Whitewavedarling's 2014 Challenge...
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Talk 2014 Category Challenge
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1whitewavedarling
Hi, all! Well, I didn't come close to meeting my 2013 challenge...partly because it was insanely optimistic, and partly because two categories were dissertation related (and that dissertation has now been happily abandoned for many reasons...). I also managed to get a concussion in 2013 which slowed down my reading incredibly. There's no telling what 2014 holds, but one way or another, I know there'll be plenty of reading :)
I've set up 14 categories, and hope to read 8 books in each category, ending up at 112 books (I'm on course to finish at around 100 for 2013). This year, they're thematic. Here they are....
A--The Sea (7/8)
I'm always picking up books based on their associations with the sea, whether by subject, title, setting, or cover image, but especially over the last four years or so, I haven't been making time to read them. This is going to change in 2014. There'll be a mix of nonfiction and fiction depending on what's in my TBR pile...
Strong Possibilities: Beach Music, Monturiol's Dream: The Extraordinary Story of the Submarine Inventor Who Wanted to Save the World, Searoad, Ship of Gold
B--Creatures on the Covers (5/8)
I can't resist books that have gorgeous or fantastical pictures of animals on the covers, especially cats, big cats, snakes, and wolves.
Strong Possibilities: Captivity, Greyhound God, Mazes of the Serpent, The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, The People in the Trees, Listening to Cougar, Soul Among Lions: The Cougars as Peaceful Adversary, Unspoken, Where the Blind Horse Sings: Love and Healing at an Animal Sanctuary
C--Places? Places (8/8)
Reading reviews this year, I've realized how rarely I read books that really do justice (or at least attempt to) to their settings. I'm always keeping an eye out for books that take place in Spain for my mom, but I rarely think about the place when it comes to my own reading. This category will be for the books that, expected or not, really work to bring a place to life--whether it be a small town that's as "regular" as one could come, or a famous space like Florence or the Amazon. I won't be worrying about exact and specific and "true" in this category, so much as I'll think about whether the book invokes a true-feeling atmosphere and description. (Though, I'll be curious if commenters can tell me whether the 'true-feeling' is true!
D--Questions of Justice (6/8)
I pick up books dealing with the law and social justice, especially as related to the environment and psychology. Lately, with my dissertation, I've allowed myself to get away from reading them because so much of my other reading is serious. This is going to change in 2014--I want to get back to reading at least a few per year.
Strong Possibilities: The Gates of Janus
E--Who they Might have Been (4/8)
I've finally gotten back into reading biographies, and I want to make sure to keep doing so. I'm sure this category will focus on nonfiction, But then, memoir is always just a little bit fiction as well...
--Strong Possibilities: works by Maya Angelou, The Audacity of Hope, Infidel, Jarhead, A Fighter's Heart
F--Art and Artists (2/8)
So much of my life revolves around promoting and creating art, it seems I should be reading a bit more about it...I think? Most of these will probably end up being nonfiction (especially about writing), but after recently finishing Updike's Seek My Face and really enjoying the way discussions of art fit into a novel, I'm hoping that there'll be at least a few novels as well...
--Strong Possibilities: This Craft of Verse, Wonderbook, Sacre Bleu, Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work
G--The Creepy Cover (7/8)
I love horror books, but there are some books floating in my tbr piles which collect dust because their covers regularly scare me off. Silly, perhaps, but true. I either want to be scared or I don't, I think (?), so 2014 will be a year to tackle some of these books (some not even horror!), and maybe search out some others...
--Strong Possibilities: Contact, Cosmos Incorporated, My Soul to Keep
H--The Seemingly Mundane (15/8--COMPLETE)
There are books who've found their way to my shelves which I don't read, and haven't read, either because their covers or their summaries draw me to put them back each time I consider them. In some cases, they're books by authors I adore, which is why I ended up having them. In other cases, they were give-aways, gifts, or recommendations.
I--Illness (4/8)
We'll see how this goes now that the dissertation has been put aside, but I have a lot of illness-related books that I've been looking forward to reading for their own merits, so I'm hoping my being fed up with the diss. won't limit my ability to enjoy them, even if I do wait a few months before jumping into this category.
--Definitely on the list: Shots in the Dark: The Wayward Search for an AIDS Vaccine (in progress) and In the City of Shy Hunters
J--Politics (3/8)
Anything goes, as long as politics is a focus...most of these will likely deal with politics in the context of war and/or NGOs working internationally...
--Strong Possibilities: Waging Peace: Poetry and Political Action, Standard Operating Procedure, Why Are We at War?, The Death of Common Sense, Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity, Stones Into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, In Afghanistan and Pakistan, Blog of War
K--The Body (9/8--COMPLETE)
I'm always drawn to covers that feature bodies without faces, be they shoulders or hands or feet or knees or anything else. Somehow, the faces make them less interesting. I'm fairly sure this is how I discovered the Anita Blake vampire hunter series.... In any case, they're floating all over the place! Of course, I also have books dealing with the body as a subject, and they might end up here as well.
L--Houses and Stairways (11/8--COMPLETE)
I adore haunted houses and I adore starcases. This means that I gravitate toward haunted house books and books that have staircases on the front, or even non-haunted house books that just have fascinating houses (that look a bit haunted, haunted or not) on the covers. I'm also in the middle of writing a bad house book myself, so this seems like a must!
M--The Giveaways (8/8--COMPLETE)
I'm ashamed to say that I'm behind on Early Reviewer books, and very behind on Member Giveaway books (behind enough that I've long stopped requesting the Member Giveaways especially). As of right now, I think I've got three ER books to read, one from the summer and two from more recent batches, and maybe four Member Giveaways hanging about. Theoretically, there's another ER books (won in 2010) that could show up, but I won't hold my breath! These books may end up being listed in other categories if they're better fits elsewhere (especially in categories that might end up being lighter), so we'll see what happens...
N--The Lists (7/8)
Yes, I've got a doc with the 1001 books and a few other lists (awards and what-not) saved on my computer, and I've bolded the books already waiting for me to read them. I've been reading them slowly, unlike some of these other categories, but I want to make sure I carve out a space for them.
--Strong Possibilities: The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Master and Margarita, A Bend in the River, Therese Raquin, and A Passage to India
On a last note, I won't double-list this year. I'll just put a book where I most feel it belongs, or if it's tied for two (as I think might be the case with some of the giveaways), the category that most needs filling! All categories are open to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, etc....maybe with the focuses as noted!
I've set up 14 categories, and hope to read 8 books in each category, ending up at 112 books (I'm on course to finish at around 100 for 2013). This year, they're thematic. Here they are....
A--The Sea (7/8)
I'm always picking up books based on their associations with the sea, whether by subject, title, setting, or cover image, but especially over the last four years or so, I haven't been making time to read them. This is going to change in 2014. There'll be a mix of nonfiction and fiction depending on what's in my TBR pile...
Strong Possibilities: Beach Music, Monturiol's Dream: The Extraordinary Story of the Submarine Inventor Who Wanted to Save the World, Searoad, Ship of Gold
B--Creatures on the Covers (5/8)
I can't resist books that have gorgeous or fantastical pictures of animals on the covers, especially cats, big cats, snakes, and wolves.
Strong Possibilities: Captivity, Greyhound God, Mazes of the Serpent, The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, The People in the Trees, Listening to Cougar, Soul Among Lions: The Cougars as Peaceful Adversary, Unspoken, Where the Blind Horse Sings: Love and Healing at an Animal Sanctuary
C--Places? Places (8/8)
Reading reviews this year, I've realized how rarely I read books that really do justice (or at least attempt to) to their settings. I'm always keeping an eye out for books that take place in Spain for my mom, but I rarely think about the place when it comes to my own reading. This category will be for the books that, expected or not, really work to bring a place to life--whether it be a small town that's as "regular" as one could come, or a famous space like Florence or the Amazon. I won't be worrying about exact and specific and "true" in this category, so much as I'll think about whether the book invokes a true-feeling atmosphere and description. (Though, I'll be curious if commenters can tell me whether the 'true-feeling' is true!
D--Questions of Justice (6/8)
I pick up books dealing with the law and social justice, especially as related to the environment and psychology. Lately, with my dissertation, I've allowed myself to get away from reading them because so much of my other reading is serious. This is going to change in 2014--I want to get back to reading at least a few per year.
Strong Possibilities: The Gates of Janus
E--Who they Might have Been (4/8)
I've finally gotten back into reading biographies, and I want to make sure to keep doing so. I'm sure this category will focus on nonfiction, But then, memoir is always just a little bit fiction as well...
--Strong Possibilities: works by Maya Angelou, The Audacity of Hope, Infidel, Jarhead, A Fighter's Heart
F--Art and Artists (2/8)
So much of my life revolves around promoting and creating art, it seems I should be reading a bit more about it...I think? Most of these will probably end up being nonfiction (especially about writing), but after recently finishing Updike's Seek My Face and really enjoying the way discussions of art fit into a novel, I'm hoping that there'll be at least a few novels as well...
--Strong Possibilities: This Craft of Verse, Wonderbook, Sacre Bleu, Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work
G--The Creepy Cover (7/8)
I love horror books, but there are some books floating in my tbr piles which collect dust because their covers regularly scare me off. Silly, perhaps, but true. I either want to be scared or I don't, I think (?), so 2014 will be a year to tackle some of these books (some not even horror!), and maybe search out some others...
--Strong Possibilities: Contact, Cosmos Incorporated, My Soul to Keep
H--The Seemingly Mundane (15/8--COMPLETE)
There are books who've found their way to my shelves which I don't read, and haven't read, either because their covers or their summaries draw me to put them back each time I consider them. In some cases, they're books by authors I adore, which is why I ended up having them. In other cases, they were give-aways, gifts, or recommendations.
I--Illness (4/8)
We'll see how this goes now that the dissertation has been put aside, but I have a lot of illness-related books that I've been looking forward to reading for their own merits, so I'm hoping my being fed up with the diss. won't limit my ability to enjoy them, even if I do wait a few months before jumping into this category.
--Definitely on the list: Shots in the Dark: The Wayward Search for an AIDS Vaccine (in progress) and In the City of Shy Hunters
J--Politics (3/8)
Anything goes, as long as politics is a focus...most of these will likely deal with politics in the context of war and/or NGOs working internationally...
--Strong Possibilities: Waging Peace: Poetry and Political Action, Standard Operating Procedure, Why Are We at War?, The Death of Common Sense, Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity, Stones Into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, In Afghanistan and Pakistan, Blog of War
K--The Body (9/8--COMPLETE)
I'm always drawn to covers that feature bodies without faces, be they shoulders or hands or feet or knees or anything else. Somehow, the faces make them less interesting. I'm fairly sure this is how I discovered the Anita Blake vampire hunter series.... In any case, they're floating all over the place! Of course, I also have books dealing with the body as a subject, and they might end up here as well.
L--Houses and Stairways (11/8--COMPLETE)
I adore haunted houses and I adore starcases. This means that I gravitate toward haunted house books and books that have staircases on the front, or even non-haunted house books that just have fascinating houses (that look a bit haunted, haunted or not) on the covers. I'm also in the middle of writing a bad house book myself, so this seems like a must!
M--The Giveaways (8/8--COMPLETE)
I'm ashamed to say that I'm behind on Early Reviewer books, and very behind on Member Giveaway books (behind enough that I've long stopped requesting the Member Giveaways especially). As of right now, I think I've got three ER books to read, one from the summer and two from more recent batches, and maybe four Member Giveaways hanging about. Theoretically, there's another ER books (won in 2010) that could show up, but I won't hold my breath! These books may end up being listed in other categories if they're better fits elsewhere (especially in categories that might end up being lighter), so we'll see what happens...
N--The Lists (7/8)
Yes, I've got a doc with the 1001 books and a few other lists (awards and what-not) saved on my computer, and I've bolded the books already waiting for me to read them. I've been reading them slowly, unlike some of these other categories, but I want to make sure I carve out a space for them.
--Strong Possibilities: The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Master and Margarita, A Bend in the River, Therese Raquin, and A Passage to India
On a last note, I won't double-list this year. I'll just put a book where I most feel it belongs, or if it's tied for two (as I think might be the case with some of the giveaways), the category that most needs filling! All categories are open to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, etc....maybe with the focuses as noted!
2whitewavedarling
Last year, I also started doing a self-directed Alphabet challenge spurred on by the AlphaCat challenge, and really liked how it pushed me to work on the ever-growing TBR. So, again this year, I'll keep track of the alphabet regarding last names of authors I read and first letters of titles read, and see if I can reach a full alphabet in each category. As I read this year, I'll add in a letter (or letters) whenever appropriate. So, for now...
Alphabet by Author's Last Name:
A B C D E F G H _ J K L M N _ P _ R S T _ V W _ Y Z
Alphabet by First Letter of Full Title (not counting articles):
A B C D E F G H I _ K L M N O P Q R S T U V W _ Y _
Since this is towards the top of my thread, I'll also keep a list of works in progress here, though I can't say how often I'll remember to update it...
Currently Reading:
Shots in the Dark: The Wayward Search for an AIDS Vaccine
True Stories, Well Told
The Writing Life
The Lotus and the Storm
FINISHING GOALS FOR SEPTEMBER: work for O (The Oath?)alphacat, work for randomcat, The Lotus and the Storm, True Stories Well Told
FINISHING GOALS FOR OCTOBER: Cider House Rules, alphacat works for N & K, work for randomcat, work for geocat (South America)
FINISHING GOALS FOR NOVEMBER: Thanksgiving Night, alphacat works for G & S, work for randomcat, work for geocat (Australia and Oceania)
FINISHING GOALS FOR DECEMBER: Three Cups of Tea, alphacat works for B, X, Y, Z, work for randomcat, work for geocat (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Alphabet by Author's Last Name:
A B C D E F G H _ J K L M N _ P _ R S T _ V W _ Y Z
Alphabet by First Letter of Full Title (not counting articles):
A B C D E F G H I _ K L M N O P Q R S T U V W _ Y _
Since this is towards the top of my thread, I'll also keep a list of works in progress here, though I can't say how often I'll remember to update it...
Currently Reading:
Shots in the Dark: The Wayward Search for an AIDS Vaccine
True Stories, Well Told
The Writing Life
The Lotus and the Storm
FINISHING GOALS FOR SEPTEMBER: work for O (The Oath?)alphacat, work for randomcat, The Lotus and the Storm, True Stories Well Told
FINISHING GOALS FOR OCTOBER: Cider House Rules, alphacat works for N & K, work for randomcat, work for geocat (South America)
FINISHING GOALS FOR NOVEMBER: Thanksgiving Night, alphacat works for G & S, work for randomcat, work for geocat (Australia and Oceania)
FINISHING GOALS FOR DECEMBER: Three Cups of Tea, alphacat works for B, X, Y, Z, work for randomcat, work for geocat (Sub-Saharan Africa)
3whitewavedarling
A. The Sea
1. Storm Warriors by Elisa Carbone (1/23/2014)
2. Raft of Grief by Chelsea Rathburn (2/18/2014)
3. Wipeout by Franklin W. Dixon (3/18/2014)
4. The Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson (4/27/2014)
5. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (5/3/2014)
6. Islands Out of Time by William Irwin Thompson (6/22/2014)
7. The Hungry Ocean: A Swordboat Captain's Journey by Linda Greenlaw (8/30/2014)
8.
1. Storm Warriors by Elisa Carbone (1/23/2014)
2. Raft of Grief by Chelsea Rathburn (2/18/2014)
3. Wipeout by Franklin W. Dixon (3/18/2014)
4. The Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson (4/27/2014)
5. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (5/3/2014)
6. Islands Out of Time by William Irwin Thompson (6/22/2014)
7. The Hungry Ocean: A Swordboat Captain's Journey by Linda Greenlaw (8/30/2014)
8.
4whitewavedarling
B. Creatures on the Covers
1. The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett (1/25/2014)
2. Adult Head by Jeff Tweedy (1/29/2014)
3. Tiger Shrimp Tango by Tim Dorsey (2/2/2014)
4. Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham (4/28/2014)
5. The Explanation for Everything by Linda Grodstein (4/29/2014)
6.
7.
8.
1. The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett (1/25/2014)
2. Adult Head by Jeff Tweedy (1/29/2014)
3. Tiger Shrimp Tango by Tim Dorsey (2/2/2014)
4. Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham (4/28/2014)
5. The Explanation for Everything by Linda Grodstein (4/29/2014)
6.
7.
8.
5whitewavedarling
C. Places? Places.
1. Skeleton Women by Mingmei Yip (1/2/2014)
2. Saint by Christine Bell (1/6/2014)
3. With Rommel's Army in Libya by Laszlo Almasy (2/25/2014)
4. Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement (3/8/2014)
5. Ruby by Cynthia Bond (5/16/2014)
6. Mother to Mother by Sindiwe Magona (5/28/2014)
7. Astoria to Zion (5/30/2014)
8. The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor (8/12/2014)
1. Skeleton Women by Mingmei Yip (1/2/2014)
2. Saint by Christine Bell (1/6/2014)
3. With Rommel's Army in Libya by Laszlo Almasy (2/25/2014)
4. Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement (3/8/2014)
5. Ruby by Cynthia Bond (5/16/2014)
6. Mother to Mother by Sindiwe Magona (5/28/2014)
7. Astoria to Zion (5/30/2014)
8. The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor (8/12/2014)
6whitewavedarling
D. Questions of Justice
1. The Cherries of Freedom: A Report by Alfred Andersch (1/17/2014)
2. The Utopia of Sir Thomas More Including Roper's Life of More and Letters of More and His Daughter Margaret edited by Margaret Campbell (3/3/2014)
3. Love & Treasure by Ayelet Waldman (3/14/2014)
4. Don't Shoot: One Man, A Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner-City America by David M. Kennedy (3/20/2014)
5. A Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison by R. Dwayne Betts (6/5/2014)
6. The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon (7/8/2014)
7.
8.
1. The Cherries of Freedom: A Report by Alfred Andersch (1/17/2014)
2. The Utopia of Sir Thomas More Including Roper's Life of More and Letters of More and His Daughter Margaret edited by Margaret Campbell (3/3/2014)
3. Love & Treasure by Ayelet Waldman (3/14/2014)
4. Don't Shoot: One Man, A Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner-City America by David M. Kennedy (3/20/2014)
5. A Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison by R. Dwayne Betts (6/5/2014)
6. The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon (7/8/2014)
7.
8.
8whitewavedarling
Thanks, and I'm glad--I'm looking forward to it too!
9whitewavedarling
E. Who They Might Have Been
1. The Way of the Fight by Georges St. Pierre (1/8/2014)
2. Benjamin Britten: A Life for Music by Neil Powell (1/17/2014)
3. Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas by Maya Angelou (4/27/2014)
4. God's Fool: The Life and Times of Francis of Assisi by Julien Green (8/21/2014)
5.
6.
7.
8.
1. The Way of the Fight by Georges St. Pierre (1/8/2014)
2. Benjamin Britten: A Life for Music by Neil Powell (1/17/2014)
3. Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas by Maya Angelou (4/27/2014)
4. God's Fool: The Life and Times of Francis of Assisi by Julien Green (8/21/2014)
5.
6.
7.
8.
10whitewavedarling
F. Art and Artists
1. Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway (2/8/2014)
2. The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe (8/24/2014)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
1. Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway (2/8/2014)
2. The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe (8/24/2014)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
11whitewavedarling
G. The Creepy Cover
1. The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas (1/07/2014)
2. Beasties by William Sleator (2/15/2014)
3. The Korean Word for Butterfly by James Zerndt (4/3/2014)
4. The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson (5/8/2014)
5. Equus by Peter Shaffer (5/30/2014)
6. The Best of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet edited by Kelly Link (7/4/2014)
7. Pig Island by Mo Hayder (8/26/2014)
8.
1. The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas (1/07/2014)
2. Beasties by William Sleator (2/15/2014)
3. The Korean Word for Butterfly by James Zerndt (4/3/2014)
4. The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson (5/8/2014)
5. Equus by Peter Shaffer (5/30/2014)
6. The Best of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet edited by Kelly Link (7/4/2014)
7. Pig Island by Mo Hayder (8/26/2014)
8.
12whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane
1. The Woman Who Walked Into Doors by Roddy Doyle (1/2/2014)
2. Wild Oats and Fireweed: New Poems by Ursula K. Le Guin (1/29/2014)
3. Property Of by Alice Hoffman (3/3/2014)
4. Having a Little Talk With Capital P Poetry by Jim Daniels (4/1/2014)
5. Lorine Niedecker: Collected Works by Lorine Niedecker (4/3/2014)
6. The Best American Short Stories 2009 edited by Alice Sebold (4/6/2014)
7. The Collected Poems of Muriel Rukeyser by Muriel Rukeyser (4/30/2014)
8. Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver (5/1/2014)
9. Bitter Milk by John McManus (5/8/2014)
10. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (6/22/2014)
11. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris (7/14/2014)
12. Carry Me Across the Water by Ethan Canin (8/12/2014)
13. Likely to Die by Linda Fairstein (8/18/2014)
14. Into the Great Wide Open by Kevin Canty (9/1/2014)
15. Playing for Pizza by John Grisham (9/4/2014)
1. The Woman Who Walked Into Doors by Roddy Doyle (1/2/2014)
2. Wild Oats and Fireweed: New Poems by Ursula K. Le Guin (1/29/2014)
3. Property Of by Alice Hoffman (3/3/2014)
4. Having a Little Talk With Capital P Poetry by Jim Daniels (4/1/2014)
5. Lorine Niedecker: Collected Works by Lorine Niedecker (4/3/2014)
6. The Best American Short Stories 2009 edited by Alice Sebold (4/6/2014)
7. The Collected Poems of Muriel Rukeyser by Muriel Rukeyser (4/30/2014)
8. Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver (5/1/2014)
9. Bitter Milk by John McManus (5/8/2014)
10. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (6/22/2014)
11. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris (7/14/2014)
12. Carry Me Across the Water by Ethan Canin (8/12/2014)
13. Likely to Die by Linda Fairstein (8/18/2014)
14. Into the Great Wide Open by Kevin Canty (9/1/2014)
15. Playing for Pizza by John Grisham (9/4/2014)
13whitewavedarling
I. Illness
1. Contagious: Cultures, Carriers, and the Outbreak Narrative by Patricia Wald (1/13/2014)
2. The Day That Eazy-E Died by James Earl Hardy (6/18/2014)
3. Nevirapine and the Quest to End Pediatric AIDS by Rebecca J. Anderson (8/23/2014)
4. Confessions of a Gambler by Rayda Jacobs (9/7/2014)
5.
6.
7.
8.
1. Contagious: Cultures, Carriers, and the Outbreak Narrative by Patricia Wald (1/13/2014)
2. The Day That Eazy-E Died by James Earl Hardy (6/18/2014)
3. Nevirapine and the Quest to End Pediatric AIDS by Rebecca J. Anderson (8/23/2014)
4. Confessions of a Gambler by Rayda Jacobs (9/7/2014)
5.
6.
7.
8.
14whitewavedarling
J. Politics
1. Plum Bun: A Novel Without a Moral by Jessie Redmon Fauset (2/23/2014)
2. Poets Against the War edited by Sam Hamill (3/27/2014)
3. No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War Through Afghan Eyes by Anand Gopal (6/15/2014)
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
1. Plum Bun: A Novel Without a Moral by Jessie Redmon Fauset (2/23/2014)
2. Poets Against the War edited by Sam Hamill (3/27/2014)
3. No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War Through Afghan Eyes by Anand Gopal (6/15/2014)
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
15whitewavedarling
K. The Body
1. This Kind of Knowing by Susannah Sheffer (1/5/2014)
2. The Book of Common Betrayals by Lynne Knight (2/25/2014)
3. Hurts So Good: Unrestrained Erotica edited by Alison Tyler (3/11/2014)
4. Magic City by Yusef Komunyakaa (3/18/2014)
5. Push-Push! And Other Stories by Sindiwe Magona (4/11/2014)
6. Identity: A Novel by Milan Kundera (4/16/2014)
7. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (4/24/2014)
8. Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood (5/23/2014)
9. Three Kinds of Asking for It edited by Susie Bright (8/18/2014)
1. This Kind of Knowing by Susannah Sheffer (1/5/2014)
2. The Book of Common Betrayals by Lynne Knight (2/25/2014)
3. Hurts So Good: Unrestrained Erotica edited by Alison Tyler (3/11/2014)
4. Magic City by Yusef Komunyakaa (3/18/2014)
5. Push-Push! And Other Stories by Sindiwe Magona (4/11/2014)
6. Identity: A Novel by Milan Kundera (4/16/2014)
7. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (4/24/2014)
8. Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood (5/23/2014)
9. Three Kinds of Asking for It edited by Susie Bright (8/18/2014)
16whitewavedarling
L. Houses and Stairways
1. The Dark Glamour by Gabriella Pierce (1/21/2014)
2. Dream House by Valerie Laken (3/17/2014)
3. House of Windows by John Langan (3/21/2014)
4. House by Sebastiana Randone (3/22/2014)
5. Floating Staircase by Ronald Malfi (3/23/2014)
6. House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker
7. Starter House by Sonja Condit (4/9/2014)
8. The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman (5/14/2014)
9. Mrs. God by Peter Straub (6/11/2014)
10. Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling by Michael Boccacino (7/25/2014)
11. Hell House by Richard Matheson (8/23/2014)
1. The Dark Glamour by Gabriella Pierce (1/21/2014)
2. Dream House by Valerie Laken (3/17/2014)
3. House of Windows by John Langan (3/21/2014)
4. House by Sebastiana Randone (3/22/2014)
5. Floating Staircase by Ronald Malfi (3/23/2014)
6. House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker
7. Starter House by Sonja Condit (4/9/2014)
8. The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman (5/14/2014)
9. Mrs. God by Peter Straub (6/11/2014)
10. Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling by Michael Boccacino (7/25/2014)
11. Hell House by Richard Matheson (8/23/2014)
17whitewavedarling
M. The Giveaways
1. Dallas Noir edited by David Hale Smith (1/11/2014)
2. Songs for the New Depression by Kergan Edwards-Stout (1/21/2014
3. Lord of All Things by Andreas Eshbach
4. After the Storm: Book 1 in the Storm Series by M. Stratton (3/27/2014)
5. Dark Eden by Chris Beckett (4/16/2014)
6. Black Chalk by Christopher Yates (4/21/2014)
7. The Barkeep by William Lashner (5/13/2014)
8. Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut (8/9/2014)
1. Dallas Noir edited by David Hale Smith (1/11/2014)
2. Songs for the New Depression by Kergan Edwards-Stout (1/21/2014
3. Lord of All Things by Andreas Eshbach
4. After the Storm: Book 1 in the Storm Series by M. Stratton (3/27/2014)
5. Dark Eden by Chris Beckett (4/16/2014)
6. Black Chalk by Christopher Yates (4/21/2014)
7. The Barkeep by William Lashner (5/13/2014)
8. Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut (8/9/2014)
18whitewavedarling
N. The Lists
1. Life of Pi by Yann Martel (1/25/2014)
2. A Trip to the Stars by Nicholas Christopher (3/2/2014)
3. Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham (3/9/2014)
4. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (3/20/2014)
5. The Invention of Curried Sausage by Uwe Timm (6/5/2014)
6. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (6/8/2014)
7. The Door Into Summer by Robert A. Heinlein (6/13/2014)
8.
1. Life of Pi by Yann Martel (1/25/2014)
2. A Trip to the Stars by Nicholas Christopher (3/2/2014)
3. Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham (3/9/2014)
4. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (3/20/2014)
5. The Invention of Curried Sausage by Uwe Timm (6/5/2014)
6. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (6/8/2014)
7. The Door Into Summer by Robert A. Heinlein (6/13/2014)
8.
19lkernagh
Great categories! I am a big cover art fan so I love your 'creepy cover', 'the seemingly mundane' and 'the body' categories. It is amazing just how many books have torso shots on the cover. For your 'house and stairways' category, The House at Riverton immediately comes to mind (the cover with the sweeping staircase), but it is one of those books I haven't read yet so I cannot comment if it is any good, although it must be since I adored Morton's The Distant Hours. ;-)
20rabbitprincess
Great setup! Will you be posting the creepy covers with your reviews? ;)
21whitewavedarling
@lkernagh --Thanks :) I'll make a note of House of Riverton too! I'm only jotting down the possibilities that are already in my tbr pile, but "house" books are the one type I plan on fitting into my budget this upcoming year (unless a book has to do with my teaching/work), so I'm sure I'll be able to look it up and find it used some where or another!
@rabbitprincess-- Thanks :) I have to look up how to post covers, but I think I'll try as long as they're already online somewhere. I haven't done it before, but I feel like I at least need to try to post cover shots of those categories/books that end up being here because of their covers lol.
@rabbitprincess-- Thanks :) I have to look up how to post covers, but I think I'll try as long as they're already online somewhere. I haven't done it before, but I feel like I at least need to try to post cover shots of those categories/books that end up being here because of their covers lol.
22mamzel
I would like to recommend Sacre Bleu for your Art and Artists category. Along with a fun historical fiction you get some great paintings. I had fun reading it!
23LittleTaiko
I second the Sacre Bleu recommendation and would like to add The Private Lives of the Impressionists.
24dudes22
I'm always surprised at how many ways we can find for our challenges and I'm interested in your cover art and homes categories. And I read The House at Riverton this year and really liked it.
25whitewavedarling
Hi all :)
@mamzel & @LittleTaiko: I've been meaning to pick up Sacre Bleu--I've read just about everything else by Moore, and just never got around to some of the newer ones! I'm not sure that The Private Lives of the Impresionists would be quite so up my alley, but I'll give it a look! I probably need to clarify that category--I was thinking more along the lines of the philosophical choice to pursue art and devote so much time to creating. Then again, I just finished Seek My Face by John Updike, which is a novel that focuses on a long interview with an artist who recounts her life around art and artists in the mid-twentieth century, so maybe I would enjoy it! One way or another, thank you for the recs/reminders!
@dudes22--I love the seeing the different ways we organize! Last year, I just did it by basic basic categories and genres--we'll see how far I get this year since I already know I'm thinking of reading some books that just won't fit, when I'd meant to come up with creative categories that would still catch just about anything I picked up...
@mamzel & @LittleTaiko: I've been meaning to pick up Sacre Bleu--I've read just about everything else by Moore, and just never got around to some of the newer ones! I'm not sure that The Private Lives of the Impresionists would be quite so up my alley, but I'll give it a look! I probably need to clarify that category--I was thinking more along the lines of the philosophical choice to pursue art and devote so much time to creating. Then again, I just finished Seek My Face by John Updike, which is a novel that focuses on a long interview with an artist who recounts her life around art and artists in the mid-twentieth century, so maybe I would enjoy it! One way or another, thank you for the recs/reminders!
@dudes22--I love the seeing the different ways we organize! Last year, I just did it by basic basic categories and genres--we'll see how far I get this year since I already know I'm thinking of reading some books that just won't fit, when I'd meant to come up with creative categories that would still catch just about anything I picked up...
26whitewavedarling
Update: I dropped by the bookstore today, and couldn't resist picking up Sacre Bleu! (This means I now have every novel Christopher Moore has written, and have read most of them multiple times...Fool is the only one still unread besides this one.)
Also picked up: The People in the Trees (which I've been wanting...it will fit into my creatures on the covers category) and Therese Raquin which is on my long doc of lists/award winners and will fit into the list category :)
Now, to finish my 2013 reads, if I can...
Also picked up: The People in the Trees (which I've been wanting...it will fit into my creatures on the covers category) and Therese Raquin which is on my long doc of lists/award winners and will fit into the list category :)
Now, to finish my 2013 reads, if I can...
28whitewavedarling
Well, now that I finished both of my personal alphabet challenges for 2013 (reading a book with a title starting with each letter of the alphabet and reading a book whose author's last name matches up with each letter of the alphabet, finished as of about an hour ago...), I figure it's about time to admit to how off-kilter my finishing the 2013 category challenge ended up being. Admittedly, the goal wasn't totally serious since I listed 13 spots for 13 categories, ever the optimist! Nevertheless, here are the results....
A. Fiction by Favorite Authors, Already Beloved: 10/13 (though, if I'd kept cross-listing, this could have been higher...)
B. Fantasy/Sci-Fi: 7/13
C. Crime/Thriller/Suspense: 8/13
D. Horror: 8/13 (maybe 9/13) if I finish up one last book before 2014 officially hits...)
E. Short Stories: 9/13
F. YA Literature: 12/13
G. Fiction unrelated to other categories/catch-all: 14/13
H. Poetry: 16/13
I. Dissertation Category 1 (related to medical narratives and trauma theory): 4/13
J. Dissertation Category 2 (related to HIV/AIDS): 9/13
K. Nonfiction Dealing with Politics &/or War: 4/13
L. Biographies &/or Memoirs: 8/13
M. Nonfiction unrelated to other categories: 8/13
Admittedly, these were hugely broad categories--I'm not too unsatisfied with the results. I wish I'd met my goal of reading more Fantasy/Sci-Fi, and I'm also not really happy about the 4/13 books in the nonfiction on war and politics category since I've got TONS of those books hanging around in the tbr mountain, and always seem to pick up something else instead. BUT, on the upside, I did much better on the YA literature and the Biographies & Memoirs categories than I've done In the past. If you're curious for the actual lists of books, they're in posts 11-23 on my 2013 thread at http://www.librarything.com/topic/146830 and I did post reviews for all of them along the journey :)
A. Fiction by Favorite Authors, Already Beloved: 10/13 (though, if I'd kept cross-listing, this could have been higher...)
B. Fantasy/Sci-Fi: 7/13
C. Crime/Thriller/Suspense: 8/13
D. Horror: 8/13 (maybe 9/13) if I finish up one last book before 2014 officially hits...)
E. Short Stories: 9/13
F. YA Literature: 12/13
G. Fiction unrelated to other categories/catch-all: 14/13
H. Poetry: 16/13
I. Dissertation Category 1 (related to medical narratives and trauma theory): 4/13
J. Dissertation Category 2 (related to HIV/AIDS): 9/13
K. Nonfiction Dealing with Politics &/or War: 4/13
L. Biographies &/or Memoirs: 8/13
M. Nonfiction unrelated to other categories: 8/13
Admittedly, these were hugely broad categories--I'm not too unsatisfied with the results. I wish I'd met my goal of reading more Fantasy/Sci-Fi, and I'm also not really happy about the 4/13 books in the nonfiction on war and politics category since I've got TONS of those books hanging around in the tbr mountain, and always seem to pick up something else instead. BUT, on the upside, I did much better on the YA literature and the Biographies & Memoirs categories than I've done In the past. If you're curious for the actual lists of books, they're in posts 11-23 on my 2013 thread at http://www.librarything.com/topic/146830 and I did post reviews for all of them along the journey :)
29whitewavedarling
Now, looking forward to 2014, my plans for January include Skeleton Women for my Places category, hopefully, Life of Pi for the GeoCat Challenge and my Creatures on the Covers Category (I think), The Woman Who Walked Into Doors by Roddy Doyle for the RandomCat Challenge and the Alphabet Challenge (and maybe one of my categories?), and Dallas Noir for the Alphabet Challenge and my Giveaways Category--if things go as planned, I'll of course read more than four books in January, but I need to leave some things to chance :)
I've also got some ongoing books, which may or may not finish in January: Don't Shoot: One Man, a Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner-City America (which lives on my desk at school for when an appointment cancels or I have bits of free time--I don't expect to finish it til March), Contagious: Cultures, Carriers, and the Outbreak Narrative (which I want to finish sooner than later, though it got put aside when I put the dissertation aside) and Shots in the Dark: the Wayward Search for an AIDS Vaccine (put aside at the same time). Ideally, I'd like to finish one of these last two books by February at the latest.
Meanwhile, good luck to everyone trying to finish up your 2013 reading and/or challenges and/or organizing!
I've also got some ongoing books, which may or may not finish in January: Don't Shoot: One Man, a Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner-City America (which lives on my desk at school for when an appointment cancels or I have bits of free time--I don't expect to finish it til March), Contagious: Cultures, Carriers, and the Outbreak Narrative (which I want to finish sooner than later, though it got put aside when I put the dissertation aside) and Shots in the Dark: the Wayward Search for an AIDS Vaccine (put aside at the same time). Ideally, I'd like to finish one of these last two books by February at the latest.
Meanwhile, good luck to everyone trying to finish up your 2013 reading and/or challenges and/or organizing!
30whitewavedarling
Well, 2013 is almost over...so, as a quick wrap-up, the list of my favorites from 2013, loosely in the order I read them. Reviews are written for all of them, but you can also find all of my 2013 reads, and reviews for these, on my 2013 thread at http://www.librarything.com/topic/146983
1. Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman (Fiction)
3. What Was Asked of Us: An Oral History of the Iraq War by the Soldiers Who Fought It edited by Trish Wood (Nonfiction)
5. Blue Eyes, Black Hair by Marguerite Duras (Fiction)
18. At Risk by Alice Hoffman (Fiction)
20. The Best American Short Stories 2003 edited by Walter Mosley (Fiction/Short Stories)
21. If Birds Gather Your Hair for Nesting by Anna Journey (Poetry)
29. Don't Call it Night by Amos Oz (Fiction)
34. Hemingway & Bailey's Bartending Guide to Great American Authors by Mark Bailey (Nonfiction with recipes, excerpts, anecdotes, etc...)
37. Waterland by Graham Swift (Fiction)
38. The Republic of Poetry by Martin Espada (Poetry)
43. Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr (Fiction/Short Stories)
50. 666 Park Avenue by Gabriella Pierce (Fiction)
54. Satellite Convulsions: Poems From Tin House edited by Brenda Shaughnessy (Poetry)
73. Under the Dome by Stephen King (Fiction)
80. Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival by Anderson Cooper (Nonfiction)
85. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (Fiction)
90. Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa (Fiction)
92. Over Autumn Rooftops by Hai Zi translated by Dan Murphy (Poetry)
96. Fear Itself by Jonathan Nasaw (Fiction)
102. Seek My Face by John Updike (Fiction)
103. Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh by Mo Yan (Fiction/Short Stories)
1. Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman (Fiction)
3. What Was Asked of Us: An Oral History of the Iraq War by the Soldiers Who Fought It edited by Trish Wood (Nonfiction)
5. Blue Eyes, Black Hair by Marguerite Duras (Fiction)
18. At Risk by Alice Hoffman (Fiction)
20. The Best American Short Stories 2003 edited by Walter Mosley (Fiction/Short Stories)
21. If Birds Gather Your Hair for Nesting by Anna Journey (Poetry)
29. Don't Call it Night by Amos Oz (Fiction)
34. Hemingway & Bailey's Bartending Guide to Great American Authors by Mark Bailey (Nonfiction with recipes, excerpts, anecdotes, etc...)
37. Waterland by Graham Swift (Fiction)
38. The Republic of Poetry by Martin Espada (Poetry)
43. Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr (Fiction/Short Stories)
50. 666 Park Avenue by Gabriella Pierce (Fiction)
54. Satellite Convulsions: Poems From Tin House edited by Brenda Shaughnessy (Poetry)
73. Under the Dome by Stephen King (Fiction)
80. Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival by Anderson Cooper (Nonfiction)
85. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (Fiction)
90. Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa (Fiction)
92. Over Autumn Rooftops by Hai Zi translated by Dan Murphy (Poetry)
96. Fear Itself by Jonathan Nasaw (Fiction)
102. Seek My Face by John Updike (Fiction)
103. Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh by Mo Yan (Fiction/Short Stories)
31LittleTaiko
Glad you're giving Sacre Bleu a chance. I noticed that you haven't read Fool - it's one of the few Moore books I've read. Loved it!
32whitewavedarling
Hey! Yep, Fool is the only Moore I haven't read besides Sacre Bleu and that graphic novel he worked on. I'm not sure how they slipped under my radar, but I'm looking forward to getting to them this year! Maybe sooner than later since my first book was a disappointment...
33whitewavedarling
C. Places? Places. #1: Skeleton Women by Mingmei Yip
How I picked it up: I'd read that Yip brings 1930s Shangai to life in her writing, and thought that this would fit in perfectly with my plan to read more works that at least try to do justice to places. And, what better way to start a new year than with a pleasure read balanced between spy thriller and romance? I won't say that Yip failed to bring Shanghai to life, because her writing about customs, clothing, and food did do a great deal to bring a tangible atmosphere to the work. But, that said, I can't recommend the work...
Full Review:
On the whole, this book was just disappointing. The writing and characters both left much to be desired, and some of the plot points verged on the ridiculous. One cringe-worthy moment I won't forget is when a character photographs some few pages from a diary that just happen to tell her all of the old history of a character, perfectly answering her questions. Especially in the beginning of the book, when the author attempts to convince her audience that Camilla is a strong female character and a notable spy, the writing and style of the work is fairly...well, horrendous. Later in the book, there are many unbelievable moments, and many more awkward ones, but the writing itself is less hampered by overwriting and out-of-place explanation and exposition.
Yip's other works may or may not be so drenched in melodrama, sentimentality, overwriting, and flat unbelievable characterizations...but I doubt I'll take the time to find out.
Not recommended, to anyone.
So, all in all, not a particularly good start to the New Year's reading. On the other hand, I've picked up Saint by Christine Bell as a book for my Seemingly Mundane category--I'd looked at it dozens of times in the past, picked it up off the shelf, and put it right back in favor of choosing something else--and so far it's been a wonderful surprise!
Happy New Year, and Good Reading, Everyone!
How I picked it up: I'd read that Yip brings 1930s Shangai to life in her writing, and thought that this would fit in perfectly with my plan to read more works that at least try to do justice to places. And, what better way to start a new year than with a pleasure read balanced between spy thriller and romance? I won't say that Yip failed to bring Shanghai to life, because her writing about customs, clothing, and food did do a great deal to bring a tangible atmosphere to the work. But, that said, I can't recommend the work...
Full Review:
On the whole, this book was just disappointing. The writing and characters both left much to be desired, and some of the plot points verged on the ridiculous. One cringe-worthy moment I won't forget is when a character photographs some few pages from a diary that just happen to tell her all of the old history of a character, perfectly answering her questions. Especially in the beginning of the book, when the author attempts to convince her audience that Camilla is a strong female character and a notable spy, the writing and style of the work is fairly...well, horrendous. Later in the book, there are many unbelievable moments, and many more awkward ones, but the writing itself is less hampered by overwriting and out-of-place explanation and exposition.
Yip's other works may or may not be so drenched in melodrama, sentimentality, overwriting, and flat unbelievable characterizations...but I doubt I'll take the time to find out.
Not recommended, to anyone.
So, all in all, not a particularly good start to the New Year's reading. On the other hand, I've picked up Saint by Christine Bell as a book for my Seemingly Mundane category--I'd looked at it dozens of times in the past, picked it up off the shelf, and put it right back in favor of choosing something else--and so far it's been a wonderful surprise!
Happy New Year, and Good Reading, Everyone!
34whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #1: The Woman Who Walked Into Doors by Roddy Doyle
How I picked it up: I've had this book for ages, picked up at a library sale around the same time I picked up his Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. But, having been decidedly unimpressed with that work, I kept on passing this one over in favor of other reads--much as the book sounded like something I wanted to read, I'd been so unimpressed with his better known work, that I kept putting it off. With the January RandomCat challenge pointing toward doors and gates in titles, I ended up at this title, and thought that this would be a good time to pick it up--not to mention the fact that it would fit perfectly into the Seemingly Mundane category I'd set up since I've passing it over for ages. The verdict? I'm not sorry to have read it, and I found it far more worthwhile than Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha...but I doubt I'll be picking up Doyle again any time in the future.
Full Review:
Built as a detailed portrait and character study of a woman recovering from a difficult and abusive marriage, Doyle's novel is beautifully written, woven as it is from past and present to create a full illustration of suffering. But, in its effort to create a full picture, the novel also presents a character who is, for the most part, unsympathetic and unlikable. The details of her childhood and teenage years make her nearly impossible to like, and give the impression that the book's primary goal is a character study moreso than a complete story or exploration.
On the whole, I appreciated Doyle's style and writing, and I wanted desperately to be more touched by the work and the story...but I wasn't. More than anything, I wanted to know more and engage more with the children in the book, but they remain minor characters throughout the story, barely present as more than shadows but for their mother's abstract concern. There's no doubt that this is artful and smart...but that said, I don't think I'd feel any need to reread it or pass it on to others.
How I picked it up: I've had this book for ages, picked up at a library sale around the same time I picked up his Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. But, having been decidedly unimpressed with that work, I kept on passing this one over in favor of other reads--much as the book sounded like something I wanted to read, I'd been so unimpressed with his better known work, that I kept putting it off. With the January RandomCat challenge pointing toward doors and gates in titles, I ended up at this title, and thought that this would be a good time to pick it up--not to mention the fact that it would fit perfectly into the Seemingly Mundane category I'd set up since I've passing it over for ages. The verdict? I'm not sorry to have read it, and I found it far more worthwhile than Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha...but I doubt I'll be picking up Doyle again any time in the future.
Full Review:
Built as a detailed portrait and character study of a woman recovering from a difficult and abusive marriage, Doyle's novel is beautifully written, woven as it is from past and present to create a full illustration of suffering. But, in its effort to create a full picture, the novel also presents a character who is, for the most part, unsympathetic and unlikable. The details of her childhood and teenage years make her nearly impossible to like, and give the impression that the book's primary goal is a character study moreso than a complete story or exploration.
On the whole, I appreciated Doyle's style and writing, and I wanted desperately to be more touched by the work and the story...but I wasn't. More than anything, I wanted to know more and engage more with the children in the book, but they remain minor characters throughout the story, barely present as more than shadows but for their mother's abstract concern. There's no doubt that this is artful and smart...but that said, I don't think I'd feel any need to reread it or pass it on to others.
35lkernagh
THUMB! Wonderful review of what sounds like a challenging read from an reader engagement point of view. I read Paddy Clarke Ha ha ha last year and was only able to appreciate it from the psychological perspective of observing an individual mentally collapse, which is a shocking and disturbing thing to witness.
36dudes22
I have Peach Blossom Pavilion by Mingmei Yip in my TBR pile and was thinking of reading it for my flower category this year. And if you read her 3rd (4th?) book and it's not so good, I wonder what the first book will be like.
37whitewavedarling
@lkernagh Thanks :) And, yeah--I'm not sure I'll be reading any more Doyle. I could appreciate both novels for the psychology that showed through, but there was so much disconnection in various ways, that the emotion of the situation didn't translate well enough to give the impact that I thought the stories/situations deserved... It was an easier read than Paddy Clarke Ha ha ha in terms of style, though--otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to read it nearly so quickly. (Of course, it didn't hurt that the dog and my husband were taking a long nap for most of the afternoon...)
