donutgirl's reviews from LibraryThing

20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:15:49 -0400

donutgirl's review: "I read a couple of the stories in this before giving up. Mr. Hill has a canny grasp of the postmodern, writerly style, but there is nothing remotely scary in these stories. I hope the author lives long enough to realize he was never meant to write horror."
William Morrow (2007), Hardcover, 336 pages
tags: horror, fiction, short stories

Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:09:20 -0400

donutgirl's review: "The whole time I was reading this book, people kept asking me what I thought of it, and each time I said, "Well, I'm not sure, really. But I'm still reading it, so I guess it must be pretty good so far." There were a lot of things about this book that made me nervous: Would the first person plural narration eventually become tiresome? Would the office-drone characters begin to grate as much as their real-life counterparts generally do? Would the book ever develop into anything more than a mildly amusing collection of water-cooler anecdotes? It took me until the very last pages to form a solid opinion on this book. Then I came to the end, and suddenly I realized that nearly every aspect of the book, even the things that had worried me, was pitch-perfect. p.s. there's cancer in this book, and it's sad."
Penguin Books Ltd (2008), Paperback, 400 pages
tags: fiction, office, humour, 9/11

Paradise Lost (Penguin Classics) by John Milton

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:58:15 -0500

donutgirl's review: "Milton gets extra points for scope and ambition, but I have to admit that he tends toward the preachy (rather than allowing his characters to illustrate their own morals), plus some of his theology struck me as a bit simple-minded. That said, the descriptions of Hell remain both beautiful and terrible -- unparalleled in the English language."
Penguin Classics (2003), Paperback, 512 pages
tags: vampire, fiction, epic poetry, verse, religion

Foreskin's Lament: A Memoir by Shalom Auslander

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:28:30 -0500

donutgirl's review: "This book presents itself as humor, but the first few chapters were so upsetting and depressing that I found them hard to read: this guy's childhood was scary bad, in a not very funny way. It gets better as he gets older, though, and is a bit more in control of his own destiny. Auslander is an appealing writer, but sometimes it's hard to read him without worrying about him. Maybe I'm turning into his mother."
Riverhead Hardcover (2007), Hardcover, 320 pages
tags: memoir, jewish, humor

Bears: A Brief History by Bernd Brunner

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:04:10 -0500

donutgirl's review: "This enchanting book is not so much a history of bears as a history of human interactions with bears. While the author included countless surprising and diverting anecdotes, myths, and legends about bears, there was little in the way of overarching analysis or purpose. I suppose the only major thesis of this book could be summed up as "bears are pretty cool; humans should not mess with them.""
Yale University Press (2007), Hardcover, 272 pages
tags: nonfiction, bears, animal

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:25:47 -0400

donutgirl's review: "Wow, how did I never read this story before? I was surprised by how sophisticated and intoxicating it was, despite being one of the first vampire stories. "
Prime Classics Library (2000), Paperback, 112 pages
tags: vampire, fiction, gothic, queer, don't own

The Emperor's Children (Vintage) by Claire Messud

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 07:14:59 -0400

donutgirl's review: "In many ways, a pleasure to read -- populated by wry, more-or-less witty characters and composed in elegantly wrought sentences (although Ms. Messud could use a brush up on the subjunctive mood). Too bad the silly, melodramatic ending casts such a pall over an otherwise charming book. When it comes to fiction, personal catastrophes are infinitely more fascinating than global ones. Similar in structure and theme to Alan Hollinghurt's Line of Beauty, but not quite as perfect."
Vintage (2007), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 496 pages
tags: fiction, brown, queer, new york, 9/11

Party Monster: A Fabulous But True Tale of Murder in Clubland by James St. James

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 07:54:29 -0400

donutgirl's review: "A fabulously lurid tale, and Mr. St James is an able and entertaining writer. Club Kid New York is painted here in bright, gaudy colors, and I was even seduced by the amoral scoundrels who inhabited that strange, surreal world. Unfortunately the author's writing voice occasionally tends toward the screechy (note: using caps, bold, and italics does not, in fact, make a story more exciting), but nevertheless, well worth the read."
Simon & Schuster (2003), Paperback, 288 pages
tags: nonfiction, memoir, drugs, queer, crazy, true crime

