The Learners (Chip Kidd)

Kidd is a famous graphic designer, and the book is a festival of graphic design, much of which I found irritating. What's the point of splitting the disclaimer in half down the middle and separating the two halves by a page? You've just made it a chore to read, and if you think nobody reads it then it's just an exercise with no purpose. I also found the characters a little overblown, as though trying too hard to be dramatic and special. But as a psychologist I was very interested in the inside details of the Milgram study (NOT an experiment!). Still, though most participants were stressed, my recollection was that severe psychological reactions didn't occur - certainly, nobody committed suicide as a result. All in all I'm glad I read it, but I didn't love it.

The Algebraist (Iain Banks)

I enjoyed this huge, deep novel about a galaxy chock-full of alien factions, slow-motion wars, intrigue, hidden codes, and more. Most of the technology seemed plausible and I cared about the main characters. I thought the space warfare was handled especially skifully. That said, I still had problems with part of it, mostly the time frames. I know why it was necessary, but still, species that not only survive but stay at essentially the same technological and sociological level for billions of years? Even among the main characters, technology didn't change over hundreds of years. Think back 200 years and decide how likely that is. Also, all the species (with one significant exception) are at basically the same technological level, and even that one exception is not different by orders of magnitude. These factors kept getting in the way of my suspension of disbelief. Overall, though, I liked it.

Freedom (Jonathan Franzen)

This story of a dysfunctional family is beautifully written but painful to read. Ex-jock Patty is married to environmental activist Walter but more attracted to bad-boy rocker Richard, which poisons their marriage. Their children also suffer, especially Joey, who grows up a self-centered hedonist in and out of a troubled relationship of his own. The words and sentences are splendid, drawing such a vivid picture of all the characters and events, but I can't say I enjoyed the experience completely, because what they were going through was sad and twisted.

The Girl who Played with Fire (Stieg Larsson)

The sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is just as violent and fascinating as its predecessor. Lisbeth Salander once again squares off against the world, pitting her wits, intelligence, and kick-ass take-no-prisoners attitude against some very scary people. As usual, she has a hard time recognizing or accepting help from those who care about her, but in this story we learn some of what made her who she has become. I'm looking forward to the next book.