Check out the July Challenge!
Do you have a book you read in school that you swore was the worst book ever? Have you ever thought that maybe your teachers weren't out to torture you, and there may have been a method to their madness after all? Then the July Challenge is for you!
Details on the challenge can be found here...check it out, and join us!
Details on the challenge can be found here...check it out, and join us!
33) Three Shadows by Cyril Pedrosa (Graphic Novel, 272 pages)
Very interesting concept but I found the artwork a little awkward. It probably didn't help my understanding of the storyline in that I sped read it in one very short sitting. I'll need to go back and give this another try. 3/5
34) Reserved for the Cat by Mercedes Lackey (Fantasy, 432 pages)
This book was practically a case example of how not to write a novel. This book relied heavily on the tell, not show method of plot advancement, every character was one-dimensional, the plot was rushed, and I finished the book feeling very very unsatisfied. At least this book didn't follow her usual theme of over the top neglectful/ignorant/evil parental figures. Unfortunately, there wasn't even a good battle scene at the end to redeem it. 2/5
35) Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (Children's Fantasy, 538 pages)
A very fun and cute fantasy story.
36) What the Deaf-Mute Heard by G.D. Gearino (Fiction, 221 pages)
I saw the made-for-TV movie based on this book when it first aired back in 1997 and loved it. I stumbled across the book about a year ago in a secondhand shop and just now got around to reading it. I was pleasantly surprised. The book had a much more "adult" feel, and Sammy is a fleshed out character who is not wholly sympathetic at all times. I sped through the book in one sitting and.
37) Into the Fire by Suzanne Brockman (Fiction, 477 pages)
The latest book in Brockmann's Troubleshooters series did not disappoint. The characterization was interesting, the plotting was fast, and there were several laugh-out-loud moments. Typical Brockmann. 4.5/5
38) All Through the Night: A Troubleshooter Christmas by Suzanne Brockmann (Romance, 286 pages)
A reread of a fabulous book in a fabulous series. 4.5/5
39) Survival of the Sickest: A Medical Maverick Discovers Why We Need Disease by Dr. Sharon Moalem (Medicine/Science, 210 pages)
While reading this book, I was constantly calling up friends to tell them, "This is so cool! Did you know...?" Absolutely fascinating book on why humans evolved diseases. Very highly recommended. 4.5/5
40) The Genius Factory: The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank by David Plotz (Medicine/Science/History, 262 pages)
Equally fascinating was this journalistic inquiry into the infamous Repository for Germinal Choice. Plotz goes into the sperm bank's eugenics beginnings to the ramifications today now that the Nobel Sperm Bank babies are finally growing up, and nicely rounds it out with some musings on nature versus nurture. 4.5/5
41) Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez (Memoirs, 297 pages)
I had my reservations about the book. I started out not believing that a beauty school would really better the lives of women in Afghanistan. I ended the book believing the complete opposite. Rodriguez's book showed me that any business opportunity, no matter how seemingly superficial, that allowed these women a sanctuary and the ability to earn money would be a positive impact. While not the best written book, it was an interesting read. I do wish she had provided a "cast of characters" so I could have kept track of everyone who passed through the pages. 4/5
Very interesting concept but I found the artwork a little awkward. It probably didn't help my understanding of the storyline in that I sped read it in one very short sitting. I'll need to go back and give this another try. 3/5
34) Reserved for the Cat by Mercedes Lackey (Fantasy, 432 pages)
This book was practically a case example of how not to write a novel. This book relied heavily on the tell, not show method of plot advancement, every character was one-dimensional, the plot was rushed, and I finished the book feeling very very unsatisfied. At least this book didn't follow her usual theme of over the top neglectful/ignorant/evil parental figures. Unfortunately, there wasn't even a good battle scene at the end to redeem it. 2/5
35) Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (Children's Fantasy, 538 pages)
A very fun and cute fantasy story.
36) What the Deaf-Mute Heard by G.D. Gearino (Fiction, 221 pages)
I saw the made-for-TV movie based on this book when it first aired back in 1997 and loved it. I stumbled across the book about a year ago in a secondhand shop and just now got around to reading it. I was pleasantly surprised. The book had a much more "adult" feel, and Sammy is a fleshed out character who is not wholly sympathetic at all times. I sped through the book in one sitting and.
37) Into the Fire by Suzanne Brockman (Fiction, 477 pages)
The latest book in Brockmann's Troubleshooters series did not disappoint. The characterization was interesting, the plotting was fast, and there were several laugh-out-loud moments. Typical Brockmann. 4.5/5
38) All Through the Night: A Troubleshooter Christmas by Suzanne Brockmann (Romance, 286 pages)
A reread of a fabulous book in a fabulous series. 4.5/5
39) Survival of the Sickest: A Medical Maverick Discovers Why We Need Disease by Dr. Sharon Moalem (Medicine/Science, 210 pages)
While reading this book, I was constantly calling up friends to tell them, "This is so cool! Did you know...?" Absolutely fascinating book on why humans evolved diseases. Very highly recommended. 4.5/5
40) The Genius Factory: The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank by David Plotz (Medicine/Science/History, 262 pages)
Equally fascinating was this journalistic inquiry into the infamous Repository for Germinal Choice. Plotz goes into the sperm bank's eugenics beginnings to the ramifications today now that the Nobel Sperm Bank babies are finally growing up, and nicely rounds it out with some musings on nature versus nurture. 4.5/5
41) Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez (Memoirs, 297 pages)
I had my reservations about the book. I started out not believing that a beauty school would really better the lives of women in Afghanistan. I ended the book believing the complete opposite. Rodriguez's book showed me that any business opportunity, no matter how seemingly superficial, that allowed these women a sanctuary and the ability to earn money would be a positive impact. While not the best written book, it was an interesting read. I do wish she had provided a "cast of characters" so I could have kept track of everyone who passed through the pages. 4/5
| |
22 / 50 (44.0%) |
Per request, I'm putting most of this post behind an LJ-Cut.
The books you'll find within:
#13-#15 is actually an ominbus edition of all three books in the Wraeththu trilogy by Storm Constantine, and I'll review it as one book.
#16 was Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow by Elizabeth Lesser
#17 was Notes from an Incomplete Revolution: Real Life Since Feminism by Merideth Maran
#18 was Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore
#19 was Food and Feast in Tudor England by Alison Sim
#20 was The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
#21 was Folly by Laurie R. King
#22 was House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
( Wraethuthu )
( Broken Open )
( Fluke )
( The Bean Trees )
( Folly )
- Mood:accomplished
1. Water for Elephants , Sara Gruen
fiction
Summary (from Amazon.com): With its spotlight on elephants, Gruen's romantic page-turner hinges on the human-animal bonds that drove her debut and its sequel (Riding Lessons and Flying Changes)—but without the mass appeal that horses hold. The novel, told in flashback by nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski, recounts the wild and wonderful period he spent with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a traveling circus he joined during the Great Depression. When 23-year-old Jankowski learns that his parents have been killed in a car crash, leaving him penniless, he drops out of Cornell veterinary school and parlays his expertise with animals into a job with the circus, where he cares for a menagerie of exotic creatures[...] He also falls in love with Marlena, one of the show's star performers—a romance complicated by Marlena's husband, the unbalanced, sadistic circus boss who beats both his wife and the animals Jankowski cares for. Despite her often clichéd prose and the predictability of the story's ending, Gruen skillfully humanizes the midgets, drunks, rubes and freaks who populate her book.
My Opinion: I really loved this book. It lives up to the boast that it's a page-turner and I found myself sucked in from the very beginning. I didn't find the ending predictable in the slightest. The dichotomy between Jacob's old-self versus the memories of his prime flow together seamlessly through Gruen's incredible imagery. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
2. Apathy and Other Small Victories , Paul Neilan
fiction - "slacker fiction" - humorous fiction
Summary (from Amazon.com): Like many a hip young literary antihero these days, the protagonist of this hilarious if aimless debut is sunk in slacker anomie. Shane has a monotonous temp job at an insurance agency, where he is supposed to alphabetize paperwork but instead spends his time sleeping on the toilet. After work, he is besieged by a gallery of grotesques: a vapid girlfriend who sexually brutalizes him; an absurdly macho neighbor with a leather-clad guinea pig for a sex slave; and his dentist's deaf assistant, who sings atonal karaoke, teaches him to sign obscenities and furnishes a wispy narrative thread by getting murdered. In a world both banal and assaultive, Shane can only drink, steal salt shakers and cultivate his sense of irony; "[t]here's only so much you can do," he shrugs, "and even that's not worth the trouble." Shane's malaise doesn't feel earned; job aside, there are just too many gonzo goings-on—the landlord, for instance, is paying him to have sex with his wife—for him to feel so listless. There's not much to Shane besides a defiant dejectedness, but from that Neilan spins many sparkling comic riffs on the tawdriness and sterility of American life.
