The tone of this book very cleverly mimics the emotions you are supposed to feel as you read it. It is a very bi-polar, emotional ride. Dick highlighting dualities and manic happiness at times can only be accompanied by depths of despair as he ponders humanity. Dick's writing is the perfect example of an emotional roller coaster. Deckard has extreme highs and lows as he tries to justify his profession to exterminate or "retire" the andys that appear to have rich emotional lives. Isidore seems to be a cock-eyed optimist only to have his illusions dashed by heartless spider abusers. Mercer also literally experiences highs and lows in his endless climbs and falls - a metaphor for the book's characters' life journeys and also for the way the reader feels while experiencing it.

This is one of those books I have seen sitting around for a looooong time. I wish I wouldn't have waited; I thoroughly enjoyed this bizarre tale!

A reader would have to be a fan of pretty hard-core science fiction to stick with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in order to learn the meaning of life.

This is the very humorous journey of Arthur Dent and his friend Ford Prefect as they catch a ride into space at the exact moment earth is destroyed. Arthur meets all kinds of beings, including Zaphod Beeblebrox who is the president of the galaxy. Zaphod shocked his constituents by stealing a new vehicle right in front of everyone. He was on his way to the planet Magrathea (long believed to be extinct) to find riches when Arthur and Ford hitched a ride. They end up meeting Slartibartfast who tells them the history of Deep Thought - a computer who was supposed to calculate the meaning of life over the course of millions of years.

Thank goodness this book is narrated by a child. Much in the same vein as To Kill a Mockingbird or Room, the content covered would be too horrific if "seen" through an adult's eyes. Joe has to watch law enforcement navigate jurisdictional policies while investigating the rape of Joe's mother.

Like most postmodern fiction, this is not a happy ending kind of book, but it is beautifully written.

White Teeth is a wonderfully woven story of multiple generations in London. It is sometimes compared to Dickens, but with a modern twist that reflects the multiculturalism of present-day London.

The conflict comes into play between cultures, generations, birth order, religion, and traditions

The development of the characters is authentic and thorough. Sometimes I had trouble remembering who was who and how everyone was related. The story winds around to an exciting end that I found to be very entertaining.

Oh Fight Club, you strange, strange book. I am one of the few people my age who have not seen the movie. After reading the book, I'm not sure if I want to. I did love the book, but it is so disturbing, I don't think I need the images to come to life before me.

In order to deal with everyday stress and insomnia, the narrator attends support group meetings to learn about the lives of people who are truly suffering (doctor's idea). He is accused of being a fraud and soon discovers that fighting can soothe his frustrations and help him sleep. Tyler Durdan becomes his mentor and ringleader in a dark, sometimes funny, biting book.

This is a feminist dystopian novel. In vitro fertilization is now illegal. The Personhood Amendment has given rights to embryos. Abortion has also been outlawed and the women characters all are contemplating their experiences as mothers and daughters.

This is not as far-fetched as The Handmaid's Tale but it definitely has the feel that the legislation and desperation are possible in the future because of the non-ending debates about women's health and the rights of the unborn.

Combining my love of Louise Erdrich and of Red Clocks and The Handmaid's Tale, I was excited to read this selection. For me, it did not live up to the hype.

Evolution is reversing and the few babies who make it to term are born resembling primitive humans. After a secret ultrasound, Cedar is encouraged by her doctor to hide herself away since the government are rounding up all pregnant women.

This book could have been so much more - it just didn't have the magic of Erdrich's other books.

Esther is a fragile character trying to thrive during her internship in New York City. However, she feels disconnected and dissatisfied with the experience. The reader really hopes she will win the opportunity to study writing, but that hope is dashed. Concern for Esther and her fragile state is palpable as you read but she is a little difficult to like.

Esther experiences treatments for her depression and begins to handle her fears.

It is excellent that so much of this book can resonate with teens today and their sense of disconnect.

This was not my favorite book, but it did spur me on to exploring some of Sylvia Plath's poetry.

The name Truman Capote generates a lot of images: a flamboyant writer, a man with a high, squeaky voice, and the writer of the chilling In Cold Blood and the adult-themed Breakfast at Tiffany's. Based on those preconceptions, this story was totally unexpected and completely charming.

Buddy and his elderly cousin, Miss Sook Falk, are outsiders, even among their own family. They are devastatingly poor and find joy in simple treasures like harvesting nuts for precious fruitcakes they save up for and present as gifts every year. This is a story that should be read annually.