Sean191's 75 Book Challenge for 2010

I finished with 87 books for 2009 - I don't think I'll read quite enough to get to 100 for 2010 and I'll continue to be stuck in the limbo in between...but, only time will tell. Anyway, I offer a review of each book I read below.

1. American Home Life - David Barringer
2. The Suburban Swindle - Jackie Corley
3. The Unlikely Ones - Mary Brown
4. The Guinea Pig Experiment - A.J. Jacobs
5. A Death in the Barrens - George Grinnell
6. Clare De Lune - Pierre Lamure
7. The Witch of Blackbird Pond - Elizabeth George Speare
8. Einstein's Dreams - Alan Lightman
9. Loot and Other Stories - Nadine Gordimer
10. The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip - George Saunders
11. House of Stairs - William Sleator
12. Six Feet of Country - Nadine Gordimer
13. Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives - Brad Watson
14. Company of Liars - Karen Maitland
15. Room Temperature - Nicholson Baker
16. The Ant King and Other Stories - Benjamin Rosenbaum
17. The Checklist Manifesto - Atul Gawande
18. The Braindead Megaphone - George Saunders
19. Land of the Lost Souls: My Life on the Streets - Cadillac Man
20. The Fermata - Nicholson Baker
21. The Lottery: And Other Stories - Shirley Jackson
22. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
23. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
24. The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios by Yann Martel
25. Portnoy's Complaint - Philip Roth
26. Hold the Enlightenment - Tim Cahill
27. Trout Fishing in America- Richard Brautigan
28. The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis
29. Truck: A Love Story - Michael Perry
30. Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader - Anne Fadiman
31: Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned - Wells Tower
32. The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger
33. Odd and the Frost Giants - Neil Gaiman
34. The Windup Girl - Paolo Bacigalupi
35.Labyrinths - Jorge Luis Borges
36. Out of a Silent Planet - C.S. Lewis
37. Young Men and Fire - Norman Maclean
38. Double Fold - Nicholson Baker
39. Permanent Obscurity - Richard Perez
40. Grendel - John Gardner
41. 84, Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff
42. Screwjack - Hunter Thompson
43. Smiler's Bones - Peter Lerangis
44. Earth Abides - George R. Stewart
45. The Man Who Loved Books too Much - Allison Hoover Bartlett
46. Concrete Island - J.G. Ballard
47. Awakenings - Oliver Sacks
48. Anthill - Edward O. Wilson
49. Vox - Nicholson Baker
50. If on a winter's night - Italo Calvino
51. American Parent - Sam Apple
52. Beirut 39 - edited by Samuel Shimon
53. Let Me In - John Ajvide Lindqvist
54. The Everlasting Story of Nory - Nicholson Baker
55. The Wave - Susan Casey
56. The Domino Men - Jonathan Barnes
57. My Ishmael - Daniel Quinn
58. No Hope for Gomez! - Graham Parke
59. Bed Crumbs - John Kruth
60. Everything is Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer
61. Dauntless Homecoming- Pete Koziar
62. 1776 - David McCullough
63. Riding the Ice Wind - Alastair Vere Nicoll
64. Lives of the Poets - E.L. Doctorow
65. The Pugilist at Rest - Thom Jones
66. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
67. Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne
68. Streetcar Named Desire - Tennessee Williams
69. Expedition Earth - Arthur C. Clarke
70. Foe - J.M. Coetzee
71. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave - Frederick Douglass
72. A Timeless Place - Ellen (Bromfield) Geld
73. Go Tell it on the Mountain - James Baldwin
74. Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
75. My Custom Van - Michael Ian Black
76. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter - Tom Franklin
77. The Secret Goldfish - David Means
78. 20th Century Ghosts - Joe Hill
79. Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician - Daniel Wallace
80. High Rise - J.G. Ballard
81. Excerpt from Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven - Mark Twain
82. Tamsin - Peter Beagle
83. 85A - Kyle Thomas Smith
84. The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle
85. The Anthologist - Nicholson Baker
86. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote
87. The Pickup Artist - Terry Bisson
88. The Neverending Story - Michael Ende
89. Other Voices, Other Rooms - Truman Capote
90. The Trees - Conrad Richter
91. Hint Fiction - edited by Robert Swartwood
92. The Neon Bible - John Kennedy Toole
93. The Prince and the Pauper - Mark Twain
94. Galapagos - Kurt Vonnegut
95. Perelandria - C.S. Lewis
96. Seventeen Traditions - Ralph Nader
97. Just So Stories - Rudyard Kipling
98. Miracle on 34th Street - Valentine Davies
99. The Year of Living Biblically - A.J. Jacobs
100. Complete Calvin and Hobbes - Bill Watterson *

Welcome back!

Glad to see you back, Sean!

Glad to be back! :)

1. American Home Life by David Barringer - what a difficult book to review. That's not because it's deep in symbolism or philosophy (besides the day-to-day sort). No, it's difficult because it's an enjoyable book to read, but the reason it's enjoyable is the same reason I don't rate it very high.

The book is written by a father cataloging the daily happenings in the household. If the father was actually the one writing the book, it might have gained another 1/2 star. Instead, the father is fictitious. How do we know? Well, besides the name of the father being different than the author, there's a number of appliances and contraptions presented in the book that don't exist (yet) in today's world. That's probably where the book really lost that half star. The blurbs on the cover shout out "honest" look at "contemporary" family life. Yes, honest for fiction? And contemporary possibly for people in another 20 years? Ugh.

Overall, the writing while not dazzling, was perfectly echoing non-fiction books covering family life. It's interesting me enough that I'll track down one of his other books to see how good his writing really is when it's not formed into this particular mold.

#5: I think I will skip that one. I hope you enjoy your next read more, Sean.

2. The Suburban Swindle by Jackie Corley. This is the third book I've read from So New publishing - and my favorite. I'll be keeping an eye out to see if Jackie Corley puts out anything else and I'll be taking a look at more of the So New printings.

For this book specifically - it's a collection of short stories centering around 20 somethings in New Jersey and it's really, really good. Very poetic language somehow fits into stories of characters broken down and washed up. Basically, the best way to describe it - it's what I imagined the book Garden State would be after I saw the movie - and then some.

I read Garden State after watching the movie - loved the movie, was a little disappointed by the book. If someone had told me Garden State was based on THIS book, I would have believed them and been happy that I experienced the movie and the book.

That's not to say that this book follows Garden States plot - just vaguely the feelings are there, the poetry of the story is there and this all by a young writer. Really, really impressive to me.

Glad this read was better for you than the last one was!

3. The Unlikely Ones - Mary Brown. I thought I would like this book - it seemed like a fun story line, but it was too dark for a light children's fairy tale and too light for a good fantasy adventure.

It really read like a romance novel (although I'm just guessing since I haven't read any romance novels). It was repetitive, characters were boring and I HATE when writers totally show their hand with the foreshadowing. It's ok to hint, don't make it obvious. Don't actually title the chapters with what's going to happen! (Some authors write in a way that they can get away with this - but Mary Brown's style doesn't lend itself to this).

4. The Guinea Pig Experiment by A.J. Jacobs. This is the third book from A.J. Jacobs. Unlike the previous two (The Know-it-all and The Year of Living Biblically) this book was essentially a collection of smaller experiments. Really, every book Jacobs writes is about some type of social experiment. And really, every book he writes is very funny.

While I enjoyed this book, some experiments (and thereby short stories or chapters) stood above the rest. For instance, his month of absolute honesty I found really enjoyable, while his month of being an attractive female nanny (you'll have to read it to understand) isn't as good. Still, I found something at least good enough to bring a smile in all stories, with most actually getting at least a few laughs.

I haven't read Year of Living Biblically yet, but my wife insists that's the best, with this being the worst - still, if this is the worst, I recommend reading them all.

#9: OK, skipping that one. Hope the next one is better, Sean.

5. Death in the Barrens by George James Grinnell. This is a hard one to review. It was decently written, so that didn't detract. The individuals involved were not unlikeable, yet they weren't wholly likeable either. The expedition they went on wasn't extraordinarily difficult, but it wasn't easy. Illustrations were actually nice, but they didn't go with the story (I realized they were all paintings done by the publisher, which was a little off-putting - but I'm actually going to take a look at them on the web site because I thought they were well-done). Essentially, everything in the book was middle-of-the-road, nothing outstanding, but nothing bad. If pressed, I would say it's better than middle-of-the-road and would recommend the book to those into the outdoors and stories of human struggle (spiritual and physical). A sidenote, although not really a sidenote, as a few pages was spent on it in the book - the author has a really impressive pedigree.

#12: That one looks like one I would enjoy. I will see if I can locate a copy. Thanks, Sean!

6. Clare De Lune Clair De Lune - my favorite classical piece. Debussy - not necessarily my favorite composer. That's not due to him personally, but more because I like the entire body of work from some others more (like Vivaldi for example). Still, although I had some reservations about reading a biography about Debussy, I held out hopes for a good read since it came highly recommended from an acquaintance (and my copy actually came from him as well). So, I was a little disappointed when I realized it wasn't a biography, but a novel based on the life of the composer. Fortunately, it was a really enjoyable read and there was enough fact about Debussy sprinkled throughout in footnotes to add weight and interest.

7. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. I hadn't read this book as a child and I only read it now because it was in a box of books I bought. It was a good quick read, although very obvious as to how things would turn out and who would end up marrying who by story's end. Maybe if I had read it as a child, it wouldn't have been as apparent. But then, as a child, I would have wanted a book filled with more adventure and action. Probably a good book for a pre-teen. I gave it to my niece when I was done with it - I'm curious to see if she reads it and if she likes it.

I loved The Witch of Blackbird Pond when I was a kid, though I don't have a clear memory of it now.

I didn't know the film Garden State had been based on a book.

8. Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman. I see a lot of people really enjoyed this book of (very) short stories all dealing with time. I really didn't like it. It read like something you would expect to hear in a college dorm filled with funny-smelling smoke. Eventually, the themes essentially repeated - in some worlds time is slower depending on where you live/in some worlds time is slower depending how high above the planet you are (um...essentially the same?) Maybe if the stories were longer it would have been good. If Lightman could have taken the stories somewhere. But when it's literally three to five pages per story, these "deep thoughts" on time aren't very impressive to me. Frankly, a number of stories don't have to do with time, but that's what he shoe-horned them into. The only good part about this book taking a look at time was the fact that it didn't take a long time to read through it.

Elkiedee - I would imagine with the size of your library, it would be hard to keep a clear memory of all the books you've read!

9. Loot and Other Stories by Nadine Gordimer. Either my tastes have changed since I first read Gordimer (which is entirely possible - since I first read her in college 11 or 12 years ago) or she's changed her style in this book a little. Jump and other Stories is one of my favorite books ever, but I may have to re-read it now to see if it's as good as I thought it was. This collection....not so good. I think I was most disheartened by the lack of dialogue. Gordimer doesn't have the characters talking. Instead, she describes what they're saying. It makes things clumsy. I guess in general, there's less fire in her work since so much of it was based on apartheid and with that demise, there's a little less to write about. There's still absolutely racial tension and prejudice, but it's not as blatant as it was before. Those problems being a little more of an undercurrent rather than a main focus blunts some of the shock Gordimer was able to bring up in her previous works. I'm actually reading a different collection of short stories from her now - an older collection. It should give me a better idea of if I will want to read the two novels I have of hers.

