ljbwell's 2009=new year, new list

In anticipation of a hectic year, my early prediction is that 2009 won't be as well-read as 2008, but we'll see. It'll be what it'll be.

To that end, started in 2008, but finished in 2009, I thus start my new list with:

1. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (fiction, English translation, 506 pages)

I'd read a lot about this one here on LT. I wish there'd been more Cemetery of Forgotten Books, but that's just a small quibble in what was otherwise an enjoyable read. I liked the stories within the story, the different characters, the feel of the house at Tibidabo, etc. Overall, a good start to the year.

2. Divided City by Theresa Breslin (259 p., English, YA)

An annual read for work.

3. Låt den rätta komma in by John Ajvide Lindqvist (415 p., Swedish)

Swedish horror novel that takes place in a suburb of Stockholm in October/November 1981. While it is about teenagers and vampires, it is no children's book. And now the completist - and curious - part of me has to see the movie (which I've heard is excellent)...

welcome to the challenge!

Welcome! I see in your profile that you read a lot of library books. Me too. That's what I particularly like about this challenge--I can keep track of the library books I've read (or listened to). Have fun.

Thanks all! This is actually round 2 - hit a bit over 50 in 2008. And yes, lbradf, while I love owning and having books around me, I also love libraries - and it's a great way to get books you don't necessarily feel the need to own, but still really want to read.

To that end:

4. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (448 p., English, YA)

I've been hearing about this one from students and other teachers for a few years now and finally got around to reading it. Sci-fi dystopia, elements of Bruce Sterling's Holy Fire in it (one of my 2008 reads, so still fresh in my mind), Brave New World, etc. Addresses the issues of beauty and individuality. A great YA read.

In short, at 16 everyone undergoes extensive cosmetic surgery to become "pretty". From about age 12 until the operation, you are "ugly"; people's nicknames refer to their imperfections (Squint, Skinny) that will be fixed in the operation. Everyone is cut to the same specifications of ideal beauty and life becomes a party for the new pretties. There is an outlier group that wishes to remain ugly. And, in typical dystopic fashion, being pretty may have its downsides...

Welcome and thanks for the interesting-libraries add!
*starring your thread*
Good luck with the challenge, you're doing great so far! :D

Hi ljbwell, Just "thread surfing" the 50 book challenge here. My 12 year-old daughter read Uglies and loved it. She read the following books and enjoyed them, but not as much as Uglies. She'll read Brave New World at school this year. I'll be interested to see how she thinks it compares. Good luck this year. Looks like you had a good start with Shadows of the Wind. I enjoyed it, too, but agree that it could have used more Cemetery of Forgotten books.

@#7: Being somewhat of a completist (if that's possible), I will eventually get around to Pretties & whatever the 3rd book is, though, like you daughter, don't expect to like them as much.

5. The Year the Gypsies Came by Linzi Glass (English, 260 p.)

Set in apartheid South Africa, the story centers around a 12-year old girl, Emily, whose family is splitting at the seams. Her parents often encourage house guests to stay, including the those of the title - not really gypsies, but a wandering wildlife photographer and his family. Sprinkled through the book are stories told to Emily by the family night watchman - some traditional Zulu, others more historical.

I don't know why I do this, but: elements of Of Mice and Men and the movie Ice Storm put in Jo'burg during apartheid. Beautifully written.

6. Girlfriend in a Coma by Douglas Coupland (281 p.)

Teenagers in 1979 are partying when one collapses into a vegetative coma. The titular character had, shortly before entering the coma, just had sex with her boyfriend. The book then goes into what happens in the friends' lives - both the non- and comatose. In fact, they are all in some kind of coma, going through life without *living* it. Without giving anything away, chapter one, along with a letter from the girl in the coma, tells you a great deal about what's going to happen in the book - there's a ghost, fate, reawakenings...

Maybe it was the high expectations that let me down - I'd heard a lot about it, and had read Microserfs a few years ago and liked that well enough - but this one just left me cold and slightly annoyed. Then again, I tend not to like being beaten over the head with diatribes about how my generation is empty and lethargic and needs a wake up call. By the end, I felt it had turned into a preachy rant. Interesting idea, though.

>9 ljbwell: Damn, I had high expectations for that. I loved All Families Are Psychotic and was planning for that to be my next Coupland since my boyfriend said Microserfs was "meh, okay". Hmm...

...diatribes about how my generation is empty and lethargic and needs a wake up call.

Seems like Douglas Coupland is stuck on that theme. I read JPod a couple of years ago and felt exactly the same way about it that you described, ljbwell. Wierdly enough, the CBC here in Canada turned it into a tv show and that was actually good. But the book was huge letdown and it discouraged me from trying more Coupland, although I'd like to get motivated to read Hey Nostradamus! at some point, since it is supposed to be really good.

#10: Seriously, go ahead and try it. People who've read more Coupland than I have have said GIAC is his best/their favorite. Plus, remember - I'm the one who didn't like The Secret History! :-)

#11 - I'd actually been wanting to read JPod, but GIAC was what was available. Now that you mention it, I can see how his books could lend themselves to more interesting screen-works. (and I'm a staunch defender of book-usually-trumps-film!)

hmmm I see Girlfriend in a Coma, Generation x, and Hey Nostradamus! available on Bookmooch. Can't decide...
(if you're wondering what that sound is, it's the sound of my brain whirring like a dynamo)

13: Well, you could always read Generation X - the book that coined the term to label a generation. (Sorry - meant sarcastically here- I've seen your stance on Martin Julius Esslin, "Theatre of the Absurd", and wikipedia.) ;-)

And now, on to....

7. Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah (360 p., YA)

Yes, I know, there is a heavy dose of YA lit here so far. I'm trying to catch up on books to recommend to students - or read ones they've recommended to me. That said, there's YA lit I like, and YA lit that just isn't me. This one falls largely into the latter.

Amal is a 16-year old Palestinian-Australian who decides to become a "full-timer", i.e., to start wearing the hijab all the time, not just for religious ceremonies and such. This means showing up at her private school wearing it, too.