@dudes22 I don't know :( It was a fast read, despite the fact that I was so disappointed with the writing and the characters. I actually started out thinking it was her first book, and started my review with something along the lines of: "even for a first novel, the characters and writing were disappointing...". Which, of course, doesn't bode well for the earlier books since she should have been more experienced than that... It might depend on what kind of book it is, though. The romance and more "mundane" aspects of the book were mostly well-done--I could actually lose myself in the book when there were scenes that just entailed romance or dinner conversation, though I'm not sure I enjoyed it so much as passed the time with it. I think she was just totally out of her element with trying to write action/suspense/spy material, let alone setting up a protagonist who was a spy.
But, I'm glad to see you both here! And, on another upside, I'm currently reading Saint by Christine Bell, which is turning out to be a wonderful surprise :) Here's hoping you're both enjoying your reads!
@dudes22 I don't know :( It was a fast read, despite the fact that I was so disappointed with the writing and the characters. I actually started out thinking it was her first book, and started my review with something along the lines of: "even for a first novel, the characters and writing were disappointing...". Which, of course, doesn't bode well for the earlier books since she should have been more experienced than that... It might depend on what kind of book it is, though. The romance and more "mundane" aspects of the book were mostly well-done--I could actually lose myself in the book when there were scenes that just entailed romance or dinner conversation, though I'm not sure I enjoyed it so much as passed the time with it. I think she was just totally out of her element with trying to write action/suspense/spy material, let alone setting up a protagonist who was a spy.
But, I'm glad to see you both here! And, on another upside, I'm currently reading Saint by Christine Bell, which is turning out to be a wonderful surprise :) Here's hoping you're both enjoying your reads!
38whitewavedarling
K. The Body #1: This Kind of Knowing by Susannah Sheffer
How I picked it up: This weekend, especially yesterday, I had a touch of the flu--I wasn't up to reading the novels that I'm enjoying to much, but craved reading, so I ended up looking for a short collection of poems to read in bits and pieces over the course of the day, in between dozing with kitties and football. This book grabbed my eye because of the hands on the cover, one hand up top pouring sand into a clay pot below, its own opening framed by hands...
Full Review:
A quiet collection of poems with spiritual undertones, the poems here are well-crafted, if overly abstract. On the whole, I enjoyed the reading experience, but didn't find many of the poems memorable. There are a few I might come back to for re-reading or teaching purposes, but this probably isn't a collection that will stick with me for long.
How I picked it up: This weekend, especially yesterday, I had a touch of the flu--I wasn't up to reading the novels that I'm enjoying to much, but craved reading, so I ended up looking for a short collection of poems to read in bits and pieces over the course of the day, in between dozing with kitties and football. This book grabbed my eye because of the hands on the cover, one hand up top pouring sand into a clay pot below, its own opening framed by hands...
Full Review:
A quiet collection of poems with spiritual undertones, the poems here are well-crafted, if overly abstract. On the whole, I enjoyed the reading experience, but didn't find many of the poems memorable. There are a few I might come back to for re-reading or teaching purposes, but this probably isn't a collection that will stick with me for long.
39whitewavedarling
C. Places? Places. #2: Saint by Christine Bell (my first five star read of the year)
How I picked it up: I actually picked this one up for my "Seemingly Mundane" category because I've been passing over it for years. I bought it at some used book sale or another, years and years ago, the synopsis just kept putting me off of reading it. In fact, I kept on wondering why I'd picked it up at all, even if only for a quarter! Instead, this is sure to be one of my all-time favorites. It ended up so transporting me to South America that I had to put it in this category instead since there are certainly many books which will fit in that Seemingly Mundane category. Also, with my own extended family being from Venezuela...I have to admit that at many moments it made me think of my own family, and I loved every absurd moment. So, another for the Places? Places Category!
On a Side Note: Heavens, how I wish I had a scanner. The only cover on librarything, or that I can find anywhere online, is pretty average, and not horrible, but the cover of my older edition? It's a drawing of a curly-haired blonde with blue eyes in daisy-duke-short shorts and a lacy negligee style top, a halo over her head (yes, a halo), lounging provocatively under a full moon in the middle of a jungle. The cartoon nature of the cover paired with the angelic face of the center of it makes it surprisingly proper (as opposed to sexy), so you know you're not walking into a porno...but it is incredibly confusing. And hilarious, even moreso once you read the actual book.
Short Review:
A spectacular brilliant read that I absolutely recommend and adore.
Full Review:
Too real to not be funny, and too wonderfully written to not be clever, this is a wonderful read. Though the synopsis makes the book sound incredibly boring, and the most popular cover of the book doesn't really help, Bell's writing is a treasure, and the story is wonderfully hilarious. And in the midst of the poetry of Bell's language, and the humor of the situations spun by an American woman dropped into the middle of an extended South American family, there's also a poignant and worthwhile story of a woman in the middle of her life, unsure of her marriage and her direction, and fighting what seems like absurdity on all fronts.
Bell's protagonist, Rubia, is utterly believable, and hugely entertaining. The backstory: as a college student from New York, she fell in love with a man from South America, and followed him back to his hacienda after they got married. Bell's novel picks up the story fifteen years later when Rubia is smack in the middle of her husband's huge and quirky family, living on the outskirts of a small city in South America, known mostly for its saints. If not for her ill mother-in-law, she might have already left her husband, but then again, maybe not. If not for her business, she'd probably be going crazy, but then again, maybe not. And then, there are those miracles...
Simply, the book jacket synopsis makes this sound mundane at best, boring or absurd at worst, and the primary cover of the book doesn't do much better--though, on a side note, my old used edition has a much more entertaining cover which has an opposite (though no better) effect on potential readers. But, only a page in, I was hooked, and found the whole read unspeakably brilliant. It's possible that readers with no familial connection to large South American families won't be quite so entertained...but I think they will, though readers with some direct exposure to families blended from very different cultures will probably get an added kick from it all.
In any case, I can't recommend this highly enough--consider it the reality-based version of Christopher Moore, or think of Modern Family set in South America, slightly dated and slightly less loving, and with an ironic eye toward religion and progress. All together, this is just a wonderful read.
Highly recommended.
How I picked it up: I actually picked this one up for my "Seemingly Mundane" category because I've been passing over it for years. I bought it at some used book sale or another, years and years ago, the synopsis just kept putting me off of reading it. In fact, I kept on wondering why I'd picked it up at all, even if only for a quarter! Instead, this is sure to be one of my all-time favorites. It ended up so transporting me to South America that I had to put it in this category instead since there are certainly many books which will fit in that Seemingly Mundane category. Also, with my own extended family being from Venezuela...I have to admit that at many moments it made me think of my own family, and I loved every absurd moment. So, another for the Places? Places Category!
On a Side Note: Heavens, how I wish I had a scanner. The only cover on librarything, or that I can find anywhere online, is pretty average, and not horrible, but the cover of my older edition? It's a drawing of a curly-haired blonde with blue eyes in daisy-duke-short shorts and a lacy negligee style top, a halo over her head (yes, a halo), lounging provocatively under a full moon in the middle of a jungle. The cartoon nature of the cover paired with the angelic face of the center of it makes it surprisingly proper (as opposed to sexy), so you know you're not walking into a porno...but it is incredibly confusing. And hilarious, even moreso once you read the actual book.
Short Review:
A spectacular brilliant read that I absolutely recommend and adore.
Full Review:
Too real to not be funny, and too wonderfully written to not be clever, this is a wonderful read. Though the synopsis makes the book sound incredibly boring, and the most popular cover of the book doesn't really help, Bell's writing is a treasure, and the story is wonderfully hilarious. And in the midst of the poetry of Bell's language, and the humor of the situations spun by an American woman dropped into the middle of an extended South American family, there's also a poignant and worthwhile story of a woman in the middle of her life, unsure of her marriage and her direction, and fighting what seems like absurdity on all fronts.
Bell's protagonist, Rubia, is utterly believable, and hugely entertaining. The backstory: as a college student from New York, she fell in love with a man from South America, and followed him back to his hacienda after they got married. Bell's novel picks up the story fifteen years later when Rubia is smack in the middle of her husband's huge and quirky family, living on the outskirts of a small city in South America, known mostly for its saints. If not for her ill mother-in-law, she might have already left her husband, but then again, maybe not. If not for her business, she'd probably be going crazy, but then again, maybe not. And then, there are those miracles...
Simply, the book jacket synopsis makes this sound mundane at best, boring or absurd at worst, and the primary cover of the book doesn't do much better--though, on a side note, my old used edition has a much more entertaining cover which has an opposite (though no better) effect on potential readers. But, only a page in, I was hooked, and found the whole read unspeakably brilliant. It's possible that readers with no familial connection to large South American families won't be quite so entertained...but I think they will, though readers with some direct exposure to families blended from very different cultures will probably get an added kick from it all.
In any case, I can't recommend this highly enough--consider it the reality-based version of Christopher Moore, or think of Modern Family set in South America, slightly dated and slightly less loving, and with an ironic eye toward religion and progress. All together, this is just a wonderful read.
Highly recommended.
40electrice
Ah I'm happy to receive a BB for this one ! I see what you mean for the cover, it'll have me sprint the other way :)
Being from a large Algerian family living in France with mixed culture thanks to marriages, we have to compose with spanish, carribean, moroccan, dutch ... and of course french and algerian culture. Well it's not always easy but boy it's often funny to try to understand our cultural difference even though we have lots of common values.
Miracle, miracle, this seems to be an happy novel !?
Being from a large Algerian family living in France with mixed culture thanks to marriages, we have to compose with spanish, carribean, moroccan, dutch ... and of course french and algerian culture. Well it's not always easy but boy it's often funny to try to understand our cultural difference even though we have lots of common values.
Miracle, miracle, this seems to be an happy novel !?
41whitewavedarling
On the whole, I think it's a happy novel, though there is a bit of seriousness--nothing I didn't mention above, though. Even the marriage problems are handled with so much humor that they don't darken the book, and the elderly mother-in-law being ill...well, that's handled wonderfully. All-together, it really is a wonderful read, and made me laugh out loud more than once. I just loved it, and would love to hear others' opinions as well. I can't speak highly enough of it... and would consider it happy overall--in fact, I might even say its happier for being believable than just coming away with some unbelievable ending that is happy for the sake of being happy lol!
If you do track it down, let me know what you think--And, I'm going to cross my fingers that folks tracking it down come up with a copy sporting my own odd cover instead of the one advertised everywhere online :)
ONE Caveat I just realized I might should implement into my review: Bell's protagonist does take a light eye toward religion, but for me, her sense of humor and honest eye toward the seeming absurdity of it all made everything ring as true and unoffensive, even for myself, who comes from a Catholic family... But, if you don't have any patience for joking about religion/saints/religious practice, this book might be too light/happy...
If you do track it down, let me know what you think--And, I'm going to cross my fingers that folks tracking it down come up with a copy sporting my own odd cover instead of the one advertised everywhere online :)
ONE Caveat I just realized I might should implement into my review: Bell's protagonist does take a light eye toward religion, but for me, her sense of humor and honest eye toward the seeming absurdity of it all made everything ring as true and unoffensive, even for myself, who comes from a Catholic family... But, if you don't have any patience for joking about religion/saints/religious practice, this book might be too light/happy...
42whitewavedarling
G. The Creepy Cover #1: The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas
How I picked this up: I actually, accidentally, have two different editions of this work...both of which have creepy covers. Yay for getting another longstanding TBR off of the TBR mountain! (And, for another wonderful read!)
Full Review:
Intensely clever and original, this will stand as one of my favorite vampire novels along with Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire and Jonathan Nasaw's The World on Blood. Charnas' work has all of the play and suspense you might expect of a novel built around a vampire, but moves forward with more humanity and introspection that you'd usually find, and paces itself with such surprise that it's a wonderfully unique and surprising read.
I'll admit: it starts out slowly, so slowly in fact that I wondered if the full work would end up being dated or so basic a vampire tale that I'd be bored throughout. Still, having read endorsements from Peter S. Beagle and Stephen King, I read the beginning straight through...and suddenly couldn't put the book down. After the first part (which is about fifty pages, of the 286 in my edition), I found that I was totally wrapped up in each page, each successive part moving more quickly than the last. And yet, it kept surprising me nearly until the last.
Simply, I loved it, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a good "vampire read", or just an engaging book that wavers between suspense and horror.
Absolutely recommended.
How I picked this up: I actually, accidentally, have two different editions of this work...both of which have creepy covers. Yay for getting another longstanding TBR off of the TBR mountain! (And, for another wonderful read!)
Full Review:
Intensely clever and original, this will stand as one of my favorite vampire novels along with Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire and Jonathan Nasaw's The World on Blood. Charnas' work has all of the play and suspense you might expect of a novel built around a vampire, but moves forward with more humanity and introspection that you'd usually find, and paces itself with such surprise that it's a wonderfully unique and surprising read.
I'll admit: it starts out slowly, so slowly in fact that I wondered if the full work would end up being dated or so basic a vampire tale that I'd be bored throughout. Still, having read endorsements from Peter S. Beagle and Stephen King, I read the beginning straight through...and suddenly couldn't put the book down. After the first part (which is about fifty pages, of the 286 in my edition), I found that I was totally wrapped up in each page, each successive part moving more quickly than the last. And yet, it kept surprising me nearly until the last.
Simply, I loved it, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a good "vampire read", or just an engaging book that wavers between suspense and horror.
Absolutely recommended.
43electrice
>41 whitewavedarling: Oh I'm not again a little bit of humor towards religion ... like Don Camillo :)
44cammykitty
Good to see a review of Charnas. I've had her on my radar because of her involvement with WisCon and the Tiptree Award, but have never read her. I'll put that on my teetering WL.
45whitewavedarling
Hmmm...now looking up Don Camillo... Meanwhile, I hope you both do respectively add those books to the mountainous TBR piles!
46electrice
>45 whitewavedarling: Of course, where else !? The neverending TBR stack :)
47BookLizard
Good review of The Vampire Tapestry. It helps to know that it picks up after 50 pages. It's on my radar - a possible book bullet.
48whitewavedarling
Thanks :) The first part (literally, Part 1) was very slow, but the work was so smart and quick after that that it justified the slow start. And, truthfully, looking back from the end, it makes sense :)
49whitewavedarling
E. Who They Might Have Been #1: The Way of the Fight by Georges St. Pierre
How I picked it up: I've watched a bit of wrestling because my husband loves it, but I've never watched UFC fights or any MMA really at all. Yet, I'm working on a novel, and my odd brain managed to insist that one of the main characters has a real interest in MMA...so I picked this and a few other books up as "research" of a sort. Funny enough, the reading of this may have convinced me to cut references from the book I'm working on, but I'm still glad to have read it...
Full Review:
Part memoir and part personal philosophy and manifesto, this is a fast and interesting read from a driven athlete and champion. GSP's book focuses on what drives him and what allows him to succeed at such a level in MMA, especially focusing on the psychology and the philosophy around all of it. The book gets a slow start and feels almost like a self-help book as GSP introduces his thoughts on survival, fear, and health, but it quickly moves beyond those moments and goes quickly into his journey toward becoming a professional athlete. At its heart, the book is about personal dedication to one's passion and chosen path--and finding that path--and in that way, any reader might benefit from it.
Oddly, I enjoyed this book far more than I expected to. I went into it hoping to learn a little about MMA (and I did), but while I was skeptical of the work (based on the beginning), I ended up really appreciating the dedication and belief behind the work and the lifestyle. As someone who's slowly making a move toward putting my own passion above all other concerns/priorities (but for family), I could relate to many of the discussions here, especially toward the end when GSP starts discussing the feelings of isolation he experiences before a fight, and the manner in which he has to be careful of the people he surrounds himself with.
Simply, this is a fast read, and entertaining. It's also an interestingly formatted memoir, and a work that testifies to the fact that a journey is what most matters, far more than any end result.
Overall, recommended.
How I picked it up: I've watched a bit of wrestling because my husband loves it, but I've never watched UFC fights or any MMA really at all. Yet, I'm working on a novel, and my odd brain managed to insist that one of the main characters has a real interest in MMA...so I picked this and a few other books up as "research" of a sort. Funny enough, the reading of this may have convinced me to cut references from the book I'm working on, but I'm still glad to have read it...
Full Review:
Part memoir and part personal philosophy and manifesto, this is a fast and interesting read from a driven athlete and champion. GSP's book focuses on what drives him and what allows him to succeed at such a level in MMA, especially focusing on the psychology and the philosophy around all of it. The book gets a slow start and feels almost like a self-help book as GSP introduces his thoughts on survival, fear, and health, but it quickly moves beyond those moments and goes quickly into his journey toward becoming a professional athlete. At its heart, the book is about personal dedication to one's passion and chosen path--and finding that path--and in that way, any reader might benefit from it.
Oddly, I enjoyed this book far more than I expected to. I went into it hoping to learn a little about MMA (and I did), but while I was skeptical of the work (based on the beginning), I ended up really appreciating the dedication and belief behind the work and the lifestyle. As someone who's slowly making a move toward putting my own passion above all other concerns/priorities (but for family), I could relate to many of the discussions here, especially toward the end when GSP starts discussing the feelings of isolation he experiences before a fight, and the manner in which he has to be careful of the people he surrounds himself with.
Simply, this is a fast read, and entertaining. It's also an interestingly formatted memoir, and a work that testifies to the fact that a journey is what most matters, far more than any end result.
Overall, recommended.
50whitewavedarling
M. The Giveaways #1: Dallas Noir edited by David Hale Smith
How I picked it up: I'd been curious about the new Noir series of anthologies from Akashic books, so this showing up in the Early Reviewer books sounded like the perfect opportunity. I'm not sure why I won it since I certainly don't have any other books centered around Dallas, or even that much Noir, but my best guess is that Ben Fountain is a favorite author of mine (and his work is included here)--and, I do seem to read and review more short stories than a lot of other folks, so maybe that had something to do with it. In any case, I'm glad to have dipped my toes into the series, and do plan on picking up another sooner than later, though I doubt I'll read it in one sitting.
Full Review:
This was my first venture into the Noir collection from Akashic Books, and I liked it well enough that I'll probably try a few more. That said, I probably won't read the next one straight through. Most of the stories here revolved entirely around drugs and sex, with crime and atmosphere a far few steps behind all of the exotic dancers and rich players. There was little of the atmosphere that I'd expected, and at least one story that wasn't nearly at the level of the others and probably should have been left out completely. But, that said, there were three or four authors I wrote down to search out more work from, and stories as well from two writers who I already search out, neither of whom disappointed here.
All together, it was a quick read with fast-paced stories, though I'm hoping for more from the other Noir works on the Akashic list
How I picked it up: I'd been curious about the new Noir series of anthologies from Akashic books, so this showing up in the Early Reviewer books sounded like the perfect opportunity. I'm not sure why I won it since I certainly don't have any other books centered around Dallas, or even that much Noir, but my best guess is that Ben Fountain is a favorite author of mine (and his work is included here)--and, I do seem to read and review more short stories than a lot of other folks, so maybe that had something to do with it. In any case, I'm glad to have dipped my toes into the series, and do plan on picking up another sooner than later, though I doubt I'll read it in one sitting.
Full Review:
This was my first venture into the Noir collection from Akashic Books, and I liked it well enough that I'll probably try a few more. That said, I probably won't read the next one straight through. Most of the stories here revolved entirely around drugs and sex, with crime and atmosphere a far few steps behind all of the exotic dancers and rich players. There was little of the atmosphere that I'd expected, and at least one story that wasn't nearly at the level of the others and probably should have been left out completely. But, that said, there were three or four authors I wrote down to search out more work from, and stories as well from two writers who I already search out, neither of whom disappointed here.
All together, it was a quick read with fast-paced stories, though I'm hoping for more from the other Noir works on the Akashic list
51LittleTaiko
Now I'm dying to know which story you thought should have been left out to see if it's the same one I wish wasn't included. My least favorite was "The Private Room" - didn't seem noir at all.
52lkernagh
Akashic Books has quite the collection of Noir books. I enjoyed Venice Noir - even though I have never been to Venice! - and I am now on the hunt for one of their Noir books set in a city I know better.
53whitewavedarling
Hi friends!
@LittleTaiko--I can see what you mean about that one not seeming Noir--actually, I couldn't figure out what a couple of them were doing being included in a noir anthology! The one I thought should have been left out, though, was "In the Air"--it actually had more of the tone I expected, but I really just thought it was badly written and unfinished.
@lkernagh--I'm torn about whether to search out one for a city I know well, or one for somewhere I've never been, or only been briefly. I've actually never been to Dallas (in Texas, I've only visited Austin), though this work seemed a lot less grounded to the city than I expected.
@LittleTaiko--I can see what you mean about that one not seeming Noir--actually, I couldn't figure out what a couple of them were doing being included in a noir anthology! The one I thought should have been left out, though, was "In the Air"--it actually had more of the tone I expected, but I really just thought it was badly written and unfinished.
@lkernagh--I'm torn about whether to search out one for a city I know well, or one for somewhere I've never been, or only been briefly. I've actually never been to Dallas (in Texas, I've only visited Austin), though this work seemed a lot less grounded to the city than I expected.
54LittleTaiko
I found that one intriguing though a bit unrealistic. No way all that could happen at the fair. I was a bit disappointed in the lack of a sense of place overall. The one set in Lakewood was pretty accurate but some of the others could have happened almost anywhere. The one set in the M Streets bugged me mainly because that's my neighborhood and I was really hoping nothing that happened in the story was going on. :)
55LovingLit
>34 whitewavedarling: I picked up his Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. But, having been decidedly unimpressed with that work..
Uh oh. That is on my list of Booker winners I want to read. Stangely (or maybe not) I have yet to pick it up in any seriousness. Its cover just doesn't grab me.
Talk to me about your category D--Questions of Justice, and your abandoned (happily) dissertation. I have an interest in social justice, and an enrolled to go and do some post-graduate study this year loosely themed in that area. (still waiting on a job offer that wold blow that idea out of the water though...ling story!)
What was your dissertation about?
One of my categories is politics, and into that I could slip some justicey reads, as I am going easy on myself with the challenge :)
Uh oh. That is on my list of Booker winners I want to read. Stangely (or maybe not) I have yet to pick it up in any seriousness. Its cover just doesn't grab me.
Talk to me about your category D--Questions of Justice, and your abandoned (happily) dissertation. I have an interest in social justice, and an enrolled to go and do some post-graduate study this year loosely themed in that area. (still waiting on a job offer that wold blow that idea out of the water though...ling story!)
What was your dissertation about?
One of my categories is politics, and into that I could slip some justicey reads, as I am going easy on myself with the challenge :)
56karenmarie
Hi Jennifer - Very interesting categories and books. I'm looking forward to following you throughout the year.
57whitewavedarling
@LittleTaiko...yep. I would have mentioned my disappointment in there being so little a sense of the place, but I wasn't sure about the series' intentions. When I first heard about the series, I thought the intention was more about writers writing with a sense of place, but then finding out that all of the writers had a connection with the area in question, I wondered whether the point was showcasing work from local writers... I don't know. In my experience, a lot of writers write better about places they're just visiting, as opposed to having lived there forever. Dialogue/colloquialisms is probably the exception, but otherwise, I think a lot of folks are more likely to go into detail, place-wise, on places they're visiting or fascinated with, as opposed to living in...? Anyhow, I'll try another noir book, and see how it goes...
@karenmarie--Thanks :) I'm really hoping to be more actively watching and engaging with all of the threads this year. The problem always becomes that I star so many!
@ireadthereforeIam--Good luck with the Doyle! My dissertation was/is focused on contemporary American fiction dealing with HIV/AIDS. To complete one, I knew I needed to focus on a subject that would lead me to do more cultural studies research than that which would lead me to read about critics writing about authors. I'm still really fascinated by the topic/literature, and engaged, but I just go so disgusted with the style/culture of academia that I had no patience left. I started the dissertation wanting job security as a teacher (not a tenure-track job necessarily, just a job I could count on), and that's become harder and harder to find the last five or six years since I began. But also, I've been spending a lot more time on my writing, and I've gotten a fair amount of job offers based on my poetry being published, as opposed to any plan for a PhD. In the end, I finally decided the PhD just wasn't worth the time and struggle when so few people would end up reading or caring about my dissertation, and I feel I can make a much bigger difference with my creative writing. If nobody's going to read the dissertation, and it's not making me happy, and I'm getting jobs without it...well, why finish? And, my love is close reading and reading--not scholarship--which sets me as very different from most of my colleagues. Unfortunately, it hasn't helped that I've been constantly losing respect for academia (as a whole) and many of my colleagues over the last few years... In the end, it's the right decision for me :) (And, I'm now half-way through a novel, so we'll see how that goes...) I've also started teaching creative writing and drama to middle schoolers in the summer, which has reminded me how much I love writing and teaching...and how much the PhD was doing its damnedest to take those loves away!
Meanwhile, my Questions of Justice category is purposefully vague. Long ago, I started out being an environmental science major, so I've got a lot of interest in people/organizations who attempt to make the world better and/or find some sort of justice. I think this category will end up being filled by books about questions of environmental rights and/or legal questions related to poverty, crime, or illness (mental or physical). I hope this makes sense--I was looking for a broad category to fit in some of the floating nonfiction in my collection which I knew I wanted to get to this year. It would probably tell you a lot to know that I originally wanted to go to law school (based on my environmental science study) and work on environmental cases/issues, but changed my mind based on the decision that I wanted, eventually, to have a family--I'm one of those people who goes all in on anything I start, so I knew being a lawyer would mean a life of being devoted entirely to a job.
Anyhow, there's a longwinded response to a simple question! I wish you luck with that job application!
@karenmarie--Thanks :) I'm really hoping to be more actively watching and engaging with all of the threads this year. The problem always becomes that I star so many!
@ireadthereforeIam--Good luck with the Doyle! My dissertation was/is focused on contemporary American fiction dealing with HIV/AIDS. To complete one, I knew I needed to focus on a subject that would lead me to do more cultural studies research than that which would lead me to read about critics writing about authors. I'm still really fascinated by the topic/literature, and engaged, but I just go so disgusted with the style/culture of academia that I had no patience left. I started the dissertation wanting job security as a teacher (not a tenure-track job necessarily, just a job I could count on), and that's become harder and harder to find the last five or six years since I began. But also, I've been spending a lot more time on my writing, and I've gotten a fair amount of job offers based on my poetry being published, as opposed to any plan for a PhD. In the end, I finally decided the PhD just wasn't worth the time and struggle when so few people would end up reading or caring about my dissertation, and I feel I can make a much bigger difference with my creative writing. If nobody's going to read the dissertation, and it's not making me happy, and I'm getting jobs without it...well, why finish? And, my love is close reading and reading--not scholarship--which sets me as very different from most of my colleagues. Unfortunately, it hasn't helped that I've been constantly losing respect for academia (as a whole) and many of my colleagues over the last few years... In the end, it's the right decision for me :) (And, I'm now half-way through a novel, so we'll see how that goes...) I've also started teaching creative writing and drama to middle schoolers in the summer, which has reminded me how much I love writing and teaching...and how much the PhD was doing its damnedest to take those loves away!
Meanwhile, my Questions of Justice category is purposefully vague. Long ago, I started out being an environmental science major, so I've got a lot of interest in people/organizations who attempt to make the world better and/or find some sort of justice. I think this category will end up being filled by books about questions of environmental rights and/or legal questions related to poverty, crime, or illness (mental or physical). I hope this makes sense--I was looking for a broad category to fit in some of the floating nonfiction in my collection which I knew I wanted to get to this year. It would probably tell you a lot to know that I originally wanted to go to law school (based on my environmental science study) and work on environmental cases/issues, but changed my mind based on the decision that I wanted, eventually, to have a family--I'm one of those people who goes all in on anything I start, so I knew being a lawyer would mean a life of being devoted entirely to a job.
Anyhow, there's a longwinded response to a simple question! I wish you luck with that job application!
58whitewavedarling
So, a question for any visitors who read biographies...
Do you expect biographies to give an emotional sense of the person you're reading about, or do you expect to get bogged down in details? For a few years now, I've made it a goal to read more bios/memoirs, but I'm realizing now that I've basically stuck to memoirs. And, the reason I'm reading this: I'm getting bogged down in a long biography. It's not uninteresting, really, but I'm not feeling any emotional connection to it, either. There are TONS of quotes from the subject's journals, which give some testament to feeling/intention on the part of the subject, but in many ways, I feel rather like I'm reading a log of what happened in his life, piece by piece by piece by interminable piece.
Is this what you expect from biographies? On one hand, I'll read more biographies and get a sense of this for myself, but on the other hand, this is an early reviewer copy that I need to write a review of, so I'm curious what people generally expect of biographies--after all, I don't want to come down hard on this work for doing something that anyone else would automatically expect of it! Anyhow, right now, I'm only about 200 pages into the 500 pages, so if you've got any thoughts, they'd be welcome...
Do you expect biographies to give an emotional sense of the person you're reading about, or do you expect to get bogged down in details? For a few years now, I've made it a goal to read more bios/memoirs, but I'm realizing now that I've basically stuck to memoirs. And, the reason I'm reading this: I'm getting bogged down in a long biography. It's not uninteresting, really, but I'm not feeling any emotional connection to it, either. There are TONS of quotes from the subject's journals, which give some testament to feeling/intention on the part of the subject, but in many ways, I feel rather like I'm reading a log of what happened in his life, piece by piece by piece by interminable piece.
Is this what you expect from biographies? On one hand, I'll read more biographies and get a sense of this for myself, but on the other hand, this is an early reviewer copy that I need to write a review of, so I'm curious what people generally expect of biographies--after all, I don't want to come down hard on this work for doing something that anyone else would automatically expect of it! Anyhow, right now, I'm only about 200 pages into the 500 pages, so if you've got any thoughts, they'd be welcome...
59LittleTaiko
Interesting question - I would say that I do expect a biography to give me an emotional sense of the person I'm reading about. Some of the better ones that I've read by David McCullough or Joseph J. Ellis really make me feel that I'm not only learning about the events of the time but the person as well. There have been plenty of biographies where I've felt that I'm just getting the facts and little else which can be informative not not always interesting.
60whitewavedarling
Thanks, LittleTaiko. What I'm reading is incredibly informative and well-researched...but it just feels like the tiniest most factual moments of a life. Almost as if I'm reading the facts based solely on something like a journal and facebook updates, all put smoothly into prose without any extra narrative or interpretation... The narrative is there, but it's so objectively and simply told that I get the feeling everything is being skipped if it's not been directly documented by the subject himself.
62karenmarie
In thinking about biographies, I realize that I prefer autobiographies and memoirs to biographies because of the emotional content. And, the biographies that I've loved have all been written without the slog-through details and sheer volume of things done, people met, quotes presented; they've been written with love or reverence and passion to share that feeling. I don't like things whitewashed or overly biased either positively or negatively and have found that the best biographies simply love the subject and write about her/him emotionally, factually, and with verve and flair. They let the chips fall where they may and almost force you to love the subject regardless of the hard facts simply because they do. And, to contradict what I just wrote, there are biographies of two of my favorite authors that were dry and detailed that I loved simply because they were about two of my favorite authors - J.D. Salinger and Dorothy Sayers.
63electrice
Hi Jennifer, I haven't read enough biographies or memoirs to have a definitive opinion. So far, I have loved the ones with an emotional connexion and just enough details about the period to know more about the subject. This way it's neither a textbook, neither a novel. I really loved one about Lafayette by Gonzague Sant-Bris, it was the best I read so far.
64whitewavedarling
Eva--thanks! karenmarie and electrice, thanks also--between your comments and those from LittleTaiko, I feel much better about how to think about what I'm currently reading Benjamin Britten in terms of being ready to review it in a few days (I'm still only have law through). I think people who are familiar with his work, or even composers of the 20th century in general, would get a lot more out of it. For someone like me, just interested in reading about a vibrant and prolific musician and composer...well, it's a bit of a wading exercise unfortunately, but maybe it will get better :)
One way or another, I think I need a bit of emotion coming from somewhere to make a book really work for me, even if that's just a passionate interest that translates into powerful writing...and I'm not getting any at the moment...
One way or another, I think I need a bit of emotion coming from somewhere to make a book really work for me, even if that's just a passionate interest that translates into powerful writing...and I'm not getting any at the moment...
65whitewavedarling
Meanwhile, this has been in the works for a while, and slowly got finished before the biography I've been chatting about...
I. Illness #1: Contagious: Cultures, Carriers, and the Outbreak Narrative by Patricia Wald
How I picked it up: I picked this up when I was trying to find a way to make a decision about giving up on my dissertation or re-energizing my interest (back in October). Early on, I found I was incredibly interested in the book, but still, of course, ended up moving beyond the dissertation. Since I'd left this half-read back in November, though, I wanted to finally pick it up and finish it. At first, I had a hard time getting back into it, but I think that was due to the bad taste I still had for my "studies". Thankfully, I can now report that my interests haven't been tarnished by the not-meant-to-be dissertation :) Instead, I finished this, fascinated and ready to recommend it on and move forward.
Full Review:
Wald's examination of outbreak narratives is a fascinating journey through discussions of contagious disease, history, media, pop culture, and scientific developments. Throughout the work, the evolution of what is now recognizable as an outbreak narrative comes clearly into focus. One of the most powerful aspects of the work rests in the fact that Wald uncovers various feedback loops in the ways in which we understand and document disease. How film and literature have influenced our understanding and documentation of actual disease, and the way we write about it...how historical experiences with diseases and contagions have influenced the ways in which we now move forward with both research and documentation...how the language we use to document disease has been influenced by pop culture and subsequently influences political and research decisions...how a movie like Body Snatchers reflects and reinforces the (wrong) way we so often analyze and attempt an understanding of disease.
The outbreak narrative, as a form of narrative, is part fact and part fiction, but it has very real consequences in today's society. Wald's work attempts to trace the evolution of this narrative, delving into pop culture, history, film studies, politics, media and journalism, and scientific developments in order to not only follow the convoluted feedback loop created by different narratives related to contagions, but to analyze the various ways (good and bad) that these narratives have influenced, in turn, politics, science, and popular understanding of disease.
For a carefully researched work of nonfiction, Wald's work is incredibly readable, and her endnotes are perfectly balanced--what's there is useful and interesting, but also somewhat tangential...just what belongs in an endnote (as so often seems to Not be the case when it comes to works like this). Her writing is also clear and detailed, and a useful analysis in the ways science and technology have influenced societal perception, and vice versa.
Overall, absolutely recommended for anyone interested in the subject of contagions or in the ways in which popular narratives have influenced political and scientific developments, or in the ways in which film and literature, as a group of texts, reinforce or influence popular understandings (or misunderstandings) and media.
I. Illness #1: Contagious: Cultures, Carriers, and the Outbreak Narrative by Patricia Wald
How I picked it up: I picked this up when I was trying to find a way to make a decision about giving up on my dissertation or re-energizing my interest (back in October). Early on, I found I was incredibly interested in the book, but still, of course, ended up moving beyond the dissertation. Since I'd left this half-read back in November, though, I wanted to finally pick it up and finish it. At first, I had a hard time getting back into it, but I think that was due to the bad taste I still had for my "studies". Thankfully, I can now report that my interests haven't been tarnished by the not-meant-to-be dissertation :) Instead, I finished this, fascinated and ready to recommend it on and move forward.
Full Review:
Wald's examination of outbreak narratives is a fascinating journey through discussions of contagious disease, history, media, pop culture, and scientific developments. Throughout the work, the evolution of what is now recognizable as an outbreak narrative comes clearly into focus. One of the most powerful aspects of the work rests in the fact that Wald uncovers various feedback loops in the ways in which we understand and document disease. How film and literature have influenced our understanding and documentation of actual disease, and the way we write about it...how historical experiences with diseases and contagions have influenced the ways in which we now move forward with both research and documentation...how the language we use to document disease has been influenced by pop culture and subsequently influences political and research decisions...how a movie like Body Snatchers reflects and reinforces the (wrong) way we so often analyze and attempt an understanding of disease.
The outbreak narrative, as a form of narrative, is part fact and part fiction, but it has very real consequences in today's society. Wald's work attempts to trace the evolution of this narrative, delving into pop culture, history, film studies, politics, media and journalism, and scientific developments in order to not only follow the convoluted feedback loop created by different narratives related to contagions, but to analyze the various ways (good and bad) that these narratives have influenced, in turn, politics, science, and popular understanding of disease.
For a carefully researched work of nonfiction, Wald's work is incredibly readable, and her endnotes are perfectly balanced--what's there is useful and interesting, but also somewhat tangential...just what belongs in an endnote (as so often seems to Not be the case when it comes to works like this). Her writing is also clear and detailed, and a useful analysis in the ways science and technology have influenced societal perception, and vice versa.
Overall, absolutely recommended for anyone interested in the subject of contagions or in the ways in which popular narratives have influenced political and scientific developments, or in the ways in which film and literature, as a group of texts, reinforce or influence popular understandings (or misunderstandings) and media.
66rabbitprincess
That does sound quite interesting!
67whitewavedarling
It really was--I'd recommend it to anyone with remotely an interest, because it was so interesting, not to mention incredibly readable!
68.Monkey.
Catching up on your thread now, The Vampire Tapestry definitely sounds like one for the wishlist! (Will also look into The World on Blood :))
Re: bios: Well, I "expect" them to tell about the person's life and especially anything significant in it. What I like is for them to read more like stories than just piles of facts (that goes for any nonfic I read, when they're just facts without good writing, it's a huge slog for me), and yes, feeling some sort of emotional something always helps. When they're done well (my perception of "done well"), they should provide a good sense of who the person really was, where they came from, what they did, etc, make you feel like you're really getting to know them, like if you were walking down the street and saw them you'd feel like you wanted to stop & chat because you were familiar with them, you know what I mean? But, that said, depending on the person and how far back in history they were, and whatnot, there may not be enough to go on to really provide such a full picture. So I'd say there are certain variables to be taken into account.
Re: bios: Well, I "expect" them to tell about the person's life and especially anything significant in it. What I like is for them to read more like stories than just piles of facts (that goes for any nonfic I read, when they're just facts without good writing, it's a huge slog for me), and yes, feeling some sort of emotional something always helps. When they're done well (my perception of "done well"), they should provide a good sense of who the person really was, where they came from, what they did, etc, make you feel like you're really getting to know them, like if you were walking down the street and saw them you'd feel like you wanted to stop & chat because you were familiar with them, you know what I mean? But, that said, depending on the person and how far back in history they were, and whatnot, there may not be enough to go on to really provide such a full picture. So I'd say there are certain variables to be taken into account.
69whitewavedarling
Thanks, Polymathic--this biography is an odd mishmash of good and bad. It's gotten better in the last 100 pages or so, but there was a stretch of a good 60 pages where the author seemed to just be listing facts (ie. he wrote ____ in December and went to a performance at the _____ on the first of January and reviews said the alto _______....etc. It was comprehensive, but incredibly boring! Now, I'm interested again, and wishing the biographer had just summed up those years and, at most, provided a listing of compositions! Ah well.
Meanwhile, you should definitely look up both The World on Blood & The Vampire Tapestry--very different, and both are wonderful reads!
Meanwhile, you should definitely look up both The World on Blood & The Vampire Tapestry--very different, and both are wonderful reads!
70.Monkey.
I will! :) Do you like the old original/Gothic vamps also?
Yeah, that definitely does not sound like very good reading, eek. At least it's improving! :))
Yeah, that definitely does not sound like very good reading, eek. At least it's improving! :))
71cbl_tn
I read biographies, but I tend to like autobiographies or memoirs better, probably because they're less likely to be dry. Biographies of historical figures interest me more than modern biographies, partly because I have an interest in history and partly because there's often less documentary evidence for the subject's life so less tendency for it to turn into a string of names, dates, and places. Improbable Patriot is an example of a biography I really enjoyed. I thought it gave a good sense of his personality. On the other hand, I struggled to read more than a few pages at a time of Marie Curie and Her Daughters because it mostly failed to go beyond listings of names, dates, and places. Their personalities seemed to get lost in the details.
72whitewavedarling
@PolymathicMonkey--I like vampire tales in general, though they're few and far between in my reading...it's just so easy to write vampires badly! And yes, I like the originals. In fact, I'd been off from reading about vampires for years until I happened across Sheridan Le Fanu's works a few years ago... I haven't read much of the YA vampire stuff at all, though, though I did love L.J.Smith's Vampire Diaries series back when it first came out...even if I loved her Secret Circle series better :)
@cbl_tn--that makes sense. For whatever reason, I've always grouped together bios/autobios/memoirs without thinking about it, whereas now I realize I need to be a bit more picky. The bio. I'm reading, though, is about a twentieth century composer...I didn't expect it to disintegrate into facts and listings, but it has gotten better at least. Improbably Patriot looks interesting, so I may very well end up looking that one up for my next bio...
@cbl_tn--that makes sense. For whatever reason, I've always grouped together bios/autobios/memoirs without thinking about it, whereas now I realize I need to be a bit more picky. The bio. I'm reading, though, is about a twentieth century composer...I didn't expect it to disintegrate into facts and listings, but it has gotten better at least. Improbably Patriot looks interesting, so I may very well end up looking that one up for my next bio...
73.Monkey.
Haha I loved her Secret Circle books back in the early 90s! I don't think I ever read the vampy ones, though, either I didn't realize they existed or I just moved on to adult stuff by that point and so didn't bother, or, something! :P
Yeah, after reading Dracula, and its introduction, I got Carmilla and the collection that has Polidori's The Vampyre, and more recently (and hence not yet read) I finally got (the utterly massive) Varney, the Vampire. :D
Yeah, after reading Dracula, and its introduction, I got Carmilla and the collection that has Polidori's The Vampyre, and more recently (and hence not yet read) I finally got (the utterly massive) Varney, the Vampire. :D
74whitewavedarling
I haven't yet read Varney, but I plan to :) Meanwhile, I was well on to adult books too by the time I discovered the Vampire Diaries and Secret Circle books, but L. J. Smith was one of two young adult authors that I kept up with long after I'd mostly left behind YA reading entirely (the other was Christopher Pike). One of these days, I'm going to go back to all of those books... But, if you liked The Secret Circle series, I'd be willing to bet you'd enjoy the Vampire Diaries series too, should you still not mind reading the occasional YA.
75.Monkey.
Have you seen a copy of Varney? My Wordsworth edition is 2.5"/6cm thick! The same size as Les Mis! Insane! lmao. I will get to it... eventually...! ;D
Yeah, it wasn't that I considered YA "beneath" me or anything, it's just that I'd rather Stephen King or the like, because they're fuller and have more to them, you know? It's why I read almost no YA as an adult, it's not that I think they're not good, but I prefer the depth of adult books, and since there's not enough time to read the zillions of things that I already want to read, I don't like to take that time out from my "real" reading. Just one of my quirks, haha.
Yeah, it wasn't that I considered YA "beneath" me or anything, it's just that I'd rather Stephen King or the like, because they're fuller and have more to them, you know? It's why I read almost no YA as an adult, it's not that I think they're not good, but I prefer the depth of adult books, and since there's not enough time to read the zillions of things that I already want to read, I don't like to take that time out from my "real" reading. Just one of my quirks, haha.
76whitewavedarling
I have seen the size, though I haven't yet bought it...one of these days! Meanwhile, I'm not sure what it was about Pike and Smith that kept me keeping track of their new releases. Everything else I read was along the lines of John Saul, Stephen King, and Piers Anthony...
Meanwhile, I finished and reviewed that biography I'd been speaking about here! The middle was rough-going, but in the end, I'm really glad I pushed through and read the full work--the poignancy and intelligence of the end more than made up for the catalogue-like middle of the work. (Which, to be fair, probably wouldn't have been so tedious to begin with were I more familiar with Britten's compositions or orchestral music in general).
So...
E. Who They Might Have Been #2: Benjamin Britten: A Life for Music by Neil Powell
How I picked it up: I got this through the Early Reviewer program. I can't be sure why I signed up for it (or won it, for that matter), but for some time I've had the goal of reading more biographies/memoirs, and works about artists in particular. Since I also love opera, and Britten is the composer of one of those operas on my "bucket list" of wanting to see live, I signed up for this on a whim. In the end, I'm glad it came my way... The one caveat if you're thinking of picking this up, you probably want to aim for getting a regular edition instead of the ARC--there's nothing wrong with the text, but my ARC is missing all photos (some 36 pages total, I'm guessing, based on the illustrations credits list), so I'll have to pick up the "full" work at a Barnes and Noble to see those pictures I missed out on and am now curious about...
Overall: 4 Stars
Full Review:
As a composer and as a voice for the arts, Benjamin Britten was a monumental figure for music and for the Arts in England during the 20th Century. His compositions, lasting provisions for musicians, and his operas are all enduring legacies, as is the simple goodness that all who knew him seem to attest to. Coming into this biography, I knew him as a sometime contemporary of W.H. Auden who was also the composer of the operas based on James' Turn of the Screw and Mann's Death in Venice, and somewhere I had a passing memory that his compositions often fed off of poetry, such as that of Thomas Hardy, Whitman, and Shakespeare.
Powell's biography, though, is ambitious. Moving through Britten's entire life, it undertakes a study of how his life fed off of music, and fed music in return. With constant quotations from Briten's own journals (especially in the first half of the book when his life was not so well documented by others), and with constant attention to what was being written and performed when, Powell's book is many things. It is biography. It is also a monument and a catalogue and a celebration.
In truth, there were sections where I found this work to be incredibly slow-moving--the constant attention to what was being written and performed, for who and when and how, and the constant attention to names whose lives intersected with Britten's, however briefly, was sometimes tedious--particularly in the middle portion of the book when Britten's life revolved entirely around his compositions, many of them shorter works, so that the biography sometimes felt like a listing or a cataloguing exercise moreso than prose. (Though, no doubt, this is an impressive bout of research on Powell's part.) And, these sections were probably all the more tedious for me because I am not a musician, or even really versed in the language of orchestras and music theory. Certainly, these sections would have been far more interesting for readers more knowledgeable about these areas or Britten's work in particular. And yet.
The beginning of the work so fascinated me, even so detached as it was, that I couldn't help but keep going through these middle reaches of the text, and the final sections of the work more than made up for those few sections where I found myself struggling with any desire to continue. In the end, I so appreciate Powell's careful objectiveness, and his care in staying away from the more media-driven scandals which were sometimes associated with Britten's name in the press (primarily because of homophobia and/or suspicions regarding his pacifist nature) which, really, had little to no basis in Britten's reality.
On the whole, this work does have its faults, but it is also a fascinating study of a leading composer of the twentieth century and a man who, very simply, ensured that his life revolved around music, from beginning to end. For those interested, it will be a worthwhile read.
Meanwhile, I finished and reviewed that biography I'd been speaking about here! The middle was rough-going, but in the end, I'm really glad I pushed through and read the full work--the poignancy and intelligence of the end more than made up for the catalogue-like middle of the work. (Which, to be fair, probably wouldn't have been so tedious to begin with were I more familiar with Britten's compositions or orchestral music in general).
