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Reviews by Marganna K. (Edmonds, WA)

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Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free
by Héctor Tobar

Book Club Worthy (2/10/2016)

I enjoyed this book totally. Well written, and although I knew the outcome the author kept me engaged with the story & the people involved. I saw Hector Tobar speak in Seattle - he has a twinkle in his eyes & a smile that would endear him to all he spent time with …more

Trust No One: A Thriller
by Paul Cleave

NOT a "cannot put down book" (6/25/2015)

A better description would be: I could barely make myself pick this book up. I've read many wonderful mystery, thriller, gentle & harsh & everything in between "mystery" books. This ranks up in the "worse book I've ever finished" - only finished it because I said I' …more

A Good Hard Look: A Novel
by Ann Napolitano

Too Simple - (5/22/2011)

I cannot give this book more than a "2 - poor". The writing style is very simple - short sentences: subject - verb; subject - verb. The characters are, at best, two dimensional. Many triangles of sad, unhappy, unfulfilled folks. I have not read Flannery O'Connor's works, …more

Your Republic Is Calling You
by Young-ha Kim

By Page 12... (7/31/2010)

I knew this was not going to be a book I'd enjoy and I was so correct. Page 12: "The frightened horses dwarf the drivers in their cars, who instinctively shrink away when the horses leap by, their large penises jiggling at eye level." Frightened horses do not leap with …more

Beautiful Assassin: A Novel
by Michael C. White

Simple & Predictable (3/9/2010)

What spy would let a reporter drop in on her in her old age and readily tell her story of being a deadly sniper, a spy and a defector to this complete stranger? That's what I'm asked to believe in the first pages of Tat'yana's story. OK, I said, I'll go along with this but …more

Heresy
by S.J. Parris

Heresy - a Good, Solid Read (12/20/2009)

I enjoyed this book - the story line is strong; the characters are well developed and I cared what happened to them. It was suspenseful until the end. Good news bad news: Good: In addition to being an enjoyable book, I learned considerable information about the period of …more

Serena: A Novel
by Ron Rash

Serena: Not Believeable (9/26/2009)

The story is well written, but shallow with a story line that is predictable, not believable and slow. Ron Rash, author, is skilled in language use, description of time and place and weaves interesting history into a shallow story. The first 100 or so pages just didn't seem …more

The Air Between Us
by Deborah Johnson

I've Been There (2/26/2009)

I enjoyed this book - it held my attention and I can identity with the situation. I grew up in Texas long before integration so the book did seem believable. What is unbelievable is how things were in the South during my early years. I have memories of discrimination that I …more

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson

Didn't Pass the Test (1/9/2009)

I love a long book rich in characters, challenging plot and layered with ideas, so I had great hope for this book. I was very enthusiastic for 1/2 of it thinking, AT LAST, a good book! However, it began to go downhill for me and continued on that path until the end.

Stieg …more

A Golden Age
by Tahmima Anam

A Golden Age: Tahmima Anam (1/9/2009)

From the first sentence I knew this story was going to capture my attention. Since I have very little knowledge of this part of the world, culture and the struggles of the people, the story kindled a desire to learn more history of Bangladesh, the War for Independence and …more

Killer Heat
by Linda Fairstein

Killer Heat (3/24/2008)

I finished Killer Heat with more enthusiasm than my slogging through the middle. Overall I was disappointed with the book and thought the characters were very flat & 2-dimensional. About 1/2 way into the story I realized I didn't have feelings for the people in the …more

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Book Jacket — Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus

Praised by *Parade* and *The New York Times Book Review*, this debut features a 1960s scientist turned TV cooking star.

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