Frank McGeough
Ursula K Le Guin was just getting started as an author. This novel was the start of seeing how good she'd become. There's a lot to like in this one and it can be read without reading the two initial Hainish cycle stories. I enjoyed the exploration of the basis of knowledge, myth, lies and how we understand each other within the context of the main character's journey of self-rediscovery.
Really enjoyed reading about all the different approaches to one of my favorite sandwiches. I've tried 3 or 4 of the recipes and they all worked out real well for me.
Very good post-apocalyptic style novel centered on the story of one woman and her attempt to decipher her vaguely remembered past. Reminded me a bit of S J Watson's “Before I Go to Sleep” in terms of an amnesiac woman struggling to come to grips with what is going on around her and convinced that she is being lied to. Worth reading. This is the first of a two-part series. The second book, Prototype, comes out in July 2014.
Its not a subject I'm particularly interested in but the novel was really well written.
A very well-written introduction to the subject of extinction, how the concept developed and was eventually accepted by scientists. Very good examples of how we are in the midst (geologically speaking) of a sixth great extinction brought on by the spread and movement of humans to every part of the globe (and our penchant for bringing together elements from one specific environment into another) and climate change. The examples are frightening in clearly demonstrating how quickly the extinctions are happening.
Really well written account of the tragedy of Memorial Hospital during Katrina. I thought it was especially accurate, fair and descriptive. It gave a good account of Dr Pou presenting both her incredible caring and dedication as well as her blindness to what she had done. The ending chapter talking about how other organizations are trying to learn from Katrina and how best to triage during extreme situations was interesting.
unique narrator. interesting insights into the class system in India and the interactions between rich and the very poor. well written. It won the Man Booker prize in 2008.
Dated at this point but still a valuable and interesting book. It starts from ground zero and attempt to recreate a successful web framework (Rails) step by step. While doing so it points out all sorts of interesting features of Ruby and how Rails is able to use them to get “magical” behavior.
Not as badly written as a lot of these books written to persuade you that you are eating totally badly. Lots of case studies sprinkled throughout. Makes for interesting reading if you are concerned about your health.
Wonderful Dickensian story that keeps the reader continually guessing what might happen next. The scenes are so dense with detail. Incredibly enjoyable and engaging read.
Enjoyed this short story collection. Heavy on life in suburbia. Good-hearted satire.
Looking at family and recipes through the lens of Soviet history is apparently not that interesting to me.
collection of essays on math in a variety of situations. well-written. interesting even for non-math geeks.
A beautifully written fictional memoir of a scientist who explores an island culture wound around a story of accusations of abuse and rape by the children from that culture who he adopted. Eery, odd, but told in a matter-of-fact scientist voice. I've stopped giving stars to novels. It seems an odd way to judge a book. I'm not sure if I'd recommend this to friends or not. I'll have to mull over it for a while but perhaps that its a good indication to some that its worth reading.
Well written page-turner. Just enough character development to keep it interesting and move the plot forward. Good book for people who like Robin Cook novels. Although the plot involves genetically modified agriculture the author steers well clear of trying to explain the technology in detail - which is probably a good thing for most readers. Good beach/vacation or airline flight book.