So...
E. Who They Might Have Been #2: Benjamin Britten: A Life for Music by Neil Powell
How I picked it up: I got this through the Early Reviewer program. I can't be sure why I signed up for it (or won it, for that matter), but for some time I've had the goal of reading more biographies/memoirs, and works about artists in particular. Since I also love opera, and Britten is the composer of one of those operas on my "bucket list" of wanting to see live, I signed up for this on a whim. In the end, I'm glad it came my way... The one caveat if you're thinking of picking this up, you probably want to aim for getting a regular edition instead of the ARC--there's nothing wrong with the text, but my ARC is missing all photos (some 36 pages total, I'm guessing, based on the illustrations credits list), so I'll have to pick up the "full" work at a Barnes and Noble to see those pictures I missed out on and am now curious about...
Overall: 4 Stars
Full Review:
As a composer and as a voice for the arts, Benjamin Britten was a monumental figure for music and for the Arts in England during the 20th Century. His compositions, lasting provisions for musicians, and his operas are all enduring legacies, as is the simple goodness that all who knew him seem to attest to. Coming into this biography, I knew him as a sometime contemporary of W.H. Auden who was also the composer of the operas based on James' Turn of the Screw and Mann's Death in Venice, and somewhere I had a passing memory that his compositions often fed off of poetry, such as that of Thomas Hardy, Whitman, and Shakespeare.
Powell's biography, though, is ambitious. Moving through Britten's entire life, it undertakes a study of how his life fed off of music, and fed music in return. With constant quotations from Briten's own journals (especially in the first half of the book when his life was not so well documented by others), and with constant attention to what was being written and performed when, Powell's book is many things. It is biography. It is also a monument and a catalogue and a celebration.
In truth, there were sections where I found this work to be incredibly slow-moving--the constant attention to what was being written and performed, for who and when and how, and the constant attention to names whose lives intersected with Britten's, however briefly, was sometimes tedious--particularly in the middle portion of the book when Britten's life revolved entirely around his compositions, many of them shorter works, so that the biography sometimes felt like a listing or a cataloguing exercise moreso than prose. (Though, no doubt, this is an impressive bout of research on Powell's part.) And, these sections were probably all the more tedious for me because I am not a musician, or even really versed in the language of orchestras and music theory. Certainly, these sections would have been far more interesting for readers more knowledgeable about these areas or Britten's work in particular. And yet.
The beginning of the work so fascinated me, even so detached as it was, that I couldn't help but keep going through these middle reaches of the text, and the final sections of the work more than made up for those few sections where I found myself struggling with any desire to continue. In the end, I so appreciate Powell's careful objectiveness, and his care in staying away from the more media-driven scandals which were sometimes associated with Britten's name in the press (primarily because of homophobia and/or suspicions regarding his pacifist nature) which, really, had little to no basis in Britten's reality.
On the whole, this work does have its faults, but it is also a fascinating study of a leading composer of the twentieth century and a man who, very simply, ensured that his life revolved around music, from beginning to end. For those interested, it will be a worthwhile read.
77whitewavedarling
Meanwhile, as you may have guessed, it looks like this Members Giveaway category might fill up most quickly, much as I'd planned on spreading my reading around the categories. This week, I received TWO books from the Goodreads giveaways, and my December ER book came already as well! I'm so accustomed to free books/giveaways taking months to arrive, and here they've all come at once--not to mention that my November book came a few weeks ago and is still waiting. I'm not complaining, but I may not sign up for any more Goodreads giveaways or the January ER for fear of this happening again... In any case, I'll get to the next Giveaway book soon. I'm going to take a break over the next few days to read a nonfiction piece (Cherries of Freedom) I've been curious about (English edition available from Toby Press, but not showing up here...) and to finish Life of Pi.
Good reading, all!
Good reading, all!
78whitewavedarling
D. Questions of Justice #1: Cherries of Freedom: A Report by Alfred Andersch (English version available from Toby Press)
How I picked it up: First, I'll note that I have this at all because it comes from Toby Press--this press has my utmost admiration, and everything I've read from them has been worthwhile, thoughtprovoking, and highly worthwhile. Whenever I happen across a book they've put out, I pick it up, and so I came across this ARC (that I never would have discovered otherwise) at a used bookstore. Beyond that, I've been curious about this for some time. It's one of those which seems to defy description, and even the blurb on the book clearly struggles to categorize it or describe it. If I had to guess, I'd say that this is probably why it ended up being re-issued by a small press instead of a large one, and remains somewhat unknown.
4 1/2 Stars
Full Review:
As much philosophy and personal review as it is memoir or history, this short "report" by Andersch has some truly great moments. As he moves through his experiences living in the years of the Third Reich, and then finally fighting (or at least traveling with) and then deserting Hitler's forces, Andersch' pre-occupations are philosophical, revolving around personal freedom, justice, and art. The introduction notes that readers will be doing Andersch a disservice to read him as a hero, and that the power of the work comes only when one overlooks his presentation of self. Yet, truly, Andersch doesn't make any attempt to present himself as any sort of a hero. In fact, he speaks instead of what it might mean for him to be heroic, or act heroicly, where instead he constantly carried both cowardice and courage with him at all times, and veered toward cowardice...because cowardice could mean freedom (in life).
This is a short read, and one which is impossible to describe. It speaks honestly of the justice and injustice accompanying non-volunteer armies, citizenship, and even politics, but does so in such a poetic and commonplace language that the words are artful and lasting. Whether it should be considered memoir, philosophy, or history is for each individual reader to decide. It should, however, be read.
Recommended.
How I picked it up: First, I'll note that I have this at all because it comes from Toby Press--this press has my utmost admiration, and everything I've read from them has been worthwhile, thoughtprovoking, and highly worthwhile. Whenever I happen across a book they've put out, I pick it up, and so I came across this ARC (that I never would have discovered otherwise) at a used bookstore. Beyond that, I've been curious about this for some time. It's one of those which seems to defy description, and even the blurb on the book clearly struggles to categorize it or describe it. If I had to guess, I'd say that this is probably why it ended up being re-issued by a small press instead of a large one, and remains somewhat unknown.
4 1/2 Stars
Full Review:
As much philosophy and personal review as it is memoir or history, this short "report" by Andersch has some truly great moments. As he moves through his experiences living in the years of the Third Reich, and then finally fighting (or at least traveling with) and then deserting Hitler's forces, Andersch' pre-occupations are philosophical, revolving around personal freedom, justice, and art. The introduction notes that readers will be doing Andersch a disservice to read him as a hero, and that the power of the work comes only when one overlooks his presentation of self. Yet, truly, Andersch doesn't make any attempt to present himself as any sort of a hero. In fact, he speaks instead of what it might mean for him to be heroic, or act heroicly, where instead he constantly carried both cowardice and courage with him at all times, and veered toward cowardice...because cowardice could mean freedom (in life).
This is a short read, and one which is impossible to describe. It speaks honestly of the justice and injustice accompanying non-volunteer armies, citizenship, and even politics, but does so in such a poetic and commonplace language that the words are artful and lasting. Whether it should be considered memoir, philosophy, or history is for each individual reader to decide. It should, however, be read.
Recommended.
79karenmarie
Sounds interesting and thought provoking, and I have added it to my wishlist. Zapped by another bb in 2014!
80whitewavedarling
I'm glad! And, be on the lookout for books from Toby Press in general. I've yet to be disappointed by their publications!
81whitewavedarling
L. Houses and Stairways #1: The Dark Glamour by Gabriella Pierce
How I picked it up: Well, technically, this series center's around a family's New York mansion, and I think it fits here better than in any of my categories. I discovered the series because I so loved the tv show loosely (Really loosely) based on the books...and much as the first was nowhere near what I expected, I so loved it that I had to buy the second and third in the series so I'd have them on hand. And, this came in handy--I'd saved it for a proverbial rainy day, and ended up picking it up a few days ago to balance out the other book I'm reading when it got me so down that I just needed a break with something lighter. As one of two or three chic-lit type books wandering my tbr stacks, this was an easy and wonderful choice....
Full Review:
The second of the 666 Park Avenue Novels, this is the perfect follow-up to the first. It picks up where the first left off (and is probably more enjoyable for readers who've read the first, though Pierce does make some attempt to fill in readers new to the characters), and follows Jane through the maze of witches and socialites that has come to the point of threatening her life. Like the first, it's filled with glamour, suspense, danger, and romance, and it's incredibly quick moving. Though it took me some time to pick this one up once I'd read the first, I was once again so wrapped up in the stories and characters that I couldn't stop reading, and finished in only a few sittings.
Simply, this isn't like the dark horror of the tv show that spun off from the series (and eventually brought me to the books), but these books are wonderful fun all on their own. I suppose you'd call them a sort of suspenseful chic-lit series revolving around a reluctant witch--they're certainly not horror. One way or another, though, they are fun, and I hope Pierce keeps with the characters...
I'll be reading the next one soon. Highly recommended.
Meanwhile, if you are interested, the first book in the series is 666 Park Avenue...and both of them are un-put-downable reads!
How I picked it up: Well, technically, this series center's around a family's New York mansion, and I think it fits here better than in any of my categories. I discovered the series because I so loved the tv show loosely (Really loosely) based on the books...and much as the first was nowhere near what I expected, I so loved it that I had to buy the second and third in the series so I'd have them on hand. And, this came in handy--I'd saved it for a proverbial rainy day, and ended up picking it up a few days ago to balance out the other book I'm reading when it got me so down that I just needed a break with something lighter. As one of two or three chic-lit type books wandering my tbr stacks, this was an easy and wonderful choice....
Full Review:
The second of the 666 Park Avenue Novels, this is the perfect follow-up to the first. It picks up where the first left off (and is probably more enjoyable for readers who've read the first, though Pierce does make some attempt to fill in readers new to the characters), and follows Jane through the maze of witches and socialites that has come to the point of threatening her life. Like the first, it's filled with glamour, suspense, danger, and romance, and it's incredibly quick moving. Though it took me some time to pick this one up once I'd read the first, I was once again so wrapped up in the stories and characters that I couldn't stop reading, and finished in only a few sittings.
Simply, this isn't like the dark horror of the tv show that spun off from the series (and eventually brought me to the books), but these books are wonderful fun all on their own. I suppose you'd call them a sort of suspenseful chic-lit series revolving around a reluctant witch--they're certainly not horror. One way or another, though, they are fun, and I hope Pierce keeps with the characters...
I'll be reading the next one soon. Highly recommended.
Meanwhile, if you are interested, the first book in the series is 666 Park Avenue...and both of them are un-put-downable reads!
82whitewavedarling
M. The Giveaways #2: Songs for the New Depression by Kergan Edwards-Stout
How I picked it up: This was my November Early Reviewer Win. I believe I won it because of my interest in literature related to HIV/AIDS, which a portion of this work does deal with.
Full Review:
Not particularly even, and somewhat overwritten, this is still an interesting read despite the ways in which it attempts to get in its own way. The structure is cumbersome and actually works against any element of suspense or inertia the narrative might have had otherwise, but the character's voice is also one which can't be ignored, unlikable as it may often be. On the whole, the beginning sucked me in so much that I wouldn't have been able to put this down for any length of time, but the rest of the work didn't live up to that beginning.
Did I enjoy much of it? Yes. Was I just wading through much of it? Yes. In the end, I suppose that I wanted more from this work in general. The dialogue was sometimes unbelievable, and that added to the awkward structure made this a less enjoyable read than it would have been otherwise.
There was so much promise here, and the characters were mostly believable, if unlikable...I think I'd look into the author's other work if given the opportunity, but this one needed more time, I'm afraid.
How I picked it up: This was my November Early Reviewer Win. I believe I won it because of my interest in literature related to HIV/AIDS, which a portion of this work does deal with.
Full Review:
Not particularly even, and somewhat overwritten, this is still an interesting read despite the ways in which it attempts to get in its own way. The structure is cumbersome and actually works against any element of suspense or inertia the narrative might have had otherwise, but the character's voice is also one which can't be ignored, unlikable as it may often be. On the whole, the beginning sucked me in so much that I wouldn't have been able to put this down for any length of time, but the rest of the work didn't live up to that beginning.
Did I enjoy much of it? Yes. Was I just wading through much of it? Yes. In the end, I suppose that I wanted more from this work in general. The dialogue was sometimes unbelievable, and that added to the awkward structure made this a less enjoyable read than it would have been otherwise.
There was so much promise here, and the characters were mostly believable, if unlikable...I think I'd look into the author's other work if given the opportunity, but this one needed more time, I'm afraid.
83whitewavedarling
A. The Sea #1: Storm Warriors by Elisa Carbone
How I picked it up: I've been trying to read more YA works now that I'm teaching elementary and middle schoolers in the summertime, and this was sitting in the tbr pile--it fit perfectly into my "The Sea" category and seemed like a good choice for my morning busrides (when I need books, ideally, with short chapters/sections and large print).
Full Review:
Inspired by the rescue crew based in the Pea Island Life-Saving Station in the 1890s (located in North Carolina Outer Banks region), this work revolves around a young (fictional) teenager and his family, along with his interactions with the rescue crew of Pea Island. Along with documenting numerous actual rescues that the crew performed, the work also draws an eye to racism and race relations in the region and time of the work.
Both believable and fast-moving, Carbone's work is engaging and interesting, and the young narrator's voice is perfect for the narrative and developed situations--it does a marvelous job of capturing the mix of comedy and drama that wraps up the life and viewpoints of a young teen. And as a young adult work, it does work well, though my one related critique might be that there is so much seriousness based around the family, and it's almost too much seriousness (in my opinion) for a book meant for young readers. I'd understand if all of the drama surrounded the rescues, but I felt as if that suspense and seriousness was more than enough for the novel, and I would have preferred the focus remain there more consistently (when it came to the serious moments in the book, at least).
On the whole, this is a great young adult example of a work that usefully mixes "real" history and a fictional narrative, and it is a fast and often suspenseful read. On the other hand, there's much seriousness here, and not just related to the rescues and to civil rights. At the least, I'd recommend parents read it before passing it on to young readers. Certainly, the reading level is appropriate to fourth or fifth graders and up...but the material itself might be more serious than some parents would expect, in many respects. Personally, I doubt I'd directly pass it on to any readers under an eighth grade level unless I knew them well and/or they had a specific interest in the subject.
How I picked it up: I've been trying to read more YA works now that I'm teaching elementary and middle schoolers in the summertime, and this was sitting in the tbr pile--it fit perfectly into my "The Sea" category and seemed like a good choice for my morning busrides (when I need books, ideally, with short chapters/sections and large print).
Full Review:
Inspired by the rescue crew based in the Pea Island Life-Saving Station in the 1890s (located in North Carolina Outer Banks region), this work revolves around a young (fictional) teenager and his family, along with his interactions with the rescue crew of Pea Island. Along with documenting numerous actual rescues that the crew performed, the work also draws an eye to racism and race relations in the region and time of the work.
Both believable and fast-moving, Carbone's work is engaging and interesting, and the young narrator's voice is perfect for the narrative and developed situations--it does a marvelous job of capturing the mix of comedy and drama that wraps up the life and viewpoints of a young teen. And as a young adult work, it does work well, though my one related critique might be that there is so much seriousness based around the family, and it's almost too much seriousness (in my opinion) for a book meant for young readers. I'd understand if all of the drama surrounded the rescues, but I felt as if that suspense and seriousness was more than enough for the novel, and I would have preferred the focus remain there more consistently (when it came to the serious moments in the book, at least).
On the whole, this is a great young adult example of a work that usefully mixes "real" history and a fictional narrative, and it is a fast and often suspenseful read. On the other hand, there's much seriousness here, and not just related to the rescues and to civil rights. At the least, I'd recommend parents read it before passing it on to young readers. Certainly, the reading level is appropriate to fourth or fifth graders and up...but the material itself might be more serious than some parents would expect, in many respects. Personally, I doubt I'd directly pass it on to any readers under an eighth grade level unless I knew them well and/or they had a specific interest in the subject.
84LovingLit
>65 whitewavedarling: this reminds me of the one I just finished The Demon in the Freezer- about the worlds existing stocks of the smallpox virus. It was easy but substantial in the gravity of the topic, so earned 4 stars from me
Thanks for the dissertation discussion way back there as well, all very interesting. Your reasoning sounds sound to me :)
Thanks for the dissertation discussion way back there as well, all very interesting. Your reasoning sounds sound to me :)
85whitewavedarling
@Ireadthereforeiam I'm excited about moving forward with the next stage in life After dissertating, so I know I made the right choice :) Meanwhile, I recently added The Demon in the Freezer to my tbr list--I think I found it on your thread :)
86dudes22
WWD - I just finished a YA book that I'd recommned - Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman. You can see my thoughts over on my thread. (At least one of the tags on the book is YA and I think that's probably true.)
87lkernagh
Getting caught up here. I never would have imagined a book about outbreak narrative but after reading your review of the Wald book, I am really impressed and intrigued by the topic.
88whitewavedarling
@dudes22--that does sound interesting! Thanks :) I've added it to the tbr list...
@lkernagh--it was really fascinating, and I had a lot of fun watching some of the movies that Wald discussed as well. I have a longstanding interest in STS (Science and Technology in Society), and the book dovetailed nicely with that interest as well. It brought together so many conversations and aspects of culture that I think there'd be something for just about anyone who "enjoys" reading nonfiction!
@lkernagh--it was really fascinating, and I had a lot of fun watching some of the movies that Wald discussed as well. I have a longstanding interest in STS (Science and Technology in Society), and the book dovetailed nicely with that interest as well. It brought together so many conversations and aspects of culture that I think there'd be something for just about anyone who "enjoys" reading nonfiction!
89whitewavedarling
N. The Lists #1 : Life of Pi by Yann Martel
How I picked it up: I've been meaning to read this one forever, since it came out really, irregardless of the 1001 list. I love animals, so the idea of the tiger made it a must-read. Reading Martel's collection of short stories last year got me even more interested, but I kept getting put off of picking it up for a lot of different little reasons--thinking there'd be too much religion, thinking there was so much hype that it couldn't be That good, simply wandering towards something else... But, I'm so glad I finally got around to it!
Full Review:
Coming into Life of Pi, even having read and enjoyed Martel's other work, I was skeptical. The work sounded so simple, I couldn't imagine how it would stay engaging for such a long narrative. And, I'd heard that the heart of the tale "would make you believe in God", so I also expected a work heavier on religion than what I normally read. All told, I expected wonderful writing, and a somewhat boring or theological story. And I'm so glad I was wrong.
Martel's Pi is so wonderful and believable that his voice carries the work along without any effort on the reader's part. After thirty pages or so, I could barely put the work down. Perhaps I wouldn't have been quite so drawn in if I didn't love animals, but as it was, I enjoyed this read more than I've enjoyed any novel in ages. Martel's descriptions were lovely, and for such a serious work, there was so much humor that the story's emotion never felt overbearing.
So, yes, this is the story of a boy on a liferaft with a tiger, and it is a simple story. It also deserves every page and ever reader it finds.
Absolutely recommended.
How I picked it up: I've been meaning to read this one forever, since it came out really, irregardless of the 1001 list. I love animals, so the idea of the tiger made it a must-read. Reading Martel's collection of short stories last year got me even more interested, but I kept getting put off of picking it up for a lot of different little reasons--thinking there'd be too much religion, thinking there was so much hype that it couldn't be That good, simply wandering towards something else... But, I'm so glad I finally got around to it!
Full Review:
Coming into Life of Pi, even having read and enjoyed Martel's other work, I was skeptical. The work sounded so simple, I couldn't imagine how it would stay engaging for such a long narrative. And, I'd heard that the heart of the tale "would make you believe in God", so I also expected a work heavier on religion than what I normally read. All told, I expected wonderful writing, and a somewhat boring or theological story. And I'm so glad I was wrong.
Martel's Pi is so wonderful and believable that his voice carries the work along without any effort on the reader's part. After thirty pages or so, I could barely put the work down. Perhaps I wouldn't have been quite so drawn in if I didn't love animals, but as it was, I enjoyed this read more than I've enjoyed any novel in ages. Martel's descriptions were lovely, and for such a serious work, there was so much humor that the story's emotion never felt overbearing.
So, yes, this is the story of a boy on a liferaft with a tiger, and it is a simple story. It also deserves every page and ever reader it finds.
Absolutely recommended.
90whitewavedarling
B. Creatures on the Cover #1: The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett
How I picked it up: Over the last few years, I'd accumulated three different books by Ann Patchett, but hadn't gotten around to trying her... then, for this category, I remembered the cover with the rabbit. Now, I've found a new favorite author.
Full Review:
From the beginning, this book pulled me into the world of Patchett's magician's assistant and left me entranced with the various landscapes and characters. Boomeranging gently between horrifyingly mundane tragedies and magical scenes of dreams and magic, the book explores the aftershocks of a man's death as those who loved him most learn about the life he experienced when not with them, and about each other.
Full of humor and beauty, the work is still one of the most transporting and realistic depictions of grief that I've seen, and Patchett's writing is wonder-full. I've seen reviewers note that the symbolism is too heavy, but I would say that, no, it's realistic to the way symbols appear and are interpreted in our everyday lives. Simply, you might not find that this work changes your life, or even provides any sort of an escape from reality. For me, though, it shows a sort of hope and a beauty in the world we all know, and in the experiences that we so often say we'd rather forget, however much they make our futures.
When I was younger, I wouldn't have appreciated this. Now, I can simply say that I find it perfect and worthwhile in every way, and that I'll be a fan of Patchett from here on out.
Absolutely recommended.
How I picked it up: Over the last few years, I'd accumulated three different books by Ann Patchett, but hadn't gotten around to trying her... then, for this category, I remembered the cover with the rabbit. Now, I've found a new favorite author.
Full Review:
From the beginning, this book pulled me into the world of Patchett's magician's assistant and left me entranced with the various landscapes and characters. Boomeranging gently between horrifyingly mundane tragedies and magical scenes of dreams and magic, the book explores the aftershocks of a man's death as those who loved him most learn about the life he experienced when not with them, and about each other.
Full of humor and beauty, the work is still one of the most transporting and realistic depictions of grief that I've seen, and Patchett's writing is wonder-full. I've seen reviewers note that the symbolism is too heavy, but I would say that, no, it's realistic to the way symbols appear and are interpreted in our everyday lives. Simply, you might not find that this work changes your life, or even provides any sort of an escape from reality. For me, though, it shows a sort of hope and a beauty in the world we all know, and in the experiences that we so often say we'd rather forget, however much they make our futures.
When I was younger, I wouldn't have appreciated this. Now, I can simply say that I find it perfect and worthwhile in every way, and that I'll be a fan of Patchett from here on out.
Absolutely recommended.
91whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #2: Wild Oats and Fireweed: New Poems by Ursula K. Le Guin
How I picked it up: I've long been a fan of Le Guin's fiction, and I remember being excited when I came across this at a used bookstore some years ago. And then, it sat on a shelf, for no good reason--perhaps because it's a hardback with a dustcover, so however short it was, I was reluctant to carry it around on the bus and chance damaging the cover (and I normally read shorter works and/or poetry on the bus). When the gastro-challenge came up, I chanced upon the title, and thought it was perfect timing since I didn't have time left in January to read a longer work.
Full Review:
These poems are probably of the most interest to readers who already enjoy Le Guin's works of fantasy. Many of the poems are grounded in the natural world, but have an otherworldly tone that gives an impression of the supernatural. Feminist themes also run throughout the word, and the most successful poems in the collection fuse a sense of the elements with feminist voices, creating a lasting impression of permanence that serves to strengthen the work as a whole. For the most part, this is also one of those collections where the poems work together to create a greater whole, but would not necessarily mean so much when taken separately.
How I picked it up: I've long been a fan of Le Guin's fiction, and I remember being excited when I came across this at a used bookstore some years ago. And then, it sat on a shelf, for no good reason--perhaps because it's a hardback with a dustcover, so however short it was, I was reluctant to carry it around on the bus and chance damaging the cover (and I normally read shorter works and/or poetry on the bus). When the gastro-challenge came up, I chanced upon the title, and thought it was perfect timing since I didn't have time left in January to read a longer work.
Full Review:
These poems are probably of the most interest to readers who already enjoy Le Guin's works of fantasy. Many of the poems are grounded in the natural world, but have an otherworldly tone that gives an impression of the supernatural. Feminist themes also run throughout the word, and the most successful poems in the collection fuse a sense of the elements with feminist voices, creating a lasting impression of permanence that serves to strengthen the work as a whole. For the most part, this is also one of those collections where the poems work together to create a greater whole, but would not necessarily mean so much when taken separately.
92whitewavedarling
B. Creatures on the Covers #2: Adult Head by Jeff Tweedy
How I picked it up: I LOVE the cover this book, and it's been haunting my tbr shelves for ages. This challenge was a good push to finally pick it up instead of flipping through it occasionally. Unfortunately, now having read it, my favorite part of the book is probably (still) the cover.
Full Review:
Many of the poems here are interesting, but meaning often gets lost in an exploration of sound, and too often, the poems seem to be jotted off and unpolished. There are a few (maybe three or four) that I enjoyed enough to pass on or revisit, but for the most part, this isn't a collection I'll remember or recommend.
How I picked it up: I LOVE the cover this book, and it's been haunting my tbr shelves for ages. This challenge was a good push to finally pick it up instead of flipping through it occasionally. Unfortunately, now having read it, my favorite part of the book is probably (still) the cover.
Full Review:
Many of the poems here are interesting, but meaning often gets lost in an exploration of sound, and too often, the poems seem to be jotted off and unpolished. There are a few (maybe three or four) that I enjoyed enough to pass on or revisit, but for the most part, this isn't a collection I'll remember or recommend.
93.Monkey.
I'm really curious about Le Guin's poems!
And I agree, that cat's eye cover is brilliant. :)
And I agree, that cat's eye cover is brilliant. :)
94mathgirl40
I'm very happy to see your review of The Magician's Assistant. I've had this sitting on my bookshelf for a while now, and you've given me the incentive to get to it sooner rather than later. I'm not sure why I really need the incentive though (except for the unfortunate fact that my newer books tend to edge out older ones), as I absolutely loved Bel Canto, the other Ann Patchett book I've read.
95whitewavedarling
>PM: I think Le Guin's poems work really well for anyone who reads her fantasy...or maybe fantasy in general. If you think of them as the poems of those other worlds, they seem to take on a bit more vitality...
>mathgirl: I'm so glad! Patchett's work happened to be sitting on a bottom shelf near a few of my favorite authors, which is probably why I held off as long as I did. Now I've got three of her works waiting in the wings, though, including Bel Canto, so I'll be going back to her sooner than later!
>mathgirl: I'm so glad! Patchett's work happened to be sitting on a bottom shelf near a few of my favorite authors, which is probably why I held off as long as I did. Now I've got three of her works waiting in the wings, though, including Bel Canto, so I'll be going back to her sooner than later!
96.Monkey.
That's what makes me curious! I don't dislike poetry but I'm not the sort who can sit there reading tons of it (well, unless Shel Silverstein or Jack Prelutsky or the like ;P), but I love her novels so I'm quite intrigued by what you've said about the poems! :))
97whitewavedarling
Well, you'll have to let me know what you think if you end up picking them up...I haven't read her other collections, but based on her overall style, I wouldn't be surprised if they're similar...
98.Monkey.
Definitely. I'm pretty sure my library doesn't have it, and since she's still living, and is amazing, it would feel wrong to get a used copy, so I will have to look around online, see if I can get it anywhere but amazon. :)
99-Eva-
->89 whitewavedarling:
I listened to the audio version, which had a great narrator, and it was truly mesmerizing. I think I'll put it on the reread list.
I listened to the audio version, which had a great narrator, and it was truly mesmerizing. I think I'll put it on the reread list.
100whitewavedarling
Eva, I've never had the patience for audio books, but you've just made me think that I might enjoy them for "re-reads" since it won't matter if I lose focus and daydream off for a few moments. I'll make a note to remember this one as an early possibility!
Meanwhile...
B. Creatures on the Covers #3: Tiger Shrimp Tango by Tim Dorsey
In the beginning, I felt like I was getting whiplash every time I picked up this book...later on in the reading, I'm afraid I just felt a bit bored. The book was packed with interesting scenes and interesting characters, but there was just too little time spent in any one place. By the time I got interested, Dorsey was moving on to something else, and the only characters who held any sort of focus were just a bit too crazy and immoral to be likable. Honestly, at any point in the book, any of the characters could have been killed, or Dorsey could have started over entirely, and I wouldn't have been either saddened or surprised.
Perhaps the nature of this book made it a more fragmented read than others, so I'll look at some reviews of other Dorsey works before I write him off entirely, but I really didn't enjoy this work. The writing was fine, and a few of the jokes and situations made me smile, but on the whole, I found the book more silly and overwritten than enjoyable, in any way at all.
I wouldn't recommend this one, and honestly, I doubt I'll be trying any of Dorsey's other worse any time soon.
Meanwhile...
B. Creatures on the Covers #3: Tiger Shrimp Tango by Tim Dorsey
In the beginning, I felt like I was getting whiplash every time I picked up this book...later on in the reading, I'm afraid I just felt a bit bored. The book was packed with interesting scenes and interesting characters, but there was just too little time spent in any one place. By the time I got interested, Dorsey was moving on to something else, and the only characters who held any sort of focus were just a bit too crazy and immoral to be likable. Honestly, at any point in the book, any of the characters could have been killed, or Dorsey could have started over entirely, and I wouldn't have been either saddened or surprised.
Perhaps the nature of this book made it a more fragmented read than others, so I'll look at some reviews of other Dorsey works before I write him off entirely, but I really didn't enjoy this work. The writing was fine, and a few of the jokes and situations made me smile, but on the whole, I found the book more silly and overwritten than enjoyable, in any way at all.
I wouldn't recommend this one, and honestly, I doubt I'll be trying any of Dorsey's other worse any time soon.
101whitewavedarling
By the way--I'm not bothering with taking up space for the cover of Tiger Shrimp Tango--it's not really a great cover. I picked this up earlier than not because I got it through the Goodreads Firstreader Program, and just put it in this category rather than the Giveaways category because, at this rate, I'll have a lot of Giveaways that don't fit into other categories. (I've won two others from Goodreads in the last few weeks, and I have a January Early Reviewer Book on the way, while a December Early Reviewer book just got added to the stack!) There is a strange pic of a shrimp on the cover, though, if you want to look--it's the only one posted.
102whitewavedarling
Now, as for my plans for February....
Finishing:
A Trip to the Stars by Nicholas Christopher (which is wonderful so far, but not something I could read while taking cold medicine the last few days)
Utopia (very slow--I'm pacing through it in bits and pieces)
Garden of Eden by Hemingway (bedside reading for each evening)
Don't Shoot (what I'm reading in downtime at work)
And:
Plum Bun for the unofficial Gastrocat challenge
something by Amos Oz for the GeoCat Challenge
Beasties (YA) for the RandomCat Challenge
Reed's Beach for the AlphaCat Challenge
And we'll see where all that leaves me...
Finishing:
A Trip to the Stars by Nicholas Christopher (which is wonderful so far, but not something I could read while taking cold medicine the last few days)
Utopia (very slow--I'm pacing through it in bits and pieces)
Garden of Eden by Hemingway (bedside reading for each evening)
Don't Shoot (what I'm reading in downtime at work)
And:
Plum Bun for the unofficial Gastrocat challenge
something by Amos Oz for the GeoCat Challenge
Beasties (YA) for the RandomCat Challenge
Reed's Beach for the AlphaCat Challenge
And we'll see where all that leaves me...
103rabbitprincess
How did I not notice you had The Gun Seller listed for one of your categories? I loved it and hope you like it too :)
104whitewavedarling
Oh, that's good to know! I bought it long ago, and then it somehow just kept on getting overlooked... (hence, the inclusion in the "Seemingly Mundane" category!)
105.Monkey.
Ooh The Gun Seller is fabulous! He uses like every trope and cliché and whatnot possible, but he does it in a knowing, intentional way, like, it's practically satire of the genre, while still being an awesome book of the genre at the same time. It made me "LOL" a ton, I hope he decides to write more!
106whitewavedarling
I'll make sure I get to it this year :)
107whitewavedarling
F. Art and Artists #1: Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway
How I Picked it Up: Really, there's no good reason for why I picked it up at this moment--it caught my eye, and seemed like a good short-sectioned book to read each evening before sleeping, partly because my copy has rather large print. I didn't realize it would fit into this category at first, but in the end, I'm left wondering if I loved it so much partly because of its association with and understanding of writing/writers... In any case, it's got a five-star rating from me.
Full Review:
Hemingway's creatures--his books and his characters--are so complete, whether you like them or not, that reading even this unfinished work is a bit like falling into another world, or even many worlds in the case of this Garden of Eden. And reading this work by Hemingway, in particular, is a bit like exploring his notebooks simply because there are aspects of so many of his different works, and the style here is both undeniably him...and wholly a bit foreign in some strange way. Perhaps that foreignness might have been edited out, had he lived to finish the work to his satisfaction, but as it stands, this book is something else entirely, and rather wonderful. It feels ahead of its time, and yet timeless; matter-of-fact, and yet decadent; lovely, and still undeniably crude.
Simply, there's something about this work that I couldn't help but sink into, and I rather adored the thing--and yes, I call it a thing--in its entirety.
How I Picked it Up: Really, there's no good reason for why I picked it up at this moment--it caught my eye, and seemed like a good short-sectioned book to read each evening before sleeping, partly because my copy has rather large print. I didn't realize it would fit into this category at first, but in the end, I'm left wondering if I loved it so much partly because of its association with and understanding of writing/writers... In any case, it's got a five-star rating from me.
Full Review:
Hemingway's creatures--his books and his characters--are so complete, whether you like them or not, that reading even this unfinished work is a bit like falling into another world, or even many worlds in the case of this Garden of Eden. And reading this work by Hemingway, in particular, is a bit like exploring his notebooks simply because there are aspects of so many of his different works, and the style here is both undeniably him...and wholly a bit foreign in some strange way. Perhaps that foreignness might have been edited out, had he lived to finish the work to his satisfaction, but as it stands, this book is something else entirely, and rather wonderful. It feels ahead of its time, and yet timeless; matter-of-fact, and yet decadent; lovely, and still undeniably crude.
Simply, there's something about this work that I couldn't help but sink into, and I rather adored the thing--and yes, I call it a thing--in its entirety.
108.Monkey.
Oh man, I couldn't disagree more with you about Hemingway! I think his writing (generally speaking, not in this book that I haven't read) is dreadful, dull, and just plain full his misogynist racist ramblings. :| ...Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed it since you chose to read it, haha.
109whitewavedarling
I haven't read some of the ones that most have--for instance, I still haven't gotten around to For Whom the Bell Tolls--but I do love a lot of his short stories and The Sun Also Rises. It took me some time to grow into him--I definitely didn't like him when I first came across him in high school and as an undergraduate, but now I really appreciate his style. But I did notice a lot of recent dislike of Hemingway floating around these threads lol. In any case, yes, I loved it.
110.Monkey.
I've read both titles you mention in 109 plus one of his short story collections, and haaaaaaaaaaaate!! And I didn't read him in high school, I've read them within the last 3 years or so. I just cannot get past his terrible attitudes.
111whitewavedarling
Ah well--I take art for what it is, and take artists as, to some extent, products of their times. If I couldn't separate artists' work from their lives, I wouldn't be able to enjoy Frank Sinatra or any number of things/works/books/songs/movies!
Meanwhile, if anyone's looking for a strange and semi-sci-fi-ish work that's part sci-fi, part Indiana Jones, and part drama, I lucked into getting Lord of All Things from the goodreads giveaways...I was nervous at first because it's something like 650 pages, but after page 50, it really sucked me in. I'm loving it :)
Meanwhile, if anyone's looking for a strange and semi-sci-fi-ish work that's part sci-fi, part Indiana Jones, and part drama, I lucked into getting Lord of All Things from the goodreads giveaways...I was nervous at first because it's something like 650 pages, but after page 50, it really sucked me in. I'm loving it :)
112.Monkey.
But when those attitudes are fleshed in the work, it's impossible to ignore them. There was someone on another site who was railing about Fitzgerald? being a terrible alcoholic and blah blah and how could people read his work when he was so bad etc, that I think is being plain stupid. You can read an excellent piece of work and still think the author was a schmuck, lol. But Hemingway's work is full of his racist & misogynist & selfish views of life, so there's no getting around it. :P
Oooh, the one you're reading now sounds fun! Sci-fi Indy! :D
Oooh, the one you're reading now sounds fun! Sci-fi Indy! :D
113whitewavedarling
Well, just not something I notice, I suppose--I remain one of his fans, regardless! Meanwhile, I just finished Lord of All Things...I'm too tired to think of reviewing it tonight, but considering it kept me up this late, as you might have guessed: it was well worth the time and energy! Review coming...
114whitewavedarling
M. The Giveaways #3: Lord of All Things by Andreas Eschbach
Eschbach's Lord of All Things is a weave of nearly every major genre you could search out--though a science fiction novel at heart (at least by the end), it includes elements of romance, mystery, drama, horror, suspense, adventure, and even some small element of the supernatural. Probably, the book will lose some readers exactly because of this variety, but for many readers, I think it is exactly this variety that makes the book so impossible to walk away from. Perhaps because I read so little science fiction, this mix was especially effective for me, and might be most appealing to readers who have truly eclectic tastes...but one way or another, I'd expect any reader to find some entertainment here. And, importantly, the book is also a careful and believable exploration of day-to-day struggles--crazy as some of the events are, and extraordinary as some of the characters are, Eschbach never forgets that normal struggles and fears are at the base of any individual, and he does an admirable job of allowing those concerns to make his work all the more powerful and believable without ever losing the drive that comes from dipping into the genres noted above.
Following the lives of a man and woman whose lives boomerang against each other time after time, and taking its seed from a young boy who lives in poverty and dreams of fixing the world and, most importantly, eliminating poverty, the novel is magnificent in scope. Moving across the globe and landing in such settings as Boston, Tokyo, Scotland, the Arctic, and Buenos Aires, as quickly as the novel moves, it never becomes tedious or predictable--or rather, when you think it might be predictable, Eschbach takes an unprecedented turn that, in hindsight, fits perfectly, even as much as readers wouldn't have seen it coming.
On the whole, this is one of those works which, long as it is, can barely be put down for sleep once a reader has really begun, and there's something here for nearly everyone. True, it has some faults. Some scenes seem more tangent than necessity (especially in the first portion of the book), developing characters and motivations that only become clear much later and giving time to perhaps one too many subplots. And, really, only the two primary characters in the book are fully fleshed out and developed as much as one might hope for all of the characters. But, while some readers may end up seeing Eschbach as attempting too much...I have to say that I'll read anything else of his which I can find in translation. Whether you read this and become fascinated by the scientific drive, the politics of achievement, or the simple drama of living, there'll be something here to keep you involved.
Absolutely recommended.
Eschbach's Lord of All Things is a weave of nearly every major genre you could search out--though a science fiction novel at heart (at least by the end), it includes elements of romance, mystery, drama, horror, suspense, adventure, and even some small element of the supernatural. Probably, the book will lose some readers exactly because of this variety, but for many readers, I think it is exactly this variety that makes the book so impossible to walk away from. Perhaps because I read so little science fiction, this mix was especially effective for me, and might be most appealing to readers who have truly eclectic tastes...but one way or another, I'd expect any reader to find some entertainment here. And, importantly, the book is also a careful and believable exploration of day-to-day struggles--crazy as some of the events are, and extraordinary as some of the characters are, Eschbach never forgets that normal struggles and fears are at the base of any individual, and he does an admirable job of allowing those concerns to make his work all the more powerful and believable without ever losing the drive that comes from dipping into the genres noted above.
Following the lives of a man and woman whose lives boomerang against each other time after time, and taking its seed from a young boy who lives in poverty and dreams of fixing the world and, most importantly, eliminating poverty, the novel is magnificent in scope. Moving across the globe and landing in such settings as Boston, Tokyo, Scotland, the Arctic, and Buenos Aires, as quickly as the novel moves, it never becomes tedious or predictable--or rather, when you think it might be predictable, Eschbach takes an unprecedented turn that, in hindsight, fits perfectly, even as much as readers wouldn't have seen it coming.
On the whole, this is one of those works which, long as it is, can barely be put down for sleep once a reader has really begun, and there's something here for nearly everyone. True, it has some faults. Some scenes seem more tangent than necessity (especially in the first portion of the book), developing characters and motivations that only become clear much later and giving time to perhaps one too many subplots. And, really, only the two primary characters in the book are fully fleshed out and developed as much as one might hope for all of the characters. But, while some readers may end up seeing Eschbach as attempting too much...I have to say that I'll read anything else of his which I can find in translation. Whether you read this and become fascinated by the scientific drive, the politics of achievement, or the simple drama of living, there'll be something here to keep you involved.
Absolutely recommended.
115MissWatson
Oh, Andreas Eschbach! He's quite a prolific writer and hard to keep up with. I didn't know that some of his books had been translated. Thanks for reminding me of him, I believe there are some of his on my TBR that my sister wants back...
116whitewavedarling
There are a few that have been translated--I looked him up yesterday, and it looks like two or three others are available in English. I'll have to pick up those, and hope that more are translated in the future. I really did find this one to be such a wonderful surprise!
117whitewavedarling
G. The Creepy Cover #2: Beasties by William Sleator
How I Picked It Up:
One of the middle-schoolers at the camp where I teach was reading this on the bus, and seemed both terrified and very pleased with it. So, when I got a chance to pick up a discount copy, I jumped at it. And then, it said on a shelf for a year because the eyeball on the cover was...well...creepy.
Full Review:
As silly and jokey as the cover might look, this is actually a pretty serious work of horror. Much as it's designed for young adult readers, the ecological overtones and possibilities of danger are so constant--and striking--that the book ends up being far more horrific and serious than first seems possible. Older readers might well find this work even more disturbing and memorable than will middle and high school readers who come across it, but one way or another, this is a dark and humorous work with believable characters and real-world commentary. Like it or hate it, it won't be easily forgotten.
How I Picked It Up:
One of the middle-schoolers at the camp where I teach was reading this on the bus, and seemed both terrified and very pleased with it. So, when I got a chance to pick up a discount copy, I jumped at it. And then, it said on a shelf for a year because the eyeball on the cover was...well...creepy.
Full Review:
As silly and jokey as the cover might look, this is actually a pretty serious work of horror. Much as it's designed for young adult readers, the ecological overtones and possibilities of danger are so constant--and striking--that the book ends up being far more horrific and serious than first seems possible. Older readers might well find this work even more disturbing and memorable than will middle and high school readers who come across it, but one way or another, this is a dark and humorous work with believable characters and real-world commentary. Like it or hate it, it won't be easily forgotten.
118rabbitprincess
Ugh, that eyeball IS creepy! I would have papered over that cover.
119whitewavedarling
lol--it fits, though. This is one of those dark books that reminded me of all of the incredibly dark stuff I loved when I was a kid, and which just seems even more dark now that I'm an "adult"!
120electrice
>114 whitewavedarling:, with such a review Jennifer, how can I not put it on the BB list and there even is a french translation :)
121whitewavedarling
I'm glad! I really wasn't expecting much, but I ended up not being able to put it down! Let me know what you think when you get around to it :)
122whitewavedarling
A. The Sea #2: Raft of Grief by Chelsea Rathburn
How I Picked It Up: This book was a gift from someone who received it as one of a number of books given him as a thank you from Autumn House Press. He isn't much for poetry, so he passed it on to me. Even though this hasn't been on my tbr pile for long (it was published in 2013), I picked it up because it seemed like a good choice for a casual read to balance out some heavier works I'm reading at the moment, and it fit perfectly into the AlphaCat challenge (for R) and into my "Sea" category as the cover is a rather striking image of a small boat--maybe a canoe--being filled with water, water taking up the majority of space on the cover. In the end, though, I'm afraid the cover is my favorite part of the book...
Full Review:
While Rathburn's language is graceful, and most of these poems were published in journals before being collected here, I have to say that this was something of a disappointment. The first section in the book is by far the strongest, but that makes the rest of the book that much more of a let-down. The middle section, especially, is built more of short scenes that read more like poetic prose than polished poems, and many of them come across as attempting to be more clever than they are, and simply falling short. All together, I'm afraid the collection is somewhat boring with few stand-out moments. I don't expect to want to come back to and re-read every poem in a collection, or even most, but I do generally expect to find a few poems that will draw me back over and over again, for the language if not the content. Here, there wasn't a single one that I felt the need to mark (as I normally would) as one to come back to at a later date.
Simply, I'm afraid I was incredibly disappointed with this one, and wouldn't recommend it. It's not that the poems are bad...but they're also not particularly memorable or striking. They're just well written and thematically smart, which simply isn't enough--at least not for this reader.
How I Picked It Up: This book was a gift from someone who received it as one of a number of books given him as a thank you from Autumn House Press. He isn't much for poetry, so he passed it on to me. Even though this hasn't been on my tbr pile for long (it was published in 2013), I picked it up because it seemed like a good choice for a casual read to balance out some heavier works I'm reading at the moment, and it fit perfectly into the AlphaCat challenge (for R) and into my "Sea" category as the cover is a rather striking image of a small boat--maybe a canoe--being filled with water, water taking up the majority of space on the cover. In the end, though, I'm afraid the cover is my favorite part of the book...
Full Review:
While Rathburn's language is graceful, and most of these poems were published in journals before being collected here, I have to say that this was something of a disappointment. The first section in the book is by far the strongest, but that makes the rest of the book that much more of a let-down. The middle section, especially, is built more of short scenes that read more like poetic prose than polished poems, and many of them come across as attempting to be more clever than they are, and simply falling short. All together, I'm afraid the collection is somewhat boring with few stand-out moments. I don't expect to want to come back to and re-read every poem in a collection, or even most, but I do generally expect to find a few poems that will draw me back over and over again, for the language if not the content. Here, there wasn't a single one that I felt the need to mark (as I normally would) as one to come back to at a later date.
Simply, I'm afraid I was incredibly disappointed with this one, and wouldn't recommend it. It's not that the poems are bad...but they're also not particularly memorable or striking. They're just well written and thematically smart, which simply isn't enough--at least not for this reader.
123whitewavedarling
J. Politics #1: Plum Bun: A Novel Without a Moral by Jessie Redmon Fauset
How I picked it up: Well, this has been on the tbr stack for ages--I picked it up at a used book sale, but kept getting put off by how heavy and long it appeared to be. Though, in the end, it really was a fast read! At this moment in time, I picked it up for the GastroCat challenge.... And, honestly, it could have fit in a couple of categories I've got, but I ended up placing it in the Politics category since it deals heavily with race and gender politics throughout.
