Review: Angle of Repose

Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While the main story presented here is of the narrator's grandmother's life, the parts I found most memorable were the stories of Lyman, the narrator's life, writing his book through new disability and loss. It's almost as if I remember this as two books, both well written and telling their stories. More Stegner is called for.

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Review: The Last Bookseller: A Life in the Rare Book Trade

The Last Bookseller: A Life in the Rare Book Trade by Gary Goodman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An interesting book about used and rare booksellers in the era of Amazon and eBay. While the author tells the story of his own businesses selling used books in Minnesota, he also covers other sellers, include book cities, as well as book thieves, specialists, and more. As an eBay and Amazon book seller, I found this story of the other side of the tracks very familiar, and written with good humor.

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Review: Another Kind of Eden

Another Kind of Eden by James Lee Burke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Again, the writing is top notch. Will Paton's narration of the audiobook is exceptional. But the story is so similar to others by Burke that it becomes hard to separate. With the Holland Family Saga series, at least you can picture the times that the stories take place, there's a distinction there. But the evil, the touch of the supernatural, the loose cannon, the mostly just hero, they are all aspects of every Burke book. I kinda hope he writes about the bad guys winning once, not just about damaged good guys.

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Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make. -Beatles

I don't suppose that is the best way to sum up this final book in the series, but it's a song that sounds final, and this is a book that sounds final as well, even though it's left with open ends. Based on what ends up being faulty recollection, I assumed a different ending was coming. This one surprised me in both the back and forth battles and in the serenity in the conclusion. Quite intense, and overlong, but enjoyable.

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Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I waited 8 years after reading 5 to read 6 and 7 back to back. I wanted to say I finished them, and by 5 I was not at fanboy level. This one was more interesting to me, with a lot going on, and a lot of back story that you can tell is leading up to a climax. I'd call this the big build with a story. Enjoyable, a bit more frightening than the others.

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Review: Lulu in Hollywood

Lulu in Hollywood by Louise Brooks


A very entertaining look at early Hollywood and the wildness of the stars pre and post sound. About half of this is about Louise, and half are essays written by Louise about others, like WC Fields. Brooks brings these actors to life.

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Review: West of Last Chance

West of Last Chance by Peter T. Brown


A one word review, at least of the pictures in this book, is "stark". If you kick it up to three words, "stark, but beautiful". I found Haruf's writing as enjoyable in these shorter paragraphs as his novels. The pages start with barren landscape, and almost as barren writing, but you start to see and read more detail as you go through. I enjoyed the church story near the end the best, and it's also the most fully drawn and longest.

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