Reviewed by L.D.Y. Hardcover, 453 pages, 2006 Rating: 9/10 Reason for Reading: I like a good thriller, and the fact that it was set somewhere that I don’t often read about (Spain) was also a motivator. Synopsis: Inspector Jefe Javier Falcón is investigating an unusual murder, in which the body has been stripped of all […]

Reviewed by L.D.Y. Mass-market, 367 pages, 1990 Rating: 9/10 Reason for Reading: A lovely woman in the States was nice enough to send me an entire box of books a few years ago, which included this one. It’s a title that seems to come up when people mention getting their feet wet before a full-fledged […]

Reviewed by L.D.Y. Hardcover (available in trade), 147 pages, 2004 Rating: 7/10 Reason for Reading: It was featured in Time Magazine, and since the author is from Toronto, I thought it might be worth checking out. Synopsis: A collection of seven short stories that trace the formative years of Mark Berman (and his family), who […]

Reviewed by L.D.Y. Hardcover (available in trade), 343 pages, 2003 Rating: 9/10 Reason for Reading: A buzz book. Synopsis: In Reading Lolita, Nafisi chronicles her life in Iran as a university professor during a time of war and repression. In order to have a chance to speak more freely about English literature, she starts up […]

Reviewed by L.D.Y. Hardcover (available in trade), 148 pages, 1975 Rating: 8/10 Reason for Reading: I was looking for a simple how-to book on meditation. Synopsis: Hanh, a zen master, explains meditation techniques that keep the mind focused on the current moment. Through short anecdotes and instructions on breathing techniques, Hanh shows the reader how […]

Reviewed by L.D.Y. Hardcover (available in trade), 306 pages, 2004 Rating: 9/10 Reason for Reading: I’ve had a couple of Armstrong’s books on my to-be-read list for a while now, but I somehow ended up reading this brand-new one first. And, I won’t lie to you, it looked much less intimidating than the 500 pages […]

Reviewed by L.D.Y. Hardcover (available in trade), 456 pages, 2002 Rating: 9/10 Reason for Reading: A buzz book; I read Lives of the Saints for a high school English class and enjoyed it. Synopsis: A fictionalized account of the life of Jesus, told by four people – Yihuda, Miryam, his mother, and Simon, a Syrian […]

Reviewed by L.D.Y. Hardcover (available in mass market), 454 pages, 2003 Rating: 9/10 Reason for Reading: One of 2003’s big (if not biggest) buzz books. Synopsis: Robert Langdon, a symbologist, is called to the scene of a murder in the Louvre after disturbing codes are found on and around the dead body. With the help […]