What I liked: it has a lot of issues which can be used to trigger classroom discussions: stereotypes; being not just Muslim, but any hyphenated-(Australian); exploration of differences between religion vs. culture; body/self image; identity; parent-child/generational conflict; teen angst; dealing with bullies & racism; making choices; friendship and romance...

What I didn't like: it had *a lot* of issues. It is another in the teen fiction genre that tries to throw it all into one book. Also, it is, ultimately, a teen-speak book. The talk about what to wear, makeup, boys, etc. just felt vapid. I found it vapid when I was that age, I still find it vapid now. It has its place and its fans, but just isn't my cup of tea. It's like boy bands and Britney Spears - ostensibly for & about older teens, but really feels aimed at younger teens - and given some of the things that come up, you're not sure that's such a good thing.

That said, it did get stronger towards the end, and I appreciated that many of characters who seemed one dimensional at first were given more depth along the way. And I would recommend it to students who like the teen fiction genre or are interested in multiculti/identity issues.

8. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (465 p.)

Ugh. I wrote this already, then LT crashed, so here's a quick recreation:

I like Gaiman. This is not, as he himself acknowledges, the most original of themes. I also read it perhaps too close to having read Long, Dark Tea-time of the Soul and even The End of Mr. Y. That said, I liked the idea of the gods - of all walks of life - battling it out in America. I also enjoyed the idea that the multiculturalism and immigrant-rich history of America extended to immigrants' bringing gods over with them. Interesting.

9. The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers (704 p., translation from German)

Bluebear is precisely that - and this book recounts a very adventurous 13 1/2 of his 27 lives. You follow Bluebear from his non-birth/discovery floating in a nutshell through the various stages of growing up (in this case, each stage is a life and a new adventure): bawling temper tantrums for attention, language acquisition, education, etc.

It is part Hitchhiker's Guide, part Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai, part Gulliver's Travels. In other words, it can be silly and OTT humorous, but also clever, philosophical and satirical. Moers lets his imagination run wild - sometimes to the point where his descriptions of various beings/creatures could have been reined in a bit. That said, despite its 700+ pages, it is a quick, entertaining read, complete with Moers' illustrations throughout. A fun book.

That sounds interesting! :) I never heard of it before, but I will have to look into it.
--BJ

>17 billiejean: - It was. And definitely quirky.

10. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks (372 p.)

People of the Book is loosely based on the real-life discovery and analysis of the Sarajevo Haggadah. In her novel, Brooks alternates between the story of Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert and conservationist brought in to analyze the Sarajevo Haggadah and the various people of the book - those people who had created and protected it through the centuries. It traces the book's lineage, working backwards, from its preservation in WWII to the creation of the book and illuminations at the end of the 15th century. Each of the historical chapters tells the "actual story" of some tiny finding Hanna makes while examining the book (a white hair, various stains, an insect wing) - and thus takes the reader through European history.

I really, really liked large parts of this book. I loved the idea of the conservationist also being part detective and trying to imagine what each little finding meant - where and when in history it came from, woven in with the stories of what "actually" happened. I loved reading about the many times of co-existence and conflict between Jews, Muslims and Arabs, and Christians throughout European history.

What drove me crazy, though, were the main character's love story and conflict with her mother. And, at the very end, it gets a touch Hollywood. And there were small-but-annoying editing glitches. Without these, I would definitely give the book 4 stars; with them, unfortunately 3. That said, though, I still highly recommend it as an engaging, informative read.

I think you're the first person to have a "meh" response to People of the Book...everyone seems to praise it so highly! Thanks for offering a different view - and thus helping my TBR stay put for a change and stop growing all the time :)

Not so much "meh" as disappointed it "had" to have what I felt were storylines & subplots that ultimately distracted from an otherwise fantastic book. I was willing to cut it a 3 1/2 until the very end - then, in around the last 20 pages or so, it just got silly. The *idea* of the book is wonderful, and the historical parts quite interesting.

(also, remember, I didn't love The Secret History, either, so take my views for what they're worth!) :-)

11. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (272 p.)

This is about the 4th time I've read this book - and the 2nd year now that I've taught it. I get more out of it each time. In short, the story is told by Christopher Boone, a 15-year old with Asperger Syndrome, who late one night finds his neighbor's dog stuck through with a pitchfork and embarks on a quest to solve this murder mystery. His search and his writing the book result in even more mysteries.

What I love about this book is the point of view. It is unabashedly un-descriptive writing - metaphors are lies, figurative language is confusing and off-putting, and descriptive writing seems pointless and makes no sense to Christopher's mathematical/logical way of thinking. On the other hand, we are given a window into what does go on in Christopher's mind - especially through his telling us about his photographic memory, God, constellations, the Monty Hall Problem, and various logic and math puzzles. In addition, in part due to Christopher's inability to read between the lines, there are things we the reader realize are going on, despite Christopher's initial oblivion to them.

Final thoughts (for this year): this time I found myself more affected by the feelings and reactions from the various adults around him. Put yourself in his father's shoes as you read Christopher's dispassionate recounting of his dad's anger and tears and attempts to reach out to his son. Not easy.

I'm about to start this one and am really looking forward to it! Thanks for the link you left in my thread, by the way. That Spec. Ed. book I reviewed gave a good intro to autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger's, but not a lot of detail so it'll be great to have another resource to consult.

ARGGGGGGGH. I had two lengthy reviews, and then hit "post a message" instead of "submit" and lost it all. Idiot. OK, here goes again... Not the same as the 1st time, but I don't care anymore... :-)

1st off, spacepotatoes: the Asperger Achievers and other real stories sections are interesting. I'm looking forward to reading what you thought of Curious Incident...

