Margo > Recent Status Updates

Starts with a murder but proceeds with information on painting restoration and reproduction techniques.

Hard to put down. Colossus refers to an extra large elephant in Alexander's army and somewhat to the leader himself. Focus of story is on a young man with huge dreams - starts as an dung boy, raises to elephant rider and warrior.

Just started - intricate read, very interesting.

Amazing research. Interesting writing - concentration on people and their thoughts. Much of comments comes from a diary and other personal papers.

Giving it 2 or a generous 3 stars. It had an interesting chapter or 2 about Dodo - a deaf black child protected by the owners of the grocery store. The tale has moved on to an almost incomprehensible tale of friends and the "jooky" joint. Seems pointless.
I am going to try to get to 50-60% and then quit.

Story is getting better. Language is clearer but more characters. Sticking with it for a while.

Not liking it - language is hard to understand - mostly Southern black and mostly wandering stories going nowhere. Characters, with one possible exception are dull.
Reading for a book club but might not finish.

Engrossing start. I meant to read this with a non-fictional book but could not put it down.
I could really identified with the main character.

Characters are quickly developed - got a good sense of who they are and why developed that way.
Description of surroundings and homes and culture not as well developed.
Plot is a little dull - at least so far.
Like but do not love.
Reminds me of the Brother Cadfeld novels.

William is more obstruse than ever and almost gets himself and his translator killed. He finds a Christian church there but one that does not believe in the pope or recognize William's mission. They meet the Khan who is not very impressed.

Brilliant, captivating tale of a demanding journey through high, cold mountains and oppressive heat of the desert. The key characters are Christian in Buddhist, Mongol and Moslem territory. One man can adjust, one can't.

Starts interesting with lots of mystery with 3 teens finding their magic powers but there is a curse. Third of the way the curse hits 3 times in 3 related deaths. Novel turns very gloomy. Good description of the mourning.
Not sure of what I think of the novel. Might dump if it keeps going.

Definitely a page turner. Suspenseful through out. Heroine sees her old childhood friend again - Ben a black slave who understands indigo and his master who promises freedom someday.
Stirrings of rebellion against the British. Economic challenges as price of rice and other crops are in decline. Stupid rules from the king. Money is an issue and that is devaluing.

Good novel intertwined with quotes from real woman's diary.
Life on a SC plantation well developed - loneliness, heat, threats from slave uprising, etc.
The heroine's mother is also pressing her to find a husband and her father is mortgaging their property into huge debt for his career.
Fast read, some parts are hard to put down.

Just starting - for a book club

First 3rd of book was rather dull and uninspired and then a good twist and I am interested again.

I read this book at least 3 decades ago and had forgotten how lovely the prose was.
Rich in known facts about the plague and the reactions to it plus believable characters.
I am enjoying the reread.

Lots of information about trans language and sexual designations. Still a little confusing.
Details about the surgery making a biological male into a female.
Exceptionally good characterizations and conversations.
Hard to put down.
Changes in "voice" from one person to another are not well marked.

The twist - Lily (the dead teenager) is trans. Her accused murderer does know buy no one knows that he knows. His lawyer refuses to ask him - not sure why.
Everyone else is confused - very confused.
This changes everything.
Lots of information about raising bees - nice side information but symbolic too.

Good start but a but confusing with the voice of the dead girl and jumping from the mother of the accused murder to the girl and to other people.
I think the language and concept are accurate for smart teenagers.
Many secrets being revealed.

Just finished a wonderful section on how the natives survived. Crew has split into camps and some are thieves of food and wine.

Amazing so far (pg.78). Lots of detail a bouts ships, sheets, sleeping arrangements, etc. and personalities as well. David Gramm manages to make it all interesting.

Intriguing start.

The third quarter of the book is very powerful. Protesting, Nixon, etc. Good research and few cliques and then -- damn --- another clique. Frankie is unmarried and pregnant by a man she likes but does not love and agrees to marry him.

Still a little bit of soap opera but writing is far stronger. Frankie is home from 2 tours, nursing job is treating her like a flunky. She is having nightmares. Her mother is very much in denial that her daughter is not conforming - not wanting to do the country club set. Pushing a lot of my buttons.

Still has an annoying soap opera feel to it but the background is beautiful though gritty.