Incendiary – Chris Cleave
Whoa. Intensely emotional and depressing, this is the story of a woman recovering after her husband and four year old son are killed in a terrorist attack. Made me cry. Only recommended for those with strong, erm, not stomachs so much as minds. I know mine had some trouble handling it.
Life of Pi – Yann Martel
This was the book club book this month! Here is my post about it.
The Pale King – David Foster Wallace
This is David Foster Wallace’s last novel, which he did not have the chance to finish before his death. However, it reads like a complete novel, and is quite good. It is about some IRS agents and is semi-autobiographical. I liked it quite a lot.
Middlesex – Jeffrey Eugenides
This novel takes place over the course of three generations of a family, from Greece to Detroit, from the early 20th century to present day. The narrator is a hermaphrodite. This is a lovely book and I enjoyed it immensely.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
The earth is destroyed to make room for a super space highway, and a man is picked up by a passing spaceship just in time. With his alien friend, he hitchhikes across the galaxy. Great fun. Hilarious. And a classic.
1Q84 – Haruki Murakami
I’m not usually a fan of fantasy, but this was a great book. It was a sneaky fantasy, starting off like a literary novel, but slowly becoming weirder and weirder as it went. The two main characters are massage therapist slash murderer Aomame, which means “green peas” in Japanese, and writer and math professor Tengo. They are somehow transferred into an alternate universe that has two moons in the sky and is riddled with magical little people that hide inside other people and come out to build air chrysalises upon their death. The more I read of Murakami, the more I realizes he must be genius.
Books I Read This Month - November 2011
I made it to my 100-books-in-a-year goal one month early! Here are the books I read this month.
All the Rage – F. Paul Wilson
Next book in the Repairman Jack series. Um. Yeah.
Sputnik Sweetheart – Haruki Murakami
An asexual female bookworm falls in love with an older married woman. Told from the perspective of the girl’s male best friend (who happens to be in love with her), this is a great book. I could really relate to the narrator character, and I found the other characters to be very well developed. Another good book by the great Haruki Murakami.
Making History – Stephen Fry
Here is Stephen Fry, English genius, being quite English and quite genius. This science fiction novel is about a history scholar who discovers a clever way to make sure Hitler was never born. It’s funny in parts, moving in others, and well-written throughout. I’d recommend this book to people who enjoy science and history (of course) and to people who are passionate about, or at least interested in, human rights (religion, sexual orientation). This is an intriguing read, and an interesting and creative topic.
The Princess Bride – William Goldman
I’ve seen the movie numerous times and loved it, of course. I only just this year discovered that it was a book first. And what a wonderful book it is! If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend you do. And/or see the movie. It truly has something for everyone: fantasy, adventure, comedy, and romance, all rolled into one.
Mr. Peanut – Adam Ross
Interesting and disturbing picture of marriage. I thought it was really good, but sometimes the characters did not seem very realistic. I’d recommend it if you like dark humor. Or just dark.
Shantaram – Gregory David Roberts
This is my 100th book of the year! And it was a good one too. Over 900 pages long, this semi-autobiographical novel, I believe, qualifies as an epic. The author was born and raised in Australia, but became a drug addict and armed robber in his young adult life, ending up in prison. He escaped prison and traveled the world, settling down in Bombay, India. There and then is where and when this book takes place, from the moment he stepped off the plane in Bombay, to… well, for about two or three, maybe four years. Sometime after that, which is after this book ends, he was arrested in Bombay and served out the rest of his sentence. Afterwards, he returned to Bombay, opening up a free medical clinic for the slums, and is now a full time writer. There were so many parts of his life that he could have written about (being a drug addict and thief, being in prison, living in Bombay after his release from prison) but he chose to write about his time in Bombay while a fugitive. There are very few flashbacks; he remains mostly in the present (well, past, since it already happened to him) and, told in first person, we are in his head, looking at Bombay through his eyes, the entire time. And I loved it! His descriptions are beautiful! His word choice is perfect. And he’s got all the emotions right there on the page. I cried at least twice. You read it, and you’ll know where. He wrote this book while he was serving his full sentence after he was caught, and you can just sense the blood, sweat, and tears that literally went into every page. I highly recommend this book. Even though it is long, it is worth the read! The message is beautiful and perfect.
Moab is my Washpot – Stephen Fry
This is Stephen Fry’s memoir of his youth. A rowdy kid, a genius, and a pathological liar, this is a great coming-of-age gay story that pretty much any would enjoy. It’s funny is places and sad in others, but it’s a great read throughout.