12. The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti (340p.)

Set in 19th century New England, the book starts at Saint Anthony's Orphanage, where years earlier Ren was pushed through the door one rainy night to be raised by the brothers. He is viewed as unadoptable due to his missing right hand, which makes him useless on a farm or for other types of manual labor. He and his friends yearn for the warmth and comfort of family. Then one day, a smooth-talking stranger, Sebastian Nab, shows up and picks Ren, claiming to be his uncle. Instead, Sebastian and his partner Tom are hustlers, con men, thieves - whatever Nab's ability to read what people want to hear can get them, and they quickly find use for Ren in their schemes, too.

The book has often been compared to Charles Dickens, and with good reason. Tinti presents a series of richly colorful characters – in addition to the one-handed Ren and Nab, there are a semi-deaf boardinghouse landlady, a Lenny-esque giant, a dwarf, hat-wearing thugs, and more. Also in keeping with Dickens, you get a picture of the conditions for workers in the newly-industrial (New) England in contrast to those for the wealthy who run these factories. While some of the developments may not come as a complete surprise, the road getting there is entertaining and engrossing. Very highly recommended.

13. The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke (350 p., juvenile lit, translation from German)

Prosper (age 12) and Bo’s (5) parents have died and their aunt only wants to adopt adorable little Bo, and to send Prosper to boarding school. To prevent this from happening, Prosper flees with his brother from Hamburg to Venice – a place their mother loved and told stories about. There, they are helped by and join a band of other orphans who are led by the mysterious Thief Lord – barely older than they are. The kids are surprised and wary of a trap when the Thief Lord accepts a job from a client – something he has never done before. Meanwhile, the aunt and her husband have come to Venice and hired Victor, a PI, to find the boys.

I know, I know, two books in a row with pre-teen thieves. It wasn’t intentional! Some of my students had recommended this one to me, and I can understand why. It has a Home Alone-like array of bad-guy adults, good-guy adults, and cleverer-and-wiser-than-adults kids. I take some issue with the romanticizing of the lives of these kids on their own (I know, it’s fiction!), but can see how the mix of sassy youths, mean adults chasing after them, and some magic and fantasy would have appealed to me, too, when I was (much) younger.

I know just what you mean. I have done the same thing. And you know what else? Once I was trying to hit (back to the top) and I hit flag abuse instead. I actually flagged my own post! :D That was embarrassing, but I managed to get out of it. Computers, can't live with them, can't live without them!!
--BJ

that's a riot! who knows, maybe you felt in retrospect that you needed to rein yourself in a bit. ;-)

I always feel that. If only I would think before talking instead of after! lol!
--BJ

>23 ljbwell:, sometimes I've done that too, so now if I've spent a long time on a posting, I'll copy it before I try to submit (because an added problem for me is that my internet service is weak and sometimes it cuts out in the middle of a posting). But I've also discovered that if I just hit the "back" arrow and then hit "post a message" my old message is still sitting there, waiting for me! :-)

LOL about the "flag abuse" line! I am constantly hitting that instead of the "top." I sure wish they were different colors or not right on top of each other.

I never would have thought to hit the back arrow and then post a message. You are a real computer genius!
--BJ

:-) My best ideas have almost all happened in moments of desperation.

:-) indeed!

14. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (110 p.)

Told in a series of close to 50 vignettes, young Esperanza Cordero recounts her experiences of moving into her first house with her family - the house on Mango Street, in an increasingly Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago. A thread holding the stories together is Esperanza's burning desire to be different and to escape, to not fit into the Mango Street mold. Thus, we see what that mold is, and see and hear the ways she is different.

This book is deceptively simple. Yet, between the lines of each vignette are layers of events and emotions and conversations. There are the different neighbors and tales of a neighborhood in transition. I have used one of the stories in a unit I teach ("My Name") for a few years; now, in the context of the rest of the book, it is even more powerful when Esperanza tells us, "I would like to baptize myself under a new name, a name more like the real me, the one nobody sees."

In short, *very* highly recommended!

>30 ljbwell: Sounds great, thanks!

>31 girlunderglass: - Yes, worth it. A lot packed into a slim package.

15. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (230 p., YA)

In this young adult novel, the narrator, Junior/Arnold, lives on the Spokane Indian reservation and is just starting high school. Since infancy, he has struggled with seizures and water on the brain; as a teen, he stutters and has a self-described giant head, all of which has led to his being bullied constantly. He is also bright, emotional, and a great cartoonist. His best friend is Rowdy, an angry boy who hits anything and anyone at the slightest provocation, but protects and defends Junior. After a series of events at his reservation school, Junior decides he wants - no, needs - to go to the all-white school in a neighboring farm town.

The rest of the novel takes us through (now) Arnold's attempts not only to adjust to the new school, but also to deal with being ostracized by his own tribe - including Rowdy - as a traitor who abandoned his people, who has become an "apple". In addition, we see through his experiences what life is like at home and in his community on the rez.

One of the things I liked most about this book is that it stripped away the romantic notion so many people have of N.Am. Indians; if anything, Junior mocks those notions, and with good reason. Instead, we get a teenage boy's experiences; a boy who gets bullied, who is caught between different worlds, who worries about friends and girls, who talks about masturbation and gets erections at inopportune times, who is, in short, trying to make it through that awkward crossroads of being a teenager. He is caught between wanting to create opportunities for himself, to escape the fate so many of those around him have fallen - or will fall - prey to, and not wanting to abandon his family and friends. Despite some grimly realistic events, the book is also quite funny and the cartoons give life to his observations. Worth the variety of awards and best-of lists it topped for juvenile/young adult fiction.

Thank you for your review of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Given Mr. Alexie's connection with the Spokane area, where I live, I'd heard of this book, but yours is the first review I'd read. The book is a novel, but contains significant autobiographical elements. I'm going to have to add this to my TBR pile. Thanks.

Your description of Junior's troubles reminds me a lot of Black Swan Green by David Mitchell--also very funny.

>33 lbradf: - I'd suspected it was fictionalized autobiography, but hadn't done the research to be sure. Thanks!

