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.Watchmen
City Travel Guides > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Alan Moore

April 01, 1995
Let's open by saying that if you're into comics at all, this is the first classic of the graphic novel genre, and you really need to read this book for the insights it gives into what might drive people to put on tights and fight crime, and where that choice might lead them. At the same time, this book is not for children - besides the (relatively) graphic violence and complex moral issues, there are sexual situations (no nudity, of course) that fall well beyond anything normally seen in comics. If you're a sci-fi/fantasy fan who's not really about comics, but willing to give it a chance, this review's for you.

Set in an alternate America of the 1980's, Moore paints a bleak picture of a world on the brink of nuclear holocaust, ... Read More:
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.The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
City Travel Guides > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Junot Díaz

September 02, 2008
This book was one that I couldn't put down. I have liked Junot Diaz since I read Drown but this book showed a side of him that is deeper and more intricate. I do think that it's possibly a bit difficult to understand, or maybe not as amazing if you do not know anything about Dominican culture but if you have even the slightest understanding of the culture you will be as engaged and amazed as I was with The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.
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.The Brass Verdict: A Novel
City Travel Guides > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Michael Connelly

October 14, 2008
This book was one that I couldn't put down. I have liked Junot Diaz since I read Drown but this book showed a side of him that is deeper and more intricate. I do think that it's possibly a bit difficult to understand, or maybe not as amazing if you do not know anything about Dominican culture but if you have even the slightest understanding of the culture you will be as engaged and amazed as I was with The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.
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.Anathem
City Travel Guides > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Neal Stephenson

September 09, 2008
It's interesting looking through the wide range of reviews already here for this book. It appears some readers want to be "spoon fed" and can't accept why, for instance, Stephenson would say "jeejah" instead of PDA or mobile phone. Partly because the concept is not properly captured by either term and partly because there is an explanation coming in a couple of hundred pages as to _why_ things on Arbre are _like_ Earth but not the same. It's important to the plot that we have an ongoing sense that this is "like" Earth but not "identical" to Earth. If the reader isn't able to mentally substitute "mobile communication/computing device" for "jeejah" after the first few occurrences then they shouldn't be reading speculative fiction.

Like Stephenson's ... Read More:
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.Dead to the World (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 4)
City Travel Guides > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Charlaine Harris

May 03, 2005
As I have said in my last three reviews on the previous books the only reason I putting myself through the time consuming cloud of these novels is because I love the show on HBO and don't want to wait years to find out what happens (even though the show seems like a different story at times). I was surprised though that this book was actually better then the first three. The story wasn't as choppy and Sookie seems to be acting her age and not like a baby. I am also surprised at how much I like Eric. The producers of the "True Blood" series didn't in my opinion choose the right man for the role. Here's hoping that every book in the series improves like this one did!
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.Tsar: A Thriller
City Travel Guides > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Ted Bell

September 23, 2008
The cold war is back on - Russia wants their old territories back. This new Ted Bell thriller is straight from today's headlines. Alex Hawke is back as the rich and very good looking British ex-Navy pilot whom the US and British intelligence services call on when they have a particularly tough job. As we pursue this page turner we get to visit Bermuda, Miami, Russia and a number of other locations. Of course there is a love interest for Alex - a beautiful and super rich young lady. There are other clichés I haven't mentioned but you should get the point by now. This is not great literature but it has a fairly plausible plot that is not always predictable and the narrative is well paced to keep things interesting. It is an OK summer read - an escape from the more mundane ... Read More:
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.The Other Queen: A Novel
City Travel Guides > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Philippa Gregory

September 16, 2008
The Other Queen is definitely not 'The Other Boleyn Girl" or The Queen's Fool, or The Virgin's lover. It not even The Constant Princess. It is however on the same level as The Boleyn Inheritance.

Also the Queen Mary comes off as vain, self centered, poor judge of people and manipulative. Worse, she manipulates using her beauty and charm. After some time you get put off by her constant attempts at making men do her bidding by the shear force of her pretty face and mannerisms. She made bad marriages, bad bad marriages. Except for the first one, which was arranged for her by her mother. Thanks to her association with Darnley - England had to suffer the reign of James IV and his equally ineffectual successors.

For some reason, the book and its various character ... Read More:
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.Loving Frank: A Novel
City Travel Guides > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Nancy Horan

April 08, 2008
I picked up this book two times and tried to get into it, the third time, I made myself read it. About the middle of the book, I could not put it down, fabulous read.
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.Extreme Measures: A Thriller
City Travel Guides > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Vince Flynn

October 21, 2008
I picked up this book two times and tried to get into it, the third time, I made myself read it. About the middle of the book, I could not put it down, fabulous read.
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.Home: A Novel
City Travel Guides > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Marilynne Robinson

September 02, 2008
Marilynn Robinson's novel Gilead was written in the form of a letter by the aging Rev. John Ames to his seven-year-old son, Robby. Ames knows he won't be around for the boy as he grows up and he wants to get his life on paper, for the boy to read about after he has gone to the great beyond.

John Ames is the Congregationalist minister of small town Gilead, Iowa and as he writes about his life we learn about his friend Robert Boughton, the town's Presbyterian minister. Robert is the widowed father of eight children and least you don't think he was religious, his daughters are named Faith, Hope, Grace and Glory. John Boughton, called Jack, is Robert's wayward, come home again son. He was named after the Rev. John.

The story takes place in the middle Fifties, when America ... Read More:
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