My Opinion: Absolutely hilarious if you're prepared to read a slew of tangents written by a guy who knows how funny he is. The one liners left me snorting out loud and the cover alone is attractive. The plot is mostly there, but the lackluster ending kind of ruins it all. It's an odd read, and I would only recommend it to a certain group of people with a particular kind of humor. Cynicism, sarcasm, crude, and lewd, please pick it up if any of those adjectives appeal to you.
3. Naked , David Sedaris
memoir - autobiography - essays
Summary (from Amazon.com): Sedaris has fashioned a funny memoir of his wonderfully offbeat life. To call his family "dysfunctional" would be enormous understatement and beside the point; Sedaris's relatives and other companions become vital characters on the page. We see his mother serving drinks to the string of teachers who want to discuss her son's compulsions to lick light switches and make high-pitched noises. We travel with Sedaris and his quadriplegic hitchhiking companion, listen to his foul-mouthed seat mate on a long bus trip, and accompany the author on a hilariously self-conscious visit to a nudist colony. Sedaris's humor is wickedly irreverent but not mean. Traveling with him is well worth it for the laughs and his generous human sensibility.
My Opinion: I've read David Sedaris before (Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim) and I was delighted to read another. His sense of humor and ridiculous memoires make you stifle giggles and wonder if all of it is actually true. Amidst the humor, there are touching stories as well that pull at your heart-strings. With every story there is some kind of revelation, and whether or not those revelations are on a grand scheme or a personal one, you find yourself nodding along and digging into your own memories. I highly recommend this, or any of David's other novels.
4. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde , Robert Louis Stevenson
novella - fiction - horror
Summary: Spawned by a nightmare that Stevenson had, this classic tale of the dark, primordial night of the soul remains a masterpiece of the duality of good and evil within us all. It is about a London lawyer who investigates strange occurences between his old friend Dr Henry Jekyll, and the misanthropic Edward Hyde.
My Opinion: Loved it. I was supposed to read this back in high school during our Romantic/Gothic/Victorian run through, but as a class we never got to it for a lack of time. I really enjoyed Frankenstein and wanted to read Dracula, The Invisible Man, and of course, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I read it in a couple of hours and really enjoyed it even though I already knew the story. It's a literary classic, and being a good old English nerd I was a fan, but I don't know if I'd recommend it to the general public. The wording can be tough if you're not a strong reader.
fiction
Summary (from Amazon.com): With its spotlight on elephants, Gruen's romantic page-turner hinges on the human-animal bonds that drove her debut and its sequel (Riding Lessons and Flying Changes)—but without the mass appeal that horses hold. The novel, told in flashback by nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski, recounts the wild and wonderful period he spent with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a traveling circus he joined during the Great Depression. When 23-year-old Jankowski learns that his parents have been killed in a car crash, leaving him penniless, he drops out of Cornell veterinary school and parlays his expertise with animals into a job with the circus, where he cares for a menagerie of exotic creatures[...] He also falls in love with Marlena, one of the show's star performers—a romance complicated by Marlena's husband, the unbalanced, sadistic circus boss who beats both his wife and the animals Jankowski cares for. Despite her often clichéd prose and the predictability of the story's ending, Gruen skillfully humanizes the midgets, drunks, rubes and freaks who populate her book.
My Opinion: I really loved this book. It lives up to the boast that it's a page-turner and I found myself sucked in from the very beginning. I didn't find the ending predictable in the slightest. The dichotomy between Jacob's old-self versus the memories of his prime flow together seamlessly through Gruen's incredible imagery. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
2. Apathy and Other Small Victories , Paul Neilan
fiction - "slacker fiction" - humorous fiction
Summary (from Amazon.com): Like many a hip young literary antihero these days, the protagonist of this hilarious if aimless debut is sunk in slacker anomie. Shane has a monotonous temp job at an insurance agency, where he is supposed to alphabetize paperwork but instead spends his time sleeping on the toilet. After work, he is besieged by a gallery of grotesques: a vapid girlfriend who sexually brutalizes him; an absurdly macho neighbor with a leather-clad guinea pig for a sex slave; and his dentist's deaf assistant, who sings atonal karaoke, teaches him to sign obscenities and furnishes a wispy narrative thread by getting murdered. In a world both banal and assaultive, Shane can only drink, steal salt shakers and cultivate his sense of irony; "[t]here's only so much you can do," he shrugs, "and even that's not worth the trouble." Shane's malaise doesn't feel earned; job aside, there are just too many gonzo goings-on—the landlord, for instance, is paying him to have sex with his wife—for him to feel so listless. There's not much to Shane besides a defiant dejectedness, but from that Neilan spins many sparkling comic riffs on the tawdriness and sterility of American life.
My Opinion: Absolutely hilarious if you're prepared to read a slew of tangents written by a guy who knows how funny he is. The one liners left me snorting out loud and the cover alone is attractive. The plot is mostly there, but the lackluster ending kind of ruins it all. It's an odd read, and I would only recommend it to a certain group of people with a particular kind of humor. Cynicism, sarcasm, crude, and lewd, please pick it up if any of those adjectives appeal to you.
3. Naked , David Sedaris
memoir - autobiography - essays
Summary (from Amazon.com): Sedaris has fashioned a funny memoir of his wonderfully offbeat life. To call his family "dysfunctional" would be enormous understatement and beside the point; Sedaris's relatives and other companions become vital characters on the page. We see his mother serving drinks to the string of teachers who want to discuss her son's compulsions to lick light switches and make high-pitched noises. We travel with Sedaris and his quadriplegic hitchhiking companion, listen to his foul-mouthed seat mate on a long bus trip, and accompany the author on a hilariously self-conscious visit to a nudist colony. Sedaris's humor is wickedly irreverent but not mean. Traveling with him is well worth it for the laughs and his generous human sensibility.
My Opinion: I've read David Sedaris before (Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim) and I was delighted to read another. His sense of humor and ridiculous memoires make you stifle giggles and wonder if all of it is actually true. Amidst the humor, there are touching stories as well that pull at your heart-strings. With every story there is some kind of revelation, and whether or not those revelations are on a grand scheme or a personal one, you find yourself nodding along and digging into your own memories. I highly recommend this, or any of David's other novels.
4. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde , Robert Louis Stevenson
novella - fiction - horror
Summary: Spawned by a nightmare that Stevenson had, this classic tale of the dark, primordial night of the soul remains a masterpiece of the duality of good and evil within us all. It is about a London lawyer who investigates strange occurences between his old friend Dr Henry Jekyll, and the misanthropic Edward Hyde.
My Opinion: Loved it. I was supposed to read this back in high school during our Romantic/Gothic/Victorian run through, but as a class we never got to it for a lack of time. I really enjoyed Frankenstein and wanted to read Dracula, The Invisible Man, and of course, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I read it in a couple of hours and really enjoyed it even though I already knew the story. It's a literary classic, and being a good old English nerd I was a fan, but I don't know if I'd recommend it to the general public. The wording can be tough if you're not a strong reader.
Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn: This was a very entertaining novel told in letters. The residents of the (fictional) country, Nollop, have a great respect for language. Their hero is Nevin Nollop, author of the well-known sentence containing all 26 letters of the alphabet "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" which is inscribed on a memorial statue of Nollop in the middle of town. One day the letters of the sentence begin to fall off the statue. As they do so, the island's council bans the use of each letter that falls. The resulting constrictions of language send the entire country into catastrophe. It's up to the title character, Ella Minnow Pea, to save Nollop. I loved the vocabulary. I started underlining all the words I didn't know. Watching the way the characters get around the banned letters is very entertaining also. Highly recommended for anyone who likes language.
The Grand Complication by Allen Kurzweil: I read through this almost in a sitting, I was so curious about how it would end. It's the story of a librarian who is hired by an eccentric rich man to try to find a pocket watch, designed for Marie Antoinette, that's been missing for thirty years. However, neither the watch, the quest, nor the employer turn out to be what they seem.
Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks: A moving family saga about three generations of women and their experiences in a summer cottage at Mistik Lake, a tiny forest community in Northern Canada with a large Icelandic population. Three bittersweet love stories. The writing was very sensual, I could really see everybody in the story. A cut above most YA novels.
Callie's Tally: An Accounting of Baby's First Year (Or, What My Daughter Owes Me) by Betsy Howie: Betsy Howie decided to keep a running tally of what she was spending on her daughter from the moment she discovered she was pregnant. This was partly so she could present Callie with a bill, and thereby teach her important lessons about independance and fiscal responsibility, but mostly because she needed some aspect of motherhood that she could keep clearly organized. The rule is simple. For each purchase she asks herself, would I buy this if I didn't have Callie? If the answer is no, it goes on Callie's tab. This memoir is both funny and stressful. Howie's hard adjustment to motherhood comes across as harried and miserable more often than it does joyful. For those who are curious about the final numbers, in her first year of life Callie racks up about $10,000 of debt, but brings in about $4,000 in tax credits and gifts.
