DorsVenabili's 75 Book Challenge for 2011

Hello!

Even though it’s doubtful that I’ll hit 75 books this year, I thought I’d move my list from the 50 book group, because this group seems a bit more active.

Anyway, September through May, I'm in school and read mostly journal articles, but now that it's summer I am trying to read as much fiction as I can!
Here is what I've read so far this year (I just recently started writing reviews, so I’ve indicated which books have reviews. In the future, I’ll include the reviews in this thread.):

1. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
2. Rogue Moon - Algis Budrys - REVIEWED
3. Sister Carrie - Theodore Dreiser - REVIEWED
4. My Ántonia - Willa Cather
5. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald - REVIEWED
6. Darwin's Radio - Greg Bear
7. A Severed Head - Iris Murdoch
8. The Grass Is Singing - Doris Lessing
9. Disgrace - J.M. Coetzee
10. Moving Mars - Greg Bear
11. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh - REVIEWED
12. The Conservationist - Nadine Gordimer - REVIEWED
13. In the Country of Last Things - Paul Auster - REVIEWED
14. Blankets - Craig Thompson - REVIEWED
15. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen - Christopher McDougall
16. Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives - Gregory S. Hunter
17. Getting It Right: Business Requirement Analysis Tools and Techniques - Kathleen B. Hass
18. Systems Analysis for Librarians and Information Professionals - Margaret Nakamura
19. Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss - Joel Fuhrman
20. Eat For Health: Lose Weight, Keep It Off, Look Younger, Live Longer - Joel Fuhrman
21. Breaking the Food Seduction: The Hidden Reasons Behind Food Cravings and 7 Steps to End Them Naturally - Neal Barnard
22. Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure - Caldwell B. Esselstyn
23. Nutritarian Handbook (Eat Right America) - Joel Fuhrman
24. If Beale Street Could Talk - James Baldwin - REVIEWED
25. The Wandering Falcon - Jamil Ahmad - REVIEWED
26. The Turn of the Screw - Henry James - REVIEWED
27. Room - Emma Donoghue - REVIEWED
28. The Dog Trainer's Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet - Jolanta Benal - REVIEWED
29. The Dream Life of Sukhanov - Olga Grushin - REVIEWED
30. The Island of Dr. Moreau - H.G. Wells - REVIEWED
31. Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro - REVIEWED
32. So Long, See You Tomorrow - William Maxwell - REVIEWED
33. Quicksand - Nella Larsen - REVIEWED
34. I, Robot - Isaac Asimov - I just remembered that I re-read this earlier in the year
35. and 36. The Years of Rice and Salt - Kim Stanley Robinson - REVIEWED
37. On Writing - Stephen King - REVIEWED
38. How Late It Was, How Late - James Kelman - REVIEWED
39. Beasts of No Nation - Uzodinma Iweala - REVIEWED
40. The Big Sleep - Raymond Chandler - REVIEWED
41. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven - Sherman Alexie - REVIEWED
42. Miss Lonelyhearts - Nathanael West - REVIEWED
43. Bait And Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream - Barbara Ehrenreich - REVIEWED
44. and 45. Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML - Eric T Freeman - REVIEWED
46. Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said - Philip K. Dick - REVIEWED
47. We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families - Philip Gourevitch - REVIEWED
48. Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management - Peggy Johnson
49. Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian - Avi Steinberg
50. Zone One - Colson Whitehead
51. Sag Harbor - Colson Whitehead

Welcome, Kerri! That's an interesting reading list - I'll have to take a look at your review of In the Country of the Last Things by Auster, because I want to read it this year. And don't worry about numbers, it's the fun that counts.

Welcome to the group, Kerri! I just completed my MLIS this year, so I wish you much luck with the rest of your studies. Looks like an interesting mix of reads, so I'll probably be peeking in here to see what else you read. :)

Welcome to the group! You are correct in that this is a very chatty and friendly group! Hope you read some great books this year. :)

PersephonesLibrary - I loved In the Country of Last Things! I'm a fan of the dystopian/post-apocalyptic thing, so that helps. I read some other reviews (some may have been on Goodreads) and it seems like some Paul Auster fans were disappointed by it. I haven't read any of his other novels, so I have nothing to compare it to.

MickyFine - congrats on graduating! I can't wait until I do!

jolerie - Thanks for the warm welcome! It seems like a lovely group!

Welcome, Kerri! I noticed that you joined my Booker Prize group, so I'll follow your thread closely.

Hi Kerri, and welcome. What an interesting mix of sci-fi, literary classics, and school-related texts.

Welcome to the group, Kerri!

Welcome to the group, Kerri!

Thanks again, everyone!

kidzdoc - Two of my favorite novels are Booker prize winners (The Bone People and The Sea, The Sea), which makes me think I should read more of them, although I just had an awful experience with The Conservationist!

I forgot to add an explanation of my dorky reading system:

I’ve been reading works of fiction (with the exception of the James Baldwin non-fiction category) in the following order, by time period (one book published per time period). They are mostly 20-year increments that don’t make any sense in terms of literary periods, but it helps me to not get in a rut, which I’m likely to do (e.g. reading all sci-fi, all Thomas Hardy novels, all radical novels from the 1930s). And yes, I obviously love James Baldwin. I've read about 65-70% of his published works, some more than once, and eventually this category will include re-reads. Also, I used to read a bit more history and politics, but got a little burned out last year. I might add a category for those topics someday, but for now, I'm focusing on fiction. Also, if an interesting group read comes up, I will deviate from my system (of course).

• James Baldwin (fiction)
• Pre 20th Century
• 1900-1919
• 1920-1939
• 1940-1959
• James Baldwin (non-fiction)
• 1960-1979
• 1980-1999
• 2000-present
• sci-fi (I'm currently focusing on sci-fi written by female authors)

So right now I'm on the James Baldwin fiction category and am reading If Beale Street Could Talk, which I've never read before, for some strange reason.

Take a look at the August take or Leave Challenges, james baldwin would fit in the challenge Authors with August Birthdays.

I am hoping that you post some of your mandatory reads for your degree as well. I am always interested in research as it pertains to Reading.

jacqueline065 - Thank you! I will look at the challenge thread. I will keep you posted on my school reading (although, be warned, some LIS textbooks are truly dreadful!) I just ordered Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management by Peggy Johnson for my collection management course that starts on August 29. I'll post a review when I'm done (December - Ha!).

>13 DorsVenabili: I really enjoyed my Collections Management course. It was pretty fun. Although I had a very passionate instructor, which always helps. Hope your class is just as enjoyable.

MickyFine - I've heard good things about this instructor, so I'm hoping it's a good class. Also, I love your profile picture! May I steal it for facebook?

Welcome to the 75er group!! I notice that you've started looking at the TIOLIs.

There are a lot of great things and friendly people here and the monthly TIOLIs are a big part of that.

>15 DorsVenabili: Go right ahead and steal it. It was part of a collection of retro promotional posters done earlier this year when British libraries were having so many issues. I'm having issues finding the original source I got it from, but there are several similar style posters on flickr from National Library Week if you're interested. :)

MickyFine - Thank you - it's awesome!

lindapanzo - I love the TIOLIs! What a wonderful, idea!

Hi, thought I'd stop by and visit and officially to say welcome to the 75er's. Yes, we're a lively bunch over here and the TIOLI challenges only enhances what LT is all about. I've read alot of longstanding TBR's that way and it's just weirdly fun to anticipate the next month's challenges. Simple pleasures, I guess.

Welcome!

Carmenere and Whisper1 - Thanks for the welcomes! I'm a little behind on my reading this week due to a house full of company over the weekend and Lollapalooza (never again), but I'm getting back on track!

I’m not sure I’m going to make it to 75 this year, but I’ll keep trying! This is the review for #24 on my 2011 list:



Title: If Beale Street Could Talk
Author: James Baldwin
Publication Year: 1974
Stars: Three

If Beale Street Could Talk is a harsh indictment of the American criminal justice system, a sad commentary on race relations in the U.S, and a beautiful love story. The novel is told in first person from the point of view of Tish, a 19-year-old woman living in the projects in early 1970’s Harlem. Tish finds she is pregnant with Fonny’s child shortly after he is carted off to jail for a crime he did not commit. The novel jumps back and forth between flashbacks that recount Tish and Fonny’s blossoming romance, and the present day, when Tish and her family are doing everything in their power to get Fonny out of jail, while attempting to maneuver in a system where everything is stacked against them– racist cops, crooked judges, expensive and untrustworthy lawyers, etc.

While the novel is engaging and powerful (especially towards the end), it is definitely not one of Baldwin’s best. I believe its main flaw is that instead of letting the (very powerful) story do the talking, Tish frequently slips into Baldwin’s voice and pontificates on love, human nature, the American dream, etc. Granted, some of these passages are zingers, but they tend to disrupt the flow of the novel and are clearly coming from Baldwin, rather than the character we are supposed to believe is telling the story. I realize this is a fairly common criticism of Baldwin, but the phenomenon had not bothered me while reading his other novels. However, I found it to be especially pronounced in this one.

If you have never read his fiction, please do not make this your first or only James Baldwin novel! It is certainly decent and addresses several very important issues that are still (unfortunately) relevant today, but it does not compare to Go Tell It on the Mountain, Giovanni’s Room, Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone, and Another Country (in that order). Perhaps for completists only.

I just started The Wandering Falcon by Jamil Ahmad, an early reviewers book.

I forgot to add, I'm also reading:
*Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships with Dogs by Suzanne Clothier
*Metamorphoses by Ovid via DailyLit.com (I just read about this on a thread!!) and I'm about to start
*All That Is Solid Melts into Air: The Experience of Modernity by Marshall Berman

#23: I will skip that Baldwin book. I need to get back to Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone, which I had out of the library earlier this year and returned before I had a chance to read it. Thanks for the reminder.

Excellent review of If Beale Street Could Talk, Kerri. I completely agree with you; it's not his best book by any means, and the ones you've mentioned are much better choices for the first time reader.

#25 - I love Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone! I hope you enjoy it.

#26 - Have you read Just Above My Head and, if so, what did you think? That's the only published fiction of his that I haven't read yet.

>26 kidzdoc: I haven't read Just Above My Head, although I do own a copy of it.

This was an Early Reviewers book and #25 for the year.



Title: The Wandering Falcon
Author: Jamil Ahmad
Publication Year: 2011
Stars: Three

The Wandering Falcon is a collection of short stories that take place in the tribal regions where Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan meet. The stories are connected through the character of Tor Baz who is orphaned as a five-year-old child. After being passed around from sort-of-benevolent person to sort-of-benevolent person, he grows up to be a wanderer, who lives peacefully among the tribes, but is always an outsider. His presence in the stories highlights, by contrast, the importance of tribal identity in the region.

