I am becoming quite the Mark Bowden groupie, eh?

This book reveals the secrets of US government/military involvement in the hunt for and eventual murder of Pablo Escobar, former head of the Colombian cocaine cartel, and quite the terrorist. Bowden manages to take all these people’s memories and turn them into quite a page turner, it feels like you’re reading a story of what happened rather than a journalist’s report.

Good. Intriguing. But I would recommend both Black Hawk Down (love that book) and Guests of the Ayatollah over this one. This one feels a little stiff in comparison.

Lots of reasons to pick up this book. Great contemporary writers (Elizabeth Crane, Tod Goldberg, Julianna Baggott, the editor John McNally, among others) you may already be reading, great introduction to others you haven’t read (my list of books to check out just grew exponentially. no joke.). High school humiliations: so preciously painful when thinking of your own, so histerically hilarious when reading of other people’s. What’s not to love?

An intense love story written in very sparse prose. Love found, love interrupted*, love tortured, love regained. *Thanks to twisted family relationship dynamics, but of course.

One of the pile of books I bought in Australia A YEAR AGO. Holy crap, it’s been over a year. How is that possible?

Really enjoyed the imagery in this book. Characters with deep imaginations: priceless.

Book 1 of the Sword of Truth series that I earlier read Book 10 of (doh!). Also the debut novel by the author.

Really like some of the characters, but felt some, Richard in particular, were a bit stiff at the beginning. Having read Book 10 already, I think it’s stiffness on the part of a first-time author, and he will loosen up as the series goes on.

Loved learning more about the Mord-Sith (awesome!) Samuel creeps me out and totally reminds me of Golom or whatever his name is in lord of the rings (precious! my precious!). Looking forward to more.

You’ve got to love how I am always picking up series mid-way (or more than mid-) through. But I swear to you, I bought this in the airport, and there was NOTHING on it to indicate that it was…Book TEN of a series (and Book 1 of a within-series trilogy). Um Hello Publishers, thanks a bunch!

However, due to a wicked spell, everyone but Richard has completely forgotten Kahlan’s existence…so not having read any of the previous books really put me right in the same boat with most of the characters! Lots of great magic and spells, and vast expanses going on here. Warriors and fighting and mysteries and betrayals. Wow!

Loved this and it’s been awhile since I found a new fantasy series to get involved in. Time to get Book 1 and find out who these people really are.

Bought because I enjoyed an earlier book of his, “The Keepers of Truth.”

As to this one: A novel set in academia, involving a lost manuscript, an unsolved murder, suicide, jealousy, ambition, and the lack of it. A side story with the lead detective’s messed up life.

I thought the beginning with Pendleton was dragging on a bit…but once he became incapacitated things really took off. The backstory on the detective however seemed dragged in a bit. Eventually it found its place, but I was never sure it was really necessary that it be there.

The third (presumably final, but perhaps there will be a subsidiary trilogy that follows?) in the Magic or Madness trilogy. As with much “Young Adult” fiction, the brevity ultimately disappoints: I wasn’t ready to stop reading these characters when book 2 ended, nor am I ready now. Some things in this book that felt ickier than in the previous ones / but maybe I had just forgotten those feelings, I can’t be sure. Tom’s refusal to give up magic really stuck with me. The way he infuses the clothes he makes is one of my favorite images from the books.

Good, most of the storylines came full circle, but ultimately too short. Not enough. (Then again, I pretty much ALWAYS feel that way about kids’ books. Are kids really satisfied by them? Do they not want more? I wish I could remember….)

If you search on this page, you can find what I said about the previous two (in the April 16 and May 13, 2006 entries).