No sophomore slump for Hosseini — after the stunning success of Kite Runner I was worried his second book might fail to please. No worries — this is also a moving, well written, sad, and wonderful novel examining life in Afghastan from the female point of view. Not to be missed!

Tightly written, sparse story of three troubled men who meet in the Rocky Mountains and embark on an odd job in Southern Idaho. Profound yet utterly simple writing give this story its voice and power. Great book for those who loved Peace Like River and To the Wedding.

I started this book at 6pm and did not stop till I turned the last page in the wee hours of the morning. A high school girl commits suicide and leaves 7 audiotapes with 13 sides explaining the reasons why she killed herself. As the tapes are passed to each of those involved the suspense and impact of personal actions is immense and potent. This book give me shivers just thinking about it. AMAZING!

What a book, very unique! Historical fiction meets prep school memoir, meets time travel, meets great literature characters. I loved this book so much I wrote a long personal fan letter to the author.

As many of you know, Perez-Reverte is my current favorite novelist. I have read all of his translated works and this latest is wonderful. A retiring war photojournalist haunted by bad memories has enclosed himself in a tower to paint his artistic visual interpretation of battle. But, a man shows up he has only seen once before — when he took his picture for a Pulitzer-winning battle photograph many years before in Croatia. Asking the soldier of his purpose, the man replies “because I’m going to kill you…” Thus begins an amazing novel.

This is almost the too short to be called a novel — it’s more of a great “novella.” A young couple just married in the early 1960s — honeymooning on Chesil Beach in a small hotel, both are virgins on the brink of their first night together. One filled with nervous excitement — the other pure dread. McEwan masters the moment in this sad but moving vignette.