>34 bonniebooks: - I also loved Black Swan Green! No Hangman in True Diary..., though...For Junior, "I draw because words are too unpredictable. I draw because words are too limited."

I loved the symbolism of "the hangman" and the "evil twin" in Black Swan Green! Thanks for reminding me! Oooh! That quote makes a great connection between the characters in those two books. I've had True Diary on my radar for a long time; I'll have to make sure I read it soon.

16. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (374 p., YA)

This 1984-for-the-post-9/11-generation cypherpunk novel takes place in San Francisco, where Marcus is a 17 year old high school student who knows his way around hacking and fooling his school's many "security measures". He and some friends ditch school and, in a wrong-place-wrong-time situation, end up being taken in by Department of Homeland Security after a terrorist attack on the city. Convinced the threats the DHS make to him are real, but also convinced what they are doing is wrong, Marcus sets up an underground network designed to fight back, to expose the DHS measures' flaws, to evade Big Brother's eye, and ultimately to bring the DHS down.

Little Brother is a tense, near-future thriller about the erosion of privacy and liberties in the face of counter-terrorist measures. The most interesting aspect of this book, to me, is that it can essentially function as a how-to primer, with careful explanations of the terminology and different activities. The book feels well-researched - though I can't begin to attest to its accuracy in terms of the hacks and technology used throughout the story. It is didactic, with a clear message that civil rights are being infringed upon and we are giving in to it in the name of safety and protection. Doctorow also puts the story in a historical context - referencing civil rights movements of the 1960s, Emma Goldman, beat literature, hippies and yippies, etc. Plus, the afterwords and bibliography are as interesting as the story itself. Despite some "cutting room floor" issues and small, but visible editing glitches, this is a highly entertaining, thought-provoking novel, great for use in classroom debates on hacking, privacy, censorship, security, and more.

17. Farthing by Jo Walton (319 p.)

This alternate history murder mystery takes place in 1949 England. In this version, a group of British lords and elite called the Farthing Set negotiated a "Peace with Honor" deal with Hitler - Hitler keeps to the continent (thus enabling him to focus on the Bolsheviks to the east) and England stays free. The story alternates between a limited omniscient focus on Inspector Carmichael and a first person narrative related by Lucy Kahn, née Eversley. Lucy is the daughter of Lord Eversley and has married a Jewish businessman, David Kahn. Despite tensions with her family, she and her husband agree to spend time at the Farthing estate with her parents and several members of the Farthing Set. While there, Sir James Thirkie, the negotiator of the peace deal, is murdered - found with a Star of David knifed into him.

The book, the 1st of 3, blends Agatha Christie with Plot Against America - in fact, there are a couple references to President Lindbergh. It is at its most interesting when recounting the alternate history. It highlights through pointed barbs made by the parents, members of the Set, and even staff on the estate, just how ostracized both David and Lucy are - and how easy it becomes to throw suspicion on David. Another aspect of the book which I hadn't expected was its exploration not only of European antisemitism but also of homosexuality at the time. Overall, if you like both the mystery and alt. history genres, Farthing is an interesting take on the what-could-have-been of WWII.

Loved your review of Little Brother, and have added the book to my wishlist!

Thanks! Curious to see what you think when you get to it.

18. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. (278 p.)

First off, this is probably a good time to mention that I got a stack of books from my husband for my birthday a few weeks ago and am working my way through them. Knowing my taste in lit, they skew heavily sci fi, dystopia, cyberpunk, &/or alt history/reality. He had mentioned Canticle to me awhile ago, and was amazed I not only hadn't read it, but hadn't even heard of it. He's rectified my oversight.

A Canticle for Leibowitz follows a post-nuclear holocaust (the Flame Deluge) order of monks dedicated to the Beatus - and eventually Saint - Leibowitz, a pre-apocalypse Oppenheimer-esque figure. The book is divided into three parts, each about 600 years apart. In the 1st, we learn that the holocaust has led to the Age of Simplification, where anyone of learning - academics, scientists, rulers, etc. - were held accountable and killed for the events leading to the Fallout; furthermore, illiteracy is encouraged and books are destroyed as dangerous threats to society. The Order of Leibowitz is known as the bookleggers and memorizers of written works - and the brothers work tirelessly on "projects": writing down or copying texts and preserving these "memorabilia". ***(POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT)The 2nd & 3rd parts leap forward to an age of science and reason and a space age, respectively.(END ALERT)***

This is clearly a book written in during the heights of the Cold War and the constant threats of nuclear warfare, as seen in this passage:

"It was said that God, in order to test mankind which had become swelled with pride as in the time of Noah, had commanded the wise men of that age, among them the Blessed Leibowitz, to devise great engines of war such as had never before been upon the Earth, weapons of such might that they contained the very fires of Hell...
But the princes, putting the words of their wise men to naught, thought each to himself: If I but strike quickly enough, and in secret, I shall destroy those others in their sleep, and there will be none to fight back; the earth shall be mine.
Such was the folly of princes, and there followed the Flame Deluge..."

The novel examines not only what might happen in the event of widespread, apocalyptic-level destruction of mankind, but also sets forth the possibility that history is doomed to repeat itself. It is, in many ways, a very religious book, complete with the Wandering Jew as a recurring presence (though I wish he'd been explored more in the 3rd part), and often looks at the conflicts between religion/faith and science/reason.

Excellent book, and highly recommended.

Good review! Thanks for sharing that with me. I'll drop in again sometime, keep track of what else you're reading

Am somewhat back after a longer-than-expected absence. A lot's been happening lately, all good, but keeping me quite busy and not reading so much these days. Still, I need to catch up a bit, so here goes:

19. Brasyl by Ian McDonald (405 pp.)

I loved River of Gods and was looking forward to this one. Brasyl is divided into 8 chapters, each one further subdivided into 3 eras, all set in Brazil - the present (2006) and a strong, sassy, jaded reality TV-producer; the not-so-distant future (2032-33) and a flashy business entrepreneur; and the past (1732) and a tough, multi-lingual Jesuit priest. It quickly becomes apparent that the characters and times are - or will be - linked together. The book explores the quantum world, an immense multiverse in which a limited few are able to travel through time and layers from one world to the next.

