Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:25:17 -0400 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/Article2219.html Will You Love Me Tomorrow is an easy, fast paced read, full of funny twists and pithy insights. There’s a musical spring to Gillan’s style that belies the seriousness of his topics, covering a broad range of topics including the impact of depression and death on friendship, love, how we move on past tragedy, the music industry, art versus public relations, and family jealousy. Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:25:17 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2218.html All in all, despite any questions about her methodology, Humbert ‘s account of her wartime experience is a remarkable book, a testament to at least one woman’s ability to maintain her humanity when inhumanity is all around her. Sat, 13 Jun 2009 01:29:33 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2207.html Nearly every line in this novel is taut, and wrought with tender nerve-ending sensation that it’s impossible not to feel along with the characters. The power of the novel isn’t only in the stormy waves that Pikelet risks his life on. It’s in the quiet musings that take place between the Didgeridoo and the Ambulance rides later: the fear, greater than any wave, that life is just an inhalation and exhalation of breath and nothing more. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:30:06 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2205.html Shreve has the uncanny ability to capture the delicacy of the human experience. Many of her novels focus on how a decision made in a split second can alter the course of people’s lives forever. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:04:21 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2201.html The novel grabs readers’ attention with George’s daughter Carolyn’s tragic suicide in the opening chapter and the storyline is just interesting enough to hold your attention to put the pieces of the town (and family)’s secret together. Fri, 29 May 2009 20:31:49 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2196.html Despite disappointments and knockbacks, Billy follows his bliss and, eventually, finds a way to eke out a living and make good money by writing and drawing comics. For this ain't just any old dream, people, it's the American Dream. Sun, 24 May 2009 22:26:52 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2192.html The intriguing cover shows clearly the two levels in which the story takes places—the everyday necessities of life and the inner quest of who Daniella really is inside. I really appreciated the quick pace of the story, kooky characters and the continual revelations that occur throughout. Mon, 18 May 2009 18:08:16 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2189.html In general, the reader expects a bit more introspection and self analysis from someone with de Beauvoir’s reputation. It is not really until the very end that there is anything that comes up to these expectations: “I have become conscious again of my individuality and of the metaphysical being that is opposed to this historical infinity where Hegel optimistically dilutes all things. Thu, 14 May 2009 18:10:04 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2188.html Why should one read The Big Sleep today? Well, first there is the story: it is a thrilling ride. Then there is the quality of Chandler’s prose, his much vaunted style, which still impresses (though its downbeat and bathetic vibe is occasionally imitative of Hemingway). Thu, 14 May 2009 18:02:28 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2187.html Alan Bennett is the master of the monologue, pondering a range of social issues with a deftness that few other playwrights could match. This powerful collection features some of Bennett’s most famous monologues, performed superbly by actors that clearly have a deep understanding of the work. The combination of character development, a great eye for the minutiae of everyday life, and a theatrical sense of the absurd and tragic inherent in that life makes this an excellent piece of work. Tue, 12 May 2009 18:23:43 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2179.html If this book makes even a small chip in the notion that a standardized test score is the best indicator of intelligence, it will have been worth Robinson and Aronica’s investment of time. For those of us reading it, it could do much more. It could open our eyes about the great diversity of unique capability that we all have and help us to think in much broader terms about ourselves, our children, our colleagues, and indeed our world. Mon, 11 May 2009 03:54:22 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2178.html For this reader, the power of this book is in the recognition and identification of the meaning of these objects of the dead. It is a reasonably accessible book, without too much jargon, and enough quotations from her interviewees to ground it in everyday language. It’s not a popular guide for the bereaved by any means, but an intelligent and moving exploration of grief and memory, with references to philosophy, film and literature. Sun, 10 May 2009 23:52:36 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2176.html This is a novel full of grace, and it has many charms, quiet though they might be, for the reader. The depictions of both city and country France are rich and tender. So too, as Halligan fans would expect, are the sensual descriptions that fill this book, from Fanny and Gérard's love scenes, to the delicious pastries, chocolates, and regional dishes that the characters eat. Valley of Grace is a delightful genre-transcending book full of joy and sorrow. Sun, 10 May 2009 21:55:18 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2168.html It’s small enough to fit in your handbag, and a good solid construction that should take the reader through the early stage trips, to the final move, and beyond to settling in. This is a fun, easy to use, and inexpensive guide which could save you lots of costly and painful errors and mistakes. If you’re planning a trip abroad, it would certainly pay to take advantage of the considerable knowledge of the ‘moving abroad queen’ Lorraine Mace. Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:36:37 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2163.html Overall, I find that all three stories are intriguing and shocking, but will appeal to the open-minded mainstream reader who seems to be the targeted audience. They are powerful stories, intelligently written, and the resulting book is excellent. Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:26:42 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2161.html A fun duo, famous author Mary Higgins Clark and her daughter Carol Higgins Clark is another example. From Mary Higgins Clark, I learned that writers growing up in a house where everyone is destined to write stories quickly learned to tell an interesting tale or they’d get cut off mid story. But what of the stories from people less well known? Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:08:32 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2159.html Emotion is strongly depicted. When you read “Fear”, it gets you inside, and for a moment, you sit with the poet sharing her experience. Same goes for “How the Fish Feels”. I like strong poetry where the poet has invested themselves in their poetry and sharing it with the reader. Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:33:28 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2152.html Told in first person present tense, the story unfolds slowly as Elsie works her way through the inner and outer journey that the title calls attention to. It’s not just any lemniscate, but the Lemniscate of Gerono: the infinity symbol which has a double point of origin and curves back on itself. Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:02:34 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2148.html Although the ending is given away right from the start, the shear physical blow of it still comes as a shock. Suddenly all the disjointedness in the novel, which never impedes readability or progression, is put right in an affirmative transformation that is both large and tiny in scope. The Snowing and Greening of Thomas Passmore is deeply original, powerfully moving, and hugely satisfying. Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:21:03 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2144.html There is a ring of truth and emotive power in the historical veracity of House of Meeting’s setting. Amis has done his research well, and claims that an English author can’t really write about Russia don’t do justice to the deep sense of history and personal involvement that underpin this book. But House of Meetings really isn’t meant to be a realistic picture of life in the Soviet gulag. Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:03:46 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2139.html The marsupials trekked from the tip of South America (when South America formed a part of the unified continent Gondwana) to the connected landmass that became Australia. There they became the dominant form of animal life in country that had drifted away from their original home. This is a beautiful example of “We have the fossils – you lose.” Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:17:36 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2138.html Overall, this is a sad novel which hints at the uncertainty in all of our posturing; our inability to get at the kernel of who we are; and the difficulty of moving beyond our fantasies into a sustainable reality. Nevertheless, it’s an easy read, smooth and well written, and ultimately one that will nag at the reader beyond the pages of the book. Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:44:11 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2134.html Janet Browne shows him to be not only great but huggable. She also as a side benefit gives us an extraordinarily vivid picture of England in the nineteenth century. This is a book of wide appeal and reaches easily across boundaries to celebrate a man of genius who made a major change in our lives and was modest and unassuming in ways that are touching and memorable. Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:55:49 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2133.html If The Enchantress of Florence were expertly edited, and I’m afraid that few would dare edit someone of Rushdie’s caliber to the extent required, it could have been a masterpiece. As it is, it’s an enjoyable, but convoluted novel that takes on a difficult and fascinating historical subject matter and turns it into something entirely modern. Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:06:32 -0400 http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/Article2129.html It’s a sexy collection and like talking with your lover, it conveys an interest in pleasure and at the same time an honesty that is willing to share what is most heartfelt. To me a poem is merely an intellectual exercise if it doesn’t reach in and pull out emotion in the reader; these poems succeed in this test very well. Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:04:15 -0500