Dance, Dance, Dance – Haruki Murakami
Quite weird. A writer’s girlfriend of sorts goes missing, and he ends up babysitting sort of for this psychic thirteen year old girl. There are prostitutes involved. It’s an interesting book, but weird. Haruki Murakami is pretty weird, I guess.
Norwegian Wood – Haruki Murakami
Also weird, but pretty good. It’s about a college-age boy discovering women. I suppose that’s the best way to put it. Most of Haruki Maurakami’s books involve people of this age, in situations much like the one in this book. But each one his books is unique in its own way. He’s a great writer. But weird.
Othello – William Shakespeare
This was the blog book club book for the month of November. Here is my post about it.
The Marriage Plot – Jeffery Eugenides
What a great book. A realistic and intricate picture of bipolar disorder, as well as what it’s like to be in love at that turning point in life, early twenty-something, just out of college. Beautiful writing.
All the Rage – F. Paul Wilson
Next book in the Repairman Jack series. Um. Yeah.
Sputnik Sweetheart – Haruki Murakami
An asexual female bookworm falls in love with an older married woman. Told from the perspective of the girl’s male best friend (who happens to be in love with her), this is a great book. I could really relate to the narrator character, and I found the other characters to be very well developed. Another good book by the great Haruki Murakami.
Making History – Stephen Fry
Here is Stephen Fry, English genius, being quite English and quite genius. This science fiction novel is about a history scholar who discovers a clever way to make sure Hitler was never born. It’s funny in parts, moving in others, and well-written throughout. I’d recommend this book to people who enjoy science and history (of course) and to people who are passionate about, or at least interested in, human rights (religion, sexual orientation). This is an intriguing read, and an interesting and creative topic.
The Princess Bride – William Goldman
I’ve seen the movie numerous times and loved it, of course. I only just this year discovered that it was a book first. And what a wonderful book it is! If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend you do. And/or see the movie. It truly has something for everyone: fantasy, adventure, comedy, and romance, all rolled into one.
Mr. Peanut – Adam Ross
Interesting and disturbing picture of marriage. I thought it was really good, but sometimes the characters did not seem very realistic. I’d recommend it if you like dark humor. Or just dark.
Shantaram – Gregory David Roberts
This is my 100th book of the year! And it was a good one too. Over 900 pages long, this semi-autobiographical novel, I believe, qualifies as an epic. The author was born and raised in Australia, but became a drug addict and armed robber in his young adult life, ending up in prison. He escaped prison and traveled the world, settling down in Bombay, India. There and then is where and when this book takes place, from the moment he stepped off the plane in Bombay, to… well, for about two or three, maybe four years. Sometime after that, which is after this book ends, he was arrested in Bombay and served out the rest of his sentence. Afterwards, he returned to Bombay, opening up a free medical clinic for the slums, and is now a full time writer. There were so many parts of his life that he could have written about (being a drug addict and thief, being in prison, living in Bombay after his release from prison) but he chose to write about his time in Bombay while a fugitive. There are very few flashbacks; he remains mostly in the present (well, past, since it already happened to him) and, told in first person, we are in his head, looking at Bombay through his eyes, the entire time. And I loved it! His descriptions are beautiful! His word choice is perfect. And he’s got all the emotions right there on the page. I cried at least twice. You read it, and you’ll know where. He wrote this book while he was serving his full sentence after he was caught, and you can just sense the blood, sweat, and tears that literally went into every page. I highly recommend this book. Even though it is long, it is worth the read! The message is beautiful and perfect.
Moab is my Washpot – Stephen Fry
This is Stephen Fry’s memoir of his youth. A rowdy kid, a genius, and a pathological liar, this is a great coming-of-age gay story that pretty much any would enjoy. It’s funny is places and sad in others, but it’s a great read throughout.
Dance, Dance, Dance – Haruki Murakami
Quite weird. A writer’s girlfriend of sorts goes missing, and he ends up babysitting sort of for this psychic thirteen year old girl. There are prostitutes involved. It’s an interesting book, but weird. Haruki Murakami is pretty weird, I guess.
Norwegian Wood – Haruki Murakami
Also weird, but pretty good. It’s about a college-age boy discovering women. I suppose that’s the best way to put it. Most of Haruki Maurakami’s books involve people of this age, in situations much like the one in this book. But each one his books is unique in its own way. He’s a great writer. But weird.
Othello – William Shakespeare
This was the blog book club book for the month of November. Here is my post about it.