While this region has frequently been in the news during the past several years, it had remained a mystery to me. I think I had a sense that the people living there are a much more homogeneous group than they actually are. In reality, the tribes display striking differences in many aspects of life, including their customs, codes of ethics, treatment of women, and ways of earning their livelihoods. In addition, the stories explore the ever-present tension among the tribes and between the tribes and the governments of the three countries.

I recommend this to anyone who is interested in gaining a better understanding of the people of this region. Although it is fiction, the author, Jamil Ahmad, was inspired to write the stories after spending many years working in the region. While the prose is not exactly non-stop magic and a few of the stories fall flat, the collection has its moments and is well worth a read.

I just started my second attempt at reading The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. I had started reading it at an airport a couple of years ago and only got a few chapters in before abandoning it (and I love long sentences!) This time I'm really enjoying it, so I'm not sure what the problem was back then. Sometimes I think I have to be very careful about what I read in airports and on planes. I hardly ever stop reading a book once I start it, but now that I think of it, the last book I stopped involved an airport as well - Use of Weapons by Iain Banks.

#29: I am hoping to get hold of a copy of that one some time.

#30: One of the reasons I always give books at least 2 shots is because I am such a moody reader. It is surprising to me how many times I have said to myself 'Why didn't I like this book the first time around?'

#31 - Not that this is a good thing, but I'll usually read something, even if I'm passionately hating it at the time. On the Road (I'm sorry - I know people love it) is the best example of this. I refused to put that book down! I think I always meant to come back to The Turn of the Screw, but it was just not what I was looking for at the time.

#32: I stopped reading books through if I was hating them several years ago. Life is too short :)

#33: I think you're right! : )

Title: The Turn of the Screw
Author: Henry James
Publication Year: 1898
Stars: Four

This is the sort of thing that's probably best to read fresh, without any prior knowledge of plot and possible themes. Therefore, I will say very little.

I enjoyed it, for the most part, particularly Henry James' writing style - long, captivating, magical sentences with lots of commas and dashes. Plus the story has creepy, weird children as two of the main characters (it's already been decided that my next two cat names will be Flora and Miles.) What's not to like?

I'll probably get to more Henry James at some point in the near future (I welcome suggestions), but for now, I'm going to take a break from my summer chronological reading plan and read some books - most of them contemporary - that I've been wanting to read for a while. I just started Room, by Emma Donoghue.

Well, I'm glad you gave TotS a second chance! I think I own that one but I have to be in a Henry James kind of mood before I delve in.

I really want to read books which are more current but my shelves are bursting and the books demand to be read plus I feel guilty when I neglect them for new books. Ahh, and people think that reading is relaxing, they just don't know how stressful it can be. :}

I'm glad I gave it another chance too!

Yeah - I tend to get in reading ruts, which is why I've been trying to plan my reading this summer, but I'll be starting class next week, so I figure I'll just read whatever I want on the train and during lunch. Once grad school is over (December 2012!), I'm hoping to get near 75 books in a year!

Title: Room
Author: Emma Donoghue
Publication Year: 2010
Stars: 2.5

Shortly after I started this novel, I was having lunch with a friend. She had noticed on GoodReads that I was reading this book and mentioned she had heard it was horribly exploitative, and for that reason, she would never read it. After reading the book, I most certainly did not get that impression, but it definitely left me disappointed in other ways.

Because it almost reads like a thriller, I don’t want to give too much of the plot away. So, in short, Room explores the deep bond between mother/child and the psychological (and physiological) effects of isolation and confinement. While it’s a fairly conventional novel, I give the author some credit for not writing the mother as a complete saint. Thank you.

I definitely found Room to be a page-turner, but as far as quality goes, it felt much like watching a marginally good TV show. For lack of a better example, I’m thinking of something like Boardwalk Empire. There’s enough there to keep me watching (although sometimes I think it’s just the set, particularly the wood trim in the apartments and those huge, glamorous ballrooms), but there’s definitely something lacking (depth?, sufficient character development?). Part of the problem, for me, is the choice of first person narration from a five-year-old child’s point of view. I think I've come to the conclusion that unless your name is William Faulkner and you're writing the Benjy Compson section of The Sound and the Fury (or maybe also Barbara Kingsolver in The Poisonwood Bible, but that’s it), I’m probably going to stay away from novels that use this device (the child or mentally disabled person narration). It never seems to work for me. It’s obviously incredibly difficult to do well and it tends to severely limit what the author is able to convey. Also, I think a lot of my disappointment comes from the fact that this book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize (Are you kidding me?!), so I expected a lot more from it, and it simply did not deliver.

Title: The Dog Trainer's Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet
Author: Jolanta Benal
Publication Year: 2011
Stars: Four

Dog book! Above is a photo of Geezer. We adopted him from a local shelter in late June. He’s between 4 and 6 years old and has a few issues: shyness, anxiety, and an intense fear of storms and fireworks. The shelter believes he was part of a hunting pack and probably lived outside in a kennel, with minimal human contact. So far, he’s made a lot of progress (successfully potty-trained!, seems to like me and my husband quite a bit, comfortable with visitors, etc.), but teaching basic commands to him has proven to be quite difficult. We tried a basic obedience class shortly after we adopted him, but had to drop out, because he’s so nervous in that environment that he’s not food-motivated. We’ve also tried a couple of private sessions, but we tend to have the same problems, plus they’re REALLY expensive. At this point, we’ve come to the conclusion that we have to get him a bit more comfortable out in public before we throw him into another training environment.

Prior to adopting Geezer, I was a bit more of a cat person, and my husband had not grown up with pets, but had always wanted a dog. We knew very little, if anything, about dog training. We weren’t even aware of the different schools of thought among dog trainers (and the intense debate that goes on – my goodness!). We enjoy watching The Dog Whisperer and figured that those methods were the most common and well-accepted ones around. After doing a bit of research, we found that reward-based training, rather than the dominance/pack-leader approach of The Dog Whisperer, seems the most attractive to us for a fragile dog like Geezer. (Please note: I am not criticizing The Dog Whisperer and, actually, greatly enjoy watching his program.)

While exploring this approach, we’ve gone through several books and one of them is The Dog Trainer’s Complete Guide to a Happy Well-Behaved Pet. I believe it comes out in November and I obtained my advance reading copy through work. This is a clear, concise, enjoyable, and well-written guide, filled with humor and entertaining stories of the author's experiences. It’s especially useful for new dog owners (like me). The chapters cover finding a dog (shelters, breeders, etc.), early socialization, step-by-step instructions on how to teach basic commands, reading dog body language, and annoying/worrisome things that dogs do. I read the book cover to cover and I now plan to use it as a reference guide. There is also a free website associated with the book (not all content is available yet), that will have more information, as well as YouTube videos. Highly recommended.

Last night, I also finished The Dream Life of Sukhanov by Olga Grushin. Amazing. I'm completely blown away and am working on a proper review, but now I should get back to school work.

Title: The Dream Life of Sukhanov
Author: Olga Grushin
Publication Year: 2005
Stars: Five

The Dream Life of Sukhanov takes place in Moscow in 1985. Sukanov is the editor-in-chief of Art of the World, an official Soviet art journal. While on the surface, his life seems comfy and problem-free (lovely family, successful career, beautiful apartment), the reader learns, from the first pages, that something is breaking down. Two related things are happening simultaneously throughout the novel. First, a series of events, some of them beyond Sukanov’s control, is having an effect on his status and position at the journal. Second, long-suppressed memories from his past are being triggered by certain chance occurrences - an unexpected meeting with an old artist friend, an introduction to his mother’s new pet canary, and a surprise visit from a long-lost cousin, to name a few. The appearance of these memories causes him to reflect on and come to terms with some of the choices he has made throughout his life, particularly when he was a young artist in the late 1950s. As the novel progresses, Sukanov sinks deeper and deeper into this dream life, even losing track of time, until he reaches some sort of (perhaps somewhat flawed?) resolution (you’ll have to read the novel to find out).

This novel is nearly perfect. The characters are warm, rich, and multi-layered, particularly Sukhanov and his wife, Nina. Sukhanov’s flawed relationships with Nina and his two children are particularly interesting to observe. He is completely inept as a father and husband and yet it is clear that he loves them dearly. The dream sequences that make up a large portion of the novel are also very well done. They manage to be fascinating and sometimes a bit trippy, while still remaining clear and easy to follow. Finally, the novel rightly critiques the lack of artistic freedom in Stalinist regimes without being shrill and annoyingly ideological. I absolutely loved it and am looking forward to reading more of Olga Grushin’s work. Wonderful! Yay!

Great review, I have Gushin's two books on my tbr pile because of reviews like this.

Thank you! I think I'm going to order The Line very soon!

I found this delightful and fascinating talk and Q and A by Olga Grushin at the 2010 National Book Festival: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j54TqJMW3Hw.

(I wonder if other people obsessively search YouTube for their favorite author interviews and talks.)

Love the pic of your dog. How delightful...

#45 - Thank you! He's pretty special!

Title: The Island of Dr. Moreau
Author: H.G. Wells
Publication Year: 1896
Stars: Three and a half

I read this for the TIOLI author’s-birthday-in-September challenge.

Edward Prendick finds himself shipwrecked and then rescued by a strange man transporting a large shipment of animals to a mysterious island. Once on the island, he meets the somewhat diabolical Dr. Moreau and eventually learns that Moreau is conducting morally-suspect scientific experiments in his island laboratory. While Prendick feels uncomfortable with what is happening, he is forced to uphold his alliance with Moreau in order to survive. Eventually, some strange events occur involving the island inhabitants (referred to as Beast People) and Prendick is faced with a grim and difficult situation.

The novella explores what is and what is not morally acceptable in the realm of scientific research. There seems to be a lot of emphasis on purpose. Prendick keeps trying to figure out why Moreau is conducting his gruesome experiments. It seems that if there was some greater good involved, they would be acceptable to Prendick, but since it has more to do with Moreau’s egotistical drive to explore the limits of his own intelligence and ability (and perhaps power), Prendick concludes that Moreau is evil. Moreau would disagree. Wells also seems to be making an interesting comment on the use of religion to control populations. The Beast People are controlled by their fear of Dr. Moreau and the supposed consequences of breaking their code of morals, but how long can this peace last before their true nature breaks through? Thought–provoking stuff that is still relevant today.

While I did not enjoy it nearly as much as The Time Machine and it actually ruined a few lunches (I had forgotten the definition of vivisection before picking up the book), The Island of Dr. Moreau is a worthwhile read.

