ROOM (Emma Donoghue) - September 28/12

It took me a while to get used to the idea of a book from the perspective of a five year old and the gimmick admittedly doesn't always work, but Room boasts a palpably gripping midsection that I just felt compelled to read and read. The book has a number of lulls - towards the end, once they're out of Room, especially - and it's clear that it should be about 100 pages shorter, but still this is generally an engrossing, completely readable novel. *** out of ****

THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (Matthew Quick) - September 23/12

This incredible brisk read (I finished it in two days) admittedly contains some filler - the football stuff really did nothing for me - but I came to really sympathize with the protagonist. It's ultimately a surprisingly touching romantic comedy, and I suspect that the movie might be even better. *** out of ****

Y THE LAST MAN: KIMONO DRAGONS (Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, Goran Sudzuka, Jose Marzan Jr) - September 19/12

More of the same. Nothing too fantastic here, as it feels like we're just waiting to get to the end at this point. But it's entertaining and occasionally quite funny, so it's hard to complain. *** out of ****

Y THE LAST MAN: PAPER DOLLS (Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, Goran Sudzuka, Jose Marzan Jr) - September 19/12

The story finally feels as though it's actually moving forward, so I probably enjoyed this one more than the last few. I was a little confused by the two monkeys, though, but I'm sure that'll be sorted out as the series progresses. Liked some of the twists, including the unexpected death of Yorick's mother. *** out of ****

ENEMIES, A LOVE STORY (Josh Schollmeyer) - September 15/12

This Kindle single is certainly a brisk read - I got through it standing in a few lines at TIFF - and it's packed with a number of admittedly interesting tidbits, but it feels a little too surface somehow. I would've liked a little more detail on some of the stories and anecdotes, as it often seems as though Schollmeyer is zipping through and overlooking some of the more interesting aspects of Siskel and Ebert's legacy. (It didn't help that I didn't realize I could click on the footnotes and has to consequently read them out of context at the end.) *** out of ****

ZOO (James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge) - September 15/12

It's weird jumping directly from Anna Karenina to this, since the writing here is...less than accomplished, comparatively speaking. But the story moves fast and the protagonist is likeable. I was a little frustrated, though, how the book's second half kept introducing characters and devoting whole chapters to them, when the first half was devoted almost entirely to the main character's first-person exploits. It just seemed like the authors were attempting to pad out the novel. And the Crichton-like emphasis on the science behind everything felt forced and needless. Still, it's a quick read that I got through in a couple of days. **1/2 out of ****

LIGHT ON SNOW (Anita Shreve) - September 1/12

This short yet tremendously entertaining book held my interest from beginning to end, and although the story is awfully slight and quite descriptive at times, Shreve does a fantastic job of establishing the characters and their admittedly unusual situation. It got to the point where I was somewhat upset that the story was coming to an end, as I wanted to spend more time with these incredibly vivid characters. I will certainly be seeking out more Shreve novels in the future. *** out of ****