Jasper Fforde
Three separate interviews in which Jasper Fforde discusses the Thursday Next series, his Nursery Crime novels and Shades of Grey, the first in a trilogy set in a future world recognizable as our own - but only just.
Abraham Verghese
An interview with Abraham Verghese about his life and writing and in particular about his extraordinary 2009 novel Cutting for Stone, set in 1960s and '70s Ethiopia and 1980s New York.
Martha A Sandweiss
An interview with Martha Sandweiss in which she discusses her book Passing Strange, a biography of Clarence King who lived a double life—as the celebrated white explorer, geologist, and writer Clarence King and as a black Pullman porter named James Todd, married to Ada with whom he had five children.
Amy Greene
Amy Greene talks about her first novel, Bloodroot, which brings her native Appalachia—and the faith and fury of its people—to rich and vivid life.
A Quick Read, Quirky & Heartwarming
This was a book unlike any I've ever read before. I was hooked within the first two pages. Less than two hundred pages all total, it's a short book but packed full of quirky humor that had me laughing out loud.
Centered around a divorced pair of attorneys, Lena is slightly neurotic and Nick is more than a little psychotic, but they have a connection that cannot be broken, despite their mutual "annoyance" of each other.
Another main character in the book is Sancho, a well-loved puppet (yes, a puppet) that Nick is so attached to, it's as if Sancho is a human, whom Nick calls an "unreal American". Sancho goes everywhere with Nick and seems to be an extension of Nick's psyche.
The story reads very fast with a lot of dialogue. There are parts that are hilarious and parts that are heartbreaking....but overall this book is an absolute winner. I love the author's offbeat wit and look forward to more in the future!
Rated of 5
by Rachelle (Chicago IL)
Charming read The Marriage of True Minds was a fantastic treat - filled with humor, quick-wit, and a hand puppet named Sancho there was plenty in this book to love. At just under 200 pages it was a quick read that showed that sometimes the definition of insanity is love.
Rated of 5
by Arden (Homosassa FL)
Repartee at its finest
Stephen Evans is, among other things, a playwright, and that talent is evident here. Reading this book brings to mind, at least to someone of my generation, Nick and Nora Charles engaged in witty exchanges, and their ever-present schnauser, Asta (The Thin Man). In this tale, though, Nick and Nora become Nick and Lena, both attorneys, (one sane, the other's sanity is for the reader to decide), and Asta becomes a puppet named Sancho. Other real animals play an important role in the story, particularly a large dog named Wolfram. The fairly short book (180 pages) is an engaging, entertaining read and would make a great Disney movie, though the too sophisticated dialog may need to be downplayed a tad for that audience. For this audience, though, the dialog makes the read.
Rated of 5
by Donna (Chandler AZ)
I laughed. I cried. I'll read it again.
Evans has created a perfectly limned representation of a flailing two-headed, multi-armed creature struggling to reign in the mercurial insanity of Nick Ward and Lena Grant’s relationship. They’re divorced, they’re ex-law partners, they’re still in love and their love has made them both more than a little crazy. None of that takes anything away from this witty, clever and charming little story. Indeed, it’s all the better because of the insanity.
Rated of 5
by Ginnie (East Meadow NY)
The Marriage of True Minds
This off-beat story of 2 divorced attorneys kept my interest. The author is able to give his main characters quick dialog and funny conversation. The story of Nick Ward's attempt to deal with his divorce from Lena, and escalating bizarre behavior, will keep the reader entertained. This is not a long or powerful book, but a pleasant vacation from our own day-to-day life.
Rated of 5
by Brenda (boise ID)
For a good time...
This book is fun. It's literary slapstick. The dialogue is clever and witty, and definitely contrived, but you are willing to overlook that because, well, it's just such fun. I couldn't help but begin casting characters for the movie. If you are looking for a deeply moving, profound treatise on animal rights, you better look elsewhere, but if you want a quick read that will entertain, this is your book.
Rated of 5
by Elyse (Creswell OR)
Light Humor
This was a quick read. A humorous, well-told story that moves along quickly. At times it bordered on the ridiculous, but as the antagonist is supposed to be crazy, I just shrugged it off. I think this is what is called a "summer read" or a beach book. I enjoyed it overall.
Named for a flower whose blood-red sap possesses the power both to heal and poison, Bloodroot is a stunning fiction debut about the legacies—of magic and madness, faith and secrets, passion and loss—that haunt one family across the generations, from the Great Depression to today.
Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. But her mother is in rehab, and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. And when a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, her already-worn thread of faith begins to unravel.
When she's not digging up bones or other ancient objects, quirky, tart-tongued archaeologist Ruth Galloway lives happily alone in Norfolk. But when a child's bones are found on a desolate beach nearby, and Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson calls Galloway for help, Ruth finds herself in...
Few works of literature are as universally beloved as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit hole –and the grown woman whose story is no less...
The Coral Thief, as riveting and beautifully rendered as Ghostwalk, Rebecca Stott’s first novel, is a provocative and tantalizing mix of history, philosophy, and suspense. It conjures up vividly both the feats of Napoleon and the accomplishments of those working without fame or...
I rarely read anything before this. Years ago I picked this one up and couldn't put it down. It changed me into a book nut. It was a wonderful ...
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I can't believe I waited so long to read this book. Shame on me. This book was wonderful, lyrical, entertaining - all the makings of a wonderful ...
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The book held so much for the reader but in the end I felt robbed. The evolution of Trudy was disturbing and somewhat insulting. She came across as ...
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Justice Department still has issues with Google Settlement(Feb 05 2010) The Department of Justice dealt a serious blow Thursday evening to the chances that the Google Book Search settlement will gain court approval later this...
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Hachette formally adopts 'agency model'(Feb 05 2010) Hachette Book Group USA became the second major U.S. publisher to officially announce its intention to move to an agency model for the sale of e-books....
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of 5
by Julie (Peoria IL)
of 5
by Ginnie (East Meadow NY)
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