Full Review:
Written at the height of the Harlem Renaissance, this is one of those novels that isn't nearly as widely read as it should be. Fauset's novel is so readable as to often seem casual, but the heart of the story is a detailing of psychology related to racism, sexism, and the question/process of "passing". By focusing on a young African American girl who wants nothing more than to be a free woman and artist, Fauset tracks her young protragonist through Philadelphia and then New York with a constant eye toward the politics of her life. Because the focus of the novel is on the personal psychology of characters, as opposed to larger politics affecting society, the book and protagonist might come across as deceptively simple, or even selfish. Instead, the novel works to provide a picture of simple, and even realistic, survival.
In the end, Fauset's subtitle, "a novel without a moral", is both important and careful. As prolific and involved as Fauset was during the Harlem Renaissance, there's no question that this work is never without thought, but it is also incredibly engaging and readable, maybe so much so that its very readability has allowed it to be overlooked when we look back at the serious literature of its time. Plum Bun: A Novel WIthout a Moral is, though, a pointed critique of anyone who would attempt to call "passing" a simple matter of morality, pride, or confidence--it is a serious work of fiction, worth reading and considering, that sheds real light onto race and gender politics of the early twentieth century.
Simply, this may be a book you haven't heard of...but it shouldn't be.
Absolutely recommended.
How I picked it up: Well, this has been on the tbr stack for ages--I picked it up at a used book sale, but kept getting put off by how heavy and long it appeared to be. Though, in the end, it really was a fast read! At this moment in time, I picked it up for the GastroCat challenge.... And, honestly, it could have fit in a couple of categories I've got, but I ended up placing it in the Politics category since it deals heavily with race and gender politics throughout.
Full Review:
Written at the height of the Harlem Renaissance, this is one of those novels that isn't nearly as widely read as it should be. Fauset's novel is so readable as to often seem casual, but the heart of the story is a detailing of psychology related to racism, sexism, and the question/process of "passing". By focusing on a young African American girl who wants nothing more than to be a free woman and artist, Fauset tracks her young protragonist through Philadelphia and then New York with a constant eye toward the politics of her life. Because the focus of the novel is on the personal psychology of characters, as opposed to larger politics affecting society, the book and protagonist might come across as deceptively simple, or even selfish. Instead, the novel works to provide a picture of simple, and even realistic, survival.
In the end, Fauset's subtitle, "a novel without a moral", is both important and careful. As prolific and involved as Fauset was during the Harlem Renaissance, there's no question that this work is never without thought, but it is also incredibly engaging and readable, maybe so much so that its very readability has allowed it to be overlooked when we look back at the serious literature of its time. Plum Bun: A Novel WIthout a Moral is, though, a pointed critique of anyone who would attempt to call "passing" a simple matter of morality, pride, or confidence--it is a serious work of fiction, worth reading and considering, that sheds real light onto race and gender politics of the early twentieth century.
Simply, this may be a book you haven't heard of...but it shouldn't be.
Absolutely recommended.
124whitewavedarling
K. The Body #2: The Book of Common Betrayals by Lynn Knight
Before I say anything else: If you read poetry, I really really hope you look this one up. There are only four copies floating around on librarything, but it is absolutely one of the best collections of poetry I've read in ages. My review doesn't do it justice, but it deserves to be a bb for everyone.
How I Picked It Up: I think I bought this at an AWP years ago, probably after flipping through and hitting on a poem that struck me, and probably at a heavy discount. Looking for a few light poems to read before bedtime a few nights ago, it finally slipped off of my poetry tbr pile, and the light outline of a body on the cover made it perfect for the category since I imagine that's what attracted me to pick it up in the first place.
Full Review: (Five Star Read, by the way)
This is one of those rare collections where each poem is an intoxicating piece on its own, and yet, when placed in the midst of all of the others, the poems have that much more power. Knight's works are graceful narratives and meditations that weave a full study of questions of hope and betrayal, sometimes in the sweetest and most surprising ways. From the woman who watches her neighbor lovingly allow a family of deer to eat their way through his beautiful garden to the couple who contemplate whether death is a form of betrayal, the subjects of these poems are raw and beautiful, and the collection is one worth reading for any lover of poetry or writing in general. This will remain a favorite of mine, worth re-reading in whole.
Absolutely recommended.
Before I say anything else: If you read poetry, I really really hope you look this one up. There are only four copies floating around on librarything, but it is absolutely one of the best collections of poetry I've read in ages. My review doesn't do it justice, but it deserves to be a bb for everyone.
How I Picked It Up: I think I bought this at an AWP years ago, probably after flipping through and hitting on a poem that struck me, and probably at a heavy discount. Looking for a few light poems to read before bedtime a few nights ago, it finally slipped off of my poetry tbr pile, and the light outline of a body on the cover made it perfect for the category since I imagine that's what attracted me to pick it up in the first place.
Full Review: (Five Star Read, by the way)
This is one of those rare collections where each poem is an intoxicating piece on its own, and yet, when placed in the midst of all of the others, the poems have that much more power. Knight's works are graceful narratives and meditations that weave a full study of questions of hope and betrayal, sometimes in the sweetest and most surprising ways. From the woman who watches her neighbor lovingly allow a family of deer to eat their way through his beautiful garden to the couple who contemplate whether death is a form of betrayal, the subjects of these poems are raw and beautiful, and the collection is one worth reading for any lover of poetry or writing in general. This will remain a favorite of mine, worth re-reading in whole.
Absolutely recommended.
125whitewavedarling
C. Places? Places. #3: With Rommel's Army in Libya by Laszlo Almasy
How I Picked It Up: I originally ordered this because of my interest in Almasy after discovering (and falling in love with) The English Patient, but the cartoonish cover on my translation put me off of reading it until now. And, now, I picked it up lately because of the GeoCat challenge (though, actually, I'd planned for something else and picked this up because it was shorter and the month was running out!). I'm so glad I finally got around to it!
Full Review:
Though his name was only relatively recently made famous by Ondaatje's The English Patient and the film that followed, Laszlo Almasy was a dedicated explorer of the African deserts who was recruited by German forces because of his knowledge of the Sahara. This book is his most famous, and was at one point falsely held against him as proof of his loyalty to Hitler. In reality, the book did more to prove the falsity of this claim, even after it had been banned in Germany as a forbidden book, when the defense attorney was finally able to find a copy.
Through this book, Almasy's utter love of exploration and travel both come across on nearly each page. While war serves as a very real backdrop to the text, what is most striking is the author's love and knowledge of many very different cultures and languages, and his clear appreciation for the same, as well as his love for the Sahara and the untouched landscapes he travels through. The book is engaging not just as a relic of history, but as the record of a real and engaging man who was caught up in a war because of his love for the African landscape. His love of people and cultures makes the text nearly heartbreaking in its outright celebration of life and diversity, even moreso when readers consider the context in which it was written and the false reputation and associations which eventually cost Almasy his life.
In truth, this is a short read, and it will disappoint readers who are interested more in WWII than in military logistics of movement and travel. But for readers who are interested in men caught up in war, in travel writing, in personal accounts of travelling with a military force, and in the Sahara, this will be as engaging as it is documentary and humorous. And, probably, for readers of the English Patient as well, this is a surprising and detailed look backward into the associated history.
For readers who are interested, searching out this book won't be wasted time. Recommended.
How I Picked It Up: I originally ordered this because of my interest in Almasy after discovering (and falling in love with) The English Patient, but the cartoonish cover on my translation put me off of reading it until now. And, now, I picked it up lately because of the GeoCat challenge (though, actually, I'd planned for something else and picked this up because it was shorter and the month was running out!). I'm so glad I finally got around to it!
Full Review:
Though his name was only relatively recently made famous by Ondaatje's The English Patient and the film that followed, Laszlo Almasy was a dedicated explorer of the African deserts who was recruited by German forces because of his knowledge of the Sahara. This book is his most famous, and was at one point falsely held against him as proof of his loyalty to Hitler. In reality, the book did more to prove the falsity of this claim, even after it had been banned in Germany as a forbidden book, when the defense attorney was finally able to find a copy.
Through this book, Almasy's utter love of exploration and travel both come across on nearly each page. While war serves as a very real backdrop to the text, what is most striking is the author's love and knowledge of many very different cultures and languages, and his clear appreciation for the same, as well as his love for the Sahara and the untouched landscapes he travels through. The book is engaging not just as a relic of history, but as the record of a real and engaging man who was caught up in a war because of his love for the African landscape. His love of people and cultures makes the text nearly heartbreaking in its outright celebration of life and diversity, even moreso when readers consider the context in which it was written and the false reputation and associations which eventually cost Almasy his life.
In truth, this is a short read, and it will disappoint readers who are interested more in WWII than in military logistics of movement and travel. But for readers who are interested in men caught up in war, in travel writing, in personal accounts of travelling with a military force, and in the Sahara, this will be as engaging as it is documentary and humorous. And, probably, for readers of the English Patient as well, this is a surprising and detailed look backward into the associated history.
For readers who are interested, searching out this book won't be wasted time. Recommended.
126whitewavedarling
Well, I'd planned to finish one more book before the month's end, but it looks like my month's reading is done! As for plans for March...
I plan/hope to finish:
Trip to the Stars (in progress)
Utopia (in progress)
Prayers for the Stolen (in progress) (a GR read for the RandomCat Read & GeoCat Read--I'm only just begun on this one)
Love and Treasure (for the AlphaCat read)
Cakes and Ale (for the GastroCat read)
Bel Canto (as a GroupRead)
Kraken
Wipeout (for the MysteryCat read)
Dark Eden
I plan/hope to finish:
Trip to the Stars (in progress)
Utopia (in progress)
Prayers for the Stolen (in progress) (a GR read for the RandomCat Read & GeoCat Read--I'm only just begun on this one)
Love and Treasure (for the AlphaCat read)
Cakes and Ale (for the GastroCat read)
Bel Canto (as a GroupRead)
Kraken
Wipeout (for the MysteryCat read)
Dark Eden
127whitewavedarling
N. The Lists #2: A Trip to the Stars by Nicholas Christopher (FIVE STARS)
How I Picked It Up:
I've had this book for some time, having fallen in love with Christopher's writing after coming across some of his poems and then reading his noir novel, Veronica, though I wasn't so entranced with its story as with his writing. Then, I noticed this title on a list I'd saved of 'The Top Ten Novels You've Never Heard Of'...and that spurred me to finally pick it up off the tbr stack.
Full Review:
Christopher's work is always hypnotic, but in this case, the work is nothing short of intoxicating. Woven of a labyrinthine hotel, exotic jungles, and ordinary passions, it moves forward with a sort of supernatural momentum that has the potential for leaving readers breathless and out of touch with their own realities, lost in the novel's passages and grace.
Beginning with the separation of two unique characters, A Trip to the Stars works as a web of personalities and subplots, all as frighteningly believable as they are fascinating. The novel's unique tandem of science and fantasy is entrancing, a masterful journey of passion and hope in every guise imaginable. While Christopher's writing is poetic and clever, the story here is, in itself, worth falling into over and over again.
This isn't a book so much as a journey, and it is wonderful.
How I Picked It Up:
I've had this book for some time, having fallen in love with Christopher's writing after coming across some of his poems and then reading his noir novel, Veronica, though I wasn't so entranced with its story as with his writing. Then, I noticed this title on a list I'd saved of 'The Top Ten Novels You've Never Heard Of'...and that spurred me to finally pick it up off the tbr stack.
Full Review:
Christopher's work is always hypnotic, but in this case, the work is nothing short of intoxicating. Woven of a labyrinthine hotel, exotic jungles, and ordinary passions, it moves forward with a sort of supernatural momentum that has the potential for leaving readers breathless and out of touch with their own realities, lost in the novel's passages and grace.
Beginning with the separation of two unique characters, A Trip to the Stars works as a web of personalities and subplots, all as frighteningly believable as they are fascinating. The novel's unique tandem of science and fantasy is entrancing, a masterful journey of passion and hope in every guise imaginable. While Christopher's writing is poetic and clever, the story here is, in itself, worth falling into over and over again.
This isn't a book so much as a journey, and it is wonderful.
128whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #3: Property Of by Alice Hoffman
How I Picked It Up:
This has been on the TBR pile for a while--when I worked Alice Hoffman into my dissertation, I ended up doing an interview with her and reading as much of her work as possible; in the process, I read a great deal, but I also ended up with quite a few lingering on the tbr pile. I love her work, but after binging on her work last year, this was my first foray back in a while. It's one of her early works, but even so, still an enjoyable escape to even out some breaks when I needed something easy to fall into.
Full Review:
Even though this early work of Hoffman doesn't ring with the same depth or poetry as her later work, the story itself is still engaging and urgent. The simplicity of the story and the voice add a sort of telescoping focus to two forces which themselves tend to carry their own intertia: obsessive love and drug addiction, told on the foreground of gang involvement and coming of age. Spinning out from one act of violence that barely has a chance to begin, the narrator's story moves forward with barely any awareness of choice or free will, innocence and a crush giving way to love, obsession, and finally addiction.
At the center of Hoffman's novel is a meditation on the idea of property--the sense of belonging that can itself be addictive and the emotional feeling, wrong or right, that being in a relationship leads also to a sense of proprietary (and reciprocal) holding on another human being. Here, slavery is not the question, but being beholden to another individual, and similarly having responsibility for their person, is a question of honor and survival that is inescapable on nearly every page of the text.
This is a quick read, and while it isn't Hoffman's best, the promise and the talent in this early writing of hers are clear, and still far more engaging and graceful than much of the published writing out there.
On the whole, recommended.
How I Picked It Up:
This has been on the TBR pile for a while--when I worked Alice Hoffman into my dissertation, I ended up doing an interview with her and reading as much of her work as possible; in the process, I read a great deal, but I also ended up with quite a few lingering on the tbr pile. I love her work, but after binging on her work last year, this was my first foray back in a while. It's one of her early works, but even so, still an enjoyable escape to even out some breaks when I needed something easy to fall into.
Full Review:
Even though this early work of Hoffman doesn't ring with the same depth or poetry as her later work, the story itself is still engaging and urgent. The simplicity of the story and the voice add a sort of telescoping focus to two forces which themselves tend to carry their own intertia: obsessive love and drug addiction, told on the foreground of gang involvement and coming of age. Spinning out from one act of violence that barely has a chance to begin, the narrator's story moves forward with barely any awareness of choice or free will, innocence and a crush giving way to love, obsession, and finally addiction.
At the center of Hoffman's novel is a meditation on the idea of property--the sense of belonging that can itself be addictive and the emotional feeling, wrong or right, that being in a relationship leads also to a sense of proprietary (and reciprocal) holding on another human being. Here, slavery is not the question, but being beholden to another individual, and similarly having responsibility for their person, is a question of honor and survival that is inescapable on nearly every page of the text.
This is a quick read, and while it isn't Hoffman's best, the promise and the talent in this early writing of hers are clear, and still far more engaging and graceful than much of the published writing out there.
On the whole, recommended.
129whitewavedarling
D. Questions of Justice #2: The Utopia of Sir Thomas More Including Roper's Life of More and Letters of More and His Daughter Margaret edited by Mildred Campbell
How I Picked It Up: I read a portion of this for a reading group I was meeting with last year, and had long meant to go back and keep going; in the end, I restarted it since I'd been so long away from the text. I thought about placing this in the politics category I have, but I finally felt that so much of More's text, and his letters, were more in relation to justice and a just society than what we normally think of as politics.
Full Review:
Campbell's edition of More's Utopia includes the original edited text of Utopia with extensive footnotes, a detailed introduction to the text, Roper's text on the Life of More, Erasmus' biographical letter about More (still a preferred biography of More, and a wonderful piece of writing in itself), and the letters More and his daughter Margaret exchanged while he was imprisoned prior to his execution in 1535.
Although Utopia was first published in 1516, it's still an astonishingly relevant read, and well worth the time. As both a critique of 16th Century England and a detailed study of an apparently ideal society, the text is so readable as to feel far more recent, and a fascinating journey in itself. While some of the material Campbell includes in this edition is fairly cumbersome, and clearly dated as far as the writing goes, Erasmus' letter about More, and More's own letters to his daughter, are both telling and transporting, well worth the extra time. What emerges from the text and collection as a whole is a careful critique of the ways of 'civilized' humanity and a visit with an intelligent and caring man who was also a clever citizen and a wonderful writer.
Absolutely recommended--and, while this edition may be more difficult to find than others, the included letters make it well worth the effort.
How I Picked It Up: I read a portion of this for a reading group I was meeting with last year, and had long meant to go back and keep going; in the end, I restarted it since I'd been so long away from the text. I thought about placing this in the politics category I have, but I finally felt that so much of More's text, and his letters, were more in relation to justice and a just society than what we normally think of as politics.
Full Review:
Campbell's edition of More's Utopia includes the original edited text of Utopia with extensive footnotes, a detailed introduction to the text, Roper's text on the Life of More, Erasmus' biographical letter about More (still a preferred biography of More, and a wonderful piece of writing in itself), and the letters More and his daughter Margaret exchanged while he was imprisoned prior to his execution in 1535.
Although Utopia was first published in 1516, it's still an astonishingly relevant read, and well worth the time. As both a critique of 16th Century England and a detailed study of an apparently ideal society, the text is so readable as to feel far more recent, and a fascinating journey in itself. While some of the material Campbell includes in this edition is fairly cumbersome, and clearly dated as far as the writing goes, Erasmus' letter about More, and More's own letters to his daughter, are both telling and transporting, well worth the extra time. What emerges from the text and collection as a whole is a careful critique of the ways of 'civilized' humanity and a visit with an intelligent and caring man who was also a clever citizen and a wonderful writer.
Absolutely recommended--and, while this edition may be more difficult to find than others, the included letters make it well worth the effort.
130dudes22
I was introduced to Hoffman by a co-worker a few years ago, and liked her writing enough to try and get all her books to read and have read a few already. I have her tentatively penciled in for one of my categories this year, and since I have Property Of on the TBR, it may be time for me to try that one. I'll keep your comments in mind.
131whitewavedarling
I'd recommend it--it's not as good as her later work, but it is a fast read and a good escape. I think my favorites of hers (so far) are Here on Earth, The Ice Queen, At Risk, and The Third Angel :)
133whitewavedarling
I've had that on my list for some time--thank you for the reminder to hurry up and get around to it!
134Yells
127 - I have had that on my shelf for years but you have encouraged me to read it sooner rather than later.
135mathgirl40
I'd read Utopia in school many, many years ago. This edition, with the additional letters, sounds like it would definitely be worth the trouble to find.
Your March plans look great. I loved Bel Canto and look forward to seeing your thoughts on it.
Your March plans look great. I loved Bel Canto and look forward to seeing your thoughts on it.
136electrice
>127 whitewavedarling: Your review is gripping in itself but associated with the tags used for the book, I can't not add this one to the BB list, thanks !
137whitewavedarling
I'm glad--It was a really wonderful book! I'm planning on giving it as a gift to a few folks I know :)
138electrice
>137 whitewavedarling: Oh, lucky people :)
139whitewavedarling
C. Places? Places. #4: Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement
How I Picked it Up: I got this book last month as a Goodreads Giveaway ARC--it just went on sale last month. I picked it up before another ARC because it takes place in Mexico, so it fit into the GeoCat challenge, and that bumped it up... all in all, a quick and worthwhile read. Plus, there's a bird on the cover, so it fits in the RandomCat challenge also!
Full Review:
Focused around a rural community on a mountain in Mexico, Clement's novel is written out of heartbreak, but surprisingly full of humor. The young narrator at the center of the work is a girl whose days revolve around trying to be ugly and mediating the world for her alcoholic mother. Both their lives revolve around fear--for one another, for their friends, for the real possibilities of being stolen by traffickers or simply forgotten by the world. As short as the work is, though, Clement's writing is full of a grace and sense of humor that make the situations and fears bearable, and even beautiful.
In the end, I wanted the work to keep going, and that is the one fault of the work, that the ending is simply an ending, and perhaps too easy to be fair to the story or the communities they attempt to reflect. Still, this was well worth the reading, and a journey in itself.
Overall, recommended.
How I Picked it Up: I got this book last month as a Goodreads Giveaway ARC--it just went on sale last month. I picked it up before another ARC because it takes place in Mexico, so it fit into the GeoCat challenge, and that bumped it up... all in all, a quick and worthwhile read. Plus, there's a bird on the cover, so it fits in the RandomCat challenge also!
Full Review:
Focused around a rural community on a mountain in Mexico, Clement's novel is written out of heartbreak, but surprisingly full of humor. The young narrator at the center of the work is a girl whose days revolve around trying to be ugly and mediating the world for her alcoholic mother. Both their lives revolve around fear--for one another, for their friends, for the real possibilities of being stolen by traffickers or simply forgotten by the world. As short as the work is, though, Clement's writing is full of a grace and sense of humor that make the situations and fears bearable, and even beautiful.
In the end, I wanted the work to keep going, and that is the one fault of the work, that the ending is simply an ending, and perhaps too easy to be fair to the story or the communities they attempt to reflect. Still, this was well worth the reading, and a journey in itself.
Overall, recommended.
140whitewavedarling
N. The Lists #3: Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham
How I Picked it Up: Most of my reads this year will be from the tbr shelves, but as I am slowly making my way through the 1001 list and this novel happens to be on it, I caved in and ordered it since it would also work for the GastroCat challenge. I'm glad I did--this was a relaxing wander.
Full Review:
A sweet and nostalgic read, this is one of those transporting novels that leaves you amused and relaxed, lounging and quiet as if you've had a longer than usual conversation with an old friend. Maugham's characters are real enough that you'll think you recognize them from your own life, and his stories have the same tinge of familiarity that makes them so memorable, even where apparently mundane.
On the whole, this novel is a lovely escape, full of both sensation and beautiful language. Simply: recommended.
How I Picked it Up: Most of my reads this year will be from the tbr shelves, but as I am slowly making my way through the 1001 list and this novel happens to be on it, I caved in and ordered it since it would also work for the GastroCat challenge. I'm glad I did--this was a relaxing wander.
Full Review:
A sweet and nostalgic read, this is one of those transporting novels that leaves you amused and relaxed, lounging and quiet as if you've had a longer than usual conversation with an old friend. Maugham's characters are real enough that you'll think you recognize them from your own life, and his stories have the same tinge of familiarity that makes them so memorable, even where apparently mundane.
On the whole, this novel is a lovely escape, full of both sensation and beautiful language. Simply: recommended.
141whitewavedarling
K. The Body #3: Hurts So Good edited by Alison Tyler
How I Picked It Up: Since I'm writing a book with scenes meant to be erotic, I thought it made sense to slowly work my way through an anthology of erotica to see how different people handle it. I picked this partly for the subject, partly for the cover, and partly because it was available at the bookstore in print (it appears that most erotica is now published in e-formats). In the end, though, this really didn't vary much at all considering it was an anthology--it felt far more like a themed collection from a single author.
Full Review:
I generally expect an anthology of stories to be fairly varied--even with a theme within a genre, this usually holds true. Here, though, the stories started to bleed together pretty quickly. For erotica, it isn't badly written, but with the exception of a few stories that stood out creatively in regard to style or psychology, there's just not much depth to the collection as a whole. Obviously, this already isn't meant as a collection for everyone...but I really expected more, in terms of variety especially.
Nearly all of the stories here deal with a man and a woman in a committed relationship (or on their way to one) where, in nearly all cases, the woman is the dominant force within the relationship and the characters are flat at best, stereotypical at worst. Over and over, the characters in different stories do the same things and think the same things, nearly identical in psychology and class and temperament. Simply? Even reading it occasionally over a period of many weeks, I got bored each time I picked it up.
In the end, I was fairly disappointed with this collection, and of the numerous authors included, there's really only one who I'd potentially bother to look up in the future.
How I Picked It Up: Since I'm writing a book with scenes meant to be erotic, I thought it made sense to slowly work my way through an anthology of erotica to see how different people handle it. I picked this partly for the subject, partly for the cover, and partly because it was available at the bookstore in print (it appears that most erotica is now published in e-formats). In the end, though, this really didn't vary much at all considering it was an anthology--it felt far more like a themed collection from a single author.
Full Review:
I generally expect an anthology of stories to be fairly varied--even with a theme within a genre, this usually holds true. Here, though, the stories started to bleed together pretty quickly. For erotica, it isn't badly written, but with the exception of a few stories that stood out creatively in regard to style or psychology, there's just not much depth to the collection as a whole. Obviously, this already isn't meant as a collection for everyone...but I really expected more, in terms of variety especially.
Nearly all of the stories here deal with a man and a woman in a committed relationship (or on their way to one) where, in nearly all cases, the woman is the dominant force within the relationship and the characters are flat at best, stereotypical at worst. Over and over, the characters in different stories do the same things and think the same things, nearly identical in psychology and class and temperament. Simply? Even reading it occasionally over a period of many weeks, I got bored each time I picked it up.
In the end, I was fairly disappointed with this collection, and of the numerous authors included, there's really only one who I'd potentially bother to look up in the future.
142whitewavedarling
Well, I totally broke down in terms of responsibility this week. Yesterday, I ordered FOUR books (all used, but still, with my budget...) that I didn't absolutely need:
The Flamethrowers
Suction Cup Dreams: An Octopus Anthology
The Gigantic Beard that was Evil
The Hum and the Shiver (this one I feel slightly more reasonable about since it's the one before something already on my tbr shelf)
Then, today, I dropped by the bookstore to get a bookstand (I've been using a bag of apples to prop up my notebook to type from) and bought 3 bargain books:
Bloodline: A Sigma Force Novel by James Rollins
In One Person by John Irving
The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester
Sigh. It's a really good thing my husband loves me more than he hates helping lug around all these books (we're moving this summer...)
The Flamethrowers
Suction Cup Dreams: An Octopus Anthology
The Gigantic Beard that was Evil
The Hum and the Shiver (this one I feel slightly more reasonable about since it's the one before something already on my tbr shelf)
Then, today, I dropped by the bookstore to get a bookstand (I've been using a bag of apples to prop up my notebook to type from) and bought 3 bargain books:
Bloodline: A Sigma Force Novel by James Rollins
In One Person by John Irving
The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester
Sigh. It's a really good thing my husband loves me more than he hates helping lug around all these books (we're moving this summer...)
143LittleTaiko
Ah yes, moving books...we moved to a rental house for a few months while ours is being remodeled. There are 50 boxes of books stored in the guest bedroom right now. Here's to spouses loving us in spite of our book collections!
144whitewavedarling
D. Questions of Justice #3: Love & Treasure by Ayelet Waldman
How I Picked it Up: I received this through the First Reader Program on Goodreads. It ended up in this category because, one way or another, all of the primary characters in the work (and there are quite a few) are constantly preoccupied by questions of justice and/or striving for justice, though this wasn't originally how I came to the book.
Full Review:
As a piece of historical fiction, particularly one that deals with lesser discussed aspects of history related to WWII, this is an impressive book. On the other hand, as a piece of original fiction which simply serves as a worthwhile read in itself, history interests aside, I'm less comfortable recommending it.
My largest concern with the book is that it seems incredibly derivative of The White Hotel, though Waldman's work is far more concerned with art. The structure especially reminds me of Thomas' work, a few large separate parts coming from narrators of different genders, backgrounds, interests, and experiences, with Freudian psychology as a centerpiece of one (and coming from the analyst), even though Waldman's work is certainly less experimental and sticks to straight prose. Odd as it is, because of that association, the book ended up coming across as formulaic when I reached the third part of the novel where psychology comes in, and I lost considerable interest because of it--and, I suppose I have to say, I lost some amount of respect for the work as well.
As an entertaining read, associations with Thomas aside, there were other issues. Waldman's handle of history and intrigue is admirable, but her writing of romance and familial relationships verged on the sentimental whenever conflict wasn't central to a scene. In fact, the first very short part was so incredibly sentimental that I probably wouldn't have read beyond its brief dozen pages if I hadn't received the book through a first reader program and been expected to write a review. After that first part, the book did pick up, but sentimentality and romance were still serious downfalls within the work, partly because they were simply overly sentimental, and partly because they were just not as well-written as other portions--most portions--of the novel.
And yet. There is material worth admiring here. Waldman's handling of history regarding Hungarian Jews in the aftermath of World War II, and Hungarian women in the years preceding World War I, is graceful and clever, as is the intricate way in which she connected numerous sub-plots and characters across a full century of time. For the most part, the book is well-written, if occasionally over-written (a good example being the first part, which I think the book would be stronger without).
In the end, I don't see myself recommending this book on to any but readers specifically interested in aspects of history dealt with in the novel, such as Hungarian Jews, the Gold Train, and/or the state of Hungary directly following World War II. I truly wanted to like this book, and I'm sure I would have liked it more had I not read and appreciated D.M. Thomas' The White Hotel in the past...but, of course, I did read that work, and the associations are impossible to ignore.
How I Picked it Up: I received this through the First Reader Program on Goodreads. It ended up in this category because, one way or another, all of the primary characters in the work (and there are quite a few) are constantly preoccupied by questions of justice and/or striving for justice, though this wasn't originally how I came to the book.
Full Review:
As a piece of historical fiction, particularly one that deals with lesser discussed aspects of history related to WWII, this is an impressive book. On the other hand, as a piece of original fiction which simply serves as a worthwhile read in itself, history interests aside, I'm less comfortable recommending it.
My largest concern with the book is that it seems incredibly derivative of The White Hotel, though Waldman's work is far more concerned with art. The structure especially reminds me of Thomas' work, a few large separate parts coming from narrators of different genders, backgrounds, interests, and experiences, with Freudian psychology as a centerpiece of one (and coming from the analyst), even though Waldman's work is certainly less experimental and sticks to straight prose. Odd as it is, because of that association, the book ended up coming across as formulaic when I reached the third part of the novel where psychology comes in, and I lost considerable interest because of it--and, I suppose I have to say, I lost some amount of respect for the work as well.
As an entertaining read, associations with Thomas aside, there were other issues. Waldman's handle of history and intrigue is admirable, but her writing of romance and familial relationships verged on the sentimental whenever conflict wasn't central to a scene. In fact, the first very short part was so incredibly sentimental that I probably wouldn't have read beyond its brief dozen pages if I hadn't received the book through a first reader program and been expected to write a review. After that first part, the book did pick up, but sentimentality and romance were still serious downfalls within the work, partly because they were simply overly sentimental, and partly because they were just not as well-written as other portions--most portions--of the novel.
And yet. There is material worth admiring here. Waldman's handling of history regarding Hungarian Jews in the aftermath of World War II, and Hungarian women in the years preceding World War I, is graceful and clever, as is the intricate way in which she connected numerous sub-plots and characters across a full century of time. For the most part, the book is well-written, if occasionally over-written (a good example being the first part, which I think the book would be stronger without).
In the end, I don't see myself recommending this book on to any but readers specifically interested in aspects of history dealt with in the novel, such as Hungarian Jews, the Gold Train, and/or the state of Hungary directly following World War II. I truly wanted to like this book, and I'm sure I would have liked it more had I not read and appreciated D.M. Thomas' The White Hotel in the past...but, of course, I did read that work, and the associations are impossible to ignore.
145whitewavedarling
A. The Sea #3: Wipeout by Franklin W. Dixon
How I Picked It Up: The MysteryCat challenge was for YA this month, and since I've got an ongoing goal of reading more YA, this was a good fit with the ocean scene on front of the book (for my Sea category), and already sitting in my tbr.
Full Review:
A short and fast read following the Hardy brothers when they start investigating a windsurfing competition, this isn't one of the best of the adventures in terms of either writing or excitement, but it is an entertaining enough diversion. Unfortunately, the Hardy Boys books just don't stand up as well when re-read in adulthood--too many little bits and pieces that stretch believability or betray rushed writing/editing in terms of writing and phrasing.
How I Picked It Up: The MysteryCat challenge was for YA this month, and since I've got an ongoing goal of reading more YA, this was a good fit with the ocean scene on front of the book (for my Sea category), and already sitting in my tbr.
Full Review:
A short and fast read following the Hardy brothers when they start investigating a windsurfing competition, this isn't one of the best of the adventures in terms of either writing or excitement, but it is an entertaining enough diversion. Unfortunately, the Hardy Boys books just don't stand up as well when re-read in adulthood--too many little bits and pieces that stretch believability or betray rushed writing/editing in terms of writing and phrasing.
146whitewavedarling
L. Houses and Stairways #2: Dream House by Valerie Laken
How I Picked It Up: I picked this up because it looked like a ghost story centering around an old house...
Full Review:
Dream House presents itself as a suspenseful ghost story or horror novel--from the cover, to the jacket blurb, to the tone of the opening chapters. Sure, there's a question of whether you're going into a piece which is more horror or suspense, more creepy or supernatural, or more about a house or the ghosts within...but there's no question for a reader who comes directly to the book that some of these elements are in play. So, what's the problem? They're not.
Even though the book's first 50-100 pages push for a spooky tone, the cover looks like a horror novel, and the cover blurbs mention ghosts, there's very little suspense here, and no element of a mystery, a ghost, or any supernatural element. At its heart, this is simply a family drama that branches out from a young couple to tell the stories of men who've also had some history related to their new fixer-upper house. I'm not sure how much of this is off marketing and how much might be the book taking a different turn than the author expected once they got half-way through the book, but the fact remained: the book feels like it's having an identity crisis, and my guess is that this book will never find the readers who would really enjoy it. Those readers (other readers in my family for instance) would read the first few chapters and think that the book is going in a supernatural direction, and too dark for their tastes. In reality, readers like me who are looking for that darker read will end up being disappointed with a work that built us up to expect something...and then disappeared into a mundane collection of adults trying to survive normal crises of direction and relationship.
All this considered, it's hard to objectively review this work. I know that I would have enjoyed it more had I not been misled about what to expect (and I would maintain that the marketing AND the tone/direction of the first 75 pages at least are actually misleading). The details here (in terms of home renovation and family dynamics) are believable and engaging, as are the characters. The downfall in the writing is that there are themes and subplots in the first half of the novel that are totally forgotten in the second half, some of them having received so much attention early on that you can't help but feel that the author just got bored of them and moved on.
On the whole, I'm not sure whether or not I'd read another work by Laken or not; this was disappointing, and not remotely what I expected when I picked it up.
How I Picked It Up: I picked this up because it looked like a ghost story centering around an old house...
Full Review:
Dream House presents itself as a suspenseful ghost story or horror novel--from the cover, to the jacket blurb, to the tone of the opening chapters. Sure, there's a question of whether you're going into a piece which is more horror or suspense, more creepy or supernatural, or more about a house or the ghosts within...but there's no question for a reader who comes directly to the book that some of these elements are in play. So, what's the problem? They're not.
Even though the book's first 50-100 pages push for a spooky tone, the cover looks like a horror novel, and the cover blurbs mention ghosts, there's very little suspense here, and no element of a mystery, a ghost, or any supernatural element. At its heart, this is simply a family drama that branches out from a young couple to tell the stories of men who've also had some history related to their new fixer-upper house. I'm not sure how much of this is off marketing and how much might be the book taking a different turn than the author expected once they got half-way through the book, but the fact remained: the book feels like it's having an identity crisis, and my guess is that this book will never find the readers who would really enjoy it. Those readers (other readers in my family for instance) would read the first few chapters and think that the book is going in a supernatural direction, and too dark for their tastes. In reality, readers like me who are looking for that darker read will end up being disappointed with a work that built us up to expect something...and then disappeared into a mundane collection of adults trying to survive normal crises of direction and relationship.
All this considered, it's hard to objectively review this work. I know that I would have enjoyed it more had I not been misled about what to expect (and I would maintain that the marketing AND the tone/direction of the first 75 pages at least are actually misleading). The details here (in terms of home renovation and family dynamics) are believable and engaging, as are the characters. The downfall in the writing is that there are themes and subplots in the first half of the novel that are totally forgotten in the second half, some of them having received so much attention early on that you can't help but feel that the author just got bored of them and moved on.
On the whole, I'm not sure whether or not I'd read another work by Laken or not; this was disappointing, and not remotely what I expected when I picked it up.
147rabbitprincess
I feel like I read Wipeout but don't remember anything about it... probably not missing much by the sounds of it! I have a Hardy Boys book lined up for the March MysteryCAT as well and am hoping it will at least be silly in a way that I will find amusing.
148cammykitty
Great review of Dream House, but I'll definitely avoid that one! It sounds like once the novel proposal was accepted, the author found she couldn't deliver it. The title alone is kind of strange. I wouldn't expect a horror novel out of that title. Instead, I'd expect something like a woman buys a house in the countryside on a whim and falls in love with the sculptor next door who makes ends meet by plumbing.
149whitewavedarling
>147 rabbitprincess: yep...it was a fast read, and I didn't Not enjoy it...I was just saddened that it so didn't live up to other YA I've read more recently.
>148 cammykitty: At some point, I may have to revisit the review; we'll see. It really threw me off that the book so wasn't what I expected going into it. The idea is that a couple buys a fixer-upper that would be their "dream house", so the title made sense to me...but in the end, aside from the house's dark history added in, it almost feels more like the off-hand synopsis you gave! I almost wonder if what you said is true, though. I just finished drafting my own "bad house" novel, which is one of the reasons I'm binging on haunted house stories--both to make sure I really am doing something new and to see what doesn't work so well in other books, an what does--and when it came time to get rid of a character, it was incredibly hard! I almost wonder if Laken starting out writing horror, and then didn't have the heart to follow through with it...which I could almost understand, considering my own project gave me nightmares on more than one night! Oh well, at some point not too far off, I'll try to come back to it more objectively and be less influenced by the marketing and tone aspects...
>148 cammykitty: At some point, I may have to revisit the review; we'll see. It really threw me off that the book so wasn't what I expected going into it. The idea is that a couple buys a fixer-upper that would be their "dream house", so the title made sense to me...but in the end, aside from the house's dark history added in, it almost feels more like the off-hand synopsis you gave! I almost wonder if what you said is true, though. I just finished drafting my own "bad house" novel, which is one of the reasons I'm binging on haunted house stories--both to make sure I really am doing something new and to see what doesn't work so well in other books, an what does--and when it came time to get rid of a character, it was incredibly hard! I almost wonder if Laken starting out writing horror, and then didn't have the heart to follow through with it...which I could almost understand, considering my own project gave me nightmares on more than one night! Oh well, at some point not too far off, I'll try to come back to it more objectively and be less influenced by the marketing and tone aspects...
150whitewavedarling
K. The Body #4: Magic City by Yusef Komunyakaa
How I Picked It Up: Komunyakaa has long been one of my favorite poets. I was looking over my tbr shelf today for something to read on the bus (where I gravitate toward YA and poetry...), and picked this up because of the silhouettes of bodies on the cover, and because it had been sitting for far too long. When I got home from work, I couldn't resist finishing it instead of leaving it for tomorrow's busride...
Full Review:
Perhaps more than any of Komunyakaa's other collections of poetry, Magic City is grounded in his experiences coming of age in a Louisiana town that was at one time a center of Klan activity, and at a later date, a center of Civil Rights activity. Centering on questions of adolescence and race, the book resounds with the rhythms of blues, basketball, and southern living. Many of the poems here will stop readers in their tracks--they are just that powerful and ring with that much truth--and others feel almost documentary in nature. All together, it's a smart and worthwhile collection, and one to be discussed.
Overall, recommended.
How I Picked It Up: Komunyakaa has long been one of my favorite poets. I was looking over my tbr shelf today for something to read on the bus (where I gravitate toward YA and poetry...), and picked this up because of the silhouettes of bodies on the cover, and because it had been sitting for far too long. When I got home from work, I couldn't resist finishing it instead of leaving it for tomorrow's busride...
Full Review:
Perhaps more than any of Komunyakaa's other collections of poetry, Magic City is grounded in his experiences coming of age in a Louisiana town that was at one time a center of Klan activity, and at a later date, a center of Civil Rights activity. Centering on questions of adolescence and race, the book resounds with the rhythms of blues, basketball, and southern living. Many of the poems here will stop readers in their tracks--they are just that powerful and ring with that much truth--and others feel almost documentary in nature. All together, it's a smart and worthwhile collection, and one to be discussed.
Overall, recommended.
151dudes22
After your review, I might see if the library has this and read it for the Random Cat challenge next month. As I am not that much of a poetry reader, I was wondering how to decide what to pick, but hadn't had a chance yet to get to the library. Now I will hope they have this book.
152whitewavedarling
It might not be a fast fast read for someone who doesn't read a lot of poetry, but I still think it's incredibly accessible and worthwhile regardless. It was published in 92, so you might be able to find it at a used bookstore too...
153aliciamay
>140 whitewavedarling: A little behind on threads...I am so glad to see your praise of Cakes and Ale and you make it sound like a lovely book. There's a group read of Maugham in June, I think, and that's the book I had pegged.
154whitewavedarling
>153 aliciamay: It was a lovely read! I hadn't been aware of the groupread, though that may be a good reason for me to finally get around to Of Human Bondage if I have time, which is a big question come summer, but we'll see. I need to pay more attention to groupreads...I'm finishing up Bel Canto tomorrow for the month groupread, which will be my first, and really looking forward to the discussion...
155cammykitty
Betty, I second the recommendation of Komunyakaa. Jennifer, I haven't read him for a long time but I remember being really impressed by him, and impressed by the jazz that hums behind his poetry. The personal facts I've heard/read about him are impressive too. I read something about him growing up in a place where he wasn't allowed to use the public library because he was black. I knew about schools and lunch counters and drinking fountains, but the public library? It's supposed to be public! And for a person like Komunyakaa, intelligent, driven and growing up poor, not having a library to me sounds like not having a right arm.
156whitewavedarling
>155 cammykitty: I'm not surprised. I can't remember the name of the town (although it is noted in Magic City), but he grew up in a really small town in Louisiana. If my memory is correct (which is a big if), I think I remember understanding that, in a lot of places in the south (pre civil-rights changes), public buildings could only serve blacks and whites if they had 'separate but equal' facilities, offerings, etc, such as the way the balcony in a theater or some courtrooms is separate from lower galleries. If that's the case, a library would have to have different copies of books for blacks and whites, and I don't imagine their funding was a whole lot better then than it is now. Regardless, I agree Komunyakaa is amazing--I had the honor/pleasure/glee/experience of seeing him read at a jazz concert (in tandem with some jazz musicians) at an annual Jazz Poetry show that City of Asylum puts on in Pittsburgh every year--he was amazing. He only read for five or ten minutes, but it was absolute bliss while it lasted. I'm sure I sounded like a starstruck teenager when I got up the nerve to ask him to sign my book afterward, but he was so gracious! I don't know much about him personally beyond what's suggested in his poems, but I've got a collection of interviews and essays at home (with/from him) that I'll get to one of these days.
157whitewavedarling
D. Questions of Justice #4: Don't Shoot: One Man, a Street Fellowship, and The End of Violence in Inner-City America by David M. Kennedy
How I Picked it Up: I actually got this from the Early Reviewers program ages ago, and misplaced it during a move. I'd signed up for it on a whim, but then kept on being put off by the overly-dramatic, and seemingly self-congratulatory title once I found it again. Since I'd gotten so busy that I'd stopped signing up for ER books, I'm ashamed to say that I just let it sit for far too long without feeling suitably guilty.... Regardless, I'm thankful now that I won it, and finally got around to it. This is the most powerful piece of nonfiction I've read in ages, and worth every reader's time. Five Stars, without a doubt.
Full Review:
More than anything else, this book is about the struggle to recover communities previously considered lost--to violence, drugs, guns, etc. Kennedy's work to help unite these communities WITH law enforcement, and against violence, instead of against members of their own communities, is a revelation. Bringing together lawyers, community activists, police, churches, gang members and their families, and community members who have been affected by or frightened by the violence around them, Kennedy's task forces have cut violence in cities across the country even as individuals from across these groups have underestimated the simple logic behind the group's approaches. Leading eventually to the National Network for Safe Communities, and to bettered communities around the country, the work detailed here (in arguments, in fights, in community actions, in violence, in confrontation, and in untold discussions and political maneuvers) lays groundwork for understanding what is wrong in our communities, and working to fix it now instead of continuing to implement plans that don't work or will take decades for any improvement.
The title sounds specific, but realistically, this is one of those rare books which, in all honesty, everyone should read. Simply, it is about understanding the fragmented world we've managed to create, and about working to fix it. The accounts here are specific because that's what's necessary, at this point, before any further step can be taken. And yet, the people behind the events in this book are, without any doubt, changing the world around us--the statistics back that up. Detailing that fight can only lead to smarter decisions, and reading this book can only speed that fight, and speed the fixes yet to come.
Absolutely recommended.
How I Picked it Up: I actually got this from the Early Reviewers program ages ago, and misplaced it during a move. I'd signed up for it on a whim, but then kept on being put off by the overly-dramatic, and seemingly self-congratulatory title once I found it again. Since I'd gotten so busy that I'd stopped signing up for ER books, I'm ashamed to say that I just let it sit for far too long without feeling suitably guilty.... Regardless, I'm thankful now that I won it, and finally got around to it. This is the most powerful piece of nonfiction I've read in ages, and worth every reader's time. Five Stars, without a doubt.
Full Review:
More than anything else, this book is about the struggle to recover communities previously considered lost--to violence, drugs, guns, etc. Kennedy's work to help unite these communities WITH law enforcement, and against violence, instead of against members of their own communities, is a revelation. Bringing together lawyers, community activists, police, churches, gang members and their families, and community members who have been affected by or frightened by the violence around them, Kennedy's task forces have cut violence in cities across the country even as individuals from across these groups have underestimated the simple logic behind the group's approaches. Leading eventually to the National Network for Safe Communities, and to bettered communities around the country, the work detailed here (in arguments, in fights, in community actions, in violence, in confrontation, and in untold discussions and political maneuvers) lays groundwork for understanding what is wrong in our communities, and working to fix it now instead of continuing to implement plans that don't work or will take decades for any improvement.
The title sounds specific, but realistically, this is one of those rare books which, in all honesty, everyone should read. Simply, it is about understanding the fragmented world we've managed to create, and about working to fix it. The accounts here are specific because that's what's necessary, at this point, before any further step can be taken. And yet, the people behind the events in this book are, without any doubt, changing the world around us--the statistics back that up. Detailing that fight can only lead to smarter decisions, and reading this book can only speed that fight, and speed the fixes yet to come.
Absolutely recommended.
158aliciamay
>154 whitewavedarling: The Maugham group read is separate from this group, part of the Monthly Author Reads. Here's the link if you want to jump in, https://www.librarything.com/topic/171394
I just finished up Bel Canto - looking forward to the discussion!
I just finished up Bel Canto - looking forward to the discussion!
159whitewavedarling
>158 aliciamay: ah, thank you! I may just do that... Meanwhile, ditto on finishing up Bel Canto and looking forward to the discussion!
N. The Lists #4: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
How I Picked it Up: I'd had this book for ages, but after reading my first work by Patchett in January, I couldn't wait to jump into another of her works. With the group read of Bel Canto going on this month, it seemed like perfect timing, and of course it's off of the 1001 list...
