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Reviews by jlp

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The Dream of Scipio
by Iain Pears

(1/21/2005)

A most unusual, and rather difficult book, but well worth the effort.

Pears, the author of An Instance of the Fingerpost, has written an historical novel, but one which takes place at three different times, with three different casts of characters: a 5th-century bishop, …more

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
by Christopher Moore

(1/21/2005)

What is the origin of the Shroud of Turin? Why do Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas? Where does the word "judo" come from? What does the "H" in "Jesus H. Christ" stand for? The answers to these, and many more questions, are revealed in this book.

Quite funny, but also …more

The Time Traveler's Wife
by Audrey Niffenegger

(1/21/2005)

What if you disappeared occasionally, to another time and place, spontaneously, randomly? What if you were married to a man to whom that happened? This is the story of Henry deTamble, who suffers from Chromo-Displacement Disorder, and his wife, Clare, who first met him when …more

Grass For His Pillow: Tales of The Otori, Book 2
by Lian Hearn

(1/21/2005)

Hearn again draws, with understanding and affection, on the world of medieval Japan for her inspiration. Though it's not quite as good as Across the Nightingale Floor, that book was so good that it really doesn't matter! The struggles Kaede and Takeo undergo to achieve …more

Across the Nightingale Floor: Tales of the Otori, Volume I
by Lian Hearn

(1/21/2005)

A beautifully written evocation of ancient Japan, its clan wars, its social structure, its arts, its religion, this book mixes straightforward fiction with a touch of magic. Adults should not let the "young adult" label deter them from the experience of reading this book.

Shadow of the Wind
by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

(1/21/2005)

The first sentence hooked me: "I still remember the day my father took me to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books for the first time."

We are in Barcelona, 1945, and 10-year-old Daniel Sampere has just chosen a book to protect, one that will have special meaning for him. It is …more

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