Inspired by the inestimable xJames, I decided I'd do a book a week program for '07, instead of resolutions focused on improving my sickly body. Books are more fun, anyway.
I think I saw Luma and Batman say they'd be doing something similar, so I figured this would be a good place to post what we've read, what we thought about it, etc.
I'd also encourage anybody else who wants to get some reading done to join in - should be a good time.
And since we're into the second week of January, I've already finished my first book. Review below.
Full Version: 52 in '07
I could go for this, but I'm pretty sure I'll lapse.
I have not yet read a whole book, but I did read the two novellas (or short stories, if that's different) in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.
I really liked them, but that's not surprising since I'm so gay for the series. They're pretty much just like the series, only they focus on a new set of characters. But since there are the same houses and stuff, just different members (I think this takes place most of a century before the main series), so they're still familiar characters.
The first one, The Hedge Knight, was great. It was as good as the rest of the series. The second, The Sworn Sword, was great, but I'd put it more on par with A Feast for Crows than the others. Which is to say I really liked it, but I didn't loooooooooooooooove it>_>
I have not yet read a whole book, but I did read the two novellas (or short stories, if that's different) in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.
I really liked them, but that's not surprising since I'm so gay for the series. They're pretty much just like the series, only they focus on a new set of characters. But since there are the same houses and stuff, just different members (I think this takes place most of a century before the main series), so they're still familiar characters.
The first one, The Hedge Knight, was great. It was as good as the rest of the series. The second, The Sworn Sword, was great, but I'd put it more on par with A Feast for Crows than the others. Which is to say I really liked it, but I didn't loooooooooooooooove it>_>
The End of Mr. Y
Scarlett Thomas has a way with similes. She describes the sky as "the color of sad weddings". Lovely. She describes a space heater heating up, "watching its two metal bars blush dimly (and, it always seems to me, apologetically)." Enchanting. A half expressed emotion: "He lets the sentence drift away, like a snowflake that melts before it lands." Gorgeous. A small town: "This place has the feel of something that's been mis-designed on one of those city-simi computer games." Wait. What? Touching holy water: "As I do this I remember playing Dungeons & Dragons on a couple of rainy lunchtimes at school. In some versions of the game you could go to a town and get holy water to cure all but the most serious ailments, and increase your health. In other versions you could use it as a weapon against evil spirits or the undead." Hold on a second - am I reading the Player's Handbook for D&D? What the hell is this?
I'm guessing Ms. Thomas is a fan of computer games, cause she commits this sentence to the page: "a world of dead ends with rapists patrolling the thin dark passages like the ghosts on Pac-Man." Comparing rapists to those ghosts - an interesting choice. So if she eats some cherries, does she, I dunno, counter-rape these guys?
Extremely questionable usage of similes aside, the book, The End of Mr. Y, is pretty interesting. The plot is built on a bunch of old ideas here. The protagonist travels through the Matrix, and at one point she pretty much realizes she's the one. I think the Wachowski's (and whoever they stole the concept from) would have a legitimate IP theft suit to file here. But the old ideas act mainly as a framework for her to explore some new ideas, some metaphysics I'd never considered.
If you come into the book realizing that the primary goal isn't always going to be advancing the plot, there's a lot to like here. Even more so if you're into considering the nature of the universe, and all that.
Next up: Dominion, by Calvin Baker.
I'm 15 pages in, and if these 15 are any indication, this is going to be a special book. A quote I'm already in love with (about a dude in a fistfight with a ghost): "The two then locked in the most unsavory embrace and began a fearsome struggle that ended only at the shores of the lake, where their embattled forms seemed as one violent mass. Both were so disheveled, drenched, and unsteady from the effort of trying to master his foe that none looking, had there been witnesses to that epic, would have been able to tell flesh from spirit, body from soul, past from future, or Merian from Lowe, so tangled were they limb against limb in a single coil of mortal and immortal."
Wowza.
Scarlett Thomas has a way with similes. She describes the sky as "the color of sad weddings". Lovely. She describes a space heater heating up, "watching its two metal bars blush dimly (and, it always seems to me, apologetically)." Enchanting. A half expressed emotion: "He lets the sentence drift away, like a snowflake that melts before it lands." Gorgeous. A small town: "This place has the feel of something that's been mis-designed on one of those city-simi computer games." Wait. What? Touching holy water: "As I do this I remember playing Dungeons & Dragons on a couple of rainy lunchtimes at school. In some versions of the game you could go to a town and get holy water to cure all but the most serious ailments, and increase your health. In other versions you could use it as a weapon against evil spirits or the undead." Hold on a second - am I reading the Player's Handbook for D&D? What the hell is this?
I'm guessing Ms. Thomas is a fan of computer games, cause she commits this sentence to the page: "a world of dead ends with rapists patrolling the thin dark passages like the ghosts on Pac-Man." Comparing rapists to those ghosts - an interesting choice. So if she eats some cherries, does she, I dunno, counter-rape these guys?
Extremely questionable usage of similes aside, the book, The End of Mr. Y, is pretty interesting. The plot is built on a bunch of old ideas here. The protagonist travels through the Matrix, and at one point she pretty much realizes she's the one. I think the Wachowski's (and whoever they stole the concept from) would have a legitimate IP theft suit to file here. But the old ideas act mainly as a framework for her to explore some new ideas, some metaphysics I'd never considered.
If you come into the book realizing that the primary goal isn't always going to be advancing the plot, there's a lot to like here. Even more so if you're into considering the nature of the universe, and all that.
Next up: Dominion, by Calvin Baker.
I'm 15 pages in, and if these 15 are any indication, this is going to be a special book. A quote I'm already in love with (about a dude in a fistfight with a ghost): "The two then locked in the most unsavory embrace and began a fearsome struggle that ended only at the shores of the lake, where their embattled forms seemed as one violent mass. Both were so disheveled, drenched, and unsteady from the effort of trying to master his foe that none looking, had there been witnesses to that epic, would have been able to tell flesh from spirit, body from soul, past from future, or Merian from Lowe, so tangled were they limb against limb in a single coil of mortal and immortal."
Wowza.
You should read the Chronicles of Amber by Zelansy, Mister Keats. It's a good ten books for you, and most of them are great.
QUOTE(loveless @ Jan 8 2007, 03:00 AM) 
You should read the Chronicles of Amber by Zelansy, Mister Keats. It's a good ten books for you, and most of them are great.
I've ran across it on Amazon and in the bookstores and such - seems like everyone has good things to say about it.
