Book Reviews, Listed by Rating

Book Review List

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Highly Recommended (4+ Rating)

Good Omens Rating: 4.9
A Comedic, Apocalyptic, Wonderful, Beloved Novel, By Neil Gaiman
Review Posted January 2, 2015

We Have Always Lived in the Castle Rating: 4.5
A Suspenseful Tale of Two Sisters and a Haunting Past, By Shirley Jackson
Review Posted December 10, 2014

Shakespeare: The World as Stage Rating: 4.5
A Concise and Well-Researched Biography, By Bill Bryson
Review Posted December 22, 2014

A Thousand Splendid Suns Rating: 4.5
A Moving, Heart-breaking, Powerful Story of Survival, By Khaled Hosseini
Review Posted January 4, 2015

Station Eleven Rating: 4.5
Civilization in a Post-Apocalyptic World, By Emily St. John Mandel
Review Posted September 7, 2017

Shalimar The Clown Rating: 4.3
An Inquiry Into Religion, Love and Revenge, By Salman Rushdie
Review Posted December 12, 2006

The Goldfinch Rating: 4.3
An Engrossing and Entertaining Dickensian Tale, By Donna Tartt
Review Posted May 28, 2015

The Devil in the White City Rating: 4.2
The fascinating story of an architect, a serial killer and the 1893 World Fair in Chicago, By Erik Larson
Review Posted September 11, 2018

The Sense of an Ending Rating: 4.1
A Well-Crafted, Elegant Novel on the Vagaries of Memory, By Julian Barnes
Review Posted December 15, 2014

The Orphan Master’s Son Rating: 4.1
A Powerful Tale of Survival and Life in North Korea, By Adam Johnson
Review Posted April 11, 2015

Peril at End House Rating: 4.0
A classic Hercule Poirot mystery, By Agatha Christie
Review Posted October 4, 2018

My Name Is Red Rating: 4
A Philosophical Art Mystery, By Orhan Pamuk
Review Posted February 3, 2010

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell Rating: 4
An Alternate History of Two Magicians During the Napoleonic Wars, By Susanna Clarke
Review Posted November 1, 2009

The Final Solution Rating: 4
Like Encyclopedia Brown on Crack, By Michael Chabon
Review Posted January 20, 2007

Norse Mythology Rating: 4
A charming and satisfying little book, By Neil Gaiman
Review Posted January 22, 2018

The Last Black Unicorn Rating: 4
If you're curious at all, you should just read it, By Tiffany Haddish
Review Posted February 15, 2018

All the Light We Cannot See Rating: 4
A lyrical and moving story of two kids in German-occupied France during WWII, By Anthony Doerr
Review Posted February 24, 2018

Recommended (3.5 - 4 Rating)

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore Rating: 3.9
An Ode to Nerds, RPGs and Book Lovers, By Robin Sloan
Review Posted December 16, 2014

The Rosie Project Rating: 3.9
A Lighthearted and Comedic Love Story for the Overly Logical, By Graeme Simsion
Review Posted March 30, 2015

In the Woods Rating: 3.9
A Substantial and Engaging Thriller, By Tana French
Review Posted May 7, 2015

Beautiful Ruins Rating: 3.9
A colorful but subtly moralistic story set in Hollywood and the Amalfi Coast, By Jess Walter
Review Posted September 10, 2017

A Man Called Ove Rating: 3.9
A sweet, uplifting and surprisingly funny story about a grumpy old man called Ove, By Frederik Backman
Review Posted June 28, 2018

Love and Houses Rating: 3.8
A Funny and Endearing Story of Love and, of Course, Houses, By Marti Leimbach
Review Posted December 11, 2014

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared Rating: 3.8
An Unconventional and Cheeky Romp Through Modern History, By Jonas Jonasson
Review Posted April 6, 2015

The Dog Stars Rating: 3.8
A Poetic and Introspective Vision of a Post-Apocalyptic Future, By Peter Heller
Review Posted May 14, 2015

Sourdough Rating: 3.8
A cheerful and fun book for tech and food lovers, By Robin Sloan
Review Posted June 16, 2018

The Poisonwood Bible Rating: 3.7
A Well-Written Story of A Missionary Family in the Congo, By Barbara Kingsolver
Review Posted January 4, 2010

Assassination Vacation Rating: 3.7
An Irreverent Road Trip Through Presidential Assassinations, By Sarah Vowell
Review Posted April 25, 2006

Yes, Please Rating: 3.7
All You Need to Know Is That I Love Amy Poehler So You Can Guess Where This Review Is Headed, By Amy Poehler
Review Posted December 25, 2014

What Happened Rating: 3.7
A relatively benign memoir from a historical presidential candidate, By Hillary Clinton
Review Posted September 16, 2017

A Place for Us Rating: 3.7
A powerful and well-crafted, but uneven family saga, By Fatima Farheen Mirza
Review Posted June 19, 2018

The Bear and the Nightingale Rating: 3.7
A distinctive and enchanting book based in Russian folklore, By Katherine Arden
Review Posted October 2, 2018

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) Rating: 3.6
It's Pretty Much What You'd Expect From Her (In A Good Way), By Mindy Kaling
Review Posted December 10, 2014

House of Leaves Rating: 3.6
A post-modernist psychological horror story, By Mark Danielewski
Review Posted January 26, 2018

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay Rating: 3.6
A story about the rise of the modern comic book hero and its role as a Social Justice Warrior in pre-WWII America, By Michael Chabon
Review Posted February 9, 2018

The Woman in the Window Rating: 3.6
A serviceable thriller and homage to Hitchcock's Rear Window, By A.J. Finn
Review Posted February 4, 2018

