Literature & Fiction Books - Page 12

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

Gregory Maguire

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 278 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Is this new land a place where magics really happen?

From Gregory Maguire, the acclaimed author of Wicked, comes his much-anticipated second novel, a brilliant and provocative retelling of the timeless Cinderella tale.

In the lives of children, pumpkins can turn into coaches, mice and rats into human beings.... When we grow up, we learn that it's far more common for human beings to turn into rats....

We all have heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty . . . and what curses accompanied Cinderella's exquisite looks?

Extreme beauty is an affliction

Set against the rich backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister.

Clara was the prettiest child, but was her life the prettiest tale?

While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, burning all memories of her past, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household--and the treacherous truth of her former life.

God and Satan snarling at each other like dogs.... Imps and fairy godmotbers trying to undo each other's work. How we try to pin the world between opposite extremes!

Far more than a mere fairy-tale, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a novel of beauty and betrayal, illusion and understanding, reminding us that deception can be unearthed--and love unveiled--in the most unexpected of places.

Interpreter of Maladies: Stories

Jumpa Lahiri

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 464 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

What a beautiful collection! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

First off, I can't believe that I have never read this before. Maybe because the Pulitzer Prize was won, I figured that the stories would be too difficult to read or understand. Even though I really loved only 5 of the stories, the other 4 were enjoyable, I just didn't like them as much as the former.

My favorities were: A Temporary Matter, about a young couple who happened to have electricity disconnected for one hour each day, to repair the lines after a snowstorm. The couple also seems to be disconnected, from each other, but this hour each night was the beginning to bring them together.

I also loved: When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine about a man who had left his country and his family (a wife and seven daughters) so that he could make money to take care of them, and eventually go back. This couple with a young daughter were looking for Indian acquaintances to connect with. So, they took in Mr. Pirzada most nights for dinner and tv afterward. The story is told through the eyes of the young girl, where both had learned something. She, the meaning of love and family, and he, the meaning of the word, "thank you."

One of the best was Interpreter of Maladies, the title story, about a young Indian couple with children, who were very americanized. They visited India every few years to see their parents. Mr. Kapasi was their chaparone, driving them to the Sun Temple at Konarak. The couple appeared to be not at all engaged with their children, but mostly with themselves, viewed through the eyes of Mr. Kapasi. Mr Kapasi seemed enamored with Mrs. Das, and maybe he misunderstood her actions. It made me laugh, and feel sad at the same time, because it reminded me of some older men, and how they believe that they can win the affections of younger women, just because they were once good looking and virile.

Sexy was a good story with a touch of irony because Laxmi always talks to her co-worker Miranda about how her cousin was left by her husband for another woman. Meanwhile, Miranda is the other woman with another married man. It reminded me how affairs or even love affairs fall away without one or both of the parties keeping it alive.

Mrs. Sen's was enjoyable about an older woman married to a professor, who watched a young boy in her home. She didn't know how to drive, so whenever she needed to pick something up at the store, she would have to call her husband to pick them up, bring them to the store, drop them off, and go back to work. She was learning how to drive, but wasn't quite ready. I liked the way that you see how Mrs. Sen affected Eliot more than his own mom.

The Third and Final Continent, the last story in the collection was my favorite of all. It was about a man, who left India, to go to America, working in Boston. He moved into an older ladies house, who hardly moved from her piano bench and only ate soup, because she had stopped eating solids years ago, and she was 103 years old. She would always talk to the man, about how there is a flag on the moon, and she always asked him if he locked the door. Even with only these simple conversations, he always remembered Mrs. Croft, even after he left to move in with his wife. She had a great impact on him.

The stories and characters are not connected, except for the fact that the characters are Indian. I loved to read about the culture, what they would eat, and how they would run their homes. The writing is simple and beautiful where the writer would show, but not tell you what was going on. Each story had an element of sadness in it, and some laughs too, but the last story brought tears to my eyes. I loved seeing how Jhumpa Lahiri captured the interconnectedness of humans, across all boundries, and I hope to read her books again soon.

Editorial Review:

A New York Times Bestseller
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize
Winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award
Notable Book of the Year: The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, and Publishers Weekly

The nine stories in this stunning debut collection unerringly chart the emotional journeys of characters seeking love beyond the barriers of nations and generations. Imbued with the sensual details of Indian culture, these stories speak with passion and wisdom to everyone who has ever felt like a foreigner. Like the interpreter of the title story, Lahiri translates between the strict traditions of her ancestors and a baffling new world.

The Last Jihad (Political Thrillers Series #1)

Joel C. Rosenberg

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 224 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Good first novel 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Rosenberg's first novel is a pretty good thriller. His action scenes are fast paced and thrilling, even though he crowds in a lot of technical details about weapons. I read these scenes rapidly, eager to find out who would live and who would not.