Book one: Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman finished
Starting Book two: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Starting Book two: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Haha, you beat me to it! I was just visiting the lit board to make a topic just like this one. Good job.
Anyway, I can't make a book last a week. I read too quickly, and then I thirst for more before the week is up. I do have a goal set for books in 2007, so I'll contribute as well. I apologize for my "reviews." They suck, as I've never really tried to review a book or anything else before, and I am too impatient to make a great one. Basically, I'll just write whether I liked the book or not, and why. None of that fancy stuff reviews normally have. Unless, of course, I am reviewing just fine, in which case I take back the apology and demand a cookie.
Life Expectancy, by Dean Koontz
I am not usually a fan of Dean Koontz, but my father recommended the book to me after recommending The Lovely Bones and The Time Traveler's Wife (both of which I had already read and LOVED), so I figured I could trust his taste in books. I was right in doing so.
Although the summaries of most of Dean's books drive me crazy with how stupid they sound, I really thought Life Expectancy sounded interesting. I was hooked almost right way, and spent 2 hours at the library reading it, rather than just checking it out and taking it home. It was somewhere around 300 pages long. I was very pleased with the twists, turns, and the ending of the book. I was able to guess the major twist, but not until it was almost revealed, so the book didn't lose any mystery or fun. It was written very well, and really didn't sound like Koontz to me. The humor was just my kind, and I almost laughed aloud quite a few times. I would definitely recommend the book to anyone who is weary of Dean Koontz.
Mirror, Mirror, by Gregory Maguire
I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped to. I think I may have built Maguire up too much, because I wasn't at all impressed with any of his skills. I managed to get through the book rather quickly, considering I fell asleep reading it the night before last. It was so 'blah,' though, that when I finished it, I didn't even feel as though I had read it, and I was a bit surprised that it was over. The ending was decent, but nothing too grand. I get the feeling Maguire was trying so hard to make this an epic book that he fell flat on his face. Another reader may disagree, but I didn't get to have the connection with the characters I so enjoy when I'm reading other books. Bianca (Essentially Snow White), was just a girl. She went from being just a child to being 17, and the transition was really stupid. Lucrezia (the woman who wanted Bianca dead, like the evil step-mother in the fairytale) was barely developed as a man character. I did, however, like the way the dwarves from the wood were described...not really as people but as name-less (and seemingly shape-shifting) boulders. It was kind of weird to read about 8 boulders, and they weren't well-developed in my opinion, but I like the way they were originally described, so they were my favorite.
There has been a lot of hype about Gregory Maguire and his books, so I was really excited about reading Mirror Mirror, and I checked out a couple others by him, but now I'm feeling like I'd rather not read Wicked, Lost, Son of a Witch, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, or whatever else he might shit onto paper.
Edit: Just read another two books.
A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Good book if you like the movie. Not so good if you don't. I happen to like the movie, so it was okay. Nothing too special though, as it is a children's story (still 245 pages). I'd say that if you're interested, you might as well just rent the movie if you haven't seen it already.
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
I feel the same way about this book as I do the one above. Cute story and everything, but not worth the read. Again, go with the movie. This is, of course, assuming you like little girl stories.
Anyway, I can't make a book last a week. I read too quickly, and then I thirst for more before the week is up. I do have a goal set for books in 2007, so I'll contribute as well. I apologize for my "reviews." They suck, as I've never really tried to review a book or anything else before, and I am too impatient to make a great one. Basically, I'll just write whether I liked the book or not, and why. None of that fancy stuff reviews normally have. Unless, of course, I am reviewing just fine, in which case I take back the apology and demand a cookie.
Life Expectancy, by Dean Koontz
I am not usually a fan of Dean Koontz, but my father recommended the book to me after recommending The Lovely Bones and The Time Traveler's Wife (both of which I had already read and LOVED), so I figured I could trust his taste in books. I was right in doing so.
Although the summaries of most of Dean's books drive me crazy with how stupid they sound, I really thought Life Expectancy sounded interesting. I was hooked almost right way, and spent 2 hours at the library reading it, rather than just checking it out and taking it home. It was somewhere around 300 pages long. I was very pleased with the twists, turns, and the ending of the book. I was able to guess the major twist, but not until it was almost revealed, so the book didn't lose any mystery or fun. It was written very well, and really didn't sound like Koontz to me. The humor was just my kind, and I almost laughed aloud quite a few times. I would definitely recommend the book to anyone who is weary of Dean Koontz.
Mirror, Mirror, by Gregory Maguire
I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped to. I think I may have built Maguire up too much, because I wasn't at all impressed with any of his skills. I managed to get through the book rather quickly, considering I fell asleep reading it the night before last. It was so 'blah,' though, that when I finished it, I didn't even feel as though I had read it, and I was a bit surprised that it was over. The ending was decent, but nothing too grand. I get the feeling Maguire was trying so hard to make this an epic book that he fell flat on his face. Another reader may disagree, but I didn't get to have the connection with the characters I so enjoy when I'm reading other books. Bianca (Essentially Snow White), was just a girl. She went from being just a child to being 17, and the transition was really stupid. Lucrezia (the woman who wanted Bianca dead, like the evil step-mother in the fairytale) was barely developed as a man character. I did, however, like the way the dwarves from the wood were described...not really as people but as name-less (and seemingly shape-shifting) boulders. It was kind of weird to read about 8 boulders, and they weren't well-developed in my opinion, but I like the way they were originally described, so they were my favorite.
There has been a lot of hype about Gregory Maguire and his books, so I was really excited about reading Mirror Mirror, and I checked out a couple others by him, but now I'm feeling like I'd rather not read Wicked, Lost, Son of a Witch, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, or whatever else he might shit onto paper.
Edit: Just read another two books.
A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Good book if you like the movie. Not so good if you don't. I happen to like the movie, so it was okay. Nothing too special though, as it is a children's story (still 245 pages). I'd say that if you're interested, you might as well just rent the movie if you haven't seen it already.
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
I feel the same way about this book as I do the one above. Cute story and everything, but not worth the read. Again, go with the movie. This is, of course, assuming you like little girl stories.
Just read My Horizontal Life, by Chelsea Handler.
The name of the book interested me..."A Collection of One-Night Stands"...but the fact that it was written by Chelsea Handler totally turned me off. I decided to risk it and read the book anyway.
Fucking funny.