I've read some reviews where people were really annoyed by McDonald's peppering the book with Portuguese; I didn't find this as off-putting as expected, and found that between context and the glossary at the end, the words weren't too tough to sort out.

20. Ha'penny by Jo Walton (307 pp.)

I started and stopped so many books between Brasyl and this one it isn't funny (I finished Brasyl awhile ago). My brain just wasn't focusing on reading. I'll get back to those other books at some point when things settle down. For now, I've given in to a certain degree of brain candy. To that end...

Ha'penny starts up just a few weeks after Farthing left off (see #38). One of the Farthing Set, Mark Normanby, has taken over as Prime Minister, and Peace with Honour continues.

In this book, a bomb goes off in a suburban London home, killing a well-known actress and a young man. Inspector Carmichael is again brought in from Scotland Yard to investigate the incident. The book follows the same style as Farthing, in that we get Carmichael's POV in the 3rd person, alternated with a 1st person account, this time told by Viola Lark, an actress trying to distance herself from her prominent, wealthy family - including her 5 very different sisters - the Larkins. Lark and Lauria Gilmore, the woman blown up in the bombing, were due to perform together in a gender reversed version of "Hamlet"; Hitler and Normanby are expected to attend the opening performance.

There are some references made to (and appearance of) characters & events from the first novel; the moneyed and titled circle is small and inevitably run in similar circles. In addition, Carmichael continues to find himself in a precarious position on the force - one which has him thinking long and hard about retirement.

Despite some quibbles with it, it was just what I needed. Interesting, entertaining, familiar and not too taxing. I expect Half a Crown will fit the same bill...

Argh. I knew this would be a slower year for reading, but I didn't think it would be quite *this* slow. Then again, preparing for a move is a bit of a time suck...

Still and all, here are the next two:

21. Engleby by Sebastian Faulks (342 pp.)

Engleby follows a loner working-class English boy who gets into a top English university. The story, told by Engleby himself, explores his time at the university, reflects back on his earlier school days and the bullying abuse he suffered there, and takes him into his adulthood as a journalist. While in college, he meets and is infatuated with another undergrad, Jennifer. When Jennifer disappears, he is shaken and, over the years, keeps track of press and reports about the case.

While parts of the book didn't come as a big surprise, I found myself still thinking about it weeks after finishing it. Engleby only reveals what he chooses to tell you - though much can be found between those lines.

22. Superpowers by David J. Schwartz (376 pp.)

Another, but very different, tale about college students. This one takes place in Madison, Wisconsin, USA and follows 5 students who, after a party one night, wake up to find they each have a superpower: one can fly, one can turn invisible, one is super-speedy, one can read minds, and one has super-strength. Unlike traditional superhero stories, though, these students struggle to cope with their new powers and with what to do with them. The powers come with difficulties - how not to break your boyfriend's ribs in the middle of, well, ... when you have superhuman strength; how to deal with all the thoughts swirling around you without getting overwhelmed; how to adjust to the way the world looks when you go invisible - and part of the adjustment means making mistakes. Becoming a superhero doesn't come with an instruction manual, nor does it come with infallibility.

I feel like I've said this about too many books already, but here goes: I loved the *idea* of this book. The execution wasn't what I'd hoped for. While the twist on the traditional superhero story - the idea of superpowers being a burden and coming with problems and detractors - was an interesting one, in the end it felt lite and scattered. I found the occasional interruptions from the "editor" annoying; the final quarter or so of the book unnecessary (does everything have to turn into a 9/11 tie-in these days?); and parts of it hit-you-over-the-head with trite, hackneyed observations about press, corporations and politics. Ultimately, the opportunity to examine the life of a superhero from a different angle was skimmed over to make room for less interesting storylines.

I'm so glad I read through to the second paragraph. Just based on the first paragraph--the plot summary--I was all set to check out this book. Since, as you noted, the *idea* of the book sounds intriguing and a little fun. Having read on, however, I think I can do just fine without adding this to my TBR pile! Thanks!

Normally, I'd say, "No, no, you should give it a try, it's just me," but - completely opposite from Engleby before it - the more I think about this one, the more disappointed I get. And it had such potential...

23. Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl (514 p.)

The story here is told by Blue van Meer, a high school student whose mother died in a car crash when she was very young and whose father, a brilliant & dynamic poli sci professor, changes universities (not to mention "June Bug" girlfriends) every term. Blue herself is extremely bright and well-read - on road trips, she and her father read, her father quizzes her, and she is expected to display her intellect, not hide it in order to fit in with the other pedestrian people along the way. As a result, Blue tends to keep to herself at each new school, not concerned with the cliques. When she moves to North Carolina for her senior year in high school and encounters an equally captivating teacher, Hannah, and a group of students called the Bluebloods, things begin to change. Blue is invited - actively recruited - to the Bluebloods, who in turn regularly wine and dine with Hannah. We know there is a mystery involved, as we find out from the beginning that Blue will find Hannah dead, hanging by a cord. The book is the road to that event, as well as the secrets Blue uncovers both before and after.

Overall, I enjoyed Special Topics... I liked how each chapter title - the title of a book - was a broad thematic reference for the chapter; the frequent use of quotes & in-text references for the most part didn't bother me (I've read lots of complaints); and I appreciated a narrator who didn't shy away from being smart. I thought the father-daughter relationship was interesting. On the other hand, I found some of her choices and actions less plausible, and turns of events to be contrived and over-the-top (we get several, "I can't explain why I decided/did X, but..."). In the end, I felt like I'd read a season of Veronica Mars. Still and all, a good summer read.

I can't believe I've only just discovered your thread! What a great selection of books - and a fair few more to add to my TBR mountain. I'll be back...