Maisie Dobbs by Jacquelyn Winspear: This is the first in a series about Maisie Dobbs, a young woman living in 1930's England who starts her own detective agency. The actual mystery is secondary to the story of Maisie herself, and much of the book is told in flashback. Maisie began as a maid but was recognized for her amazing intellect by her employer who helped her to get an education and eventually go to Cambridge. Maisie uses psychology and a strong belief in the mind-body connection to help people see the truth, her real motivation for going in to her line of work. Very well written.
The Scent of Waterby Elizabeth Goudge: I picked this one up because it was a Nancy Pearl recommendation. It's a very peaceful book. The main character, a middle aged business woman, moves from London to a tiny country town when she retires. The book tells the stories of all the residents and how they are effected by the introduction of a new neighbor. Not a lot of plot except for the day-to-day struggles of the characters. There's an ongoing theme about learning to take life slowly and retain your childlike sense of wonder. It was slow-paced, but very refreshing.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: I put off reading this for a long time. There's been so much hype about it I thought I'd probably be disappointed by it, and I don't usually care for vampire stories. I finally gave in and picked up a copy though, and once I started it I couldn't put it down. This is an amazing adventure love story. I also don't agree with the people who're trying to depict Bella as being a spineless heroine. On the contrary, I think she's very strong. Being self-sacrificing doesn't mean she's not a strong character.
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer: The saga of Edward and Bella continues. I stayed up way too late reading this. Loved it, even though I spent much of the book being furious with Edward.
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer: I think this one is my favorite of the series so far. I'm definitely rooting for Edward over Jacob. Jacob is sweet, but too immature for Bella. Can't wait for the final installment!
The Host by Stephenie Meyer: I wasn't sure I was going to like this one at first because the beginning is kind of confusing. In the story aliens who live inside host-bodies have taken over humanity. The narrator is one of these aliens, newly moved in to a human woman host. I got sucked in to the story very quickly though, and in the end I was racing to finish it so I could find out what happens. More than just a sci-fi story, the major theme is questioning what it means to be human. Very good.
The Grand Complication by Allen Kurzweil: I read through this almost in a sitting, I was so curious about how it would end. It's the story of a librarian who is hired by an eccentric rich man to try to find a pocket watch, designed for Marie Antoinette, that's been missing for thirty years. However, neither the watch, the quest, nor the employer turn out to be what they seem.
Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks: A moving family saga about three generations of women and their experiences in a summer cottage at Mistik Lake, a tiny forest community in Northern Canada with a large Icelandic population. Three bittersweet love stories. The writing was very sensual, I could really see everybody in the story. A cut above most YA novels.
Callie's Tally: An Accounting of Baby's First Year (Or, What My Daughter Owes Me) by Betsy Howie: Betsy Howie decided to keep a running tally of what she was spending on her daughter from the moment she discovered she was pregnant. This was partly so she could present Callie with a bill, and thereby teach her important lessons about independance and fiscal responsibility, but mostly because she needed some aspect of motherhood that she could keep clearly organized. The rule is simple. For each purchase she asks herself, would I buy this if I didn't have Callie? If the answer is no, it goes on Callie's tab. This memoir is both funny and stressful. Howie's hard adjustment to motherhood comes across as harried and miserable more often than it does joyful. For those who are curious about the final numbers, in her first year of life Callie racks up about $10,000 of debt, but brings in about $4,000 in tax credits and gifts.
Maisie Dobbs by Jacquelyn Winspear: This is the first in a series about Maisie Dobbs, a young woman living in 1930's England who starts her own detective agency. The actual mystery is secondary to the story of Maisie herself, and much of the book is told in flashback. Maisie began as a maid but was recognized for her amazing intellect by her employer who helped her to get an education and eventually go to Cambridge. Maisie uses psychology and a strong belief in the mind-body connection to help people see the truth, her real motivation for going in to her line of work. Very well written.
The Scent of Waterby Elizabeth Goudge: I picked this one up because it was a Nancy Pearl recommendation. It's a very peaceful book. The main character, a middle aged business woman, moves from London to a tiny country town when she retires. The book tells the stories of all the residents and how they are effected by the introduction of a new neighbor. Not a lot of plot except for the day-to-day struggles of the characters. There's an ongoing theme about learning to take life slowly and retain your childlike sense of wonder. It was slow-paced, but very refreshing.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: I put off reading this for a long time. There's been so much hype about it I thought I'd probably be disappointed by it, and I don't usually care for vampire stories. I finally gave in and picked up a copy though, and once I started it I couldn't put it down. This is an amazing adventure love story. I also don't agree with the people who're trying to depict Bella as being a spineless heroine. On the contrary, I think she's very strong. Being self-sacrificing doesn't mean she's not a strong character.
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer: The saga of Edward and Bella continues. I stayed up way too late reading this. Loved it, even though I spent much of the book being furious with Edward.
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer: I think this one is my favorite of the series so far. I'm definitely rooting for Edward over Jacob. Jacob is sweet, but too immature for Bella. Can't wait for the final installment!
The Host by Stephenie Meyer: I wasn't sure I was going to like this one at first because the beginning is kind of confusing. In the story aliens who live inside host-bodies have taken over humanity. The narrator is one of these aliens, newly moved in to a human woman host. I got sucked in to the story very quickly though, and in the end I was racing to finish it so I could find out what happens. More than just a sci-fi story, the major theme is questioning what it means to be human. Very good.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
224 pages
4/5 stars
Depressing, yet inspiring. Jon Krakauer explores the final days of Chris McCandless AKA Alexander Supertramp and also delves into the psyche of those who seek to separate themselves from society and immerse themselves in the wild.
As a sidenote, Sean Penn's film serves as a beautiful visual companion to the book.
6/50 in 2008
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
402 pages
3/5 stars
Classic King.
I did run into the same problem I encounter with some of his work. He sets up wonderful concepts and characters in the first third of the novel, they struggle and endure through the second third of the novel, and I spend the final third wondering when the damn thing comes to an end.
Overall, though, The Dead Zone is fun and spooky and weird, which is what I expect when I pick up a King novel.
7/50 in 2008
Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk
272 pages
5/5 stars
This book's "hook" is in the repetition, a lullaby in itself, which lulls the reader into a rhythm of repeated phrases or variations thereof.
More tolerable (as in horrific gross-out factor) than Haunted and slightly less abrasive than Choke, Lullaby is a fun supernatural mystery. There's also something Orwellian about this book, about Palahniuk's work in general, that examines our culture and asks us, point blank, "What the hell are we thinking?”
8/50 in 2008
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
350 pages
4.5/5 stars
I, like others, worried that this book was over-hyped, that I would find myself bored and skimming pages just to make it to the final chapter. That didn't happen.
Sara Gruen presents two worlds: A 1930's post-depression train-traveling circus and a present-day assisted care living facility for elderly persons. While most of the story takes place in the former setting, both are populated with vibrant and memorable characters.
Part historical novel, part love-story, part coming of age tale, Water for Elephants is an engaging read about finding yourself and fighting for what you love.
9/50 in 2008
224 pages
4/5 stars
Depressing, yet inspiring. Jon Krakauer explores the final days of Chris McCandless AKA Alexander Supertramp and also delves into the psyche of those who seek to separate themselves from society and immerse themselves in the wild.
As a sidenote, Sean Penn's film serves as a beautiful visual companion to the book.
6/50 in 2008
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
402 pages
3/5 stars
Classic King.
I did run into the same problem I encounter with some of his work. He sets up wonderful concepts and characters in the first third of the novel, they struggle and endure through the second third of the novel, and I spend the final third wondering when the damn thing comes to an end.
Overall, though, The Dead Zone is fun and spooky and weird, which is what I expect when I pick up a King novel.
7/50 in 2008
Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk
272 pages
5/5 stars
This book's "hook" is in the repetition, a lullaby in itself, which lulls the reader into a rhythm of repeated phrases or variations thereof.
More tolerable (as in horrific gross-out factor) than Haunted and slightly less abrasive than Choke, Lullaby is a fun supernatural mystery. There's also something Orwellian about this book, about Palahniuk's work in general, that examines our culture and asks us, point blank, "What the hell are we thinking?”
8/50 in 2008
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
350 pages
4.5/5 stars
I, like others, worried that this book was over-hyped, that I would find myself bored and skimming pages just to make it to the final chapter. That didn't happen.
Sara Gruen presents two worlds: A 1930's post-depression train-traveling circus and a present-day assisted care living facility for elderly persons. While most of the story takes place in the former setting, both are populated with vibrant and memorable characters.
Part historical novel, part love-story, part coming of age tale, Water for Elephants is an engaging read about finding yourself and fighting for what you love.