I laughed so many times while reading it, and I was so disappointed when I reached the end because I wanted it to go on forever.I was thinking it might be more funny if you're a chick, but I did get a positive response and some laughter from Nate when I read him a few parts. So either guys would like it, or he's gay.
I really like that Handler was not afraid to talk about ANYTHING. She was not at all subtle in any way, and had no problem writing about her sexcapades with midgets, men who can't speak English, and strippers from Vegas, among many others.
The name of the book interested me..."A Collection of One-Night Stands"...but the fact that it was written by Chelsea Handler totally turned me off. I decided to risk it and read the book anyway.
Fucking funny.
I laughed so many times while reading it, and I was so disappointed when I reached the end because I wanted it to go on forever.I was thinking it might be more funny if you're a chick, but I did get a positive response and some laughter from Nate when I read him a few parts. So either guys would like it, or he's gay.
I really like that Handler was not afraid to talk about ANYTHING. She was not at all subtle in any way, and had no problem writing about her sexcapades with midgets, men who can't speak English, and strippers from Vegas, among many others.
Now it's looking more like two or three in '07 for me.
>_>
Haven't read a page since that last post, and it doesn't look like I will be any time soon, either. I come home from work and just collapse, pretty much.
>_>
Haven't read a page since that last post, and it doesn't look like I will be any time soon, either. I come home from work and just collapse, pretty much.
I think I'm going to try to shoot for 40 or so, instead. I don't think I'd be able to do one a week, especially as I'm already behind. I'm about 1.5 books done 3 or so weeks into the year... yeah.
Finished Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut
I really enjoyed it but I found the ending to be a bit lacking. I love Vonnegut's style and I'm going to check out some of his other works.
Next up Gulliver's Travels by Jonathon Swift
I really enjoyed it but I found the ending to be a bit lacking. I love Vonnegut's style and I'm going to check out some of his other works.
Next up Gulliver's Travels by Jonathon Swift
QUOTE(lumabean @ Jan 20 2007, 01:46 AM)
Finished Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut
I really enjoyed it but I found the ending to be a bit lacking. I love Vonnegut's style and I'm going to check out some of his other works.
Next up Gulliver's Travels by Jonathon Swift
Ughhh...I hated Slaughterhouse Five. Not that I'm against YOU liking it, of course. Like it all you want.
Something tells me you'd enjoy The Remains Of The Day if you haven't already read it.
I read Happy Cruelty Day!: Daily Celebrations of Quiet Desperation by Bob Powers while at Border's on the 20th of this month.
Basically, each and every day is given a reason to 'celebrate'. It's pretty funny.
Here is an excerpt (not the best or funniest day, but this will give a general idea)I found on Amazon:
The only thing I don't like is that Powers believes he is really funny, and when he writes about how funny he is, it sounds kind of arrogant or cocky to me. He wrote this on Amazon.com:
It just sounds to me like he thinks his shit is the funniest you'll come across. Like he's too WEIRD for society or something. I don't mind if a person is an oddball, but I hate when they think they are the oddest ball around.
Basically, each and every day is given a reason to 'celebrate'. It's pretty funny.
Here is an excerpt (not the best or funniest day, but this will give a general idea)I found on Amazon:
QUOTE
April 9th
Your Name Is Greg And You Clean Up After Orgies Day!
Your name is Greg and you clean up after orgies. You get paid 70 dollars to show up every Sunday morning at 11 AM and clean the floor of all of the spilled wine, cubed cheese, and other. You've never seen one of the orgies in person, but you used to know somebody who went to a few.
"That was when I was involved with a particularly offbeat older lady by the name of Grace," said your former girlfriend's Uncle Leland. "I have to say that it was interesting. But not everything that is interesting is necessarily something that I'd ever want to experience again."
Kimmy, your girlfriend at the time, got excited to finally hear the inside scoop. She was intrigued by your job and was always excited when you told her about a particularly hard-to-explain puddle or when you showed her trinkets like cufflinks and compacts that you found during your morning sweep. "Were the girls pretty, Uncle Leland?" she asked, nearly bouncing on her couch cushion.
"The next time you walk into town," Uncle Leland said. "Take note of the first thirty-seven people that cross your path. No matter who they might be. I want you to imagine exactly those thirty-seven people scattered about a meeting hall in various states of fornication. That will give you an idea of the range of physicality that you'll find at the Modern Living Party."
That's what they call it. "The Modern Living Party."
You're not with Kimmy anymore. No girlfriend to speak of at the moment. You can't afford a girlfriend on a cleaning man's salary.
Right now, sitting on your coffee table, there is a locket with a little boy's photo inside. You know the little boy, cause he's you. Or was, when you were six. You found it this morning while cleaning underneath a barstool. You had been planning to find new employment for about six months. Staring at the locket that used to drape from your mother's neck, you really regret not having stepped on the gas with that job hunt.
Happy Your Name Is Greg And You Clean Up After Orgies Day!
Your Name Is Greg And You Clean Up After Orgies Day!
Your name is Greg and you clean up after orgies. You get paid 70 dollars to show up every Sunday morning at 11 AM and clean the floor of all of the spilled wine, cubed cheese, and other. You've never seen one of the orgies in person, but you used to know somebody who went to a few.
"That was when I was involved with a particularly offbeat older lady by the name of Grace," said your former girlfriend's Uncle Leland. "I have to say that it was interesting. But not everything that is interesting is necessarily something that I'd ever want to experience again."
Kimmy, your girlfriend at the time, got excited to finally hear the inside scoop. She was intrigued by your job and was always excited when you told her about a particularly hard-to-explain puddle or when you showed her trinkets like cufflinks and compacts that you found during your morning sweep. "Were the girls pretty, Uncle Leland?" she asked, nearly bouncing on her couch cushion.
"The next time you walk into town," Uncle Leland said. "Take note of the first thirty-seven people that cross your path. No matter who they might be. I want you to imagine exactly those thirty-seven people scattered about a meeting hall in various states of fornication. That will give you an idea of the range of physicality that you'll find at the Modern Living Party."
That's what they call it. "The Modern Living Party."
You're not with Kimmy anymore. No girlfriend to speak of at the moment. You can't afford a girlfriend on a cleaning man's salary.
Right now, sitting on your coffee table, there is a locket with a little boy's photo inside. You know the little boy, cause he's you. Or was, when you were six. You found it this morning while cleaning underneath a barstool. You had been planning to find new employment for about six months. Staring at the locket that used to drape from your mother's neck, you really regret not having stepped on the gas with that job hunt.
Happy Your Name Is Greg And You Clean Up After Orgies Day!
