The promising premise just didn't deliver. "Original Sin" (same title as a P. D. James mystery) was a bit witty, but mostly it was tedious. The perils recounted in hindsight by the main character were repetitive and didn't lead me anywhere. I was hoping for a more strongly portrayed connection between Mother/ex-spy and toddler, who seemed kind of annoying and one-dimensional.

I was so hopeful about this book, but having taken three weeks to wade through only 30 pages, I cannot continue reading it, especially with the mounting pile of bed-side books beckoning!

The author and her subject are admirable and each do an expert job in her field, but slogging through the material was too much work. I'll continue to open random pages over time, gleaning what I can in that way.

Wrecker, a novel whose premise had given me great hope, was a disappointment. This story of a boy raised among a small household of unrelated people in the wilds of Humbolt County could have been so much deeper. I read the writer's words, but didn't hear individual voices from the underdeveloped and almost interchangeable characters; perhaps the story would have have been more engaging if told from the boy's point of view. Luckily, it was written simply so was easy to get through.

I loved this quietly powerful book, even though it was not "compelling" in the typical, cliff-hanging way. While I have mixed feelings about "missionary work," this story gives real life details about the dedication and difficulties of two such workers. The love story of an enviably close and sweet marriage built on Faith is such a refreshing break from the self-centered, crass stuff of our modern culture. The book also offers a very interesting (compelling?) way to learn of China's civil unrest in the early 1900s.

I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates simple but elegant and profound story-telling.

The language of Learning to Lose is wonderful (is it the writer, translator, or both?), though the book is a little too long. At about page 150, I wanted things to move along a bit more, but all in all, a uniquely woven story with well-developed characters, most of whom I cared about.

This Pool is shallow. The story seemed contrived and implausible, the love affairs trite and also unlikely. The author doesn't much heed the writerly axiom "show, don't tell." Her language and style are pretty ordinary in the first half or so of the book, but she goes on to turn some pretty good phrases in the second half. Here too her characters have a few insightful things to say.

What a disappointment! Although obviously very well researched, the story didn't flow. The story and plot (what was it??) were confusing, and, though I'm fascinated by language, the insertions of several foreign tongues was tedious rather than illuminating. It was a chore to read, and I found myself rereading too many passages.

This is an engaging, episodic story, even though at times a little contrived with the dropping of buzz topics (feminism, lesbianism, AIDS, circumcision,). Although she is reminiscent of Alexander McCall Smith's lady detective, this book's Angel Tungaraza stands as her own person. Her wisdom and straightforward approach to life are worth adopting.