The Marriage Plot – Jeffery Eugenides
What a great book. A realistic and intricate picture of bipolar disorder, as well as what it’s like to be in love at that turning point in life, early twenty-something, just out of college. Beautiful writing.
Books I Read This Month - October 2011
I read a ton of books this month, knowing I would not have much time to read in November because of NaNoWriMo.
Also, today is the last day to submit to the Dinosaur Writing Contest! I would love to receive some more submissions!
Here are the books I read this month!
Peace, Aimee
The Duel – Anton Chekov
When Levsky’s lover’s husband dies, he is afraid that he may have to marry her, but he doesn’t want to because he has too many gambling debts. The girl is a bit of a tart though (obviously, since she was cheating on her husband) and kind of ends up with this other guy, who is just about the opposite of Levsky. There are some well-rounded characters here. The Literary Lab has a great post about this book here.
Vida – Patricia Engel
This is the story of the life of a young Columbian woman growing up in the US. Great emotion and great characters, this is a pretty good book that I would recommend. It says a lot about young girls living in the American culture.
The Pearl – John Steinbeck
Super depressing, but that’s John Steinbeck for you. A poor man finds a pearl while fishing and the greed of the town results in very bad, sad things…
Mercier and Camier – Samuel Beckett
I didn’t really understand this book… I may have to reread it eventually. It’s about these two guys who kind of wander around town and talk about strange things. There were funny bits, and I wish I’d read it deeper, because I feel like the theme was Samuel Beckett’s main aim in this book. He’s really great with dialogue, and his use of props in this book was clever.
The Wild Things – Dave Eggers
This is based on the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are. Dave Eggers also helped write the screen play for the children’s movie. This book is a more adult version (as it’s a novel and there is some strong language in parts) but it is told (in third person) from the kid’s perspective. I really liked this book. The writing was great, and the pacing was brilliant. The character of Max was extremely well developed, and I really enjoyed the theme and how Dave Eggers revealed it. I would definitely recommend this book to just about everyone.
House of Meetings – Martin Amis
This novel is about two brothers and girl named Zoya in a love triangle in Soviet Russia during the time of Stalin’s labor camps. It was interesting, but it was a bit contrived. The more I read of Martin Amis, the less I’m impressed. I loved Time’s Arrow, but maybe the rest of his stuff isn’t as great as I thought it would be.
When We Danced On Water – Evan Fallenberg
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I posted about it here.
Twenty-Seventh City – Jonathan Franzen
This is Jonathan Franzen's first novel. I've read Freedom and The Corrections, and I liked both of those. This book, however, was a bit different. It focuses more on politics and the city (and country) as a whole, rather than the American family and society. I don't particularly agree with a lot of Jonathan Franzen's opinions and views on American culture, but he is very good writer.
Light Fell – Evan Fallenberg
See When We Danced On Water…
What Is the What – Dave Eggers
A beautiful portrait of a young man escaping Sudan to find a better life. I’ve been on the brick all month of deciding whether or not to bold this one, to put it on my ‘love’ list… But I didn’t love it enough to want to reread it eventually in my life, so I guess I won’t. However, my indecision led me to redo the books tab and put in italics all the books I really liked. Didn’t absolutely adore, but I liked them a lot. So there.
Bag of Bones – Stephen King
Novelist widower goes to visit his vacation home and falls in love with a young woman who has a daughter, but there are ghosts and stuff. Classic Stephen King. Pretty good book.
The Disappeared – Kim Echlin
It’s obvious that a lot of research had to go into this book, and the writing, in particular the descriptions, is fantastic. However, this book is a bit pretentious. There are some unnecessary descriptions that don’t add anything to the emotion or the plot of the story. But it was a good book for getting the vibe of the Pol Pot era in Cambodia. The narrator, a Canadian girl who falls in love with a Cambodian man, was not fully developed, in my opinion. Every action she did and every word she said was devoted to expressing her love for the man, and she seemed like she was not very sure of herself, as if she needed a man in order to be a person. I didn’t feel like I knew her at all, and I did not see what the guy saw in her at all… So, the plot of this book wasn’t fantastic, but the history was rich, intriguing, and very well done. I have mixed feelings about this book, but it was up for a few prizes, so I guess some people loved it.
Jurassic Park – Michael Crichton
This was the Blog Book Club book for this month. Here is my post about it!
Hummingbirds – Joshua Gaylord
Man this was a good month of books for me. I really enjoyed this one. It takes place in an all-girl’s school in New York. There are two male teachers who kind of dislike each other for some pretty good reasons, but they have a very cool dynamic that makes a lot of sense. The girls in the school are teetering on the brink of adulthood, which, ahem, shows in their interactions with their male teachers. The characters in this book were fantastically developed. I almost bolded this one as well.
