I was disappointed with "The Scribe of Siena." As an avid reader of a certain time-travel/romance series that's very popular right now, I thought that the premise for this book sounded intriguing. However, I felt that there was very little development of the characters and the underlying plot. The method of time travel that the author constructs seemed to be original and unique, but everything else rushed past so quickly that when I finally reached the conclusion, I felt both relieved and empty.

I had trouble getting used to the writing style (third person, present tense), but once I did, I found myself enjoying "Manderley Forever" much more than I initially thought I would. I didn't know much about Daphne du Maurier's life to begin with, so I was very much a blank slate. I now have a much deeper appreciation for her novels, and can't wait to read more of them!

I very much enjoyed reading 'The Midnight Watch;' it's an excellent piece of historical fiction. So excellent, in fact, that it's often difficult to tell where fact ends and fiction begins. The Titanic disaster has become so ingrained in our current pop culture that it's hard to appreciate the emotional impact that it had on those living in 1912. I appreciated the chance to view the tragedy from the observer's perspective.

I have to start out by stating that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, as it's very well written. I finished it in just a week; however, it's taken me nearly a month to digest it to the point of being able to review it. The narrative is compelling and the characters are suitably pathetic (in a tragic, interesting sort of way). Strangely enough, it reminded me a great deal of Wuthering Heights: it took me down, down, down into a nightmarish reality in which I kept hoping against hope that the main characters would begin to make responsible decisions and thereby escape their tragic literary destiny.

In conclusion, though this is certainly not a happy book, I'm glad I had the chance to read it.