Full Review:
A gracefully built novel driven by art, suspense, and desperation, this is one of those stories which weaves together so many characters and lines of thought that you must read it quickly, or simply be left behind. Patchett's prose is as masterful as ever, and this story of a doomed birthday party brings together terrorists and socialites in a manner that is, very simply, breathtaking. The book is worth reading for the fascinating characters alone, but the way that they come together is truly a story worth falling into and experiencing, particularly considering the climate of politics and current affairs we find ourselves attempting to survive with every day that passes.
Absolutely recommended.
N. The Lists #4: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
How I Picked it Up: I'd had this book for ages, but after reading my first work by Patchett in January, I couldn't wait to jump into another of her works. With the group read of Bel Canto going on this month, it seemed like perfect timing, and of course it's off of the 1001 list...
Full Review:
A gracefully built novel driven by art, suspense, and desperation, this is one of those stories which weaves together so many characters and lines of thought that you must read it quickly, or simply be left behind. Patchett's prose is as masterful as ever, and this story of a doomed birthday party brings together terrorists and socialites in a manner that is, very simply, breathtaking. The book is worth reading for the fascinating characters alone, but the way that they come together is truly a story worth falling into and experiencing, particularly considering the climate of politics and current affairs we find ourselves attempting to survive with every day that passes.
Absolutely recommended.
160VioletBramble
>150 whitewavedarling: - I'm definitely adding Magic City to my poetry wish list. Great review.
161whitewavedarling
Thanks :)
162whitewavedarling
L. Houses and Stairways #3: House of Windows by John Langan
How I Picked it up: I'm in a haunted house binge right now, and this one has been hanging about for a while...
Full Review:
If Jane Eyre were a horror novel, or Poe were transmitted into this century, or Lovecraft attempted his own version of a novel-length domestic drama...well, you might end up with this strange strange ride of a novel.
In the tradition of Poe and Lovecraft, Langan's novel is a beautifully crafted work of the supernatural. His meshing of literary awareness and technique with some use of conventions of horror does take some getting used to, but the result is fairly entrancing. This can't simply be called a haunted house story, a ghost story, or even just a work of horror--it is all of these things, and clearly descended from authors such as Poe, Lovecraft, Hodgson (his House on the Borderland especially), and even Dickens. In many ways, it feels like a much older work, made contemporary only because of the brief mentions of technology and its relation to the Iraq War, and readers of the authors I've just mentioned will feel strangely familiar with what Langan has created.
All this said, the writer's style and the fragmented nature of the narrative do take some getting used to, and I'm not entirely convinced that a few more scenes were needed to fill in some holes which might have made for a smoother read. Because of this, readers who are used to breezing through horror may be frustrated early on--this is a horror version of a Victorian novel made contemporary, truly enough, with a few too many references to literary knowledge along the way.
Still, on the whole, I'm so glad that I powered my way through the beginning...once I was a few short sections in, I couldn't have stopped reading this book if I'd wanted to.
Recommended, especially to lovers of Poe, Hodgson, and Lovecraft.
How I Picked it up: I'm in a haunted house binge right now, and this one has been hanging about for a while...
Full Review:
If Jane Eyre were a horror novel, or Poe were transmitted into this century, or Lovecraft attempted his own version of a novel-length domestic drama...well, you might end up with this strange strange ride of a novel.
In the tradition of Poe and Lovecraft, Langan's novel is a beautifully crafted work of the supernatural. His meshing of literary awareness and technique with some use of conventions of horror does take some getting used to, but the result is fairly entrancing. This can't simply be called a haunted house story, a ghost story, or even just a work of horror--it is all of these things, and clearly descended from authors such as Poe, Lovecraft, Hodgson (his House on the Borderland especially), and even Dickens. In many ways, it feels like a much older work, made contemporary only because of the brief mentions of technology and its relation to the Iraq War, and readers of the authors I've just mentioned will feel strangely familiar with what Langan has created.
All this said, the writer's style and the fragmented nature of the narrative do take some getting used to, and I'm not entirely convinced that a few more scenes were needed to fill in some holes which might have made for a smoother read. Because of this, readers who are used to breezing through horror may be frustrated early on--this is a horror version of a Victorian novel made contemporary, truly enough, with a few too many references to literary knowledge along the way.
Still, on the whole, I'm so glad that I powered my way through the beginning...once I was a few short sections in, I couldn't have stopped reading this book if I'd wanted to.
Recommended, especially to lovers of Poe, Hodgson, and Lovecraft.
163whitewavedarling
L. Houses and Stairways #4: The House by Sebastiana Randone
How I Picked it Up: Well, it sounded like a haunted house story encapsuled in a fairy tale...
Full Review:
This is an incredibly awkward book.
Claiming itself as a fairy tale (and perhaps it is--I'm not sure what it is), it seems to waver between being a haunted house story, a time travel story, and a bit of a soap opera style drama...all in around 150 pages. To add to the plot confusion, there's also a dramatic twist (supposedly) which the main characters get incredibly upset over...but which, in reality, isn't a twist at all because, with all of the twists and turns, the author seems to have everyone believing that two characters are related...when a careful reader will realize that, no, they're really not. Twists for the sake of twists? Absolutely. And while this may sound like a major spoiler, really, it's not--it takes up perhaps a page or two in the middle of the book, and you'd see it coming a mile away anyway.
And then there's the writing. Many of the sentences are painfully awkward, and the dialogue is often pretty frightful. To make things worse, though, the author seems to firmly believe that big words make the book big. Whether she was writing with an SAT or GRE vocab book beside her or not, I haven't a clue, but many of the sentences are incredibly convoluted, and with "ten dollar words" (as my grandfather would have called them) sprinkled in every other sentence, reading this book is more an act of acrobatic brain candy than anything else. I'm all for big words, but if any book ever proved it was possible to overdo it...well, yeah. Those crazy words combined with unbelievable characters make the writing a HUGE drawback in this particular story.
On the whole, if you haven't already guessed it, I can't see how I would recommend this book to any reader, unless they were simply bent on reading every time travel or strange house story out there (and honestly, I'm not sure I'd recommend it to the second group either).
How I Picked it Up: Well, it sounded like a haunted house story encapsuled in a fairy tale...
Full Review:
This is an incredibly awkward book.
Claiming itself as a fairy tale (and perhaps it is--I'm not sure what it is), it seems to waver between being a haunted house story, a time travel story, and a bit of a soap opera style drama...all in around 150 pages. To add to the plot confusion, there's also a dramatic twist (supposedly) which the main characters get incredibly upset over...but which, in reality, isn't a twist at all because, with all of the twists and turns, the author seems to have everyone believing that two characters are related...when a careful reader will realize that, no, they're really not. Twists for the sake of twists? Absolutely. And while this may sound like a major spoiler, really, it's not--it takes up perhaps a page or two in the middle of the book, and you'd see it coming a mile away anyway.
And then there's the writing. Many of the sentences are painfully awkward, and the dialogue is often pretty frightful. To make things worse, though, the author seems to firmly believe that big words make the book big. Whether she was writing with an SAT or GRE vocab book beside her or not, I haven't a clue, but many of the sentences are incredibly convoluted, and with "ten dollar words" (as my grandfather would have called them) sprinkled in every other sentence, reading this book is more an act of acrobatic brain candy than anything else. I'm all for big words, but if any book ever proved it was possible to overdo it...well, yeah. Those crazy words combined with unbelievable characters make the writing a HUGE drawback in this particular story.
On the whole, if you haven't already guessed it, I can't see how I would recommend this book to any reader, unless they were simply bent on reading every time travel or strange house story out there (and honestly, I'm not sure I'd recommend it to the second group either).
164mathgirl40
I totally agree with your review of Bel Canto. Glad to hear you liked it so much!
165lkernagh
^ what >164 mathgirl40: said! ;-)
166whitewavedarling
L. Houses and Stairways #5: Floating Staircase by Ronald Malfi
How I Picked it Up: I've had this for ages, and kept on passing it by for no good reason. Then I picked it up wandering through this haunted house binge...and finished in just two days!
Full Review:
Nearly from the first page, this book took me in and held me in thrall, keeping me reading long past the point at which my eyes were needing a break. For a horror novel, this book is frighteningly believable, and the characters are just so flawed and believable as to make you ache for each of their missteps and difficulties. Malfi's smooth writing and smart pacing are the added bonuses that make this book a wonderfully engaging read.
All together, any reader of suspense novels or ghost stories is going to fall headlong into this book, only to be able to surface days later.
Absolutely recommended.
How I Picked it Up: I've had this for ages, and kept on passing it by for no good reason. Then I picked it up wandering through this haunted house binge...and finished in just two days!
Full Review:
Nearly from the first page, this book took me in and held me in thrall, keeping me reading long past the point at which my eyes were needing a break. For a horror novel, this book is frighteningly believable, and the characters are just so flawed and believable as to make you ache for each of their missteps and difficulties. Malfi's smooth writing and smart pacing are the added bonuses that make this book a wonderfully engaging read.
All together, any reader of suspense novels or ghost stories is going to fall headlong into this book, only to be able to surface days later.
Absolutely recommended.
167cammykitty
So jealous that you got to see Komunyakaa read! Your description of how it was, the library, makes sense. Even a back door with books that are ten years old would be kinder than no library at all though! The Jazz Poetry event sounds very, very cool.
Looks like you've found a ton of haunted house books! It's really hard to have the feel of gothic horror in a modern book. Sarah Waters does it pretty well, but its difficult to keep the feel since our use of language and our ideas about plot and pacing have changed so much since then.
Looks like you've found a ton of haunted house books! It's really hard to have the feel of gothic horror in a modern book. Sarah Waters does it pretty well, but its difficult to keep the feel since our use of language and our ideas about plot and pacing have changed so much since then.
168whitewavedarling
>167 cammykitty: I agree that any library is better than none at all, especially for a child who might not have any other way of accessing reading!
Meanwhile, I'll have to get around to Sarah Waters sooner than later--I have her Fingersmith, but that's the only one. Is there one you'd recommend? I think I've got four more haunted house books, and then I'll be out...what I'm really trying to read my way through are bad house books (where the house is alive), but those are few and far between, and hard to find since most blurbs don't distinguish between a haunted house and a "haunting" house. I have an anthology and some short stories scattered in other anthologies, too, but I'm going through the novels first :) Either way, I've certainly discovered a new favorite in Ronald Malfi as I've explored!
Meanwhile...besides the wonderful world of haunted/haunting houses...
-I'm slowly reading After the Storm by M. Stratton, and it may be putting me off of Goodreads Giveaways entirely....
-I'm also reading a poetry anthology while I commute on the bus, and a poetry collection while I'm at work.
-Shots in the Dark has been put aside for the moment while I try to focus on reading fiction and poetry as I finish up the novel I'm working on.
I'm not sure what my next non-horror/ghost or poetry read will be...maybe The Reluctant Fundamentalist or The Master and Margarita since I've been meaning to get to both of those for ages...
Meanwhile, I'll have to get around to Sarah Waters sooner than later--I have her Fingersmith, but that's the only one. Is there one you'd recommend? I think I've got four more haunted house books, and then I'll be out...what I'm really trying to read my way through are bad house books (where the house is alive), but those are few and far between, and hard to find since most blurbs don't distinguish between a haunted house and a "haunting" house. I have an anthology and some short stories scattered in other anthologies, too, but I'm going through the novels first :) Either way, I've certainly discovered a new favorite in Ronald Malfi as I've explored!
Meanwhile...besides the wonderful world of haunted/haunting houses...
-I'm slowly reading After the Storm by M. Stratton, and it may be putting me off of Goodreads Giveaways entirely....
-I'm also reading a poetry anthology while I commute on the bus, and a poetry collection while I'm at work.
-Shots in the Dark has been put aside for the moment while I try to focus on reading fiction and poetry as I finish up the novel I'm working on.
I'm not sure what my next non-horror/ghost or poetry read will be...maybe The Reluctant Fundamentalist or The Master and Margarita since I've been meaning to get to both of those for ages...
169christina_reads
>168 whitewavedarling: Have you read House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski? Sounds like it might fit your description of a "bad house" book. I've only read snippets of it myself, but it's constructed in a really fascinating way.
170whitewavedarling
>169 christina_reads: It's so funny you ask! After I wrote that last message, I started asking myself what my favorite 'bad house' books were, and I ended up not being able to decide between House of Leaves and Haunting of Hill House--definitely two of the creepiest books I've ever read! Danielewski is one of the few authors who's kept me awake and paranoid multiple nights in a row...
171christina_reads
Haha, it sounds terrifying! I think House of Leaves would be too scary for me...but then, I'm a chicken when it comes to horror.
172cammykitty
I'm not an expert on Sarah Waters. I liked The Little Stranger which counts as a haunted house, not a bad house. Fingersmith is on my reading list for this year, if I ever finish The Three Musketeers. Haunting of Hill House has been on my TBR pile for a couple years now. I mean to get around to it ever Halloween but somehow it never happens. Hell House is a fairly good haunted house book, but once again, it's a person behind it, not the house. Just a thought, if you're working on your own evil house, I was listening to public radio years ago and they had a piece talking about a modern haunted house, that turned out to have too much carbon monoxide. Apparently, carbon monoxide poisoning causes paranoia and hallucinations right in line with a haunted house. So you might want to put poor ventilation and odd fumes in your house.
173whitewavedarling
Hey friends :)
>171 christina_reads: House of Leaves may be the scariest book I've read...I'd have to give it more thought, but it's certainly the scariest one I've read in recent years. Of course, I think 'scary' is personal, so it's hard to tell how you'd react...but beware...
>172 cammykitty: I love haunted houses as well, so I'll add The Little Stranger to my reading list! Haunting of Hill House is wonderful, and surprisingly quick--definitely worth your time. I've got Hell House on my stack, too, though I have a feeling that none of the books in my stack will, in the end, qualify as bad houses, but we'll see...maybe some of the short stories. Meanwhile, that's interesting about the carbon monoxide... my house is well beyond the point of being potentially chalked up to fumes, though lol. One of the fascinating things about Jackson is that she was the first (I believe, as I think most do) that went out of her way to try to convince readers that the house she was writing about was a sentient being; yet, most critics totally ignore that strain of the novel and concentrate on other aspects entirely, as if the whole thing can be explained! It's amazing how much critics bend over backwards to try to explain away the supernaturalness of that book, actually... It's something I may keep in my mind for future tales, though :)
>171 christina_reads: House of Leaves may be the scariest book I've read...I'd have to give it more thought, but it's certainly the scariest one I've read in recent years. Of course, I think 'scary' is personal, so it's hard to tell how you'd react...but beware...
>172 cammykitty: I love haunted houses as well, so I'll add The Little Stranger to my reading list! Haunting of Hill House is wonderful, and surprisingly quick--definitely worth your time. I've got Hell House on my stack, too, though I have a feeling that none of the books in my stack will, in the end, qualify as bad houses, but we'll see...maybe some of the short stories. Meanwhile, that's interesting about the carbon monoxide... my house is well beyond the point of being potentially chalked up to fumes, though lol. One of the fascinating things about Jackson is that she was the first (I believe, as I think most do) that went out of her way to try to convince readers that the house she was writing about was a sentient being; yet, most critics totally ignore that strain of the novel and concentrate on other aspects entirely, as if the whole thing can be explained! It's amazing how much critics bend over backwards to try to explain away the supernaturalness of that book, actually... It's something I may keep in my mind for future tales, though :)
174rabbitprincess
I once read a non-fiction book about a "possessed" house that terrified me so much that I had to bury it front-cover-down under a stack of books when I wasn't reading it. But I do like the idea of The Haunting of Hill House... maybe if I can find an edition with a not-creepy cover.
175whitewavedarling
M. The Giveaways #4: After the Storm: Book 1 in The Storm Series by M. Stratton
How I Picked it Up: I rarely read romance, but once in a while, I really enjoy one with elements of suspense or humor--this sounded promising, so I signed up for the Goodreads Giveaway when I saw it posted, and then happened to win it. Unfortunately, I wish I hadn't...
Full Review:
Let's put aside the fact that this so-called novel is heavily propelled by the suspense of a confrontation which is eventually given only a few pages before being postponed until the next book in the series, making this one of the most anti-climactic reads I've come across, essentially the first half of a novel instead of a complete work in and of itself. Let's even put aside that the primary characters are stereotypical clichés who have little to no depth, in any respect.
And then, let's talk about all of the reasons that this book, very simply, needed another three or four rounds of heavy drafting and editing before being close to ready for publication...if we're being generous.
First, on a content level, there are horrendous holes in the plot, in reasoning, and in the psychology of the characters. Any reader who has a basic feel for believable human nature or the basic psychology surrounding and following trauma will cringe over and over again while reading this book--it's that simple. Without giving anything away (in case you are tempted to read this, for whatever reason), suffice it to say that the main character, Lexi, is supposedly haunted by a traumatic event in her past, and that even heavily contributes to all of the tensions and suspense in the novel. The problem? Even though much of her lifestyle is due to this event's haunting her memory, her actions and reactions don't make any sense in terms of that trauma. At the author's/plot's whim and convenience, she overreacts or doesn't react at all--and, before you ask, the event is far enough in the past that she should, at the very least, be settled into a behavior pattern that is either stable or totally unpredictable, if it is that haunting. Instead, sometimes (many times, in fact), it's as if it never happened, whereas it's as if it happened yesterday when it suits the author. Unless she's suffering from a severe mental illness (and there's no reason to suspect she is, contextually), there's no way that her behavior is believable or that everyone around her should be acting as if she's acting rationally. Along the same lines, the male protagonist is nearly as unbelievable, if not as drastically or unpredictably. Holes in the plot are a similar problem--realistically, parts of the book simply don't make sense. In some cases, the characters ignore behavior that would push most of us to call the authorities, even as we're being told that they're terrified something is wrong. In other cases, things are simply too easy or too ridiculous to take seriously. So much for reality.
In the long run, the story and characters are so unbelievable and predictable (at least up until the point at which the book simply stops) that I had no problem putting this book down in the middle of scenes which should have been gut-wrenching, or at least emotional. Instead, I couldn't bring myself to care about any of it, and just hoped to be done with it sooner than later. I can say that for it, at least--it was a quick and easy read, if you ignore the annoyance at errors/silliness.
(And yes, I do believe a love story can be believable, well-written, and/or realistic, not to mention well-written and interesting.)
Because, as you guessed, the next problem with the book is the writing. Besides the unbelievable characters and dialogue, and besides the constant clichés, there are basic problems that any half-way decent editor would have caught and eliminated. For the most part, the book is in third person...but, there are some few random shifts into first person. For no reason, and with no indication that the author realizes they're a jarring break from the rest of the writing. No italics to suggest they're internal thought, either--they're simply random sentences in first person, thrown in with the rest of the third person narration. And then there are the grammatical problems--especially in the first fifty pages, there are constant run-ons, fragments, and sentence structure errors.
If this hadn't been a goodreads first reader giveaway for which I was expected to write a review, I never would have made it past the first twenty pages or so, if that.
Simply, this is one of those books that made me wish self-published work had a warning label, even though I know that there's great self-published material out there. This, though, was nowhere near ready for publication.
How I Picked it Up: I rarely read romance, but once in a while, I really enjoy one with elements of suspense or humor--this sounded promising, so I signed up for the Goodreads Giveaway when I saw it posted, and then happened to win it. Unfortunately, I wish I hadn't...
Full Review:
Let's put aside the fact that this so-called novel is heavily propelled by the suspense of a confrontation which is eventually given only a few pages before being postponed until the next book in the series, making this one of the most anti-climactic reads I've come across, essentially the first half of a novel instead of a complete work in and of itself. Let's even put aside that the primary characters are stereotypical clichés who have little to no depth, in any respect.
And then, let's talk about all of the reasons that this book, very simply, needed another three or four rounds of heavy drafting and editing before being close to ready for publication...if we're being generous.
First, on a content level, there are horrendous holes in the plot, in reasoning, and in the psychology of the characters. Any reader who has a basic feel for believable human nature or the basic psychology surrounding and following trauma will cringe over and over again while reading this book--it's that simple. Without giving anything away (in case you are tempted to read this, for whatever reason), suffice it to say that the main character, Lexi, is supposedly haunted by a traumatic event in her past, and that even heavily contributes to all of the tensions and suspense in the novel. The problem? Even though much of her lifestyle is due to this event's haunting her memory, her actions and reactions don't make any sense in terms of that trauma. At the author's/plot's whim and convenience, she overreacts or doesn't react at all--and, before you ask, the event is far enough in the past that she should, at the very least, be settled into a behavior pattern that is either stable or totally unpredictable, if it is that haunting. Instead, sometimes (many times, in fact), it's as if it never happened, whereas it's as if it happened yesterday when it suits the author. Unless she's suffering from a severe mental illness (and there's no reason to suspect she is, contextually), there's no way that her behavior is believable or that everyone around her should be acting as if she's acting rationally. Along the same lines, the male protagonist is nearly as unbelievable, if not as drastically or unpredictably. Holes in the plot are a similar problem--realistically, parts of the book simply don't make sense. In some cases, the characters ignore behavior that would push most of us to call the authorities, even as we're being told that they're terrified something is wrong. In other cases, things are simply too easy or too ridiculous to take seriously. So much for reality.
In the long run, the story and characters are so unbelievable and predictable (at least up until the point at which the book simply stops) that I had no problem putting this book down in the middle of scenes which should have been gut-wrenching, or at least emotional. Instead, I couldn't bring myself to care about any of it, and just hoped to be done with it sooner than later. I can say that for it, at least--it was a quick and easy read, if you ignore the annoyance at errors/silliness.
(And yes, I do believe a love story can be believable, well-written, and/or realistic, not to mention well-written and interesting.)
Because, as you guessed, the next problem with the book is the writing. Besides the unbelievable characters and dialogue, and besides the constant clichés, there are basic problems that any half-way decent editor would have caught and eliminated. For the most part, the book is in third person...but, there are some few random shifts into first person. For no reason, and with no indication that the author realizes they're a jarring break from the rest of the writing. No italics to suggest they're internal thought, either--they're simply random sentences in first person, thrown in with the rest of the third person narration. And then there are the grammatical problems--especially in the first fifty pages, there are constant run-ons, fragments, and sentence structure errors.
If this hadn't been a goodreads first reader giveaway for which I was expected to write a review, I never would have made it past the first twenty pages or so, if that.
Simply, this is one of those books that made me wish self-published work had a warning label, even though I know that there's great self-published material out there. This, though, was nowhere near ready for publication.
176whitewavedarling
J. Politics #2: Poets Against the War edited by Sam Hamill
How I Picked it Up: I've had this book for ages, and over the years, I've read bits and pieces of it over and over again. This year, I wanted a varied poetry collection to read on my bus rides to and from work, and I picked this up to read cover-to-cover for the first time--partly thinking it would add to my so-far slim politics category for this challenge. I'm glad I did. Incidentally, it upped my rating from a 3.5 to a 5 star read. Read all together, the variation of voices is incredibly powerful and worthwhile, even moreso than it was when I simply opened it to read the occasional favorite or random poem.
Full Review:
This book made me cry on the city bus as I rode in to work. This book inspired me to begin a poetry reading series. This book, at turns, left me inspired, heartbroken, melting, angry, satisfied, learned, ready to fight, and hopeful. This book is worth reading for anyone who cares about the diversity of voices in and around America, for anyone who reads poetry, for anyone who writes poetry, for anyone who thinks poetry is outdated, crestfallen, or not enough.
In 2003, First Lady Laura Bush planned to host a White House Symposium on "Poetry and the American Voice", and she invited a number of poets to speak to "the voice" of American poetry. Poets declined, protesting the White House's actions in their rejection of the invitation, and Laura Bush cancelled the symposium. Her spokeswoman said, "While Mrs. Bush respects the right of all Americans to express their opinions, she, too, has opinions and believes it would be inappropriate to turn a literary event into a political forum." Sam Hamill was one of the poets invited to speak, and he declined. "Having only recently read George Bush's proposed 'Shock and Awe' attack plan for Iraq, which called for saturation bombing", his response was to instead address a letter to "Friends and Fellow Poets", asking for poems or statements of conscience. Over 13,000 poems were sent. This anthology appeared in the place of Laura Bush's symposium, and still stands as well worth the reading, returning to, and sharing.
One of the beauties of this anthology is that well-known poets (among them, notably, are Adrienne Rich, Hayden Carruth, Robert Bly, W. S. Merwin, Rita Dove, and Jane Hirshfield) appear alongside unknown names, some of them children. In this collection, the simple joins forces with the heavily allusioned and political, the documentary with the lyrical, the heartbroken with the angry, the young with the old, and the historical with the new. The juxtaposition of voices is not only powerful, but necessary and remarkable. In some cases, the poems were written in response to Hamill's call for poems, and in other cases, poems were written years before by veterans of WWII and the Vietnam War--and yet, they speak to the historical moment of this book, and to the respective quests for peace and war that are seemingly unending.
Simply, this book is both inflammatory and necessary, and it is worth reading and sharing.
How I Picked it Up: I've had this book for ages, and over the years, I've read bits and pieces of it over and over again. This year, I wanted a varied poetry collection to read on my bus rides to and from work, and I picked this up to read cover-to-cover for the first time--partly thinking it would add to my so-far slim politics category for this challenge. I'm glad I did. Incidentally, it upped my rating from a 3.5 to a 5 star read. Read all together, the variation of voices is incredibly powerful and worthwhile, even moreso than it was when I simply opened it to read the occasional favorite or random poem.
Full Review:
This book made me cry on the city bus as I rode in to work. This book inspired me to begin a poetry reading series. This book, at turns, left me inspired, heartbroken, melting, angry, satisfied, learned, ready to fight, and hopeful. This book is worth reading for anyone who cares about the diversity of voices in and around America, for anyone who reads poetry, for anyone who writes poetry, for anyone who thinks poetry is outdated, crestfallen, or not enough.
In 2003, First Lady Laura Bush planned to host a White House Symposium on "Poetry and the American Voice", and she invited a number of poets to speak to "the voice" of American poetry. Poets declined, protesting the White House's actions in their rejection of the invitation, and Laura Bush cancelled the symposium. Her spokeswoman said, "While Mrs. Bush respects the right of all Americans to express their opinions, she, too, has opinions and believes it would be inappropriate to turn a literary event into a political forum." Sam Hamill was one of the poets invited to speak, and he declined. "Having only recently read George Bush's proposed 'Shock and Awe' attack plan for Iraq, which called for saturation bombing", his response was to instead address a letter to "Friends and Fellow Poets", asking for poems or statements of conscience. Over 13,000 poems were sent. This anthology appeared in the place of Laura Bush's symposium, and still stands as well worth the reading, returning to, and sharing.
One of the beauties of this anthology is that well-known poets (among them, notably, are Adrienne Rich, Hayden Carruth, Robert Bly, W. S. Merwin, Rita Dove, and Jane Hirshfield) appear alongside unknown names, some of them children. In this collection, the simple joins forces with the heavily allusioned and political, the documentary with the lyrical, the heartbroken with the angry, the young with the old, and the historical with the new. The juxtaposition of voices is not only powerful, but necessary and remarkable. In some cases, the poems were written in response to Hamill's call for poems, and in other cases, poems were written years before by veterans of WWII and the Vietnam War--and yet, they speak to the historical moment of this book, and to the respective quests for peace and war that are seemingly unending.
Simply, this book is both inflammatory and necessary, and it is worth reading and sharing.
177BookLizard
175> this is one of those books that made me wish self-published work had a warning label
I know what you mean. I've learned to lower my standards when it comes to punctuation and typos if the story is compelling enough, but most of the time the narrative is so bad that even the smallest typo can throw you.
I know what you mean. I've learned to lower my standards when it comes to punctuation and typos if the story is compelling enough, but most of the time the narrative is so bad that even the smallest typo can throw you.
178whitewavedarling
>177 BookLizard: I hate to say it, because I've read some self-published works which were great. I've got friends whose work I love who also self-publish. This particular book, though...well, I can't imagine what the author was thinking in thinking it was ready.
On the upside, I went ahead and jumped into the one other self-published work I'd received from goodreads lately (afraid that I'd remember this and never get to it if I didn't get it out of the way)--The Korean Word for Butterfly. I'm going to have to get used to one of the narrator's voices, but so far, it's an engaging read with interesting & believable characters, and fairly well written, really without typos/errors. It's early, so I don't want to be too optimistic, but... I'm hopeful. Of course, I have to leave it with the cover facing down whenever I put it aside, because I find the cover kind of horrifying. It's a broken apart butterfly, which I didn't realize when I ordered the book, and I won't post here because I'd rather it not be on my thread! The colors are gorgeous, but I do find it off-putting. You can go to the book page if curious...
On the upside, I went ahead and jumped into the one other self-published work I'd received from goodreads lately (afraid that I'd remember this and never get to it if I didn't get it out of the way)--The Korean Word for Butterfly. I'm going to have to get used to one of the narrator's voices, but so far, it's an engaging read with interesting & believable characters, and fairly well written, really without typos/errors. It's early, so I don't want to be too optimistic, but... I'm hopeful. Of course, I have to leave it with the cover facing down whenever I put it aside, because I find the cover kind of horrifying. It's a broken apart butterfly, which I didn't realize when I ordered the book, and I won't post here because I'd rather it not be on my thread! The colors are gorgeous, but I do find it off-putting. You can go to the book page if curious...
179whitewavedarling
L. Houses and Stairways #6: House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker
How I Picked it Up: I've had this particular haunted house novel for ages, and just kept passing it over for no good reason. In the end, it was a great ride, though I would have liked more from the ending and a bit more suspense (as opposed to frantic action).
Full Review:
A thrill ride of a book, Dekker and Peretti's House gains momentum quickly, and then doesn't slow down for more than three hundred pages. This might, though, be the biggest problem with the novel--action, horror, violence, and conflict are so incredibly constant in the work that there's never a chance to savor any suspense or horror. Instead, the pace is kept frantic, ever moving forward--it's no exaggeration to say that I was using so much attention and energy to keep up with the plot that I never really had time to feel any fear or worry, or to get that creeping sensation you find when a horror novel really takes hold of your own reality. Am I complaining that the book moved too quickly to really keep me up at night? Yes, a little.
On the upside, the characters here are frighteningly believable, and the authors' descriptions are as brutal as they are visual, making this book one heck of a thrill ride. It may well be that they simply tried to fit too much in, though, because this book does have a little bit of everything, and tying it all together in the end felt something like a stretch, even for a horror novel.
All in all, it was a bit messy and chaotic, and it didn't give me the chills I associate with my favorite horror novels, but it was a great piece of entertainment, and more than enough to make me curious about these authors' individual efforts.
How I Picked it Up: I've had this particular haunted house novel for ages, and just kept passing it over for no good reason. In the end, it was a great ride, though I would have liked more from the ending and a bit more suspense (as opposed to frantic action).
Full Review:
A thrill ride of a book, Dekker and Peretti's House gains momentum quickly, and then doesn't slow down for more than three hundred pages. This might, though, be the biggest problem with the novel--action, horror, violence, and conflict are so incredibly constant in the work that there's never a chance to savor any suspense or horror. Instead, the pace is kept frantic, ever moving forward--it's no exaggeration to say that I was using so much attention and energy to keep up with the plot that I never really had time to feel any fear or worry, or to get that creeping sensation you find when a horror novel really takes hold of your own reality. Am I complaining that the book moved too quickly to really keep me up at night? Yes, a little.
On the upside, the characters here are frighteningly believable, and the authors' descriptions are as brutal as they are visual, making this book one heck of a thrill ride. It may well be that they simply tried to fit too much in, though, because this book does have a little bit of everything, and tying it all together in the end felt something like a stretch, even for a horror novel.
All in all, it was a bit messy and chaotic, and it didn't give me the chills I associate with my favorite horror novels, but it was a great piece of entertainment, and more than enough to make me curious about these authors' individual efforts.
180whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #4: Having a Little Talk With Capital P Poetry by Jim Daniels
How I Picked it up: One of those poetry books on my tbr pile, picked up now because the poet will be giving a reading on my campus later this week... I'm hoping I just picked up the wrong collection and will enjoy his reading more than I enjoyed the book, unfortunately.
Full Review:
This is a fast and readable collection, and there are a few striking moments, but for the most part, I found myself reading it simply to read it. There were no poems that begged for rereading, and few pieces (if any) that really struck me as especially entertaining or poetic. For the most part, in fact, the poems read more like fragmented prose, the most entertaining among them being notable more for their cynical jokes about academia than their poetic merit. On the whole, this probably isn't a collection I'd recommend.
How I Picked it up: One of those poetry books on my tbr pile, picked up now because the poet will be giving a reading on my campus later this week... I'm hoping I just picked up the wrong collection and will enjoy his reading more than I enjoyed the book, unfortunately.
Full Review:
This is a fast and readable collection, and there are a few striking moments, but for the most part, I found myself reading it simply to read it. There were no poems that begged for rereading, and few pieces (if any) that really struck me as especially entertaining or poetic. For the most part, in fact, the poems read more like fragmented prose, the most entertaining among them being notable more for their cynical jokes about academia than their poetic merit. On the whole, this probably isn't a collection I'd recommend.
181whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #5: Lorine Niedecker: Collected Works by Lorine Niedecker
How I Picked It Up: This has been sitting on my shelves for ages, and got pulled down a few months ago for a quick reference and never picked up. Finally, I got around to actually reading it full through. I'm glad I did. Fans of William Faulkner: read below...
Full Review:
In the past, I've enjoyed Niedecker's poetry in bits and pieces, here and there as I came to it, so it took me quite some time to get around to this collection. As a whole, though, the collected works read quickly and serve as a majestic and provoking journey through her years of writing. I'm not sure how often I'll come back to many of these poems, but there are many moments here that I'll remember and revisit. And, though I've only been aware of Niedecker's poetry in the past, I truly enjoyed the other works in this collection. Her essays are historical and transporting, utterly worth the read, maybe particularly for readers interested in character sketches or writing about their own families or surroundings. The gem of the collection, however, is the radio play that Niedecker based off of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying. I'm not sure how I'd feel about it if I hadn't read the novel--my guess is that I wouldn't have been anywhere near so affected by it, though I may be wrong--but as it stands, even though I haven't read Faulkner's novel in at least five years, I found this one of the most powerful pieces of writing I've read in ages. Only about twenty very small (and doublespaced pages) in the collection, the radio play is packed with power--every word counts. Absolutely amazing. If you're a fan of Faulkner, honestly, whether you like poetry or not--this collection is worth your time and energy just for her prose and radio plays.
Simply? There's something for most readers here. Recommended.
How I Picked It Up: This has been sitting on my shelves for ages, and got pulled down a few months ago for a quick reference and never picked up. Finally, I got around to actually reading it full through. I'm glad I did. Fans of William Faulkner: read below...
Full Review:
In the past, I've enjoyed Niedecker's poetry in bits and pieces, here and there as I came to it, so it took me quite some time to get around to this collection. As a whole, though, the collected works read quickly and serve as a majestic and provoking journey through her years of writing. I'm not sure how often I'll come back to many of these poems, but there are many moments here that I'll remember and revisit. And, though I've only been aware of Niedecker's poetry in the past, I truly enjoyed the other works in this collection. Her essays are historical and transporting, utterly worth the read, maybe particularly for readers interested in character sketches or writing about their own families or surroundings. The gem of the collection, however, is the radio play that Niedecker based off of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying. I'm not sure how I'd feel about it if I hadn't read the novel--my guess is that I wouldn't have been anywhere near so affected by it, though I may be wrong--but as it stands, even though I haven't read Faulkner's novel in at least five years, I found this one of the most powerful pieces of writing I've read in ages. Only about twenty very small (and doublespaced pages) in the collection, the radio play is packed with power--every word counts. Absolutely amazing. If you're a fan of Faulkner, honestly, whether you like poetry or not--this collection is worth your time and energy just for her prose and radio plays.
Simply? There's something for most readers here. Recommended.
182whitewavedarling
G. Creepy Covers #3: The Korean Word for Butterfly by James Zerndt
How I Picked it Up: I got this from a GoodReads Giveaway, but the truth is: I NEVER would have ordered this if I'd looked at the cover more closely before ordering it. I'm not posting it here because I don't want to see it each time I come to my thread, but it is on the book's page. It is really striking (two hands, palms up, holding a butterfly broken into three pieces)...but I generally left the book face down while I was reading it because, simply, it just bothered me, seeing it. Still, I'm glad I read this--it redeemed self-published novels for me--really, this was what I'd expect of a regularly published novel, in nearly every respect.
Full Review:
A pleasant and strange surprise, this book ended up being a lovely escape, and a really engaging story--in the end, it's one of those books that proves there are some really worthwhile self-published works being created and looking for an audience. I likely wouldn't have found it if it hadn't been offered as a Goodreads First Reader Giveaway, but I'm glad it found me.
At first, I had a difficult time engaging with it--the book cycles between three narrators, and while I was really interested in one of them, I found another incredibly annoying. I had an easier time once I realized that my least favorite narrator was quite a bit younger than I'd originally thought (giving a bit more reason for her voice), and it really wasn't long before I was interested enough in the book that that one complaint was a distant memory. As a complete work, the book moves quickly, and the interweaving of characters is both clever and natural, making the work as a whole more and more engaging as it moves forward.
There were moments that stretched believability, but these were few and far between. Age was along the same lines--one character sounded a bit younger than I would have expected, and another sounded a bit older, but this may actually have been intended based on the way the story evolves (though, as you've guessed by now, it didn't entirely work for me personally). Beyond this one fault, I'd only say that it ended a bit too quickly and easily for my liking--I felt as if one storyline was really forced closed because two others were coming to their natural ends, and I wasn't thrilled with that.
In general, this was an enjoyable read, if more fragmented than narratives I normally get lost in.
How I Picked it Up: I got this from a GoodReads Giveaway, but the truth is: I NEVER would have ordered this if I'd looked at the cover more closely before ordering it. I'm not posting it here because I don't want to see it each time I come to my thread, but it is on the book's page. It is really striking (two hands, palms up, holding a butterfly broken into three pieces)...but I generally left the book face down while I was reading it because, simply, it just bothered me, seeing it. Still, I'm glad I read this--it redeemed self-published novels for me--really, this was what I'd expect of a regularly published novel, in nearly every respect.
Full Review:
A pleasant and strange surprise, this book ended up being a lovely escape, and a really engaging story--in the end, it's one of those books that proves there are some really worthwhile self-published works being created and looking for an audience. I likely wouldn't have found it if it hadn't been offered as a Goodreads First Reader Giveaway, but I'm glad it found me.
At first, I had a difficult time engaging with it--the book cycles between three narrators, and while I was really interested in one of them, I found another incredibly annoying. I had an easier time once I realized that my least favorite narrator was quite a bit younger than I'd originally thought (giving a bit more reason for her voice), and it really wasn't long before I was interested enough in the book that that one complaint was a distant memory. As a complete work, the book moves quickly, and the interweaving of characters is both clever and natural, making the work as a whole more and more engaging as it moves forward.
There were moments that stretched believability, but these were few and far between. Age was along the same lines--one character sounded a bit younger than I would have expected, and another sounded a bit older, but this may actually have been intended based on the way the story evolves (though, as you've guessed by now, it didn't entirely work for me personally). Beyond this one fault, I'd only say that it ended a bit too quickly and easily for my liking--I felt as if one storyline was really forced closed because two others were coming to their natural ends, and I wasn't thrilled with that.
In general, this was an enjoyable read, if more fragmented than narratives I normally get lost in.
183whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #6: The Best American Short Stories 2009 edited by Alice Sebold
How I Picked it up: I'd had this laying about for some time, barely begun, and thought it was finally high time for a finish...
Full Review:
Just a mediocre collection. All of the stories are well written, but they blend together...few of them take risks, and fewer of them are really interesting or striking. By far, the best of the stories are "The Briefcase" by Rebecca Makkai and "Magic Words" by Jill McCorkle. The most interesting and unique is "Modulation" by Richard Powers.
Overall, though, this isn't a collection I'd recommend. I've read some "Best Of" in this series where every other story begs me to search out more work by the respective authors. Here? Not one.
How I Picked it up: I'd had this laying about for some time, barely begun, and thought it was finally high time for a finish...
Full Review:
Just a mediocre collection. All of the stories are well written, but they blend together...few of them take risks, and fewer of them are really interesting or striking. By far, the best of the stories are "The Briefcase" by Rebecca Makkai and "Magic Words" by Jill McCorkle. The most interesting and unique is "Modulation" by Richard Powers.
Overall, though, this isn't a collection I'd recommend. I've read some "Best Of" in this series where every other story begs me to search out more work by the respective authors. Here? Not one.
184whitewavedarling
L. Houses and Stairways #3: Starter House by Sonja Condit
How I Picked it Up: This sounded like it would be a bad house story, so it got pushed to the top of the stack of haunted house books I have left, even though it's one of the newest on my tbr pile. Not a bad house afterall, but certainly a unique haunting story.
Full Review:
This is a unique and beautifully written haunted house story, if a somewhat predictable one. As a blend of literary family drama, mystery, and horror, it brings together a number of different subplots with grace. The downside to this blending is that the book is harder to hold together, particularly since it cycles between focusing on two main characters who have very different concerns.
This disjointed nature is hard to move beyond at first--Lacey is concerned with a haunting, and her husband Eric is concerned with money and work. The third focus on one of Eric's clients, and for much of the book, all sections that don't deal with Lacey come across as an entirely separate work from the haunted house story that likely brought readers in, and which also drives all of the suspense. Adding to this disconnection is the fact that most of the characters are somewhat one-dimensional, and difficult to relate to in more than minor ways--it took most of the book for me to really become engaged with any of them, as opposed to the mystery of the story and the writing.
On the whole, this is an interesting and engaging work, but readers who go into it looking for a focused haunted house or horror story (as I did) will be disappointed, as would readers who went in looking for a reality-based family drama. For most of the book, there's no telling whether any one chapter will bring comedy, suspense/horror, or simply drama, and as a result, the book ends up being far less creepy or engaging than it might be otherwise. Simply, there's no time for any one mood or quality to be maintained because of the novel's style. On the upside, unless you're pregnant and about to move into a new house, I can't imagine this will give you nightmares.
Recommended for readers who enjoy literary fiction AND stories about hauntings...which aren't creepy enough to keep them up at night.
How I Picked it Up: This sounded like it would be a bad house story, so it got pushed to the top of the stack of haunted house books I have left, even though it's one of the newest on my tbr pile. Not a bad house afterall, but certainly a unique haunting story.
Full Review:
This is a unique and beautifully written haunted house story, if a somewhat predictable one. As a blend of literary family drama, mystery, and horror, it brings together a number of different subplots with grace. The downside to this blending is that the book is harder to hold together, particularly since it cycles between focusing on two main characters who have very different concerns.
This disjointed nature is hard to move beyond at first--Lacey is concerned with a haunting, and her husband Eric is concerned with money and work. The third focus on one of Eric's clients, and for much of the book, all sections that don't deal with Lacey come across as an entirely separate work from the haunted house story that likely brought readers in, and which also drives all of the suspense. Adding to this disconnection is the fact that most of the characters are somewhat one-dimensional, and difficult to relate to in more than minor ways--it took most of the book for me to really become engaged with any of them, as opposed to the mystery of the story and the writing.
On the whole, this is an interesting and engaging work, but readers who go into it looking for a focused haunted house or horror story (as I did) will be disappointed, as would readers who went in looking for a reality-based family drama. For most of the book, there's no telling whether any one chapter will bring comedy, suspense/horror, or simply drama, and as a result, the book ends up being far less creepy or engaging than it might be otherwise. Simply, there's no time for any one mood or quality to be maintained because of the novel's style. On the upside, unless you're pregnant and about to move into a new house, I can't imagine this will give you nightmares.
Recommended for readers who enjoy literary fiction AND stories about hauntings...which aren't creepy enough to keep them up at night.
185mathgirl40
I'm not familiar with Lorine Niedecker's work, but I did like As I Lay Dying very much and found it a very moving book. I'll have to look up that radio play.
186whitewavedarling
>185 mathgirl40: She's not a very well-known author, but the radio play will definitely be worth your time if you liked the novel :)
187whitewavedarling
K. The Body #5: Push-Push! And Other Stories by Sindiwe Magona
How I Picked it Up: I bought this a few years ago when I fell in love with one of Magona's novels, but it ended up languishing on a shelf because I found myself disappointed with her poetry...and I suppose I was so disappointed that I forgot how much I loved that novel. Now, I'm glad to have found her again, and I can't recommend her (prose) enough! For this challenge, I picked it up because of the cover--there's a woman on the cover whose expression is as expressive as it is indecipherable. At times, it appears she's laughing, and at others, screaming with grief, but her white teeth shine out of the middle of the neutrally covered cover, and make for a striking and ambiguous image...which perfectly fits the book.
Full Review:
Magona's depictions of poverty and family are striking, each of her stories focusing on the ways in which political and cultural forces tangle individuals in situations they never would have foreseen for themselves. Yet, in each of her stories, there is also humor, and there is also kindness, her characters coming to life on every page so that it truly seems that each story is a world in itself.
What Magona can create and express in 10 or 15 pages is truly remarkable, and her understated style is worth reading and sharing.
Absolutely recommended.
How I Picked it Up: I bought this a few years ago when I fell in love with one of Magona's novels, but it ended up languishing on a shelf because I found myself disappointed with her poetry...and I suppose I was so disappointed that I forgot how much I loved that novel. Now, I'm glad to have found her again, and I can't recommend her (prose) enough! For this challenge, I picked it up because of the cover--there's a woman on the cover whose expression is as expressive as it is indecipherable. At times, it appears she's laughing, and at others, screaming with grief, but her white teeth shine out of the middle of the neutrally covered cover, and make for a striking and ambiguous image...which perfectly fits the book.
Full Review:
Magona's depictions of poverty and family are striking, each of her stories focusing on the ways in which political and cultural forces tangle individuals in situations they never would have foreseen for themselves. Yet, in each of her stories, there is also humor, and there is also kindness, her characters coming to life on every page so that it truly seems that each story is a world in itself.
What Magona can create and express in 10 or 15 pages is truly remarkable, and her understated style is worth reading and sharing.
Absolutely recommended.
188cammykitty
amazing how much critics bend over backwards to try to explain away the supernaturalness of that book, actually... It's almost as though they are embarrassed to admit they liked something that has something "impossible" at its core!
I've never heard of Magona. I think poetry is a good way to hone fiction writing skils, but being good at one type of writing certainly doesn't mean you are good in another. I'm glad you tried her again, and I'll keep my eyes out for her.
I've never heard of Magona. I think poetry is a good way to hone fiction writing skils, but being good at one type of writing certainly doesn't mean you are good in another. I'm glad you tried her again, and I'll keep my eyes out for her.