The City of Falling Angels – John Berendt
John Berendt’s semi-non-fiction book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is one of my absolute favorite books of all time, and I love the movie too (John Cusack, Kevin Spacey, and Jude Law? Brilliant, top notch actors). But anyway, I had to get The City of Falling Angels too. It’s more non-fiction than his other book, as he uses the peoples’ real names and such. It’s about Venice. Berendt draws such an amazing portrait of Venice that I can picture it in my mind, every street corner, every person there, and how daily life plays out in Venice. But I’ve never been there, so my mind could totally just be making it all up. However, since this is a true story, the plot is not extremely catching. There are parts that seem too factual. Although I may have had overly high expectations because of my high opinion of his first book. But I sure do love the titles of his books!
The Rachel Papers – Martin Amis
Like I said earlier, Time’s Arrow is one of my all-time favorite books, but some of Martin Amis’ novels are a little too raunchy and creepy for my tastes. This is his first book, not creepy but definitely raunchy. It’s about this guy celebrating his twentieth birthday. He’s sort of a Holden Caulfield type of character, only he’s obsessed with literature and seducing women. This story describes him falling in and out of love with this girl named Rachel. It’s sort of as coming-of-age story, as well, though he doesn’t seem to grow up much in the end, in my opinion.
Revenge (Tennis Stars’ Balls Revenge) – Stephen Fry
My obsession with Englishmen goes further than just the young, attractive, heterosexual ones. In fact, I’m obsessed with British culture in general. So who better to read than the English cultural icon Stephen Fry? This book is loosely based on The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s about a man who is unjustly incarcerated and goes insane. When he realizes what happened to him, he enacts revenge. The language is fantastic, and the characters are well-developed. I really enjoyed this book.
After Dark – Haruki Murakami
Focusing on the lives of two sisters, this story takes place over the course of one night, from midnight to seven in the morning. Great character development and an interesting theme.
Also, today is the last day to submit to the Dinosaur Writing Contest! I would love to receive some more submissions!
Here are the books I read this month!
Peace, Aimee
The Duel – Anton Chekov
When Levsky’s lover’s husband dies, he is afraid that he may have to marry her, but he doesn’t want to because he has too many gambling debts. The girl is a bit of a tart though (obviously, since she was cheating on her husband) and kind of ends up with this other guy, who is just about the opposite of Levsky. There are some well-rounded characters here. The Literary Lab has a great post about this book here.
Vida – Patricia Engel
This is the story of the life of a young Columbian woman growing up in the US. Great emotion and great characters, this is a pretty good book that I would recommend. It says a lot about young girls living in the American culture.
The Pearl – John Steinbeck
Super depressing, but that’s John Steinbeck for you. A poor man finds a pearl while fishing and the greed of the town results in very bad, sad things…
Mercier and Camier – Samuel Beckett
I didn’t really understand this book… I may have to reread it eventually. It’s about these two guys who kind of wander around town and talk about strange things. There were funny bits, and I wish I’d read it deeper, because I feel like the theme was Samuel Beckett’s main aim in this book. He’s really great with dialogue, and his use of props in this book was clever.
The Wild Things – Dave Eggers
This is based on the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are. Dave Eggers also helped write the screen play for the children’s movie. This book is a more adult version (as it’s a novel and there is some strong language in parts) but it is told (in third person) from the kid’s perspective. I really liked this book. The writing was great, and the pacing was brilliant. The character of Max was extremely well developed, and I really enjoyed the theme and how Dave Eggers revealed it. I would definitely recommend this book to just about everyone.
House of Meetings – Martin Amis
This novel is about two brothers and girl named Zoya in a love triangle in Soviet Russia during the time of Stalin’s labor camps. It was interesting, but it was a bit contrived. The more I read of Martin Amis, the less I’m impressed. I loved Time’s Arrow, but maybe the rest of his stuff isn’t as great as I thought it would be.
When We Danced On Water – Evan Fallenberg
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I posted about it here.
Twenty-Seventh City – Jonathan Franzen
This is Jonathan Franzen's first novel. I've read Freedom and The Corrections, and I liked both of those. This book, however, was a bit different. It focuses more on politics and the city (and country) as a whole, rather than the American family and society. I don't particularly agree with a lot of Jonathan Franzen's opinions and views on American culture, but he is very good writer.