The only thing I don't like is that Powers believes he is really funny, and when he writes about how funny he is, it sounds kind of arrogant or cocky to me. He wrote this on Amazon.com:
QUOTE
Happy Cruelty Day is like a daily instructional manual written buy a psychopath who is very funny. It has 365 "days" in it. Reading these days is a lot like peeking out your kitchen window to find a man in a full clown costume walking down the street holding a sewing machine. Then the clown stops, drops the sewing machine into your garbage can, spits on the sewing machine, then makes a cell phone call and starts crying.
It just sounds to me like he thinks his shit is the funniest you'll come across. Like he's too WEIRD for society or something. I don't mind if a person is an oddball, but I hate when they think they are the oddest ball around.
Ugh I've been so bad in keeping up with this. I finished The Final Solution by Michael Chabon and boy did I fucking hate it. He writes some fantastic prose but it was boring as shit.
I'm now reading American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.
I'm now reading American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.
I just finished reading American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. I've already been a fan of Ellis for a couple years. I've read The Rules of Attraction, Less Than Zero, and The Informers and I enjoy all of them. All his novels include themes of unruly hedonism and apathy but I believe that Psycho is Ellis unleashed. I swear I had to put down the book and compose myself while reading descriptions of the murders. I believe that the book is a highly enjoyable satirical examination of the late 80's although Ellis' descriptions go into mind numbing detail at points. I think of the novel as a modern Tale of Two Cities in that 1980's Manhattan bears a striking resemblance to pre-revolution Versailles.
I am now going to read Stardust by Neil Gaiman.
I am now going to read Stardust by Neil Gaiman.
Finished Stardust. I enjoyed it in parts but as a whole it didn't really bring anything new to the table. This is the first of Gaiman's novels I've read. Although I do love his work on Sandman I don't see him having any real talent as a novelist. I understand his motives to create a fairy tale story for adults, but keeping in mind that the book is for adults one would think that there would be some semblance of character development. Either way it's good for a day read.
Starting Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.
Starting Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.
Finished Mrs. Dalloway. It took me awhile because I was reading it inbetween Autumn of the Patriarch and Surfacing. I thought it was extraordinarly well written and a very powerful novel. Woolf amazed me with her carefully calculated structure, and her supreme balance of character view points. I am interested in reading more of her work.
Hey guys - haven't checked in here in awhile.
I finished Dominion, and it really was as good as those first pages portended - the narrative voice is old-school magical storytelling, the kind of shit you'd expect on a porch in summer, watching storm clouds roll in. Style aside, Baker has some interesting things to say (I love the "thesis" of the book, which focuses on leaving one's source and our frequent returns to it), but the finale wasn't everything I hoped for.
I also read The Collector, by John Fowles. I dearly love this author, as he produced The Magus, which is perhaps my favorite book. The Collector is a different sort of book, meaner and desperate, and focuses on things I don't care much for, usually - things like class. But it also focuses on loneliness and employs a neat structure, wherein we see the captor's POV and then the diary of the captive. And it is in the diary of Miranda Fowles brings to bear some of the heart-breaking prose he'd weave all throughout The Magus; I had to break out the pen to underline some portions, which is a hallmark for books I enjoy.
Right now I'm reading Emma for my english class, and I'm beginning to enjoy it in spite of myself. Once I clear that from my plate, I'm going to jump into: Light, Nova Swing, and the Stones of Summer. That last one in particular I'm eager to put to bed, as I've been reading it on and off for over two years now.
Thanks to Luma and Dagger for your posts, and let me defend my man Neil Gaiman to you, Luma (American Gods is right next to The Magus in my hierarchy of books.
I haven't read Stardust personally, but I have read Neverwhere, Anansi Boys, and American Gods. When it comes to technical skillsets, I don't believe Gaiman can run with a Chabon. But Gaiman succeeds where Chabon fails - the man is as close to a classically trained storyteller as you'll find. And I don't have any problem exchanging electrifying prose in favor of lively plots.
American Gods might strike you more favorably, as it has moments that would be appropriate in any Sandman comic.
I have no idea what else I was going to say, so I'm off to bed.
I finished Dominion, and it really was as good as those first pages portended - the narrative voice is old-school magical storytelling, the kind of shit you'd expect on a porch in summer, watching storm clouds roll in. Style aside, Baker has some interesting things to say (I love the "thesis" of the book, which focuses on leaving one's source and our frequent returns to it), but the finale wasn't everything I hoped for.
I also read The Collector, by John Fowles. I dearly love this author, as he produced The Magus, which is perhaps my favorite book. The Collector is a different sort of book, meaner and desperate, and focuses on things I don't care much for, usually - things like class. But it also focuses on loneliness and employs a neat structure, wherein we see the captor's POV and then the diary of the captive. And it is in the diary of Miranda Fowles brings to bear some of the heart-breaking prose he'd weave all throughout The Magus; I had to break out the pen to underline some portions, which is a hallmark for books I enjoy.
Right now I'm reading Emma for my english class, and I'm beginning to enjoy it in spite of myself. Once I clear that from my plate, I'm going to jump into: Light, Nova Swing, and the Stones of Summer. That last one in particular I'm eager to put to bed, as I've been reading it on and off for over two years now.
Thanks to Luma and Dagger for your posts, and let me defend my man Neil Gaiman to you, Luma (American Gods is right next to The Magus in my hierarchy of books.
I haven't read Stardust personally, but I have read Neverwhere, Anansi Boys, and American Gods. When it comes to technical skillsets, I don't believe Gaiman can run with a Chabon. But Gaiman succeeds where Chabon fails - the man is as close to a classically trained storyteller as you'll find. And I don't have any problem exchanging electrifying prose in favor of lively plots.
American Gods might strike you more favorably, as it has moments that would be appropriate in any Sandman comic.
I have no idea what else I was going to say, so I'm off to bed.
Holy shit. I forgot about this topic. Um...since my last post, I've read quite a few books, and I can't remember all of them, but from what I can remember:
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
I've read the bible, so I got the references and jokes that I don't think someone would get if he or she was unfamiliar it. I don't think Moore was trying to make fun of Christianity (which is what he is accused of by many readers) because it was basically about Jesus' journey through young life dealing with lust and anger and other negative feelings the way God wanted him too (rather than doing his own thing or doing something 'un-christian'). Sounds dumb, but it was pretty funny for the most part. The ending was a little blah though.