Title: Never Let Me Go
Author: Kazuo Ishiguro
Publication Year: 2005
Stars: Four

I read this for the TIOLI challenge #1 - Read a book with an opening sentence of five words or less.

I would think of this entire review as one big spoiler. If you plan to read the book, I suggest you stay away from reviews of it beforehand. The pace at which the plot unravels is part of what makes the novel so powerful. It doesn’t really contain wildly dramatic twists, but important bits of the story are revealed little-by-little, in an incredibly effective way. I’m glad I read it without knowing anything about it, other than that it was vaguely sci-fi-ish, and profoundly depressing.

SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!

The novel is narrated by Kathy H, a human clone, whose sole purpose is to donate her organs to sick “real” humans, once she reaches an appropriate age. Kathy, who is currently a “carer” (the stage each clone goes through before they start donating their organs), spends most of the novel reminiscing about her childhood at Hailsham, a high-quality and well-regarded home for the clones (also called students by the guardians who teach and care for them). Most of her memories surround her friendships (and subsequent love-triangle involvement) with Ruth and Tommy, two fellow Hailsham students.

The guardians are very protective and only reveal the details of the students’ purpose in small, delicate ways, in order to ensure that they are able to have some semblance of a normal childhood. In some ways this is good (they get to have remotely normal childhoods!), but there is a downside. As a result of this, the students are left to guess at some of the finer points of their situation and this lack of substantial explanation causes strange (and untrue) rumors to circulate among them, such as the idea that if two people can prove they are in love, they can get a donation deferment.

Aside from the surface issues (Let’s keep an eye on this human cloning thing - clones are people too! and How do we define human?), what makes the novel so powerful and thought-provoking is the analogies that can be drawn from it. It caused me to make all sorts of connections to groups of people in our own world who have a rigid path imposed on them by a more powerful force and what a futile pursuit life is when you are not allowed (or it’s nearly impossible) to live up to your full potential. Frequently, this is due to socioeconomic forces (from the more extreme example of slavery to the Dalits in India and maybe even folks from my hometown, many of whom are kept from pursuing their dreams due to poverty and lack of education.) The Hailsham students could have grown up to be all sorts of amazing people, doing amazing things, but were never given the chance, and their lives were over by the time they reached their 30s.

Throughout the novel, I was amazed at how the students seemed to simply accept their fate without much questioning. I kept wanting to hear about a group of clone revolutionaries, wearing little berets, who dream of the day when they’ll throw off their chains and fight the Man, but that never happens. And really, what could they do against such a strong adversary (a group of sheltered young people versus the world, essentially)?

The guardians and the entire Hailsham experience left a mark on me as well. The guardians are clearly decent, compassionate people who are doing the best they can within an awful system to provide comfortable lives for the students. They gather the students’ best artwork to prove to the outside world that the students have “souls” and deserve to be raised in comfort and peace, rather than in the squalid, crowded centers where most clones are raised. However, the disturbing part is that they don’t seem to be questioning the system, or maybe they are questioning the system, but they aren’t fighting it. Is it because the forces at work are too powerful to fight and the best they can do for the students is to provide them with a comfortable, safe existence while they're young? Perhaps. To a certain extent, I’m able to understand this dilemma. I often wonder what the most effective form of activism is when you’re faced with such a powerful adversary. Do you do what you can to help people, or do you fight to tear the whole system down and build something better? I guess it depends on how many people you have on your side. It often feels like I have Marx whispering in one ear and Mother Theresa in the other, and then I get really confused and frustrated and just stay in the house and read novels! (Kidding!…sort of).

So, wow. What an odd, rambling review I’ve just written. Anyway, I was plunged into a state of agony and deep despair for a bit after reading it, so it must be good.

I really enjoyed Never Let Me Go when I read it last year, and have always found Kazuo Ishiguro's works to be really beautiful and thought-provoking. The film version of Never Let Me Go is also really good and I highly recommend it.

Yes! I put it at the top of our Netflix queue. I'm looking forward to it.

Title: So Long, See You Tomorrow
Author: William Maxwell
Publication Year: 1980
Stars: Two

This short novel is told from the perspective of an older man looking back on his childhood in a small Illinois town. The story revolves around a murder that occurred in the 1920s, when the narrator was a young boy. The first half recounts scenes and tragic incidents from the narrator’s own childhood that were occurring around the time of the murder, including a description of the brief friendship he shared with the son of the alleged murderer. The second half is the narrator’s reconstruction of the events leading up to the murder.

The first half of the novel feels unfocused and almost like the author is trying to smash two different novel ideas together. Several scenes serve no purpose and could be deleted in their entirety. And to make matters worse, it’s filled with awkward, clunky, and, at times, mind-numbingly boring prose. Luckily, the second half improves significantly (but not quite enough to redeem the entire novel.)

The narrator begins the second half by describing the process he’s gone through to research the murders that occurred 50 years ago. The newspaper clippings he’s been able to find offer very little help, and there’s not much to go on from memory. The perpetrator and victim were tenant farmers who lived on the outskirts of town, and, aside from being a source of juicy gossip for a while, their story was soon forgotten. The narrator contributed to this in his own way and has felt life-long guilt for the way in which he treated the son of the alleged murderer. He tells their story now (even though it’s largely fabricated) in order to bring meaning and dignity to their forgotten lives.

Not recommended.

I remember not caring for that Maxwell either. I loved the story of Geezer, plus I love Geezer's name. I guess he'll grow into it!

Late welcome!

Regarding the dog name, my silly husband has always wanted to name a dog after Geezer Butler, the bass player in Black Sabbath (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geezer_Butler), so there you go!

Hello :)
#39: Good luck with your doggie training!
When I got my lab/shepherd puppy two years ago, my fiance and I tried puppy training classes but found that he was just too excitable to be able to focus in that environment. We found just practicing at home and using affection, instead of food, as a reward worked great with him. Geezer looks quite cute, good luck with the training!

Despite his problems, Geezer looks very happy running in your yard. Best wishes to him in his new life with you and your husband.

I just purchased Room for a quarter at the library book sale so if it's only as good as a "marginally good tv show" it will have been worth it.

The Dream Life of Sukhanov looks to be a very good read and I'll be wishlisting that one.

#54 - Thank you! Training is going a bit better at home and it gets better every day. I also have a book about shy, nervous dogs that I have to start reading.

#55 - Thank you for the kind words about Geezer! Yeah - I really didn't like Room (and I feel kind of bad writing such a negative review, because I know people love it.) To me, it was like a really grim beach read. Oh well. But for a quarter, I think you're fine. And, yes, I highly recommend The Dream Life of Sukhanov!!

I just started listening to an audio version of Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis (one of my favorite novels). I downloaded it for free on iTunes University and it's from Lit2Go (http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/). I've decided that I'm going to try audio books for classics I've already read and maybe some contemporary, non-fiction, political books that aren't incredibly challenging. We'll see how it goes. So far, I feel that I definitely wouldn't try listening to fiction that I've never read before, or any challenging non-fiction. It seems that I'm losing quite a bit and not absorbing as much using the audio version, versus actually reading it.

I liked your review of Never let me go - I agree it is not a good idea to read reviews of this one before you read it - even the back cover blurb I seem to remember gave away too much on my copy.

#58 - Thank you! Yeah, part of me thinks it's a little goofy to write a review that only people who have read the book can read (ha!), but I really wanted to talk about my reading experience, and I couldn't do that without discussing the plot.

Regarding the audio version of Babbitt, I think I might not like audio books. I may try one non-fiction before I give up for good, but I find it hard to follow dialogue, while walking down the street with my headphones on. Oh well.

I think audiobooks are not for everyone, and not all books should be on audio. I'm listening to Fahrenheit 451 on audiobook right now and finding it very easy to get lost and having to keep rewinding.

Title: Quicksand
Author: Nella Larsen
Publication Year: 1928
Stars: Four

Quicksand is a semi-autobiographical novel by Harlem Renaissance author Nella Larsen. It follows the main character, Helga Crane, for several years during early womanhood. Helga lost both parents at an early age (her father left the family when she was very young and her mother died when she was a teenager), and she spent much of her teenage years in the household of her mother’s second husband, a cruel white man, who always resented her. Helga’s mixed-race heritage (Danish mother and African American father) informs most aspects of her life in early twentieth century America. Helga feels as though she does not fit in anywhere and she is desperately trying to find peace and contentment, but it seems to be always out of her grasp. In addition, the novel expresses Helga’s severe preoccupation with shades of skin color. Nearly every chapter makes some reference to the different skin shades of the African American characters – black, brown, amber, yellow, etc. and what they signify.

The novel begins with Helga teaching at Naxos, a southern school for black children (presumably modeled after the Tuskegee Institute.) She decides to leave because she can no longer stand the conservative philosophy of the school’s administration and how it affects the children (presumably a - much deserved, in my opinion - dig on Booker T. Washington’s philosophy.) Throughout the novel, Helga constantly escapes to new places (first Chicago, then Harlem, then Copenhagen, then the South). She desperately tries to convince herself that this time she is happy and that this is what she is meant to do, but soon, loneliness, depression, and that feeling of not belonging creeps in and she flees.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this novel (and also Passing) is that it works on two levels. Most importantly, it deals with the oppression and injustice experienced by African Americans in the United States. However, it is also an interesting study of depression and (while I’m no psychologist) possibly something like borderline personality disorder. Helga is clearly dealing with quite severe mental illness and the novel gives us access to her tragically flawed thought processes.

I highly recommend this and Larsen’s other novel, Passing, which deals with somewhat similar themes and with a similar main character. It is unfortunate that this incredibly talented author wrote only two short novels and a few short stories.

I just started The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson for the International Space Station TIOLI challenge. I had actually thought this was one of the Antarctica novels (which is really dumb, because there's only one!), but it is something else entirely. I think it might be vast and complicated. Not exactly what I was looking for right now, but I'll stick with it, since I love the author.

As it turns out, The Years of Rice and Salt is actually not complicated at all. It's clear and well-written and I'm enjoying it so far. It's an alternate history (or I've also read someone call it a parallel universe, but I'm not sure about that) where 99% of the population (mostly Europe) died from the the Great Plague in the 1300s and how history was altered because of that.

Stopping in to say hello! :)

#65 - Thanks for stopping by! I'd have more reviews up of I wasn't reading a 760-page book! Plus, school is kicking my butt this semester. Poop.

Lots of great books and reviews! I'm definitely walking away with a bunch of book bullets! :)

#67 Thanks for stopping by, jolerie!

Partly because I was avoiding school work and partly because we had family coming over, I cleaned, weeded, and reorganized the bookcases in the home office last weekend. I didn't take before photos, but it was very, very, very bad - dust, floor piles, etc. Chaos! These cases contain fiction and most of the nonfiction.

