense and cerebral activities - which is never the time to pick up anything that isn't light and quick.

    And this, my friends, is why I do not plan my reads in advance. I HATE reading things I am not in the mood for and then my rating is unnecessarily harsh. I have a whole stack of contemporary fiction piled up by my bed and I am going to happily dive into one of those now.

    Nicole R wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Will Grayson, Will Grayson
    • Rated 4 stars

    LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! This was a John Hughes inspired, teenage coming of age story with a touch of Broadway musical. What else could I possibly ask for?!?

    Told from the alternating perspectives of Will Grayson and....Will Grayson. We follow one 17 year old boy as he struggles with his attention snagging gay best friend Tiny, the attractive yet unattainable Jane, and his own quest to remain emotionally disengaged from everything around him. The other 17 year old Will is coming to terms with being gay, attempting to live his life in the midst of depression, and overcoming a harsh deception. The two Will Grayson serendipitously meet and - with the help of the flamboyant and utterly adorable Tiny - change each others lives.

    I generally enjoy teen fiction. However, I was surprised at how much I loved this despite the male lead characters, lack of vampires, and tackling of the difficult issues that face teenagers today. It was heartwarming, engaging, and totally sappy and cliche in a Pretty In Pink/Breakfast Club kind of way.

    I am withholding one star because of my shock at some of the language (the F bomb was dropped often) and the blunt 17 year old male view of sex that I didn't stumble onto until I was around 23! However, this is most likely due to my complete naivety! lol.

    Overall, a great coming of age story if you can overlook some of the language. Plus, I listened to this on audio and it only enriched the experience (says the girl who never listens to audiobooks). Thanks, Nicole D, for the recommendation!! Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
    4 stars + ♥

    LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! This was a John Hughes inspired, teenage coming of age story with a touch of Broadway musical. What else could I possibly ask for?!?

    Told from the alternating perspectives of Will Grayson and....Will Grayson. We follow one 17 year old boy as he struggles with his attention snagging gay best friend Tiny, the attractive yet unattainable Jane, and his own quest to remain emotionally disengaged from everything around him. The other 17 year old Will is coming to terms with being gay, attempting to live his life in the midst of depression, and overcoming a harsh deception. The two Will Grayson serendipitously meet and - with the help of the flamboyant and utterly adorable Tiny - change each others lives.

    I generally enjoy teen fiction. However, I was surprised at how much I loved this despite the male lead characters, lack of vampires, and tackling of the difficult issues that face teenagers today. It was heartwarming, engaging, and totally sappy and cliche in a Pretty In Pink/Breakfast Club kind of way.

    I am withholding one star because of my shock at some of the language (the F bomb was dropped often) and the blunt 17 year old male view of sex that I didn't stumble onto until I was around 23! However, this is most likely due to my complete naivety! lol.

    Overall, a great coming of age story if you can overlook some of the language. Plus, I listened to this on audio and it only enriched the experience (says the girl who never listens to audiobooks). Thanks, Nicole D, for the recommendation!!

    Nicole R wrote this review Saturday, January 14, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Doc
    • Rated 5 stars

    Doc J.H. Holliday is an iconic western character: quick draw with a gun, cunning at cards, Southern charm, a slow deliberate manner, dentist and oral surgeon, and loyal friend to the Earp's....and the victim of painful tuberculosis, so he was battling death while staying true to himself.

    Most everyone is familiar with the story of O.K. Corral and the ensuing killings by Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. However, little is known of the mysterious beginnings of Doc. This historical fiction account fills in the gaps between the facts to tell the story of Doc - raised in Georgia during the Civil War, moved north to attend dental school, driven West in search of drier weather to ease his tuberculosis symptoms, settled in Dodge City Kansas with the prostitute and his long term companion Kate, eventual friend of Morgan and Wyatt Earp, and Southern gentleman to a fault.

    I greatly enjoyed reading this new take on a classic Western. The infallible Wyatt Earp, the likable Morgan Earp, and the endearing Doc Holliday were brought to life against the backdrop of the wild west. The story completely pulled me in and I love how Russell interwove it with colorful descriptions of the main characters. My main complaint with the book is that it ended too soon! I would have loved to continue following Doc to Tombstone and on through the Earp vendetta killings!

    Overall, I wonderfully written book that brought new life to the old west.

    Nicole R wrote this review Saturday, January 14, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Rules of Civility
    • Rated 5 stars

    This was an engrossing and realistic look at one year in Kate's life - a year at the end of the Depression, on the cusp of World War II, in a time when New York was the mecca for young women who wanted to be successful...or at least cohort with the rich and aimless.

