About 50 pages in and fairly certain I won't be finishing it. I appreciate what she's trying to do and some of the jokes are almost funny, but it was just too over the top and too much.

I gulped this down almost entirely in one sitting--part of me wishes that I had paced it out more slowly, savored it.
Most simply, this is the story of a life, told in snapshots. What's left out is almost as telling as the nuggets that are told. There are some wonderful images. It's been so long since I've read short stories--and this is definitely enough to inspire me to pick up some more collection.
Like all Atwood, it is stunningly written. Really, really enjoyed and definitely recommend.

Though this one isn't quite up to the standards of the previous Melendy books, my lukewarm initial reaction quickly warmed up.
I adore Oliver and in this book, his personality became even stronger. Though the clues almost got old, the moments of discovery were well worth it.
And then the delightful ending made the whole book even better.
One of the things I really love about these books is the friendships that develop between the kids and adults they encounter. I adore Oliver's relationship with Mr. Titus, the new relationship with Miss Bishop, and the fact that Mrs. Oliphant just keeps coming back in all of her glory.
Another reason to love Elizabeth Enright. . .

Second in the series. Lots of good stuff, including complicating Tom's character. He's not all bad, just mostly. Good stuff.

Very little plot and a heroine that I just didn't care for. I'm all about "day in the life of a child" stories, but this one just didn't do it for me. At all.

Book club book

This is what I term "gossipy history"--which I am perfectly okay with! Davis does an excellent job of setting the stage for Sargent's controversial painting. Paris, and all the interesting people that lived there in the 1880s, certainly come to life (Sarah Bernhardt--crazy! which somehow, I didn't know).
But it's the reaction to the painting that makes this story so interesting. And what happens to Sargent's career, and Amelie's life, after. Good stuff, but somehow I felt this was a story that could almost have been done in an article rather than a whole book.

The only reason I finished this book is because I kept hoping it would somehow make sense in the end. It didn't. Perhaps I missed something. I consider myself a halfway intelligent person, but this book went straight over my head.
I got what Taylor was trying to do--explore memory and time through one person's life (and many variations on that life). Parts of it were pretty good. Most of it wasn't. It was these good parts that kept me going, but by the end, I was really resenting the fact that I felt like I had to finish it even though I wasn't really enjoying it.
And the ending? Well, I almost threw the book across the room. But I just didn't have the energy. Or care enough.


Recommended on Very Short List e-mail

Didn't enjoy this near as much as I expected to. The fantasy bits just didn't do it for me. I kept thinking of Zilpha Keatley Snyder or Edward Eager and how they're able to weave fantasy and reality and make it all seem possible. For this one, I just couldn't suspend my disbelief and I couldn't get over how creepy the whole dream thing was.
But I loved the setting and the kids, so I was trying to hold out on judging the book too much until the conclusion.
And honestly, the conclusion just left a bad taste in my mouth. Part of it was I just felt uncomfortable with some of the racial undertones in the story of Prince Krishna. Because he's Indian, he's exotic and has a relative with some otherworldly power? And when they're freed (the aging thing seemed off to me too), he and Lily are just going to set off for India, set up free elections and head on home? Ummm, seriously?
I felt like I should have liked it more--it's Concord! There's a fabulous old house in trouble! Intrepid kids! But no, it just felt dated instead of timeless. And left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.

Audio book for road trip
The perfect book for a road trip. Or maybe not. Because there were plenty of times I was laughing hysterically as I drove down the highway. More of the same wit and sarcasm, with enough family goodness to make me happy.
However, the last 1/4 of the book, about him quitting smoking, just didn't do it for me. Quite frankly, I got a little bored. But there were still some fun moments, and I'll take him with me on a road trip any time.

Enchanted from the moment I opened the book and saw the wonderful illustrations. Each story weaves in and out of present and past, creating these other worlds that seem entirely believeable. And each story got progressively better and more rich.
So glad I read this now, especially after two rather disappointing books in a row.