I have a new rule for myself: If I read something and don't like it, I will get rid of it, either by donating it, or selling it for store credit at the used book store. I now have about 15 books to get rid of! It would have been more, but my husband swept in and rescued three sacred cows.

Someday, it would be lovely to have nice bookcases (instead of these Ikea things that I painted brown, for some strange reason) that wrap around the whole room, but for now, it works.

I'm having a moment of book lust as I gaze upon your newly organized bookcases. *Pats away drool*

As much as I've tried to like audiobooks I have determined I hate them. They just don't work for me. I fall asleep if I listen at night, I don't pay close enough attention to listen while doing tasks and one of them will suffer, normally the book. Books/stories are so wonderful, I simply need to devote my time to them and them alone. Perhaps it's the way my brain is wired because many people swear by them.

Good job on the book cases. Can you come organize mine now?!

#70 - Thanks! Yeah - the audiobook thing might not be for me. I just had a really hard time following the dialogue. I'm going to try some non-fiction and if that doesn't work, I'll be done. A friend of mine said that if a fiction audiobook has a great narrator, it makes a huge difference, but I'm still not sure. Oh well.

#71 - Thank you! Ha! Actually, I probably would organize your books. I LOVE IT (as I'm sure we all do, since we're on this site). It's oddly relaxing. Or something.

Nice job with your book reorg project.

Years ago when I was still working as an RN I had a job as an IV therapist, and our office was in the hospital pharmacy. When the pharmacy remodeled, they asked if anybody wanted their old wooden shelves--wonderful, utility shelves that they had used to stack meds. Did anyone want them? Are you kidding? Now mind you, this was probably 2,000 books ago, but still, I had a lot of books at the time. So my long-suffering DH tied those shelves, one at a time, on top of our Volvo station wagon and dragged them home for me--and suddenly I had bookshelves! What made me think of this was your air vent, and how you carefully placed the book cases around it so that it wouldn't be blocked. My new bookcases took up the entire wall, so DH solved the problem by cutting a custom hole in the back so that the air vent wouldn't be blocked. That wall space is precious--haha.

#73 - What an awesome shelf obtainment! That vent drives me crazy, because I could fit another bookcase in that room. My brother-in-law is a carpenter and he has built a single bookcase for me in the past (it's in another room). I really want to ask him to build custom bookcases for that room that take up all the available space, but he never lets us pay him. He installed thirteen new windows in our home last year and would not take a dime. We try to make it up to him by doing nice things, such as taking him and my sister on a mini-vacation to a beer fest, but it's just not the same. He has amazing skills and I'd like to pay him for the work he does! I've also thought about taking a woodworking class, so I can learn to make bookshelves. Some day.

Absolutely beautiful. There is something about a clean and organized book shelf that just invokes a sense of calm and self satisfaction. :)

#75 - Thank you, Valerie! I agree.

I actually don't mind the actual organizing, it's finding the time that is rather difficult. Plus once I organize I start to realize how little shelf room I have left!

Title: The Years of Rice and Salt
Author: Kim Stanley Robinson
Publication Year: 2002
Stars: Four

Three-quarters of the way through this 762-page novel, I decided I wasn’t going to write a review. My reaction through much of it was that, while I’m sure it’s quite good, it’s just not my thing. I tend to dislike big, sprawling, epic stories that take place over an entire lifetime. Since this one takes place over many lifetimes, it was even more difficult for me to enjoy. I do love Kim Stanley Robinson, though, and that’s why I initially chose to read it.

Anyway, I’m obviously writing a review, and I suppose I’m giving this book 4 stars, even though much of it was a bit of a slog for me. The premise of the story is that the great plague outbreak of the 1300s killed 99% of the European population, rather than the third that it actually killed. So it’s an alternative history where the world developed without Europeans. China, India, a federation of Middle Eastern territories, and later, a federation of tribes from what is now North America developed into the world’s major powers.

In addition to being an alternative history, the story’s main characters are a group of three (or more, but I could never quite keep track of the others) individuals who keep getting reincarnated together (the group is called a jati.) Robinson gives them different names, genders, geographic locations, time periods, and even species each time they come back, but he always starts their names with the same letters (B, I, and K), which I found very helpful when I was trying to preserve my sanity while reading this (Thank you, Kim Stanley Robinson).

The characters have the same personality essences in each life and each fulfills a specific role within the jati. One is compassionate, sincere, and earnest. Another is brilliant, serious, and analytical. The third (usually my favorite character) is passionate, sort of hot-headed, and eventually very forward-thinking and creative. Together, they play increasingly important roles in the evolution of civilization, as it progresses from a fractured, war-like state, to a more egalitarian society.

As individuals, the jati members are trying to improve themselves in each lifetime, in order to eventually reach a state of nirvana. They are not always aware of this when they are spending time on earth, but they discuss it extensively while in the bardo (the place where one goes between reincarnations.) The passionate, hot-headed character has the longest to go in terms of self-improvement, but eventually plays the most important roles (typically leadership roles) in the advancing civilization (in my opinion, but this is debatable). This self-improvement of the individual characters parallels the progress and advances made in civilization, with the focus on obtaining equality and freedom for all people.

So, it’s a fascinating concept, and parts of it I loved, but, quite frankly, I’m glad it’s over. One of the main barriers to my enjoyment was the constant switching of characters (ten sets of characters, actually) and the lack of time spent with each set. I sometimes felt that I didn’t have a good grasp of what was going on, before the action was moved to a new time and place. I really think it’s just me, though, and my personal preferences. Overall, the author did a great job, and I love his clear, concise writing. I’m also astounded and impressed by the amount of research that he must have done to write this book. Bless your heart, Kim Stanley Robinson.

By the way, I’m counting this as two books towards the 75 that I have no hope of reaching this year.

#77 - Shelf room is the big problem! I'm hoping my new rule (getting rid of books that I didn't particularly love) helps in this area, although, it might not, since I probably buy more books than I'm willing to get rid of. I'm also thinking about getting an e-reader, so that might help a bit too.

Great review! The premise of the book is interesting so I'm going to add this to my wishlist. :)

#80 - Thank you! It *was* interesting, just not my thing. I can think of a few friends and family members who I might give a copy to as a gift, so there's that.

Doesn't really sound like my kind of read, but an excellent review! :)

#82 - Thanks!

Love your book shelves - they look very neat:)

I love KSR's writing, he has great ideas. It took me a while to catch on to the initial letter clue in the names of the characters in Years of Rice and Salt but it was a fascinating alternative history.

#84 - I love KSR too, especially the Mars Trilogy. I also really liked The Memory of Whiteness. Have you read this? It's one of his early novels. I read it a long time ago and probably should reread it. It involves an elaborate musical instrument that is only played by one intensely-trained virtuoso at a time and it is capable of manipulating emotions. More deep stuff follows from that. It's good.

Yes I've read The Memory of Whiteness and could probably do with a re-read as well. I probably should add Antarctica and Icehenge to that re-read list.

The Mars trilogy is brilliant and I've read it more than once:)

#86 - I have to get around Antarctica and Icehenge one of these days.

Title: On Writing (Tenth Anniversary Edition)
Author: Stephen King
Publication Year: 2010 (originally published in 2000)
Stars: Four and a half

I read many Stephen King novels when I was a teenager, but as I got older, I grew less fond of being scared out of my wits. Today, I may watch the occasional creepy, goofy, so-bad-it’s-good horror movie, like The Ring, but I can’t stand the sustained state of horror that a book brings. Two hours is all I can handle.

Anyway, I’ve heard from many different people that On Writing is fantastic. People freak out about this book, which is part memoir and part writing advice manual. I agree that it’s really quite good. The first third of the book is a memoir, focusing mostly on his early writing life, but also on his drug and alcohol addiction in the 80s, after he had achieved success. I especially enjoyed the bits about his wife who seems to play a significant role in his creative process, as well as keeping him in line in other ways. They seem to have a strong bond. It’s lovely and cute.

The remainder of the book outlines his rules for good fiction writing. I can’t say I hadn’t heard or read most of them before (write a lot/read a lot, cut down on adverbs, etc.), but his style of writing – with anecdotes about his own personal experience thrown in – made it an enjoyable read. I especially found his advice on what to focus on during each draft (he recommends three, if I remember correctly) very helpful. There’s also very clear advice on how to send stories to journals and magazines, how to find an agent, etc. I highly recommend it to both Stephen King fans and people who can’t stand Stephen King, but want an excellent general guide to fiction-writing.

And I just started reading How Late It Was, How Late, by James Kelman. I'm not quite sure what to expect.

I look forward to your comments about How Late It Was, How Late. I bought it earlier this summer, and I was thinking about reading it next month.

#90 - Thanks. I'm about 10 pages in. Unless you're familiar with Scottish dialect, you may want to keep something like this handy: http://www.cs.stir.ac.uk/~kjt/general/scots.html.

I'll have you know that I bought the entire trilogy, Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars last week and I hold you completely at fault! :P

I enjoyed your take on Room. It was also on some Canadian prize lists, but I did not think it was that fabulous either. I thought it was almost a takeoff of a few situations in the news, and I read more as a thriller . I didn't find that the second part of Room rang very true for me. I don't mine child narrators - Pigeon English Booker shortlist, and Grace Williams Says it Loud - booker longlist - but I did I find Room disappointing.

#92 - This is so exciting! Yay! I look forward to reading your reactions. I should probably also re-read them, since I'm always recommending them to people nowadays.

#93 - Thank you! I was probably being a bit harsh about the child narrator concept, because I had also recently read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, another sacred cow that I did not like (I'm not usually this contrary!). I'll probably give it (child narration) another chance at some point in the future.

Just stopped by to say hi but I found myself drowning in dangerous waters. Mars Trilogy? On Writing? Rice and Salt? All on my wishlist now. You know what happens when you go down for the third time! *gasp*

Fantastic review of the Robinson - having just read the Mars Trilogy, I know I'll be reading more of him, and that is definitely going to be one of them.

I read an excerpt of the Stephen King book on writing someplace and was deeply impressed with it (I am one of those who can't read King), now I'll have to put that on my list!

#95 - Ha! I'm glad I can help your wishlist. I definitely recommend the Mars trilogy over The Years of Rice and Salt, but both are very high quality.

#96 - Thank you! The Stephen King book is really excellent. To put it in perspective, I've also been reading On Writing Well, by William Zinsser, little by little, for a LONG time (I guess I should add it to currently reading). Anyway, it's also very good, but when I started the Stephen King book, I couldn't put it down and finished it within a week. The Zinsser book is more focused on non-fiction, but still. I think the addition of the fascinating personal anecdotes in the King book makes all the difference.