    Rules of Civility follows the life of Kate during the year of 1938. On December 31, 1937, she and her friend Eve find themselves at a club, hoping to find a man who will buy them a few drinks and maybe even a meal. Enter Tinker. Tinker is rich, befriends the girls, and eventually drives them apart. A host of interesting characters enter and leave Kate's life and she moves up the career and social ladders. Each of the people impact her life in a different manner and some are easier to forget than others.

    This was a wonderfully written and descriptive story! I could see the shabbily glamorous dresses that aspired to be more than they really were, hear the swinging jazz music that permeated the smoke and gin soaked bars, and feel the wistfulness when remembering your past loves.

    Towles not only created multi-faceted and intriguing characters, but also set them against the descriptive back-drop of New York City at a time when the city seemed untarnished - a place where anyone could go to re-invent themselves - and yet everyone was scrambling to reach the top using whatever method available. I enjoyed the interweaving of actual events (Pasteurized won the Belmont Stakes, thousands of people were captivated by the dramatic suicide of John William Warde, etc.) that lended an air of realism.

    An excellent book to read at the beginning of a new year and, if I would have gotten it just a few days earlier, would have definitely make my top 10 list for 2011!

    Nicole R wrote this review Monday, January 2, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Lathe of Heaven
    • Rated 4 stars

    The first half of this short book blew my mind! Then, at roughly page 100, it took a nose dive.

    George Orr lives in a dystopian Portland, Oregon. The world population is at 7 billion, the world is on the brink of nuclear war, water is scarce, food is scarcer, and the most extreme scenarios of global climate change have proven true. But, these pale in comparison to George's primary concern: his dreams alter reality. And he is the only one who can remember how things had been before. Everyone else only remembers the new reality and have new memories of how their life has always been. George seeks voluntary therapy and is assigned to Dr. Haber, but when the Doctor starts manipulating the dreams there are unexpected consequences and George knows he must get out.

    Slight spoilers ahead
    As I said, the first part of this book was amazing! I thought Le Guin did a masterful job of making subtle changes to reality so that as you read you felt like there was a new detail but perhaps couldn't quite put your finger on it - much like how I envisioned the non-George people of the story felt when their realities shifted.

    I also relished in attempting to wrap my brain around the thought that George was not the only person who could alter reality with his dreams. Because the dreamer is the only person who remembers both sets of realities and only the new reality remains for everyone else, George would have no idea if someone else was out there altering the things that George himself just dreamt! And, then I started thinking about something like that in my life: what if 5 minutes ago I lived in Missouri and was a teacher, but the 5 minutes before that I was homeless on the streets of LA, but all I can remember is my life now as a graduate student working for a Senator. MIND. BLOWING.

    Then, the author had me wondering if George was really more Inception/Fight Club-like, living in reality but having such strong dreams that he believed them to be true but really they weren't. I truly thought for a while that the story would possibly go in that direction but was okay when it didn't.

    Oh, and did I mention this book was written in the early 70's?!? The environmental aspects were eerily spot on from 40 years out, and, before looking, I couldn't have told you if it was written in the 70's, 90's, or just this year. That also added to my enjoyment of the story.

    And then....enter the aliens. Seriously?!? Granted, I am NOT a sci-fi fan. Aliens, intergalactic battles, and humans living on other planets do not do it for me. At all. So, when this aspect was introduced - even thought it was introduced in a fascinating manner - I instantly became disenchanted. The second part of the book seemed to spiral out of control as the author struggled to deal with these rogue characters she introduced that didn't really fit. I wish she would have simply stuck to the reality altering dreams, the evil scientist, and the main overall moral of the story sans the aliens.

    End Spoilers

    So, the first half of the book earned 5 stars, the second half earned 3, and I also figured in the negative aspect of some long-winded speeches by Dr. Haber (which I think is a cop-out by the author for relaying information to a reader) and my positive view of the over-arching theme and moral of the story plus a small heart-felt twist at the end landed this book solidly in the mid 3 star range. However, it is a book that I will be recommending with caveats to friends I know like sci-fi!

    Nicole R wrote this review Friday, December 23, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Chesapeake Blue
    • Rated 3 stars

    I always tell people that I never reread books. I'm starting to realize that is a lie. While I do not reread often I do like to revisit some books, especially when they are written by my favorite author and I've read everything she has written! It has been almost 10 years since I last read of the Quinn Brothers, but this has always been my favorite trilogy.

    Cam, Ethan, and Philip Quinn are all called home to their fathers unexpected deathbed, and find a surprise: a ten year old boy named Seth who their father was in the process of adopting. While the adoption is not that big of a surprise - The Mighty Quinn adopted all of his sons, saving them from hard lives and surefire destruction - but there seems to be more to Seth than meets the eye. Against the backdrop of a small working water town on Maryland's Eastern Shore, the brothers soon realize that his adoption involves speculation of scandal, a hard mother that will not go away, and they must band together to protect their newest family member.