9/50 in 2008
50 BOOK CHALLENGE 2008 #17: The Tulip and the Pope: A Nun's Story
AUTHOR: Deborah Larsen
YEAR: (2005, Knopf, hardcover)
GENRE: memoir
PAGES: 256
The Tulip and the Pope: A Nun's Story by Deborah Larsen
rating: 3 of 5 stars
AUTHOR: Deborah Larsen
YEAR: (2005, Knopf, hardcover)
GENRE: memoir
PAGES: 256
The Tulip and the Pope: A Nun's Story by Deborah Larsenrating: 3 of 5 stars
( Read more... )
Yeah, I'm way behind. Shhhhhh...
Woodswoman: Living Alone in the Adirondack Wilderness - Anne LaBastille
Amazon Link
Rating: 3
Genre: Memoir-ish
This book came highly recommended by my boyfriend's mother. It is the first in a series of four books - true stories about the author and her life living in a cabin she built herself on a lake in the Adirondacks. I quite disliked her writing style, I'll be honest with you. It was jumpy, some of her word choices were very strange, and the detours she took from the main story of the chapter to describe things were quite distracting. Many times, by the time she got back to the point of the story, I had forgotten what she had been talking about in the first place. Also, much of it is just description. There are stories, and all the actual stories are worth reading. But there are also pages upon pages of description of things like ... the length of the boards used to put up a certain wall of her cabin. I dunno, it was just a very tedious read. I skipped more of it than I'd like to admit.
But, like I said, there were so many good stories there. I'd recommend suffering your way through the rest of it to get the stories. The story of her pet fox. The story of how she fell in love with her first husband. The story of rowing across the lake and watching the ice freeze up behind her. The story of her hike through the mountains and the history she found there. The story of the locals placing a 50lb barrel on the frozen-over lake and making bets as to when it would fall through the ice. And just the story of her survival in general. It was really inspiring and very interesting - I felt like I learned a lot while being somewhat entertained simultaneously.
Emma - Jane Austen (Barnes & Noble Classics Edition)
Amazon Link
Rating: 3
Genre: Classic Novel
I had never endeavored to read Emma before, although I have read and enjoyed others of Jane Austen's novels. This one, I didn't care for as much. The plot was interesting, and I did enjoy the twist at the end involving Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax - I was never expecting that and I actually laughed aloud with surprise. This is rare for me in any book - so obviously it did have its merits. It was just really long, an even more difficult read for me than her other novels (which is saying something). I have only one "real" complaint, and that is with regards to Emma's feelings about Frank Churchill. She first believes herself to be in love with him - and later decides she never was. And manages to convince poor Mr. Knightly of that as well (with help from the fact that Frank says in his letter he never believed Emma to be taken in by his act). But really, I think she may have been, at least to some extent. Certainly not the same kind of love that she felt for Mr. Knightly, but... love can express itself in many ways. I guess that's all I have to say about that. I'll be watching the movie Emma sometime in the future for my own movie community, so I'll be interested to see how it compares.
Speaking of that - I forced myself to read both the Introduction to the book (which is usually best read AFTER reading the work in question, rather than before) as well as the "Inspired by Emma" section at the back. In the "Inspired by Emma" section, it was noted that the movie Clueless was actually based on this novel, which I NEVER would have guessed if they hadn't mentioned it. I guess there are some similarities (Cher was a matchmaker, tried to improve Tai's status at school by taking her under her wing), they certainly took some liberties with a lot of the plot (falling in love with her step-brother rather than a sibling's husband's brother, which is far more removed).
The Introduction was a bit dry (but aren't they all?) and extremely wordy. I think the average word length went up by 2-3 for the Introduction. But he made a lot of really good points that I wouldn't have noticed on my own - even though most of what he did just seemed to be summarizing the novel.
Woodswoman: Living Alone in the Adirondack Wilderness - Anne LaBastille
Amazon Link
Rating: 3
Genre: Memoir-ish
This book came highly recommended by my boyfriend's mother. It is the first in a series of four books - true stories about the author and her life living in a cabin she built herself on a lake in the Adirondacks. I quite disliked her writing style, I'll be honest with you. It was jumpy, some of her word choices were very strange, and the detours she took from the main story of the chapter to describe things were quite distracting. Many times, by the time she got back to the point of the story, I had forgotten what she had been talking about in the first place. Also, much of it is just description. There are stories, and all the actual stories are worth reading. But there are also pages upon pages of description of things like ... the length of the boards used to put up a certain wall of her cabin. I dunno, it was just a very tedious read. I skipped more of it than I'd like to admit.
But, like I said, there were so many good stories there. I'd recommend suffering your way through the rest of it to get the stories. The story of her pet fox. The story of how she fell in love with her first husband. The story of rowing across the lake and watching the ice freeze up behind her. The story of her hike through the mountains and the history she found there. The story of the locals placing a 50lb barrel on the frozen-over lake and making bets as to when it would fall through the ice. And just the story of her survival in general. It was really inspiring and very interesting - I felt like I learned a lot while being somewhat entertained simultaneously.
Emma - Jane Austen (Barnes & Noble Classics Edition)
Amazon Link
Rating: 3
Genre: Classic Novel
I had never endeavored to read Emma before, although I have read and enjoyed others of Jane Austen's novels. This one, I didn't care for as much. The plot was interesting, and I did enjoy the twist at the end involving Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax - I was never expecting that and I actually laughed aloud with surprise. This is rare for me in any book - so obviously it did have its merits. It was just really long, an even more difficult read for me than her other novels (which is saying something). I have only one "real" complaint, and that is with regards to Emma's feelings about Frank Churchill. She first believes herself to be in love with him - and later decides she never was. And manages to convince poor Mr. Knightly of that as well (with help from the fact that Frank says in his letter he never believed Emma to be taken in by his act). But really, I think she may have been, at least to some extent. Certainly not the same kind of love that she felt for Mr. Knightly, but... love can express itself in many ways. I guess that's all I have to say about that. I'll be watching the movie Emma sometime in the future for my own movie community, so I'll be interested to see how it compares.
Speaking of that - I forced myself to read both the Introduction to the book (which is usually best read AFTER reading the work in question, rather than before) as well as the "Inspired by Emma" section at the back. In the "Inspired by Emma" section, it was noted that the movie Clueless was actually based on this novel, which I NEVER would have guessed if they hadn't mentioned it. I guess there are some similarities (Cher was a matchmaker, tried to improve Tai's status at school by taking her under her wing), they certainly took some liberties with a lot of the plot (falling in love with her step-brother rather than a sibling's husband's brother, which is far more removed).
The Introduction was a bit dry (but aren't they all?) and extremely wordy. I think the average word length went up by 2-3 for the Introduction. But he made a lot of really good points that I wouldn't have noticed on my own - even though most of what he did just seemed to be summarizing the novel.
Still very far behind on reviews and reposting, so I probably will be stepping up the pace a wee bit. Meanwhile, here are three quick and easy reads for summer.
5. Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks. (romance, MMPB, 370 p.)
Nicholas Sparks is getting to be his own genre, and he's fairly reliable for a quick, intense read. This particular installment is somewhat depressing, but very emotional. The jumps in time confused me a bit, they weren't explained clearly enough. The level of coincidence is, as usual, above the average, and realism is stretched at points but it stays down-to-earth enough for an enjoyable, if sad, read. I've knocked off several Sparks books here and there, mostly back in high school. I'd have to say my favorite was The Guardian, since that was the only one that I remember decently. But they make for great beach reads, and Sparks, like Dan Brown, is excellent in his genre.
6. Anything Goes: The Autobiography of John Barrowman with Carole E. Barrowman. (HC, 250 p.)
( Review. Mainly recommended for fans. )
7. Post-it Brand Ideas That Stick!: 222 Ingenious, Creative, Practical, and Simply Preposterous Ways of Using Post-It Notes. (non-fiction, PB, approx. 224 p.)
( Review. Recommended for teachers, parents, and bored office workers. )
Two notes: 1) To any Dr. Who fans who may want to discuss the show, I am only just finishing season 3, please do not give me any season 4 spoilers! There's been a lot of buzz about it that I've managed to avoid so far, and I don't want any accidental spoilers because I posted this here.
2) About the Post-It book, it does not have page numbers, so I went with the Amazon.com count, which didn't seem quite accurate. So FYI the page count may change if I find a more credible account of the page numbers.
STATS
7/50 books (reviewed)
1,713/15,000 pages (counted)
5. Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks. (romance, MMPB, 370 p.)
Nicholas Sparks is getting to be his own genre, and he's fairly reliable for a quick, intense read. This particular installment is somewhat depressing, but very emotional. The jumps in time confused me a bit, they weren't explained clearly enough. The level of coincidence is, as usual, above the average, and realism is stretched at points but it stays down-to-earth enough for an enjoyable, if sad, read. I've knocked off several Sparks books here and there, mostly back in high school. I'd have to say my favorite was The Guardian, since that was the only one that I remember decently. But they make for great beach reads, and Sparks, like Dan Brown, is excellent in his genre.
