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Posts tagged with ‘Novels’

CHILDISH LOVES, by Benjamin Markovits

January 9, 2012

STORY-WITHIN-A-STORY starts with a bang and ends with a whimper. Even Byron can’t make this novel sizzle!

Grade: B MINUS

CHILDISH LOVES
W. W. Norton
2011

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BOOKS BURN BADLY, by Manuel Rivas

January 8, 2012

EPIC HISTORICAL NOVEL with a magic realist touch takes in the Spanish Civil War, its origins and its aftermath.

Grade: SOLID B

BOOKS BURN BADLY
Random House
2011

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THE FORGOTTEN WALTZ, by Anne Enright

January 7, 2012

THOUGHTFUL, COMPLEX NOVEL traces a relationship from its start as a brief affair to the end of two marriages.

Grade: B PLUS

THE FORGOTTEN WALTZ
W. W. Norton
2012

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SNUFF, by Terry Pratchett

January 5, 2012

THE LATEST DISCWORLD TALE!  Delightful adventure, as Commander Sam Vimes takes on the cause of goblins’ rights.

Grade: B PLUS

SNUFF: A NOVEL OF DISCWORLD
HarperCollins
2011

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RANDY LOPEZ GOES HOME, by Rudolfo Anaya

January 3, 2012

VIVID, DREAMLIKE FANTASIA on race and culture in the US Southwest is strongest on landscape, weakest on plot.

Grade: B MINUS

RANDY LOPEZ GOES HOME
University of Oklahoma Press
2011

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THE BAD ALWAYS DIE TWICE, by Cheryl Crane

January 1, 2012

HOLLYWOOD REALTOR TURNS sleuth with the help of her movie-star mom in a zippy debut mystery from Cheryl Crane.

Grade: B PLUS

THE BAD ALWAYS DIE TWICE
Kensington
2011

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BEFORE VERSAILLES, by Karleen Koen

December 30, 2011

JUICY COURT DRAMA revolves around the loves and hatreds of the young Louis XIV. Lots of detail and intrigue!

Grade: SOLID B

BEFORE VERSAILLES: A NOVEL OF LOUIS XIV
Crown
2011

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MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN, by Ransom Riggs

December 29, 2011

DREAMLIKE, GOTHIC TALE of time travel, paranormal powers, and a boy who misses his grandfather.  Enchanting.

Grade: B PLUS

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN
Quirk
2011

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THE PILE OF STUFF AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS, by Christina Hopkinson

December 28, 2011

PORTRAIT OF A MARRIAGE in crisis combines a breezy, humorous chick-lit style with unexpectedly deep insights.

Grade: SOLID B

THE PILE OF STUFF AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS
Grand Central
2011

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THE IMMORALITY ENGINE, by George Mann

December 27, 2011

BEAUTIFULLY PACED AND CRAFTED steampunk Alt-Victorian adventure with lots of twists, turns, and technology.

Grade: B PLUS

THE IMMORALITY ENGINE: NEWBURY & HOBBES INVESTIGATION #3
Tor
2011

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