The father was supposed to be a pompous ass, so that didn't bother me--just made me suspect him early on. I'm not as smart or well-read as the main character (or, I suspect, the author), but that's how my brain works--going off on tangents, making all sorts of connections--so I LOVED all the literary and popular references/asides as well as the chapter titles. I couldn't imagine serious readers not loving this character, FOR all the literary asides--they were like inside jokes--so I was surprised by the negative reactions to the author. I thought it was something LT-ers would get a big kick out of. Oh well, and I agree with you regarding your Veronica Mars analogy, and that some events were "contrived and over-the-top," but that was sort of the style of the whole book, don't you think? I second you on the "Good Summer Read" category. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much, because I did read it in the summer.

Thanks elliepotten!

Fully agreed, bonniebooks, about the literary asides - I often found myself going back to the table of contents and thinking "aaaahhhh, I see the link" with the titles. And as I tend towards tangential asides myself, I mostly enjoyed that, too.

It's funny, I read the father - to the end - as someone who had high expectations for his daughter and didn't want her to fall into the popular crowd/dumbing down trap of typical student dynamics; I also saw them as a team, an insular unit, against the world - but that impression is formed largely through Blue's biased eyes, of course. The Veronica Mars comment isn't necessarily a dig - I loved the show for its dialogue and clever lead - but lord, the number of conspiracies and new directions and minor characters who suddenly have brief moments in the sun... :-)

One final aside (KINDA, SORTA SPOILER ALERT) - I've also read criticism about the final chapter, which I also actually liked (and this will give some insight into why I originally viewed the father the way I did): when I was younger (elementary/junior high sch.), there was often a test at the end of family vacations (and mini oral quizzes along the way) - especially trips abroad. My sister and I would sit on the airplane with the test my dad had written up (using carbon paper so we each had a copy) about the places we'd been, the sites we'd seen, the people and history we'd encountered along the way. They were really fun - both for him to create and us to take - multiple choice tests (a couple silly answers and a couple real ones to choose from); I have really fond memories of these, and in that way, Blue's dad, and the last chapter, reminded me of them.

I really enjoyed Special Topics, but did feel rather like I'd eaten too many sweet things when I finished it. It's ever so slightly too clever for itsself- I think Pessl overreaches herself sometimes. Still, I'm interested to see what she comes out with next

Ben - agreed on both counts.

Moving - home, country, the whole shebang, has taken its toll on my reading goals. Still, plugging along slowly:

24. Ett UFO gör entré by Jonas Gardell (Swedish, 316 p.)

A follow-up to his semi-autobiographical novel En komikers uppväxt, Ett UFO again follows the life of Juha in the Stockholm suburb of Sävbyholm. Now, it's the end of the 70s, he's a bit older (9th grade, a key point in Swedish education - the end of mandatory school, applying for high school) and trying to find his place amongst his peers. His neighbor and ally, Jenny, is very much on the outside of any clique; she's mercilessly teased and never invited out. She worships Juha, often imitating him. Juha, on the other hand, does things to make himself fit in with the "in" crowd - smokes and lets others bum cigarettes off him, brings alcohol to parties, and doesn't stand up for Jenny. He struggles with who he is and what he stands for, and ultimately learns to stand up for himself. The book is split between chronicling Juha as a teenager and reflections from him as an adult looking back on those years.

This is often a dark book - middle school-aged clique manipulations are never pretty. Juha's breaking point(s), his transformation, and how he deals with the fallout are an interesting journey. I appreciated how Gardell used music to show shifting times, growth and maturity (Sweet becomes a sign of youth and immaturity; Bowie is influential in Juha's change and finding strength to be different). It was also interesting to pick up on some of the other cultural references.

25. Rumo by Walter Moers (translated from German; 688 p.)

While there is some overlap in characters, Rumo can be read separately from Moers' equally sprawling adventure, The 13 1/2 lives of Captain Bluebear. This time, Moers focuses on the titular character, Rumo (though Smyke, who also appears in Bluebear, has a sizeable role in this one, too), a Wolperting - dog-like, but with a bit of deer - plus, the non-wild ones walk on 2 legs, have incredible intelligence, strength, agility, sense of smell, and more. Like Bluebear, Rumo begins as an orphan who comes into his own via an arduous ordeal. The novel is divided into 2 books - Overworld, where he grows up, follows & encounters his "silver thread", & joins and is trained and educated in a Wolperting community, and Netherworld, where Rumo finds himself in the domain of the underworld, and all the evil that lurks there.

First off, despite many structural similarities to Bluebear, I quite enjoyed this novel. One point - whoever wrote the back jacket Guardian quote that it is "A wilful confectionery lightness of tone..." mustn't have gotten to book 2. Overworld is indeed a romp of an adventure - growing up, encountering difficult challenges, figuring out the birds and the bees, etc. There is a cavalcade of characters, many for whom we get backstories. Netherworld becomes much darker - while there is still a good deal of humor and comic behavior, there is a significantly darker tone and some pretty unpleasant events. Still and all, an imaginative wild ride.

26. Simons 120 Dagar by Simon Gärdenfors (Swedish, graphic novel, 400 p.)

Cartoonist and Las Palmas rapper Simon Gärdenfors decides to sublet his apartment and spend 120 days couch surfing through Sweden - never more than 2 nights in the same place and never stepping foot in his own place. He writes about his journey in this graphic novel.

By the end I wanted to throttle him - actually, I got there well before the end; thankfully, the book took about an hour to read. This book is basically about a brink-of-30 year old (he turns 29 in the course of his travels) who ultimately gets a grant to take (a lot of) drugs, sleep around (unprotected sex on more than one occasion, and sometimes barely legal), jump to vaguely racist conclusions (yes, he gets threatened, but just because the father is a black - American Muslim, it's possibly an honor killing type threat???), and all the while whinge on about the woman he thinks he is falling in love with (and for whom he is, to the bitter end, unable to keep it in his pants) - and then turn these experiences into a graphic novel. Maybe I'm getting older, maybe I'm too straight-laced, but the unprotected sex and the assumptions about the one girl's father and brother just really bugged the living c#*p out of me. Jackass.