Petite Anglaise by Catherine Sanderson

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:12:57 -0500

donutgirl's review: "Who can resist a salacious tale of love, lust, and technology, with all the delights of bohemian Paris as a backdrop? That said, this memoir, for all that it was enjoyable, was perhaps a little schizophrenic — was this the story of one girl’s love affair with Paris? An object lesson about the dangers of blogging? The sordid confessions of an adulteress? A light-hearted kvetch about young motherhood? Of course, the book is all of these things, as reflects Ms. Sanderson’s real life. Still, it might have benefited the story to have a stronger focus, and let the other threads spool into subplots. more <a href="http://lapetiteamericaine.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/the-other-petite/">here</a>."
Spiegel & Grau (2008), Hardcover, 304 pages
tags: authors i know, memoir, nonfiction, paris, parenthood, adultery, blogging

Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen by Clotilde Dusoulier

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 07:07:25 -0500

donutgirl's review: "Dusoulier is inventive, playful, and always willing to take risks in the kitchen. Sometimes these risks pay off, sometimes less so, but it's hard not to be inspired just flipping through her recipes."
Broadway (2007), Paperback, 272 pages
tags: cookbook, authors i know, france

Northanger Abbey (Barnes & Noble Classics) by Jane Austen

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:57:51 -0500

donutgirl's review: "There are charming elements to this novel, and it's a gas to read Austen's ironical commentary on the trashy novels of her day. Unfortunately Austen seems to have gotten bored with the story about two thirds of the way in, and resorts to recounting much of the action (even the nominal climax) in rushed, half-hearted narrative passages. The plot and the satirical elements are poorly organized, but it's almost worth it when a touch of Austen's wit shines through. To its credit, though, I believe Northanger Abbey has the distinction of being the only Austen novel wherein the characters marry for love alone, *not* money or property."
Barnes & Noble Classics (2005), Paperback, 288 pages
tags: fiction, british, vampire, gothic

Gossip of the Starlings by Nina de Gramont

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:20:43 -0500

donutgirl's review: "A lot of people so far have described the writing in Gossip of the Starlings as "lyrical," and I know what they mean. The book is dotted throughout with lines from actual poems, not to mention the airy, ethereal turns of phrase employed by the author: "imagined freedom radiating like nuclear light," "the shale of bones grinding down like mortar," "the brine off the river primal and fetid," etc. I suppose I can only wish there'd been a bit more substance amid the poetry, for I never got a true feeling for characters, the setting, or the situation. All in all, it felt too much like a grown-up's view of adolescence -- like what a mother imagines her teenage daughter must be thinking. The characters were both too sophisticated (do any sixteen year olds care that much about senatorial elections?) and too innocent (the drug interludes seemed particularly fantastical and romanticized). Worse yet, all the teenage characters were single-mindedly obsessed with punishing, protecting, or procuring the love of their parents -- really, it's just like a parent to assume that children have no other possible thoughts or ambitions."
Algonquin Books (2008), Hardcover, 288 pages
tags: arc, fiction, drugs, highschool, prep school

The History Boys: A Play by Alan Bennett

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:07:57 -0500

donutgirl's review: "Read this in conjunction with seeing the movie. I think the cuts made may have actually been for the better -- the film seemed a bit subtler, less obvious in its "message". There is a great deal to love about this work -- the language, the setting, the characters -- but I take issue with its old-fogeyish suspicion of postmodernism. "
Faber & Faber (2006), Edition: 1st American Ed, Paperback, 144 pages
tags: drama, fiction, queer, british, 80s

What Should I Do with My Life? : The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question by Po Bronson

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 17:11:56 -0500

donutgirl's review: "Something about Po's philosophies really resonates with me. He views vocations in much the way I've always viewed relationships. I've always believed that there is absolutely no point in maintaining a relationship with someone you don't think that highly of. You're not doing anyone any favors. Sure, maybe her feelings will be hurt when you break up with her, but in the long run, everyone deserves to be really loved by someone. So be honest and give her the chance to find someone who really loves her, and give yourself the chance to find someone you really love. In affairs of the heart, nothing is gained by settling. Po seems to say that your job should be the same way, and that makes a lot of sense to me. I'm not doing anyone a favor by staying in a job I hate, even if they tell me they don't want me to leave. Because somewhere out there, as inconceivable as it is to me, someone would really enjoy this job, or at least where it could lead them. And that person will put in much more effort than I currently am. And by the same token, when I find something that really feels right to me, I'll be so much more committed to it than I am here, and that will make me a better person. The analogy breaks down eventually, though. It's only mildly socially unacceptable to be single, but much worse to be unemployed. And single people can still pay their bills. http://donutgirl.livejournal.com/55614.html http://donutgirl.livejournal.com/60422.html http://donutgirl.livejournal.com/118185.html"
Random House Trade Paperbacks (2003), Paperback
tags: nonfiction