10. The very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders. I've rated this 2 1/2 stars - normally that would indicate I'm unlikely to read other books by the author. But, I've read a few other Saunders books before, so I'll ignore the guideline on this one. So, I loved the description of what the story was about...it sounded hilarious. I enjoyed the very brief description of the Gappers. I thought the art was ok - I almost liked it, but it's similar to other books out there, and it seemed a little creepy without having any of the humor I'm used to in that type of art. The story - concentrated too much on the other characters and not enough on the heroine. It's short, so dedicating pages to the other characters really cuts into story development. On the other hand, I felt like some of the characters could have been removed entirely to give more space to develop the others. I would have liked to learn more about the Gappers too. I don't know if this would be something kids would really enjoy, maybe they would, but I've read other children's books with a similar feel that I believe do a better job of entertaining and providing some kind of lesson.

11. House of Stairs by William Sleator. Written for a teen audience way back in 1974, it's interesting and familiar. The easiest way to describe it is a cross between Lord of the Flies and 1984. Both of which were around before this book, so there's a good possibility they influenced it. The book was written for a teen audience, but again, in 1974, so it's still a little different than what I'm used to for teen lit. I appreciated that it didn't have a Hollywood happy ending - definitely gave a little bit of an uncomfortable twist to the end. Quick book to read - only 160 pages or so. Easy to get through in a couple of hours.

#19: I too read Jump and Other Stories and enjoyed it. Sounds like I can pass on Loot and Other Stories though.

#20: Skipping that one

#21: I may give that one a try.

#22. Regarding House of Stairs, it's a really quick read - I'm not the fastest reader and I believe you're probably a fast reader so I'd imagine it'd take you less than two hours to read the book.

I already checked and my local library does have House of Stairs so I hope to get my hands on it soon.

I hope you get the one with the better cover - the one that's more a close-up of the characters. It does make it creepier after knowing what the art is portraying.

12. Six Feet of Country by Nadine Gordimer. Well, I didn't realize when I picked this up that some of the stories where originally published in "Selected Stories." But at the end of the book, there was a teaser for "Selected Stories" which said it contained stories from a few other collections, including this book - um? Anyway, I hadn't read "Selected Stories" in a while, so I figured it would be ok to go through this. None of the stories rang a bell, which was good for my reading, bad in regards to my apparent regard for the other collection. Still, they were MUCH better than collection I had just finished "Loot and Other Stories." So, I might just stick to Gordimer's older work and I might go into one of her novels for the first time soon.

The stories were typical Gordimer. They dealt with racial relations, apartheid and the legacy of that practice and typically ended in a depressing way - no happy endings for Gordimer. But that's what I like about her writing.

Except for one or two, I have read all of Gordimer's novels as well as a few of her short story collections. I don't think I've read Loot and Other Stories, though. Interesting that you wonder whether you it's your reading taste which has changed or Gordimer's style that is now different because of changed conditions in SA. Last time I read her was about 6 years ago, although my Gordimer phase was back in the 1990s. I wonder, too, whether I would still like her as much as I did if I re-read her earlier works.

13. Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives by Brad Watson. This collection of short stories introduces a weird cast of characters contemplating ordinary events and seemingly ordinary characters involved in weird situations. Most of the stories are a hit. I did laugh out loud a few times, but it would be misleading to say the stories contained in this collection are light-hearted. They're humorous, but it's dark humor. I believe the book would likely appeal to a George Saunders audience, although to be honest, I think I might have enjoyed these more than stories from Saunders.

14. Company of Liars by Karen Maitland. This is Karen Maitland's second book and the first I've read by her. The historically-based novel tells the tale of a company of travelers, each not quite what they seem, trying to escape the plague rampaging through England. Even though there are nine key characters, Maitland makes good use of the book's length to develop them well. It's slow plodding at first, but as characters start to mysteriously die-off, the story picks up its pace. The last 60 pages or so really lead to a great payoff.

I also appreciated the little bit of actual history of the plague at the novel's conclusion as well as the word glossary at the end. Those two additions acted like a dessert to a tasty meal.

#29: I think you liked that one more than I did, Sean. It was a slog for me to get through - the end did not justify the sloggy means to get there for me.

#30. I think you just like saying "slog." ;P

I found the very end chilling - made me think what happened to everyone....

#31: What makes you think that? lol

15. Room Temperature by Nicholson Baker. Baker again manages to take a brief moment in time and expand it to cover lifetimes. If you haven't read Baker before, it might be hard to understand. Also, if you haven't read Baker, don't pick up Vox or Fermata to check out what I'm talking about...although Fermata is arguably following the concept.

Room Temperature is a short fiction piece about a father with his daughter at her feeding time. It's during this time that he muses about a number of different things - some a little bizarre and bit gross, others sweet. I didn't enjoy this as much as Mezzanine, but it still does put a spotlight on Baker's talent and makes me wonder why he's not more widely-read. Maybe because of his erotic works? (mentioned above)

Re Nicholson Baker, I can recommend A Box of Matches, which I read last year.

Read that one- I really enjoyed that as well.

16. The Ant King and Other Stories by Benjamin Rosenbaum. I took this book out of the library when it came out - a few months ago. Since it was new, I only had a week or two to get to it and I didn't get through other books fast enough to do so- I only got through the first story (The Ant King) before I had to return it. I enjoyed the story and definitely planned to get the book back out. I was looking forward to reading the other stories.

Well, the stories were a mix - some good, some I felt were really boring. The thing is, there are some writers where you're reading about some things that make you question the writer's sanity (I'd say Burroughs and the Good Doctor would be reasonable examples) and then there are some writers who (to me) try too hard to seem crazy - and Rosenbaum fits into that category. Not to say that crazy is a good thing, but when you're trying to interact as writer to audience as much as Rosenbaum does and you're writing about topics of questionable sanity...I feel like it needs to be more believable that your sanity is questionable. I want to feel a little uncomfortable as I'm reading that type of story rather than feeling like I'm sitting in a smoky college dorm room discussing the meaning of everything, with everyone involved believing they've said something deeply profound.

#37: OK, I think I can safely skip that one!

17. The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande. This book was lent to me by a coworker. Since my career deals with information in the medical field, I thought it might prove to be educational and useful. After reading it, I'm not sure if it was really much of either, but that doesn't mean I regret reading it.

The book is a quick easy read. Dr. Gawande's writing style is very conversational and enjoyable. He doesn't often go into much technical detail that would be outside the average person's knowledge-base, but even when he does, he takes a step back to explain. There are no checklists actually offered in the book and there's again, a more conversational tone on offering advice on creating a checklist. If I could equate it to something, it would be like reading the journal of an adventurer - it's not offering so much "how to," instead, it's largely anecdotal and basically a reinforcing of the idea that it can be done and done successfully. I did find a lot of what he wrote to be interesting, but to me, it seemed to be only educational in the extent of adding to my trivia knowledge - which I like anyway.

At the conclusion of my reading, one feeling I did have was envy. I'm envious that Dr. Gawande can be a successful surgeon and an engaging writer. I'd settle for one of those!

18. The Braindead Megaphone by George Saunders. I'm glad I gave this a shot. I've read most of Saunder's other works (maybe all?) and while my wife loves him, I was indifferent. It was just because of her opinion that I kept giving him a try. She hasn't read this one yet, but the funny thing is, I don't know if she'll like it as much as his other work. Yet for me, this was the work I enjoyed the most (maybe the Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil would tie). There were hits and misses. When Saunders was trying too hard to be satirical it fell flat. But when he was writing from the field about an experience (whether with border militia or about the Buddha boy) he was spot on. Those stories were really bright points and made it well-worth the read.

#40: I have never read anything by George Saunders. I will have to look for his books and see whose side I am on - yours or your wife's :)

19. Land of the Lost Souls: My Life on the Streets by Cadillac Man. I wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. I just couldn't get into it. Cadillac Man went into plenty of detail about anything you could possibly ask for and I liked the descriptions of some of the people and places, but even though it was an interesting story to tell, the telling was done by someone who isn't a writer and it shows. I believe if I was sitting down with Cadillac Man over a cup - no better make that a LARGE pot - of coffee, the stories would be amazing and heartbreaking to hear. Unfortunately, the sterile print page neuters the message and keeps it a little too safe to have great impact. Still, I think it would be a worthwhile read for anyone who hasn't given thought to what makes people live on the streets or the hardships they endure.

#41: You'll have to let me know - depending upon your response, my wife may or may not hear about your opinion. ;)

#42: Hmm, someone posted a review the other day who really liked the book. I guess I will have to track down a copy so I can decide one way or the other.

20. The Fermata by Nicholson Baker. The Fermata tells a story, written by the protagonist, about a man with the ability to stop time through various means. Stopping time means stopping everything - except of course, himself. Once stopped, Arno (the main character) uses the temporary temporal freeze to indulge in his favorite pastime - undressing women.

Arno has a conscience though and doesn't want to distress them, so he always makes sure to put everything back as it was. The work itself is typical Baker in its amazing attention to every tiny descriptive detail. That fact makes the various sex scenes in the book very graphic - and not in an "art sex" way, but in a X-rated way. It's definitely not a read for the easily or even the not-so-easy to offend out there. It's very graphic and covers a lot of territory.

Now that that's out of the way, I have to say I really liked the book. The story was interesting, the main character was intriguing and I feel like what he does in the story is tame compared to what many people might choose to do. As I read, I wondered if the time stops were really happening or if Arno was insane. Baker could have went any direction he wanted to resolve the story, but the very last page was a great way to conclude and made me almost laugh with the brilliance of it.

I believe the overt sexual descriptions, while possibly making the reader uncomfortable, could serve to also make the reader question her or himself about how they would employ the stop-time power were they to have the ability.

If that's not enough, again, Baker's talent is in display throughout and I'm fond of his writing. But I do have to warn again, the sex is graphic and the language is graphic in those scenes. If you get offended, you may want to skip. His other books like Mezzanine and Room Temperature are fairly tame and also filled with Baker's talent as well.

#45: Thanks for the heads up, Sean. I think I will be skipping that one.

BTW - I got the Saunders' book from the library, but it reeked so badly of cigarette smoke that I could not read it, so I still do not know whose side I am on, you or your wife's.

#46: Just play it safe...I'm probably right . . . ;)

#47: lol

21. The Lottery: And Other Stories by Shirley Jackson. Well, back on the side of not liking Shirley Jackson. Thankfully, the collection ends with The Lottery, so I had the opportunity to get reacquainted with that excellent short story. If I had never heard of The Lottery and managed to slog through the rest of the stories to get to it, it would have been worth it, but I wish I just skipped to it and enjoyed myself for the few minutes it takes to read it, cutting out all the other stories that weren't very good. If not for The Lottery, no one would have known "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" (another enjoyable, but maybe lesser work from Jackson). Without either of those stories, I can't imagine there being any interest in these shorts or some of her other work. Maybe the Haunting of Hill House is worthwhile...I'm not sure if I have the confidence to find out.

#49: I just picked up We Have Always Lived in the Castle the other day at the library. Sounds like I can skip Jackson's short stories though.

#50 Did you ever get a chance to read A River Runs Through It yet? (Not that it has anything to do with Jackson - just wondering).

#51: No, I have been dreadfully lazy when it comes to reading books off my own shelves (again). I am bound and determined to spend the summer reading from them though and I already have that one and several others set aside as 'must reads'.

22. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons. I had high hopes for this book. That was the problem - my hopes were too high. I had read commentary left and right about how hilarious it was, but I found it only amusing. I've not really had experience with the types of books it lampoons. Without reading other opinions, I would have expected less and enjoyed more, still I'd recommend the book as a pleasant read.

#39: I just picked up the The Checklist Manifesto from the library after a considerable wait on the request list. I'm hoping to enjoy it and was encouraged by your review. It will be my next read as I'm sure that my loan will only be for one 3 week period due to its popularity.