189whitewavedarling
>188 cammykitty: Yes! :) You might have to do more searching than looking out to find Magona, though, I'm afraid. She's well-known in South Africa, but not so much here. I do absolutely recommend this story collection, though, as well as her novel Beauty's Gift!
190whitewavedarling
Meanwhile...a comment on my thread in the 100 group reminded me that I haven't given any sort of a my-book update in a while, so here it is:
I finished! I worked like mad during the last half of March, and got through a semi-final fourth draft; it's as good as I can make it without feedback! I then sent it off to a small group of friends who like horror and had volunteered to read it and give me some feedback...I'm hoping to hear back from somebody soon, because as of yet, all I've heard is from one person who's really enjoying it and is about a fourth of the way through. Unfortunately, it was bad timing on my part since most of them are finishing up classes with final exams approaching in a few weeks, so we'll see. I also sent out some first query letters last week because I realized how long a process it could be to find an agent. One got back to me immediately and asked to see the full manuscript, which got me really excited because it's generally supposed to be a month, at minimum, before you hear anything one way or the other. Unfortunately, it was a pass ultimately, but he read in just a few days and said he "read it with great interest", but just didn't fall in love, which is what has to happen for him to take on a new horror book. In any case, a promising start, so I've got my fingers crossed...
And, as I play the waiting game, I'm reading:
The Secret Life of Lobsters
Dark Eden
Down the Mysterly River (during my bus commute)
The Collected Poems of Muriel Rukeyser (in my spare time at work)
I finished! I worked like mad during the last half of March, and got through a semi-final fourth draft; it's as good as I can make it without feedback! I then sent it off to a small group of friends who like horror and had volunteered to read it and give me some feedback...I'm hoping to hear back from somebody soon, because as of yet, all I've heard is from one person who's really enjoying it and is about a fourth of the way through. Unfortunately, it was bad timing on my part since most of them are finishing up classes with final exams approaching in a few weeks, so we'll see. I also sent out some first query letters last week because I realized how long a process it could be to find an agent. One got back to me immediately and asked to see the full manuscript, which got me really excited because it's generally supposed to be a month, at minimum, before you hear anything one way or the other. Unfortunately, it was a pass ultimately, but he read in just a few days and said he "read it with great interest", but just didn't fall in love, which is what has to happen for him to take on a new horror book. In any case, a promising start, so I've got my fingers crossed...
And, as I play the waiting game, I'm reading:
The Secret Life of Lobsters
Dark Eden
Down the Mysterly River (during my bus commute)
The Collected Poems of Muriel Rukeyser (in my spare time at work)
191christina_reads
>190 whitewavedarling: Wow, that all sounds amazing! Best of luck to you as you shop around your manuscript!
193whitewavedarling
Thanks :)
195whitewavedarling
Thanks, Eva :)
196whitewavedarling
M. The Giveaways #5: Dark Eden by Chris Beckett
How I Picked it Up: This was an Early Reviewer Book (from the December batch), but I signed up for it specifically because I've been aiming to push myself to read more science fiction. In the end, though, I'd probably classify this as fantasy moreso than sci-fi, no matter what publishers or awards might cliam.
Full Review:
There are things to admire about this work. The world Beckett creates is interesting, and from the beginning of the novel to the end, I was always hoping to learn more about it. And, the book is ambitious and imaginative on many levels--the linguistic developments Beckett illustrates are both creative and sensible (given the situation). And, yet.
These two highlights of the work are two of the problems. For a book to truly create a new world, there needs to be some description--here, that was nearly entirely absent. Yes, the animals and flowers and trees and features were all given interesting titles...but did I have any idea what they were meant to look like? Rarely. I was left to imagine them for myself in nearly every instance (though I did eventually learn that one of the featured creatures has six legs). On a most basic level, we know that the world is lit by organisms' natural luminescence, and is never completely light in the way we think of day (on earth). Do I have any idea how light the world is, though, or what amount of visibility is normal where the characters generally live? Not a clue. Truthfully, most of Beckett's descriptions, few as they are, are given to temperature and the appearance of characters...but only those characters who look truly human. Those characters who evolved as what they call "batfaces" and "clawfeet"...well, I can guess, but does he describe them? Nope.
Based on my gripe with description bringing up the terms "batface" and "clawfeet" as descriptors for newly evolved features in humans, you might have guessed my next complaint. While it's nice to see a book make an effort at being linguistically creative in syntax and terminology (beyond naming), most of Beckett's attempts at linguistic innovation come off as comedic. If it were just the kids who used these terms, it would be one thing, but it's not. And the other central linguistic innovation is the fact that "very" is replaced by word repetition. So, rather than saying "very boring", characters say "boring boring". Or "silly silly" or "amusing amusing" or "hard hard" or "quiet quiet". Etc. As you might guess, this gets old quickly quickly quickly (and, yes, words are occasionally written three times instead of only twice, for that extra emphasis).
Unfortunately, there are other problems. The characters are mostly one-dimensional, and many of them are unlikable (including the two main characters of the work). And, though the chapters are written from different perspectives, the voices are nearly identical, to the extent that readers will have to glance back to a chapter heading to see who is actually speaking whenever character sympathies/emotions aren't involved (since those are quite distinct, if stereotypically so). Beyond the lack of character development and the stereotypes, the plot is also predictable--frighteningly so if you've given even a rudimentary study to anthropology, ancient civilizations, or sociology. Or Bible stories, for that matter. Sure, there's a question of where the book will end...but there's little to no wondering involved in figuring out how it will progress from one scene to the next.
All in all, this was a disappointing read, and it's hard for me to see how/why it won the Arthur C. Clarke Award. Yes, it is ambitious...but for the most part, it is also boring and unengaging. As a side note, I'm also not so sure that I'd willingly label this science fiction, if pushed. Yes, generations ago, the men and women of Eden came to the planet on space ships...but that technology is long gone, and we're essentially given a civilization that has started over from the base of two individuals with no access to technology, old or new. So, while this happens in the future if we're to take "earth time" as the base, the world we're given could be at any time, and the only technology we see is that of developing societies. In the scope of the book, there is no space travel, science, etc., in the way we'd generally think of it appearing in a science fiction novel. Honestly, this is more what I expect from fantasy--which isn't a complaint, though it does lead me to a further questioning of how it was labeled and then awarded the Arthur C. Clarke Award.
So, in the end, this obviously isn't something I'd recommend. I got it from the Librarything Early Reviewer's Program...and if I hadn't, I likely would have taken far longer to read it or left it unfinished for ages. Luckily, much as it does try to do, it is still an incredibly quick read.
How I Picked it Up: This was an Early Reviewer Book (from the December batch), but I signed up for it specifically because I've been aiming to push myself to read more science fiction. In the end, though, I'd probably classify this as fantasy moreso than sci-fi, no matter what publishers or awards might cliam.
Full Review:
There are things to admire about this work. The world Beckett creates is interesting, and from the beginning of the novel to the end, I was always hoping to learn more about it. And, the book is ambitious and imaginative on many levels--the linguistic developments Beckett illustrates are both creative and sensible (given the situation). And, yet.
These two highlights of the work are two of the problems. For a book to truly create a new world, there needs to be some description--here, that was nearly entirely absent. Yes, the animals and flowers and trees and features were all given interesting titles...but did I have any idea what they were meant to look like? Rarely. I was left to imagine them for myself in nearly every instance (though I did eventually learn that one of the featured creatures has six legs). On a most basic level, we know that the world is lit by organisms' natural luminescence, and is never completely light in the way we think of day (on earth). Do I have any idea how light the world is, though, or what amount of visibility is normal where the characters generally live? Not a clue. Truthfully, most of Beckett's descriptions, few as they are, are given to temperature and the appearance of characters...but only those characters who look truly human. Those characters who evolved as what they call "batfaces" and "clawfeet"...well, I can guess, but does he describe them? Nope.
Based on my gripe with description bringing up the terms "batface" and "clawfeet" as descriptors for newly evolved features in humans, you might have guessed my next complaint. While it's nice to see a book make an effort at being linguistically creative in syntax and terminology (beyond naming), most of Beckett's attempts at linguistic innovation come off as comedic. If it were just the kids who used these terms, it would be one thing, but it's not. And the other central linguistic innovation is the fact that "very" is replaced by word repetition. So, rather than saying "very boring", characters say "boring boring". Or "silly silly" or "amusing amusing" or "hard hard" or "quiet quiet". Etc. As you might guess, this gets old quickly quickly quickly (and, yes, words are occasionally written three times instead of only twice, for that extra emphasis).
Unfortunately, there are other problems. The characters are mostly one-dimensional, and many of them are unlikable (including the two main characters of the work). And, though the chapters are written from different perspectives, the voices are nearly identical, to the extent that readers will have to glance back to a chapter heading to see who is actually speaking whenever character sympathies/emotions aren't involved (since those are quite distinct, if stereotypically so). Beyond the lack of character development and the stereotypes, the plot is also predictable--frighteningly so if you've given even a rudimentary study to anthropology, ancient civilizations, or sociology. Or Bible stories, for that matter. Sure, there's a question of where the book will end...but there's little to no wondering involved in figuring out how it will progress from one scene to the next.
All in all, this was a disappointing read, and it's hard for me to see how/why it won the Arthur C. Clarke Award. Yes, it is ambitious...but for the most part, it is also boring and unengaging. As a side note, I'm also not so sure that I'd willingly label this science fiction, if pushed. Yes, generations ago, the men and women of Eden came to the planet on space ships...but that technology is long gone, and we're essentially given a civilization that has started over from the base of two individuals with no access to technology, old or new. So, while this happens in the future if we're to take "earth time" as the base, the world we're given could be at any time, and the only technology we see is that of developing societies. In the scope of the book, there is no space travel, science, etc., in the way we'd generally think of it appearing in a science fiction novel. Honestly, this is more what I expect from fantasy--which isn't a complaint, though it does lead me to a further questioning of how it was labeled and then awarded the Arthur C. Clarke Award.
So, in the end, this obviously isn't something I'd recommend. I got it from the Librarything Early Reviewer's Program...and if I hadn't, I likely would have taken far longer to read it or left it unfinished for ages. Luckily, much as it does try to do, it is still an incredibly quick read.
197whitewavedarling
K. The Body #6: Identity: A Novel by Milan Kundera
How I Picked it Up: This has been on my tbr pile for ages, and I've been meaning to read Kundera for ages. The GeoCat pushed me to finally get around to him, and I'm so glad I did....
Full Review:
With the intermingling of two individuals in love, identities change, and any love has an identity all in its own right. In this novel, Kunera has written the nightmare that that individual love would have, could it dream.
Identity is a short compelling tale of a man and woman, in love and in panic. As powerful as it is brief, the novel begins slowly and then begs to be read in one sitting, touching simply on everything that makes a love story so fearful and surreal.
Recommended.
How I Picked it Up: This has been on my tbr pile for ages, and I've been meaning to read Kundera for ages. The GeoCat pushed me to finally get around to him, and I'm so glad I did....
Full Review:
With the intermingling of two individuals in love, identities change, and any love has an identity all in its own right. In this novel, Kunera has written the nightmare that that individual love would have, could it dream.
Identity is a short compelling tale of a man and woman, in love and in panic. As powerful as it is brief, the novel begins slowly and then begs to be read in one sitting, touching simply on everything that makes a love story so fearful and surreal.
Recommended.
198whitewavedarling
As an update...
I'm about to leave town for a few days, so I won't be back around until Sunday night or Monday, but along with The Secret Life of Lobsters, I'm taking along Black Chalk (which is addictive so far, and will probably be finished during today's car-ride!), Oryx and Crake, and a book of short stories that may or may not get started...
I'm about to leave town for a few days, so I won't be back around until Sunday night or Monday, but along with The Secret Life of Lobsters, I'm taking along Black Chalk (which is addictive so far, and will probably be finished during today's car-ride!), Oryx and Crake, and a book of short stories that may or may not get started...
199dudes22
I have The Secret Life of Lobsters on my TBR pile and was thinking of reading it later this year for my non-fiction category. Will be interested to see what you think of it.
200whitewavedarling
>199 dudes22: It's great so far :) I stalled a bit because of some family stress and travelling this week, but rest assured that my relatively slow reading is no criticism of the work!
202whitewavedarling
M. The Giveaways #6: Black Chalk by Christopher Yates
How I Picked it Up: I signed up for this in a Goodreads First Reader Giveaway, and I'm so glad I won it. I think I signed up thinking it would be more horror than suspense (and it ended up being literary suspense/thriller), but I really enjoyed it! (four and a half stars)
Full Review:
Original, twisting, and suspenseful, this is one of those novels that pulls you in and keeps hold of your imagination until the end. Built from memorable characters and too-believable twists, the book itself is a beautifully structured game of intrigue that weaves together past and present in a graceful give-and-take of information, emotion, and fear.
My only critique of the book is that it may be too suspenseful--Yates builds up the pressure of the plot masterfully, but the torturous suspense reaches such a level that nearly any end would be anticlimactic. As a result, while I enjoyed every moment of the suspense, I had a feeling early on that whatever was coming couldn't quite live up to the dangerous tone of the novel. Along the same lines, I have to say that there may be too much ambiguity in the way things are wrapped up. I hesitate to say that Yates got lazy in finishing out rationales and plotlines, but then again, I did expect more closure since there's no indication (from what I see) that there'll be a sequel.
On the whole, this was an engaging and suspenseful read, well worth the time, and the humor sprinkled throughout the work made it that much more addictive. Without a doubt, I'd pick up the next work by Yates, and I'm glad I managed to snag this one out of the GoodReads First Reader Giveaways.
Recommended.
How I Picked it Up: I signed up for this in a Goodreads First Reader Giveaway, and I'm so glad I won it. I think I signed up thinking it would be more horror than suspense (and it ended up being literary suspense/thriller), but I really enjoyed it! (four and a half stars)
Full Review:
Original, twisting, and suspenseful, this is one of those novels that pulls you in and keeps hold of your imagination until the end. Built from memorable characters and too-believable twists, the book itself is a beautifully structured game of intrigue that weaves together past and present in a graceful give-and-take of information, emotion, and fear.
My only critique of the book is that it may be too suspenseful--Yates builds up the pressure of the plot masterfully, but the torturous suspense reaches such a level that nearly any end would be anticlimactic. As a result, while I enjoyed every moment of the suspense, I had a feeling early on that whatever was coming couldn't quite live up to the dangerous tone of the novel. Along the same lines, I have to say that there may be too much ambiguity in the way things are wrapped up. I hesitate to say that Yates got lazy in finishing out rationales and plotlines, but then again, I did expect more closure since there's no indication (from what I see) that there'll be a sequel.
On the whole, this was an engaging and suspenseful read, well worth the time, and the humor sprinkled throughout the work made it that much more addictive. Without a doubt, I'd pick up the next work by Yates, and I'm glad I managed to snag this one out of the GoodReads First Reader Giveaways.
Recommended.
203whitewavedarling
K. The Body #7: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
How I Picked it Up: I've been meaning to try Atwood for ages, and this one caught my fancy as we were coming up on the month-read for Margaret Atwood. I had high expectations because all of my friends have raved about her so much, and I'm not sure the book entirely met them, but I certainly enjoyed it, and I'll probably buy the sequel this weekend. I gave it four stars primarily because the narrative isn't really an insular read--though some questions are answered, there's really no closure, leaving a cliff-hanger ending (of a sort--there's not as much suspense there as I think might have been meant) for the next book, which I don't appreciate.
Full Review:
Addictive and winding, this is one of those books which will suck you in within pages, leaving you unable to stop and still wondering why. Atwood's winding structure is a labyrinth of grief, discovery, and the dangers of technology and so-called progress, and while her characters may be difficult to fully engage with or relate to, they are as believable as they are realistic to the world she creates. All together, this novel is a stunning journey into a future which seems all too possible, humorous and heartbreaking as it may be.
One warning: as the first book in a trilogy, this novel doesn't hold as much closure as many readers (including myself) would hope for. The writing and the story are enough to pull me in for the second work in the series, but I'm not thrilled that the story here didn't end on a clearer note or hold a more insular narrative. It may be worth noting that, were the second book not already in stores, I'm not sure how long the story would stick with me and pull me back in after a wait for publication.
How I Picked it Up: I've been meaning to try Atwood for ages, and this one caught my fancy as we were coming up on the month-read for Margaret Atwood. I had high expectations because all of my friends have raved about her so much, and I'm not sure the book entirely met them, but I certainly enjoyed it, and I'll probably buy the sequel this weekend. I gave it four stars primarily because the narrative isn't really an insular read--though some questions are answered, there's really no closure, leaving a cliff-hanger ending (of a sort--there's not as much suspense there as I think might have been meant) for the next book, which I don't appreciate.
Full Review:
Addictive and winding, this is one of those books which will suck you in within pages, leaving you unable to stop and still wondering why. Atwood's winding structure is a labyrinth of grief, discovery, and the dangers of technology and so-called progress, and while her characters may be difficult to fully engage with or relate to, they are as believable as they are realistic to the world she creates. All together, this novel is a stunning journey into a future which seems all too possible, humorous and heartbreaking as it may be.
One warning: as the first book in a trilogy, this novel doesn't hold as much closure as many readers (including myself) would hope for. The writing and the story are enough to pull me in for the second work in the series, but I'm not thrilled that the story here didn't end on a clearer note or hold a more insular narrative. It may be worth noting that, were the second book not already in stores, I'm not sure how long the story would stick with me and pull me back in after a wait for publication.
204whitewavedarling
E. Who They Might Have Been #3: Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas by Maya Angelou
How I Picked It Up: I read Angelou's first two autobiographical works last year, so this was towards the top of the tbr stack for 2014. I don't know how it took me so long to discover her autobiographies. Start with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings...and you'll be just as hooked as I was.
Full Review:
Another installment in Maya Angelou's series of autobiographical works, this installment chronicles Angelou's first steps into show business and fame, as well as further discoveries and adventures in her personal relationships. Though it may be a step less emotional and dramatic than the two earlier works in her series, it is just as poetic and telling. Readers of her earlier works will find it a worthwhile read, and a fast one.
Recommended.
How I Picked It Up: I read Angelou's first two autobiographical works last year, so this was towards the top of the tbr stack for 2014. I don't know how it took me so long to discover her autobiographies. Start with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings...and you'll be just as hooked as I was.
Full Review:
Another installment in Maya Angelou's series of autobiographical works, this installment chronicles Angelou's first steps into show business and fame, as well as further discoveries and adventures in her personal relationships. Though it may be a step less emotional and dramatic than the two earlier works in her series, it is just as poetic and telling. Readers of her earlier works will find it a worthwhile read, and a fast one.
Recommended.
205whitewavedarling
A. The Sea #4: The Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson
How I Picked it Up: I've been meaning to read this book for ages, and it fit into the gastro challenge this month...I'm so glad I finally got around to it! A wonderful wonderful and entertaining read :)
Full Review (Five Stars):
In this fascinating mix of science and anecdote, Corson balances the habits of lobsters with the lives (and habits) of those fishermen and scientists whose lives revolve around the waters off of Maine and the lobsters within. Built from humor and science, the work nonetheless reads as something like a mystery novel, remaining compulsively readable throughout. Whether readers find this work because of interests in conservation or dinner menus, they'll find themselves entertained and amused, and learning far more than they thought there was to know or retain.
Absolutely recommended--there's something in this book for everyone, and it's nothing less than a readable roller coaster of ecology, politics, and humor.
How I Picked it Up: I've been meaning to read this book for ages, and it fit into the gastro challenge this month...I'm so glad I finally got around to it! A wonderful wonderful and entertaining read :)
Full Review (Five Stars):
In this fascinating mix of science and anecdote, Corson balances the habits of lobsters with the lives (and habits) of those fishermen and scientists whose lives revolve around the waters off of Maine and the lobsters within. Built from humor and science, the work nonetheless reads as something like a mystery novel, remaining compulsively readable throughout. Whether readers find this work because of interests in conservation or dinner menus, they'll find themselves entertained and amused, and learning far more than they thought there was to know or retain.
Absolutely recommended--there's something in this book for everyone, and it's nothing less than a readable roller coaster of ecology, politics, and humor.
206whitewavedarling
B. Creatures on the Covers #4: Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham
How I Picked It Up: I stumbled across this while wandering through the stacks of the comic book shop that I grew up frequenting, and rarely make my way back to anymore.
Full Review:
I've got incredibly mixed feelings about this one, much as I was looking forward to reading it.
This should have been just up my alley, and story-wise, it certainly is. Fantasy adventure, talking animals, suspense...whether adult or young adult, this sounds like just my sort of story. And I loved the story, and many of the characters. And, yet...
The main character drove me a bit crazy, and was far too much of a know-it-all for me to enjoy following his adventure. Even though his character made a bit more sense by the end of the story, I probably wouldn't have gotten that far if I weren't someone who finished every book I start, regardless of how much I'm annoyed or entranced. Additionally, the writing put me off. In passages which should have been full of suspense, the writing and the scenes were too abrupt and too brief to really bring in any suspense at all. Also on a writing level, tone was a problem for me. At times, the novel felt too silly (no other word for it) for young adults, let alone adult readers, and at other times the book felt too serious for young adults, with death too present a force. Characters were the same--at times, they were so silly as to be unbelievable, while at other times they were too serious and there was too much at stake for a YA book, in my opinion. In a word, both the story and the characters were inconsistent.
On the whole, I think I'd give the author another try, but much as I should have loved this book...well, I just didn't.
How I Picked It Up: I stumbled across this while wandering through the stacks of the comic book shop that I grew up frequenting, and rarely make my way back to anymore.
Full Review:
I've got incredibly mixed feelings about this one, much as I was looking forward to reading it.
This should have been just up my alley, and story-wise, it certainly is. Fantasy adventure, talking animals, suspense...whether adult or young adult, this sounds like just my sort of story. And I loved the story, and many of the characters. And, yet...
The main character drove me a bit crazy, and was far too much of a know-it-all for me to enjoy following his adventure. Even though his character made a bit more sense by the end of the story, I probably wouldn't have gotten that far if I weren't someone who finished every book I start, regardless of how much I'm annoyed or entranced. Additionally, the writing put me off. In passages which should have been full of suspense, the writing and the scenes were too abrupt and too brief to really bring in any suspense at all. Also on a writing level, tone was a problem for me. At times, the novel felt too silly (no other word for it) for young adults, let alone adult readers, and at other times the book felt too serious for young adults, with death too present a force. Characters were the same--at times, they were so silly as to be unbelievable, while at other times they were too serious and there was too much at stake for a YA book, in my opinion. In a word, both the story and the characters were inconsistent.
On the whole, I think I'd give the author another try, but much as I should have loved this book...well, I just didn't.
207whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #7: The Collected Poems of Muriel Rukeyser by Muriel Rukeyser
How I Picked it Up: I've been a fan of Rukeyser's 'Book of the Dead' and writings on poetry for some time, so this has been on the tbr mountain for years. For me, it was worth reading.
Full Review:
Though Rukeyser isn't one of my favorite poets, her works shine with moments of power, insight, and wisdom, and there's no denying that she was "ahead of her time" in terms of politically and socially engaged poetry. As a collection, this has many highs and lows, and her strongest moments are within the many poetic sequences she wrote. For poets, though, and for all those readers and writers interested in socio-politically engaged writings (or writers) and/or feminist writers, Rukeyser can't be ignored. And, in the end, there are enough moments in this collection which I'll return to and treasure that the reading of the full collected works was well worth the time.
I wouldn't ever recommend this for the casual poetry reader, but it does have its moments, and many readers will absolutely find it worth their time.
How I Picked it Up: I've been a fan of Rukeyser's 'Book of the Dead' and writings on poetry for some time, so this has been on the tbr mountain for years. For me, it was worth reading.
Full Review:
Though Rukeyser isn't one of my favorite poets, her works shine with moments of power, insight, and wisdom, and there's no denying that she was "ahead of her time" in terms of politically and socially engaged poetry. As a collection, this has many highs and lows, and her strongest moments are within the many poetic sequences she wrote. For poets, though, and for all those readers and writers interested in socio-politically engaged writings (or writers) and/or feminist writers, Rukeyser can't be ignored. And, in the end, there are enough moments in this collection which I'll return to and treasure that the reading of the full collected works was well worth the time.
I wouldn't ever recommend this for the casual poetry reader, but it does have its moments, and many readers will absolutely find it worth their time.
208mathgirl40
I enjoyed reading your thoughts on Oryx and Crake. I can understand your feelings about the lack of closure, but I do hope you'll complete the trilogy. I really loved the third book and found that it pulled everything together and left me feeling quite satisfied about the story as a whole.
209whitewavedarling
>208 mathgirl40: Good to know :) I picked up Year of the Flood last week, so I'll get to it some time soon...
210whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #8: Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
How I Picked it up: Kingsolver is someone I've really enjoyed reading in the past, and I happened to find this on the bargain rack when I was looking for something to pass the time before a meeting last Friday. I picked it up, and I'm glad I did--Kingsolver isn't someone who I necessarily pick up and read automatically with every work, and I might not have found this one if I hadn't stumbled across it. My own interests in science, though, made it an all-but perfect read (for this reader at least)! I should note--I gave this four stars because of the ending. If not for the last chapter, it would have been five stars...
Full Review:
Bound together by harsh truths related to poverty, disappointment, and climate change, Kingsolver's Flight Behavior moves forward with her signature lyric prose, weaving worlds that are both foreign and familiar. As always, her characters are not just believable, but engaging and, if anything, too realistic and familiar for comfort. In this novel in particular, the children and the odd mix of central characters are the heart of the work, illustrating the heartbreaking disconnect between devoted naturalists and a community which is necessarily held outside of that world by economic concerns and personal crises of their own.
Even though it took some time for me to engage with Kingsolver's narrator here, I ended up not being able to put the book down once I'd moved through maybe a quarter of the novel, and the compelling story that evolves in the work held me in until the end. My only complaint, in the end, is with the ending. The wrap-up felt not only rushed, but unbelievable on some levels of plotting and character, and after such a wonderful tale, I really expected more. Despite the ending, though, the book was well worth reading and passing on.
Overall, recommended. The ending is the only thing that will hold this off from remaining a favorite of mine.
On a separate note:
This eighth book in my "H" category means I met my goal for the category, mostly with books that had been sitting on my tbr for ages. I'm sure this category will grow, though, goal finished or not!
How I Picked it up: Kingsolver is someone I've really enjoyed reading in the past, and I happened to find this on the bargain rack when I was looking for something to pass the time before a meeting last Friday. I picked it up, and I'm glad I did--Kingsolver isn't someone who I necessarily pick up and read automatically with every work, and I might not have found this one if I hadn't stumbled across it. My own interests in science, though, made it an all-but perfect read (for this reader at least)! I should note--I gave this four stars because of the ending. If not for the last chapter, it would have been five stars...
Full Review:
Bound together by harsh truths related to poverty, disappointment, and climate change, Kingsolver's Flight Behavior moves forward with her signature lyric prose, weaving worlds that are both foreign and familiar. As always, her characters are not just believable, but engaging and, if anything, too realistic and familiar for comfort. In this novel in particular, the children and the odd mix of central characters are the heart of the work, illustrating the heartbreaking disconnect between devoted naturalists and a community which is necessarily held outside of that world by economic concerns and personal crises of their own.
Even though it took some time for me to engage with Kingsolver's narrator here, I ended up not being able to put the book down once I'd moved through maybe a quarter of the novel, and the compelling story that evolves in the work held me in until the end. My only complaint, in the end, is with the ending. The wrap-up felt not only rushed, but unbelievable on some levels of plotting and character, and after such a wonderful tale, I really expected more. Despite the ending, though, the book was well worth reading and passing on.
Overall, recommended. The ending is the only thing that will hold this off from remaining a favorite of mine.
On a separate note:
This eighth book in my "H" category means I met my goal for the category, mostly with books that had been sitting on my tbr for ages. I'm sure this category will grow, though, goal finished or not!
211Nickelini
You might have to do more searching than looking out to find Magona, though, I'm afraid. She's well-known in South Africa, but not so much here. I do absolutely recommend this story collection, though, as well as her novel Beauty's Gift!
I completely agree with you. I've been looking for Beauty's Gift for several years, ever since I read and loved Living Loving Lying Awake at Night. She's an amazing author.
I completely agree with you. I've been looking for Beauty's Gift for several years, ever since I read and loved Living Loving Lying Awake at Night. She's an amazing author.
212whitewavedarling
Beauty's Gift is wonderful--well worth ordering.
213Nickelini
#212 - It appears to be out of print, and when I looked for used copies online a few years ago, it was really expensive. One day I'll find a copy.
214whitewavedarling
>213 Nickelini: That's a shame, though it doesn't surprise me :( That's one of the few non-American or British works to deal with HIV/AIDS, and HIV/AIDS related lit. doesn't tend to stay in print all that long regardless of its origin. When I read it, it was her newest work, and it was still harder to find than her older works.
Meanwhile, from a writer who isn't at all hard to find...
A. The Sea #5: Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
How I picked it up: I was a huge fan of Lahiri's first collection of stories, so even though I didn't enjoy her (first) novel as much, this was sure to read at some point, and had been on my tbr mountain for a while.
Full Review:
Lahiri's lyric prose is built from attention to detail and emotion, revolving around immigration and coming-of-age stories that ring true with readers across cultures. The first part of this novel will ring familiar to readers already accustomed to Lahiri's work, and may even come across as repetitive or less striking. Yet, in the second part of this collection, all of her beauty and power strikes through.
In the first part, each story is separate, the characters reminiscent of those she explored in Interpreter of Maladies, her first collection. The stories are lovely in and of themselves...but they are not so unique or powerful, maybe particularly to readers already familiar with her work since these stories pursue the same themes already so often explored in her works.
Yet, the second part of this collection is a trio of linked stories which are as unique, powerful, and disarming as anything else she has written. I admit: in the first portion of this work, I wasn't bored...but I wasn't so sure I'd seek her work out in the future. In the second portion, I couldn't bring myself to put the work down. As when I first discovered her work, her characters and her prose disarmed me and brought me near to tears, striking as anything I've read in recent years.
Read the first part for her lovely attention to detail, to characters, to emotion, and to polished writing. Read the second part for her unique power, and for what we look for in fiction with each story we escape to.
Recommended, absolutely.
Meanwhile, from a writer who isn't at all hard to find...
A. The Sea #5: Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
How I picked it up: I was a huge fan of Lahiri's first collection of stories, so even though I didn't enjoy her (first) novel as much, this was sure to read at some point, and had been on my tbr mountain for a while.
Full Review:
Lahiri's lyric prose is built from attention to detail and emotion, revolving around immigration and coming-of-age stories that ring true with readers across cultures. The first part of this novel will ring familiar to readers already accustomed to Lahiri's work, and may even come across as repetitive or less striking. Yet, in the second part of this collection, all of her beauty and power strikes through.
In the first part, each story is separate, the characters reminiscent of those she explored in Interpreter of Maladies, her first collection. The stories are lovely in and of themselves...but they are not so unique or powerful, maybe particularly to readers already familiar with her work since these stories pursue the same themes already so often explored in her works.
Yet, the second part of this collection is a trio of linked stories which are as unique, powerful, and disarming as anything else she has written. I admit: in the first portion of this work, I wasn't bored...but I wasn't so sure I'd seek her work out in the future. In the second portion, I couldn't bring myself to put the work down. As when I first discovered her work, her characters and her prose disarmed me and brought me near to tears, striking as anything I've read in recent years.
Read the first part for her lovely attention to detail, to characters, to emotion, and to polished writing. Read the second part for her unique power, and for what we look for in fiction with each story we escape to.
Recommended, absolutely.
215dudes22
Every time someone reads a book from my TBR pile, I say the same thing: I need to move this up.
216rabbitprincess
Thumbs-up for the great review! :)
219LittleTaiko
So now I'm really excited to read Unaccustomed Earth later this month - nice review!
220whitewavedarling
>219 LittleTaiko: I'm glad! The second part is a lot more powerful than the first, but the first was still worth reading.
221LovingLit
>203 whitewavedarling: that Oryx and Crake is the first in a trilogy was news to me, late news. I was left for ages wondering what I had missed with the ending of that book! It just seemed to ....end. :)
I am not sure I will read the rest, but then again, I did just read and love The Handmaid's Tale. I guess my arm could be twisted.
I am not sure I will read the rest, but then again, I did just read and love The Handmaid's Tale. I guess my arm could be twisted.
222whitewavedarling
>221 LovingLit: I actually didn't realize it was so not-stand-alone either, or I probably wouldn't have read it. As is, though, I bought the second one, and I found the third/last one incredibly cheap at a library clearance sale, new as it is, so I'll get around to them. It's true that I don't feel any urgency, though. Hearing you loved The Handmaid's Tale gives me a bit more of a push--I would have begun with that one, except that my copy has such small print!
223whitewavedarling
On another note on Oryx and Crake and to >221 LovingLit:...I started Year of the Flood, and I'm a bit dismayed that it appears to center around wholly different characters. It took most of Oryx and Crake for me to become engaged with the characters There, and when I finally did, the book stopped. Now I have to continue the trilogy with wholly different characters? Atwood has me a bit cranky at the moment.
224whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #9: Bitter Milk by John McManus
How I Picked it Up: I got this at a bargain rack at a bookstore ages ago because it sounded interesting, and the gastrocat challenge inspired me to finally get around to it. Unfortunately, in every respect, the book sounds a lot more interesting than it is. I can't complain, though--this is the first gastrocat book I've picked up that hasn't been fairly stellar, and it is a book off of the tbr...
Full Review:
All things considered, it's almost absurd that this book is as unfortunately uninteresting as it is. The characters are unlikable and unengaging, the point-of-view seems to be undertaken primarily as a game with the reader, and the flow of the narrative is nothing less than jarring.
Moments of the book are fascinating, and the characters and plot are believable...but this one was a struggle that I simply can't imagine recommending on. Unless you're curious what happens when you attempt a primary narrator who could be many things, but is probably a not any version of a real person in the lives of other characters, and is also not a traditional narrator.
As an experiment, I suppose this book might have some interest...to someone...but I wouldn't recommend it. How this book ended up being So uninteresting is really the only thing that I found engaging about it.
How I Picked it Up: I got this at a bargain rack at a bookstore ages ago because it sounded interesting, and the gastrocat challenge inspired me to finally get around to it. Unfortunately, in every respect, the book sounds a lot more interesting than it is. I can't complain, though--this is the first gastrocat book I've picked up that hasn't been fairly stellar, and it is a book off of the tbr...
Full Review:
All things considered, it's almost absurd that this book is as unfortunately uninteresting as it is. The characters are unlikable and unengaging, the point-of-view seems to be undertaken primarily as a game with the reader, and the flow of the narrative is nothing less than jarring.
Moments of the book are fascinating, and the characters and plot are believable...but this one was a struggle that I simply can't imagine recommending on. Unless you're curious what happens when you attempt a primary narrator who could be many things, but is probably a not any version of a real person in the lives of other characters, and is also not a traditional narrator.
As an experiment, I suppose this book might have some interest...to someone...but I wouldn't recommend it. How this book ended up being So uninteresting is really the only thing that I found engaging about it.
225whitewavedarling
G. The Creepy Cover #4: The Amityville Horror: A True Story by Jay Anson
How I Picked it Up: I think I read this in highschool, and I've been meaning to re-read it for ages, but the strange close-up flies on my edition kept on putting me off. Finally, I got around to it...
Full Review:
Focused on what may be the most famous haunting episode in American history or culture, this book serves as the original definitive account of what happened to and in the Lutz home at 112 Ocean Avenue in Long Island in the mid-1970s.
Written as a journalistic account, the book is surprisingly creepy--more so, in fact, for this stylistic choice. Written objectively, the events and dialogues within the book are both frighteningly believable and horrific, carefully documenting the 28 days in which the Lutz family lived--or attempted to live--at 112 Ocean Avenue.
Readers familiar with tales of horror or haunting will still be chilled by this work--Anson's journalistic focus in documenting the events gives each page the feeling of documentary fact instead of narrative, and the details are impressive.
In the end, whether you're looking for fact or fiction of this nature, you'll find this work worth picking up. It's a fast and entertaining read...and a scary one, as well.
Recommended.
How I Picked it Up: I think I read this in highschool, and I've been meaning to re-read it for ages, but the strange close-up flies on my edition kept on putting me off. Finally, I got around to it...
Full Review:
Focused on what may be the most famous haunting episode in American history or culture, this book serves as the original definitive account of what happened to and in the Lutz home at 112 Ocean Avenue in Long Island in the mid-1970s.
Written as a journalistic account, the book is surprisingly creepy--more so, in fact, for this stylistic choice. Written objectively, the events and dialogues within the book are both frighteningly believable and horrific, carefully documenting the 28 days in which the Lutz family lived--or attempted to live--at 112 Ocean Avenue.
Readers familiar with tales of horror or haunting will still be chilled by this work--Anson's journalistic focus in documenting the events gives each page the feeling of documentary fact instead of narrative, and the details are impressive.
In the end, whether you're looking for fact or fiction of this nature, you'll find this work worth picking up. It's a fast and entertaining read...and a scary one, as well.
Recommended.
226Nickelini
#223 WhiteWavedarling - Now I have to continue the trilogy with wholly different characters? Atwood has me a bit cranky at the moment.
Yes, that's true, which is why I guess some call it a "side-quel." Personally, I liked these characters soooo much better. And I liked this book better too.
Yes, that's true, which is why I guess some call it a "side-quel." Personally, I liked these characters soooo much better. And I liked this book better too.
227whitewavedarling
>226 Nickelini:, I think this will be the case for me too. I'm only on page 50, but I'm already more interested in them than I was in the characters of Oryx and Crake. Still, I have a feeling it's going to stay my by-the-bed reading and be a slower finish than the books I read in the meantime. We'll see...
228whitewavedarling
Well, I've been in the midst of two reads I'm not enjoying all that much: Year of the Flood and Barkeep. One done. I'm moving on today to read The Necromancer's House, which I've got high hopes for. I'll keep at the Atwood, but I'm less and less interested, unfortunately...
M. The Giveaways #7: The Barkeep by William Lashner
How I Picked it Up: It sounded interesting, so I signed up a for a Goodreads First Reader Giveaway...unfortunately, it wasn't really worth the time. 2.5 stars.
Full Review:
At the heart of this book, there's an interesting story, and it moves quickly enough, but it really needed a bit more work writing-wise. Even aside from the fact that it's incredibly over-written, both the characters and the writing are heavy on clichés, stereotypes, and bits that are simply unbelievable--the only word to use is cheesy, which isn't something I'd ever search out in a novel. At a certain point, I was plodding through the novel because of my dismay at the writing (his heart sings? really?) and my growing frustration with how flat the characters remained. The story itself had plenty of twists-and-turns, enough to keep me guessing until the end did, finally, become entirely predictable, but the book really suffered from a lack of character development and a lack of attention to editing.
All in all, this is more mystery than thriller, and probably not something I'd recommend unless you like a lot of cheesiness mixed into your entertainment.
M. The Giveaways #7: The Barkeep by William Lashner
How I Picked it Up: It sounded interesting, so I signed up a for a Goodreads First Reader Giveaway...unfortunately, it wasn't really worth the time. 2.5 stars.
Full Review:
At the heart of this book, there's an interesting story, and it moves quickly enough, but it really needed a bit more work writing-wise. Even aside from the fact that it's incredibly over-written, both the characters and the writing are heavy on clichés, stereotypes, and bits that are simply unbelievable--the only word to use is cheesy, which isn't something I'd ever search out in a novel. At a certain point, I was plodding through the novel because of my dismay at the writing (his heart sings? really?) and my growing frustration with how flat the characters remained. The story itself had plenty of twists-and-turns, enough to keep me guessing until the end did, finally, become entirely predictable, but the book really suffered from a lack of character development and a lack of attention to editing.
All in all, this is more mystery than thriller, and probably not something I'd recommend unless you like a lot of cheesiness mixed into your entertainment.
229lkernagh
I hate it when not one, but both of my current reads are just not grabbing me. Good for you in getting one finished. ;-)
230whitewavedarling
>229 lkernagh: Yes! But, on the good side, the book I picked up afterward sucked me right in and won't let go. I don't think I can read it at night because of the creepiness, but the author (Christopher Buehlman) has definitely found a new fan! So, already, I'd recommend The Necromancer's House, and when it's dark, I'm wandering too through a short story collection: Astoria to Zion: Stories of Risk and Abandon from Ecotone's First Decade.
231whitewavedarling
L. Houses and Stairways #8: The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman
How I Picked It Up: I should say that I NEVER buy hardbacks by authors I'm unfamiliar with--my hardback purchases are reserved for books I can't stand waiting for, books by favorite authors which I simply can't resist. And then I came across this one. I bought it partly because I just couldn't resist, based on the cover and the blurb and the title. Granted, I may not have been able to excuse myself enough to make the purchase if not for the fact that I weren't focusing so much on bad house lit. at the moment, but I don't remember when a book has insisted I pick it up and buy it like this one did. And? No regrets. I'll read anything this author writes now that I've discovered him. Five stars.
Full Review:
Built from powerful and believable characters, frightening magic, and day-to-day struggles such as love and addiction, this is one of those books that surprises readers at regular turns and still packs a surprising amount of emotion...far more than you'd expect from suspense or horror.
At the center of this book is Andrew Blankenship--a recovering alcoholic, a man just past(?) mourning, and a recluse...who also happens to be a powerful necromancer. Making the book what it is, there are other witches (one of whom Andrew is falling slightly in lust with, even if she doesn't care for men), villains to haunt readers as well as witches, and scenes that will make you cringe with nearly every word. There are also moments of heartbreak and regret drawn from the obstacles we all face in moving forward with our lives, and monsters who you'll be torn between hating and adoring.
And somehow, Buehlman pulls all of this into a solid and coherent novel, all of it unique and masterful. You can call this horror or suspense, or simply take it for what it is--a unique and creepy adventure of a novel, perfectly envisioned and wonderfully original.
This will be too strong and violent for some readers, and give others nightmares...but for many, it will be a horribly perfect story.
Absolutely recommended.
How I Picked It Up: I should say that I NEVER buy hardbacks by authors I'm unfamiliar with--my hardback purchases are reserved for books I can't stand waiting for, books by favorite authors which I simply can't resist. And then I came across this one. I bought it partly because I just couldn't resist, based on the cover and the blurb and the title. Granted, I may not have been able to excuse myself enough to make the purchase if not for the fact that I weren't focusing so much on bad house lit. at the moment, but I don't remember when a book has insisted I pick it up and buy it like this one did. And? No regrets. I'll read anything this author writes now that I've discovered him. Five stars.
Full Review:
Built from powerful and believable characters, frightening magic, and day-to-day struggles such as love and addiction, this is one of those books that surprises readers at regular turns and still packs a surprising amount of emotion...far more than you'd expect from suspense or horror.
At the center of this book is Andrew Blankenship--a recovering alcoholic, a man just past(?) mourning, and a recluse...who also happens to be a powerful necromancer. Making the book what it is, there are other witches (one of whom Andrew is falling slightly in lust with, even if she doesn't care for men), villains to haunt readers as well as witches, and scenes that will make you cringe with nearly every word. There are also moments of heartbreak and regret drawn from the obstacles we all face in moving forward with our lives, and monsters who you'll be torn between hating and adoring.
And somehow, Buehlman pulls all of this into a solid and coherent novel, all of it unique and masterful. You can call this horror or suspense, or simply take it for what it is--a unique and creepy adventure of a novel, perfectly envisioned and wonderfully original.
This will be too strong and violent for some readers, and give others nightmares...but for many, it will be a horribly perfect story.
Absolutely recommended.
233whitewavedarling
Me too...especially when they have a few other books floating around out there already :)
235whitewavedarling
C. Places? Places. #5: Ruby by Cynthia Bond
How I Picked it Up: This was my early reviewer win from January. More than any book I've read in some time, it really transported me to a clear location, one I could feel and picture and understand (a rural town in the south). Though, I should say, this book paints an incredibly dark picture of the south, one peopled more with stereotypes and misunderstanding than the reality I know. But, the depiction of landscape and custom was impeccable.
Full Review:
Bond's Ruby centers around characters whose lives are littered with the many violences accompanying racism, prejudice, and extremist thought. With legacies of violence and misunderstanding dictating paths forward, the novel is somewhat predictable, frightening as it is, but Bond's writing and level of detail manage to make the read a new experience, despite familiar landscapes. As quickly as the book reads, though, it may be that Bond pulled together too many trails of plot together in this one work, with depth and characterization suffering some as a result, lovely as the writing is.
Readers should be warned ahead of time, though, that Bond takes this novel to darker (and more detailed) territories than even the jacket blurb or the above notes suggest, integrating both devil worship and forced prostitution into the overall plot. These aspects end up overtaking the more subtle (and more widely realistic?) themes of the novel, making it a more memorable read, but also one which may end up suffering for their inclusion.
Bond's writing, however, is something like a meshing of the poetry of Morrison and the clear plotting and plain-spoken characters of Gaines, and as a result the writing is compelling. Much as I think Bond tried to bring together too many ideas in order to make her story ring as something new, the dark twists of the novel do work to drive the narrative.
In the end, it's hard to know what to make of this novel. It is far less subtle than works by writers such as Morrison and Gaines, but then again, the horror of what is not so widely realistic here pales in comparison to the horrors that are realistic...and, as a result, the novel ends up being surprisingly powerful for such a fast read.
Recommended for mature readers who are ready for a darker story than what the book blurb suggests.
How I Picked it Up: This was my early reviewer win from January. More than any book I've read in some time, it really transported me to a clear location, one I could feel and picture and understand (a rural town in the south). Though, I should say, this book paints an incredibly dark picture of the south, one peopled more with stereotypes and misunderstanding than the reality I know. But, the depiction of landscape and custom was impeccable.
Full Review:
Bond's Ruby centers around characters whose lives are littered with the many violences accompanying racism, prejudice, and extremist thought. With legacies of violence and misunderstanding dictating paths forward, the novel is somewhat predictable, frightening as it is, but Bond's writing and level of detail manage to make the read a new experience, despite familiar landscapes. As quickly as the book reads, though, it may be that Bond pulled together too many trails of plot together in this one work, with depth and characterization suffering some as a result, lovely as the writing is.
Readers should be warned ahead of time, though, that Bond takes this novel to darker (and more detailed) territories than even the jacket blurb or the above notes suggest, integrating both devil worship and forced prostitution into the overall plot. These aspects end up overtaking the more subtle (and more widely realistic?) themes of the novel, making it a more memorable read, but also one which may end up suffering for their inclusion.
Bond's writing, however, is something like a meshing of the poetry of Morrison and the clear plotting and plain-spoken characters of Gaines, and as a result the writing is compelling. Much as I think Bond tried to bring together too many ideas in order to make her story ring as something new, the dark twists of the novel do work to drive the narrative.