6. Anything Goes: The Autobiography of John Barrowman with Carole E. Barrowman. (HC, 250 p.)
( Review. Mainly recommended for fans. )
7. Post-it Brand Ideas That Stick!: 222 Ingenious, Creative, Practical, and Simply Preposterous Ways of Using Post-It Notes. (non-fiction, PB, approx. 224 p.)
( Review. Recommended for teachers, parents, and bored office workers. )
Two notes: 1) To any Dr. Who fans who may want to discuss the show, I am only just finishing season 3, please do not give me any season 4 spoilers! There's been a lot of buzz about it that I've managed to avoid so far, and I don't want any accidental spoilers because I posted this here.
2) About the Post-It book, it does not have page numbers, so I went with the Amazon.com count, which didn't seem quite accurate. So FYI the page count may change if I find a more credible account of the page numbers.
STATS
7/50 books (reviewed)
1,713/15,000 pages (counted)
Book #73 -- Immaculée Ilibagiza, Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, 214 pages.
Usually overtly Christian-themed book annoy me, but this one isn't preachy at all, and the story is amazing. The Rwandan version of the Diary of Anne Frank
Progress toward goals: 192/366 = 52.4%
Books: 73/150 = 48.7%
Pages: 20122/50000 = 40.2%
2008 Book List
cross-posted to![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif)
15000pages, 50bookchallenge, and ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
gwynraven
Usually overtly Christian-themed book annoy me, but this one isn't preachy at all, and the story is amazing. The Rwandan version of the Diary of Anne Frank
Progress toward goals: 192/366 = 52.4%
Books: 73/150 = 48.7%
Pages: 20122/50000 = 40.2%
2008 Book List
cross-posted to
15000pages, 50bookchallenge, and gwynravenI can't remember where I was in my list as far as this community goes, so I'll just start on the last book I remember posting.
16. 'So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading' by Sara Nelson (Memoir)
I remember this as the last book that I posted to this community. I gave it a nine out of a possible ten. This was a memoir of a woman doing exactly what we're trying to do this year: read fifty-two books in one year. Although much more well read then myself, Nelson was real and spoke her mind as a, somewhat, snooty reader. Avid readers will definately relate to this book and find it immensely humorous. Nelson described many habits and prejudices readers, like myself and perhaps everyone else here, have. If you don't go to a bookstore at least once a week then you may not get all the jokes. ;)
17. 'The Art of Racing in the Rain' by Garth Stein (Fiction)
The only reason I read this book was because my place of work was selling it and I was able to borrow it for free. I jump at every chance for a free book (imagine me in a library). If I had seen this book in a bookstore, though, I probably would have still picked it up because of it's originality: it's narrated by a dog. Now, as a cat lover (but dog owner) I was a little weary, but this author makes it work. Eerily human, the narrator still comes from somewhere totally unrelatable and foreign. It was definately a book I normally wouldn't read, but a goody. The ending was disappointing, and the emotion is dramatically high.
18. 'Looking for Alaska' by John Green (Young Adult Fiction)
My attempt to leave the Young Adult genre has failed again, and I don't think I'll ever succeed. But I absolutely had to read this one because of the author. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, I'm a Nerd Fighter: a term coined by John Green and his brother during their one year vlog challenge. I have been meaning to get around to reading Green's first novel, although I did read his second novel, 'An Abundance of Katherines' first thing this year. I think I held off on 'Alaska' because I was unenthusiastic about 'Katherines'. I was not disappointed in 'Alaska' at all but was again not overwhelmingly impressed. I'm pretty sure this is my problem and by no means a sign of short-comings on Green's part. The ending, while brilliant, just wasn't for me. I'm sure many other people enjoy it, as I do, and get a feeling of satisfaction with the mystery of the closure, which I did not.
19. 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' by J.K. Rowling (Young Adult Fiction)
20. 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' by J.K. Rowling (Young Adult Fiction)
21. 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' by J.K. Rowling (Young Adult Fiction)
Obviously, I am rereading the Harry Potter series (for the third time) and I feel no need to review it, as I have been reviewing this series with other and in my mind for ages. There are just a couple things that I'm proud of: I've been reading Harry Potter since the first book came out and not the movies, this time around I read the first three books in three days (one day for each book, three days in a row) which is my personal record.
After I'm done with Harry Potter again I will be going on to 'Twilight', the first book in Stephenie Meyer's famous saga. I am jumping on the band-wagon with this one and would like a warning before I start reading. Rumor has it, this series is better or matches with the Harry Potter series. I would appreciate comments on this: Harry Potter versus Twilight? Do the books live up to the reputation?
Thanks! :)
16. 'So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading' by Sara Nelson (Memoir)
I remember this as the last book that I posted to this community. I gave it a nine out of a possible ten. This was a memoir of a woman doing exactly what we're trying to do this year: read fifty-two books in one year. Although much more well read then myself, Nelson was real and spoke her mind as a, somewhat, snooty reader. Avid readers will definately relate to this book and find it immensely humorous. Nelson described many habits and prejudices readers, like myself and perhaps everyone else here, have. If you don't go to a bookstore at least once a week then you may not get all the jokes. ;)
17. 'The Art of Racing in the Rain' by Garth Stein (Fiction)
The only reason I read this book was because my place of work was selling it and I was able to borrow it for free. I jump at every chance for a free book (imagine me in a library). If I had seen this book in a bookstore, though, I probably would have still picked it up because of it's originality: it's narrated by a dog. Now, as a cat lover (but dog owner) I was a little weary, but this author makes it work. Eerily human, the narrator still comes from somewhere totally unrelatable and foreign. It was definately a book I normally wouldn't read, but a goody. The ending was disappointing, and the emotion is dramatically high.
18. 'Looking for Alaska' by John Green (Young Adult Fiction)
My attempt to leave the Young Adult genre has failed again, and I don't think I'll ever succeed. But I absolutely had to read this one because of the author. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, I'm a Nerd Fighter: a term coined by John Green and his brother during their one year vlog challenge. I have been meaning to get around to reading Green's first novel, although I did read his second novel, 'An Abundance of Katherines' first thing this year. I think I held off on 'Alaska' because I was unenthusiastic about 'Katherines'. I was not disappointed in 'Alaska' at all but was again not overwhelmingly impressed. I'm pretty sure this is my problem and by no means a sign of short-comings on Green's part. The ending, while brilliant, just wasn't for me. I'm sure many other people enjoy it, as I do, and get a feeling of satisfaction with the mystery of the closure, which I did not.
19. 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' by J.K. Rowling (Young Adult Fiction)
20. 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' by J.K. Rowling (Young Adult Fiction)
21. 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' by J.K. Rowling (Young Adult Fiction)
Obviously, I am rereading the Harry Potter series (for the third time) and I feel no need to review it, as I have been reviewing this series with other and in my mind for ages. There are just a couple things that I'm proud of: I've been reading Harry Potter since the first book came out and not the movies, this time around I read the first three books in three days (one day for each book, three days in a row) which is my personal record.
After I'm done with Harry Potter again I will be going on to 'Twilight', the first book in Stephenie Meyer's famous saga. I am jumping on the band-wagon with this one and would like a warning before I start reading. Rumor has it, this series is better or matches with the Harry Potter series. I would appreciate comments on this: Harry Potter versus Twilight? Do the books live up to the reputation?
Thanks! :)
- Mood:nerdy
59. I Love You, Beth Cooper
- (7/6) - Larry Doyle 255pI Love You Beth Cooper is basically a 1980's Brat Pack movie in written form. It takes place on high-school graduation night with a meld of stereotypes who don't normally meld.
Larry Doyle used to write for the Simpsons and other TV and movie projects, and you can certainly see that influence in this book. I give the story a 2.5 .... I don't want to spoil anything, but the essentially the same thing happened 5 different times. Probably I'd have enjoyed the story more if I hadn't seen all those movies as they were coming out, because I'm ... you know, old.
What Beth Cooper has is some absolutely clever laugh out loud moments, that hit you unawares, and make you want to keep reading to find Doyle's next gem.
Unsurprisingly, this is currently being made into a movie directed by Chris Columbus. (I won't mention the stars because then you'll picture them and you won't picture your own people. But casting seems good.)
58. A Girl Named Zippy
(7/5) - Haven Kimmel 282pCute book, I like her writing style, but I don't get all the hype.
57. The Virgin Suicides
- (6/28) - Jeffrey Eugenides 256pYeah, this was an outstanding book. I watched the movie shortly after, so I think the book was too much in my head. There was a lot of nice detail in the movie, but something was lacking for me. Plus, Katheen Turner ...ewww..