I hope it doesn't disappoint lynn!

23. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Another book I'm embarrassed to say I hadn't read until now. Slightly reminded me of a space-aged Lord of the Flies in some ways with a splash of 1984 and War of the Worlds maybe. But, it was really enjoyable and there were a number of things that really made me think. I'd recommend.

I hadn't read Ender's Game either until about two years ago. I'm glad that I read it as an adult, because there are some things in there that I wouldn't want to accept without thinking critically about. (I wasn't a big critical thinker as a teen!)

I liked Ender's Game, but have not read any of the rest of the series since I heard that the rest of the series does not measure up to it. Are you planning on reading the rest of them, Sean? If so, I will look for your input.

I don't see myself pursuing the other books. If they get dumped in my lap at some point, I'd give it a go.

OK, just curious.

You read way faster than me, you should be telling me! :p

Hi. Just wanted to say I just read Ender's Game for the first time, too, and I agree that it's better to read as an adult than it would have been as a kid. I really liked it, and will be adding my review soon. I am interested in the conversation about whether the rest of the series is any good, because I wanted to rush right out and read them all, but now I'm not so sure?

I personally picked up Ender's Game because I heard it should be up there with the new "classics." I think that's true, as I said in my review. But, I hadn't heard much to anything about the other books. So maybe that says something. On the other side, I think a lot of people have heard of The Giver by Lois Lowry but may not be familiar with the books that added to that series, yet they were pretty good and I'd say worth the read if you liked the first.

So, I officially nominate someone other than myself to get to the bottom of this!

Sounds like a plan, Sean!

ETA: I have read all three books in The Giver trilogy, but think books two and three pale in comparison to the first.

I agree they're not as good, but do you feel they were worth the read? I think they were...although I think they take a little away from Lowry. If the Giver was a stand alone, it would have been better for her in my mind. Not as much to the extent of my feelings on Shirley Jackson's work - after all, I thought the other two books of Lowry's were still worth it. I might be wrong, but I thought there might have been a fourth released recently?

#65: No idea about the fourth book. I checked Lowry's website and there is no indication of a fourth book, so no luck there.

I agree about The Giver. I think it should have been left as a stand alone. The other two books in the trilogy are not bad, but they are not up to the standard she set with the first one.

I may be imagining the 4th book...or I'm confusing when I discovered there was a third with the fourth....

Actually, I discovered there was a third when Lowry told me so in an email correspondence!

I sent copies of the trilogy to her to have them signed for my then-girlfriend who had loved The Giver as a teenager.

24. The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios by Yann Martel.

The second published work by Yann Martel, this collection of short stories gives some indication as to what he'd be capable of in the future (LIfe of Pi). But, the stories were mostly written much earlier than the publish date I'm pretty sure, so there's not the level of experience or confidence you'll see in a seasoned writer. I believe the stories do give a glimpse of Martel as a person. Unless he totally disassociates himself with characters, I would imagine he's a person with plenty of empathy for his fellow human being.

Getting back to the writing - this was an "in that moment" book. I mean, that in that moment of interacting with the text it was good enough, but after putting it down, the moment passed and I don't think the stories will stick much with the exception of the final story.

The first story, more a novella and the title story of the piece deals with a friend comforting a man dying of AIDS over weeks and months of his deteriorating health.

The second story (I'm blanking on the full title, but it has "One Discordant Violin" as part of it) deals with a concert and an imperfect, yet perfect composition by an unknown composer, played by his friends in a guerrilla-style classical performance and how it haunts the narrator.

Manners of Dying - was a quick read because it was the same intro paragraph or two followed by the account of a convict being executed. The story is told maybe a dozen times with variations on what the last meal is, how the individual reacts to his last few hours and how the execution goes off.

The final story (another long title that I've already forgotten except for it having "Mirrors" in it). Is about a grandson spending time with his grandmother, but not realizing what he's missing as he's thinking to himself about how he cherishes interaction with people above materialism. In the end, materialism is important to the extent that one particular piece provides a key to something he neglected to grasp. I think this story may be worth re-reading.

25. Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth. This is the second work I've read by Roth. The first, When She Was Good, I hated, but appreciated. I hated it because the "she" of the title was a despicable character in my opinion. Yet, Roth's talent was evident, so I could only be annoyed that he created such a high level of disgust in me about a fictional character.

Portnoy's complaint started the same way for me. The title character, Alexander Portnoy is telling the tale through his recount to his psychiatrist. So he starts, naturally, at the beginning - his childhood. The story at the early stages were grinding. I couldn't stand his parents, although Roth's writing did elicit a few laughs at that point. Then I thought, maybe that's what he wanted. What most writers would want - for the reader to empathize with their characters... .Anyway, the story continues through Portnoy's life documenting plenty of mistakes and moral failures along the way. With his parents in the picture less (although always there lurking in the background) I enjoyed the story more.

This book often hits top 100 lists. he writing is topnotch. I believe possibly when it was released it was trailblazing as far as content and was probably a hot topic at cocktail parties for its racy descriptions and language. However, with decades passing and far more "in your face" books written since (some also managing topnotch writing) the impact is blunted. If I hadn't been exposed to those other books, or the words that were likely to have caused a buzz when they were in print back in the '60s . I imagine the best way to look at this is like one might look at some bands from the past that while comparatively, might not be as well-rounded as a successor, were still the originators of something original and worthwhile and worthy of emulation.

Oh and I nearly forgot - the ending struck me as very Vonnegut - unless Roth did it first, in which case, Vonnegut's endings strike me as very Rothian...

26. Hold the Enlightenment by Tim Cahill. This was the first book I've read from Cahill and it's likely the only one I'll read. He's not a bad writer, but maybe he has just been doing it too long in the same way. It should have been exciting. It was boring. It should have been funny, (with few exceptions) it wasn't. Bill Brysoncan make a trip across the front lawn to get the mail sound menacing and hilarious (and it probably is in both cases), meanwhile Cahill sits down with violent revolutionaries and it's . . . well, not exciting.

He doesn't give much about people either. J. Troost gives more flavor for locations and surrounding. Meanwhile, for danger, Chuck Thompson and James Hider manage to also convey a more serious sense of peril, whether that's actually the fact or not. At the end of the day, it's easy to point out the people Cahill doesn't resemble. Unfortunately, he does resemble Tim Cahill and I didn't enjoy his work enough to pursue further.

#70: OK, skipping that one!

27. Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan. I feel the need to somewhat defend this book. Yes, it didn't always make sense. In fact, it rarely did. But I did laugh at more than a couple of passages and it was interesting even if I did have to question Brautigan's sanity (and I felt like mine was in question after a bit of reading). But I don't feel robbed spending the time I spent reading it. It clocks in at just over 100 pages, so it's maybe an hour or two read, so you don't have much to lose. Plus, the ending of the book has to be one of the odder, funnier endings I've read in a long time, if ever. Even better, he indicates a page or two previous that he's ending the book in just that way. That alone is worth the price of admission to me.

28. The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. Always thought-provoking, C.S. Lewis delivers again. A short tale about souls in Hell getting one last chance at redemption. They visit Heaven, but it's surprisingly not as straightforward as you would think for these souls to make their choice between Heaven and Hell. Not as good as the Screwtape Letters, but still worth a read, plus at just over 100 pages, it's a quick read.

>72 Sean191:: I have this on my TBR list. I have expected it to be somewhat nonsensical since I assumed Brautigan was on drugs while writing it. It sounds entertaining, anyway!

#73: I agree with you, not as good as The Screwtape Letters, but very worth the read. I am glad you liked it, Sean.

#74: That would make sense then...

#75: Thanks! I believe I've liked everything I've read from Lewis, but I haven't read extensively yet.

My personal favorite by Lewis is Surprised by Joy. I am not sure why I like that one so much, but there you go.

Is that about his wife?

#79: You know, you would think so from the title, but no it is not.

I feel like I got that impression from some introductory notes Tolkien had in one of his books I read recently. Ah well.

Another one of Lewis' books that holds a special place in my heart is A Grief Observed. I read it several times after the death of my grandmother.

29. Truck: A Love Story by Michael Perry. I first saw this book months ago at a bookstore when I was on a mini vacation. I already bought about a dozen books by that point, so I wasn't going to easily convince my wife that I NEEDED another...so even though it looked good, I filed it away for a future purchase or library checkout. I just took it out from the library last week. I'm glad I didn't bother trying to add it to my collection. It wasn't good or bad at the very beginning. Then, the obsessive listing/minute details of descriptions started to grate on my nerves and I would have abandoned the book (probably only the second time I've ever done so) if I wasn't already about half way though. Luckily, Perry finishes strongly. He tones down the descriptions and gets into the story as a whole again. He went from a writer I would never read again, to one I MIGHT try again.

Perry offers a glimpse at small town life, something I usually enjoy reading. But he takes too much time describing in obsessive details things that don't move the story along and really are of no help to the reader in any other way. For example, do I need to read about the descriptions of 20 items and the locations around his brother-in-law's garage? Do I need to read about all the ingredients going into various recipes (without actual amounts or cooking times or real prep descriptions - even if I wanted to cook them, I couldn't)?

He also jumps around sporadically throughout the book seemingly without rhyme or reason, making it hard to hold the literary thread and settle comfortably into what he's trying to say. I had high hopes, but it just didn't measure up.

#83: That one does not look like one that remotely appeals to me, so I feel very comfortable in skipping right over it.

You're quick with posts! :)

Yep!

30. Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman.

I have to start my review with a disclaimer. I love books differently than author Anne Fadiman and that nearly assured I wouldn't enjoy this book.

You see, Fadminan is of the school of thought that the vessel of the book is inconsequential and it's only the meaning contained within that matters. I agree with her in part. The meaning absolutely matters. But to me, the vessel is also important. I collect books - I buy a book and read it and if I really like it, I'll track down a first print to add to my collection. The first version I bought can get beat up, but I try to keep the first print mint. That's just something I enjoy. I enjoy the crisp lines of a squared cover. I like the smooth, unblemished jackets and the bright titles shining from the shelves.

Fadiman offers a anecdote about how her father would rip out chapters of paperbacks as he read them to keep the book lighter for travel. I once dated a girl whose father did that too. That wasn't a deal breaker with her, but 10 years down the line, that's one of the things I remember about her. Yes, I probably have problems.

Anyway, back to the book. Anne's writing at least to me, was a little condescending, but she seems to have earned it to some degree. She's very bright and well-versed in literature. I just didn't enjoy the tone. The stories could have been warm and welcoming, but as I said, I was already at odds with her about her book philosophy and I didn't like the tone. So instead of warm and welcoming, I felt put off. Her stories weren't deep or touching, but that can be fine for a comfortable read. Unfortunately, again the condescending tone was a big detriment to my enjoyment of the work.

From the astounding amount of positive reviews, this book will probably appeal to most LibraryThingers, but Fadiman isn't the right author for me..

#87: I am sorry you did not enjoy that one more, Sean - it is one of my personal favorites - but every book is not for every body, so I hope you enjoy your next read more!

I could understand how the majority on Librarything would hold similar views about books, but to me, her tone was off-putting. Differences in opinion are fine, but her tone wasn't about a difference in opinion. I've hit a bit of a dry spell with finding books I'm in love with - the whole year up to this point has been a little light in that department. I'd imagine I'm due for a good one soon!

Definitely!

31. Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower. I'd been looking forward to reading this book for some time. The description sounded great. Unfortunately, the description was better than the the actual work. The writing wasn't bad, it just wasn't stellar. That issue could have been negated by some truly creative stories, but that didn't happen either. The stories were largely forgettable and I feel like I've read similar many times before. I'm still giving it three stars because I feel like there's something there, but it needs to be developed. So, if Tower put out another work and people had good things to say about it, I'd probably be willing to give it a chance.

#91: Another one for me to skip.

I think I'm on a good one right now though - I'll be done with it and post about it by Monday!

Good! You have had a run of bad ones recently.

You lightning responder you! ;P

That's my job :)

>#55
Sean, just a note to let you know it didn't disappoint at all. In fact, I find myself talking about it with co-workers which doesn't happen all that often. But you are correct in your estimation, after rereading your review, that it is "largely anecdotal and basically a reinforcing of the idea that it can be done and done successfully". And I'm sure my enjoyment of The Checklist Manifesto stems from the fact that I have always been a fan of the checklist. In fact, its saved my butt several times.

Glad to hear it Lynn!

32. The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger.

An odd book, but interesting. The story is told by the main character, an escape artist, but not in the regular meaning. Instead, he escapes into other identities, chameleon-like, with an unmatched skill. His story unfolds during a psychiatric evaluation following a drug overdose. It reminding me strongly of the movie "The Usual Suspects." If you're familiar with that movie and enjoyed it, I believe you'll enjoy this book.

#99: I think I will pass on that one. It does not sound like my cup of tea. I am glad you liked it.

33. Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman. If you need a light read that brings in a tiny bit of Norse mythology or you have a pre-teen getting into reading, this might be a good pick. Not much of a story (just over 100 smallish pages with larger typeface) it's an hour or so of a way to keep occupied. Gaiman wrote this for National Book Day (or something of that nature). So, the detail of say, The Graveyard Book isn't there. However, like that book, this also borrows from the past. It doesn't borrow from a writer (like The Graveyard Book borrowed from The Jungle Book - which Gaiman fully credits), but it does borrow from Norse mythology. Overall, it's a harmless and enjoyable little fable.

The story is about Odd, a young boy who recently lost his father, became a cripple and has had to adjust to life with a less than ideal stepfather. Eventually, he makes his way out into the world and . . . well, the rest would be spoiler.

#101: I have that one home from the library now. Several people in the group have read and recommended it. I hope I like it!

It took you six minutes to respond this morning...I think you need some coffee.

I do not drink that stuff!

Tea?

Yes, I drink a lot of that!

Well, your response time is better now anyway. I need you to be more awake than I am - keeps me occupied.

I will be heading to bed shortly - I am definitely not more awake than you are!

34. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. I picked up this book due to its relation (according to LT) to some book I enjoyed. I can't recall what book it was, but I also can't imagine the resemblance was very strong. I believe there was a lot of thought and research put into the work and I felt that really showed. The story was interesting, but not astounding. It told the story of a world in the future and focused on Thailand more specifically. It dealt with crop devastation and human plagues and politics due to those problems. Big corporations were involved in every aspect of course. Years ago it would have been groundbreaking. Today, it's building on the foundation set by others or possibly just by being attentive to the daily news. I believe this would be a better book to read sitting down in a quiet room (like nearly any book) rather than a bus and subway commute, so I'm giving it a 3 1/2 star rating, because I think it's probably worth a read and I wish I had read it in an environment where I could have focused on it more.

35. Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges. This was my first experience with Borges. I picked up Labyrinths because so many people alluded to the influence Borges had on other authors I've enjoyed. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy Borges as much as the authors he may have inspired. To be honest, I didn't realize his work was by-and-far of the philosophical tilt. It actually took me a few pages to get a handle on that fact. Once I did, I still didn't enjoy it too much, having felt like I read similar before.

Then it dawned on me.

Yes, I may have read it before, but the authors I was reading from were of course, borrowing from Borges. I did begin to enjoy some of the book from that point on, but he does make you work for it. By the time I reached the essays, I was leaning towards being a fan of Borges. Then, I read the essays. I disagreed with his definitive, "This is fact," statements. I also disagreed with the philosophy of infinite divisions of time making it impossible to ever reach, in his example, 14 minutes. Interesting thought, but I think it's more interesting to combine what he's saying with the idea that 14 minutes can be finite and infinite can be held within a finite.

That being said, it did provide some interesting thoughts to mull over.

#110: I have read a couple of Borges' books, but not that one. I will have to see if I can locate a copy.

36. Out of a Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis. I read the Narnia series in 4th grade and again in my mid 20s before I gave them all to my nephew. I've read some of Lewis' more "adult" works, The Screwtape Letters and more recently, The Great Divorce. This book (and I'm guessing the trilogy) seems to be a bridge between those works. Unfortunately, it didn't hold my imagination the way Narnia did. I felt it concentrated more on landscape than on characters and in the case of the main character, I didn't feel he was believable. The depth found in his other books also wasn't there. I'm still going to give the others in the trilogy a chance at some point since I've enjoyed Lewis' work up to this point, but I'm in no rush to do so.

37. Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean. I imagine when most people here someone say, "He died too young," they're imagining someone around 50 or 60, maybe even pushing to 70 with the quality of life improvements and medical leaps being made. I'm going to appropriate that quote for Norman Maclean who died at 82. He was an amazing story-teller (and that's different than a writer I feel, even though he was a great writer as well).

Young Men and Fire was an intensive research-laden book about a fire that had killed more than a dozen young smokejumpers nearly five decades before the book was published. Yet, it's still riveting. In reality, it's not just about the tragedy, but it's about a bit of mystery and potential cover-ups and remembering and forgetting and the obsession of one man (Maclean) to deliver a story he wants the world to know about as somewhat of a tribute to the young men who lost their lives. As for "dying too young," Maclean actually died before the book was completed and so it does seem to lose some of his voice towards the end - he started to publish late in life and it still strikes me that the world lost a great talent almost before it was recognized.

Back to the book - for the first 250 pages, Maclean's master-storyteller talents are displayed in full. However, the book doesn't hold up as well as the last 50 pages come up. It's too science-heavy and seems to lack Maclean's voice. I could believe he actually wrote what's on those pages, but I feel like he was only assembling his thoughts and had he more time, would have crafted even the science into something poetic (the reader will encounter examples of this earlier in the book).

So, by the time of his death Maclean had a book about water and a book about fire. Given more time, one has to wonder if the other classical elements of air and earth would have emerged in literary form from this amazing storyteller.

38. Double Fold by Nicholson Baker. Having read four other works by Baker and having heard interesting things about this book, I decided to pick it up. The previous reviews explain enough of what he's covering to not have to go into it. So I'll stick with my own views on the topic. First, I was initially annoyed because he covered newspapers and I thought to myself, "Who is going to take the time to go through newspapers?" Of course, there are plenty of scholars willing to do so, so that was narrow-minded on my part. Anyway, as he delves further, it helped me to better-realize that newspapers, even more than books, need to be preserved in their original form (or at the very least, they needed to be preserved in their originals when duplication doesn't handle color prints and proper text copying).

Anyway, Baker eventually goes into conversation about books and the destruction of books. Contrary to what others may think, it is in fact the destruction of books being carried out. Information may (or may not) have been preserved by microfilm, but the actual physical books are gone. MIcrofilm is not a book. Yes, I have an attachment to books and I think something is being lost when society is moved away from the physical experience of reading.

Defending Baker against those who claim he's being petty or vindictive with his attacks on people who pushed the microfilming agenda - there are of course exceptions, but either people had a questionable motive for pushing what they were doing, or they were not knowledgeable enough to serve in the capacities they were serving. Either way, it's not excusable for individuals trusted with such an important part of human history to not be up to task.

Finally, for those essentially believing Baker has his head in the sand and finances and space are a huge issue for libraries, they need to look at the numbers. Look how much funding was provided for the microfilming. Is it to be believed that money couldn't have purchased storage? How about the fact that the microfilming itself needs saving? It's more delicate than the printed page - even the acidic page.

Again, a knee-jerk reaction to Baker's book isn't warranted. His notes are extensive and his references are thorough. I'd like to see proof of the same from those who had pushed the microfilm agenda.

For librarians out there, this isn't an attack against you personally and you shouldn't take it as such. Because true librarians are meant to preserve knowledge and those who has so strongly pushed the microfilm switch weren't preserving anything except misinformation.

I just bought this book and was surprised to see the very strong opinions expressed in the reviews. Having spent many, many hours looking through microfilmed newspapers, I'm curious to see what he has to say.

I'm curious to see what you have to say after you read it!

39. Permanent Obscurity - Author Richard Perez was kind enough to select me as one of the early reviewers. To some extent, that makes me want to pull punches, but I feel that would be a disservice to him and his audience, so I'll go with brutal honesty.

First, I HATED the two main characters. That's not always a bad thing. "When She Was Good" from Philip Roth had a despicable main character. The difference was the fact that Roth's character seemed to make sense and his talent as a writer really showed. Unfortunately, for Perez, his main characters don't quite make sense. They're (I guess) more punk, but talk like bangers. More of a problem was the break in character for the protagonist (and narrator). Every now and then, she seemed too deep, reflective, intelligent . . . it just didn't fit. It's like the book was a television show and now and then, the director would yell "cut" (which would be appropriate.

Yet, I'm giving the book three stars... That's because Perez can write. His story is gritty, not for the easily offended (although if you've read Roth, you wouldn't have issue). But he shows talent. He's a good writer, he just needs to keep his characters in character a little more.

Oh - almost forgot, the two male characters - Baby and Dick - were more interesting than the two women characters - Serena and Dolores - because beyond the fact that Perez uses the character Dick to get into his own story in some capacity, the names were blatant in what happened to them or with them. Dick has a somewhat humorous episode and Baby, well, without throwing in a spoiler, I can say Dolores ends up suffering the same fate as Serena at the same time, but with a lower-cased "b."

#117: I think I will pass on that one. I hope you enjoy your next read more, Sean!

40. Grendel by John Gardner. You've heard the expression "there's two sides to every story?" Well, John Gardner heard it too. He gives us the story of Beowulf from the side of the monster Grendel. Or more precisely, he gives us the story of Grendel with a cameo by Beowulf at the well-known ending of Grendel's story. The book is funny, thought-provoking, and probably not for the overly squeamish. Blurbs from Newsweek and New York Times sing its praise, while The Christian Science Monitor compares it to Catcher in the Rye and Lord of the Flies (I can definitely see the latter). A reader might get the sense that Grendel was a bit misunderstood and not really a monster. Of course, that reader would be wrong - he is a monster and a horrible one, but through the tale, the question arises, is he any more horrible a monster than man? And if he's not, does that lessen his monstrous status?

A few spots in this short novel do bog down, but for the most part, they pass by quickly and it's worth the read.

#119: Looking for that one! Thanks for the recommendation, Sean.

41. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. This book is just a collection of letters between a struggling writer in NYC and her bookstore of choice in England. Actually, saying it's "just" a collection of letters is an understatement. Even though it clocks in at just under 100 pages total and probably less than an hour of reading, it's filled with warmth and humor and a snapshot of history thrown in for good measure. The book has been sitting on my shelf for some time and I had actually even considered throwing it into the pile of books I meant to sell without ever reading - I'm glad I didn't and now, it's not going anywhere even AFTER having read it. I highly recommend this for a light read, although it might also leave the more sensitive reader a little misty-eyed.

42. Screwjack by Hunter S. Thompson. Well...here we have another barely coherent, yet hilarious Hunter S. Thompson offering. Without delving into the history, I'm not sure of the reality of these stories (obviously, the last being told by his alter-ego is even more out there). But it's Hunter Thompson, so why let reality get in the way? Super quick read and yet, still has some laughs.