He also includes a geopolitical story line, which tends to slow the book down. When the hero sits in a on a presidential cabinet meeting my attention began to wander. This part of the story was less interesting. It was also less believable.

The novel sustained my interest through to the end. The action slowed at times, but never stopped. The characters were believable enough. They were described in about as much depth as one would expect from an action novel. This first novel does not rise to the level of Tom Clancy, but it is a good start. I think Rosenberg compares favorably with authors like Vince Flynn.

Editorial Review:

A New York Times Bestseller

Saddam Hussein has dispatched his top assassins to the United States. Iraqi hit men are spreading carnage throughout London, Paris, and Riyadh. Only a rock-solid Arab-Israeli coalition against Iraq can prevent certain devastation. And only Jon Bennett can make that happen.

Of Mice and Men (G.K. Hall Large Print Perennial Bestseller Collection)

John Steinbeck

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1104 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

too sad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I read this book and OMG it was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I HATE IT WHEN GEORGE SHOOTS LENNIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would rate this book ages 12+.
there are lots of cuss words like damn, hell and bitch!
its too violent and inappropriate for you if you are young!
(DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
(CAUTION If YOU DON'T LIKE SAD ENDINGS DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

One of the most popular books in American Literature-and for good reason! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This wonderful book is one of the most popular books written by Nobel prize winner-John Steinbeck.

It is also probably one of the most popular books in American Literature.

Set during The Great Depression,The story is about two migrant farm workers-George Milton(who is a cynical man) and Lennie Small(who is very big,strong but mentally disabled and reliant on George to look after him) and how they dream of owning their own piece of land.

Due to something Lennie has done(which was actually sort of a misunderstanding),the pair must go to a ranch in Soledad,California, to make money and escape the trouble they are in.

The book is an amazing tale of friendship and the heartbreaking thing George must do at the end to save his friend Lennie is so touching.

I first read this book for GCSE and it is now one of my favourite's.

It is a definite 'must read' and I would recommend it 100%

Editorial Review:

Tragic tale of a retarded man and the friend who loves and tries to protect him. With illustrations from the movie starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Betty Smith

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 553 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The American classic about a young girl's coming of age at the turn of the century.

"A profoundly moving novel, and an honest and true one. It cuts right to the heart of life...If you miss A Tree Grows in Brooklyn you will deny yourself a rich experience...It is a poignant and deeply understanding story of childhood and family relationships. The Nolans lived in the Williamsburg slums of Brooklyn from 1902 until 1919...Their daughter Francie and their son Neely knew more than their fair share of the privations and sufferings that are the lot of a great city's poor. Primarily this is Francie's book. She is a superb feat of characterization, an imaginative, alert, resourceful child. And Francie's growing up and beginnings of wisdom are the substance of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn."
--New York Times

"One of the most dearly beloved and one of the finest books of our day."
--Orville Prescott

"One of the books of the century."
--New York Public Library

The Constant Princess (Boleyn)

Philippa Gregory

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 177 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"I am Catalina, Princess of Spain, daughter of the two greatest monarchs the world has ever known...and I will be Queen of England."

Thus, bestselling author Philippa Gregory introduces one of her most unforgettable heroines: Katherine of Aragon. Daughter of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain, Katherine has been fated her whole life to marry Prince Arthur of England. When they meet and are married, the match becomes as passionate as it is politically expedient. The young lovers revel in each other's company and plan the England they will make together. But tragically, aged only fifteen, Arthur falls ill and extracts from his sixteen-year-old bride a deathbed promise to marry his brother, Henry; become Queen; and fulfill their dreams and her destiny.

"They tell me nothing but lies here and they think they can break my spirit. I believe what I choose and say nothing. I am not as simple as I seem."

Widowed and alone in the avaricious world of the Tudor court, Katherine has to sidestep her father-in-law's desire for her and convince him, and an incredulous Europe, that her marriage to Arthur was never consummated, that there is no obstacle to marriage with Henry. For seven years, she endures the treachery of spies, the humiliation of poverty, and intense loneliness and despair while she waits for the inevitable moment when she will step into the role she has prepared for all her life. Then, like her warrior mother, Katherine must take to the battlefield and save England when its old enemies the Scots come over the border and there is no one to stand against them but the new Queen.

"It was my dying husband's hope, my mother's wish, and God's will that I should be Queen of England; and for them and for the country, I will be Queen of England until I die."

Raised on the battlefield and in the most beautiful Moorish palace in the world, sent to England alone at the age of sixteen to take her place in a court where she couldn't speak the language, and abandoned and forced to endure poverty after the death of her husband, Katherine remained a woman of indomitable spirit, unwavering faith, and extraordinary strength. Philippa Gregory brings to life one of history's most inspiring women and creates one of the most compelling characters in historical fiction.

