book_nut's Reviews (2.91k)

It was a tight, fun, little story about a girl adapting to not only moving to a small town from a big city, but also dealing with the aftermath of a tragic incident. Good art, good writing. Good all around.

I'm a fan of Steve Martin. Not a huge fan, but a fan nonetheless, so I was really excited about this book. It's an interesting look into the life of a comic, and a person, who worked really hard to be good, ended up being famous, and had an interesting time. And while it's not the most brilliantly written book I've ever read, it is good (and funny). Just what it should be.

I'm not a big mystery reader, but I do love it when I find a good one. One that keeps me guessing, that makes me bite my nails, that keeps me up until late hours trying to finish it. Throw in a bit of humor, keep it relatively clean, add a winning/cute/sympathetic, detective, add a real intense ending, and you've got me hooked.

There you have it: Boris Akunin's The Winter Queen in a nutshell. Really. Why bother with a plot summary, when all you really need to know is that Erast Fandorian, while no Sherlock Holmes, is an up-and-coming detective who just happens to get involved in something way over his head. And that he manages to solve the mystery anyway. And don't forget the ending that had me going, "AAAAHHH! Where's the next book!"

There's really nothing more to say.

One of those books that borders between snarky and amusing and highly annoying. I came down on the amusing side. Thought it was a riot. But, humor's personal...

Sue me. I didn't like this book that's been so life-changing and moving for so many people. Didn't like the character development, didn't like Death as a narrator, and felt I was being manipulated. (I also got raked over the coals by the on-line book group for thinking this way... :) I can respect what Zusak was trying to do here, it's just not my cuppa tea.

I liked this one better than the first, primarily because it was a story that hasn't been told. First, she's in Vienna as a 14-year-old dealing with teenage issues, identity issues, and race issues. Then, after four years of struggling there, she goes back to Iran, where she has to deal with readjustment issues, identity issues and pressure issues. It's not an easy read -- even though it's a graphic novel -- but it's a good one.

I liked this best out of all the books in the Sisters Grimm series -- it had well-written action, a great mystery, and it was very intense. For the first time, I found myself wanting to read ahead rather than being content to wait until the next reading session with C. Maybe Buckley's getting better?

I liked this book most of the way through -- it's a great chess game with swords, and an interesting society that Kushner created. But... the ending left me hanging. It's like thinking I was playing a chess game and it turned out that we were just playing checkers. Disappointing.

If I gave 1/2 stars (or rather, if goodreads allowed me to), this one would get one. I liked it more than 3 stars, but not quite 4... the book was interesting, raised some fascinating questions about love and doubt and faith, but.... ah, it's the but there that does it. I never really felt connected and the love story never really took off. Good, but not great.

Ooooh. For fans of Colin Firth and Shannon Hale everywhere. (And it's a good, fun, love story, too.) A great summer book.