The Prisoner of Heaven Rating: 3.6
A gothic adventure set in Barcelona, By Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Review Posted August 29, 2018

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? Rating: 3.5
A Suprisingly Funny and Energetic Story Considering It's Basically About A Touchy Recluse, By Maria Semple
Review Posted December 10, 2014

Mathilda Savitch Rating: 3.5
An Engrossing Tale of a Girl Coping With Grief and Loss, By Victor Lodato
Review Posted December 10, 2014

The Age of Miracles Rating: 3.5
A Light Read About a World In Crisis, By Karen Thompson Walker
Review Posted December 11, 2014

You Suck! A Love Story Rating: 3.5
A Little More Count Chocula Than Count Dracula, By Christopher Moore
Review Posted March 21, 2006

Against the Day Rating: 3.5
Congratulations on Getting Through This Book, By Thomas Pynchon
Review Posted April 22, 2017

The Girl on the Train Rating: 3.5
A pretty okay thriller slash mystery, By Paula Hawkins
Review Posted September 28, 2017

Everything I Never Told You Rating: 3.5
An empathetically-told story of a family trying to make sense of a tragedy, By Celeste Ng
Review Posted January 30, 2018

Sharp Objects Rating: 3.5
A brisk, dark and twisty psychological thriller, By Gillian Flynn
Review Posted August 25, 2018

Average (3 - 3.5 Rating)

The Wonder Spot Rating: 3.4
A Charming Collection of Short Stories, By Melissa Bank
Review Posted November 1, 2005

The Historian Rating: 3.4
A Gothic Adventure through European History, By Elizabeth Kostova
Review Posted January 16, 2007

Crazy Rich Asians Rating: 3.4
A Nuanced but Lengthy Comedy of Manners About Crazy Rich Asians, By Kevin Kwan
Review Posted December 19, 2014

The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. Rating: 3.4
A Portrait of the Type of Guy Most Post-College, Pre-Marriage Women Know Very Well, By Adelle Waldman
Review Posted December 29, 2014

Uprooted Rating: 3.4
A flawed but fun high fantasy novel, By Naomi Novik
Review Posted January 21, 2018

The Night Circus Rating: 3.4
A dreamy cream-puff of a book, By Erin Morgenstern
Review Posted April 21, 2018

Spinning Silver Rating: 3.4
A compelling and imaginative retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, By Naomi Novik
Review Posted August 23, 2018

The President Is Missing Rating: 3.4
An engaging political thriller that's not entirely cohesive but still manages to entertain and elucidate, By Bill Clinton and James Patterson
Review Posted September 2, 2018

An American Marriage Rating: 3.4
A affecting novel about a love story and a wrongful conviction, By Tayari Jones
Review Posted October 19, 2018

Eat, Pray, Love Rating: 3.2
A Three For One Deal, By Elizabeth Gilbert
Review Posted September 19, 2008

Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails Rating: 3.2
Somewhat Contrived Premise, But You'll Learn A Lot About Rum, By Wayne Curtis
Review Posted October 24, 2006

A Long Way Down Rating: 3.2
A Humorous Book Touching Upon Some Big Questions, By Nick Hornby
Review Posted November 1, 2005

State of Wonder Rating: 3.2
A Journey into the Heart of the Amazon, By Ann Patchett
Review Posted January 7, 2015

Armageddon in Retrospect Rating: 3.1
A Posthumous Collection of Essays on War and Peace, By Kurt Vonnegut
Review Posted January 9, 2015

Magpie Murders Rating: 3.0
An inventive mystery-within-a-mystery, By Anthony Horowitz
Review Posted August 14, 2018

Lethal White (Cormoran Strike #4) Rating: 3.0
An intricate political and equestrian-themed Cormoran Strike novel from Rowling, By Robert Galbraith
Review Posted September 19, 2018

The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them Rating: 3
Something of An Acquired Taste and A Book Only A Russian Lit Scholar Would Write, By Elif Batuman
Review Posted December 10, 2014

Not Recommended (Less than 3 Rating)

A Conspiracy of Paper Rating: 2.9
Not A Lot Of Substance But A Faced-Paced Historical Mystery, By David Liss
Review Posted August 29, 2008

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikrey Rating: 2.9
A Cute But Imperfect Little Story, By Gabrielle Zevin
Review Posted May 3, 2015

Ready Player One Rating: 2.9
A nostalgic romp but only for geeky white dudes, By Ernest Cline
Review Posted January 22, 2018

The Dinner Rating: 2.6
A Disappointing and Amateurish Book About Two Families and a Difficult Situation, By Herman Koch
Review Posted April 22, 2015

Me Before You Rating: 2.5
A Disappointing Read, By Jojo Moyes
Review Posted February 20, 2014

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Rating: 2.5
A well-meaning and optimistic story about isolation and mental illness, By Gail Honeyman
Review Posted September 5, 2018

The Keep Rating: 2.4
A Disappointing Attempt at a Literary Gothic Novel, By Jennifer Egan
Review Posted May 11, 2015

The Imperfectionists Rating: 2
A Uninspired Glimpse into the Lives of A Group of Newspaper Professionals that is Well-Edited but Not Well-Written, And Also, Go Fuck Yourself, Tom Rachman, By Tom Rachman
Review Posted December 13, 2014

The Tragedy of Arthur Rating: 1.7
A Tedious Read with a Deceptively Good Premise, By Arthur Phillips
Review Posted December 28, 2014

Sweet Valley Confidential Rating: 1.5
A Dip Back Into Sugary Waters, By Francine Pascal
Review Posted March 30, 2011

The Perfect Letter Rating: 1
Unfortunately, A Very Bad Romance Novel, By Chris Harrison
Review Posted May 21, 2015