Light Fell – Evan Fallenberg
See When We Danced On Water…
What Is the What – Dave Eggers
A beautiful portrait of a young man escaping Sudan to find a better life. I’ve been on the brick all month of deciding whether or not to bold this one, to put it on my ‘love’ list… But I didn’t love it enough to want to reread it eventually in my life, so I guess I won’t. However, my indecision led me to redo the books tab and put in italics all the books I really liked. Didn’t absolutely adore, but I liked them a lot. So there.
Bag of Bones – Stephen King
Novelist widower goes to visit his vacation home and falls in love with a young woman who has a daughter, but there are ghosts and stuff. Classic Stephen King. Pretty good book.
The Disappeared – Kim Echlin
It’s obvious that a lot of research had to go into this book, and the writing, in particular the descriptions, is fantastic. However, this book is a bit pretentious. There are some unnecessary descriptions that don’t add anything to the emotion or the plot of the story. But it was a good book for getting the vibe of the Pol Pot era in Cambodia. The narrator, a Canadian girl who falls in love with a Cambodian man, was not fully developed, in my opinion. Every action she did and every word she said was devoted to expressing her love for the man, and she seemed like she was not very sure of herself, as if she needed a man in order to be a person. I didn’t feel like I knew her at all, and I did not see what the guy saw in her at all… So, the plot of this book wasn’t fantastic, but the history was rich, intriguing, and very well done. I have mixed feelings about this book, but it was up for a few prizes, so I guess some people loved it.
Jurassic Park – Michael Crichton
This was the Blog Book Club book for this month. Here is my post about it!
Hummingbirds – Joshua Gaylord
Man this was a good month of books for me. I really enjoyed this one. It takes place in an all-girl’s school in New York. There are two male teachers who kind of dislike each other for some pretty good reasons, but they have a very cool dynamic that makes a lot of sense. The girls in the school are teetering on the brink of adulthood, which, ahem, shows in their interactions with their male teachers. The characters in this book were fantastically developed. I almost bolded this one as well.
The City of Falling Angels – John Berendt
John Berendt’s semi-non-fiction book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is one of my absolute favorite books of all time, and I love the movie too (John Cusack, Kevin Spacey, and Jude Law? Brilliant, top notch actors). But anyway, I had to get The City of Falling Angels too. It’s more non-fiction than his other book, as he uses the peoples’ real names and such. It’s about Venice. Berendt draws such an amazing portrait of Venice that I can picture it in my mind, every street corner, every person there, and how daily life plays out in Venice. But I’ve never been there, so my mind could totally just be making it all up. However, since this is a true story, the plot is not extremely catching. There are parts that seem too factual. Although I may have had overly high expectations because of my high opinion of his first book. But I sure do love the titles of his books!
The Rachel Papers – Martin Amis
Like I said earlier, Time’s Arrow is one of my all-time favorite books, but some of Martin Amis’ novels are a little too raunchy and creepy for my tastes. This is his first book, not creepy but definitely raunchy. It’s about this guy celebrating his twentieth birthday. He’s sort of a Holden Caulfield type of character, only he’s obsessed with literature and seducing women. This story describes him falling in and out of love with this girl named Rachel. It’s sort of as coming-of-age story, as well, though he doesn’t seem to grow up much in the end, in my opinion.
Revenge (Tennis Stars’ Balls Revenge) – Stephen Fry
My obsession with Englishmen goes further than just the young, attractive, heterosexual ones. In fact, I’m obsessed with British culture in general. So who better to read than the English cultural icon Stephen Fry? This book is loosely based on The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s about a man who is unjustly incarcerated and goes insane. When he realizes what happened to him, he enacts revenge. The language is fantastic, and the characters are well-developed. I really enjoyed this book.
After Dark – Haruki Murakami
Focusing on the lives of two sisters, this story takes place over the course of one night, from midnight to seven in the morning. Great character development and an interesting theme.
Book I Read This Month - September 2011
Survivor - Chuck Palahniuk
On my shelf, all I can see is an enormous PALAHNIUK, so I kept forgetting the title of the book; it's practically invisible on the cover. Anywho, it's a great book. Very Palahniuk-ish. Ah, isn't it great when an author has such a distinct voice that you can say something like that and everyone totally knows what you mean? And this book is weird. It's written backward. Even the page numbers are backward, counting down to the suicide of a celebrity religious leader as he dictates his life story to the black box of an airplane. It was a hilarious book, and I enjoyed it.