I Am Not Myself These Days by Josh Kilmer-Purcell
A memoir written by a gay alcoholic cross dresser. Of course it was funny. Not too much "oh I'm gay and I have butt sex teehee," so it wouldn't disgust people who think that's gross. I can't really remember a whole lot except that he was like constantly drinking vodka and his boyfriend was a huge druggy. They lived together and had some problems and such. Good quick read.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
I don't know why I read it or how I finished it, but it wasn't my cup of tea. It was well written and everything, I just didn't take any of it in. I read it a month or two ago and can't remember a single thing about it except the way that one character died.
Comfort and Joy by Kristin Hannah
Eh. Chick book. It was okay but left no lasting impression.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
Sounds good. Interesting at least. But it was boring. I was very disappointed. =/
I also read a couple books about wicca and witchcraft, but I don't remember what they were called, and I am much too lazy to go look.
The last time we were at Border's, I started reading (but didn't buy) The Town That Forgot How to Breathe by Kenneth J. Harvey. I didn't get all the way through, but I really liked it. I decided to read more every time I go to Border's instead of buying it, but we haven't been back since. So...yeah...I'm working on that one.
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
I've read the bible, so I got the references and jokes that I don't think someone would get if he or she was unfamiliar it. I don't think Moore was trying to make fun of Christianity (which is what he is accused of by many readers) because it was basically about Jesus' journey through young life dealing with lust and anger and other negative feelings the way God wanted him too (rather than doing his own thing or doing something 'un-christian'). Sounds dumb, but it was pretty funny for the most part. The ending was a little blah though.
I Am Not Myself These Days by Josh Kilmer-Purcell
A memoir written by a gay alcoholic cross dresser. Of course it was funny. Not too much "oh I'm gay and I have butt sex teehee," so it wouldn't disgust people who think that's gross. I can't really remember a whole lot except that he was like constantly drinking vodka and his boyfriend was a huge druggy. They lived together and had some problems and such. Good quick read.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
I don't know why I read it or how I finished it, but it wasn't my cup of tea. It was well written and everything, I just didn't take any of it in. I read it a month or two ago and can't remember a single thing about it except the way that one character died.
Comfort and Joy by Kristin Hannah
Eh. Chick book. It was okay but left no lasting impression.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
QUOTE
A snowstorm immobilizes Lexington, Ky., in 1964, and when young Norah Henry goes into labor, her husband, orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Henry, must deliver their babies himself, aided only by a nurse. Seeing his daughter's handicap, he instructs the nurse, Caroline Gill, to take her to a home and later tells Norah, who was drugged during labor, that their son Paul's twin died at birth. Instead of institutionalizing Phoebe, Caroline absconds with her to Pittsburgh. David's deception becomes the defining moment of the main characters' lives, and Phoebe's absence corrodes her birth family's core over the course of the next 25 years. David's undetected lie warps his marriage; he grapples with guilt; Norah mourns her lost child; and Paul not only deals with his parents' icy relationship but with his own yearnings for his sister as well.
Sounds good. Interesting at least. But it was boring. I was very disappointed. =/
I also read a couple books about wicca and witchcraft, but I don't remember what they were called, and I am much too lazy to go look.
The last time we were at Border's, I started reading (but didn't buy) The Town That Forgot How to Breathe by Kenneth J. Harvey. I didn't get all the way through, but I really liked it. I decided to read more every time I go to Border's instead of buying it, but we haven't been back since. So...yeah...I'm working on that one.
I downloaded 30 Goosebumps books and red the first two today. Welcome to Dead House and Stay Out of the Basement. Zombie towns and fathers that are actually plants. Yay.
Okay. Adding these to the list:
Goosebumps #3: Monster Blood
-Hoorah for a cat that is actually a sorceress and not a cat at all.
Goosebumps #4: Say Cheese and Die!
-Hoorah for a camera that takes pictures of people and then makes them die or get hurt.
Goosebumps #5: The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb
-Hoorah for Egypt and being mummified alive.
Goosebumps #7: Night of the Living Dummy
-Hoorah for ventriloquist's dummies enslaving some twin sisters. (
)
Goosebumps #3: Monster Blood
-Hoorah for a cat that is actually a sorceress and not a cat at all.
Goosebumps #4: Say Cheese and Die!
-Hoorah for a camera that takes pictures of people and then makes them die or get hurt.
Goosebumps #5: The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb
-Hoorah for Egypt and being mummified alive.
Goosebumps #7: Night of the Living Dummy
-Hoorah for ventriloquist's dummies enslaving some twin sisters. (
)
The Road ruled - a brief review:
Cormac McCarthy was born before the second world war, and sometimes it seems he speaks a different language than us. His prose in The Road tends towards the primeval, and that’s fitting because The Road chronicles a time after man’s fall, and humanity is on the way out. Nature is tainted, ash blows on the wind, and the sun’s light is “the color of washwater”. All our modern constructions, our society and our culture, has died and molders in long-empty houses. A father and a son slog through this dismal world, heading south. Always south.
McCarthy realizes a truly post apocalyptic world here. It isn’t that fun Wild West wasteland of Mad Max, with hot rods and leather, but a scabland populated with roving bands of cannibals (one of whose teeth is described as being “claggy with human flesh”). It’s wild, and it’s horrible. If you’ve read other reviews, you’ve heard of the horrors that fill this desperate world - spit-roasted infants, a disembodied skull under a cakebell, etc. And this all feels horribly real. Each instance of violence or suffering is deeply felt, proving again that we aren’t all numb to misery.
The characters in this book are, though. The father constantly wishes for death, and the boy only wishes to escape (at one point he asks his father if there are people on Mars. As I read, I mused that Mars was probably more habitable than their Earth). Their conversations are clipped, filled with lots of echoing “Okay”s. McCarthy’s style is much the same, periodic and level, with nary a comma to be found. These simple constructions lead you to place even weight on each word, and reading it is like trudging through the wasteland alongside them. This lean prose sometimes spirals into beautifully complex sentences as the father dreams (the best of which comes early, when he says: “Freeze this frame. Now call down your dark and your cold and be damned”), and these moments of lyricism shine all the brighter for the dullness that surrounds them.
I had bought into the whole premise within five pages, and agreed with the father’s grudging grip on life. This life is truly not worth living, and his dreams of a vanished existence taunt him. I wondered as I read who I’d rather be: the father, with his memories of our life, of “softly colored worlds of human love, the songs of birds, the sun”, or the boy, heir to a dead world but without a memory of what came before, without the crippling sense of loss.