In the end, it's hard to know what to make of this novel. It is far less subtle than works by writers such as Morrison and Gaines, but then again, the horror of what is not so widely realistic here pales in comparison to the horrors that are realistic...and, as a result, the novel ends up being surprisingly powerful for such a fast read.
Recommended for mature readers who are ready for a darker story than what the book blurb suggests.
236whitewavedarling
A general update...
I spent most of the last week either at my family's house or at my husband's family's house (they only live about an hour apart from each other, or a slight bit more, conveniently). It was a stressful week, but I did get some reading in--I'm now most of the way through The Thirteenth Tale, and also most of the way through Year of the Flood, which I left here since it's not so much of an escape as I thought I'd need.
Meanwhile, though, my mother-in-law is helping with an estate sale, and I got to take a peak at the books, many of which are pretty old. If the prices don't go beyond the few dollars they're currently listed at, I asked her to pick me up a few this weekend at the actual sale, if possible. I've really got my fingers crossed for:
-a first American edition of Baudelaire's poetry, Flowers of Evil
-a lovely old copy of The Decameron
and, because I couldn't resist the price (and might sell them if I get them):
-a first edition of Virginia Woolf's Three Guineas
-a first edition of a short story collection by James Thurber with illustrations by the author
-a numbered limited edition copy of Charles Dickens Mystery of Edwin Drood--maybe a first American edition, though I don't remember the details at the moment
I'm excited about maybe getting these books :) Otherwise, the trip home was about as expected, and I'm looking forward to a few days at home to relax and read...and, of course, cuddle with our animals who missed us!
I spent most of the last week either at my family's house or at my husband's family's house (they only live about an hour apart from each other, or a slight bit more, conveniently). It was a stressful week, but I did get some reading in--I'm now most of the way through The Thirteenth Tale, and also most of the way through Year of the Flood, which I left here since it's not so much of an escape as I thought I'd need.
Meanwhile, though, my mother-in-law is helping with an estate sale, and I got to take a peak at the books, many of which are pretty old. If the prices don't go beyond the few dollars they're currently listed at, I asked her to pick me up a few this weekend at the actual sale, if possible. I've really got my fingers crossed for:
-a first American edition of Baudelaire's poetry, Flowers of Evil
-a lovely old copy of The Decameron
and, because I couldn't resist the price (and might sell them if I get them):
-a first edition of Virginia Woolf's Three Guineas
-a first edition of a short story collection by James Thurber with illustrations by the author
-a numbered limited edition copy of Charles Dickens Mystery of Edwin Drood--maybe a first American edition, though I don't remember the details at the moment
I'm excited about maybe getting these books :) Otherwise, the trip home was about as expected, and I'm looking forward to a few days at home to relax and read...and, of course, cuddle with our animals who missed us!
237lkernagh
I love The Thirteenth Tale and I have my fingers crossed for you and the books you are hoping to get at the estate sale!
238whitewavedarling
>237 lkernagh:, Thanks :) Meanwhile, I ended up enjoying The Thirteenth Tale very much...I'm just about to write my review!
239whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #10: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
How I Picked it Up: I'd been ignoring this one for some time, and a friend recommended it to me after reading my own manuscript, I believe because of the house at the center of the novel and the haunting aspect...
Full Review:
A lovely and engrossing tale built from family history and a love of words, and told with a sense of mystery, this is a book to sink into and enjoy. Setterfield tells a wonderful story, full of twists and lovely language. There were many points when I wished I felt more connected to the characters (most of whom felt a bit too convenient to the wishes of the story, and not quite believable), but on the whole, the book was a lovely escape. I should note that most of my fascinations with the book, and what kept me reading, were the stories within the story--the subtext and slighter characters and ambiguities--as opposed to the more central characters, who I didn't find all that engaging. But, regardless, I enjoyed the book more and more as I kept going, and ended up finishing it with quite a bit more satisfaction than I'd expected. On the whole? Something I'd recommend, particularly to lovers of the classics.
How I Picked it Up: I'd been ignoring this one for some time, and a friend recommended it to me after reading my own manuscript, I believe because of the house at the center of the novel and the haunting aspect...
Full Review:
A lovely and engrossing tale built from family history and a love of words, and told with a sense of mystery, this is a book to sink into and enjoy. Setterfield tells a wonderful story, full of twists and lovely language. There were many points when I wished I felt more connected to the characters (most of whom felt a bit too convenient to the wishes of the story, and not quite believable), but on the whole, the book was a lovely escape. I should note that most of my fascinations with the book, and what kept me reading, were the stories within the story--the subtext and slighter characters and ambiguities--as opposed to the more central characters, who I didn't find all that engaging. But, regardless, I enjoyed the book more and more as I kept going, and ended up finishing it with quite a bit more satisfaction than I'd expected. On the whole? Something I'd recommend, particularly to lovers of the classics.
240whitewavedarling
K. The Body #8: Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
How I Picked it Up: I read this now because it's the follow-up to Oryx and Crake, which I read this month. It ended up in this category because, were it a stand-alone novel, I might well have picked it up for the striking eyes at the top of the cover.
Full Review:
As the follow-up to Oryx and Crake, this is both a disappointment and refreshing. Rather than begin where the first book of the trilogy left off, this one explores entirely new communities and characters that intersect only briefly with those from the first book. On one hand, this is incredibly frustrating for readers who jumped from book one into book two, expecting some version of continuation or closure (which was entirely absent from Oryx and Crake). On the other hand, it's not entirely negative for readers (like me) who failed to feel any real belief in or sympathy for the characters of Oryx and Crake.
Unfortunately, while the characters in The Year of the Flood are both more interesting and more believable than those in the earlier book, the book makes use of numerous interludes that may make the universe more complete, but do nothing for the story itself. I have to think that many of them would be more suited to another book, a lengthy appendix, or even just being set aside as pre-writing. At the very least, there are too many of them, and they are too similar to remain of interest, numerous as they are. Really, they simply highlight the fact that this book would be far more compelling were it a hundred...or a hundred and fifty...pages shorter.
There's no denying that Atwood is a fascinating universe-builder and a wonderful writer, but this just isn't a particularly compelling book (or series) and the characters are generally unsympathetic and one-dimensional. If I hadn't already found the third book at a bargain price and picked it up, I wouldn't be searching it out. As is, I don't feel any hurry to get to it.
On the whole, I'm afraid I wouldn't recommend this series. There's nothing wrong with it...there's just not enough right, either.
How I Picked it Up: I read this now because it's the follow-up to Oryx and Crake, which I read this month. It ended up in this category because, were it a stand-alone novel, I might well have picked it up for the striking eyes at the top of the cover.
Full Review:
As the follow-up to Oryx and Crake, this is both a disappointment and refreshing. Rather than begin where the first book of the trilogy left off, this one explores entirely new communities and characters that intersect only briefly with those from the first book. On one hand, this is incredibly frustrating for readers who jumped from book one into book two, expecting some version of continuation or closure (which was entirely absent from Oryx and Crake). On the other hand, it's not entirely negative for readers (like me) who failed to feel any real belief in or sympathy for the characters of Oryx and Crake.
Unfortunately, while the characters in The Year of the Flood are both more interesting and more believable than those in the earlier book, the book makes use of numerous interludes that may make the universe more complete, but do nothing for the story itself. I have to think that many of them would be more suited to another book, a lengthy appendix, or even just being set aside as pre-writing. At the very least, there are too many of them, and they are too similar to remain of interest, numerous as they are. Really, they simply highlight the fact that this book would be far more compelling were it a hundred...or a hundred and fifty...pages shorter.
There's no denying that Atwood is a fascinating universe-builder and a wonderful writer, but this just isn't a particularly compelling book (or series) and the characters are generally unsympathetic and one-dimensional. If I hadn't already found the third book at a bargain price and picked it up, I wouldn't be searching it out. As is, I don't feel any hurry to get to it.
On the whole, I'm afraid I wouldn't recommend this series. There's nothing wrong with it...there's just not enough right, either.
241whitewavedarling
C. Places? Places. #6: Mother to Mother by Sindiwe Magona
How I Picked it up: I adore Magona's work, and this is the last of her works I had hanging about to be read. It just so happened to end up falling into this category after I picked it up for the RandomCat challenge.
Full Review:
At the center of this novel is the straightforward story of one mother reaching out to another, out of grief and poverty, attempting to understand her own son's actions and the world which has proved so unfair to her own family, as well as the family of the woman she writes. Where the actions, and even immediate circumstances, are understood, she struggles with the chain of events that have led to the ruin and heartbreak she sees around her, and Magona's simple and poetic style bring the full world of this confusion to life.
Magona is at her best when writing character-driven fiction that explores intersections of socio-political chaos and individual experience--this novel is no exception. Moving quickly, and maneuvering between past and present in the midst of a short and heartbroken letter, the novel is a masterpiece of smart and moving fiction. Magona's work isn't easy to find, but it is worth searching out.
Absolutely recommended.
How I Picked it up: I adore Magona's work, and this is the last of her works I had hanging about to be read. It just so happened to end up falling into this category after I picked it up for the RandomCat challenge.
Full Review:
At the center of this novel is the straightforward story of one mother reaching out to another, out of grief and poverty, attempting to understand her own son's actions and the world which has proved so unfair to her own family, as well as the family of the woman she writes. Where the actions, and even immediate circumstances, are understood, she struggles with the chain of events that have led to the ruin and heartbreak she sees around her, and Magona's simple and poetic style bring the full world of this confusion to life.
Magona is at her best when writing character-driven fiction that explores intersections of socio-political chaos and individual experience--this novel is no exception. Moving quickly, and maneuvering between past and present in the midst of a short and heartbroken letter, the novel is a masterpiece of smart and moving fiction. Magona's work isn't easy to find, but it is worth searching out.
Absolutely recommended.
242Nickelini
Magona's work isn't easy to find, but it is worth searching out.
Absolutely recommended.
Sorry, but did we recently have a conversation about Magona? I can't remember who it was, but . . . yes! She's fabulous! I loved her Living, Loving, and Lying Awake at Night (which was a much better literary and authentic version of The Help). I've looked for her ever since, but like you say, not easy to find.
Absolutely recommended.
Sorry, but did we recently have a conversation about Magona? I can't remember who it was, but . . . yes! She's fabulous! I loved her Living, Loving, and Lying Awake at Night (which was a much better literary and authentic version of The Help). I've looked for her ever since, but like you say, not easy to find.
243whitewavedarling
lol, yes we did indeed--I read her Push-Push! pretty recently and sparked it. I'd planned on holding off on this one since it was the last unread work I had by her...but broke down with the RandomCat theme being mothers!
244mathgirl40
I'm glad you did pick up MaddAddam because you may find Atwood's series more satisfying once you finish it. I felt the same way about The Year of the Flood. It seemed an entirely different story from Oryx and Crake and was unsatisfying in a number of ways. However, MaddAddam tied everything together pretty well and brought closure to the various storylines.
I loved your review of The Amityville Horror. I'd read this decades ago as a teen and remember how creepy it felt. I'd wondered whether I'd be disappointed rereading it now as an adult. From your review it sounds like I should give it a go!
I loved your review of The Amityville Horror. I'd read this decades ago as a teen and remember how creepy it felt. I'd wondered whether I'd be disappointed rereading it now as an adult. From your review it sounds like I should give it a go!
245whitewavedarling
>244 mathgirl40: That's good to hear about MaddAddam. Meanwhile, I'd put off Amityville Horror for much the same reason, but it really wasn't disappointing at all. It did take me a few chapters to get used to the more journalism-based style, much as it made sense considering the context, but I still got into the "story" of it fairly quickly. I'm glad you liked my review, and I'll be curious to hear what you think if you give it another go!
246whitewavedarling
G. Creepy Cover #5: Equus by Peter Shaffer
How I Picked it Up: I've had this book for ages, but it's one of those works where I knew the story, and I'd seen particular scenes, so it seemed less urgent than other reads--I knew enough about it, after all, that I wasn't sure how powerful it could be, particularly since plays don't always translate from stage to page. This month, the AlphaCat challenge prompted me to pick it up when I was reorganizing and came across it, and I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it.
Full Review:
Brilliant and clever, Shaffer's play revolves around a give-and-take of innocence and violence, belief and insecurity. Even though the play is obviously meant to be seen on the stage, it comes across nearly as smartly on the page as the characters spiral forward. Few characters make for an easy reading experience, and the abstract nature of the effects--when you take the time to imagine them as originally created and directed--may be nearly as powerful as Shaffer envisioned them if given real attention.
Not for young readers, this is a powerful and thought-provoking work well worth any reader's or audience-member's time and attention.
Absolutely recommended.
How I Picked it Up: I've had this book for ages, but it's one of those works where I knew the story, and I'd seen particular scenes, so it seemed less urgent than other reads--I knew enough about it, after all, that I wasn't sure how powerful it could be, particularly since plays don't always translate from stage to page. This month, the AlphaCat challenge prompted me to pick it up when I was reorganizing and came across it, and I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it.
Full Review:
Brilliant and clever, Shaffer's play revolves around a give-and-take of innocence and violence, belief and insecurity. Even though the play is obviously meant to be seen on the stage, it comes across nearly as smartly on the page as the characters spiral forward. Few characters make for an easy reading experience, and the abstract nature of the effects--when you take the time to imagine them as originally created and directed--may be nearly as powerful as Shaffer envisioned them if given real attention.
Not for young readers, this is a powerful and thought-provoking work well worth any reader's or audience-member's time and attention.
Absolutely recommended.
247whitewavedarling
C. Places? Places. #7: Astoria to Zion
How I Picked It Up: I won this work through a goodreads first reader giveaway--I'm always interested in the anthologies that journals put together, and this one seemed like it could be particularly interesting since Ecotone's aesthetic is grounded in works that have a strong focus on setting and environment. As such, nearly every story had an incredibly strong sense of place that perfectly fit it into this category.
Full Review:
Grounded in place, many of these stories are both unique and transporting, strong statements to the quality of fiction presented in Ecotone issues. It may be, though, that they're a more enjoyable representation when read occasionally instead of straight-through. All literary and of a similar tone and length, the collection starts to feel repetitive about two thirds of the way in, and I have to admit that I found myself getting bored at various moments as I read the last portion of the anthology. I don't think that this is a statement about those last stories so much as it is an acknowledgement that 400 pages (exactly) of similarly toned (with rare exceptions) literary stories (of the type polished out of MFA programs) is simply a bit too much, particularly when all are chosen out of a similar aesthetic.
All in all, this is a collection worth wandering through if you enjoy literary short stories grounded carefully in location, or if you just want a collection from which you can read the occasional story in between other reads. Without fail, all of the stories are worth reading and worth exploring, and that in itself is admirable.
How I Picked It Up: I won this work through a goodreads first reader giveaway--I'm always interested in the anthologies that journals put together, and this one seemed like it could be particularly interesting since Ecotone's aesthetic is grounded in works that have a strong focus on setting and environment. As such, nearly every story had an incredibly strong sense of place that perfectly fit it into this category.
Full Review:
Grounded in place, many of these stories are both unique and transporting, strong statements to the quality of fiction presented in Ecotone issues. It may be, though, that they're a more enjoyable representation when read occasionally instead of straight-through. All literary and of a similar tone and length, the collection starts to feel repetitive about two thirds of the way in, and I have to admit that I found myself getting bored at various moments as I read the last portion of the anthology. I don't think that this is a statement about those last stories so much as it is an acknowledgement that 400 pages (exactly) of similarly toned (with rare exceptions) literary stories (of the type polished out of MFA programs) is simply a bit too much, particularly when all are chosen out of a similar aesthetic.
All in all, this is a collection worth wandering through if you enjoy literary short stories grounded carefully in location, or if you just want a collection from which you can read the occasional story in between other reads. Without fail, all of the stories are worth reading and worth exploring, and that in itself is admirable.
248whitewavedarling
I'm caught up on threads!!!!
Meanwhile, though, being caught up reminds me how much I enjoy seeing what everyone's reading, and also reminds me of the fact that that's going to be impossible pretty soon. From June 16th-August 7th, I teach a one week creative writing day-camp for highschoolers here in Pittsburgh, and then I immediately head off to New Hampshire, where I'll be teaching (drama & creative writing), helping with activities, and keeping busy as a dorm parent at a boarding camp. All of this comes together to mean that my reading will suffer a huge drop-off (I think I finished two books last July!), and I won't be around very much, though I'll be trying to occasionally drop in for updates and glancing over threads. So, looking ahead, if you're wondering where I am a month from now...
Meanwhile, I'm in the midst of American Psycho and A Question of Freedom, and still wandering through the anthology of The Best of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet. With any luck, I'll get through these and maybe two more before I head off to New Hampshire on the 23rd...
Meanwhile, though, being caught up reminds me how much I enjoy seeing what everyone's reading, and also reminds me of the fact that that's going to be impossible pretty soon. From June 16th-August 7th, I teach a one week creative writing day-camp for highschoolers here in Pittsburgh, and then I immediately head off to New Hampshire, where I'll be teaching (drama & creative writing), helping with activities, and keeping busy as a dorm parent at a boarding camp. All of this comes together to mean that my reading will suffer a huge drop-off (I think I finished two books last July!), and I won't be around very much, though I'll be trying to occasionally drop in for updates and glancing over threads. So, looking ahead, if you're wondering where I am a month from now...
Meanwhile, I'm in the midst of American Psycho and A Question of Freedom, and still wandering through the anthology of The Best of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet. With any luck, I'll get through these and maybe two more before I head off to New Hampshire on the 23rd...
249rabbitprincess
Hope you get your current reading squared away before you go, and may there be plenty of little moments for you to sneak in some reading this summer!
250whitewavedarling
>249 rabbitprincess:, Thanks :) I actually do have enough spare time to read while I'm in NH, but the environment (think Hogwarts, on a lake, minus magic and gloom and danger...) is so inspiring that I end up daydreaming and writing instead of pulling out a book! We'll see what happens this year :)
251lilywren
Some great books and reviews here. I'm interested in the Atwood works particularly. I have Oryx and Crake to read and, having read The Handmaid's Tale and The Robber Bride previously for this challenge, I've been putting it off a bit. I've got 4 books by Atwood - for some reason I really want to enjoy her work but I've just not been feeling it. I'll give Oryx and Crake a go later in the year I think :-)
252whitewavedarling
>251 lilywren:, good luck, and thanks! I've always expected to enjoy Atwood's work because I've got friends I respect who swear by her...so far, though, I can appreciate it...but enjoy it, not so much. Ah well. I've been told I need to read Surfacing...
254LittleTaiko
What a lovely way to spend the summer. Happy daydreaming!
255whitewavedarling
D. Questions of Justice #5: A Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison by R. Dwayne Betts
How I Picked it Up: This has been sitting on my tbr pile for a while, so with Q being the AlphaCat challenge letter for the month, I thought I'd go ahead and pick it up. It was a quick read...but I'm not sure I can say that I'm glad to have come across it. Probably the least powerful read I've come across on the subject of prisons or justice, and not something I'd really call a memoir at all.
Full Review:
More an informal collection of recollections than memoir, this work reads something like a selection of blog entries related to reading and prison, only the very beginning and the very ending standing out as clearly ordered. As such, this comes across as too half-hazard an attempt at broaching questions related to youth in prison and the justice system, falling far short of the clear subtitle for the work: "A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison".
The biggest problem I had in reading this, however, wasn't one of organization. It was the question of coming of age. More often than not, the book fails to make prison-life sound like anything more than an extended solitary stay in a library or retreat for reading, violence and injustice (or justice) on the outskirts. Beyond acknowledging that his views are wider because of what he's read, which he may have read in or out of prison, Betts also doesn't seem to (or claim to) mature as a result of his sentence. Reading this work, it's easy to forget that he's guilty of a crime, and while I don't begin to think that the nine years he served were actually deserved (at that length) for the crime he committed, any attentive reader has to at some point wonder: In all those nine years, shouldn't you be able to say why you committed the crime? After those nine years, shouldn't the resulting memoir speak to its supposed subjects of survival, maturity, and justice, moreso than the constant theme of trying to find ways to pass the time?
It's possible that a clearer or more linearly organized narrative could have done Betts' story more justice. As the book stood, though, I didn't feel like the focus of the novel had any weight whatsoever beyond the close focus on Betts' personal experience. Certainly, there was little questioning or discussion of justice or maturation, beyond, again, passing time.
On the whole, this was a disappointing read, and though well-written, probably not something I'd expect anyone to learn something from, or even find truly thought-provoking. Based on the writing and the experiences behind the work, I have to think that Betts would have been better served writing a novel.
Unfortunately, I can't recommend this one.
How I Picked it Up: This has been sitting on my tbr pile for a while, so with Q being the AlphaCat challenge letter for the month, I thought I'd go ahead and pick it up. It was a quick read...but I'm not sure I can say that I'm glad to have come across it. Probably the least powerful read I've come across on the subject of prisons or justice, and not something I'd really call a memoir at all.
Full Review:
More an informal collection of recollections than memoir, this work reads something like a selection of blog entries related to reading and prison, only the very beginning and the very ending standing out as clearly ordered. As such, this comes across as too half-hazard an attempt at broaching questions related to youth in prison and the justice system, falling far short of the clear subtitle for the work: "A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison".
The biggest problem I had in reading this, however, wasn't one of organization. It was the question of coming of age. More often than not, the book fails to make prison-life sound like anything more than an extended solitary stay in a library or retreat for reading, violence and injustice (or justice) on the outskirts. Beyond acknowledging that his views are wider because of what he's read, which he may have read in or out of prison, Betts also doesn't seem to (or claim to) mature as a result of his sentence. Reading this work, it's easy to forget that he's guilty of a crime, and while I don't begin to think that the nine years he served were actually deserved (at that length) for the crime he committed, any attentive reader has to at some point wonder: In all those nine years, shouldn't you be able to say why you committed the crime? After those nine years, shouldn't the resulting memoir speak to its supposed subjects of survival, maturity, and justice, moreso than the constant theme of trying to find ways to pass the time?
It's possible that a clearer or more linearly organized narrative could have done Betts' story more justice. As the book stood, though, I didn't feel like the focus of the novel had any weight whatsoever beyond the close focus on Betts' personal experience. Certainly, there was little questioning or discussion of justice or maturation, beyond, again, passing time.
On the whole, this was a disappointing read, and though well-written, probably not something I'd expect anyone to learn something from, or even find truly thought-provoking. Based on the writing and the experiences behind the work, I have to think that Betts would have been better served writing a novel.
Unfortunately, I can't recommend this one.
256whitewavedarling
N. The Lists #5: The Invention of Curried Sausage by Uwe Timm
How I Picked it Up: I had this on my radar because of the list of 1001 books everyone should read, and picked it up now because of the Gastrocat challenge. It was a wonderful read :)
Full Review:
Timm's story of curried sausage begins in Germany, when a German woman meets and takes in a young soldier--a soldier who is so suddenly taken in by the peace he feels in her presence that deserting seems like the only option. As WWII ends and the woman attempts to keep her young soldier satisfied and unaware, Timm's story becomes one of history, lost innocence, and impossible hope, as well as an improbable end.
Told with a masterful voice and perfectly paced story-telling, Timm's novella is part history, part hope, and part wonderful story. It is all spice and wonder.
Recommended.
How I Picked it Up: I had this on my radar because of the list of 1001 books everyone should read, and picked it up now because of the Gastrocat challenge. It was a wonderful read :)
Full Review:
Timm's story of curried sausage begins in Germany, when a German woman meets and takes in a young soldier--a soldier who is so suddenly taken in by the peace he feels in her presence that deserting seems like the only option. As WWII ends and the woman attempts to keep her young soldier satisfied and unaware, Timm's story becomes one of history, lost innocence, and impossible hope, as well as an improbable end.
Told with a masterful voice and perfectly paced story-telling, Timm's novella is part history, part hope, and part wonderful story. It is all spice and wonder.
Recommended.
257Nickelini
I've never heard anything about The Invention of Curried Sausage but the title has always intrigued me. I will hunt that one down!
258whitewavedarling
It's a fast read, and I really enjoyed it once I got into it.
259whitewavedarling
N. The Lists #6: American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
How I Picked it Up: I'd been meaning to read this forever, and a friend of mine convinced me to make it sooner than later--I'm glad he did, though I won't read it again...
Full Review:
As disturbing as it is clever, this could never be mistaken for a book that will appeal to all readers--graphic sex and violence make it difficult to stomach at many points for various reasons, and long catalogues of designer clothing and inane conversation mean that the book becomes something of a roller coaster between bored amusement and shocked horror.
While Ellis' work is a brilliant achievement and masterful diatribe, it is also shocking and awful. All together, I'd be careful about recommending this to other readers--I love dark reads, but this was difficult for me to take, and I often had to put it down and move to something else.
If you want a dark and graphic read, read this.
How I Picked it Up: I'd been meaning to read this forever, and a friend of mine convinced me to make it sooner than later--I'm glad he did, though I won't read it again...
Full Review:
As disturbing as it is clever, this could never be mistaken for a book that will appeal to all readers--graphic sex and violence make it difficult to stomach at many points for various reasons, and long catalogues of designer clothing and inane conversation mean that the book becomes something of a roller coaster between bored amusement and shocked horror.
While Ellis' work is a brilliant achievement and masterful diatribe, it is also shocking and awful. All together, I'd be careful about recommending this to other readers--I love dark reads, but this was difficult for me to take, and I often had to put it down and move to something else.
If you want a dark and graphic read, read this.
260-Eva-
>259 whitewavedarling:
I think I skipped the last few "violence" chapters when I read that one - it got much to much for me.
I think I skipped the last few "violence" chapters when I read that one - it got much to much for me.
261whitewavedarling
>260 -Eva-:, I ended up reading the last 150 pages or so in 10 page stretches, no more per sitting, and started another book to use to decompress with. I wasn't expecting the violence to get to me--I don't think a book's violence has affected me so much since I was in high school, actually--but it did. My husband claims that the movie is much more understated, and really well done...plus, it has Christian Bale. I haven't decided yet whether or not to watch it, but I admit I'm curious how they turned this into a movie that was "just" rated R. We'll see. I'm rather glad it's done...
262whitewavedarling
L. Houses and Stairways #9: Mrs. God by Peter Straub
How I Picked it Up: I think I got this because it was a bargain book at barnes & noble, picked up because I haven't read enough Straub (though I've really enjoyed what I've read in the past). I didn't realize ahead of time that it centered on a house, or I might have read it sooner. Still, it didn't stand up to the Straub works I've read in the past, though the descriptions were wonderful.
Full Review:
Straub's Mrs. God novella is a strange story, moving from what seems to be a commonplace drama (if one with a creepy setting) to a fast-moving horror story centered around an apparently devolving narrator. In fact, you can nearly cut the book in half to find that the first portion is decidedly unhorrific, and the second is nearly unfollowable it contains so much and moves so quickly. All together, the book is interesting, and the writing of atmosphere and descriptions is absolutely stunning. Those descriptions, though, are what I'll remember moreso than the story. I have a feeling that, really, this idea needed to take on a longer form in order to do it real justice and give clarity enough to the horror for it to be really scary.
How I Picked it Up: I think I got this because it was a bargain book at barnes & noble, picked up because I haven't read enough Straub (though I've really enjoyed what I've read in the past). I didn't realize ahead of time that it centered on a house, or I might have read it sooner. Still, it didn't stand up to the Straub works I've read in the past, though the descriptions were wonderful.
Full Review:
Straub's Mrs. God novella is a strange story, moving from what seems to be a commonplace drama (if one with a creepy setting) to a fast-moving horror story centered around an apparently devolving narrator. In fact, you can nearly cut the book in half to find that the first portion is decidedly unhorrific, and the second is nearly unfollowable it contains so much and moves so quickly. All together, the book is interesting, and the writing of atmosphere and descriptions is absolutely stunning. Those descriptions, though, are what I'll remember moreso than the story. I have a feeling that, really, this idea needed to take on a longer form in order to do it real justice and give clarity enough to the horror for it to be really scary.
263whitewavedarling
N. The Lists #7: The Door Into Summer by Robert A. Heinlein
How I Picked It Up: A friend recommended this, and it was already on my radar from the Modern Library's List of Books... All together, I'd been put off of time-travel books ever since The Time Traveler's Wife, and this one put me back onto time travel :)
Full Review:
Known as one of Heinlein's classics, this adventure is fun and compulsively readable, full of humor and great characters. It is hilariously dated, as the character jumps forward from 1970 to 2000, and Heinlein's vision of 2000 isn't any more accurate than you'd expect, but this is still my favorite of the time-travel novels I've wandered through. Heinlein's plots and characters are perfectly balanced, and the narrative is fast-moving without losing any of the character depth that comes with a great story. While the ending of one sub-plot made me cringe a bit, it didn't come near ruining the novel, and I'd recommend this on to any readers curious about Heinlein's work or just looking for a fast-paced good story.
Recommended.
How I Picked It Up: A friend recommended this, and it was already on my radar from the Modern Library's List of Books... All together, I'd been put off of time-travel books ever since The Time Traveler's Wife, and this one put me back onto time travel :)
Full Review:
Known as one of Heinlein's classics, this adventure is fun and compulsively readable, full of humor and great characters. It is hilariously dated, as the character jumps forward from 1970 to 2000, and Heinlein's vision of 2000 isn't any more accurate than you'd expect, but this is still my favorite of the time-travel novels I've wandered through. Heinlein's plots and characters are perfectly balanced, and the narrative is fast-moving without losing any of the character depth that comes with a great story. While the ending of one sub-plot made me cringe a bit, it didn't come near ruining the novel, and I'd recommend this on to any readers curious about Heinlein's work or just looking for a fast-paced good story.
Recommended.
264whitewavedarling
J. Politics #3: No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War Through Afghan Eyes by Anand Gopal
How I Picked it Up: This is the sort of book that I'd search out on my own, but I ended up getting it through the LT Early Reviewer Program.
Full Review:
This is the other side of the story.
With determined objectivity, Gopal does just what he claims: he tells the story of the War on Terror and the last fourteen years--particularly 2001 through 20010--of war and distrust in Afghanistan, "through Afghan eyes". The focus is not on the military or on the people in power, but on the men And women who are, very simply, attempting to survive in a climate of terror, poverty, and confusion. And Gopal begins on September 11, 2001, but in a fitting way for a book that is both troubling and all too believable: he begins in a town where everyone understands the Taliban as a failing force, and nobody knows of the attacks already occurring in America. He begins in a world where men and women are seeing their world beginning to make sense, where fighting has been ongoing since 1979 and is finally, seemingly, coming to an end, and where America is of no concern whatsoever.
This is a difficult book because it is so very believable and so very simple. It makes sense of the news stories and the world which Americans have seen portrayed in nonsensical inflammatory terms, and it makes understandable--to the extent that terrorism and death can be understood--the ways in which a small extremist force overtook an entire world through what amounts, sadly, to gossip and confusion gone mad. For men and women in America who want to understand the war that has been ongoing for more than a decade, this is required reading, not telling the whole story, but telling the parts of the story which are too often glossed over or ignored. It is difficult reading because the entire book--and the entire forces of Afghanistan and America, as a result--are essentially operating in a mist of gray where there is very rarely a good or a bad, or at least not one of either which can be easily apprehended. There is, more than anything, confusion, and an imperative to survive.
Gopal's work here is, very simply, disturbing and straight-forward. And it is two-sided. It should be required reading.
As a side-note, it's worth noting that his writing is superb, and his history-telling is absurdly clear considering the quagmire of a subject he's taken on. Whether you read this for the narrative, for the writing, for the history, for the politics, or for the telling of the other side, this is worth your time.
Absolutely recommended.
How I Picked it Up: This is the sort of book that I'd search out on my own, but I ended up getting it through the LT Early Reviewer Program.
Full Review:
This is the other side of the story.
With determined objectivity, Gopal does just what he claims: he tells the story of the War on Terror and the last fourteen years--particularly 2001 through 20010--of war and distrust in Afghanistan, "through Afghan eyes". The focus is not on the military or on the people in power, but on the men And women who are, very simply, attempting to survive in a climate of terror, poverty, and confusion. And Gopal begins on September 11, 2001, but in a fitting way for a book that is both troubling and all too believable: he begins in a town where everyone understands the Taliban as a failing force, and nobody knows of the attacks already occurring in America. He begins in a world where men and women are seeing their world beginning to make sense, where fighting has been ongoing since 1979 and is finally, seemingly, coming to an end, and where America is of no concern whatsoever.
This is a difficult book because it is so very believable and so very simple. It makes sense of the news stories and the world which Americans have seen portrayed in nonsensical inflammatory terms, and it makes understandable--to the extent that terrorism and death can be understood--the ways in which a small extremist force overtook an entire world through what amounts, sadly, to gossip and confusion gone mad. For men and women in America who want to understand the war that has been ongoing for more than a decade, this is required reading, not telling the whole story, but telling the parts of the story which are too often glossed over or ignored. It is difficult reading because the entire book--and the entire forces of Afghanistan and America, as a result--are essentially operating in a mist of gray where there is very rarely a good or a bad, or at least not one of either which can be easily apprehended. There is, more than anything, confusion, and an imperative to survive.
Gopal's work here is, very simply, disturbing and straight-forward. And it is two-sided. It should be required reading.
As a side-note, it's worth noting that his writing is superb, and his history-telling is absurdly clear considering the quagmire of a subject he's taken on. Whether you read this for the narrative, for the writing, for the history, for the politics, or for the telling of the other side, this is worth your time.
Absolutely recommended.
265lkernagh
>262 whitewavedarling: - Those descriptions, though, are what I'll remember more so than the story.
That sums up my memories of Mrs. God in a nutshell. Great review!
That sums up my memories of Mrs. God in a nutshell. Great review!
266whitewavedarling
Thanks :)
267whitewavedarling
I. Illness #2: The Day That Eazy-E Died by James Earl Hardy
How I Picked it up: I originally picked this up because of its relation to HIV/AIDS; it was the one book I found which appeared to be centered on a character worrying about his HIV status and test results, as opposed to the way most books skim over this part fairly quickly. I got around to it now because I'm way behind in this category, and because it looked like an easy fast read to have on the side of what have been a couple of whirl-wind busy weeks, work-wise.
Full Review:
More of a rambling dramatic monologue than a carefully crafted novel, this is a piece of entertainment that isn't badly written, but isn't particularly engaging either. The drastic level of slang in the narrator's voice is nearly unbelievable, especially when paired against his lover, who speaks in an overly formal voice which is itself unbelievable. Those distractions were tough for me to overlook, as was the lack of tension. Supposedly, the book is built around the narrator's worry about taking an AIDS test and then waiting for the result, but that so-called worry disappears for most of the book, though early on (and later on) he claims that it consumed his life. Theoretically, HIV/AIDS is at the center of the work, but if anything, the book argues that there's really no need to worry after all since both characters had indisgressions, neither got tested, and neither worries all that much about it or faces any results, judging from the narrative.
In all, I have to say that I found this an easy read, but a frustrating one. There wasn't much to it beyond a rambling narrator who varied between being incredibly immature and the wisest one in his circle, and much of the plotting and characterization here just wasn't believable.
Unfortunately, not anything I'd recommend.
How I Picked it up: I originally picked this up because of its relation to HIV/AIDS; it was the one book I found which appeared to be centered on a character worrying about his HIV status and test results, as opposed to the way most books skim over this part fairly quickly. I got around to it now because I'm way behind in this category, and because it looked like an easy fast read to have on the side of what have been a couple of whirl-wind busy weeks, work-wise.
Full Review:
More of a rambling dramatic monologue than a carefully crafted novel, this is a piece of entertainment that isn't badly written, but isn't particularly engaging either. The drastic level of slang in the narrator's voice is nearly unbelievable, especially when paired against his lover, who speaks in an overly formal voice which is itself unbelievable. Those distractions were tough for me to overlook, as was the lack of tension. Supposedly, the book is built around the narrator's worry about taking an AIDS test and then waiting for the result, but that so-called worry disappears for most of the book, though early on (and later on) he claims that it consumed his life. Theoretically, HIV/AIDS is at the center of the work, but if anything, the book argues that there's really no need to worry after all since both characters had indisgressions, neither got tested, and neither worries all that much about it or faces any results, judging from the narrative.
In all, I have to say that I found this an easy read, but a frustrating one. There wasn't much to it beyond a rambling narrator who varied between being incredibly immature and the wisest one in his circle, and much of the plotting and characterization here just wasn't believable.
Unfortunately, not anything I'd recommend.
268whitewavedarling
A. The Sea #6: Islands Out of Time: A Memoir of the Last Days of Atlantis: A Novel by William Irwin Thompson
How I Picked It Up: I picked this up at a used book store AGES ago, and recently found it in a box of books I'd had in high school. I read it...partly because it sounded fascinating, and partly because of the GeoCat challenge. I'm afraid this doesn't bode well for the other books I picked up as a highschooler and never got around to, though.
Full Review:
This book attempts a great deal, but it falls far short of the author's lofty goals. As a reader who's always enjoyed reading about theories of Atlantis and also enjoys novels of all kinds--including both fictional memoir and fantasy--I thought this book would be right up my alley. Instead, I'm afraid I found the first half fairly boring--a sort of new age theory laden narrative that seemed to have little direction--and the second half somewhat more interesting, but not nearly enough. With flat characters, and little touchstone to reality that could make this more interesting in, at least, regard to theories of Atlantis, this book simply didn't have enough drive or narrative to justify the reading experience, let alone make it enjoyable.
Not something I'd recommend, I'm afraid.
How I Picked It Up: I picked this up at a used book store AGES ago, and recently found it in a box of books I'd had in high school. I read it...partly because it sounded fascinating, and partly because of the GeoCat challenge. I'm afraid this doesn't bode well for the other books I picked up as a highschooler and never got around to, though.
Full Review:
This book attempts a great deal, but it falls far short of the author's lofty goals. As a reader who's always enjoyed reading about theories of Atlantis and also enjoys novels of all kinds--including both fictional memoir and fantasy--I thought this book would be right up my alley. Instead, I'm afraid I found the first half fairly boring--a sort of new age theory laden narrative that seemed to have little direction--and the second half somewhat more interesting, but not nearly enough. With flat characters, and little touchstone to reality that could make this more interesting in, at least, regard to theories of Atlantis, this book simply didn't have enough drive or narrative to justify the reading experience, let alone make it enjoyable.
Not something I'd recommend, I'm afraid.
269whitewavedarling
G. The Creepy Cover #6: The Best of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet edited by Kelly Link
How I Picked it Up: I'm a huge fan of both Kelly Link and the journal she co-edits, Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, so I had to pick this up when I saw it. But, it kept getting put off because the figure on the cover (a human body with a tv for a head) rather gave me the creeps...
Full Review:
Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet is one of those rare journals which is always fresh and surprising, and well worth watching. If you like the weird, the original, the speculative, the original, the strange, or even if you simply like good writing, it's worth taking note of. As a result, this is simply a fun anthology of work. Filled with an odd assortment of poetry, fiction, observation, and note, the book is incredibly entertaining. There's little doubt in my mind that any reader will find something worth re-reading and sharing, just as other things won't be in line with their tastes. In the end, though, the book is worth searching out.
To my own taste, the best tales are "Pretending" by Ray Vukcevich, "Bay" by David Erik Nelson, and "You Were Neither Hot Nor Cold, But Lukewarm, and So I Spit You Out" by Cara Spindler and David Erik Nelson. But, that said, I was never bored by this collection, and LCRW is one of those rare journals which is not only spilling over with talent, but incredibly varied.
Recommended, absolutely.
How I Picked it Up: I'm a huge fan of both Kelly Link and the journal she co-edits, Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, so I had to pick this up when I saw it. But, it kept getting put off because the figure on the cover (a human body with a tv for a head) rather gave me the creeps...
Full Review:
Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet is one of those rare journals which is always fresh and surprising, and well worth watching. If you like the weird, the original, the speculative, the original, the strange, or even if you simply like good writing, it's worth taking note of. As a result, this is simply a fun anthology of work. Filled with an odd assortment of poetry, fiction, observation, and note, the book is incredibly entertaining. There's little doubt in my mind that any reader will find something worth re-reading and sharing, just as other things won't be in line with their tastes. In the end, though, the book is worth searching out.
To my own taste, the best tales are "Pretending" by Ray Vukcevich, "Bay" by David Erik Nelson, and "You Were Neither Hot Nor Cold, But Lukewarm, and So I Spit You Out" by Cara Spindler and David Erik Nelson. But, that said, I was never bored by this collection, and LCRW is one of those rare journals which is not only spilling over with talent, but incredibly varied.
Recommended, absolutely.
270whitewavedarling
D. Questions of Justice #6: The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon
How I Picked it Up: I picked this up on a friend's recommendation, based on my interest in lit. related to houses/homes...I'm afraid it wasn't really up my alley, though.
Full Review:
This was entertaining enough, but I'm afraid I was just never taken in by either the plot or any of the characters. The ideas were interesting, but the execution and lack of suspense just left me feeling unengaged. I could read the book, or not, and I mostly read it as a time-killer. I might try Weldon again if a blurb really sounded up my alley, but I'm afraid this wasn't anything in particular that I'd recommend on to other readers.
How I Picked it Up: I picked this up on a friend's recommendation, based on my interest in lit. related to houses/homes...I'm afraid it wasn't really up my alley, though.
Full Review:
This was entertaining enough, but I'm afraid I was just never taken in by either the plot or any of the characters. The ideas were interesting, but the execution and lack of suspense just left me feeling unengaged. I could read the book, or not, and I mostly read it as a time-killer. I might try Weldon again if a blurb really sounded up my alley, but I'm afraid this wasn't anything in particular that I'd recommend on to other readers.
271-Eva-
I love Life and Loves of a She-Devil, but I have to admit that my affection is mainly based on the fantastic BBC-version starring Patricia Hodge, Dennis Waterman, and Julie T. Wallace.
272whitewavedarling
I can see it being an entertaining, if dark, movie...and it wasn't bad...it just wasn't anything special compared to other recent reads! Meanwhile, I'm about 2/3rds of the way through Five Quarters of an Orange, and while I'm interested, it also hasn't grabbed me quite so much as I would have hoped. But, it won't be a disappointing read in the end, at least based on how I feel now...
273whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #11: Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
How I Picked it Up: It's been on my shelf for a while, but I picked it up this month for the GastroCat Challenge...
Full Review:
This is an incredibly artful, and beautifully written, work of historical fiction. Centered around WWII, and moving gracefully between the present and the past, the work looks over a half century of time in the terms of one woman, her siblings, and the undeniable impact of single events and memories from the past.
Admittedly, for me, the book took quite some time to become engaging--even though the narrator's voice was well written as both a child and as an adult, I had a hard time believing in her fully. It may be that her motivations weren't clear enough, or that I needed more context, but either way, I simply couldn't connect with her or her story enough to get really invested in the book--she felt too artificial, or too perfectly created, perhaps. By 2/3rds of the way through the book, I was truly engaged and interested in the plot, but I never did grow to believe in the characters as fully formed entities. As a result, the book likely isn't one I'll remember for the long term or be all that likely to pass on. If you're a big fan of historical fiction, this might very well be right up your alley, though.
Recommended for readers interested in literary historical fiction related to WWII, or fiction that gracefully moves between two drastically different time periods.
How I Picked it Up: It's been on my shelf for a while, but I picked it up this month for the GastroCat Challenge...
Full Review:
This is an incredibly artful, and beautifully written, work of historical fiction. Centered around WWII, and moving gracefully between the present and the past, the work looks over a half century of time in the terms of one woman, her siblings, and the undeniable impact of single events and memories from the past.
Admittedly, for me, the book took quite some time to become engaging--even though the narrator's voice was well written as both a child and as an adult, I had a hard time believing in her fully. It may be that her motivations weren't clear enough, or that I needed more context, but either way, I simply couldn't connect with her or her story enough to get really invested in the book--she felt too artificial, or too perfectly created, perhaps. By 2/3rds of the way through the book, I was truly engaged and interested in the plot, but I never did grow to believe in the characters as fully formed entities. As a result, the book likely isn't one I'll remember for the long term or be all that likely to pass on. If you're a big fan of historical fiction, this might very well be right up your alley, though.
Recommended for readers interested in literary historical fiction related to WWII, or fiction that gracefully moves between two drastically different time periods.
274LittleTaiko
Hmmm...I remember my mother in law giving me her copy at one point. Wonder where it is? Sounds promising overall despite the character development flaw.
275whitewavedarling
It was an enjoyable enough escape...it just didn't quite suck me in the way I would have liked. Still, well worth the read if the subject matter and style sound of interest...
276mathgirl40
Having just returned from a vacation in Germany where I tried "currywurst" for the first time, The Invention of Curry Sausage sounds very appealing! I'll have to seek that book out sometime.
Nice to see your review of The Door into Summer too. I remember liking it an awful lot when I'd read it in my late teens. Maybe it's time for a reread.
Nice to see your review of The Door into Summer too. I remember liking it an awful lot when I'd read it in my late teens. Maybe it's time for a reread.
277ELiz_M
>276 mathgirl40:, wait so curried sausage really is a thing in Germany? I just read that book and for me the frame story of an argument of how long curried sausage had been around induced an eye-roll, as in "really? that's what prompted you to seek out this story?"
278MissWatson
>277 ELiz_M: Oh, I think "Currywurst" is still Germany's favourite fast food item (closely followed by döner). There's even an iconic pop song about it by Herbert Grönemeyer (whom some of you may remember from Wolfgang Petersen's "Das Boot"), sung in the working-class dialect of the Ruhr region. The video was taken in the football stadium of FC Schalke, an iconic Ruhr arena: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnZT0cXNRJQ
279mathgirl40
>277 ELiz_M: Currywurst was available in all the parts of Germany we'd visited, with some incarnations tastier than others. :)
280whitewavedarling
I love discovering random conversations have started here :) Hi everyone! Also, I'm looking forward to following that link when I'm not at a work computer that doesn't like it... though I don't have a clue when I'll get around to trying any of the dishes you're all speaking of....
281MissWatson
>280 whitewavedarling: Thank you for the space!
282whitewavedarling
L. Houses and Stairways #10: Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling by Michael Boccacino
How I Picked It Up: I've had too strong an interest in houses and stairways lately to pass this one up once I heard about it. I'm glad I read it, but it's likely not one I'll remember or pass on to many readers... Simply, it was just alright.
Full Review:
Filled with the gothic and the grotesque, this is an interesting tale, if somewhat old-fashioned stylistically. Unfortunately, so much attention is placed on detail that it begins fairly slowly, the characters and the plot both taking a backseat to a rather over-embellished writing style and a slow build. While I think that space was meant to allow readers to get closer to the characters and the story, I'm afraid that both always felt somewhat surface-level. The twists of the plot, and the grotesque details, made it an enjoyable-enough read, but not one I'll remember. This should have been a much more powerful read, for me at least, and instead it ended up just being a temporary enjoyable escape that I could pick up or put down at any given moment.