#121: I love that one! I am so glad you read it, Sean. You would never have known what you missed had you given it away.

43. Smiler's Bones by Peter Lerangis. Although this is a scholastic book, I'm not sure if it will impact children as much as it would impact adults. It could just as easily been marketed to adults as it's a look at just how horrible "modern" society can be. The story of Mene is distressing at best. On the other side, it makes me want to pick up the book Give Me My Father's Body which is the actual true story of Minik. Still, Smiler's Bones actually contained a lot of facts in it and for the more thoughtful youth, would be worth a read. For the adult, I'd recommend and I'll get to the other book at some point as well.

It looks as though I can get them both from local libraries. Thanks, Sean!

44. Earth Abides by George R. Stewart. Seemed like an exciting premise - mankind is wiped out, survivors start a small tribe and begin again. Unfortunately, it lacked excitement. The details of things weren't incredibly detailed (it seemed that Stewart didn't do any scientific research to explain what would/was happening to a world without man). Instead, it read like the thoughts of a very bright individual contemplating what would happen. I didn't really care for the characters either. Overall, it was light. The only thing I absolutely loved was the title. If the rest of the book was as brilliant, it would be among my favorites instead of stuck toward the lower-middle.

#126: Sorry you did not enjoy that one more, Sean. I really liked it. I hope your next read is more to your taste!

45. The man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett. My wife bought me this book for Christmas (I'm pretty sure it was a hint). I just got around to reading it. I found it well-written, fascinating and slightly annoying. The annoyance came from the author's attempt to justify her decision to "not get involved" with trying to help some of the victims of the thief of the title to get their possessions back. These people are often operating on a very slim margin, so the loss of some of these works is a major hit. In other cases, the loss of these works is a hit to the literary community as a whole and it also manages to trickle-down to anyone interested in collecting. Less copies means the price goes up (helpful for the people who didn't have their copies stolen I imagine). People can talk about journalistic integrity, but I feel like in this case, that's just a veil for the desire to not harm the story she was crafting.

That being said and like I said previously, it was still very well-written and fascinating. I just feel that the motives of the thief and detective where more out in the open than those of the author and that did sour it slightly for me. Regardless, I would recommend this probably to most people on this site since they've already expressed a passion for books beyond the average person.

#128: Sounds like you enjoyed that one more than I did, Sean. I am glad it was better for you than your last read.

46. Concrete Island by J.G. Ballard. Concrete Island is a bit of a modern take on Robinson Crusoe, which the author readily points to, going so far as to mention the story within his own story. The writing started off so poetically, it was really promising. Later, the writing either slacked as the story picked up to move things along, or I grew accustomed to it. In either case, I did continue to enjoy what I read. It is an imaginative, creative and well-written work and I had been waiting to get this from the library for months - it was worth the wait.

#130: I have read a couple of Ballard's books and enjoyed them both, so I will give Concrete Island a try. Thanks for the recommendation, Sean.

As always, my pleasure!

I liked Concrete Island very much when I read it several years ago. I find Ballard very hit or miss--I either really like the book, or really don't like the book.

47. Awakenings by Oliver Sacks. Awakenings - amazing and incredible. The spanish influenza was long before my time as was the attack of "sleepy sickness" that followed closely on its heels. I've heard of the former, but other than knowing the movie inspired by the book exists, I had no idea of the latter. That's the first amazing part. The second amazing part is the stories about those affected by the disease and getting some insight into the incredible mysteries of the human mind.

That's not to say the book was without problems. On a moral level, a few patients actually benefited in the long term from treatment. But most ended up worse off. In one case, Sacks (the author of the book and the doctor conducting the experiments/research) actually hid dosage of the treatment drug in a patient's food because the patient didn't want to try the treatment. Repeatedly throughout the book, he makes note of saying he felt treatment might be a bad idea, yet does it anyway. That's troubling to me. Did he have the patients best interests in mind or was he just trying to make a name for himself at the expense of the defenseless?

Beyond that, the writing style was dull, so when the anecdotes about the patients started to seem a little repetitive, it bogged down. I only read about half the epilogue because it was diverging into literally a page of footnotes for a page of actual main text and I also couldn't deal with Sacks writing another "thus" to start a sentence.

Still, if you're not familiar with a pandemic that killed or crippled tens of thousands of people across the world early last century, it's a fascinating read.

You might be interested in The Echo Maker by Richard Powers. It's a novel, but one of the characters is clearly Oliver Sacks, and the author is very critical of him. I had only read The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and did not understand the author's animosity toward Sacks, but after reading your review of Awakenings, it makes a bit more sense.

I'm glad that someone else took exception to Sacks as well! I had really mixed emotions, but leaned towards feeling that Sacks wasn't in the right.

48. Anthill by Edward O. Wilson. One of the book blurbs compared this to a modern day Huck Finn. I wouldn't go that far - I really enjoyed Wilson's story and his writing style, but to compare him to Twain would be a stretch. Wilson is incredibly talented though, this is another one of those cases where I wonder how it's possible for someone to be so talented - like Atul Gawande. Somehow, even though the book was a decent length, it moved along very quickly and ended when I felt there could have been enough for another hundred pages easily. The climax was a little farther out, but something had to happen, so there it was.

Back to the Twain comparison, I felt like Wilson did at least catch a bit of flavor from the Old South and gave a history and science lesson rolled in between some covered boards. I'd recommend this book to those interested in the South, nature, or the struggle between society and wildlife.

49, Vox by Nicholson Baker. Another enjoyable read from Baker and as always, concentrating on the mundane and taking in the finest details of the mundane, but in a way that most people wouldn't consider. Vox is a love story and a lust story - it's about a man and a woman meeting on a phone sex line. Although it is fairly graphic (less so than a story in a adult magazine) Baker often substitutes some non-word for different actions and related words that might be offensive to the easily or somewhat-easily offended.

If you've read Baker before and enjoy his take on the minutia of everyday life with some extremes thrown in as a catalyst, this book should leave you satisfied. Um...not like that - get your mind out of the gutter.

50. If on a winter's night a traveler by Italo Calvino. Italo Calvino is a brilliant writer. I would argue he's more brilliant because he realizes he's brilliant and makes sure you realize it too. But here's the catch, he does it and it doesn't seem pretentious. That's brilliance in my book. Apparently, it's brilliance in Calvino's too.

In "If on a winter's night a traveler . . ." the reader is somewhat a part of the story. At first, this was very promising an idea and actually good for some laughs or at least some self-reflecting smiles. But I'm not convinced he managed to pull the reader into actually being a part of the story as strongly as I felt he was doing at first. Still, it was a well-written piece and while it might not again have reached the laugh-out-loud moments of the first chapter, it was still amusing and enjoyable.

Congratulations for hitting 50, Sean!

Thanks! I'm a little behind the pace to hit 100, but it might still happen.

I hope you make it!

51. American Parent by Sam Apple. American Parent reads a bit like an A.J. Jacobs book, just not as good. It had moments here and there, but I felt Apple didn't quite hold my attention or make me laugh like Jacobs does. Really though, that's the best way to explain the book, a poor man's A.J. Jacobs. Apple is likeable enough writing his fish-out-of-water experience as an expecting first time father and then as a father in practice. But he throws too much information about parenting theory with not enough anecdotal backing. It's essentially as if a reporter was going to interview someone famous, did so, but then mostly loaded the finished product with material from print and online with only a sprinkling of actual interview. When Apple is in anecdote mode the book is enjoyable. When he starts delving into Freud's take on children or most of the others for that matter, I couldn't wait for the chapter to end.

#143: I think I will give that one a pass, Sean. I hope you like your next book better!

52. Beirut 39 I cracked this Early Reviewer book with a touch of skepticism. That feeling was based on two facts - the first, that I knew there would be, well, 39 different voices being introduced. The second, there would be excerpts from novels. In the first case, my worries were unfounded - there were 39 different voices, but they're the best voices from that generation. The second worry had some reinforcement, but not due to my original rationale. I was worried that an excerpt from a novel wouldn't provide enough to really flesh-out the story. Somehow, the editor and the writers managed to offer excerpts that stand alone well enough to give a whole story. My new problem is, that out of the (I believe nine) excerpts, I've written down seven of the titles in order to try to locate the full novels - as if my "to-be-read" list wasn't long enough!

So, 39 writers, poets, authors....39 works all well-worth the read.

I've passed the book onto a co-worker who shares my passion for reading, I believe she'll enjoy it just as much.

Finally, I never do this, but I wanted to make note of this somewhere because I think it'll continue to make me laugh....

Probably my favorite line in a book all year:

"Don't call her Kenyan though; let's avoid geopolitical problems that cost us our sandwiches."

#145: I already have that one in the BlackHole. I imagine I will get to it eventually!

53. Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist. I'm not a big fan of horror novels, or movies for that matter. I think that newer movies (and probably books) many times try to make their mark through the shock factor of the material instead of intelligently creating a sense of suspense or dread. Let Me In was an alright read - which was then ruined by the graphic gore, violence and sexual deviation. I felt like I needed a hot shower and a strong scrub brush after reading this book. While the story was decent I can't say I'd necessarily recommend this because of the graphic nature of sections of it. If it had a little more Psycho and a little less Texas Chainsaw Massacre to it, I'd have rated it a bit higher.

#147: I definitely will not be touching that one. I do not read horror if I can help it.

I hope your next read is much better, Sean!

54. The Everlasting Story of Nory by Nicholson Baker. Nicholson Baker's children's book....for adults. It's not that the language is rough (it's not) or that there's anything particularly graphic (I could have done without one dream sequence however), it's more the train of thought. Although I don't know if "train of thought" would be the proper term since the train is rarely on the tracks. In typical Baker style, he's all over the place with observations of the commonplace, but in this case, from a little girl's point of view. It didn't really work until about two-thirds of the way through when he cut down on the random a little and followed a steady storyline. I'm glad I read on to that point, I almost put the book down before that. It didn't make the book great, but it at least made it ok.

#149: That one does not sound like a book I would enjoy, so I think I will give it a pass.

55. The Wave by Susan Casey. I had reservations about this book. I've been skateboarding and snowboarding for nearly two decades now, but have never surfed . . . I would and I'd probably do alright if it weren't for the fact that I'd do REALLY well with the drowning part since I'm a horrible swimmer.

Anyway, enough about me and more about the book. Casey does a great job with the stories here. She follows, for the most part, living surf legend Laird Hamilton on a number of big wave excursions. She draws enough others into the mix as well and really gives enough detail about each that I was concerned when a chapter gives a hint that someone actually died on a particular day in the waves. Casey does a great job of providing a number of cliffhangers throughout the book, making me want to keep reading just one more chapter to see how things went before putting the book down for the night. Of course, that "one more chapter" turned into two or three more often than not.

In addition to the surfing, she also included interviews with scientists studying the ocean, waves and the environment. Wisely, this information wasn't too overwhelming. It was really interesting to me, but in small doses - which Casey manages to deliver. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and there's a lot of different reasons others might as well - from the extreme sports enthusiasts to the environmentally conscious to those who just love a good cliffhanger.

#151: Mark got an extra copy of that one that he is sending my way. I am glad to know it is worth the read!

Yes, I really enjoyed it. I think that has to be one of the top 3 early review books I've received.

#153: Cool!

Hi, I've only just discovered your thread, and I'm really glad I did - so many interesting sounding books, and heaps I hadn't heard of! My wishlist just got a lot longer

Thanks tash! And I'm sorry about that...I know how unwieldy wishlists tend to get!

