book_nut's Reviews (2.91k)

I liked the first three short stories; thought they were wonderful little fairy tales. The other two, though, weren't all that great. Byatt's writing is a bit long for me.

It was a very funny book -- never talking down, always smart -- and the while the plot is way over-the-top, I was happy to go along for the ride. Bernetta is a charming character, one that I could easily identify (who hasn't been framed for something they didn't do, even if it isn't a cheating ring?) and sympathize with. I loved her family -- including her very nice older sister Elsa to her silly younger brother Colin -- and even enjoyed the relationship Bernetta formed with Gabe.

A fun little read.

On the one hand, I loved this book. The prose is very eloquent (I can see why it won the Pulitzer Prize; it seems to be that sort of book), the images very picturesque. And yet, I felt on some level like it was calculated. It bothered me the same sort of way poetry bothers me -- it's beautiful, but I feel like I'm missing something. It's like seeing a snapshot of an event versus experiencing the whole event. And, when I read at least, I often prefer the whole event to a little slice. I felt like I wanted more, needed more, and just when it was getting interesting, the story ended.

A fun little read about an orphan wanting a family and to be loved, and instead ending up with a bunch of ladies who con people with seances for a living. Odd, but charming.

Bleh. The present tense verb useage in the book drove me up a wall. The idea -- the dystopian world flooded by global warming -- is good. But that's about it.

A haunting, intense book about two girls in a religious commune. A great use of a dual narrative, which made it just sparkle.

A very weird look at obsession, especially orchid obsession. I liked the bits about Florida and orchid hunters from the 1800s, but I just don't get what people see in these flowers. And while it was an interesting book, I still don't get it.

Not exactly a deep book, but an interesting one, and a good introduction to the world of buying, thinking and living local. I'd say it changed my life, but mostly it just made me more committed to the way of life we were already beginning to practice.

The first book in the Merlin Trilogy, it chronicles the childhood and making of Merlin (and Britain). I enjoyed the humanization of Merlin; he's not a magician, per se -- rather, he's a smart man, a good engineer, and a bit of a prophet. Mythology and folklore without all the magic. Good.

A really good swashbuckling adventure story that mixes a bit of alternative history with the race for flight in the late 1800s. Colfer at his best.