    The first three books are the original trilogy and tell the story of Cam, Ethan, and Phil adjusting to, accepting, and coming to love Seth as they fight to keep him safe. Obviously, there are some attractive women involved as well: Anna, Seth's caseworker, is the perfect blend of Italian temper and soothing logic for the fast-paced Cam; Grace and Ethan have known each other almost their whole lives, but it takes the shared interest in Seth's safety to convince these two shy and cautious individuals to move a little faster; and Sybil has a secret that almost ruins her relationship with Phil, but in the end she makes them a true family. The forth books is about Seth almost 20 years later. His past is still haunting him but the sophisticated Dru is the perfect person to give him the courage to hope for a new life.

    I truly adore these books. The characters are wonderfully done: the interaction and love between the adopted brothers melts my heart. They razz each other, occasionally get into fights, are not overly emotional, but when push comes to shove they are all Quinns, and if you mess with one Quinn you mess with them all. The women are smart, strong, and equally loving. I did rate the first two books just a bit higher because I like the relationships of the main characters so much more...mainly because the two women are my favorite :)

    Overall, quick, enjoyable reads, and a welcome visit to old friends.

    Nicole R wrote this review Tuesday, December 20, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Interlude In Death
    • Rated 4 stars

    Eve Dallas and her delicious husband Roarke once again face disorder and flagrant disconern for the law, this time in comes while they are attending an off-planet police conference that is being held at - wait for it - a snazzy resort that Roarke owns. The series of murders set up Roarke to take the fall, and Eve with him, in a case that hinges on the sins of the father.

    Normally, I find these brief anthology contributions to the In Death series to be too brief and lacking in depth, however, this one was exactly what I needed! I thought the storyline was fairly intricate for less than 100 pages, I liked the underpinings to the criminal motivation, and I particularly liked the character of Chief Darcia Angelo - a character I hope we get to see again.

    The rosy glow of this book was probably enhanced by my long absence from this series, but it reminded me (yet again) why I love these books. I will probably get to the next installment later this month :)

    Nicole R wrote this review Tuesday, December 13, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Cookbook Collector
    1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
    • Rated 3 stars

    Let me tell you what this book is not about: a cookbook collector. It's not even really about food. I think my rating would have been higher if I would have been better prepared for the lack of relevance of the title.

    Sisters (that should have been the title of this book), Jess and Emily Bach are sisters who are extremely different: Emily is the highly successful CEO of a technology company while Jess is pursuing a PhD at Berkeley and moonlighting as an environmental activist. This is a comparison of 1) how they deal with the death of their mother from their childhood, 2) their respective love lives, and 3) how they generally live their lives. Honestly, there was a small part of a cookbook collector but I wanted WAY more about that aspect; plus, I felt like there was this whole subplot about religion and hasidic Jews that was completely under-developed.

    Ultimately, I truly enjoyed Goodman's style of writing, and I didn't dislike the book, per se. I was just very uninvested in the storyline for the majority of the book and felt like it was utterly predictable that I found myself passively reading. The ending got much better but it was too little too late to save it from a mediocre rating.

    Nicole R wrote this review Sunday, December 11, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Falling Together
    • Rated 4 stars

    Falling Together was not up to the same level as de los Santos's first two books, but I just find her writing so darn readable!

    Three college best friends - Pen, Will, and Cat - contentiously went their separate ways after graduation. They made a pact to cut all ties, never look each other up, and that a clean and permanent break was best for everyone. However, when Cat sends Will and Pen cryptic emails just days before their ten year college reunion, imploring them to come because she needs them, they find themselves reanalyzing their pasts, and starting on a journey in the present that will forever change their futures.

    There were many flaws with this book, especially when compared to When Love Walked In and Belong To Me. Namely, the Dawson's Creek-esque dialogue, the abrupt decisions to take cross-world trips, and a quick fight-and-make-up start to a relationship.

    However, I love de los Santos's characters. They have complicated pasts, interesting families, and handle decisions in realistic ways. On top of that, she has a way of writing that pulls me into the story and keeps me interested in what is going to happen next. While I was interested in the relationships among Pen, Will, and Cat, I was absolutely enthralled by the relationships between Pen, her mother, her brother, her daughter, and her baby daddy. Her dad's story surprised me a bit (who thought her dad died in a bike accident?!?), and the overseas parts were a little cheesy, but that didn't detract too much from my overall enjoyment.

    Overall, I would not recommend this over de los Santos's books, but it was an enjoyable distraction on a highly unenjoyable flight.

    Nicole R wrote this review Sunday, December 11, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
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Displaying 1-10 of 317 reviews