I just finished reading The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. I bought the hardcover before a trip to NY at Kramerbooks & Afterwords in DC, which added a silly amount of weight to my small carry-on. I then lugged it back to SF and then to AZ, but there is nothing better then lounging on the couch, with the bright sun bursting through the window, reading a huge book. My sister has been speeding through the Hunger Games--she was on book 3 by the time I finished this monster.

I always slow down towards the end of a book because I don't want it to end. This book made it hard to do so as the chapters get increasingly smaller, as explained in this excellent review. I was thoroughly entertained by the story and I'm sad to leave the characters to rest. When I told my sister this, she said, well what's the next book called?

Not everything can be a series. And thank goodness, because the talent of Catton in this single piece is terribly evident-- she creates a complicated mystery and then slowly peels through layers with an intricate structure, while still being totally readable. The thought of breaking up the book into parts would be like taking apart an epic movie to make a sitcom.

If you are inside and cold, I highly suggest taking a chance on this story to warm you up.

As for me, I'm ready to read another (short) novel by Clarice Lispector...