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Reviews by jpj

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The Da Vinci Code
by Dan Brown

(10/28/2003)

Curt Parton has said it best so far. Read below.

And for my 2 cents: I'm a lazy reader and yet blaming CHRISTIANS for (so he seems to imply??) writing GENESIS (pp. 238) -- huh?

Also did anyone get the sense this guy was using a computer to help him write it? 'Clambering …more

Mortal Prey
by John Sandford

(7/23/2003)

This was my first Sandford book. I 've heard a lot about the 'Prey' books. It's a police book with FBI and local cops in a fast-paced chase to stop a hired killer who comes back to kill her former employers. Mostly the hero, Lucas Davenport, gets clues with the help of the …more

Amsterdam
by Ian McEwan

(7/14/2003)

For some reason I can say I've read everything by McEwan and this book, although it won a Booker Prize, is not his best. At least to me. The ending is down right stupid and loses the entire tone of the novel. And if McEwan meant it that way, than he kind of insults his …more

The Last Detective
by Robert Crais

(7/14/2003)

It's kind of a macho man's view of LA book, a little bang bang shoot 'um up, but I like how the plot unravelled. And every once in awhile I like these army-guy-becomes-PI books. Sure Elvis is now a detective, but you get the sense he's only 2 weeks out of the jungle. Plus …more

Bel Canto
by Ann Patchett

(7/14/2003)

Political farce gets a new face. Some people have a hard time stomaching after 9/11, but just goes to show the books power. Very sublime. Laugh out loud and yet completely tragic. I love this book. It's like neo-magical realism. Can't wait to read the rest of the authors works. Bravo!

Bay of Souls
by Robert Stone

(7/14/2003)

Until Bay of Souls, I've only read Dog Soldiers by Stone, but keep meaning to read other things. The bulk of his books are about characters involved in political situations from the the news today. With the exception of the book about the guy who goes sailing I think... …more

Waiting
by Ha Jin

(7/1/2003)

One of the best books I've read in years. Ending is fantastic. This book came out around the same time The Hours came out and I can't remember a thing about The Hours, but this book is burned into my brain.

A young man gets married in an arranged marriage and goes off to be …more

Lost Light
by Michael Connelly

(7/1/2003)

Has Connelly written a bad book? Probably not. Lost Light gives us Bosch searching out clues to a long dormant case after he retires from the police force. A little bit of romance, a few great characters, and some interesting plot developments lead us to a denouement that …more

Soul Circus
by George Pelecanos

(5/19/2003)

Soul Circus is very DC. At least a certain part of DC. I found myself almost turning to a city map to follow along with the action. The action is inner city drama of bad people doing bad things and good people trying to get out, but always somehow getting pulled back in. …more

Pattern Recognition
by William Gibson

(5/3/2003)

This was my first Gibson book and although it's well written and has an interesting plot I felt like the author was on auto pilot. I normally don't read science fiction, (here I use science fiction in the sense of technology fiction) and can barely find my way around a …more

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Book Jacket — Lessons in Chemistry
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