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Reviews by Heather K. (Brooklyn, NY)

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Niceville: A Novel
by Carsten Stroud

Not is all it seems in "Niceville" (5/6/2012)

Not by a long shot (pun intended, which you'll certainly "get" if you read this novel!). And should you read "Niceville?" Why yes, you should, and here's why: it is terrific!

It's a novel of bank robbers and moral bankruptcy, revenge and retribution, honor and deceit, plus …more

A Good American: A Novel
by Alex George

Great First Novel! (12/20/2011)

Very enjoyable! I give the author a lot of credit for not allowing too much sentimentality to infuse his novel, and for injecting a great dose of humor into his writing! Really, parts were laugh-out-loud funny, and that made the book all that much more fun to read. And …more

Low Town: A Novel
by Daniel Polansky

The Road Well Travelled (6/4/2011)

My feeling about Low Town is one of deja vu: I've been down this road before.

Warden is physically and emotionally scarred by life, a loner, a drug addict and dealer who used to be on the other side of the law. And despite all he's seen, all he's suffered and lost, he still …more

The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise: A Novel
by Julia Stuart

The Good, the Bad, and the Inexcusable (8/1/2010)

This novel had potential, but it seems Julia Stuart couldn't decide if she wanted to write a "whimsical" novel about quirky British folk trapped, in contemporary fashion, in London Tower, or a more serious novel dealing with the terrible grief two parents feel after the …more

Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy
by Melissa Milgrom

Taxidermy is Not for Sissies ... (1/3/2010)

and neither is this book! Melissa Milgrom shatters the images that taxidermists are ghoulish or perverse (but eccentric, yes, definitely, collectively ... eccentric!). She finds they admire animals intensely, and gives an exclusive look into a world of men and women who are …more

The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight
by Gina Ochsner

Surprisingly ... dismal. Also odoriferous. (12/1/2009)

I wanted to be swept away by this novel. A Russian author, a book of dreams, flight, and color! Sounded irresistible. But Russian Dreambook is a bleak read, thoroughly imbued with desperation; it's littered with dashed dreams, violence, and really objectionable odors. The …more

An Edible History of Humanity
by Tom Standage

Thoughtful, but not particularly inspired ... (3/6/2009)

I am a little bit of a history buff, and this is a thoughtful and well-written look at how food has changed the course of human history. Certainly it filled in some gaps in my knowledge, particularly in relation to the spice trade; in fact, the mythology of how spices were …more

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson

Five Stars, Deserve Each 'n Every one of 'em! (9/27/2008)

Wow -- this was a terrific read! This novel kept me on my toes, but I didn't want to race through it ... I wanted to savor it, to think about who might be the bad guy (or gal), and to ponder on the two "heroes": a smart, determined and tenacious reporter, and an enigmatic, …more

Madapple
by Christina Meldrum

Provocative, Disturbing, Brilliant (4/4/2008)

Very suspenseful and involving! I was fascinated by Aslaug's life: her profoundly disturbed mother, her abrupt immersion into civilization as we know it, and her coming of age amidst accusations of murder. She is a brilliantly written character.

The author's scholarship is …more

The Quiet Girl
by Peter Hoeg

Ambitious, but unsatisfying (10/9/2007)

Ahh, this was a baffling and disappointing novel. Reading it reminded me of James Joyce's Ulysses (and I loath James Joyce). The main character, Kasper Krone, debt-ridden Danish celebrity clown, is clever, physically adept, and blessed (or cursed) with extraordinary hearing. …more

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Book Jacket — Lessons in Chemistry
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