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
I was shocked at myself for not having read this book yet, so I decided to give it a go. It is a classic and all. Also, my high school English teacher is related to Mary Shelley. But anyway, I thought the book was great. The first half was very well written and emotional, the interlude in which the monster relays his story to Frankenstein was a bit distracting but interesting, and the concluding third was suspenseful and quite telling about human nature.
42 - M. Thomas Cooper
This is an interesting mystery about a man whose wife runs away with her daughter, leaving no clues behind. As the story progresses, more things go missing and the main character becomes the main suspect. An intriguing story and a quick read, I would recommend this book to people who want to have a little fun and just go along for the ride. The number 42 does crop up a lot and gives you the chills a bit near the end, so I wouldn’t suggest reading it alone in the dark on a stormy night where something or someone could hop out and kill you…
Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
Some people claim that this is the best book ever written. And I have to say, that I really enjoyed reading it! Books published in its time period (and the ones translated from a different language, not less!) are usually difficult to read, but I found Anna Karenina surprisingly easy to read. The characters are very well developed, and the plot is twisty and exciting. And am I the only one who found it humorous? I wouldn't say it's the best novel ever written, but I have to agree that it is one of the best.
Publish This Book - Stephen Markley
Frustrated with the publishing industry, having written and pitched many stories to no avail, college student and writer Stephen Markley decided to write a memoir about trying to publish a book; the peculiar idea, however, was that the very memoir he was writing would be the book he was trying to publish. While Markley essentially wrote the book about writing the book, the events in his life quickly and cleverly became the main plot as he revealed the naivety and determination of youth that border on hubris. This is just about the funniest book I have ever read.
Conspiracies – F. Paul Wilson
Repairman Jack is back searching for a missing conspiracy theorist and uncovering some alien conspiracies on the way. I’m not sure why I’ve continued to read this series except for that I don’t like to stop reading something I’ve already started. The character Jack doesn’t seem all that interesting to me. In fact, the author goes out of his way to explain that Jack is normal in every sense of the word, except of course for the whole bad ass thing. But everyone seems to like the books, so I’ll keep reading and maybe the ending of the series will be awesome.
The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. le Guin
Blog Book Club book for this month!
Herzog – Saul Bellow
As I was reading this I kept feeling as though I’d read it before. Maybe I have. It’s a semi-autobiographical novel about a writer having his midlife crisis. Interesting and entertaining.
On my shelf, all I can see is an enormous PALAHNIUK, so I kept forgetting the title of the book; it's practically invisible on the cover. Anywho, it's a great book. Very Palahniuk-ish. Ah, isn't it great when an author has such a distinct voice that you can say something like that and everyone totally knows what you mean? And this book is weird. It's written backward. Even the page numbers are backward, counting down to the suicide of a celebrity religious leader as he dictates his life story to the black box of an airplane. It was a hilarious book, and I enjoyed it.
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
I was shocked at myself for not having read this book yet, so I decided to give it a go. It is a classic and all. Also, my high school English teacher is related to Mary Shelley. But anyway, I thought the book was great. The first half was very well written and emotional, the interlude in which the monster relays his story to Frankenstein was a bit distracting but interesting, and the concluding third was suspenseful and quite telling about human nature.
42 - M. Thomas Cooper
This is an interesting mystery about a man whose wife runs away with her daughter, leaving no clues behind. As the story progresses, more things go missing and the main character becomes the main suspect. An intriguing story and a quick read, I would recommend this book to people who want to have a little fun and just go along for the ride. The number 42 does crop up a lot and gives you the chills a bit near the end, so I wouldn’t suggest reading it alone in the dark on a stormy night where something or someone could hop out and kill you…
Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
Some people claim that this is the best book ever written. And I have to say, that I really enjoyed reading it! Books published in its time period (and the ones translated from a different language, not less!) are usually difficult to read, but I found Anna Karenina surprisingly easy to read. The characters are very well developed, and the plot is twisty and exciting. And am I the only one who found it humorous? I wouldn't say it's the best novel ever written, but I have to agree that it is one of the best.
Publish This Book - Stephen Markley
Frustrated with the publishing industry, having written and pitched many stories to no avail, college student and writer Stephen Markley decided to write a memoir about trying to publish a book; the peculiar idea, however, was that the very memoir he was writing would be the book he was trying to publish. While Markley essentially wrote the book about writing the book, the events in his life quickly and cleverly became the main plot as he revealed the naivety and determination of youth that border on hubris. This is just about the funniest book I have ever read.