Oh and I forgot to add that I bought The Years of Salt and Rice in the same trip and you are completely at fault for that one as well. :D

#98 - I should get a check from KSR this week : ). I vote that you read the Mars Trilogy before the other.

Ohhhh trying to avert my eyes from the books on the thread!! Crap, I couldn't do it ...more books added to the wishlist!!
The years of rice and salt looks interesting ... but at over 700 pages I think it will wallow on the wish list for a while, I've read too many big huge books lately!
Mars Trilogy added too!

#100 - I can relate! My wishlist is out of control since becoming more active on LibrayThing!

LOL! I think I can totally relate to your finding Amsterdam a yawnfest. I'm still reading Atonement and while it's okay, I don't see the big deal either.

Yeah, considering how many people are wishlisting her Mars Trilogy, I think you definitely deserve a cut of her profits! :)

#102 - ha! But I really am open to trying another one someday...perhaps not Atonement, though.

#103 - Exactly! I should point out that KSR is a guy. It took me a while to realize this too.

Oh what?? I think I saw Kim and assumed it was a girl!

#105 - It's true. A male human.

Kerri, I'm one who cannot read Stephen King but the idea of reading a memoir and even writing advice from him sounds very interesting. Though he's not my cup of tea , reading wise, I do admire his popularity and prolific writing. I think he's a genius in his way. I'm going to have to put that on my TBR list. Thanks! BTW - finished Atonement....

#107 - I agree that he's a genius in his own way, and I admire his work ethic and process, even though I'm not a fan of horror. I highly recommend On Writing!

Hi Kerri! Hope you had a good weekend! Enjoy Halloween tomorrow!

#109 - Hi Chelle! Thanks for visiting. I had a big school project due, so I spent my entire weekend working on that (except for football time, of course.) I loved your costume and hope you had a good time at your party! No Halloween parties for me this year.

Mild Moral Dilemma: While looking at the Early Reviewer Books in the October batch, I apparently clicked on The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal. Um. I have no memory of this clicking! I really have no interest in reading this (no offense to Kelly McGonical and her book), but I'll feel guilty if I ignore it (I still have an Early Reviewers book from a long time ago that I haven't reviewed yet and I feel really bad about it, but I'll get to that one some day.) Anyway, I suppose I can ask them to cancel it, but I'm not sure if they do that. Sigh. I wonder if anyone has had a similar experience.

Title: How Late It Was, How Late
Author: James Kelman
Publication Year: 1994
Stars: Four

How Late It Was, How Late is a stream of consciousness novel from the perspective of Sammy, a small-time criminal from Glasgow, Scotland. Sammy wakes up on the street after a weekend drinking binge, much of which he’s blacked out, and ends up getting further into trouble by antagonizing two undercover cops, who then beat him senseless. After waking up in jail, Sammy finds he’s gone blind. From that point, it all goes downhill for him.

Since losing his sight, Sammy is forced to make some important decisions and reevaluate certain aspects of his life. While he attempts this, his mental state alternates between paranoid belligerence and a zen-like acceptance of his situation. He is essentially on his own, without any family or close friends, for much of the novel. Long, painful passages where he walks alone from the police station to his apartment almost suffocate the reader with a deep sense of loneliness and isolation. The descriptions of Sammy’s dealings with doctors and social service workers are equally disturbing. He’s consistently treated as a nuisance or even subhuman, making it impossible for him to get the help he needs. No one actually listens to him.

All of this leads to one of the most fascinating aspects of the novel: Sammy is such an unlikely main character. It’s difficult to identify any qualities that might make him a convincing candidate for center stage. He would normally play a minor role, perhaps dying in the first act or hanging around for comic relief. I would compare him to someone like Skinny Pete from Breaking Bad (http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0039871/)... although older and Scottish. He’s not very bright. He doesn’t have good looks or sex appeal. And he’s not even a particularly skilled criminal. He’s also not bad enough to be an intriguing bad guy. But we’re inside his head for 374 pages and it really drives home the idea that everyone has a voice and a story and reasons for doing what they do. I would contrast this with the stories in The Acid House, by Irvine Welsh (which I read several years ago and hated), where all the characters are grotesque caricatures of down and out people. While Sammy comes from this same world, Kelman writes him with a great deal more respect.

Even though I think 75 pages or so could have been edited out, I really enjoyed this novel and recommend it. The Scottish dialect takes a few pages to get used to, but it was not as difficult as I thought it would be. If excessive swearing bothers you, please be aware that there are roughly 20 instances of the f-word per page.

Excellent review of How Late it Was, How Late, Kerri. Oddly enough, I looked at my copy of it last night, and almost decided to read it this month. I'll probably read it early next year, though.

I also have Kelman's later novel Kieron Smith, boy, which I've put off reading for awhile.

#113 - Thanks! I'm definitely interested in reading Kieron Smith, boy as well.

Not likely to pick up this novel (not a big fan of stream of consciousness) but a really excellent review!

#115 - Thanks!

I'm new to the whole ER program as well so I can't offer any insight to whether you can cancel it or not, but hopefully the book just won't arrive (I've heard that happen to quite a few people) so then you won't be obligated to review it. :)

ETA: the only other thing I could think of is to message Jeremy (he is one that sends the message to say you've either won or didn't win something) and ask him about cancelling a request.

Hope you can figure something out!

#117- I actually emailed LibraryThing and they said it's too late. The book is on its way. Oh well! Maybe I'll learn something about willpower that will help me stay off LibraryThing when I have work to do. Ha!

Kerri - touche; also found and starred.

Some great reading cogently reviewed over here. Some of the ones I haven't got to yet will certainly be going into the TBR forest.

SHE-WHO-MUST-BE-OBEYED would be extremely envious at the neatness of your bookshelves - my unfortunate groaning timbers are struggling four abreast to cope with the structural improbabilities placed upon them by an overexcpectant and over indulgent owner.

#119 - Thanks! SWMBO should give me another month and then see what the bookcases look like! They're usually a mess. It was a miracle that I got them organized, and I think it was mostly due to paper-writing avoidance.

Just stopping by to say hi, and thanks for stopping by my thread!

Hi, Deb - thanks!

Title: Beasts of No Nation
Author: Uzodinma Iweala
Publication Year: 2006
Stars: Four

Agu is a young boy (I’m guessing around 10 or 11 years old) from an unnamed West African country that is experiencing a civil war. After another boy soldier discovers him hiding in a hut, he is forced to join a military unit and become a soldier. The novel is told in first person from Agu’s point of view and the chapters alternate between the present day and flashbacks to Agu’s life before the war, when he was a gifted and popular young boy living a content life with this parents and younger sister.

The present day scenes that document Agu’s experiences as a soldier are horrifying and disturbing. While I’ve read quite a bit about the child soldier issue in the news, it’s an entirely different experience to read a fictional account from the perspective of a child forced to participate in unbelievable violence. At times he tries to rationalize it by telling himself that it’s ok, because it’s a soldier’s job to kill. At other times he is plagued by guilt, because he knows that what he is doing is terribly wrong. It’s completely heartbreaking.

Oddly enough, I recently said that I planned to stay away from child narration for a while, but I’m glad I decided to read this. From the book notes, I learned that the author wrote this as his undergraduate thesis at Harvard. It’s very impressive, and I look forward to reading more from him. Recommended.

Great review Kerri! Sounds a bit disturbing, but I'm always up for a little disturbing content! lol

Kerri, it sounds like a great book and a fantastic review, but I'm so hesitant about books with such a violent subject since a couple of books I read this year were disturbing enough to fill my quota for the year. Will definitely put this on my list for future considerations. :)

Kerri I loved Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun earlier this year set amid civil war in Biafra. Have a taste for the subject already and will definitely give this one a try too. Great review.

#124 - Thanks, Chelle!

#125 - Thanks, Valerie! I read a lot of sad, depressing novels, but this one was particularly disturbing. Reading about harm to children is always especially awful.

#126 - Thanks, Paul! I've heard of her and am interested in reading her work. I'll put that on my wishlist (if it's not there already - I can never remember.)

I just started The Big Sleep, by Raymond Chandler and read a few chapters at lunch just now. This has to be somewhat tongue in cheek, right?! I'll have to investigate (ha!).

Here a couple of sentences that made me think, "You cannot be serious!" (and I've only read 3 chapters):

"They smelled as overpowering as boiling alcohol under a blanket." (In fact, there are bad similes at the end of most paragraphs.)

"The calves were beautiful, the ankles long and slim and with enough melodic line for a tone poem." (what?! I'm thinking this would definitely get you kicked out of creative writing 101.)

Good grief! This is my first detective novel and it's a bit outside my comfort zone.

Hi Kerri
I haven't read Chandler before, from your comments I don't think it would be my type of book.
Hope you end up enjoying it!

I'll definitely keep going, because I always finish a book, once I start it (except for two instances that I can think of.) I suppose it's somewhat charming?

Hi Kerri! I never let a child narrator put me off, because some are so well done - as in The Virgin Cure. That protagonist is so mature in point of view, that it really makes no difference. I'm just referring back to your book Beasts of Nation. I'll look very forward to your commnets re The Big Sleep. I've never read anything byRaymond Chandler and yet it seems that we readers here his name everywhere.

Those are definitely" interesting sentences" that you've quoted. Well, if you need a better recommendation for a dectective novel, I've read quite a few - though I'm not sure how to define a detective novel from a mystery/ suspense/ police procedural! I'll be back to read your comments on Chandler!

#131 - Hi Deb! I'm always up for a recommendation. When I said that the Chandler was my first detective novel, I forgot to mention that since I'm a huge fan of Kate Atkinson's early novels (especially Behind the Scenes at the Museum), I've read Case Histories and One Good Turn, which are mysteries/detective novels (I don't know the difference between mysteries and detective novels either.) I have When Will There Be Good News on the shelf, but haven't gotten around to reading it. There's one after that too, I believe?

Yes, one more, I haven't read it yet because I am hoarding it.

Really good review of the Kelman - I probably won't read it, but I'm glad to know about it.

#133 - Thank you!

Unlike Sibyx - I was unable to hoard my Jackson Brodie Kate Atkinson 's and gobbled them down in one big gulp! I have yet to read Behind the Scenes at the Museum - it's sitting on my living room floor in one of my TBR piles! ;) Yes, Started Early, Took My Dog is last as yet in the Jackson Brodie series by Atkinson.

#135 - I'll have to get to the last two Kate Atkinson novels at some point. Honestly, I think the reason I haven't read When Will There Be Good News? is because I purchased a gigantic hardcover version and it's difficult to carry around in my bag. Oh, please read Behind the Scenes at the Museum! It's probably in my top ten of all time.