The Road won the Pulitzer and dominated the Morning News’s Tournament of Books. One judge said of The Road: “The Road changed me—artistically, politically, emotionally. It’s one of the most harrowing and important books written in years. It has everything a book should have (except of course the one thing Absurdistan is drowning in: humor).”
But even that isn’t quite true - The Road has at least two moments that made me smile, and not one of those wistful smiles, either. At one point, the boy asks his father:
“Are you real brave?
Just medium.
What’s the bravest thing you ever did?
He spat into the road a bloody phlegm. Getting up this morning, he said.
Really?
No. Dont listen to me. Come on, let’s go.”
Anyway, post-apocalyptic humor aside, The Road is just as devastating as you’ve heard. McCarthy’s blunt prose and weary characters makes this a book that cuts deep. You’ll chew through it in three days, and the memory of it will stay with you for weeks more.
And if none of that convinces you, then all I can say is: Oprah likes this book.
Cormac McCarthy was born before the second world war, and sometimes it seems he speaks a different language than us. His prose in The Road tends towards the primeval, and that’s fitting because The Road chronicles a time after man’s fall, and humanity is on the way out. Nature is tainted, ash blows on the wind, and the sun’s light is “the color of washwater”. All our modern constructions, our society and our culture, has died and molders in long-empty houses. A father and a son slog through this dismal world, heading south. Always south.
McCarthy realizes a truly post apocalyptic world here. It isn’t that fun Wild West wasteland of Mad Max, with hot rods and leather, but a scabland populated with roving bands of cannibals (one of whose teeth is described as being “claggy with human flesh”). It’s wild, and it’s horrible. If you’ve read other reviews, you’ve heard of the horrors that fill this desperate world - spit-roasted infants, a disembodied skull under a cakebell, etc. And this all feels horribly real. Each instance of violence or suffering is deeply felt, proving again that we aren’t all numb to misery.
The characters in this book are, though. The father constantly wishes for death, and the boy only wishes to escape (at one point he asks his father if there are people on Mars. As I read, I mused that Mars was probably more habitable than their Earth). Their conversations are clipped, filled with lots of echoing “Okay”s. McCarthy’s style is much the same, periodic and level, with nary a comma to be found. These simple constructions lead you to place even weight on each word, and reading it is like trudging through the wasteland alongside them. This lean prose sometimes spirals into beautifully complex sentences as the father dreams (the best of which comes early, when he says: “Freeze this frame. Now call down your dark and your cold and be damned”), and these moments of lyricism shine all the brighter for the dullness that surrounds them.
I had bought into the whole premise within five pages, and agreed with the father’s grudging grip on life. This life is truly not worth living, and his dreams of a vanished existence taunt him. I wondered as I read who I’d rather be: the father, with his memories of our life, of “softly colored worlds of human love, the songs of birds, the sun”, or the boy, heir to a dead world but without a memory of what came before, without the crippling sense of loss.
The Road won the Pulitzer and dominated the Morning News’s Tournament of Books. One judge said of The Road: “The Road changed me—artistically, politically, emotionally. It’s one of the most harrowing and important books written in years. It has everything a book should have (except of course the one thing Absurdistan is drowning in: humor).”
But even that isn’t quite true - The Road has at least two moments that made me smile, and not one of those wistful smiles, either. At one point, the boy asks his father:
“Are you real brave?
Just medium.
What’s the bravest thing you ever did?
He spat into the road a bloody phlegm. Getting up this morning, he said.
Really?
No. Dont listen to me. Come on, let’s go.”
Anyway, post-apocalyptic humor aside, The Road is just as devastating as you’ve heard. McCarthy’s blunt prose and weary characters makes this a book that cuts deep. You’ll chew through it in three days, and the memory of it will stay with you for weeks more.
And if none of that convinces you, then all I can say is: Oprah likes this book.
Well it has been awhile. I've finished three books, thoughts on which can be found here:
http://wordpress.com/tag/52-in-07/
Anybody else got new books?
http://wordpress.com/tag/52-in-07/
Anybody else got new books?
I haven't been reading too much because I've had work and I've been really sick. I managed to finish Little Children, by Tom Perotta. I've been reading it here and there for a few months. It was a really good book, and I'm looking forward to watching the movie, but I was pretty bummed with the ending. It just kinda left off with something like "Everyone knew what they had to do," without telling me what the hell they had to do. Sure, I can figure it out on my own, but I don't want to. I hate endings like that.
I finished Chuck Klosterman IV by Chuck Klosterman a few days ago. I enjoyed it, as I enjoy his other collections. His articles for SPIN manage to make bands I really don't care about seem somewhat interesting. I really enjoyed his section of Things That May Be True, his rants and musings are really entertaining.
Book kind of takes a nosedive when he adds his unpublished novella at the end. The writing is too similar to his essay style and it creates a very uneven and uncompelling narrative.
I'm about 80 pages into Flesh and Blood by Michael Cunningham and I fucking love it so far.
Book kind of takes a nosedive when he adds his unpublished novella at the end. The writing is too similar to his essay style and it creates a very uneven and uncompelling narrative.
I'm about 80 pages into Flesh and Blood by Michael Cunningham and I fucking love it so far.
So I don't know if this counts as a real book, but um...
I downloaded the 5th and 6th Harry Potter books for my mom and she started reading the 5th one and she was like "Oh it's crazy how Dudley turns out to be nice to Harry and how Harry's mom was actually one of the Death Eaters!" And I was like "WTF ARE YOU SMOKING, WOMAN?" So I started reading it and realized it was not the true Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but some piece of shit written by a loser with no life after the title of the 4th book was released. Even after I realized the damn book wasn't really a book, I kept reading it. It was horrible. It made me want to hunt the guy down and cut off his hands to stop him from typing any more ABSOLUTE SHIT.
I downloaded the 5th and 6th Harry Potter books for my mom and she started reading the 5th one and she was like "Oh it's crazy how Dudley turns out to be nice to Harry and how Harry's mom was actually one of the Death Eaters!" And I was like "WTF ARE YOU SMOKING, WOMAN?" So I started reading it and realized it was not the true Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but some piece of shit written by a loser with no life after the title of the 4th book was released. Even after I realized the damn book wasn't really a book, I kept reading it. It was horrible. It made me want to hunt the guy down and cut off his hands to stop him from typing any more ABSOLUTE SHIT.
QUOTE(Dagger Jane @ Jun 17 2007, 08:47 AM)
So I don't know if this counts as a real book, but um...
