Thu, 24 Nov 2011 06:08:37 -0500 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/ http://www.compulsivereader.com en-us http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/images/images/books.gif http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/ maggieball@compulsivereader.com http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2949.html Frank gives readers a rare taste of what it was really like to be inside the Third Reich. Of course most of us have heard stories of Hitler’s quest for world domination, and unfortunately we’ve all heard stories about the death camps, but Frank’s novel falls somewhere in between. The story is more of what the officers endured on a regular basis. Thu, 24 Nov 2011 06:08:37 -0500 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2944.html For the Birds is a charming, engrossing story that keeps the reader guessing throughout, combining fast-paced plotting, and high quality thematics, with fun, easy to follow narration and a rich, enticing setting. It's hard to read this without being charmed by the real affection that the characters have or develop towards one another. Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:11:34 -0500 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2943.html Certainly the mystery that surrounds and motivates Jonathan Pryde and the poor 'lost souls' that inhabit his castle, drives the story rapidly towards its conclusion, but this is more than simply a story of suspense. The novel touches on some serious thematics such as the relationship between art and life, on both ethics and philosophical responsibility, and ultimately, on how we create meaning in our lives... Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:17:55 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2940.html David James does a fabulous job of bringing Becky Sharp’s story to life. She is both absolutely detestable and endearing all in the same. He pulls you into her tumultuous and humorous past. This heartbreaking past also gives insight into what has led this woman into such a selfish and irresponsible lifestyle Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:07:15 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2934.html For fans and admirers of Boris Vian, a man of myriad talents, this is a welcome publication. An elegantly produced booklet, consisting of red lettering on a marbled cream cover and art paper between, it is well worthy of its subject. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 06:48:50 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2933.html There is a sense in this story of how Russia was changing; and it is clear as well that Odoevsky approved of the change and trusted the younger generation. What’s noteworthy also, besides a fetchingly emphatic eulogy to wine, is the artistic way in which the story is told: through an assemblage of letters and conversations. Not entirely an epistolary tale, but close. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 06:39:02 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2932.html And this novel, Bloch’s most famous, encapsulates what is certainly his main theme: human beings’ capacity for violence, the inexplicable nature of evil. Bloch wrote about this with black humour, an acute grasp of abnormal psychology, a storyteller’s art. And he entertained, as all good writers do. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:45:10 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2931.html Let me come clean and admit that I didn’t quite follow the plot; indeed, in places I found it quite perplexing. But I read on because I was held by le Carre’s world, precarious and peril-ridden. He writes at one point that ‘silence, not gunfire, was the natural element of the approaching enemy’ and he uses this element too. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:42:30 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2930.html A couple of reasons for gratitude, to end. Firstly to Antony Melville for a superb translation, at once joyfully idiomatic and full of delightfully complex syntax. The second Thank You is because The Philosophers’ Madonna has been a jaunty stimulus to seek out the work, and explore the worlds, of Carlo Emilio Gadda, a writer hitherto unknown to me. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:38:56 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2929.html The blurb on the back says it all: “This is David Barnes’ first and last book.” That David ever came to be a poet is a kind of miracle in itself. He’s an unlikely candidate. A ward of the state, placed in institutions and physically and sexually abused - there was little likelihood that he would become a functioning adult, let alone a loving one who could have a happy relationship, a much-loved son a self-deprecating sense of humour – or a writing career. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:51:17 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2928.html Subjects such as your purpose in life, planning and preparing for change, living your dream, procrastination, and overcoming the author’s blues come alive under this author’s pen. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:19:33 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2927.html The author of Becoming: The Life & Musings of a Girl Poet and Unscrambled Eggs talks about her books, about being published and self-publishing, the impact that being published has had on her life, and lots more. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:12:42 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2926.html In our busy world where achivement and ticking boxes seems to take priority over everything else, the message is a critically important one, however it's delivered. Call it "ego", or fear, or self-sabotage, and talk about God, spirit, '-ing', or simply our own inner, innate capabilities. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that Bernstein's book is powerful and effective, infused with extraordinary energy and passion. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 06:47:18 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2918.html The stories read quickly, and are very easy to follow and get into, which speaks to the appeal these books have for reluctant readers. There is a good mix between action, reflection, and dialogue, and the stories are well written, with the wholesome theme of good conquering evil in a variety of forms keeping everything positive without descending into corniness. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:32:24 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2917.html John Flanagan talks about his 11th Ranger's Apprentice book, The Lost Stories, the 12th book and its potential setting, his characters, the upcoming film, his new series Brotherband, and lots more. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:01:40 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2913.html While I didn’t find myself showering with my copy of Ready Player One, I did find it an enjoyable read. However, I feel that fans of virtual gaming will get far more from this story than I did. Young adult males, in particular, will eat this up. Ready Player One is Willy Wonka with balls; it’s Total Recall meets The Matrix meets the Mario Brothers. It’s scarily familiar and horribly possible. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 05:46:19 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2911.html The best part of the artwork in Gandhi: A Manga Biography is that Kazuki Ebine creates characters that are true to life rather than being the large eyed cutesy figures of many of the Manga tales. Kazuki Ebine shows many scenes of action and pain and suffering as well as determination and the will to continue. Sun, 09 Oct 2011 02:23:40 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2909.html Even upon ending, the reader unfamiliar with DF Lewis’ work isn’t sure whether one has reached an understanding of self or the dream or made it to reality again or whether they should perhaps start over and read once more. It is a very well wrought book that many fantasy lovers will enjoy for the statement it makes by unmaking. Sun, 09 Oct 2011 02:15:27 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2908.html Wilson and her family certainly didn’t take the easy way out. For most of us, a “major life change” would still keep us pretty close to our comfort zone. Getting a new haircut is risky for some of us. But Wilson and her family weren’t looking for easy. Her ancestral homeland wasn’t even in the more modern, populated part of Croatia—she writes that the region of Gorski Kotar, where her ancestors lived, seemed to be an area where time literally stopped a century ago. Sun, 09 Oct 2011 01:46:15 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2907.html Primarily, though, The Map of Time warns of the hazards of manipulating history; this could loosely be read as a modern commentary on the written records of history–records that now include an increasing magnitude of unreliable records located on the World Wide Web. To a lesser extent, Palma explores the familiar modern anxiety of privacy: time travel would ultimately establish ‘a world where privacy would no longer exist’ and an individual could no longer sustain control—or permanency—over their actions. Sat, 01 Oct 2011 22:10:02 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2906.html Pattillo includes enough references to important British landmarks to keep both Anglophiles and Jane Austen fans engaged in the plot. The Dashwood Sisters Tell All is a fun and intelligent nod to the great novelist, and modern-day audiences may want to read out Austen’s works to understand why she remains such an inspiration to today’s writers. Sat, 01 Oct 2011 21:58:38 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2903.html The series is most appealing because of its intellect combined with delectable humor, particularly shown through the pithy dialogue of husband and wife. Mary Russell’s voice is strong – profound, most definitely British, and delightfully independent. Her relationship with Holmes, while they dash across the globe to solve mysteries and rescue innocents, is what hooked me from the beginning, particularly its dry humor and subtle eroticism. Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:26:27 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2900.html The essays are generally perceptive and insightful, or at the very least serviceable, and they renew your memory and appreciation of those films that you have seen, while whetting your appetite for those that you’ve not yet got around to. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:45:46 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2898.html The author of the magnificent mosaic, Sourdough and Other Stories, talks about her book; about fairy tales, red hair and writing; and about much else. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:39:43 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2897.html These stories are stupendously good and offer many distinct pleasures: a strange yet superbly realised world, compelling characters and, above all, beautiful prose that has the power to move. One of those characters mentions of her lover’s failings that ‘he could not realize how all women are, in one way or another, “her kind” [i.e. a witch], even his dear departed mother.’ And that could be a coda for the book. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:28:38 -0400