I'd recommend this to readers who enjoy traditionally gothic tales or the original gothic novels, and who won't mind a bit of added gruesome detail.
How I Picked It Up: I've had too strong an interest in houses and stairways lately to pass this one up once I heard about it. I'm glad I read it, but it's likely not one I'll remember or pass on to many readers... Simply, it was just alright.
Full Review:
Filled with the gothic and the grotesque, this is an interesting tale, if somewhat old-fashioned stylistically. Unfortunately, so much attention is placed on detail that it begins fairly slowly, the characters and the plot both taking a backseat to a rather over-embellished writing style and a slow build. While I think that space was meant to allow readers to get closer to the characters and the story, I'm afraid that both always felt somewhat surface-level. The twists of the plot, and the grotesque details, made it an enjoyable-enough read, but not one I'll remember. This should have been a much more powerful read, for me at least, and instead it ended up just being a temporary enjoyable escape that I could pick up or put down at any given moment.
I'd recommend this to readers who enjoy traditionally gothic tales or the original gothic novels, and who won't mind a bit of added gruesome detail.
283lkernagh
>282 whitewavedarling: - I saw mention of Gothic but I am not too sure if I am up for gruesome..... maybe as a Halloween read.
284whitewavedarling
Hmmm. Well, do know that it's little details, and not whole scenes, as that may have been a strong word. If you've seen King's It, the Chinese Food scene, in the context of the whole movie, might be a good comparison. I suppose they stood out because, for the most part, it was a pretty old-fashioned read, both in regards to character and style--so, those few random spots where the author slipped into graphic detail stood out, probably unnecessarily. For the most part, it is more creepy than gruesome, but just not creepy enough to really drive it along.
286cammykitty
Hoping some better horror comes your way! But confined to the pages of a book. Horror in real life is something I'd never wish on you!
287whitewavedarling
>286 cammykitty:, thanks! I've just gotten back from my intensive summer camp job, so I'm taking a few days to sleep, and then I'll be back to reading :)
288whitewavedarling
M. The Giveaways #8: Welcome to the Monkey House: The Special Edition by Kurt Vonnegut
How I Picked it Up: This is one of those rare books which I signed up for in a giveaway, but would have searched out regardless if I hadn't won. But, I did receive it, and I'm so glad to report that it was a wonderful read!
Full Review:
Wonderfully world-building, the stories in this collection are varied and thoughtful, and as clever as they are entertaining. While I'd only read Vonnegut's longer prose pieces in the past, this collection contains what are now some of my favorite short stories, and I'll now think of this wonderful work first when I think of Vonnegut. With sympathetic characters, graceful trajectories, and fascinating premises, the stories here are simply unforgettable, and I've no doubt that I'll be passing this collection on to anyone interested in short stories, as well as sharing some of the stories with my writing students.
To my mind, my favorites will likely remain "Who Am I This Time?", "The Euphio Question", and "The Kid Nobody Could Handle", but there are too many great stories here to list each one. Additionally, for writers, the ending essay on "Welcome to the Monkey House" is a fascinating look at Vonnegut's journey toward producing what is now one of his most widely known stories. Discussing numerous and wildly changing drafts, Gregory D. Sumner discusses Vonnegut's methods of world-building and writing, including numerous excerpts from various drafts. While this essay might not be of interest to every reader, it will absolutely be of interest to Vonnegut lovers and writers.
On the whole, this is a marvelous book. If you like short stories OR Vonnegut's other works, it's well worth the read, and now takes the place as my favorite work by Vonnegut.
Recommended, of course.
How I Picked it Up: This is one of those rare books which I signed up for in a giveaway, but would have searched out regardless if I hadn't won. But, I did receive it, and I'm so glad to report that it was a wonderful read!
Full Review:
Wonderfully world-building, the stories in this collection are varied and thoughtful, and as clever as they are entertaining. While I'd only read Vonnegut's longer prose pieces in the past, this collection contains what are now some of my favorite short stories, and I'll now think of this wonderful work first when I think of Vonnegut. With sympathetic characters, graceful trajectories, and fascinating premises, the stories here are simply unforgettable, and I've no doubt that I'll be passing this collection on to anyone interested in short stories, as well as sharing some of the stories with my writing students.
To my mind, my favorites will likely remain "Who Am I This Time?", "The Euphio Question", and "The Kid Nobody Could Handle", but there are too many great stories here to list each one. Additionally, for writers, the ending essay on "Welcome to the Monkey House" is a fascinating look at Vonnegut's journey toward producing what is now one of his most widely known stories. Discussing numerous and wildly changing drafts, Gregory D. Sumner discusses Vonnegut's methods of world-building and writing, including numerous excerpts from various drafts. While this essay might not be of interest to every reader, it will absolutely be of interest to Vonnegut lovers and writers.
On the whole, this is a marvelous book. If you like short stories OR Vonnegut's other works, it's well worth the read, and now takes the place as my favorite work by Vonnegut.
Recommended, of course.
289whitewavedarling
And, an update...
Reading (and being on LT) has been pretty spare since mid-June because of my hectic summer job, but I'm slowly fitting in more reading time. I am on the job hunt and still looking for an agent, so we'll see how things go, but for now, I'm hoping to finish four or five more books this month and get back on track with some of the CATS that I missed out on last month when I was too busy. Unfortunately, my eyes can only take so much computer time, so the job search is definitely going to cut into my normal LT time, if not the reading as well.
As of right now, though, I'm reading The Anatomy of Ghosts, which fits into the Alpha-Cat 'T' challenge and the RandomCat (for going back to school), and I'm also reading God's Fool: The Life of Francis of Assisi, which I just realized fits into the GeoCat challenge of the month, and also helps fill out my sadly lacking biography category for 2014.
Before the end of the month, I'm hoping to get to Ethan Canin's Carry Me Across the Water for the gastrocat challenge, and I also have a lot of options for the 'F' alphacat, so I'm going back and forth on that one almost daily. I'm also really excited to get to the Lewis Nordan book, Music of the Swamp, which I won from the June Early Reviewer batch; my April book is still waiting also, that one being a more serious read, Nevirapine and the Quest to End Pediatric AIDS. So, one way or another, I'll stay busy with these upcoming reads, and whatever I pick up for the 'F' alphacat!
Good reading, all! I should have a review of The Anatomy of Ghosts for you within the next few days...
Reading (and being on LT) has been pretty spare since mid-June because of my hectic summer job, but I'm slowly fitting in more reading time. I am on the job hunt and still looking for an agent, so we'll see how things go, but for now, I'm hoping to finish four or five more books this month and get back on track with some of the CATS that I missed out on last month when I was too busy. Unfortunately, my eyes can only take so much computer time, so the job search is definitely going to cut into my normal LT time, if not the reading as well.
As of right now, though, I'm reading The Anatomy of Ghosts, which fits into the Alpha-Cat 'T' challenge and the RandomCat (for going back to school), and I'm also reading God's Fool: The Life of Francis of Assisi, which I just realized fits into the GeoCat challenge of the month, and also helps fill out my sadly lacking biography category for 2014.
Before the end of the month, I'm hoping to get to Ethan Canin's Carry Me Across the Water for the gastrocat challenge, and I also have a lot of options for the 'F' alphacat, so I'm going back and forth on that one almost daily. I'm also really excited to get to the Lewis Nordan book, Music of the Swamp, which I won from the June Early Reviewer batch; my April book is still waiting also, that one being a more serious read, Nevirapine and the Quest to End Pediatric AIDS. So, one way or another, I'll stay busy with these upcoming reads, and whatever I pick up for the 'F' alphacat!
Good reading, all! I should have a review of The Anatomy of Ghosts for you within the next few days...
290whitewavedarling
C. Places? Places. #8: The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor
How I Picked it Up: I got this from a used book sale at my library last year--the cover and the description both drew me in--and it seemed like a relaxing read to pick up this past weekend when I was tired, but wanted to get back into reading after having a heavy workload all summer. It wasn't bad, but I did want more...which probably had something to do with the fact that it didn't quite end up being what I expected based on the blurb.
Full Review:
Filled with atmosphere and detail, this historical fiction is transporting. Taking place in Cambridge in 1786, the novel moves fluidly between personal drama and mystery, centering on believable and flawed characters who may well draw any reader into the story.
The disconnect actually occurs in the novel's description being a far match from what the book explores. Readers basing their choice off of the book jacket will expect, at the least, suspense, and potentially a wander through the supernatural. Instead, the book moves fairly slowly, and with little suspense--wandering through the story, I was entertained, but I was rarely compelled to keep going in the manner that a good suspense story would sustain.
In closing, I'd recommend this to readers who enjoy historically set mysteries, or historical fiction that balances between personal drama and mystery, but it's probably not something which would draw me back in for more of Taylor's work or suggest that I keep on passing it on to friends.
All together, not a bad read, but not something I'll particularly remember either.
How I Picked it Up: I got this from a used book sale at my library last year--the cover and the description both drew me in--and it seemed like a relaxing read to pick up this past weekend when I was tired, but wanted to get back into reading after having a heavy workload all summer. It wasn't bad, but I did want more...which probably had something to do with the fact that it didn't quite end up being what I expected based on the blurb.
Full Review:
Filled with atmosphere and detail, this historical fiction is transporting. Taking place in Cambridge in 1786, the novel moves fluidly between personal drama and mystery, centering on believable and flawed characters who may well draw any reader into the story.
The disconnect actually occurs in the novel's description being a far match from what the book explores. Readers basing their choice off of the book jacket will expect, at the least, suspense, and potentially a wander through the supernatural. Instead, the book moves fairly slowly, and with little suspense--wandering through the story, I was entertained, but I was rarely compelled to keep going in the manner that a good suspense story would sustain.
In closing, I'd recommend this to readers who enjoy historically set mysteries, or historical fiction that balances between personal drama and mystery, but it's probably not something which would draw me back in for more of Taylor's work or suggest that I keep on passing it on to friends.
All together, not a bad read, but not something I'll particularly remember either.
291whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #12: Carry Me Across the Water by Ethan Canin
How I Picked it Up: I've had this on my tbr shelves for a while, but haven't been overly impressed by Canin in the past, so kept on passing it over. I picked it up now for the water in the gastrocat challenge...and while I enjoyed it more than I've enjoyed Canin's other works (which I somehow accumulated...his covers and descriptions seem to strike me), it wasn't something that will stay in my mind or end up being recommended to others.
Full Review:
Delicate and ponderous, this is a strangely fast read that spans decades and moves in a non-linear exploration of the major moments in one elderly man's life. Without becoming maudlin, or even necessarily predictable, the book acts as an in-depth character study of a single man's response to war, independence, love, and aging. The problem is simply that there is more character study than plot, and more examination than sympathy. In the end, I was left wanting far more, as engaged as I'd been with various moments and characters in the novel.
How I Picked it Up: I've had this on my tbr shelves for a while, but haven't been overly impressed by Canin in the past, so kept on passing it over. I picked it up now for the water in the gastrocat challenge...and while I enjoyed it more than I've enjoyed Canin's other works (which I somehow accumulated...his covers and descriptions seem to strike me), it wasn't something that will stay in my mind or end up being recommended to others.
Full Review:
Delicate and ponderous, this is a strangely fast read that spans decades and moves in a non-linear exploration of the major moments in one elderly man's life. Without becoming maudlin, or even necessarily predictable, the book acts as an in-depth character study of a single man's response to war, independence, love, and aging. The problem is simply that there is more character study than plot, and more examination than sympathy. In the end, I was left wanting far more, as engaged as I'd been with various moments and characters in the novel.
292whitewavedarling
K. The Body #9: Three Kinds of Asking For It edited by Susie Bright
How I Picked it up: The cover drew me in, and I thought some erotic novellas might be a nice change of pace to wander through...
Full Review:
Of the three novellas presented here, two are really wonderful.... The works of Eric Albert and Greta Christina are both entertaining and original, each presented with a perfect dose of humor and eroticism. With believable characters and fast-moving writing, both of these works are fast and enjoyable reads, and in all honesty, this collection is worth searching out for them alone.
On the other hand, the third novella simply isn't up to the level of the other two. Told from the point of view of an immature 14-year-old who comes across as being unbelievably ditzy and unlikable, the work simply wanders. Where I read each of the other novellas in a single respective sitting, I couldn't stand the annoying p.o.v. of this novella for more than a few pages at a time, and while I finally powered through the last twenty pages of it today, just to be done, it simply wasn't enjoyable, or even particularly well-written. This may be the view some individuals have of teenagers, but most teenagers actually aren't quite this dumb and unthinking, not to mention inconsistent.
Simply, the first two novellas in the collection are well worth the read, funny and original and clever. The last one is one to skip.
How I Picked it up: The cover drew me in, and I thought some erotic novellas might be a nice change of pace to wander through...
Full Review:
Of the three novellas presented here, two are really wonderful.... The works of Eric Albert and Greta Christina are both entertaining and original, each presented with a perfect dose of humor and eroticism. With believable characters and fast-moving writing, both of these works are fast and enjoyable reads, and in all honesty, this collection is worth searching out for them alone.
On the other hand, the third novella simply isn't up to the level of the other two. Told from the point of view of an immature 14-year-old who comes across as being unbelievably ditzy and unlikable, the work simply wanders. Where I read each of the other novellas in a single respective sitting, I couldn't stand the annoying p.o.v. of this novella for more than a few pages at a time, and while I finally powered through the last twenty pages of it today, just to be done, it simply wasn't enjoyable, or even particularly well-written. This may be the view some individuals have of teenagers, but most teenagers actually aren't quite this dumb and unthinking, not to mention inconsistent.
Simply, the first two novellas in the collection are well worth the read, funny and original and clever. The last one is one to skip.
293whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #13: Likely to Die by Linda Fairstein
How I Picked It Up: This has been hanging about the tbr piles for a long time, and I happened to pick it up now for an easy change of pace and for the AlphaCat challenge (F).
Full Review:
Heavy on the details of a prosecutor's daily responsibilities and variety of cases, this book took a while to get started--and, truthfully, some of the less-than-believable dialogue is a clear indicator that this is an early book in the series (I note this in the hope that they get better). Still, the fast-moving action ended up making this a nice diversion, and a fast read. There's a good balance of legal work and police work, and while Fairstein goes a bit overboard with legal details, over-explaining matters and laws in various instances, the book as a whole is an engaging read. It is heavier on mystery and detail than on suspense, so readers looking for a thrill might better look elsewhere. On a last note, Alex Cooper veers a bit too much between being a capable and intelligent woman, and a damsel in distress with rather stereotypical reactions--I'm hoping later books in the series straighten out this flaw and do a little more showing versus telling, but we'll see. One way or another, there was enough here to lead me to look into a later book in the series and see how things develop.
How I Picked It Up: This has been hanging about the tbr piles for a long time, and I happened to pick it up now for an easy change of pace and for the AlphaCat challenge (F).
Full Review:
Heavy on the details of a prosecutor's daily responsibilities and variety of cases, this book took a while to get started--and, truthfully, some of the less-than-believable dialogue is a clear indicator that this is an early book in the series (I note this in the hope that they get better). Still, the fast-moving action ended up making this a nice diversion, and a fast read. There's a good balance of legal work and police work, and while Fairstein goes a bit overboard with legal details, over-explaining matters and laws in various instances, the book as a whole is an engaging read. It is heavier on mystery and detail than on suspense, so readers looking for a thrill might better look elsewhere. On a last note, Alex Cooper veers a bit too much between being a capable and intelligent woman, and a damsel in distress with rather stereotypical reactions--I'm hoping later books in the series straighten out this flaw and do a little more showing versus telling, but we'll see. One way or another, there was enough here to lead me to look into a later book in the series and see how things develop.
294whitewavedarling
E. Who They Might Have Been #4: God's Fool: The Life and Times of Francis of Assisi by Julien Green
How I Picked It Up: I picked this up long ago, Francis having always been my favorite of the saints, from the little I knew. I finally got around to reading it now, for no reason I can really put my finger on, though I did set out to pick up a biography from my tbr, this category having gone woefully neglected so far this year. I'm so glad I picked this up. If you're interested in the Saints, or simply in history or religion or biographies, I'd certainly recommend it.
Full Review:
In intermingling biography and lore, culture and history, and sympathy with academic examination, Green accomplished a beautiful and impressive biography of Francis of Assisi. In short straight-forward chapters, Green examines Francis' short life, from beginning to end, bringing to life the world he lived in at the beginning of the thirteenth century. The end result is a beautiful examination of a man and his belief--not only in God, but in the wonder of the world around him and in the goodness of people. More related to simple goodness than to religion, the book explores what belief means by centering on the transformation that occurred in Francis' life, and whether the book finds readers who believe or disbelieve in the possibility of miracles, it will find a way to touch the spirit of any reader through this straight-forward and careful depiction.
Touching, smart, and detailed, this book is, very simply, worth reading.
Absolutely recommended.
How I Picked It Up: I picked this up long ago, Francis having always been my favorite of the saints, from the little I knew. I finally got around to reading it now, for no reason I can really put my finger on, though I did set out to pick up a biography from my tbr, this category having gone woefully neglected so far this year. I'm so glad I picked this up. If you're interested in the Saints, or simply in history or religion or biographies, I'd certainly recommend it.
Full Review:
In intermingling biography and lore, culture and history, and sympathy with academic examination, Green accomplished a beautiful and impressive biography of Francis of Assisi. In short straight-forward chapters, Green examines Francis' short life, from beginning to end, bringing to life the world he lived in at the beginning of the thirteenth century. The end result is a beautiful examination of a man and his belief--not only in God, but in the wonder of the world around him and in the goodness of people. More related to simple goodness than to religion, the book explores what belief means by centering on the transformation that occurred in Francis' life, and whether the book finds readers who believe or disbelieve in the possibility of miracles, it will find a way to touch the spirit of any reader through this straight-forward and careful depiction.
Touching, smart, and detailed, this book is, very simply, worth reading.
Absolutely recommended.
295cammykitty
Wow, you got right back to reading after camp! I finished Cat's Cradle recently, my first Vonnegut as an adult. I know I read a lot of his stories in various anthologies when I was a kid. Welcome to the Monkey House is definitely going on the WL.
296whitewavedarling
Reading is my way of relaxing, so yep, I jumped right back in! And, admittedly, it's been a nice break in between job searching and nursing a husband with the flu! I'm glad you'll be looking for Welcome to the Monkey House too--that book was definitely one most pleasant surprise!
297cammykitty
Reading is much more fun than job searching! Husbands can be amusing even with the flu at times, but job search. Blech! (I'm avoiding it myself.)
298whitewavedarling
I. Illness #3: Nevirapine and the Quest to End Pediatric AIDS by Rebecca J. Anderson
How I Picked It Up: With an abandoned dissertation that dealt with HIV/AIDS in literature and a lot of books dealing with HIV/AIDS on my bookshelves, it was a good bet that I'd be one of the winners of this one on the April early reviewers list. And, I was probably the perfect reader for it, already with a good knowledge-base on the subject.
Full Review:
Anderson's examination of Nevirapine is actually an account of quite a bit more than a single drug's creation. Beyond the scope of the title, Anderson also examines the tangle of research and researchers that began attempting a combat against AIDS from the very beginning of the disease's stranglehold. Discussing the full range of researchers, clinical trials, setbacks, and false starts, Nevirapine and pediatric AIDS are far in the background of the book for much of her examination. Details, throughout, are instead made the focus. On one hand, this puts much needed attention on the complexity of not only HIV/AIDS, but on the difficult process of finding a cure or treatment for any illness. Readers interested in this process will find a lot to admire in Anderson's early chapters, particularly if they're interested in the details of the science behind what has to happen in order for any treatment to reach an adequate stage of presentation and use. Unfortunately, readers uninterested in the science, or without any background in medical literature, HIV/AIDS research, or science may well find themselves left behind and unable to follow Anderson's text without outside support. As a result, the book simply isn't for every reader. Without an interest in science or a background in similar texts, this would be an incredibly difficult read.
That said, this book does take up the challenge of exploring what other texts on HIV/AIDS have left uncovered. Especially in the second half of the work, Anderson devotes real attention to examining the specific challenges (and differences) associated with combatting pediatric illnesses as opposed to adult illnesses, including a close look at why so much more attention is often focused onto adult treatment. Just as impressively, Anderson focuses real attention on HIV/AIDS in Africa, both on the political and social ramifications of the virus and its treatment, and on the specific difficulties of complicated medical treatments in developing countries. Here, especially, Anderson's research and discussion excels, for most books which have taken a similar look at HIV/AIDS have steered clear of a close look at HIV/AIDS' proliferation in other countries.
In the end, though the work is more detailed than many readers would wish--especially in terms of science, research, and politics--and also far larger in scope than its title would suggest, it is also a worthwhile read for interested readers, particularly those who want a larger look at the long-range path toward sustainable HIV/AIDS research and associated difficulties. Unfortunately, readers who do want a specific look at particular aspects of the text will have to search for the relevant material. Though the book reads something like a textbook, it set up as more of a narrative, and chapter titles don't do much to suggest each chapter's focus. Research is an important thread throughout the work, but it's worth noting that the first third of the book pays little focus to the specifities of pediatric treatment, and that the last third of the work is where Anderson closes her attention on treatment and HIV/AIDS in Africa, as well as on pediatric treatment alone.
All together, this isn't for the casual reader. But, for readers like myself who already have a familiarity with the history (scientific and cultural) of HIV/AIDS and its treatment, the book does hold something new to offer in terms of detail and focus.
How I Picked It Up: With an abandoned dissertation that dealt with HIV/AIDS in literature and a lot of books dealing with HIV/AIDS on my bookshelves, it was a good bet that I'd be one of the winners of this one on the April early reviewers list. And, I was probably the perfect reader for it, already with a good knowledge-base on the subject.
Full Review:
Anderson's examination of Nevirapine is actually an account of quite a bit more than a single drug's creation. Beyond the scope of the title, Anderson also examines the tangle of research and researchers that began attempting a combat against AIDS from the very beginning of the disease's stranglehold. Discussing the full range of researchers, clinical trials, setbacks, and false starts, Nevirapine and pediatric AIDS are far in the background of the book for much of her examination. Details, throughout, are instead made the focus. On one hand, this puts much needed attention on the complexity of not only HIV/AIDS, but on the difficult process of finding a cure or treatment for any illness. Readers interested in this process will find a lot to admire in Anderson's early chapters, particularly if they're interested in the details of the science behind what has to happen in order for any treatment to reach an adequate stage of presentation and use. Unfortunately, readers uninterested in the science, or without any background in medical literature, HIV/AIDS research, or science may well find themselves left behind and unable to follow Anderson's text without outside support. As a result, the book simply isn't for every reader. Without an interest in science or a background in similar texts, this would be an incredibly difficult read.
That said, this book does take up the challenge of exploring what other texts on HIV/AIDS have left uncovered. Especially in the second half of the work, Anderson devotes real attention to examining the specific challenges (and differences) associated with combatting pediatric illnesses as opposed to adult illnesses, including a close look at why so much more attention is often focused onto adult treatment. Just as impressively, Anderson focuses real attention on HIV/AIDS in Africa, both on the political and social ramifications of the virus and its treatment, and on the specific difficulties of complicated medical treatments in developing countries. Here, especially, Anderson's research and discussion excels, for most books which have taken a similar look at HIV/AIDS have steered clear of a close look at HIV/AIDS' proliferation in other countries.
In the end, though the work is more detailed than many readers would wish--especially in terms of science, research, and politics--and also far larger in scope than its title would suggest, it is also a worthwhile read for interested readers, particularly those who want a larger look at the long-range path toward sustainable HIV/AIDS research and associated difficulties. Unfortunately, readers who do want a specific look at particular aspects of the text will have to search for the relevant material. Though the book reads something like a textbook, it set up as more of a narrative, and chapter titles don't do much to suggest each chapter's focus. Research is an important thread throughout the work, but it's worth noting that the first third of the book pays little focus to the specifities of pediatric treatment, and that the last third of the work is where Anderson closes her attention on treatment and HIV/AIDS in Africa, as well as on pediatric treatment alone.
All together, this isn't for the casual reader. But, for readers like myself who already have a familiarity with the history (scientific and cultural) of HIV/AIDS and its treatment, the book does hold something new to offer in terms of detail and focus.
299whitewavedarling
L. Houses and Stairways #11: Hell House by Richard Matheson (8/23/2014)
How I Picked It Up: This is one of those books that I'd been meaning to read for ages, and finally got around to...
Full Review:
A classic haunted house novel, this is a fast and well-paced read. Matheson balances tension with the supernatural, and moves smoothly between psychological terror and gruesome horrors. The one drawback of the novel is that the characters simply aren't all that sympathetic. It may be because they need more depth, but regardless, the book would be far more frightening if readers were drawn in to care more for the specific characters at the heart of the book. Instead, the plot and the suspense drive the book by themselves, and while that's plenty of drive to keep a reader engaged...it isn't necessarily enough to keep a reader scared. Simply, I expected to be scared by the book, and while I was interested and sometimes disgusted, I was rarely given any level of a scare.
Honestly? It was worth the read, but I expected a lot more.
How I Picked It Up: This is one of those books that I'd been meaning to read for ages, and finally got around to...
Full Review:
A classic haunted house novel, this is a fast and well-paced read. Matheson balances tension with the supernatural, and moves smoothly between psychological terror and gruesome horrors. The one drawback of the novel is that the characters simply aren't all that sympathetic. It may be because they need more depth, but regardless, the book would be far more frightening if readers were drawn in to care more for the specific characters at the heart of the book. Instead, the plot and the suspense drive the book by themselves, and while that's plenty of drive to keep a reader engaged...it isn't necessarily enough to keep a reader scared. Simply, I expected to be scared by the book, and while I was interested and sometimes disgusted, I was rarely given any level of a scare.
Honestly? It was worth the read, but I expected a lot more.
300cammykitty
I liked Hell House but you are right about the characters. He made it easy to maintain a little psychological distance from most of them because you knew they were going to be toast by the end. I think the key to why the novel is a "classic" haunted house story is how exactly the house was haunted.
301whitewavedarling
F. Art and Artists #2: The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe (8/24/2014)
How I Picked It Up: I know I heard about the follow-up to this novel on Librarything as a bb, and ended up buying this one when I realized it was the first in the series. From reading the jacket to the next, I've realized they focus on different characters, so I may wait to read the next one (I hadn't planned to until I looked at the book jacket this morning), and this one stands by itself. Either way, it was a great read, which my review doesn't do justice to--I may come back to it when I'm not on cold medicine! In any case, I picked it up now for no specific reason, but music is so central to the central character's concept of self that I think it fits well in this category for reading about art and artists, which I've been badly neglecting.
Full Review:
Clever and compelling, this is one of those books that sneaks up on you. In the beginning, I was barely interested, just reading to read. A few chapters in, however, I couldn't put it down. Bledsoe's characters are striking and interesting, not to mention believable, and his plot carries off a perfect balance of tension and description. I'm honestly not sure whether I'd classify this as general fiction, fantasy, or magical realism, but whatever your reading interests, it's a fascinating and fast-paced read.
Absolutely recommended.
How I Picked It Up: I know I heard about the follow-up to this novel on Librarything as a bb, and ended up buying this one when I realized it was the first in the series. From reading the jacket to the next, I've realized they focus on different characters, so I may wait to read the next one (I hadn't planned to until I looked at the book jacket this morning), and this one stands by itself. Either way, it was a great read, which my review doesn't do justice to--I may come back to it when I'm not on cold medicine! In any case, I picked it up now for no specific reason, but music is so central to the central character's concept of self that I think it fits well in this category for reading about art and artists, which I've been badly neglecting.
Full Review:
Clever and compelling, this is one of those books that sneaks up on you. In the beginning, I was barely interested, just reading to read. A few chapters in, however, I couldn't put it down. Bledsoe's characters are striking and interesting, not to mention believable, and his plot carries off a perfect balance of tension and description. I'm honestly not sure whether I'd classify this as general fiction, fantasy, or magical realism, but whatever your reading interests, it's a fascinating and fast-paced read.
Absolutely recommended.
302DeltaQueen50
I have The Hum and the Shiver on my kindle so it was great hearing that you enjoyed it.
303whitewavedarling
>302 DeltaQueen50:, I hope you enjoy it--it really snuck up on me and sucked me in!
304whitewavedarling
G. Creepy Cover #7: Pig Island by Mo Hayder
How I Picked It Up: I read The Devil of Nanking years ago, and loved it so much that I'll always be a fan of her. The second book I read (and I'm blanking on the title) was good, but not so dark, so it took me a while to get around to this one. It as a good fit for my creepy cover category, though, and I'm so glad I picked it up now. It was wonderfully dark, and lived up to the memory I have of Devil of Nanking.
Full Review:
Mo Hayder has a talent for darkness, and for building compelling tales around characters who flirt with mystery before falling headlong into that darkness she draws so well. With Pig Island, the horrors come from surprising places in a way that jolts readers away from expectations and into a far heavier narrative than expected. It's only fair to warn potential readers that the violence here is graphic--as has been the case in Hayder's other works--but one of the wonders of the book is that even such violence as she creates never comes across as gratuitous. Simply, this is world where an average journalist goes wandering into a story to disprove a horror, and finds other horrors entirely beyond what he'd been prepared for.
In the end, this is as clever as it is surprising and disturbing, and that's wonderful.
Absolutely recommended.
How I Picked It Up: I read The Devil of Nanking years ago, and loved it so much that I'll always be a fan of her. The second book I read (and I'm blanking on the title) was good, but not so dark, so it took me a while to get around to this one. It as a good fit for my creepy cover category, though, and I'm so glad I picked it up now. It was wonderfully dark, and lived up to the memory I have of Devil of Nanking.
Full Review:
Mo Hayder has a talent for darkness, and for building compelling tales around characters who flirt with mystery before falling headlong into that darkness she draws so well. With Pig Island, the horrors come from surprising places in a way that jolts readers away from expectations and into a far heavier narrative than expected. It's only fair to warn potential readers that the violence here is graphic--as has been the case in Hayder's other works--but one of the wonders of the book is that even such violence as she creates never comes across as gratuitous. Simply, this is world where an average journalist goes wandering into a story to disprove a horror, and finds other horrors entirely beyond what he'd been prepared for.
In the end, this is as clever as it is surprising and disturbing, and that's wonderful.
Absolutely recommended.
305dudes22
I have the first one in her Jack Caffery series on my nook. Maybe I'll read it next month while I'm on vacation.
306whitewavedarling
I'll be curious how you like it. The one book I read from that series was good, but more what I'd consider a traditional mystery or thriller than Pig Island or Devil of Nanking. I like dark, so those two are my favorites so far, but I can see a lot of folks vastly preferring the series, from what I read!
308whitewavedarling
B. Creatures on the Covers #5: The Explanation for Everything by Linda Grodstein
How I Picked It Up: I got this one from the LT Early Reviewers Program. It sounded good...
Full Review:
When I began this book, I wasn't drawn in, but I was interested enough in the premise that I was held by the story. As the book went on, though, this grew less and less true, and I grew more and more annoyed with what had become an overtly predictable--and sometimes unbelievable--story about characters that were, more and more, not much better than stereotypes. By the time I reached the novel's finish, I was glad to be done, and ready to avoid this author in the future.
It's also important to note that this should be an incredibly touching book. Given the premise and the situations of the characters, this book should bring readers through a range of emotions cycling from grief to humor, and back again. It took me a while to pick up this book, in fact, specifically because I expected to be emotionally affected by the protagonist's situation. And, yet. I can honestly say that I never felt real emotion drawn out by the narrative, which is a damning statement to begin with. It occurred to me last night, when I put the book down with only forty pages left to read, and no desire to continue, that Grodstein might have written with a view toward making the protagonist's narrative overtly objective in tone, discouraging emotional connection. I don't know whether this is giving her too much credit or not--I'm inclined to think it is simply because I was so disappointed with so many aspects of the novel--but should this actually be the case, it was a failed experiment. The result was an emotionally disconnected narrative that came across as fairly disinterested and boring, centered on stereotypical characters and situations which felt only half-drawn.
By the end of the book, as you might by now realize, I was extremely frustrated. While the book attempts to examine individuals struggling with crises in believe and faith--in science, in God, in personal philosophy, and in morality--it ends up making light of faith itself. By portraying characters whose lives have centered on a specific type of faith, and then showing them not just questioned, but fully doubted and reversed, over and over again, faith becomes little more than a mockery of itself within the book, and the characters end up seeming unbelievable as a result. Simply, while crises of faith do happen--in science and in faith and in any other area--they do not happen so simply or painlessly as the writer depicts. And, certainly, they are not full of the cliched questions her characters center their doubts on. Most of the questions which center the characters' struggles are questions which any mature individual would have moved through, or come to, far earlier in their lives. The fact that they face them suddenly at these junctures is just short of laughable, cruel as that may be to say, and suggests that the writer is exploring a struggle that she herself hasn't truly experienced. I'm not someone who believes that a writer must necessarily write about what they know...but, in terms of emotions, that may be true, at least in this case.
Simply, this book much left to be desired, in terms of both believability and depth. It had some clever and funny moments, but most of the moments which could have distinguished the book as having real character, or being truly original, were given and then left behind in the span of a paragraph, leaving this reader (at least) both disappointed and wondering--why are the interesting moments constantly left behind in favor of returning to the cliched?
I expected far far more, and I wouldn't recommend this. So far, I write in August, this is the disappointment of the year for me.
How I Picked It Up: I got this one from the LT Early Reviewers Program. It sounded good...
Full Review:
When I began this book, I wasn't drawn in, but I was interested enough in the premise that I was held by the story. As the book went on, though, this grew less and less true, and I grew more and more annoyed with what had become an overtly predictable--and sometimes unbelievable--story about characters that were, more and more, not much better than stereotypes. By the time I reached the novel's finish, I was glad to be done, and ready to avoid this author in the future.
It's also important to note that this should be an incredibly touching book. Given the premise and the situations of the characters, this book should bring readers through a range of emotions cycling from grief to humor, and back again. It took me a while to pick up this book, in fact, specifically because I expected to be emotionally affected by the protagonist's situation. And, yet. I can honestly say that I never felt real emotion drawn out by the narrative, which is a damning statement to begin with. It occurred to me last night, when I put the book down with only forty pages left to read, and no desire to continue, that Grodstein might have written with a view toward making the protagonist's narrative overtly objective in tone, discouraging emotional connection. I don't know whether this is giving her too much credit or not--I'm inclined to think it is simply because I was so disappointed with so many aspects of the novel--but should this actually be the case, it was a failed experiment. The result was an emotionally disconnected narrative that came across as fairly disinterested and boring, centered on stereotypical characters and situations which felt only half-drawn.
By the end of the book, as you might by now realize, I was extremely frustrated. While the book attempts to examine individuals struggling with crises in believe and faith--in science, in God, in personal philosophy, and in morality--it ends up making light of faith itself. By portraying characters whose lives have centered on a specific type of faith, and then showing them not just questioned, but fully doubted and reversed, over and over again, faith becomes little more than a mockery of itself within the book, and the characters end up seeming unbelievable as a result. Simply, while crises of faith do happen--in science and in faith and in any other area--they do not happen so simply or painlessly as the writer depicts. And, certainly, they are not full of the cliched questions her characters center their doubts on. Most of the questions which center the characters' struggles are questions which any mature individual would have moved through, or come to, far earlier in their lives. The fact that they face them suddenly at these junctures is just short of laughable, cruel as that may be to say, and suggests that the writer is exploring a struggle that she herself hasn't truly experienced. I'm not someone who believes that a writer must necessarily write about what they know...but, in terms of emotions, that may be true, at least in this case.
Simply, this book much left to be desired, in terms of both believability and depth. It had some clever and funny moments, but most of the moments which could have distinguished the book as having real character, or being truly original, were given and then left behind in the span of a paragraph, leaving this reader (at least) both disappointed and wondering--why are the interesting moments constantly left behind in favor of returning to the cliched?
I expected far far more, and I wouldn't recommend this. So far, I write in August, this is the disappointment of the year for me.
309-Eva-
>307 dudes22:
If you got in sometime in July of 2012, it was a B&N Free Friday book. I only know this because that's how it ended up on my NOOK. :)
If you got in sometime in July of 2012, it was a B&N Free Friday book. I only know this because that's how it ended up on my NOOK. :)
311whitewavedarling
>309 -Eva-: and >310 dudes22:, I hope you guys enjoy them if you get to them...Mo Hayder is one writer I'll pay to read :)
And, thankfully, this last book was better than my last reviewed inclusion...
A. The Sea #7: The Hungry Ocean: A Swordboat Captain's Journey by Linda Greenlaw
How I Picked it Up: Honestly, this is right up my alley-- I love stories about the ocean, working on the ocean, or any aspect of being around marine life. I don't know why it took me this long to get around to it...
Full Review:
Covering the trajectory of one full fishing trip, and intermixed with memorable (often disastrous) moments from other trips, Greenlaw's work is both honest and fascinating. From concerns about crewing a swordfish boat to the day-to-day actions and reactions of a captain of the same, the work maneuvers around a world that most readers will find entirely unfamiliar, and it does so with both humor and humanity in mind. By balancing between this fishing world and the social world of a nearly month-long trip built for swordfish and six very different individuals on a relatively small boat, Greenlaw moves the narrative at a fast pace.
Whether you're interested in fishing or not, this really is a marvelous look into a world that, for most of us, is simply foreign and all but unimaginable. Greenlaw makes it wonderfully real in this quick-moving memoir. If you love the ocean or, very simply, love a good story, let alone the science of fishing, you might very well find this worth your time.
Recommended.
And, thankfully, this last book was better than my last reviewed inclusion...
A. The Sea #7: The Hungry Ocean: A Swordboat Captain's Journey by Linda Greenlaw
How I Picked it Up: Honestly, this is right up my alley-- I love stories about the ocean, working on the ocean, or any aspect of being around marine life. I don't know why it took me this long to get around to it...
Full Review:
Covering the trajectory of one full fishing trip, and intermixed with memorable (often disastrous) moments from other trips, Greenlaw's work is both honest and fascinating. From concerns about crewing a swordfish boat to the day-to-day actions and reactions of a captain of the same, the work maneuvers around a world that most readers will find entirely unfamiliar, and it does so with both humor and humanity in mind. By balancing between this fishing world and the social world of a nearly month-long trip built for swordfish and six very different individuals on a relatively small boat, Greenlaw moves the narrative at a fast pace.
Whether you're interested in fishing or not, this really is a marvelous look into a world that, for most of us, is simply foreign and all but unimaginable. Greenlaw makes it wonderfully real in this quick-moving memoir. If you love the ocean or, very simply, love a good story, let alone the science of fishing, you might very well find this worth your time.
Recommended.
312whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #14: Into the Great Wide Open by Kevin Canty
How I Picked It Up: I'm fairly sure I picked this up as a bargain book at Barnes & Noble a while back--the cover still draws me in. As for why I read it now...well, it just came to my hand off the tbr shelves, as books sometimes do, with no particular reason beyond it looking like a relatively quick escape.
Full Review:
Canty's greatest strength here is also the novel's greatest weakness. Writing unironically about teenage love, and from a first person point of view, he manages to transport readers right back to high school, and to those incredibly strong feelings enmeshed in the center-of-the-universe-and-knowing-it-all-feeling that comes from being seventeen. The problem is that he's writing about an incredibly average love between two frighteningly average people in a sadly average situation. Yes, they've got serious problems at home, like so many teenagers. Yes, they're got emotional problems, like so many teenagers. No, they don't know what comes next and they're worried about it, like so many teenagers. Yes, they take risks, and no, they don't think too much... All like so many other average teenagers.
In the end, this made me remember the feelings of highschool, and some of my friends, with a clarity I hadn't experienced with those years in some time. Yet, could I have had that clarity without the book, had I just sat back and remembered? Yes.
And because the book was so driven by those voices and that teenage angst, I was more than glad to finish it and leave it behind, only sorry that there was no non-anti-climactic ending to give it a little more heft. Simply, teenagers won't appreciate this, and adults will likely be bored by it sooner than later, if not actually annoyed.
Not recommended, I'm afraid, unless you simply want a fairly good example of a novel told from the point of view of a believable, and average, fairly unthinking highschooler.
How I Picked It Up: I'm fairly sure I picked this up as a bargain book at Barnes & Noble a while back--the cover still draws me in. As for why I read it now...well, it just came to my hand off the tbr shelves, as books sometimes do, with no particular reason beyond it looking like a relatively quick escape.
Full Review:
Canty's greatest strength here is also the novel's greatest weakness. Writing unironically about teenage love, and from a first person point of view, he manages to transport readers right back to high school, and to those incredibly strong feelings enmeshed in the center-of-the-universe-and-knowing-it-all-feeling that comes from being seventeen. The problem is that he's writing about an incredibly average love between two frighteningly average people in a sadly average situation. Yes, they've got serious problems at home, like so many teenagers. Yes, they're got emotional problems, like so many teenagers. No, they don't know what comes next and they're worried about it, like so many teenagers. Yes, they take risks, and no, they don't think too much... All like so many other average teenagers.
In the end, this made me remember the feelings of highschool, and some of my friends, with a clarity I hadn't experienced with those years in some time. Yet, could I have had that clarity without the book, had I just sat back and remembered? Yes.
And because the book was so driven by those voices and that teenage angst, I was more than glad to finish it and leave it behind, only sorry that there was no non-anti-climactic ending to give it a little more heft. Simply, teenagers won't appreciate this, and adults will likely be bored by it sooner than later, if not actually annoyed.
Not recommended, I'm afraid, unless you simply want a fairly good example of a novel told from the point of view of a believable, and average, fairly unthinking highschooler.
313cammykitty
Oooo, I'll avoid Into the Great Wide Open. Teenage years aren't something I want to relive!!!
314whitewavedarling
Yeah--it was lovely and impressive for all of two chapters or so, but after that I'd had enough!
315whitewavedarling
H. The Seemingly Mundane #15: Playing for Pizza by John Grisham
How I Picked it Up: This had been sitting on my shelves for ages, having been a gift at some point. The GastroCat pushed me to get around to it, and I'm so glad I did....it was so much fun in an otherwise stressful week, and really got me in the mood for football season to start! (But, honestly, I'd recommend it even to non-football fans!)
Full Review:
It wasn't until I lived in a college town that I really got interested in football, and even then, it was a slow process. Had I come across this book earlier, I might just have found my way to being a fan a bit faster. I also might have really attempted that Italian study abroad...
Following the story of a disgraced NFL player on his journey to play football, this is far from Grisham's usual tale. And yet, it is also a wonderful read.
Grisham strikes a perfect balance of writing about the life of a professional athlete against writing about culture in Italy. For football fans, there are just enough play-by-plays to make relevant sections of the book fast-paced and let you visualize the important parts of those important games. And yet, for readers who won't be as interested in that aspect, there's really not enough of it to detract from what is otherwise, very simply, a good story with believable characters. The book moves quickly and gracefully across a number of settings, and it does so with a natural evolution and change which makes it a fast-paced read, and likely a journey away from what you know, regardless of what that is.
All told, the only downfall of the book is that it will make you hungry for a good Italian meal and desperate to go off to Italy to, of all things, see a football game.
Absolutely recommended--this is just one of those fun reads worth reading and passing on. And, if you've got someone who you Want to like football? Give them this.
How I Picked it Up: This had been sitting on my shelves for ages, having been a gift at some point. The GastroCat pushed me to get around to it, and I'm so glad I did....it was so much fun in an otherwise stressful week, and really got me in the mood for football season to start! (But, honestly, I'd recommend it even to non-football fans!)
Full Review:
It wasn't until I lived in a college town that I really got interested in football, and even then, it was a slow process. Had I come across this book earlier, I might just have found my way to being a fan a bit faster. I also might have really attempted that Italian study abroad...
Following the story of a disgraced NFL player on his journey to play football, this is far from Grisham's usual tale. And yet, it is also a wonderful read.
Grisham strikes a perfect balance of writing about the life of a professional athlete against writing about culture in Italy. For football fans, there are just enough play-by-plays to make relevant sections of the book fast-paced and let you visualize the important parts of those important games. And yet, for readers who won't be as interested in that aspect, there's really not enough of it to detract from what is otherwise, very simply, a good story with believable characters. The book moves quickly and gracefully across a number of settings, and it does so with a natural evolution and change which makes it a fast-paced read, and likely a journey away from what you know, regardless of what that is.
All told, the only downfall of the book is that it will make you hungry for a good Italian meal and desperate to go off to Italy to, of all things, see a football game.
Absolutely recommended--this is just one of those fun reads worth reading and passing on. And, if you've got someone who you Want to like football? Give them this.
316whitewavedarling
I. Illness #4: Confessions of a Gambler by Rayda Jacobs
How I Picked it Up: I've gotten in the habit of reading a lot of African works, and there are so few that deal with HIV/AIDS that I especially try to read those. I think they need to be read, and talked about, and I particularly like reading novels that try to engage meaningfully with difficult (current) issues. This one did many things, all of them admirable, and was also simply a beautifully written read. I'm glad I stumbled onto it.
Fair Warning: The Jacket cover of my copy gives away a story-line that doesn't actually materialize until 3/4ths of the way into the book, so if you pick this up, don't read the jacket!
Full Review:
In a balance of humor and heartbreak, and addiction and hope, Jacobs' exploration of a Muslim mother's look at the world is a graceful movement between a past and a present, all so interwoven as to condense each moment with another. With a son dying of AIDS and personal addiction becoming heaver and heavier, Jacobs' protagonist is one to remember, and is created so strikingly and believably that the novel is simply compelling.
Written with an eye toward painful self confession, and with a focus on hard truths, the book is a serious one. Yet, the community at the center of the book is what ensures a read which is not only powerful, but beautiful, and full of hope.
Recommended.
How I Picked it Up: I've gotten in the habit of reading a lot of African works, and there are so few that deal with HIV/AIDS that I especially try to read those. I think they need to be read, and talked about, and I particularly like reading novels that try to engage meaningfully with difficult (current) issues. This one did many things, all of them admirable, and was also simply a beautifully written read. I'm glad I stumbled onto it.
Fair Warning: The Jacket cover of my copy gives away a story-line that doesn't actually materialize until 3/4ths of the way into the book, so if you pick this up, don't read the jacket!
Full Review:
In a balance of humor and heartbreak, and addiction and hope, Jacobs' exploration of a Muslim mother's look at the world is a graceful movement between a past and a present, all so interwoven as to condense each moment with another. With a son dying of AIDS and personal addiction becoming heaver and heavier, Jacobs' protagonist is one to remember, and is created so strikingly and believably that the novel is simply compelling.
Written with an eye toward painful self confession, and with a focus on hard truths, the book is a serious one. Yet, the community at the center of the book is what ensures a read which is not only powerful, but beautiful, and full of hope.
Recommended.
This topic was continued by Whitewavedarling's 2014 Challenge...Thread 2!.