Conspiracies – F. Paul Wilson
Repairman Jack is back searching for a missing conspiracy theorist and uncovering some alien conspiracies on the way. I’m not sure why I’ve continued to read this series except for that I don’t like to stop reading something I’ve already started. The character Jack doesn’t seem all that interesting to me. In fact, the author goes out of his way to explain that Jack is normal in every sense of the word, except of course for the whole bad ass thing. But everyone seems to like the books, so I’ll keep reading and maybe the ending of the series will be awesome.
The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. le Guin
Blog Book Club book for this month!
Herzog – Saul Bellow
As I was reading this I kept feeling as though I’d read it before. Maybe I have. It’s a semi-autobiographical novel about a writer having his midlife crisis. Interesting and entertaining.
Books I Read This Month - August 2011 (Plus Peace Stuff)
In my Peace Blogfest post I said that you should sign up before 31 August 2011, which is today. However, I think the deadline is kind of lame. I'm letting people continue to sign up until the blogfest starts. Hopefully more people will join! Please join if you can, and spread the word anyway if you can't! Thanks so much to all the supporters!
I am going to post a list of everyone who signed up, plus the link to their blog, on Monday 12 September 2011. I will add to the list if more people sign up after the 12th. You can follow the participants or just use the list as a reference to read the Peace Blogfest posts when the time comes.
Here are the books I read this month. (Bold means I loved it!)
S. - John Updike
In interesting book written in the form of letters to and from the main character, a 40-something woman who leaves her husband and moves into a ashram. I thought it was good, and I felt smart reading it and knowing all the terms since I do yoga. :)
The End - Salvatore Scibona
Beautifully written! The characters are well drawn out, but the plot of the story was a little confusing to me and sort of slow. Very literary.
Oblivion - David Foster Wallace
A few short stories and novellas by the one and only David Foster Wallace. My favorite was the one entitled "The Soul is Not a Smithy," in which a teacher goes crazy at the front of the classroom.
V for Vendetta - Alan Moore (art by David Lloyd)
I'd already seen the movie a while back, but I had to read the comic because the movie was so good... I started reading it at 11 pm one night and couldn't put it down. I didn't get much sleep that night, but it was totally worth it. If you haven't heard of this, read it. If you've seen the movie but haven't read the comic, read it. If you've read the comic but haven't seen the movie, watch the movie. Yeah.
Already Dead - Denis Johnson
I really enjoyed this book. It's dark humor, with lots of drugs and sex and murder and ghosts and stuff. It may be morbid, but I really love books like that. It's not mindless, of course; the drugs and sex and violence all have a purpose in the story. It's the kind of thing I would like to write, but whenever I try to write that kind of stuff, I get all embarrassed.
Hamlet - Shakespeare
I'm really not sure why I decided to read this at this time. But Shakespeare, why not? I don't have anything to say about it that hasn't already been said before, though, so I won't say anything else. My favorite line? "Get thee to a nunnery!" Made me laugh out loud, even though in context it isn't funny. "Conscious does make cowards of us all" is another amazing line. Also, here is a clip of the brilliant David Tennant as Hamlet because I love him.
All the Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy
This was the book club book for the month! Here is my post about it.
The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver
A Mexican-American communist writer during the Red Scare? I think yes! Plus Diego Rivera and Leon Trotsky as characters. Beautiful language too and a great message about art and freedom.
Legacies - F. Paul Wilson
Next book in the Repairman Jack series. Donated Christmas presents stolen from AIDS orphans? How mean! Jack's got to save the day again. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading this book, and not just because it's a fast-paced thriller. The hero of the series, Jack, had to take on oil company terrorists. Sounds like a prejudice, stereotyping meanie thing on the surface (and Wilson calls one guy 'The Arab' which bothered me quite a bit; people should not be defined by their race) but it's not. There was definitely potential for it to go sour, but thankfully the author did not commit any terrible acts of racism, for which I was relieved.
Great Apes - Will Self
One of the weirdest books I've read in a while. This painter wakes up one morning and everyone are apes and thinks he's crazy for believing he is a human. Very odd and very Will Self-ish (more drugs, sex, and rock and roll; I know, right, with apes?) but funny.
I am going to post a list of everyone who signed up, plus the link to their blog, on Monday 12 September 2011. I will add to the list if more people sign up after the 12th. You can follow the participants or just use the list as a reference to read the Peace Blogfest posts when the time comes.
Here are the books I read this month. (Bold means I loved it!)
