Perfect Family

When I picked up this book I thought this might be interesting.  But once I started it I was kind of frustrated for the first couple of chapters I didn't like any of the characters except for Pony.  For the brief time she is in the book she steals the show with her characterization.  I have to say that by chapter twenty this book really took off, I found myself frustrated anytime I had to put this down to go to work or school.  One of the great things I love about this book is the way it approaches the loss of the youngest sibling by the rest of the family.  That along with the unearthing of this affluent families dirty secrets make this story an absolute joy.  The dialog is stilted at times but for the most part is quite good.  By the end of the book I liked all of the characters in the family compared to the beginning where all of them are just nasty & unappealing.  Still my favorite character is Pony due to her lasting effect on the characters & the reader.  My second favorite would be Olivia due to the revelations about her past.  William would be my third favorite for how is character grew & changed over the course of the narrative.  I became so engrossed in the story that I was thinking about it all the time I almost got in a car accident thinking about this story.  About halfway through if you have been following it does get pretty predictable.  But even through the main events are predictable its the little details that I look forward to.  I have to say this is one that I am definitely going to be buying for my collection.   

Impact

I can't believe I read this,  This book has it's moments but the thing is those moments don't work within the same narrative.  This story reads like something that came right out of The Twilight Zone.  Its part science fiction, part mystery thriller, part espionage all coming together as one messed up narrative.  The ending is so messed up & ludicrous that but it somehow works with a story that jumps genres logic in every chapter.   The ending is reminds me of the story The Star by Arthur C. Clarke & with vague nods to Krypton from Superman's mythology.  I'm glad I finished this book however at the same time I wish I had never picked it up. 

The Coffee Trader

I was walking through the library one day when I saw this book sitting on the shelf.  This was kind of an impulse read something for the morning commute.  I must say that I was surprised not by the overall story but by the twisted events of described by one of the characters who is revealed to be the puppet master of the events told throughout the book.  The story revolves around Jews moving to Amsterdam and the emergence of the international trading markets in the 17th century similar to that of modern day Wall Street.  The story takes several twist and turns but the end is what really sold me on this title.  The reveal of Miguel Lienzo's true scheme leads to even bigger reveals that show just how untrustworthy a great many people really are.  But it also shows how innocent some of their intentions can be while hurting others through their schemes.  There are some plot threads that are left hanging even after the back cover is closed.  Overall this is a title that stacks up to older text like Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.  I highly recommend simply for the climax alone.