Title: The Big Sleep
Author: Raymond Chandler
Publication Year: 1939
Stars: Two and a half

Philip Marlow - a tough, smooth-talking private investigator - is hired by a wealthy, old general to investigate a blackmail case. A pornography ring, gangsters, and a former IRA soldier–turned-bootlegger may or may not be involved. The dialogue is wonderful, but there’s entirely too much boring, awful scene description. I had to force myself not to skim over it.

I was unsure whether some of the corniness (including the freakishly excessive use of bizarre similes) was an intentional attempt at humor by the author. Briefly scanning reviews hasn’t helped me much in figuring this out, as some people seem to take the novel very seriously, while others find it funny. For me, it was definitely more enjoyable once I decided to embrace the corniness and laugh (I think that’s an appropriate reaction.) So, while, overall, it was a fun read, this is most likely my last Raymond Chandler novel. “Hard-boiled detective fiction” from the 1930s and 40s may not be my genre.

I’ll leave you with this gem:
"The General spoke again, slowly, using his strength as carefully as an out-of-work show-girl uses her last good pair of stockings."

Yeah Kerri I was also left a bit flat by Marlowe. More par boiled than hard boiled. Guess the corniness and excessive use of bizarre metaphor would have seemed cutting edge 70 years ago whilst today it is pastiche and lame.

Kerri, I'll try to get to Scenes Behind the Museum sooner than later, thank for your enthusastic recommendation.

I've been curious about reading a Raymond Chandler - it would seem that he is rather dated? Or maybe it's just difficult to discern is he trying be funny - or his he serious with his writing? At any rate, I won't worry to much about reading Raymond Chandler ,thanks to your comments! Thanks!

#138 - Parboiled! Exactly. The story was definitely a bit meh. I don't have a lot of experience with detective novels or mysteries, but I guess I expected more exciting twists and surprises.

#139 - I'm so glad you'll try to get to Behind the Scenes... I think you will love it. I would definitely skip Raymond Chandler. I can't even begin to imagine why this novel is on the 1001 list.

Thanks for the review Kerri and helping me dodge a book bullet. :)

#141 - No problem! I was due for a bad one, since, lately, I've been giving four stars like crazy.

Sounds like I should skip the Chandler book eh? I'll find something else from the 1001 books to read instead

#143 - Definitely skip it, Chelle!

Hi Kerri - Chandler doesn't sound like my kind of book. Hope your next one is a good/great read:)

#145 - Thanks! I'm currently reading The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, and so far, I'm quite pleased.

Hi Kerri! I must admit I too am perplexed on why some books are listed in the 1001 books to read before you die.. I hope your current read will be much more enjoyable.

I must admit that prior to LT, I did not read much history, or even historical novels. Reading the graphic novel Louis Riel got me really interested in reading more about Canadian History. So far I'm about 50 pages into John A The Man Who Made Us and I'm really enjoying it. If you get a a good writer for a biography, I find it's almost as easy to read as fiction. I must admit that the author, Richard Gwyn, shows a certain love of the Scots . ;)

#147 - Thanks Deb!

As I think I've mentioned before, I'm going to try to listen to some non-fiction, via audiobook. I just renewed my Chicago Public Library card (we moved to the suburbs a year and a half ago, but I just found out that I can still keep my Chicago card) and they have a lot of audiobooks for download. This is great, because I don't want to buy them and my local public library does not offer them for download.

Also, a couple of my 12 in 12 challenges involve non-fiction. One is author biography and another involves American football history.

Kerri must admit the last one of your challenges took me by surprise somewhat. Do like sports biography and history but 12 in a year?

#149 - Oh no! I'm only doing two of those. I don't have 12 books in each category. That would be impossible with my current schedule. I also can't imagine reading 12 books about football in one year. : )

Here's a link to my thread:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/125478

HI Kerri!
I'm also going to try and start reading some more non-fiction next year. That's one of my 12in12 categories.
I've got your 12in12 starred :)

The hoarding is so silly, I think you are quite sensible to just read those Atkinson's as they fly off the printing press.

Oh a 12 in 12 - no way could I do that! What will happen when we get to 19 in 19! I'm too spontaneous of reader to be able to discipline myself into categories...

#151 - Thanks, Chelle! I have your 12 in 12 thread starred as well.

#152 - I agree!

#153 - This will be my first category challenge. I looked at the 11 in 11 challenge and it does look like a few people get sick of it at some point during the year and drop out, so we'll see how it goes... I tend to be kind of plan/schedule-oriented (perhaps even slightly neurotic - ha!), so it might work for me. : )

It took a while, but I finally figured out how to check-out and download an audiobook from the library! I had some issues downloading security updates to my computer, but everything seems to be working now, and I plopped it into my iPod. I'll start listening to Bait and Switch by Barbara Ehrenreich today. I walk about five miles a day to and from trains, so it gives me a lot of time to listen. I tried fiction audiobooks and didn't like it, but I'm hoping non-fiction will be a success. I listen to a lot of podcasts, so it can't be much different than that.

Hope you enjoy your audiobook! I tried it for the first time this year and don't mind them at all. I can only listen when I am doing housework or walking the dog, otherwise I lose focus.

I hope you enjoy your audio book experience. I must confess that as yet, I don't have a good audio situation. I did borrow the audio CD's for Atonement by Ian McEwan from the library. However, so far I've only got a CD player to listen to my audio books from, it kind of tied me to the kitchen or living room. That said, I don't know if I would have read Atonement without the boost from the audio . I ended up reading more of the book, after listening to about 1/3 of the book. One day I hope to get either and I pod or a Iphone to use to listen to books from.

#156-157 - Thanks Chelle and Deb - my day one audiobook experience was a success!

Title: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
Author: Sherman Alexie
Publication Year: 1993
Stars: Four

I admit to being a bit skeptical about this collection of short stories, because I once read "The Trial of Thomas Builds-the-Fire" in an English course and was a little underwhelmed. While it’s still not my favorite of the bunch, I understand why it’s anthologized, and I have a much deeper appreciation for it after reading it in the context of the collection.

The stories take place on and around the Spokane Indian Reservation, where Alexie grew up, and are loosely based on family and people from his past. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and racist cops appear in the background of several stories, effectively highlighting the continued oppression of Native Americans in the U.S. While he’s sometimes criticized for focusing too heavily on alcoholism in the Native American community, I believe he skillfully deals with it (and the recurring theme of intense poverty) in an honest and effective way.

Two of my favorite stories, among many, are “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona," which features Thomas Builds-the-Fire (a fascinating recurring character) as he and Victor travel to Arizona to collect the ashes of Victor’s dead father, and “A Train Is an Order of Occurrence Designed to Lead to Some Result," where Samuel Builds-the-Fire is fired from his motel housekeeping job on his birthday, leading to a tragic result.

Highly recommended. I’m really glad I gave this a chance after my less than thrilling introduction to the author. I look forward to reading more of Sherman Alexie’s work.

Glad you enjoyed your last book! I'm not a big fan of short stories, so I'll skip this one.

>159 DorsVenabili: I just read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian and really enjoyed it, so I'm interested to see what Alexie's short stories are like.

#160 - I usually have trouble with short story collections too. I love many individual short stories , but I'm usually somewhat disappointed when I read a collection from one author. This one was good though.

#161 - I definitely want to read that one. I've been hearing so many good things about it.

Kerri I like the review of the Sherman Alexie and will definitely try to look it up. Presently on with Louise Erdrich's The Antelope Wife which, after a promising beginning is starting to underwhelm me somewhat. Still it is not her more lauded work but am a bit disappointed with the disjointedness of the whole thing.

Thanks, Paul. I haven't read The Antelope's Wife, but I read The Bingo Palace many years ago. While it was good, it didn't make me want to immediately read anything else by her. And I think The Bingo Palace is one of her more lauded works.

Title: Miss Lonelyhearts
Author: Nathanael West
Publication Year: 1933
Format: Print
Challenges:
1. 75 Books, 2011
2. TIOLI #14 (November 2011) - Read a book, fiction or non-fiction about a journalist or about journalism
3. 1001 Books to Read Before You Die
Stars: Three and a half

Miss Lonelyhearts (a male journalist) writes an advice column for a New York newspaper, presumably during the early years of the Great Depression. Each day, he receives a large pile of letters from people seeking his advice, which describe the most desperate and awful circumstances. While his colleagues find the letters a source of great amusement, Miss Lonelyhearts begins to feel weighed down by their contents and eventually his health and emotional stability suffer. While it appears to be a futile effort, he desperately wants to find a moral platform that would provide the right answers to his readers’ problems. However, at the same time, his actions suggest that he lacks any real sympathy or empathy for his fellow humans, and his own awareness of this may be the real cause of his breakdown.

While this novella is often described as a “black comedy,” I failed to find even the smallest trace of humor in it and was, in fact, deeply disturbed by much of it, particularly the scenes where Miss Lonelyhearts’ colleagues flippantly joke about rape and violence towards women. I suppose it gets points for being powerful, but I was certainly relieved when it was over.

Oh, sounds like another one from the 1001 books list that I can skip!
Sorry to hear it was so disturbing

Title: Bait And Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream
Author: Barbara Ehrenreich
Publication Year: 2005
Format: Audio
Challenge: 75 Books, 2011
Stars: Three

Barbara Ehrenreich goes undercover as a white collar job seeker. While she never actually attains a position, she immerses herself in the (apparently psychotic) networking/career coaching culture of the corporate world and this is the focus of most of the book. I was somewhat disappointed because I thought the book would document the experience of a corporate white collar employee from the job hunting phase, through the actual work experience, much like her (very impressive) book, Nickel and Dimed, did with very low-paying blue collar employment. However, since she wasn’t able to find a job, that part of the story was left out.

#166 - Hi Chelle! Yes - probably a skip, but I'm sure others might disagree.

My first non-fiction audiobook experience (see above) went well, even though I wasn't wildly impressed with the book. Yesterday, I downloaded an audio book about the Rwandan genocide from the library. It's called We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed with Our Families. After listening to a bit of it this morning, I wasn't sure I could take it, because it seems to be more an account of the stories of individuals, rather than a political history of the events (a political history would be less horrifying and easier to digest, I think). However, then I read all sorts of wonderful reviews about it just now on my lunch break, so I think I'll try to keep going.

ETA: After listening further, this does go into the history of the subject, which is what I was hoping. It weaves the personal stories into the history.

I too really want to read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. It seems to have been very popular here on library thing! I enjoyed Nickel and Dimed too, but I have not read her recent book.

#170 - Hi Deb! I definitely want to read more Sherman Alexie, so I'll probably check that out.