Polly: A Novel (P.S.) by Amy Bryant

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 13:35:06 -0500

donutgirl's review: "Bit of a disappointment. I loved the concept but the writing itself was so superficial -- I heard a lot about what happened to Polly, but it was all a little affectless, as if the author was afraid to really explore the emotions and relationships in the book. Polly was supposed to be obsessed with music, but I never really felt her engagement with the bands she loved. We got album titles and show dates, but where was the sense of passion, the sense of finding meaning and beauty in something bigger than yourself?"
Harper Perennial (2007), Paperback, 288 pages
tags: fiction, music

Matrimony: A Novel by Joshua Henkin

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 18:27:55 -0500

donutgirl's review: "The novelist's cardinal law is "never write a book about writing." It's navel-gazing, after all, and who would ever care except other writers? Well, I'm another writer, so I loved this. It wasn't perfect -- the first few pages were so funny, but things got a little dismal subsequently. And there was way more cancer than I generally want in a book. But there was plenty of elegant prose and believable relationships, and overall I have to agree with the critics who put this on all the "ten best of 2007" lists. I'm just not sure any non-writer would agree."
Pantheon (2007), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 304 pages
tags: fiction, writing

Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) by Stephenie Meyer

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 18:28:58 -0500

donutgirl's review: "I'll admit, this book was definitely entertaining -- and way better than <a href="http://www.librarything.com/work/78880/reviews">My Lord Vampire</a>. Still, there was something really cringe-worthy about it. It was a little like bad fanfiction: throughout the story, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was peering voyeuristically into someone else's fantasy. Vampirism is always a metaphor for something, and in this case, it was a straightforward and rather unimaginiative stand-in for sex. So, we have this high school girl who really wants to have sex with this hot boy, and the hot boy really wants to have sex with her, but he won't -- because he's such a goddamn prince that he couldn't possibly bring himself to despoil her like that. So, yeah... I understand why that's an attractive fantasy for a sixteen year old virgin, even if it icks me out. And God knows there's some fascinating mormon imagery in the book that I'd love to delve into, in a different context. And I definitely have to give Ms. Meyer credit for not completely neutering her vampire -- he is at least a *little* bit evil, which is fun. But ultimately, this series is never going to be anything more than porno for "good girls". "
Little, Brown Young Readers (2006), Paperback, 544 pages
tags: fiction, vampire, trash

The Portrait of a Lady (Penguin Classics) by Henry James

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 18:29:59 -0500

donutgirl's review: "Okay, to be honest, I didn't read the middle 300 pages. But it's 600 pages long! And besides, it was originally serialized. I don't think it's necessary to read serialized stories in their entirety, any more than it's necessary to see every episode of a television drama in order to claim familiarity with it. Anyway, I was reading for style, not plot, and the style was wonderful. I love his way of writing all the way around a subject, instead of addressing it directly. "
Penguin Classics (2003), Edition: Revised, Paperback, 656 pages
tags: fiction, queer

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) by J. K. Rowling

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:32:17 -0400

donutgirl's review: "Rowling has become a much stronger and more confident writer over the years -- in this book, as in the last, some of the key scenes are disturbing and gripping in a way we never saw before. My only wish is that she would push this talent even further, delving deeper into the psychology of her characters, allowing them to wrestle with big moral and philosophical ideas, and investigating the dark corners of the world she has created. But in the end, this is a kids book, and so the focus must remain on action, adventure, and the triumph of an easily defined good over evil. I suppose if I really want dark subtext and moral ambiguity, I should go read Moby Dick like a grown up."
Arthur A. Levine Books (2007), Hardcover
tags: fiction, childrens, fantasy, magic

The Architecture of Happiness by Alain De Botton

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 05:47:34 -0400

donutgirl's review: "I love Alain de Botton! But I simply couldn't read this one. Maybe it's because I know too much about architecture, but all his observations this time seemed really banal to me. I'm sorry, Alain!"
Pantheon (2006), Hardcover, 288 pages
tags: don't own, nonfiction, sociology