I downloaded the 5th and 6th Harry Potter books for my mom and she started reading the 5th one and she was like "Oh it's crazy how Dudley turns out to be nice to Harry and how Harry's mom was actually one of the Death Eaters!" And I was like "WTF ARE YOU SMOKING, WOMAN?" So I started reading it and realized it was not the true Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but some piece of shit written by a loser with no life after the title of the 4th book was released. Even after I realized the damn book wasn't really a book, I kept reading it. It was horrible. It made me want to hunt the guy down and cut off his hands to stop him from typing any more ABSOLUTE SHIT.
Jane, you gotta copy-paste some of this.
QUOTE(Keats @ Jun 17 2007, 06:29 PM)
Jane, you gotta copy-paste some of this.
http://www.geocities.com/notarealstory/hp.txt
Just a quick taste:
QUOTE
"Over the summer, we're all going to get together and practice Quidditch!" said Chris excitedly.
"Yeah, and maybe we'll be able to make the team next year," said Mike.
"Oh my god! That would roxorz my soxorz!" yelled Joe.
rofl
Anyway, I have now finished four books this year (yes, really). The three Wayside School books, and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.
The Wayside School books were hilarious, I love those things.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH was thought-provoking and fucking rad. I loved the movie, which I remembered, but I loved the book way more. Afterwards I watched the movie again, and it was still awesome, but eh.
I just ordered the sequels from the library, though I believe they were written by the original author's daughter. Dunno how they'll be.
Anyway, I have now finished four books this year (yes, really). The three Wayside School books, and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.
The Wayside School books were hilarious, I love those things.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH was thought-provoking and fucking rad. I loved the movie, which I remembered, but I loved the book way more. Afterwards I watched the movie again, and it was still awesome, but eh.
I just ordered the sequels from the library, though I believe they were written by the original author's daughter. Dunno how they'll be.
Flesh and Blood by Michael Cunningham. Having read the hours I was looking forward to reading one of his earlier works. The novel follows three generations of an American family, splitting off into multiple narratives. I was pretty much captivated from the start and loved the beautiful yet sometimes pretentious language. I feel that the book fell apart in the last act giving into cliche', needless death, and an almost mastubatory obsession with depression.
An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesbagina. Overall I feel pretty odd when trying to explain or review a Memoir. Who the fuck am I to judge a person's experience? The book is written by the man who inspired the film Hotel Rwanda. I found many of Rusesabagina's experiences to be inspiring and I have a greater sense of the turmoil that occured during the Rwandan genocide. That being said, the book, like most first hand accounts of survival, is rather repetitive. Like I said I can't really say this is bad because this shit actually happened, but as a reader it's not a very captivating experience. I did really enjoy and take to heart his insights at the end of the novel. Genocide sucks ya'll.
An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesbagina. Overall I feel pretty odd when trying to explain or review a Memoir. Who the fuck am I to judge a person's experience? The book is written by the man who inspired the film Hotel Rwanda. I found many of Rusesabagina's experiences to be inspiring and I have a greater sense of the turmoil that occured during the Rwandan genocide. That being said, the book, like most first hand accounts of survival, is rather repetitive. Like I said I can't really say this is bad because this shit actually happened, but as a reader it's not a very captivating experience. I did really enjoy and take to heart his insights at the end of the novel. Genocide sucks ya'll.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Field Notes From a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Field Notes From a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The Shining by Stephen King
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The Shining by Stephen King
Read:
Nova Swing - really cool, I worship at the altar of M John Harrison.
On Writing - Steve King once worked in a laundry, and one time when he was washing some hospital bedsheets he found a handful of human teeth in them. Yeah.
Harry Potter 7 - Glad to have finished the series.
The Savage Detectives - Challenging, intricate, and ultimately very satisfying.
Both Nova Swing and Savage Detectives I'll recommend.
http://weaponsgradeennui.wordpress.com/tag/52-in-07/ if you want to read more on these books.
Nova Swing - really cool, I worship at the altar of M John Harrison.
On Writing - Steve King once worked in a laundry, and one time when he was washing some hospital bedsheets he found a handful of human teeth in them. Yeah.
Harry Potter 7 - Glad to have finished the series.
The Savage Detectives - Challenging, intricate, and ultimately very satisfying.
Both Nova Swing and Savage Detectives I'll recommend.
http://weaponsgradeennui.wordpress.com/tag/52-in-07/ if you want to read more on these books.
I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the niht it came out. Good. But a bit disappointing. I'll leave it at that, as there is already a topic about the book.
I just read Girl with a Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier. Great book. It reminds me of The birth of Venus, by Sarah Dunant, which is one of my top 10 books. I really enjoyed it, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who liked The Birth of Venus. Or to anyone interested in the possible meaning behind famous artwork.
Keats (that's big because I want you to see it if you are just scrolling through), if you haven't seen the link I posted a while ago about Shelfari.com, I think you should check it out. You seem to read a lot of books, and I think you might like the site. Link is here. I know I could just PM you, but I am lazy, so no.
I just read Girl with a Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier. Great book. It reminds me of The birth of Venus, by Sarah Dunant, which is one of my top 10 books. I really enjoyed it, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who liked The Birth of Venus. Or to anyone interested in the possible meaning behind famous artwork.
Keats (that's big because I want you to see it if you are just scrolling through), if you haven't seen the link I posted a while ago about Shelfari.com, I think you should check it out. You seem to read a lot of books, and I think you might like the site. Link is here. I know I could just PM you, but I am lazy, so no.
Just reread the Enchanted Forest Chronicles for the first time in ages. Those books are way underrated.
Ding up fo' mo' fo' da Poopmeista. So now I'm up to ten books read in '07, and they're all kids books.
Ding up fo' mo' fo' da Poopmeista. So now I'm up to ten books read in '07, and they're all kids books.
QUOTE(Machete Jane @ Aug 13 2007, 07:25 PM)
I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the niht it came out. Good. But a bit disappointing. I'll leave it at that, as there is already a topic about the book.
I just read Girl with a Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier. Great book. It reminds me of The birth of Venus, by Sarah Dunant, which is one of my top 10 books. I really enjoyed it, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who liked The Birth of Venus. Or to anyone interested in the possible meaning behind famous artwork.
Keats (that's big because I want you to see it if you are just scrolling through), if you haven't seen the link I posted a while ago about Shelfari.com, I think you should check it out. You seem to read a lot of books, and I think you might like the site. Link is here. I know I could just PM you, but I am lazy, so no.
