I was so excited to read the newest Christopher Moore. I have read almost all of his books and found them to be laugh-out-loud funny. Not so with this book. It was certainly amusing, but not what I expected from Moore. It was, however a very original story about real artists in a very unreal situation. I would recommend it for the story and the illustrations of beautiful paintings.

I seldom read non-fiction, because I have the impression that it is tedious. When I started reading this book, I was sure my impression was correct. However, in later chapters, I became both fascinated and appalled by the account of the hardships Jeanne endured to be able to pursue her passion. Like other reviewers, I wish more material existed that would give more insight into Jeanne Baret. I would have liked to know more about how she felt about her experiences. She was such a brave and strong woman, and she deserves to be recognized.

As much as I wanted to like this book, I really did not. The language was hard to understand unless without being an expert in opera. The plot was very slow, and the characters were unlikable and flat. I did finish the book, but would not recommend it to anyone who is not intimately acquainted with the nuances of music, particularly opera.

I thoroughly enjoyed this charming and very moving story about the residents of the Tower of London. The author keeps us amused with the quirkiness of the characters and weaves fascinating historical facts into a heartwarming love story about overcoming horrible loss. This book touched my heart and my funny bone.

I was so intrigued by the title of this book and was looking forward to reading about Russia. I did not expect the book to be as bleak as it was. The dreams are not realized and the colors that permeate the book are gray and brown.

The only character I found interesting was Tanya, and even then, I was frustrated with her.

The author has a beautiful grasp of language and her descriptions really brought me into the novel...perhaps too much though. Her constant references to feces and other horrible smells kind of turned my stomach.

Bottom line: I would not pass this book along or recommend it to anyone.

This book describes a mother's journey from doubt and fear to being open to the potential and promise of things yet unexplored.

The story takes the reader on another journey through Belize. The author helps the reader to really feel the beauty of the land and it's people.

I am normally not a fan of non-fiction, but I have recommended this book to a number of people. I found some of the author's insights to be so profound that I have been quoting this book ever since I finished it.

I loved everything about this book! Most of all I loved the characters. Verghese has filled this book with very real, very rich characters. I will miss them now that I am finished with the book. This is one of those stories that will stay with me forever. You must read this book.

When I got this book, I had low expectations. The cover and summary made the book seem like chick-lit, which is not at all my style. I was very ready to not like this book. So imagine my surprise when I found myself enjoying it. I loved how fully the author developed her characters, and I fell in love with all of them. She even made me appreciate small towns. This book was funny and heartwarming.
The story made me think a lot about a life lived without taking chances.