The Boleyn Inheritance

Philippa Gregory

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 169 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

THREE WOMEN WHO SHARE ONE FATE: THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE

ANNE OF CLEVES

She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her abusive brother to a throne whose last three occupants are dead. King Henry VIII, her new husband, instantly dislikes her. Without friends, family, or even an understanding of the language being spoken around her, she must literally save her neck in a court ruled by a deadly game of politics and the terror of an unpredictable and vengeful king. Her Boleyn Inheritance: accusations and false witnesses.

KATHERINE HOWARD

She catches the king's eye within moments of arriving at court, setting in motion the dreadful machine of politics, intrigue, and treason that she does not understand. She only knows that she is beautiful, that men desire her, that she is young and in love -- but not with the diseased old man who made her queen, beds her night after night, and killed her cousin Anne. Her Boleyn Inheritance: the threat of the axe.

JANE ROCHFORD

She is the Boleyn girl whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. She is the trusted friend of two threatened queens, the perfectly loyal spy for her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, and a canny survivor in the murderous court of a most dangerous king. Throughout Europe, her name is a byword for malice, jealousy, and twisted lust. Her Boleyn Inheritance: a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul.

The Boleyn Inheritance is a novel drawn tight as a lute string about a court ruled by the gallows and three women whose positions brought them wealth, admiration, and power as well as deceit, betrayal, and terror. Once again, Philippa Gregory has brought a vanished world to life -- the whisper of a silk skirt on a stone stair, the yellow glow of candlelight illuminating a hastily written note, the murmurs of the crowd gathering on Tower Green below the newly built scaffold. In The Boleyn Inheritance Gregory is at her intelligent and page-turning best.

A Great and Terrible Beauty

Libba Bray

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 308 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

a great read. 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

i really really liked this book.

the premise isn't something i would normally read, but i'm glad i did. the main character, gemma doyle, is really awesome. she is witty, and strong, but she also has tremendous flaws.

kartik. i love him, he's so mysterious. he is isn't in the majority of the scenes, and when he is, they are very short, but i really can't wait to see what happens with him and his relationship with gemma in the next book of the trilogy.

i felt like i could never really trust felicity at all while reading this book and i don't know if i really liked the friendship between gemma and the other three main characters. it seemed as if they only liked her because of her magical abilities. because the minute she told them she wouldn't bring them into the realms they turned on her. i suppose i'll have to see how their friendship plays out in the next book!

Editorial Review:

A Great and Terrible Beauty is a curl-up-under-the-covers kind of book . . . a vast canvas of rustling skirts and dancing shadows and things that go bump in the night. It's a vividly drawn portrait of the Victorian age, a time of strict morality and barely repressed sensuality, when girls were groomed for lives as rich men's wives . . . and the story of a girl who saw another way.

The Rescue (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper))

Nicholas Sparks

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 307 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

From one of America's most beloved-and bestselling-storytellers, here is a novel about a man and a woman trying to find courage to make the biggest commitment of all...to love someone forever.

Taylor McAden was a risk taker. A volunteer firemn in the small southern town where he had lived his entire life, he was the first to take the plunge into a burning house to resue someone, the first to put his own safety on the line. However, there was one risk that Taylor seemed unable to take, and that was to let any woman into his heart. Then he met Denise Holden.


The single mother of a little boy with severe disabilities, Denise had moved from Atlanta to the small town of Edenton, North Carolina where her grandparents had left her a house. She came to Edenton in an attempt to make ends meet while devoting herself to the care of her child. Falling in love was the last thing she intended.

A near fatal car crash brings Denise and Taylor together, and awakens in them felings long dormant. But before Taylor can fully welcome Denise and Kyle into his life, he must first take the ultimate risk-to look into his heart and his past, and see if it's not too late to take a chance on the future.

Peace Like a River

Leif Enger

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Total reviews: 390 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Born with no air in his lungs, it was only when Reuben Land's father, Jeremiah, picked him up and commanded him to breathe that Reuben's lungs filled. Reuben struggles with debilitating asthma from then on, making him a boy who knows firsthand that life is a gift, and also one who suspects that his father is touched by God and can overturn the laws of nature.

The quiet 1960's midwestern life of the Lands is upended when Reuben's brother Davy kills to marauders who have come to harm the family. The morning of his sentencing, Davy -- a hero to some, a cold-blooded murderer to others -- escapes from his cell, and the Lands set out in search of him. Their journey is touched by serendipity and the kindness of strangers, and they cover territory far more extraordinary than even the Badlands where they search for Davy from their Airstream trailer.

Sprinkled with playful nods to Biblical tales, beloved classics such as Huckleberry Finn, the adventure stories of Robert Louis Stevenson, and the westerns of Zane Grey, Peace Like A River is at once a heroic quest, a tragedy, a love story, and a haunting meditation on the possibility of magic in the everyday world.