Wow, thanks a lot Jane. Love this whole site's concept.
Common Nonsense, by Andy Rooney
Really funny at some parts. Other parts, however, I felt like a cheesy old uncle was telling me a story about something or other I didn't give a shit about. I could definitely tell Rooney's old as fuck while reading the book. You'd think that wouldn't matter, but I guess it does in a nonfiction that's supposed to be funny. Humor for old people, I guess. It's not that I didn't understand it...I just thought it was dumb. I could see how it would have been funny way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
If Minds Had Toes, by Lucy Eyre
Well, a review on the back of the book described it as a kind of adult version of The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster. Since that is one of my all time favorite books, I thought I'd give this one a try. Not as much like Tollbooth as I'd hoped, but still interesting.
The Town That Forgot How To Breathe, by Kenneth J Harvey
I really liked this one. It was written well, and I liked the mystery/horror goin on there. The idea is pretty cool...I've never heard of anything like it, and I enjoyed that fact as I read the book because it wasn't like I was just reading another version of the same old scary story.
Really funny at some parts. Other parts, however, I felt like a cheesy old uncle was telling me a story about something or other I didn't give a shit about. I could definitely tell Rooney's old as fuck while reading the book. You'd think that wouldn't matter, but I guess it does in a nonfiction that's supposed to be funny. Humor for old people, I guess. It's not that I didn't understand it...I just thought it was dumb. I could see how it would have been funny way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
If Minds Had Toes, by Lucy Eyre
Well, a review on the back of the book described it as a kind of adult version of The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster. Since that is one of my all time favorite books, I thought I'd give this one a try. Not as much like Tollbooth as I'd hoped, but still interesting.
The Town That Forgot How To Breathe, by Kenneth J Harvey
I really liked this one. It was written well, and I liked the mystery/horror goin on there. The idea is pretty cool...I've never heard of anything like it, and I enjoyed that fact as I read the book because it wasn't like I was just reading another version of the same old scary story.
Shopgirl, by Steve Martin
Not a fan. I hate the way it was written. I could barely get through the book, but I kept telling myself it might grow on me. I was wrong. His nonfiction is awesome and Pleasure of My Company was so good I thought for sure another fiction book by Steve Martin would be great. Oh well. I'm glad the book was so short.
Erased From Memory, by Diana O'Hehir
Not bad, but still eh. It's a relatively new book, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I wasn't impressed.
Not a fan. I hate the way it was written. I could barely get through the book, but I kept telling myself it might grow on me. I was wrong. His nonfiction is awesome and Pleasure of My Company was so good I thought for sure another fiction book by Steve Martin would be great. Oh well. I'm glad the book was so short.
Erased From Memory, by Diana O'Hehir
Not bad, but still eh. It's a relatively new book, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I wasn't impressed.
Well, I finished up Finn. At 250 pages, it was just the right length to appreciate the voice and prose of it without getting dragged down by the... depressing? main character.
I'm moving through the second Locke Lamora book, and I'm not loving it. It was supposed to be a nice summer read to boost my total, but it's just boring me.
Now who's winning with most books read? I think you've got it right now, Jane - I've got some ground to catch up with only 14 or so to my credit.
I'm moving through the second Locke Lamora book, and I'm not loving it. It was supposed to be a nice summer read to boost my total, but it's just boring me.
Now who's winning with most books read? I think you've got it right now, Jane - I've got some ground to catch up with only 14 or so to my credit.
Started and finished Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz today. Again, I was surprised to enjoy a book by Koontz. I thought he wasn't my style, but I guess I was wrong. At first, I hated the main character. He seemed to be way too full of himself and I didn't think I would be able to read it without wanting to scream at how annoying he was. After a few pages, however, I was glad I'd forced myself to read through the first bit, because it got better, and I couldn't put it down. So yay.
Also, Keats, I wouldn't be surprised if I am ahead, but it's only because I recently paid my overdue fees at the library and I've been going like every two days and reading anything I can get my hands on. I had a dry spell for a while there and wasn't reading much of anything. It feels good to be reading again.
Also, Keats, I wouldn't be surprised if I am ahead, but it's only because I recently paid my overdue fees at the library and I've been going like every two days and reading anything I can get my hands on. I had a dry spell for a while there and wasn't reading much of anything. It feels good to be reading again.
Ugh I forgot to mention The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd and The Face by Dean Koontz. Didn't like either one. Read them back in April. Hoorah for Shelfari reminding me that I read them, I guess.
Same As It Never Was, by Claire Scovell LaZebnik.
I liked it a lot. At times, I hated the main character because she never stopped being so sarcastic, but it never lasted long enough for me to REALLY hate her. Good story. Probably a chick book though.
I liked it a lot. At times, I hated the main character because she never stopped being so sarcastic, but it never lasted long enough for me to REALLY hate her. Good story. Probably a chick book though.
Finished Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, which is a front-runner for my favorite title of the year.
Started and finished Forever Odd, by Dean Koontz tonight. Good book, though not nearly as awesome as the first of the three books (Odd Thomas).
Read Brother Odd, by Dean Koontz. Fucking terrible. I wanted to put it down so many times, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. So I trudged through the damn thing, and I hated it. It wasn't anything like the other two books, and it made me want to never read Dean Koontz again. Fuck that book. Fuck it.
Today, I read The Seventh Sense, by T.J. Macgregor. It was pretty much your average, run of the mill suspense thriller...thing. Very predictable, pretty unexciting, though Booklist insists the book is "filled with pulse-pounding suspense, bizarre twists, and nonstop action."
Finished The Beautiful Miscellaneous by Dominic Smith the day before yesterday. Pretty 'eh.'
I read Eating The Cheshire Cat by Helen Ellis yesterday/today. Great book. I want to read it again.
Oh, and I read Diary by Chuck Palahniuk while at the library the other day.
I read Eating The Cheshire Cat by Helen Ellis yesterday/today. Great book. I want to read it again.
Oh, and I read Diary by Chuck Palahniuk while at the library the other day.
Okay. I have a bit of a list here.
Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This by Bob Newhart
After Dark by Haruki Murakami
Boomsday by Christopher Buckley
The Sweep of the Second Hand by Dean Monti
Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This by Bob Newhart
After Dark by Haruki Murakami
Boomsday by Christopher Buckley
The Sweep of the Second Hand by Dean Monti
Finished the Gospel According to Jesus Christ, by Jose Saramago. Warm and engaging book.
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