56. Black Cocktail
- (6/25) - Jonathan Carroll 76pI've read almost all of Carroll's works at this point, getting down to just the really old stuff. Didn't much like this, but it was only 76 pages.
55. House of Leaves
- (6/23) - Mark Danielewski 709pA review in 16 words
M odular
A nalytical
R adical
K inetic
Z. eitgeist
D etailed
A dventurous
N ever dull
I ntelligent
E ngrossing
L abyrinthine
E laborate
W orthy
S ophisticated
K ick-ass
I nventive
My complete list can be found here
- Mood:productive
68. Small Mediums at Large: The True Tale of a Family of Psychics Terry Iacuzzo (3/5)
Terry Iacuzzo is apparently one of the big psychics to the stars (and to other VIPs), although of course we have to take her word for it because she refuses to reveal who she's done readings for. This book is mainly a memoir of childhood and early adulthood, and details her strained relationship with her brother Frank (who was/is also a famous psychic) and the rest of her family, who also possess uncanny abilities. It's a rather difficult memoir for a skeptic to read. On the one hand, it's absolutely fascinating, and Iacuzzo has lead a pretty strange and interesting life. On the other hand, since it's a memoir, there's a complete lack of outside confirmation that any of the events described actually occurred. Members of the family apparently make astounding predictions, but since these predictions are all related after the fact, there's no way of knowing how much things have been manipulated. There's also no account of the many predictions that never came true. Overall, too, this just isn't particularly well-written. Subjects are picked up and dropped; people in fascinating or dangerous situations are described and then never mentioned again. Much of the strange behavior of Terry's family is never explained, and Terry is strangely unforthcoming about a lot of her own emotional and personal development. The result is muddled and unsatisfying, somewhat, but also weird enough that it's still worth the read.
69. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Slayer, Interrupted Scott Lobdell (3/5)
This BtVS graphic novel is set in between the events of the movie and the start of the TV series. Buffy's mother and father read her diary and discover that she thinks she is the Slayer -- something that's CLEARLY insane. Buffy ends up committed to a mental institution, and in the process becomes more committed to her role as the Slayer. This was pretty entertaining, but nothing terribly grounbreaking. Solid story, solid art, worth reading, but not one for the ages.
70. A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L'Engle (5/5)
This is a re-read, revisiting one of my favorites from my childhood. It holds up very well, and I still found it enchanting. I had forgotten, however, how absolutely abruptly it ends -- this frustrated me as a child, and it still frustrates me a bit now.
Terry Iacuzzo is apparently one of the big psychics to the stars (and to other VIPs), although of course we have to take her word for it because she refuses to reveal who she's done readings for. This book is mainly a memoir of childhood and early adulthood, and details her strained relationship with her brother Frank (who was/is also a famous psychic) and the rest of her family, who also possess uncanny abilities. It's a rather difficult memoir for a skeptic to read. On the one hand, it's absolutely fascinating, and Iacuzzo has lead a pretty strange and interesting life. On the other hand, since it's a memoir, there's a complete lack of outside confirmation that any of the events described actually occurred. Members of the family apparently make astounding predictions, but since these predictions are all related after the fact, there's no way of knowing how much things have been manipulated. There's also no account of the many predictions that never came true. Overall, too, this just isn't particularly well-written. Subjects are picked up and dropped; people in fascinating or dangerous situations are described and then never mentioned again. Much of the strange behavior of Terry's family is never explained, and Terry is strangely unforthcoming about a lot of her own emotional and personal development. The result is muddled and unsatisfying, somewhat, but also weird enough that it's still worth the read.
69. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Slayer, Interrupted Scott Lobdell (3/5)
This BtVS graphic novel is set in between the events of the movie and the start of the TV series. Buffy's mother and father read her diary and discover that she thinks she is the Slayer -- something that's CLEARLY insane. Buffy ends up committed to a mental institution, and in the process becomes more committed to her role as the Slayer. This was pretty entertaining, but nothing terribly grounbreaking. Solid story, solid art, worth reading, but not one for the ages.
70. A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L'Engle (5/5)
This is a re-read, revisiting one of my favorites from my childhood. It holds up very well, and I still found it enchanting. I had forgotten, however, how absolutely abruptly it ends -- this frustrated me as a child, and it still frustrates me a bit now.
I had a pretty productive month for June.
25. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher – Kate Summerscale
It was really fantastic. It's about the murder of Saville Kent in 1860 and how the murder captured the attention of the British population and helped create the genre of detective fiction. It's talks a lot about how Mr. Whicher was the inspiration for Cuff in Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone, and how the story of the murder ended up as the plot for Lady Audley's Secret. It was written much like a detective novel, and was full of really interesting historical and literary facts.
26. Baby Love – Rebecca Walker
This one was kind of a mess. It pretty much consisted of journal entries and complaints about her mother being evil. Alice Walker and her daughter Rebecca clearly have a difficult relationship. Rebecca just came across as really unlikable.
27. Not Wanted on the Voyage – Timothy Findley
from the back of the book "In retelling the story of the Great Flood - the first time the world ended- Timothy Findley takes the reader on a stunning journey through time and Biblical mythology. He has created a drama filled with extraordinary characters: a tyrannical Noah; an aging and irascible Yaweh; the beautiful and enigmatic Lucy, who is not what she seems; Mottyl, the talking cat, and myriad strange creatures both great and small. The result is both hilarious and disturbing: a dark, ancient tale made utterly new and startlingly relevant by a storyteller with a vision that is magical, vital and complete."
Sadly, it's not in print in the US anymore. I was lucky enough to find a copy at Half Price Books, and devoured the book over in 3 days.
This is a book where both the characters and the plot are both really strong. The characters are extremely vivid, and you really feel for most of them as they grow and change throughout the journey. It's filled with humor, but it's also got some shocks in it. The explanation for why there are no more unicorns was harrowing!
Noah is a tyrant, and you keep thinking, "This is the man Yaweh picked to lead the world to salvation?" But after you meet Yaweh, you totally understand. Here, God is portrayed as the bearded white man in the sky who has completely lost touch with reality.
I haven't been able to get this book out of my head since I finished it. The final scene of the book is brilliant and haunting. Because it's not in print in the US it might be a little bit more work to track it down, but trust me it is totally worth it!
28. The Sand Castle – Rita Mae Brown
Loved this one. It's only like 100 pages long, but it's about Jutz and Wheezie from Loose Lips, Bingo, and Six of One. They spend a day at the beach together. I really touching little book, and a fantastic way to catch up with some great characters.
29. Kitty and the Midnight Hour – Carrie Vaughn
I liked it. I didn't love it the way I love Kelley Armstrong or Kim Harrison's stuff, but it was pretty good. The only thing I really didn't like about it was Kitty's relationship with the wolf inside her. I really liked how Kelley Armstrong's werewolves are humans that shapeshift. Vaughn's are more like humans with wolves trapped inside them. That's a minor annoyance though.
30. My Trip Down the Pink Carpet – Leslie Jordan
It was so good that I tore through it! The book is hilarious! A few times I actually had to put it down because I was laughing so hard. He does a fantastic job of balancing those juicy celeb stories that you read star bios for, with his journey to overcome his addictions, and make peace with his sissyness. He talks a lot about his spiritual journey, but not in a way that comes off preachy.
I have a big soft spot in my heart for gay men who don't apologize for not being "straight-acting" and who refuse to hide their light under a bushel. That's definitely Leslie Jordan.
31. Kitty Goes to Washington – Carrie Vaughn
32. Kitty Takes a Holiday – Carrie Vaughn
33. Kitty and the Silver Bullet – Carrie Vaughn
I really got into the Kitty books. I ended up loving them by the time I got to the second one. I had some minor issues with them, but overall they really entertained me. I'm eagerly awaiting the next one.
34. The Last of the Crazy People – Timothy Findley
This was okay. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. It kept my attention but didn't linger like Not Wanted on the Voyage did.
35. Storm Front – Jim Butcher
Really liked this one. I've picked up the next 2 in the series and added the TV show to my netflix queue.
25. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher – Kate Summerscale
It was really fantastic. It's about the murder of Saville Kent in 1860 and how the murder captured the attention of the British population and helped create the genre of detective fiction. It's talks a lot about how Mr. Whicher was the inspiration for Cuff in Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone, and how the story of the murder ended up as the plot for Lady Audley's Secret. It was written much like a detective novel, and was full of really interesting historical and literary facts.
26. Baby Love – Rebecca Walker
This one was kind of a mess. It pretty much consisted of journal entries and complaints about her mother being evil. Alice Walker and her daughter Rebecca clearly have a difficult relationship. Rebecca just came across as really unlikable.