56. The Domino Men by Jonathan Barnes. The Domino Men is Barnes' second trip to a London in peril. I enjoyed the Somnabulist, so I had been looking forward to this book for some time. Even though I've given both a four-star rating, if pressed, I would say I enjoyed this time around a little more. Even though it didn't have much of a connection with the first book, some recurring characters and overall, the oddity of the story Barnes tells were better-served by being acquainted with the first book. If I had read them in the opposite order, I might have liked the Somnabulist more...

Still, this book is welcoming for anyone that enjoys an odd tale, a bit of a mystery/thriller and dark humor (the Prefects anyone?) I can understand Barnes' offerings aren't for anyone, but I'm a bit surprised how low the ratings are for the books when I see far less-worthy works held in higher esteem.

#157: I still have not read The Somnambulist, so I guess Domino Men will have to go on the back burner until I do.

Well, what are you waiting for? 8^}

#159: I am trying to concentrate on my own books for the remainder of the year, although I am tempted to sneak The Somnambulist in the queue somewhere.

57. My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. Daniel Quinn gives a lot of food-for-thought in this sequel to Ishmael. In My Ishmael, again, there's a talking philosopher gorilla (the title's namesake) who takes on a student to try to educate (in this case) on what's needed to save humanity from society.

I thought Quinn presented many valid points through his gorilla stand-in, but I also think it's all just a dream. I don't have much faith in society ever righting its problems and I have a feeling the proclamation that "the meek will inherit the earth" will actually be spot-on. But the meek will end up taking things full-circle with simple organisms being there in the end.

Interesting, thought-provoking, frustrating, depressing - My Ishmael.

#161: I have had the original Ishmael book in the BlackHole for a while now. Frustratingly, the local library has the second book but not the first.

58. No Hope for Gomez! by Graham Parke. The title character reminded me a lot of Ignatius J. Reilly. The book itself felt to me like I was reading about Ignatius hitting the dating circuit hard. I think I may have liked this more than Confederacy of Dunces, but it's been a while since I've read the latter, so it's hard to say with certainty.

There were a few things this book could have done without - actually just one: blog entry. The narrative moved along through the efforts of the title character's blogging. That's fine, but once it's established as the mechanism, I didn't feel it was necessary to include "blog entry" at the beginning of every couple of paragraphs. It became very Pavlovian to me. I began to wince a little every time I hit those dreaded words. Fortunately, it became less grating rather than more as I read on and about halfway through the book I think I managed to somehow block it out almost entirely. Gomez himself, at first, I felt he was breaking character here and there, but after further consideration, I thought he was just neurotic enough that it could have made sense...and it became funnier.

Overall, I think just like Confederacy, there will be people that love this and others who hate it. I don't believe it was as much a showcase of literary talent as CoD, but I think there is still quite a bit of talent and I would be willing to pick up future works from this writer.

59. Bed Crumbs by John Kruth. I think I picked this book up about 8 years ago at a going-out-of-business sale at a little used bookstore near my old apartment. I read it years ago (very short read). I liked it enough that I held onto it, and I re-read it a few nights ago. The poems aren't particularly deep, but they're funny. The illustrations accompanying them are enjoyable as well and the one or two short stories included also come off well.

60. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. Part hilarious, part heartbreaking and unfortunately, part confusing. I really enjoyed it...then I kind of enjoyed it...then I experienced a "huh?" moment, followed by a little bit of a ramp-up to the ending, but it didn't end on as strong a note as I thought it could have.

>165 Sean191:: That "huh?" moment...so many people I've talked to about this book have reported the exact same result. Given the vast sea of Holocaust literature out there, I've just never been tempted to pick this as a next read.

#165: I enjoyed Everything is Illuminated, but absolutely loved Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I hope you give that one a shot too, Sean.

#166 - That moment actually occurred when I felt like I was reading a glossary of terms near the end of the book. I didn't get why it was included and it took me out of the rest of the book.

61. Dauntless Homecoming by Pete Koziar.

I received this book as a giveaway on LT directly from the author. It sounded like an interesting premise - a crew sent to explore distant planets returns to earth centuries later and a lot has changed. Plus, there's some type of superhuman race ruling over everything...or so they think at first.

The premise is interesting, but unfortunately, I found the writing to be lacking. The dialogue seemed often to be something closer to what would go on between high school students or maybe written by a high school student developing dialogue. The word choice at points took me out of the story, many times a word would be used in one sentence and repeated again in the next when it seemed, maybe redundant is what I'm looking for here...

An example might explain it better. "The friends looked at each other and then went off to meet their friends."
The reader already knew they were friends. Maybe the first usage could have been deleted. Or maybe the second usage could have been changed to "the others."

I've never seen the word "scowled" used so often to describe a look someone gave - at times, inaccurately as well.

Typos every few pages. Spelling "scared" as "sacred" might take you out of the story. "his" as "hiss" could also do it. Having something like that every few pages certainly will.

I wanted to like this book. I know the author put a lot of work into it, but it just fell flat.

#169: It does sound like an interesting premise. Too bad the execution is so poor. Better luck with your next read, Sean!

62. 1776 by David McCullough - I would hazard to say less than 20% of the books I read are non-fiction. Historical non-fiction drops that number down to about 5% or less and I believe that number may stand at no more than one or two books total dealing with America in or around the Revolutionary War. All that said, after reading McCullough's book, I've come to the conclusion that I had been missing out.

McCullough's extensively researched and sourced work brings alive events that happened generations ago. While there was a bit I was already aware of rehashed, the tone wasn't so dry that I minded getting a refresher. Additionally, with the spice of personal accounts by in-the-trenches foot soldiers (from both sides of the conflict) throughout, even those portions people may be familiar with had a greater level of freshness.

Full disclosure: my level of interest may have been higher since I live, work and grew up near many of the places key in McCullough's focus of this portion of the war. It was a little bit of a shock to read of Newark, NJ as a "small, charming port town," or Brooklyn being a few hundred houses or of King's Highway being the best road in the country at the time.

Definitely added to the fun.

#171: I seriously love David McCullough's books, Sean. I really hope you discover more of his that you like.

I've owned that one for years but I never seem to pick it up as the "next book." I really should just do it.

63. Riding the Ice Wind by Alistair Vere Nicoll. I think it was last year I received Beyond the Horizon - a story about one man's attempt to circumnavigate the world using only man power or man-powered ways of travel. Interesting premise with horrible execution. It is potentially the least enjoyable book I've ever read. The writing was bad, the storytelling was bad, I disliked the author/adventurer.

I was initially concerned that Riding the Ice Wind would be a similar experience. That was quickly put to rest within the first chapter. While not the most talented writer or the most exciting trip, both manage to be decently entertaining. He weaves in emotional of the four-person group with their physical struggles and does it fairly well. I think it falls just short of my thumbs up for recommendation, but at least I didn't feel like I unfairly lost hours of my life that I'll never get back.

#174: Despite your reservations, I will give Riding the Ice Wind a try.

Do you need a copy Stasia?

#176: It is not available yet at my local libraries, so yes, I do.

64. Lives of the Poets by E.L. Doctorow.

I'm not sure if this was a hit-and-miss collection of stories so much as maybe a constant "bump." There's no arguing Doctorow is talented and can turn a phrase, but I was reading these stories because I kept thinking there would be just a little bit more to the characters . . . just a little bit more to make it a good read rather than an okay read. By the time I closed the book, I think I was left with an okay read.

Thinking about it more, I feel like his writing is similar to Nadine Gordimer's. I can't put my finger on why though.

I'd give Doctorow another shot, maybe his characters are better in other books.

65. The Pugilist at Rest I don't get it. Either I don't get the final story in this collection or I don't get why Thom Jones or his editor would place this as the final piece. To me, it was the weakest story by far. Enough so that it made a book I overall enjoyed a little less of a good experience. The first few stories were reminiscent of Tim O'Brien, but O'Brien seemed a bit closer to reality. Maybe because O'Brien's was actually in combat. But the stories that stuck closer to Jones' real-life experiences, such as his training in the marines, his father's history as a boxer (not sure if Jones was a boxer as well?) were vividly told and captivating and worth the read.

Odd coincidence - I just finished reading this book this morning and started Nick and Nora's infinite playlist where one of the characters is named Thom and it's mentioned that he just added the "H" about two months prior.

I think I will be skipping both of your recent reads, Sean. I hope you enjoy Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist more than you did those couple of books.

66. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn.

If you've seen the movie, let me warn you . . . this is much better. The movie couldn't handle the inner dialogue of the characters and the movie didn't switch back and forth between the two characters to go over what his or her thought was on the same event/conversation. In both cases, this makes the book much better. The authors each took a character (David wrote Nick's chapters and Rachel wrote Norah's). It really worked.

I suppose growing up in NJ and moving and working in NYC helped the enjoyment of the book a little since a lot of the name dropping regarding towns and areas of the city was fun since it was recognizable. Beyond that, it was a bit like reading about my life when I was dating - not necessarily point-by-point, but the anxiety, the humor, the hope...I thought it was all captured and portrayed really well.

67. Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne.

I might be jumping ahead, reading to my son before he's even born and able to express his preferences, but maybe that's all the more reason to be reading this classics now...

A.A. Milne's book is really enjoyable. It's smart enough to have some laughs for adults without any raunchiness - just wit. It's also action-packed in a gentle, non-anxiety-inducing-way for the toddlers that you're trying to usher off into dreamtime.

#181: I will have to look for that one! Thanks for the recommendation.

#182: I read the Pooh books to my daughter Beth when I was pregnant with her, so I do not think you are jumping ahead at all.

Congratulations to you and your wife!

Thanks Stasia! She's due in November, so we're kind of freaked out a little...but looking forward to it!

68. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. It's been a long time since I read the Glass Menagerie, but I believe Williams' female characters may be very similar. I don't think that's a good thing, but I thought it worked for this play. It's gritty, it's groundbreaking and in my mind, it's obvious as to why it's such an enduring classic.

#184: It is a rather scary time, but I am sure both you and your wife will be just fine, Sean.

69. Expedition Earth - Arthur C. Clarke.

With the exception of one work in this short story collection, I wasn't very impressed. I realize taking into account when the stories were written, Clarke should get some credit for his imagination, but overall the writing seemed too scientifically dry. I would take Ray Bradbury's work any day over Clarke's. Still, if Bradbury isn't handy and your a fan of science fiction, you might give Clarke a shot.

#187: OK, I think I will skip that one. My forays into science fiction are few and far between and I think I will save them for something more worthwhile.

70. Foe by J.M. Coetzee.

This is my second shot at reading Coetzee. The first, Lives of Animals, wasn't enjoyable. Foe wasn't either. It's not the talent - he's definitely talented. It's more the tone. There was no warmth to the writing, no sense of welcome from the author to the reader. I'm used to that in other writers, but normally they'll write that way as almost a challenge to the reader. With Coetzee, I feel like it might be a total indifference and that's just unpleasant. Maybe I'm wrong though. I'm going to give him three strikes, so I'll have to ask around to get a suggestion on the book I should try.

I read Coetzee's Booker prize winner, The Life and Times of Michael K and would recommend that one to you, Sean.

I thought it was Disgrace which won the Booker? Aha. I just checked on Wikipedia, and both books won it.

I'm sure we have Disgrace on the bookshelf - I don't believe we have the one you mentioned Stasia...

I have not yet read Disgrace (although I do own it), so I will be interested in seeing what you think of it, Sean.

71. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass. As much an American history book as anything else available. It's also overwhelming proof that oppression is surmountable. Douglass' story is well-worth the read both as a look back at part of the embarrassing legacy our country was built on, and a look at the type of people we should look at to lead us to a better future. Douglass had the will to persevere and overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles - slavery being the obvious, but the peripherals of slavery being perhaps more of a challenge. He had the will and the intelligence to learn how to read and write even when the society surrounding him took great pains to prevent him from doing so. Unfortunately, that strength of will seems to be a rarity in our contemporary society, no matter what race a person is.

#194: I thought Douglass' autobiography was excellent. I am glad to see you enjoyed it, Sean. One of these days, I will re-read it.

72. A Timeless Place by Ellen (Bromfield) Geld. After reading about author Ellen Bromfield Geld's personal life and reading about her father, I believe this book had to be very strongly reflecting personal experiences. That makes it more of a bittersweet piece dealing as it does with the looking threat of the destruction of a way of life, an artistic inspiration and a respectful tribute to a deceased legend.

Not being familiar with Ellen Geld's father's works and realizing she's overshadowed by his legend, she probably hasn't received the attention she deserves. I enjoyed the book, I enjoyed the characters and I definitely enjoyed the setting. She's may not be a Pulitzer Prize winner like her father, but she's writing from the heart and she's writing what she knows and she has taken her concerns for the land beyond just the written page. In my book, that says a lot.

#196: That one looks good! Thanks for the recommendation, Sean.

73. Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin.

Not every writer has his or her first novel become a classic. James Baldwin is among a select few, with good reason.

Go Tell It on the Mountain is powerful, heartbreaking, heartbreaking powerful and powerfully heartbreaking. It gives a glimpse into a American past that many don't remember, some can't and others are still living. It gives insight into the hypocrisy of faith, while at the same time reaffirming the power of pure faith. It does the same with love, race and social class.

Not bad for a first novel.

#189 I'm so glad to hear someone else say that about Coetzee - I've read a few of his and though I recognise that they are well written books, I found them horribly cold. I gave up after Disgrace and vowed never to read another one.

Also, I've been meaning to read the Frederick Douglass book for a long time and your review reminded me that it's well overdue now, thanks!

#198: That is a good one, isn't it? Glad you enjoyed it, Sean!

74. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk - Fight Club is Chuck Palahniuk's first and best-known book. Although some people claim it's a bit too graphic, the violence and gore is nothing compared to future works by Palahniuk. Also, more so than his other works, this book offers biting social satire. I was tempted to give it 3 1/2 stars, but gave it 4 because if I hadn't seen the movie and knew the twist, I would have enjoyed it that 1/2 star more. Still, not for the easily offended - or maybe that's who it WAS written for . . .

75. My Custom Van by Michael Ian Black. Little background: I loved Michael Ian Black in The State (I was 16 or 17 when that debuted). Years later, I was thrilled to see him on the "I love the . . . " shows on VH1 and he didn't disappoint. So, a book from him certainly grabbed my attention. I picked it up and paged through it and just based on the titles of his short essays, thought it was another comedic gem.

It didn't rise to the level of his television work. There were definitely a few laugh-out-loud moments, but they weren't often enough to merit the purchase. It wasn't badly written, but it wasn't well-written either. The comedy wasn't brilliant - but looking back, I think all his comedy is dependent on his deadpan delivery and it doesn't translate as well for him on the written page. Yet, I kept reading the book. Reading his book was like hanging out with a friend you've had for years and you're not sure why you still hang out. Then he (or she) says or does something hilarious and it all clicks. That person may not be funny all the time or even most of the time, but those little bursts make it worthwhile enough to keep 'em around.

76. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin.

Another bright point in my Early Reviewer offerings.
From the start, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter was good. It took me a short time to settle into the story, but it was enjoyable. There was just enough of a question of "who done it?" to keep that aspect interesting and there was the question of who was narrating and if the narrator was unreliable.

It had touches of "To Kill a Mockingbird," but a twist on the story. Being told in the South, addressing racism, an suspected murderer, a friendship kept secret and a tale of growing up - but as a look back in this case.

Couple of things I asked myself before I gave this a four-star rating. Did I care about the characters? Did I find the plot interesting? Was the writing proficient? Did the conclusion stand-up to my expectations?

I was able to answer "yes" to all of these questions, so a four-star rating was justified in my mind.

The climax may have been too abbreviated, but not overly so. Overall, worth the read.

Congrats!

>>>202 Sean191:. I love this review/synopsis. I have friends and writers about whom I feel exactly what you describe but could never have put into words. Michael Ian Black isn't one of them (although he is funny on the VH1 shows) so I'll probably skip the book.

Congrats on 75

ETA: Thumbs up on the book's review page.

Thanks all :)

I'm not sure if I'll hit 100...but I'm sprinting for the finish!

I hope you make it Sean!

77. The Secret Goldfish by David Means.

I am not a subscriber to Esquire, The New Yorker or McSweeney's, but I've read other stories that have found their way onto the pages of those publications. That's why I'm puzzled that David Means has been in all of them and more.

It was difficult to find anything I liked among this collection of short stories with the exception of the story sharing the same title as the collection and one or two others.

The writing had no warmth to it and that meant I couldn't care less about the characters. Some of the stories had what I felt was gratuitous violence made all the more disturbing by the seeming emotional disconnect of the writing.

My last big issue was the fact that in at least two of his stories he declined providing a name for some characters, providing the standard "X" as in "Then X said..." I'm used to it with Kafka and some other writers, but I feel there was more of a reason for that choice in their writing. Here, it just struck me as an attempt to illustrate the unimportance of a character - it was too blunt, no subtlety. Unless, by his omission, he actually meant to call more attention to the nameless character. If that theory is ever confirmed, I'll add an extra 1 1/2 stars because he'll have gained some respect from me.

#209: Sounds like The Secret Goldfish can stay secret from me.

78. 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill.

I just finished a disappointing collection of short stories, so I had some trepidation about diving into another collection immediately afterward. To compound my reservations, I'm not generally a fan of horror.

Thanks Joe Hill. I had read his debut novel Heart Shaped Box a year or two ago and thought it was decent. Not good enough to rush out and buy his next effort, but good enough to keep him in mind. If the introduction had been reversed and this was the first book I read from Hill, I'd be carrying Heart Shaped Box in my bag right now.

Hill writes well. However, he tells a story even better. His writing isn't one note either. He does horror, he does mystery, he even does a little drama. Plus, he does horror. He offers a little over-the-top horror, but he also offers the Hitchcock-style psychological teases as well.

Well-worth the read and a perfect book to engulf over Halloween weekend.

#211: I read Heart Shaped Box and it did not do much for me either. I think I will give 20th Century Ghosts a pass as I do not care for horror at all.

79. Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician by Daniel Wallace. I'm not sure why I waited so long to read this book. I've enjoyed the previous three novels by Wallace and yet, it had been sitting unread on my shelf for over a year. My mistake! This may be my favorite of them all. There's mystery, illusion and great characters. Wallace doesn't disappoint. Plus, he appreciates his fans.

#213: Well, as I have read nothing by Wallace, I guess it is about time I start. Which book of his do you recommend that I start with, Sean?

I think the Watermelon King may have been the weakest....Big Fish was turned into a major film about 7 years ago....

It has been a long time since I've read his other books, but I would recommend Watermelon King or Ray in Reverse to start with. The other two just get better, so if you like those first two, you'll love the others.

I watched the film version of Big Fish although I do not remember much about it.

Thanks for the recommendations on what to read first. I will see what my local library has.

80. High Rise by J.G. Ballard.

Second book from Ballard and it was just too out there. Especially after reading Concrete island. The opinion I've formed of Ballard: He creates a situation to explore human nature, but I don't think he puts enough thought into how plausible the situation is or he doesn't care since it's secondary to the main point of studying the people. Unfortunately, I don't feel his take on people is realistic or profound. I don't think I'll be reading further books from him.

81. Excerpt from Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven by Mark Twain.

Not as well-known as some of his other works and I was exhausted when reading it, so I can't recall the ending, but I did enjoy it as I read it in bits and pieces.

82. Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle. Peter Beagle is an amazing storyteller. His stories just have a timeless quality to them and a comfort to them that I haven't encountered much before. Even though his books singly might not be my absolute favorite, his body of work has to have him up at the top for my favorite authors at this point...I'm going to be reading everything I can get my hands on to see if the magic maintains.

For Tamsin, he offers a narrator who might have come off as unlikeable in the hands of a less-talented author. Instead, even though she is stubborn and self-centered at times, Beagle's masterful treatment shows her evolution to someone the reader can feel good cheering on. The story itself has so many nods and winks to traditional English faeries and goblins that it's just fun to read as well.

#219: Another new to me author! I will have to see if I can find Tamsin. Thanks for the recommendation, Sean.

I think he's best-known for The Last Unicorn which I'll be reading before the year is out.

#221: My local library has The Last Unicorn, but not Tamsin. I look forward to your review!

83. 85A by Kyle Thomas Smith.

Well. 85A shouldn't be compared to The Catcher in the Rye and even claiming (as the jacket description does) that main character Seamus O'Grady is a hybrid of Caulfield and Johnny Rotten doesn't seem right either. Rotten held onto punk ideals as they served him and he did it pretty intelligently. If Sid Vicious was evoked instead, it might have held more weight since Vicious had a lot of punk rock charisma, little talent and bought into the persona enough that it killed him.

I had a lot of problems with the book. First, it probably averaged the use of about six f***s per page. I don't have an issue with profanity, but when the narrator is using it like a nervous tic, it annoys me. If he used "um" or "like" in its place, it would have annoyed me just as much.

Second, and this might be a non-issue if it's not the final version, there were at least half-a-dozen serious typos that took me out of the story. Even spelling Rob Base as Rob Bass...

That leads to another issue... I'm not sure if the cultural references were all correct for the time. When Rob Base was mentioned, I think it was 1984 or 1985....I don't think he was out at that time. Meat Beat Manifesto was also mentioned, but not out until a year or two later. Most of the other punk bands were safe to throw in there though with the exception of mentioning PiL's "Happy" which was released in 1987. Maybe I'm wrong with what year it was supposed to be at the time in the book...but it was taking me out of things a little and if I'm not wrong, the writer should be fact-checking.

Third problem - the dialogue and interaction with some of the characters was just over-the-top. The parents' dialogue sounded too-stilted, too outlandish.

Finally, in general, the main character was unlikable. Maybe it's more personal on this account. I played in a punk band for a long time. We would try to open people's eyes to things going on in the world. Sure, they all felt misunderstood, felt that the world was against them. But when they put things in perspective and realized there were way larger problems - genocide in Sudan, sex trafficking of children even in the U.S., people starving on the streets in their own towns, it gave some of them something better to focus on. Unfortunately, some didn't get it and I saw a bunch of kids dying of drug overdoses over the years and some suicides. But there were some that made it and I even hear from them now and then and I'm thankful for that.

And that really veered off the review...to get back to it....everything I said in the previous paragraph, the main character just didn't "get it." and it made it a little painful to read. Still, it did get some redemption at almost the bitter end which bumped it one half-star rating up in my opinion.

Ultimately, I feel if this book was touted as the punk version of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, it might have been a truer description.

#223: I am so skipping that one!

84. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.

Good job Peter S. Beagle! I read his bio at the conclusion - I think he was about 29 when he published this book and was only 22 when A Fine and Private Place was published . . . that's talent that stokes envy. He's three for three with books I've really enjoyed and I'll definitely be picking up his other novels.

Getting down to this book - the Last Unicorn is a classic fairytale which also lampoons the classic fairytale is a bright, witty way. The main characters evolve brilliantly and enough mystery remains (in a good way) by the novel's conclusion that you feel there's still plenty of magic to be had in Beagle's world.

