More Than Words Can Say: A Novel by Robert Barclay

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I have to say I was super disappointed with this book. I always open a book with an open mind, and I'm always searching for something fantastic. This book was not. I know it has some editing to be done still, but overall, I was not crazy about the storyline or the writing style.

The story was set up like it was going to involve some mysterious, dark secret. The plot ends up being rather mundane...maybe this would have worked as an 'immoral' story several decades ago. Compared to the types of behavior we see exhibited on tv, movies, and in books, this story is completely anti-climatic.

As for the writing style, every paragraph ends with an ellipsis. Every character is introduced through a list of their traits ("He was an attractive man in his early sixties with a full head of gray hair," "She was a tall and attractive woman of 33") etc. All of the characters are stereotypes and their thoughts often read like a soap opera.

This book was predictable and offered characters and scenes that have been written about for hundreds of years. I didn't fall in love with any of the characters--actually, in the end, I didn't care about any of them one way or another.

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Robertson's Book of Firsts: Who Did What for the First Time by Patrick Robertson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was one of the most interesting books I've read in ages. The only downside? I was completely annoying my family by constantly asking, "Did you know the dishwasher was invented by a woman? Did you know....Did you know...." This book was almost like an encyclopedia of inventions. Each entry was as fascinating as the last. Robertson has definitely done a great job at making seemingly mundane objects and topics rife with quirky details and memorable anecdotes. Another bonus was that I felt I had a better understanding of many aspects of history after reading this book. I grasped more of what life in the colonies was like and how war was transformed by the introduction of certain weapons. Oh, and one more....Did you know Native Americans didn't really invent popcorn?

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