A not-so-smooth move has slowed reading down even more than expected...Argh. That said,

27. A Small City in France by Françoise Gaspard (194 pp., non-fiction, translation from French)

My husband, a political scientist, has been encouraging me to read this book for years, and I finally got around to doing so. I'm glad I did.

From 1977-1983, Gaspard was the socialist mayor of Dreux, a small-to-mid-sized city (pop. 30,000 +) in France; she witnessed the rise of the nationalist, neofascist National Front party in her city. In this book, Gaspard goes back in history to examine the origins of Dreux (including at one point having been perceived as a dumping ground/new residence for convicts), the effects of industrialism on the city, the growing numbers of immigrants to the city, etc.

This book proposes several causes of the (apparent) sudden success of the National Front in Dreux. She traces how different events and circumstances were handled by Drouais residents, Drouais politicians, & French politicians (on both the left and right) along the way, and how these reactions paved the way for Le Pen's party to gain a foothold in the city. Gaspard is critical of many, not least of which her own party and a fractured left, whom she feels behaved in ways which allowed this to happen. In hindsight, some of her arguments hold up, others (such as her reference to the Netherlands) don't. An interesting read in light of recent increasing support for far right parties across Europe.

28. Serenity: Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon (104 p., graphic novel)

I'd forgotten about this one - a graphic novel that bridges the TV series Firefly with the movie Serenity - both by Joss Whedon (also known for Buffy, Angel, and more recently Dollhouse). The most interesting part is at the end when Whedon provides more detail & history about the world he created. If you know the show, it's an entertaining way to kill a half hour.

29. Bleak House by Charles Dickens (1088 pp.)

After a slow start (on my part, nothing about the book), I now remember why I enjoyed Dickens so much in high school. The combination of social observation, classic Dickensian who's-related-to-whom twists, a gazillion threads that merge and diverge at various points, etc. all make for a great read. Having read in fits and starts to begin with, I can strongly recommend not doing so - one tends to forget who all the characters are; better to set aside more time at the beginning and pay close attention from the start. That said, I'm very glad I stuck it out. Excellent book, and now I'll look around for the recent series...

30. Why the French Don't Like Headscarves by John R. Bowen (290 pp., non-fiction)

A well-rounded, well-presented exploration of the history, discussions and conflicts behind the recent law passed to ban headscarves from French public schools. Bowen uses a mix of anecdotes, a wide variety of individual interviews, historical background, government (both national and more regional/local) actions, and such to present the many facets of this divisive debate. He explains the principles of laïcité (which he translates as "secularism", but which even he states is not an adequate translation) and how this was used by the French to argue against the wearing of headscarves in public schools. Highly recommended to understand many of both sides' fears, bitterness, and reasoning underlying the debate.

31. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (321 pp.)

The White Tiger is told by Balram Halwai and recounts the cutthroat nature of life in India. Halwai tells of life in the Darkness, of his education - and being forced to leave school to start work, of his father's undignified death, and of his rise to entrepreneurship some time after being hired to be driver to the son of a local landlord and moving to Delhi. Halwai's shift from a life of dedicated servitude to becoming a boss himself is peppered with small but significant catalysts.

That said, the book ultimately left me a bit cold, I think because I never quite bought into the conceit that he was writing to the Chinese Premier's office to recount his story.

Trying to salvage the year. Oh, how I long for the day when things have settled down...

32. Uncouth Nation: Why Europe Dislikes America by Andrei Markovits (non-fiction, 275 p.)

Another one I've been meaning to read for quite some time now. Markovits explores the origins of the undeniably strong anti-American sentiments throughout Europe. He looks at European attitudes towards America going back to pre-Revolutionary times through contemporary disdain for Bush and his policies. He also ties anti-Americanism to anti-Semitism. At times this book is quite interesting, such as his use of historical writings describing America as a place one goes and becomes savage and sexually impotent. I also thought the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" aspect of anti-Americanism was revealing (e.g., America has no culture vs. American culture is taking over the world: well, which is it?).

However, at other times, I think Markovits leaps to conclusions. And, while the examination of the ties between anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism are in many ways visible in the European critique of the US, the book seems to go off on tangents to the detriment of the original topic. In short, there are interesting nuggets throughout, but on the whole the book lacks cohesion and focus.

33. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver (fiction, 444 p.)

Prodigal Summer follows three story lines, all over one steamy, stormy summer in southern Appalachia. The first is Deanna, the Ranger in her late 40s, divorced and enjoying the solitude of life in the hills until Eddie Bondo appears. The second is Lusa, the young woman in her late 20s suddenly widowed and left alone to run his farm and amidst her husband's family, whom she is sure don't like her. The third follows Garnett Walker, the conservative, stuck-in-his-ways old farmer and his organic farmer neighbor Nannie Rawley.

This is a novel full of passions, instinctive behavior, and sexual charges - not only amongst the different human characters, but also in Nature, both the flora and fauna. As in the wild, the characters are tied together, even dependent on each other, in ways they don't know about or understand at the start. It is about predators and prey, the delicate balance, familial bonds and communities. This is as much a novel about human interactions and our effects on Nature as about the interdependence we all have on each other; upset the balance in small ways and the whole system goes out of whack.

While at times it can feel a bit obvious where events are headed, getting there is worth it (except for the final chapter, the existence of which I am still trying to ignore).

Now, I have to go back and look at the last chapter! ;-)

I'll put it this way, which may jog your memory - it broke from the 3 ongoing threads into a whole new point of view. I just felt I'd gotten the point, and that Kingsolver had made it well; the last chapter was beating me over the head with it.

34. Two Caravans by Marina Lewycka (408 p.)

By the same author as A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, Two Caravans focuses its attention on migrant workers in England. The novel shifts points of view and methods of telling different characters' stories - from basic 1st person narrative (e.g., Ukrainians Andriy and Irina) to letters (from Malawian Emanuel) and even stream-of-consciousness in all-caps & a different font for Dog (the dog).

