A Room With A View

Title: A Room With A View
Author: E. M. Forster
Genre: Classic (early 20th century)
Pages (words): 240 (65,952)
Readability: 6.1
Rating (out of 5 stars): ***1/2
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: A classic late 1800's/early 1900's novel about a girl who is beginning to discover herself and is forced to decide whether she will abide by the rules that society has set, or whether she will push them.
Thoughts: I have to admit, it took me a while to begin to really enjoy this book. I'm not sure why that was. Forster's writing style is a little bit vague (poetic?) and it was difficult for me to get used to. But, once the plot started moving along, I really enjoyed the book a lot. More than I really expected to, actually. I think that there are some good nuggets of wisdom hidden in some of the dialogue, and I felt that I connected to a few of the characters very well. Overall, I would give it 4 stars for plot, and 3 for style, so 3 1/2 stars overall seems fair. If you like Jane Austen or Edith Wharton, you'll really enjoy this book.
Disclaimer: None.

The Tipping Point

Title: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Genre: Non-fiction (popular science)
Pages (words): 294 (68,870)
Readability: 10.1
Rating (out of 5 stars): ***
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: The Tipping Point is about epidemics of all sorts, exploring topics from the spread of STDs to the stellar success of Sesame Street. Gladwell summarizes research in epidemiology and concludes that in many cases very small changes push small movements past a Tipping Point and into worldwide epidemics.

Thoughts: I liked this book, but not as much as Blink. Still, I think that Gladwell does a great job of mixing together technical studies and particular case studies into a single theme that is both interesting and surprising at the same time. In The Tipping Point, sometimes he goes a bit far trying to make connections between different thoughts, but I think that his overall point that little things are often the difference makers is a good one. If you're looking for an interesting, easy-to-read, non-fiction book, this would be a good bet.
Disclaimer: None.

The Moonstone

Title: The Moonstone
Author: Wilkie Collins
Genre: Mystery/Detective
Pages (words): 482 (172,929)
Readability: 8.3
Rating (out of 5 stars): ****1/2
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: A large, mystic diamond from India is given to Rachel Verinder for her birthday. The next morning she awakes to find it has been stolen! Who took it? The family calls on the famed Sergeant Cuff to solve the mystery, but the story twists enough to fool even him.
Thoughts: T.S. Eliot called this book, "The first and greatest of English detective novels." I don't claim to know all that much about English detective novels, but I would have to agree that this is the best one that I have read. The author, who happened to be good friends with Charles Dickens, does a marvelous job of weaving the narrative and leaving you completely in the dark for most of the novel. Not only that, but there are several sub-plots (love! greed!) that really move the story along while Collins presents all of the evidence. Add on top of that some great writing, and you've got a super book. We got this book from Jenni Davis, so a big thanks to her!
Disclaimer: None.