Book Reviews! Come be a Critic!

LivinLuxuriously

Surprisingly Content
May 14, 2006
2,702
9
Tell us what you're reading/have read recently, and give us your reviews!

Currently I'm reading She's Come Undone, by Wally Lamb and Sushi for Beginners, by Marian Keyes simultaneously. I'm further along in Sushi, as I just received She's Come Undone 2 days ago, but am already into it. Sushi starts off slow but gets better. It's a cute loose read. She's Come Undone is more intense - I'm only in the first quarter of the book though, so I'll keep ya posted ;) - I'd be interested in hearing other's reviews on these two books, if you've read/are reading them as well - but don't give anything away!!
 
I picked up "Atonement" at the airport because the movie has been getting so much hype. I wanted to read the book before the movie (since the movie is rarely as good as the book) but I dunno, it's been slow for me...at this rate I might just have to watch the movie! Anyone else reading this?
 
Tell us what you're reading/have read recently, and give us your reviews!

Currently I'm reading She's Come Undone, by Wally Lamb and Sushi for Beginners, by Marian Keyes simultaneously. I'm further along in Sushi, as I just received She's Come Undone 2 days ago, but am already into it. Sushi starts off slow but gets better. It's a cute loose read. She's Come Undone is more intense - I'm only in the first quarter of the book though, so I'll keep ya posted ;) - I'd be interested in hearing other's reviews on these two books, if you've read/are reading them as well - but don't give anything away!!

She's Come Undone is a great book. I thought it was sad, uplifting (sounds cheesy, but yes) w/ good character development all at the same time. I really enjoyed it and cried some during it.

I LOVE Marian Keyes. She is a great writer and has a lot of fun quick reads. She is so varied- some books are laugh out loud funny, others have me crying (Last Chance Saloon- has some sad moments and I got kind of attached to some characters), some have serious problems but still manage to be funny (Rachel's Holiday) and others are just silliness to me, along the lines of Nora Roberts. I always enjoy Marian Keyes though. I have a thing for Irish and English chick lit writers.
 
I'm reading the journals of Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., a historian who died earlier this year at 89. It's an abridged version of the over 6,000 pages of journals he kept from 1952-2000. He was involved in numerous presidential campaigns, and worked in the Kennedy administration.

Right now I'm in the year 1960, right before the presidential election. So far it's great - an intimate look at history and the inner workings of Washington and presidential campaigns.
 
She's Come Undone is a great book. I thought it was sad, uplifting (sounds cheesy, but yes) w/ good character development all at the same time. I really enjoyed it and cried some during it.

I LOVE Marian Keyes. She is a great writer and has a lot of fun quick reads. She is so varied- some books are laugh out loud funny, others have me crying (Last Chance Saloon- has some sad moments and I got kind of attached to some characters), some have serious problems but still manage to be funny (Rachel's Holiday) and others are just silliness to me, along the lines of Nora Roberts. I always enjoy Marian Keyes though. I have a thing for Irish and English chick lit writers.

The first book I read by her was "Rachel's Holiday" - which was interestingly written... I'd heard so many great things about her - but this book kinda fell flat at points. It had a good, interesting premise - but something was lacking. I decided to give her another try, and am now reading, as I wrote above, Sushi for Beginners, which I like so far. On the suggestion of other chick-lit lovers I also ordered her "Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married" and another book I believe (can't remember, it was before Christmas - it's all a blur now! :lol:) - which had much better reviews
 
I picked up "Atonement" at the airport because the movie has been getting so much hype. I wanted to read the book before the movie (since the movie is rarely as good as the book) but I dunno, it's been slow for me...at this rate I might just have to watch the movie! Anyone else reading this?

I saw the film first, and then decided I wanted to read the book but for me, the book is slow and not gripping at all. I like the movie much more, which is rare for me; i usually prefer the book.
 
I LOVE Marian Keyes. She is a great writer and has a lot of fun quick reads. She is so varied- some books are laugh out loud funny, others have me crying (Last Chance Saloon- has some sad moments and I got kind of attached to some characters), some have serious problems but still manage to be funny (Rachel's Holiday) and others are just silliness to me, along the lines of Nora Roberts. I always enjoy Marian Keyes though. I have a thing for Irish and English chick lit writers.

I also love Marian Keyes. I have all her books, and I think they're great stories for relaxing, though she does deal with some important issues :yes: I'd recommend any of her books to anyone!!

Another author I love is Jodi Picoult. I first read My Sister's Keeper by hers, and never have I cried at a book before. Great story line, and BIG unexpected twist at the end. I have now read more of hers - The Pact, Vanishing Acts, Salem Falls, Plain Truth and am currently reading Mercy. I would also recommend her books to people as well.
 
^ I love Jodi Picoult! I cried like a baby after reading My Sister's Keeper. The first Picoult book I read was Plain Truth, another tearjerker. I recently read Nineteen Minutes, which was also good. She has a knack for writing such great stories about sensitive and controversial family issues.
 
I just read "Haunted" by James Herbert. I absolutely love it. I've seen the movie AFTER reading the book, and the movie wasn't nearly as good as the book. I feel a lot of good (and scary) stuff had been left out so that the movie was more of a love story than a horror story.
 
^ I love Jodi Picoult! I cried like a baby after reading My Sister's Keeper. The first Picoult book I read was Plain Truth, another tearjerker. I recently read Nineteen Minutes, which was also good. She has a knack for writing such great stories about sensitive and controversial family issues.

I balled like a baby when I read My Sister's Keeper. Loved it. It was my first Jodi Picoult book. Definitely not my last.

I am not really reading anything of value currently, but I will follow this thread for ideas.
 
I picked up "Atonement" at the airport because the movie has been getting so much hype. I wanted to read the book before the movie (since the movie is rarely as good as the book) but I dunno, it's been slow for me...at this rate I might just have to watch the movie! Anyone else reading this?


I read Atonement like 4 years ago, and I have very little memory of the book. I remember the bare bones of the book, but nothing else. That's super rare for me so I'm guessing that I didn't really like it.

I'm currently reading Eat, Pray, Love and it's very good so far (I'm only about 90 pages in). It's making me want to move to Italy!
 
I'm not reading anything right now, but have a bunch of fun paperbacks I just received for my birthday and Christmas- w/i days of one another. Kind of embarrassing :shame:, but I like to veg out w/ Nora Roberts, esp. her books that come in series. I can finish one in an afternoon and it is just complete fluff.

Also, I have read the Historian by Elizabeth Kostova about 4 times. I liked it a lot, obviously. I am a total history nerd :yes:(as in watching the History Channel and historical documentaries and other things of that nature on A & E) and I tend to like supernatural things, so it was up my alley. They are making a movie, I read and I am excited for that!
 
Tell us what you're reading/have read recently, and give us your reviews!

Currently I'm reading She's Come Undone, by Wally Lamb and Sushi for Beginners, by Marian Keyes simultaneously. I'm further along in Sushi, as I just received She's Come Undone 2 days ago, but am already into it. Sushi starts off slow but gets better. It's a cute loose read. She's Come Undone is more intense - I'm only in the first quarter of the book though, so I'll keep ya posted ;) - I'd be interested in hearing other's reviews on these two books, if you've read/are reading them as well - but don't give anything away!!


Haven't read sushi but i've read she's come undone. I loved it. I read it a while ago so the details are sketchy (one too many martini's, perhaps?) but basically I remember the story to be very intriguing, and at times, sad.
It prompted me to by Wally Lamb's other book, I know this much is true which I've started to read and is equally fabulous.