While described as extremely funny and farcical, which it can be, it is also somewhat revealing about the conditions for foreign seasonal labor. I will say this - if I weren't vegetarian already, some of the events that occur in processing chickens would have made me one; at the very least, it would make free-range seem like an imperative.

The biggest shortcoming of this book is that it tries to tackle a lot of issues at once, and throws everything in - comedy, farce, romance, trafficking, thugs, class issues, politics, EU vs. non-EU, labor issues, and more. As a result, the book becomes jumpy and lacks focus. Moreover, while sometimes tie-ins to previous novels can be clever, the one in this one seems a bit too contrived and screams "Remember me, wink, wink?" in a way that doesn't really add to the plot in any meaningful way. At times funny, at others wincingly horrific, overall disappointing.

35. The Incredible Adam Spark by Alan Bissett (247 p.)

Set in Falkirk, Scotland, the events are told by 18-year-old Adam "Sparky" Spark. Adam has a learning disability, works at the local fast-food restaurant, and loves Queen and superheroes. He and his older sister live on their own. One day, Adam runs into the middle of an American football game to save a young child and things begin to get strange for him; he sees color halos around people and animals and machines talk to him.

Sparky narrates in adolescent Scots dialect & slang, which, like Buddha Da, takes some adjustment. But once you get used to the voice, it isn't too hard to follow. That said, similar to Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, there are a lot of things the reader realizes are going on that Sparky doesn't. In fact, this often felt like Curious Incident's Scottish cousin.

36. The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan (126 p.)

This is the classic thriller which moves between England and Scotland. Set just before WWI, the narrator, Richard Hannay, is bored & restless having just settled in London. One day, a man shows up and recounts a plot that will throw international peace into turmoil. Hannay is left running for his life and to try to stop the event from unraveling.

There are many differences between the book and the movie (at least what I recall of the movie - I'll have to see it again now). There's been debate over some of the strange anti-Semitic statements expressed in the book, and one does wonder whether the characters are reflections of their time &/or their author. Still, this is the grand-daddy of the political thriller and makes for a quick, fast-paced read.

37. Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre (277 p.)

Apparently I'm on a 1st person narration binge. This time it's 15-year-old Vernon Little from Martirio, Texas. We realize right away that there has been a horrible massacre in his town, along the lines of a Columbine, and that, while not the actual shooter, Vernon is believed to have been involved somehow. The ways in which these suspicions get escalated grow ever more ridiculous. We also realize that Vernon has secrets to keep, and those get hinted at and revealed in bits and pieces throughout.

VGL is a sharp satire, highly critical, especially of the media and its need and ability to create a sensational story. It reflects the degeneration of entertainment's reality TV craze and the stereotype of Americans as looking for their 15 minutes at any cost. In the end, the running metaphor of being in the s*#t comes to a climax. There are interesting issues to debate (God vs. free will & control; role of the media & TV, etc.). I just never felt like I cared about any of the characters, and the ending seemed to fall into one of the very traps Pierre is satirizing. For all the hype, the book left me rather indifferent.

Great reviews - I might read The Thirty-Nine Steps over the Christmas break myself, so I'm glad to hear it's a good little read!

Thanks! It'll be interesting to see what you think.

This will likely be my last, or 2nd to last, for the year... 2010 should be better read.

38. Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino (530 p., translation from Japanese)

This was an Oxfam binge buy - nothing I'd heard of or read about before, but it sounded interesting. Grotesque is recounted by an unnamed woman looking back on her childhood in the shadow of her monstrously beautiful younger sister. The narrator works hard to get into a very competitive girls' school and thus also get away from her sister. We find out early on that both her sister and a classmate have, within a year of each other, been murdered, presumably by the same man. Moreover, both the sister and classmate became prostitutes.

Narration shifts to learn more about the sister (Yuriko) and her path to prostitution, the classmate (Kazue) and her decision to become a prostitute - while also working during the day as an assistant manager in a prominent office - and the accused killer and his background.

What is interesting is to see how prostitution is an outlet from a very confining, oppressive society for the two women, and, in a manner, for the accused killer. All 3 have issues with how others see and pass judgment on them and for Yuriko and Kazue prostitution is a way to have control and feel alive. That said, most of the story is filtered through a narration tinged by jealousy, feelings of inferiority - and superiority - and ego. I found the ending a bit out from left field, and am still not sure if some of the contradictions within the text were intentional or not (were they editing oversights or meant to show the contradictory feelings put forth by an unreliable narrator?). I also found that, despite shifts in narration, I never felt like I was reading a different character's voice; this could be an issue with the translation. An interesting view of the role of women, hierarchies in education and society, effects of bullying, and more.

39. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (304 p., children's ed.)

The Graveyard Book opens with the murder of a family by the man Jack - all, that is, except for the baby boy who unknowingly escapes. The baby is found, adopted and protected by the ghosts in a nearby graveyard. His guardian is the mysterious Silas, not a ghost, but not alive either. The boy, named Nobody, or 'Bod', is given free rein of the graveyard and is brought up to live amongst the dead; his upbringing and education are taken care of by the variety of ghosts and others who make the graveyard their home. However, danger still lurks in the world of the living, as his family's killer is still hunting for the boy who got away.

It's been awhile since I've fallen in love with a book, since I've wanted there to be more and for it not to end so quickly. Granted, Gaiman's works are up my alley, so I was predisposed to liking The Graveyard Book. My one quibble with it is that Bod, for all his awareness of dangers, seems to keep making similar mistakes that get him into trouble. Then again, this is a coming of age story, which means there have to be trials and tribulations along the way.

The characters in this novel are range appropriately from sympathetic and kind to mysterious to menacing and evil. I'm curious now to read the adult version, too, to see how they differ. And with that, I close out the year on a high note and prepare for a better-read 2010.

Well, that's 2009 done and dusted.

For 2010, I'm over here.

Hope to see you there!