#225: I definitely need to get to that one!

85. The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker.

Nicholson Baker continues to be a writer I want to read. He's a bright guy with a lot of knowledge and he's able to focus his writing talents on minutiae in a way that can make it interesting to read about pocket lint. For the Anthologist, the main character is the typical Baker construct - an off-kilter individual who has a lot of knowledge, is able to focus on minutiae and has some random weird thoughts interjected. Plus, I couldn't help but learn a little here and there and refresh my mind about some poetry. Overall, another enjoyable book from Baker.

#227: That one is available for the Nook. When the current book fast is over with, I will have to download it. Thanks for the recommendation, Sean.

Getting close to due date, isn't it?

passed it - Samuel Twain was born Nov. 9th. My wife and I liked "Sam" as a name and were trying to come up with a middle name with a "T" so he'd share my initials...so yes, the Samuel Twain is a bit of a nod to Mark Twain. Plus, Twain is kind of a cool middle name since it means "between" anyway :)

#229: I like it! Congratulations all around, Sean!

Hi, Sean! I am pleased to say that I am now caught up on your thread, and I got LOTS of great titles (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, 20th Century Ghosts, and even Ex Libris although you didn't like it too much).

Congratulations on Samuel Twain (love the name!) and see you around!

Karen O.

Thanks both of you!

86. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote.

Breakfast at Tiffany's and Capote's three other short stories in this collection were all enjoyable...some fun, some just interesting. One - the House of Flowers (I think that was the title) reminded me of something Gabriel Garcia Marquez would write. Good stuff.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Sean!

87. The Pickup Artist by Terry Bisson.

This book is a cross between 1984, Fahrenheit 451 and maybe something from Philip K. Dick...but a poor man's version of that offspring.

88. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende.

Such high hopes dashed..... I remember the movie, I love the movie. The book....well....

Michael Ende attempted to sue the movie producers when the original film was being put together because he said it deviated too far from his tale (and the film ended at the halfway point of the book). In my opinion, he should have PAID the producers because they created a story that was much better than the author's vision. key characters in the movie were barely noted in the book and in fact, noting them in the book so briefly actually interrupted the flow of the story.

In the book, I grew the loathe Bastian - even earlier than Ende meant for the reader to dislike the protagonist. I also started to wince every time I read "But that's a different tale to be told at a different time," (or something similar to that). I've read a bit of the Arabian Nights, I didn't need to see a second treatment less artfully done. Like his character Bastian Balthazar Bux, Michael Ende may have a higher opinion of himself and his art than his talent warrants.

I also believe the movie producers made the right decision in not covering the second half of the book....it really dropped it from bad to worse.

#236: I have never read the book, although I enjoyed the film. Sounds like I can stay away from the book without missing anything!

89. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote.

My first foray into Capote's works gave me some understanding as to why people have theorized he was the true author of To Kill a Mockingbird. There's a similar feel, there's a similar setting, there's a similar style. But, the authors also grew up in a similar setting, so I could understand the resemblance.

For Capote's work, it's a beautiful piece even though it has decay as its theme. There's mental, emotional and spiritual decay all introduced and advancing throughout the story. There's also physical decay of not just the characters, but the setting. With the exception of Mr. Samson, every character loses a bit of themselves during the course of the story (Samson's loss is recounted as a recounting of a past event).

Yet, to reiterate, Capote's language is so poetic and haunting, it really is a beautiful piece and I can easily understand why there was so much excitement preceding the publication of his first novel.

#238: I have not read that one yet by Capote. I will have to give it a try some time.

90. The Trees by Conrad Richter.

Conrad Richter's work was published in 1940, so even if he had been writing in a contemporary voice, it might have come off dated...he chose to write in a voice from long before and it was perfect. I don't know how he managed to use vernacular and slang that was so easy to understand. But that wasn't all. The story was a great read. His style and the way the tale of this family's triumphs and tragedies managed to rush along and take its time simultaneously. I'll be picking up the next in the trilogy soon.

91. Hint Fiction edited by Robert Swartwood.

I remember almost taking this off my earlier reviewer request list and even being a little disappointed when I received notice that I won a copy. I figured at the least, I would get through it in an hour or two and throw it into my list to try to hit 100 books read this year....I probably would have gotten through it even quicker, but I took the time to read about each author of the tiny stories offered here.

Some of the stories missed the mark for what (I thought) the collection was trying to accomplish. Others seemed too poetic. But there were probably twenty or so that were good and among those, at least five or six that were really, really good. Some I read a few times (sure, not that impressive for a 25-words-or-less piece. But it was impressive that I got something new from them each read...that IS impressive in such a short piece.

Part of the attraction to the collection was reading in the description the well-known authors with contributions - Joyce Carrol Oates, Ha Jin, Max Barry, James Frey. They weren't among my favorites and I would actually go as far as to say that Frey's contribution was bad enough that it, along with other things I've recently heard about his current activities will keep me from picking up his other work.

But some of the writers I've never heard of...wow. Even for the handful of gems in here, it's worth it. I'm lending the book to everyone I work with for their subway rides (they'll get it done going one-way) and have already made it clear that I'm demanding it back!

And, because it's my review and I can do this, here's my misguided attempt:

The Word is the next to go

He reached out and took down the lights.
He felt he had made a mistake. They watched, with shame and resignation, but did not protest.

#240: I have one of Richter's books home from the library now. Once I am done with The Light in the Forest, I will give The Trees a try. Thanks, Sean!

I read The Awakening Land Trilogy (The Trees, The Fields, and The Town) when I was a teenager, and I absolutely loved it. About 6 months ago I found a one volume compilation of the three novels printed in 1966 (about the time I first read it), so I grabbed it, and I hope to reread it soon.

I read The Light in the Forest multiple times in junior high. Last year, I ended up with Sea of Grass in a box of books I won at auction last year so that piqued my interest. I haven't read it yet, but it's on the list.

92. The Neon Bible by John Kennedy Toole

I read Confederacy of Dunces four or five years ago - it's one of my wife's favorite books. I wasn't really into it. But since The Neon Bible promised to be a quick read, I gave Toole another go. Judging from the ratings, most people don't agree with me but I thought The Neon Bible was the better work. Sure, there were a few sticky areas with the writing, but this was his first work and written when he was 15. I have to wonder if he made revisions later in life, because if he didn't, he definitely had a level of brilliance and talent very rarely seen.

I didn't realize Toole had written another book. He died before Confederacy of Dunces was published, still pretty young, so if he made revisions, he made them at a young age.

I have not read anything by John Kennedy Toole, but Darryl has a discussion on his thread about A Confederacy of Dunces, so I am going to have to check him out.

93. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain.

The Prince and the Pauper reminded me very much of Adventures of Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn. There were last second rescue, unbelievable circumstance, local dialects (or an estimation of them at least) abusive fathers, faithful companions...the list goes on. Unfortunately, I don't think Twain did as good a job tapping into old England as he did to the Mississippi river area.

#248: It has been forever since I read that one. Some century or other I will return to it, I am sure. I hope never to read Huck Finn again. I did not care for it at all.

94. Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut.

Vonnegut is well known for his wit and humor. I think I didn't agree with that fame until I read Galapagos. Vonnegut's habit of giving away the story before he actually gets around to telling parts of it actually was brilliant in this case. Overall, very funny and a bit of a trip.

#250: Another author I need to get around to reading one of these days! *sigh*

BTW - I received the book today. Thanks for sharing it with me!

welcome! Hope you enjoy it!

BTW, Sean - the 2011 group is up and running. Are you joining in the fun again next year? I hope so!

http://www.librarything.com/groups/75booksin20111

95. Perelandria by C.S. Lewis.

Ugh! The story started off so slowly, but it was book two of what's a trilogy. By the time the suffering was nearly unbearable, I was 1/3 of the way done with the book...so I struggled on. It ended up much more exciting and really redeemed itself...and then ended with such a sermon that I'm dreading the final book.

I've read a lot of Lewis' work and have generally enjoyed it, but this one if only I had known...I would have never started this trilogy since the first book wasn't that impressive and certainly not good enough to outweigh my dislike for this one. Maybe the last will redeem.

96. Seventeen Traditions by Ralph Nader.

In Seventeen Traditions, Nader uses his childhood memories to talk about how his parents raised him and how he became the person he is and how today's society is missing a lot of what made it better in the past. It's not a "get off my lawn!" kind of forlorn look back at what was and what can never be again, but rather, it's offering some good take-aways for people who might actually care about raising their kids to be a benefit rather than a detriment to the world around them.

I'm sure Nader has overly sugar-coated his work since it was published during his last presidential run. But to be honest, if I had read it at that time, I probably would have voted for him.

97. Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling.

Just So Stories was just so disappointing. Like Aesop's Fables with less fun to them and mostly lacking morals to the stories. The language was repetitive and very dated and boring. I've been told Kim is a very good book, so I'll give it a shot, but I don't have high hopes.

98. Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies.

This was a bit of a surprise Christmas gift. I've had the book for a few years, but decided to give it a shot for the Christmas break. It was a quick read, but really a sweet, fun story. I don't think I've ever seen the movie, but if it's at all close to the book, I can understand why it's such a classic. Valentine Davies should get more recognition for this Christmas treat that seems ahead of its time in many ways.

#257: I have seen the movie several times, but never realized that it was based on a book. I will have to look for the book version. Thanks, Sean!

Actually - I was wrong. Strangely, the book was based on the movie - but still good!

#256: I remember reading some of these as a kid and liking them, but I would probably have a different reaction now. I couldn't get into Kim.

I quite enjoyed Kim and thought it was worth reading - see here.

#259: I will still check it out. My local library has it - maybe next Christmas?

99. The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs.

The Year of Living Biblically didn't quite do it for me. I'd read Jacobs' books written prior to and after this and enjoyed them more. I think because the other two did a better job of showcasing Jacobs' various neurosis hilariously. In this, there were too many sight gags and frankly, his neurosis caused by religious questions doesn't seem very out of the ordinary. There were some funny moments and some tender ones, but maybe I'm Jacobed out at the moment, I just didn't enjoy it as much as the other two even though I'd been told this was his best.

#263: I liked that one a bit better than you did it sounds like, Sean. I still think Jacobs wife must be a saint :)

Actually, the interaction with his wife was what typically got the most laughs from me.

Happy New Year, Sean!

100. Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. *

Why the asterisk? That would be because I forgot to read the last comic of this 1440 page collection until Jan. 1st. I had been saving the last page to read on New Year's Eve to end the year on a high note.

Anyway, barring my goof, going through this collection was the high point of my reading year. My father used to read the paper and the comics and save them for me. Sometimes it would be a few days before I got to them, so I would have a stack to get to read. Calvin and Hobbes and the Far Side were our favorites.

Even though a few of the strips have aged and might not make sense to someone who is as old as I was when I first read them (phones with cords??? answering machines???) others were eerily prophetic with discussion of the environment, humanity's inhumanity, the grind of the work day and more. That and the sweet nostalgia of a nice memory I had shared with my father along with the hilarity and thoughtfulness of the strip make this one of my all-time favorites and something I'll go back and read again in a few years. I think I remember both my father and I almost getting choked up when we found out we were reading the last strip. But looking at this collection, I'm glad Watterson made that choice. He went out on a high note and kept to his ideals and really preserved the magic that was Calvin and Hobbes.

I love Calvin and Hobbes!

After this review, I did take Dauntless Homecoming off the market and spent several weeks re-editing it. It then went on to win the science fiction category of the New York Book Festival.