Yes - Nickel and Dimed was great. I actually saw a version of it as a play, which sounds odd, but it actually worked. I would recommend skipping Bait and Switch, but she has also written several others that I haven't read yet.

Title: Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML
Author: Eric T Freeman
Publication Year: 2005
Format: Print
Challenge: 75 Books (2011)
Stars: Four and a half

At first, I was a bit annoyed with the cutesy presentation (overuse of photos of cool people with thinking captions above their heads, the “There Are No Dumb Questions” section, etc.). However, after two or three chapters, I appreciated how clear and easy to understand the authors made this dry and tedious subject. I read this for a course where basic HTML knowledge was assumed, so our main focus was on CSS and XHTML. The online extras (links are found in the book) are invaluable! This is an excellent resource, and I highly recommend it.

And I'm counting this as two books, as it's 650 pages long and I read the whole darn thing!

In an effort to avoid grad school work, I took a trip to the used bookstore this morning. I had a pile of books that I wanted to sell and I, of course, gave the money right back to the store.

I'm actually trying to follow some new rules with my collection:
**Buy fewer books, in general
**Slowly weed my collection, getting rid of books I didn't particularly like and/or I'll probably never read, and getting rid of books in poor condition.
**Make better use of the library
**If I do buy books, try to buy mostly high-quality hardcovers (although, not the gigantic ones that are impossible to carry in my bag), rather than a lot of paperbacks. High quality paperbacks are ok, but I want to avoid purchasing mass-market paperbacks. Instead, I'll check them out of the library.

So, my goal is to keep the collection at its current size, or possibly smaller, but with higher-quality books.

That being said, I did buy five books! Here they are:

1. The Magic Toyshop (Angela Carter) - A lovely Virago Modern Classics edition. This is for my 12 in 12 Virago challenge
2. Shikasta (Doris Lessing) - This is a high quality paperback (oops!). This is for my 12 in 12 female written sci-fi challenge
3. Slow Man (J.M. Coetzee) - A nice hardcover. This is for my 12 in 12 Coetzee challenge
4. Elizabeth Costello (J.M. Coetzee) - Another nice hardcover. This is also for my 12 in 12 Coetzee challenge
5. The Lacuna (Barbara Kingsolver) - A nice, although large, hardcover. It doesn't fit into any of my 12 in 12 challenges, but it was $2.00 in the bargain bin! And I like Barbara Kingsolver quite a bit.

Ah HTML and CSS. I'm so glad I don't have to spend too much time playing with those two anymore. I could probably still do it if I HAD to, but I'm not running out to do it any time soon. I'm thoroughly impressed you read the whole book. When it comes to things like that, I'm a big fan of skimming.

I wish you much luck on your book collection population control plan. Looks like it could be effective. :)

#174 - ...because you never know when you'll want to build a website without Dreamweaver. : )

But actually, it does come in handy at work, because we have a content management system for our website where the formatting gets screwed up all the time. It's helpful to be able to go into the code and figure out what's wrong. That' s about the extent of its usefulness for me, at this point. Who knows what the future will bring.

Good buys Kerri. Got all but the Carter but not read any of em yet. Don't you find Doris Lessing a touch frustrating? - she is capable of writing dross as well as exquisite novels and you never know which you will get.

Hmmm Kerri, I could use a little computer literacy in the form of Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML. I think I may keep a look out for it. Best of luck trying to keep your book collection in hand. I try to purge fairly often. I donate to the library - which I did today. Having my kindle helps me out some , but I do really like books themselves if I want to make notes and mark them up.

#176 - Paul - I've only read The Grass is Singing and thought it was excellent. I gave it four stars, but, in retrospect, it's probably a four and a half for me (I'll have to go change that.) I've heard that her sci-fi can be a little kooky, so we'll see how Shikasta goes...

#177 - Thanks, Deb! I'm thinking about getting a Kindle, so that might help as well. I do love physical books, but there's only so much room in the house!

Nice haul, Kerri. I've read the last three books on your list, and I liked each of them.

#179 - Thanks, Daryl! I'll be reading one Coetzee per month in 2012. That will cover all of the novels I haven't read yet, plus one of the memoirs.

Title: Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said
Author: Philip K. Dick
Publication Year: 1974
Format: Print
Challenge:
1. 75 Books (2011)
2. TIOLI #4 (November 2011) - Read a book where the author's name is a profession
Stars: Four

It's the late 1980s and the U.S. is a police state, following a civil war that occurred in the early 70s. Students live underground on university campuses and face arrest and prison camps if they try to leave. The African American population has dwindled due to a forced sterilization program implemented by the government following the war. Amidst all this, Jason Tavernor, a womanizing scumbag, enjoys fame and fortune as a pop singer and television personality. A bizarre event happens at the beginning of the novel, causing Jason’s identity to be completely erased from the universe. Jason’s search for the truth and his dealings with agents of the police state make up the rest of the novel.

Even though I was a tiny bit disappointed by the final explanation, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It is well-written, suspenseful, and contains several fascinating minor characters with involved back-stories. Often in dystopian novels, the “bad guys” are one-dimensional and boring. Here, the character of Felix Buckman (a police major who is chasing Jason and who inspires the title of the novel), while in no way admirable, is complex and interesting.

While not quite as good as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, I recommend it.

Another one to add to my list! I quite liked Androids, so I would probably like this one too!

I'm with Chelle, Kerri good review and this one gets lost in my TBR forest.

Thanks, Chelle and Paul! I hope you like it. I fear my reviews have been a bit brief and slightly lame lately, as I'm experiencing the end of semester crunch! I have a paper and two projects to finish in the next 13 days. Ahhh!

I'm off today to work on school stuff, but I'll probably have two more brief reviews to post on my lunch break today.

Title: We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families
Author: Philip Gourevitch
Publication Year: 1998
Format: audiobook
Challenge: 75 Books (2011)
Stars: Five

An excellent history of the Rwandan Genocide, Gourevitch covers, in depth, the events from the time of Rwandan independence in the late 1950s/early 1960s, to the reconstruction and reconciliation period after the genocide in 1994. Skillfully woven throughout the history are the personal and heartbreaking stories of individual survivors, as well as the stories of those accused of participating in the killing. In addition, the author had access to those in power, and the book includes extensive interviews with Paul Kagame, current President of the Republic of Rwanda and former leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).

The lack of response and aid from the international community around the time of the genocide is even more infuriating when you learn about the background of the conflict and the events leading up to it. The media coverage following the genocide, particularly the coverage of the refuge camps in the surrounding countries is equally infuriating.

I listened to this as an audiobook, but it was so excellent that I hope to read it someday. Very highly recommended.

Title: Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management
Author: Peggy Johnson
Publication Year: 2009
Format: print
Challenge: 75 Books (2011)
Stars: Three and a half

I read this for my Collection Management course. It’s a well-written and coherent overview of the main topics in the field of collection management – collection development, planning, budgets, scholarly communication, an overview of cooperatives, etc. Now I just have to finish my final project!

(This is obviously not a proper review. Oh well.)

Kerri, I wouldn't worry about writing a review at all if you are busy a semester crunch!
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families sounds very interesting. That's a part of the world I need to better understand.

Kerri - the Rwandan book looks very interesting - will stick it into the TBR forest.

I actually heard about We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with OUr Families from the vlog that John Green does with his brother. However, I'm not sure if I want to tackle it. The chapters in Anderson Cooper's book about the genocide were difficult enough.

#187 - Hi, Deb, Paul, and Micky!

Oh - I do take breaks from the projects. Those two reviews took a total of about 7 minutes to write, during lunch.

Regarding the book, I'm certainly not an expert on African history, but I was a political science minor during undergrad and took a fascinating course on politics in sub-Saharan Africa. It covered post-colonial times and gave me a really good foundation that makes reading stuff like this a bit easier. Of course, it doesn't help emotionally, when reading about genocide. There are still a lot of African history books I'd like to read, but I haven't been reading much non-fiction (for recreation) lately.

Micky - I am unfamiliar with both John Green and the Anderson Cooper book (although, of course, I'm familiar with Anderson Cooper). I'll check those out.

Now I'm off to make polenta - the highlight of my day! All of my loved ones, including my husband, hate polenta, so I only tend to make it when I'm by myself. He went to a concert tonight, so it's a polenta fest!

Stopping by to say hi, Kerri! I hope that the polenta went well. I've never had polenta and I'm not entirely sure what it is. I have had corn meal muffins, but that's as close as it gets. And I'm not even certain that is close....

#191 - Hi Deb! Polenta is made from coarsely-ground corn meal. It's like grits, but courser. Sometimes, people bake it, after making a batch on the stove. I usually put marinara sauce on it. Yay, polenta!

I'm musing over the short story issue -- that you were surprised how much you liked the Alexie.....I share the same reluctance, I think huge numbers of avid readers still draw back at the idea of a book of short stories. I guess it's the feeling of.... why invest so much in something so short? I don't know what it is! And yet, the great short story writers truly give you as much, if not more, in a whole book of their work. I should put it in my top ten, in fact, but I was utterly blown apart (in a good way) by the complete short stories of John Cheever.... also Frank O'Hara, hmmm and V.S. Pritchett and. Edna O'Brien and..... you get the idea! But they still languish endlessly on my shelves. I 'had' to read those three during my MFA reading binge!

I love eating polenta but I've never made it. Grits we love around here, but we yankify them and like to put maple syrup on them and eat them for breakfast! Frankly, I can put maple syrup on almost anything.

#193 - I'm not really sure what my short story reluctance is about. There are individual short stories that I absolutely love - "I Stand Here Ironing" by Tillie Olsen and "Barn Burning" by Faulkner come to mind, but I tend to be disappointed by short story collections of a single author. In an attempt to remedy this, my 12 in 12 challenge will include a short story collections category (single author collections), so we'll see how that goes.

I haven't read any Cheever (I own The Wapshot Chronicle, but I believe that's a novel), so I'll put that short story collection down as one of the possiblilities. Thank you for the enthusiastic recommendation! The other possibilities are:

*The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake - Breece D'J Pancake
*Flowering Judas and Other Stories - Katherine Anne Porter
*Enormous Changes at the Last Minute: Stories - Grace Paley
*Vanishing And Other Stories - Deborah Willis
*The Collected Stories Of Deborah Eisenberg - Deborah Eisenberg
*American Salvage - Bonnie Jo Campbell
*Blow-Up: And Other Stories - Julio Cortazar

I am considering doing a short stories collections for the 12 in 12s. William Trevor, John McGahern, Khuswant Singh, Anton Checkov, Alice Munro, John Cheever, Jhumpa Lahiri, Julian Barnes, Kazuo Ishiguro are among the short-story writers with unread collections on my shelves. Kerri I have also read short stories by Conan-Doyle, Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene, Will Self, Muriel Spark and Guy du Maupassant amongst others that would grace any list.

