Good Fiction.

4.5 STARS !!

I never would have thought I would be interested in time travel - I'm not a Sci-Fi girl, but I couldn't put this book down! Maybe because I eat up love stories which is what this is. There is of course the major motion picture out right now, but I would recommend reading the book first as it certainly imaginative and exercises your brain trying to keep up with the timeline. The book alternates between Henry and Claire's perspectives and so does the narration. The story addresses love, coming of age, longing, loss, marriage and gratitude. An excellent read for sure!!




4 STARS

A compelling read, great character development, with a hilarious premise. Interpersonal mess-ups and relational exploration. The author includes thought provoking questions and book group discussion questions which really add to the experience of "The Accidental Tourist."
(excerpt from Amazon.com) "This thoughtful character novel focuses on Macon Leary, a travel writer who hates to travel, a man who has gone through life observing what is happening, but who has never been truly engaged. Compulsively tidy, Macon has always believed that it is possible to order one's life so effectively that the untidiness, or chaos, that throws life into confusion can be avoided."


2.5 STARS

A short, concise tale about lust, reading and shame in postwar Germany. I had already figured out the punch line through watching the movie trailer, so I found the book predictable and the story line and character development lacking. I, however, did get a degree in Germanic Studies so the postwar, generational shame and denial are indeed interesting, historical topics. The book raises some interesting questions, like:: what does it mean to love those people--parents, grandparents, even lovers--who committed the worst atrocities the world has ever known? And is any atonement possible through literature? The book attempts to bridge this generational gap between the guilty and the innocent between words and silence. I just think the book is not quite bold or profound enough to answer these questions.