27. Not Wanted on the Voyage – Timothy Findley
from the back of the book "In retelling the story of the Great Flood - the first time the world ended- Timothy Findley takes the reader on a stunning journey through time and Biblical mythology. He has created a drama filled with extraordinary characters: a tyrannical Noah; an aging and irascible Yaweh; the beautiful and enigmatic Lucy, who is not what she seems; Mottyl, the talking cat, and myriad strange creatures both great and small. The result is both hilarious and disturbing: a dark, ancient tale made utterly new and startlingly relevant by a storyteller with a vision that is magical, vital and complete."
Sadly, it's not in print in the US anymore. I was lucky enough to find a copy at Half Price Books, and devoured the book over in 3 days.
This is a book where both the characters and the plot are both really strong. The characters are extremely vivid, and you really feel for most of them as they grow and change throughout the journey. It's filled with humor, but it's also got some shocks in it. The explanation for why there are no more unicorns was harrowing!
Noah is a tyrant, and you keep thinking, "This is the man Yaweh picked to lead the world to salvation?" But after you meet Yaweh, you totally understand. Here, God is portrayed as the bearded white man in the sky who has completely lost touch with reality.
I haven't been able to get this book out of my head since I finished it. The final scene of the book is brilliant and haunting. Because it's not in print in the US it might be a little bit more work to track it down, but trust me it is totally worth it!
28. The Sand Castle – Rita Mae Brown
Loved this one. It's only like 100 pages long, but it's about Jutz and Wheezie from Loose Lips, Bingo, and Six of One. They spend a day at the beach together. I really touching little book, and a fantastic way to catch up with some great characters.
29. Kitty and the Midnight Hour – Carrie Vaughn
I liked it. I didn't love it the way I love Kelley Armstrong or Kim Harrison's stuff, but it was pretty good. The only thing I really didn't like about it was Kitty's relationship with the wolf inside her. I really liked how Kelley Armstrong's werewolves are humans that shapeshift. Vaughn's are more like humans with wolves trapped inside them. That's a minor annoyance though.
30. My Trip Down the Pink Carpet – Leslie Jordan
It was so good that I tore through it! The book is hilarious! A few times I actually had to put it down because I was laughing so hard. He does a fantastic job of balancing those juicy celeb stories that you read star bios for, with his journey to overcome his addictions, and make peace with his sissyness. He talks a lot about his spiritual journey, but not in a way that comes off preachy.
I have a big soft spot in my heart for gay men who don't apologize for not being "straight-acting" and who refuse to hide their light under a bushel. That's definitely Leslie Jordan.
31. Kitty Goes to Washington – Carrie Vaughn
32. Kitty Takes a Holiday – Carrie Vaughn
33. Kitty and the Silver Bullet – Carrie Vaughn
I really got into the Kitty books. I ended up loving them by the time I got to the second one. I had some minor issues with them, but overall they really entertained me. I'm eagerly awaiting the next one.
34. The Last of the Crazy People – Timothy Findley
This was okay. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. It kept my attention but didn't linger like Not Wanted on the Voyage did.
35. Storm Front – Jim Butcher
Really liked this one. I've picked up the next 2 in the series and added the TV show to my netflix queue.
62. Demonology of the Early Christian World Everett Ferguson (4/5)
This is a series of lectures on early Christian, Greek, and Jewish beliefs about demons and their origins. It was a surprisingly easy read, and I learned a lot about the evolution of the term "demon" and how demons fit with early Christian beliefs.
63. The Man Who was Thursday G. K. Chesterton (5/5)
It's a classic spy novel of sorts. It's also absolutely hilarious, beautifully written, and happens to be a Christian allegory. I didn't quite catch all the allegorical elements, but I enjoyed it immensely just the same.
64. Sharp Teeth Toby Barlow (4/5)
Ok, it's a novel in free verse poetry about werewolves, which sounds ridiculous and pretentious. But I swear to you, if you read this, you'll practically forget that it's in poetry form. This novel, which involves competing packs of werewolves (or weredogs; they're really more like dogs) in LA, is sweaty, vicious, and gritty. It also has passages that are beautiful enough to make you suck in your breath. At times I felt that the author was muddling too many plotlines together, but overall I thought this was truly excellent and absorbing.
65. A Rumor of War Philip Caputo (5/5)
This is a magnificent memoir of one man's tour of duty in Vietnam. Caputo was part of the first ground combat unit committed to fight in Vietnam, and thus his memoir begins with youthful idealism and the idea that Vietnam would be a "splendid little war" that would be over quickly. Caputo lost his innocence along with the rest of the nation over the course of his sixteen month tour of duty, and the book is a stunning look at how war can change and age a young man. It also highlights the painful contradictions that every soldier experienced daily. One of the most evocative images for me was Caputo's story of seeing a young soldier angrily set fire to a hut in a village suspected to be populated with VC sympathizers. Seconds later, that same Marine turned around, raced into the same burning hut, and rescued a civilian. Caputo's point seems to be that some soldiers are good men, and some are not, but most often they are a mix of the two. It's not an apology for the war, nor is it an antiwar polemic; instead, it is one man's story.
66. The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain Peter Sis (4/5)
This Caldecott Honor book is Peter Sis's autobiographical account of growing up in Communist-controlled Czechoslovakia. Sis combines beautiful illustrations and personal recollections with factual information about the time period. This book might be a bit of a tough sell to a lot of younger readers, but it would be excellent in the classroom, and the graphic novel-esque quality might attract children and young adults who might not otherwise pick up an autobiography or history book.
67. The Mysterious Benedict Society Trenton Lee Stewart (4/5)
When Reynie, an extremely talented, orphaned young boy, answers a newspaper ad calling for gifted children, his life is changed forever. After a strange and confusing process of testing, he learns that he and three other children have been selected to help foil a plot and decide the fate of the world. This book is extremely long for a children's novel, and the subject matter is kind of strange, so it's going to draw a fairly small subset of the population. Those who stick with it will be amply rewarded, however; it put me in mind of a combination of From the Mixed-Up Files of Basil E. Frankwieiler by E. L. Konigsburg, and Momo by Michael Ende. It's definitely an enchanting adventure, and adults who aren't embarassed to be seen reading children's literature should check this one out.
This is a series of lectures on early Christian, Greek, and Jewish beliefs about demons and their origins. It was a surprisingly easy read, and I learned a lot about the evolution of the term "demon" and how demons fit with early Christian beliefs.
63. The Man Who was Thursday G. K. Chesterton (5/5)
It's a classic spy novel of sorts. It's also absolutely hilarious, beautifully written, and happens to be a Christian allegory. I didn't quite catch all the allegorical elements, but I enjoyed it immensely just the same.
64. Sharp Teeth Toby Barlow (4/5)
Ok, it's a novel in free verse poetry about werewolves, which sounds ridiculous and pretentious. But I swear to you, if you read this, you'll practically forget that it's in poetry form. This novel, which involves competing packs of werewolves (or weredogs; they're really more like dogs) in LA, is sweaty, vicious, and gritty. It also has passages that are beautiful enough to make you suck in your breath. At times I felt that the author was muddling too many plotlines together, but overall I thought this was truly excellent and absorbing.
65. A Rumor of War Philip Caputo (5/5)
This is a magnificent memoir of one man's tour of duty in Vietnam. Caputo was part of the first ground combat unit committed to fight in Vietnam, and thus his memoir begins with youthful idealism and the idea that Vietnam would be a "splendid little war" that would be over quickly. Caputo lost his innocence along with the rest of the nation over the course of his sixteen month tour of duty, and the book is a stunning look at how war can change and age a young man. It also highlights the painful contradictions that every soldier experienced daily. One of the most evocative images for me was Caputo's story of seeing a young soldier angrily set fire to a hut in a village suspected to be populated with VC sympathizers. Seconds later, that same Marine turned around, raced into the same burning hut, and rescued a civilian. Caputo's point seems to be that some soldiers are good men, and some are not, but most often they are a mix of the two. It's not an apology for the war, nor is it an antiwar polemic; instead, it is one man's story.
66. The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain Peter Sis (4/5)
This Caldecott Honor book is Peter Sis's autobiographical account of growing up in Communist-controlled Czechoslovakia. Sis combines beautiful illustrations and personal recollections with factual information about the time period. This book might be a bit of a tough sell to a lot of younger readers, but it would be excellent in the classroom, and the graphic novel-esque quality might attract children and young adults who might not otherwise pick up an autobiography or history book.
67. The Mysterious Benedict Society Trenton Lee Stewart (4/5)
When Reynie, an extremely talented, orphaned young boy, answers a newspaper ad calling for gifted children, his life is changed forever. After a strange and confusing process of testing, he learns that he and three other children have been selected to help foil a plot and decide the fate of the world. This book is extremely long for a children's novel, and the subject matter is kind of strange, so it's going to draw a fairly small subset of the population. Those who stick with it will be amply rewarded, however; it put me in mind of a combination of From the Mixed-Up Files of Basil E. Frankwieiler by E. L. Konigsburg, and Momo by Michael Ende. It's definitely an enchanting adventure, and adults who aren't embarassed to be seen reading children's literature should check this one out.
59. Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, From Astrology to the Moon Landing "Hoax" Philip Plait (4/5)
Phil Plait runs the excellent (and fun) Bad Astronomy blog. This book is a collection and expansion of some of his earlier articles, including chapters on the "NASA faked the moon landing" conspiracy theory, how to explain to a young child why the sky is blue, and why those companies that offer to name a star after you (for a fee) are bunk. It's a good, fast read, and even if you consider yourself well-informed in terms of astronomy and science, you'll probably learn a few things. I certainly did.
60. Running With Scissors Augusten Burroughs (3.5/5)
A lot of people have told me this memoir is "hilarious." This kind of makes me wince. Yeah, parts of it are funny, but for the most part, it's funny in that "if I don't laugh I'll recognize the true horror of this situation" sort of way. Well-written, but nauseating.
61. Voodoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud Robert L. Park (4/5)
Robert Park tackles a number of scientific hoaxes and examples of just plain bad science in this illuminating book. He examines several different types of "voodoo science," with examples. There are sciencists that apparently starts out well-intentioned, but want so badly to believe in their own results that they ignore flaws in their research, and eventually start falsifying or obscuring evidence; the chapter on cold fusion covers this rather nicely. There are out-and-out hucksters, like the guys who will try to convince you that they've discovered perpetual motion, and will sell you an engine for a few hundred bucks. And there is "science" that has always been bad science, like homeopathy and astrology, that has nonetheless become an intractable part of our culture. My favorite chapter was on the widespread panic about electromagnetic fields and high-tension power lines. Park very neatly dissects how this started out as a flawed scientific study regarding high-tension power lines and childhood leukemia, was quickly seized upon by several sensationalist journalists, and ultimately took decades and millions of dollars in research to debunk -- and some people STILL believe you can get cancer from living under power lines!
Phil Plait runs the excellent (and fun) Bad Astronomy blog. This book is a collection and expansion of some of his earlier articles, including chapters on the "NASA faked the moon landing" conspiracy theory, how to explain to a young child why the sky is blue, and why those companies that offer to name a star after you (for a fee) are bunk. It's a good, fast read, and even if you consider yourself well-informed in terms of astronomy and science, you'll probably learn a few things. I certainly did.
60. Running With Scissors Augusten Burroughs (3.5/5)
A lot of people have told me this memoir is "hilarious." This kind of makes me wince. Yeah, parts of it are funny, but for the most part, it's funny in that "if I don't laugh I'll recognize the true horror of this situation" sort of way. Well-written, but nauseating.
61. Voodoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud Robert L. Park (4/5)
Robert Park tackles a number of scientific hoaxes and examples of just plain bad science in this illuminating book. He examines several different types of "voodoo science," with examples. There are sciencists that apparently starts out well-intentioned, but want so badly to believe in their own results that they ignore flaws in their research, and eventually start falsifying or obscuring evidence; the chapter on cold fusion covers this rather nicely. There are out-and-out hucksters, like the guys who will try to convince you that they've discovered perpetual motion, and will sell you an engine for a few hundred bucks. And there is "science" that has always been bad science, like homeopathy and astrology, that has nonetheless become an intractable part of our culture. My favorite chapter was on the widespread panic about electromagnetic fields and high-tension power lines. Park very neatly dissects how this started out as a flawed scientific study regarding high-tension power lines and childhood leukemia, was quickly seized upon by several sensationalist journalists, and ultimately took decades and millions of dollars in research to debunk -- and some people STILL believe you can get cancer from living under power lines!
Fat, Forty, and Fired - Nigel Marsh
This memoir examines a businessman's life as he is forced out of a job and decides to spend a year off reconnecting with his wife and four young children.
First, the good news. Marsh can be a gifted writer. He shows this in some of the more clever anecdotes and when he suddenly pounds his chest about his beliefs.
Now, the bad. Given it's a recounting, you expect of personal reflection and experiences. Alas, this guy's idea of finding his place with his family always comes back to finding more and more about himself, even when as a reader, you just don't care.
Is his realization that he's an alcoholic a poignant moment? Maybe. He tries too hard to be breezy, so not until late in the book do you get the sense of how hard he had to work to understand that about himself, given that his life hadn't "gone off the rails," from the drink.
It also doesn't help that this is a man who read one too many self-help book before sitting down to write his own book. Somewhere in the platitudes, there are some genuine emotions. The question is whether it's worth the effort to find those gems.
This memoir examines a businessman's life as he is forced out of a job and decides to spend a year off reconnecting with his wife and four young children.
First, the good news. Marsh can be a gifted writer. He shows this in some of the more clever anecdotes and when he suddenly pounds his chest about his beliefs.
Now, the bad. Given it's a recounting, you expect of personal reflection and experiences. Alas, this guy's idea of finding his place with his family always comes back to finding more and more about himself, even when as a reader, you just don't care.
Is his realization that he's an alcoholic a poignant moment? Maybe. He tries too hard to be breezy, so not until late in the book do you get the sense of how hard he had to work to understand that about himself, given that his life hadn't "gone off the rails," from the drink.
It also doesn't help that this is a man who read one too many self-help book before sitting down to write his own book. Somewhere in the platitudes, there are some genuine emotions. The question is whether it's worth the effort to find those gems.
37. T. Rex and the Crater of Doom, by Walter Alvarez. 146 pages. (1997)
Grade: B
What killed the dinosaurs (and many of this planet's other inhabitants)? Walter Alvarez, who discovered the first evidence that it was a giant comet or asteroid, tells the tale of how scientists found out. His father, distinguished physicist Luis Alvarez, played a featured role in this tale of the meeting and mixing of geology, physics, paleontology, and astronomy that spent the 1980s (and a good part of the time since then) arguing about the facts and what they mean.
This is part memoir and part science history. An interesting book. It doesn't score higher from me partly due to its length, its lack of a list of other works about the stuff mentioned in the book, and the fact that it doesn't seem to end, but to just stop.
Grade: B
What killed the dinosaurs (and many of this planet's other inhabitants)? Walter Alvarez, who discovered the first evidence that it was a giant comet or asteroid, tells the tale of how scientists found out. His father, distinguished physicist Luis Alvarez, played a featured role in this tale of the meeting and mixing of geology, physics, paleontology, and astronomy that spent the 1980s (and a good part of the time since then) arguing about the facts and what they mean.
This is part memoir and part science history. An interesting book. It doesn't score higher from me partly due to its length, its lack of a list of other works about the stuff mentioned in the book, and the fact that it doesn't seem to end, but to just stop.
- Mood:
cheerful - Music:Ulsamer Collegium - Istampita Gaetta
Book #62 -- Mo Brownsey, Is It a Date or Just Coffee: the gay girls guide to dating, sex, and romance, 224 pages.
My main complaint is that this isn't so much a guide as a commiseration. Not much in the way of advice, as the author freely admits she doesn't have the answers either, but don't you hate it when *this* happens? Still, it is quite amusing, and just about every gay girl will recognise something of herself and her relationships in this book.
Progress toward goals: 173/366 = 47.3%
Books: 62/150 = 41.3%
Pages: 17088/50000 = 34.2%
2008 Book List
cross-posted to15000pages, 50bookchallenge, and gwynraven
My main complaint is that this isn't so much a guide as a commiseration. Not much in the way of advice, as the author freely admits she doesn't have the answers either, but don't you hate it when *this* happens? Still, it is quite amusing, and just about every gay girl will recognise something of herself and her relationships in this book.
Progress toward goals: 173/366 = 47.3%
Books: 62/150 = 41.3%
Pages: 17088/50000 = 34.2%
2008 Book List
cross-posted to
15000pages, 50bookchallenge, and gwynraven54. The Raw Shark Texts
- (6/20) - Steven Hall 448pThis book was very interesting. I really liked it a lot. I'm not sure I could describe it, nor could I give it an across the board recommendation, but if you like something a little bit different and you don't mind authors who play with reality, then this book is a good choice.
53. Such a Pretty Fat
- (6/15) - Jen Lancaster 400pA self-absorbed person talking about weight-loss? Right up my alley.
52. The Ice Queen
- (6/10) - Alice Hoffman 224pThis was a strange book. Most of the time I was reading it I didn't like it, but then it all came together for me in the end.
51. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
- (6/8) - Haruki Murakami 416pI am a huge Murakami fan, but this one just didn't do much for me. In fact, even though I finished it less than two weeks ago, I couldn't tell you what it was about. Disappointing, but I'm still a HUGE fan of Murakami's.
50. Twilight
- (6/6) - Stephenie Meyer 498pI expected to scoff and scowl and rant about how overrated it is, I actually really liked it and ran out to buy the second book.
Complete list can be found here
- Mood: chipper