Thanks for the suggestions, Paul! I hadn't heard of John McGahern or Khuswant Singh. I'm delighted to learn that there are Somerset Maugham short stories, as Of Human Bondage is one of my favorite novels of all time. I'm not a big fan of Jhumpa Lahiri (I hated The Namesake - I think I might be the only person on Earth who did), but the others, I would definitely try.

ooo - Maugham's short stories are very very good! A huge ss favorite of mine is H.E. Bates -- he wrote Love for Lydia -- a novel, made into just about my favorite Masterpiece Theatre series (only two or three episodes I think) EVER. I've read all the above except the Willis, Cortazar, McGahern and Singh (both last are new to me -- I'll have to check them out!).

One of my favorite stories ever is in the Cheever -- called 'The Worm in the Apple'. I also heard it on Selected Shorts and it nearly did me in. Just beyond wonderful. The book also has one of the most haunting stories ever -- can't remember the name, but this guy 'swims' across his suburban neighborhood through everybody's swimming pools. Very moving piece, need to reread it, I can only remember the mood and the surreal feeling of it.

Ohhh I quite enjoy short stories... but you really have to pick ones that suit you -

here are a few that I have really loved

Beggar's Garden by Michael Christie - a collection of short stories about the poor , mentally ill and disenfranchised here on Vancouver,

One of my favourite reads of the year - Mennonites Don't Dance by Darcie Friesen Hancock. It was just wondeful! I think it helps to have some knowledge of the mennonite culture and beliefs, but it's really short stories about grace, forgivenss, hardness, really just families. But these two are very Canadian, I suppose.

Books of short stories are invariably uneven - some stories are fabulous - others not so much....

I don't usually like short stories either, but I remember being very impressed by John Cheever's Collected Stories. William Trevor is another whose short storey collections I have always liked. And you can't go wrong with Chekov!

#197, 198, 199 - Thank you so much for your short story recommendations! It looks like I should definitely read the Cheever stories. Beggar's Garden sounds intriguing too. I'll check that out.

Hope you like your next foray into short stories. That is one genre that I don't read often, I find I never really like them much. There are only a few that I remember actually enjoying.

#201 - Thanks, Chelle! It's only 4 books, so at least it's not a huge commitment.

I feel like I've read a lot of Colson Whitehead, but really I've read The Intuitionist three times (two of the three times were in English classes) and Apex Hides the Hurt once.

Anyway, I'm currently reading Zone One and I love it so far. I think I'm going to read Sag Harbor next and then John Henry Days early in 2012. I found this delightful promotional video for Sag Harbor (author crush!):

http://youtu.be/3oRObklWmDU

Hi Kerri!! I hope you enjoy Out Stealing Horses as much as I did! I noticed that you had loaded it up into your TBR pile. And... it's one of those 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. I can't wait to dive into my next Per Petterson book , I Curse the River of Time and I hope to get a couple more of his books.

Hmm, The Intuitionist sounds interesting. I'm going to go click on your link.

What an engaging guy that Colson is! I used to spend time in Sag Harbor, another life time, made me feel nostalgic indeed.....

#204 - Deb - I didn't realize it was also a 1001 book. Bonus!

#205 - Lucy (I think) - Isn't he? Such a charming nerd! And great writer!

I'm off to finish up my last school project of the semester. I finished one of the two projects ahead of schedule and I have Monday and Tuesday off from work to finish the other. My goal is to finish by Monday evening though, so I have Tuesday to relax, read, and loaf around. That's the goal anyway....

I really thought I'd get more reading done this December! School ended last Tuesday and right after that I had a big choral concert to practice for (I'm the piano accompanist), family Christmas party, lots of plumbing problems, some dog issues, craziness at work, and a big football day on Sunday.

I managed to finish Zone One and Running the Books, and hope to have reviews later tonight. I also haven't been able to visit threads as much as I'd like and feel bad about that. Oh well. Hopefully I can enjoy the rest of my break and get some more reading done before classes start again on January 11. Sigh.

I just started Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead this morning.

Title: Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian
Author: Avi Steinberg
Publication Year: 2010
Format: Audio
Challenge: 75 Books, 2011
Stars: Four

After my rage subsided (apparently, Boston’s Suffolk County House of Correction hires snarky, young Harvard graduates with bachelor’s degrees in English as prison librarians, rather than actual librarians), I enjoyed this touching memoir.

After a few years of aimless, post-graduation wandering, Avi Steinberg comes across an ad in Craig’s List (Craig’s List? really?) for a job as a prison librarian. (To be fair, one of his duties was to teach creative writing, so that might explain why he was hired, but still.) He works at the prison for two years and, during that time, interacts with a wide variety of colorful characters, both inmates and staff. Especially touching is the story of Jessica, an inmate who finds that the son she abandoned as a baby, has been sent to the men’s unit of the prison as an 18 year old boy. Steinberg tells the heartbreaking story of her attempt to connect with him after all this time through the limited channels available to prison inmates.

Throughout the memoir, we also get glimpses of Steinberg’s upbringing in a strict Orthodox Jewish household. While, for the most part, he has abandoned his religion, it still informs much of his life. Particularly interesting is his relationship with his cold and emotionally unavailable grandmother, a Holocaust survivor.

Although the jobs are few and far between, I’ve always thought I’d be willing to apply for a prison librarian position, upon graduation. However, after reading this, I was somewhat surprised to learn that the most stressful aspect of the job is not dealing with the inmates, but rather with the ongoing conflict between civilian staff (librarians, teachers, psychologists) and the guards/administration. The groups hold polar opposite philosophies about how to treat inmates (we’re here to help them versus there’s no hope for them and we’re here to keep order), which seems to cause an ongoing conflict that often erupts into serious incidents and even violence (!).

All in all, this is a warm, witty, and touching memoir. I do have a special interest in prison librarianship, but I think this would be an enjoyable read for anyone. Nice job, Avi Steinberg!

Interesting book and nice review. Nice job Kerri!

Happy christmas and a very prosperous and peaceful 2012 & beyond to you and yours.

I enjoyed Sag Harbor very much a few years ago and was a nice introduction to Whitehead. Everyone's talking about Zone One so I may give that a try.........it's just that zombies......well, you never know what to expect with zombies, they're so unpredictable.
It was a pleasure to get to know you this year, Kerri and I wish you a very merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

PS. Hope you're planning to stay with the 75er's next year :0)

Kerri wishing you


glitter-graphics.com

hope you and yours have a wonderful 2012

Merry Christmas Kerri!!

Merry Christmas, Kerri!

Merry Christmas, Kerri!

Paul, Calm, Chelle, Darryl, and MickyFine - Thank you so much for the lovely Christmas greetings! We've been driving around Northern Illinois for the past two days, visiting family, so I'm just now able to get caught up on LibraryThing (I think it may be hopeless.) I hope you all had lovely holidays as well!

#210 - Lynda - I will definitely be back next year, and I'm also doing the 12 in 12 challenge. I enjoyed Zone One (and still have to write that review!), but I'm enjoying Sag Harbor A LOT. I think part of it is that I'm from that generation and am enjoying all of the 80s cultural references. If you haven't read The Intuitionist, that's still my favorite Colson Whitehead novel. Although, I recently loaned it to someone and when she returned it, her response was "Um. That was interesting." So maybe it's not for everyone?

Anyway, Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Title: Zone One
Author: Colson Whitehead
Publication Year: 2011
Format: Print
Challenge:
*75 Books, 2011
*TIOLI: Read a book with 5 or fewer reviews
Stars: Four

It’s some time after “Last Night,” the defining event in the Zombie Apocalypse. An interim U.S. government (based in Buffalo, NY) has been formed, guarded camps have been set up, and citizens are volunteering to do various important tasks.

Mark Spitz (how he acquired this name is explained later in the novel) volunteers for the Zone One project, which involves clearing a section of Manhattan of zombies and making it ready for eventual habitation. The armed forces have completed the difficult task of ridding the area of most of the zombies and erecting a barrier. Mark’s task is to go out in a team of three, search particular buildings, and kill the remaining zombies. I should mention that there are two types of zombies in this novel: skels are the dangerous kind we’re all familiar with, and stragglers are non-aggressive zombies that are fixated on a particular task that meant something to them when they were alive.

For the most part (ahem), nothing wildly exciting or dramatic happens. It’s basically the story of a man who has been mediocre all of his life, but who finds his purpose and hidden talents in the post-Zombie Apocalypse world. It’s also a wonderful exploration of post-disaster psychology. People are desperately trying to find meaning in the aftermath, even though all evidence points to a profoundly bleak future. My favorite detail is the reconstruction theme song, brought to you by the government in Buffalo. The title is “Stop! Can You Hear the Eagle Roar? (Theme from Reconstruction)." There’s also a special mental illness diagnosis (complete with a TV psychologist who champions its victims) and nearly everyone matches the required symptoms: P.A.S.D. (post-apocalyptic stress disorder). Clearly, Whitehead’s characteristic subtle humor and cleverness is on display here. A bit more sinister is the re-emergence of the corporations. When out in the field, teams are only allowed to take food items if the corporation who manufactured the product is a sponsor of Reconstruction. Otherwise, they are required to leave it to rot.

So there’s lots going on here, and I’ll probably read it again someday. I made the mistake of reading this during the end of my semester, when I was busy finishing projects and didn’t have time to take proper notes. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

See you in 2012

Title: Sag Harbor
Author: Colson Whitehead
Publication Year: 2009
Format: Print
Challenge:
*75 Books, 2011
*TIOLI: Read a book that has the exact same title as another book on LT
Stars: Four and a half

Ben looks back at his teenage years, specifically the summer of 1985 at his family’s summer home in Sag Harbor. While nothing much happens plot-wise, it is a wonderful slice of life portrait of a teenage boy’s summer. The writing is warm, witty, and sincere, and beautifully captures the awkwardness and self-consciousness of being a teenager. In addition, Whitehead's meticulous descriptions of 80s pop culture are often hilarious and brought back many memories for me.

However, it’s not all jokes. There’s a very powerful chapter that describes the pain of living with a mild tyrant and borderline alcoholic. Ben’s father is verbally abusive and has his family walking on eggshells at all times. Ben states that from the outside, his family resembles the Cosby family, but in reality, it’s a different story. There is a passage that describes the sounds of the liquor cabinet opening and the first drink of the day being poured. Very powerful.

Another excellent Colson Whitehead book. This has turned into one of my favorites of the year. Highly recommended.

That was my last book of 2011! Please see me on my 2012 thread:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/129178