S. - John Updike
In interesting book written in the form of letters to and from the main character, a 40-something woman who leaves her husband and moves into a ashram. I thought it was good, and I felt smart reading it and knowing all the terms since I do yoga. :)
The End - Salvatore Scibona
Beautifully written! The characters are well drawn out, but the plot of the story was a little confusing to me and sort of slow. Very literary.
Oblivion - David Foster Wallace
A few short stories and novellas by the one and only David Foster Wallace. My favorite was the one entitled "The Soul is Not a Smithy," in which a teacher goes crazy at the front of the classroom.
V for Vendetta - Alan Moore (art by David Lloyd)
I'd already seen the movie a while back, but I had to read the comic because the movie was so good... I started reading it at 11 pm one night and couldn't put it down. I didn't get much sleep that night, but it was totally worth it. If you haven't heard of this, read it. If you've seen the movie but haven't read the comic, read it. If you've read the comic but haven't seen the movie, watch the movie. Yeah.
Already Dead - Denis Johnson
I really enjoyed this book. It's dark humor, with lots of drugs and sex and murder and ghosts and stuff. It may be morbid, but I really love books like that. It's not mindless, of course; the drugs and sex and violence all have a purpose in the story. It's the kind of thing I would like to write, but whenever I try to write that kind of stuff, I get all embarrassed.
Hamlet - Shakespeare
I'm really not sure why I decided to read this at this time. But Shakespeare, why not? I don't have anything to say about it that hasn't already been said before, though, so I won't say anything else. My favorite line? "Get thee to a nunnery!" Made me laugh out loud, even though in context it isn't funny. "Conscious does make cowards of us all" is another amazing line. Also, here is a clip of the brilliant David Tennant as Hamlet because I love him.
All the Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy
This was the book club book for the month! Here is my post about it.
The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver
A Mexican-American communist writer during the Red Scare? I think yes! Plus Diego Rivera and Leon Trotsky as characters. Beautiful language too and a great message about art and freedom.
Legacies - F. Paul Wilson
Next book in the Repairman Jack series. Donated Christmas presents stolen from AIDS orphans? How mean! Jack's got to save the day again. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading this book, and not just because it's a fast-paced thriller. The hero of the series, Jack, had to take on oil company terrorists. Sounds like a prejudice, stereotyping meanie thing on the surface (and Wilson calls one guy 'The Arab' which bothered me quite a bit; people should not be defined by their race) but it's not. There was definitely potential for it to go sour, but thankfully the author did not commit any terrible acts of racism, for which I was relieved.
Great Apes - Will Self
One of the weirdest books I've read in a while. This painter wakes up one morning and everyone are apes and thinks he's crazy for believing he is a human. Very odd and very Will Self-ish (more drugs, sex, and rock and roll; I know, right, with apes?) but funny.
Books I Read This Month - July 2011
LAST DAY TO SUBMIT FOR THE BEGINNING CONTEST! Details here...
I had a bit of time this month to read, and I made sure to read a lot to catch up on my 100 books in a year goal. I'm going to have lots of reading time in August too! I'm glad...
Notes from Underground Anthology - The Literary Lab
The Notes from Underground Anthology is a compilation of short stories, poems, and pictures by twenty-five wonderful writer winners of a contest hosted by The Literary Lab last year. There is amazing variety in this collection, and all of it is well-written, inspiring, and fun.
Misery - Stephen King
Ah, Stephen King. Whenever I read his books, I just feel like writing, especially when I read a book of his involving a writer character. This was a great book about a writer who is kidnapped and held captive by his number one fan, who forces him to write a book especially for her. Quite disturbing, but very fun.
Anthem - Ayn Rand
This is a sort of science fiction story about a man living in a communist society. I wrote a bit about Ayn Rand recently, here.
Post Office - Charles Bukowski
Semi-autobiographical and witty, I liked this book. It was a quick read. It's about the life of a post office worker... I can see how it would not be for everyone, but the author is well known and a great writer, so maybe you'd like it...
The Storm - Frederick Buechner
This is an odd book, based loosely on The Tempest. It is about a man, whose young lover died while giving birth to their child. I wasn't quite in the reading mindset when I read this, so I may have to go to the library and check it out again... Eventually...
Yellow Dog - Martin Amis
Another Martin Amis, one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. A man gets hit on the head and becomes violent and stuff (I'm so eloquent), and there is a scandal involving a British princess involved. It was interesting and entertaining. But also a bit disturbing, of course, considering that is a Martin Amis novel.
The Plague - Albert Camus
A fictional account of bubonic plague in the 1940s in Algeria, taking place of the course of many months. Exsistentialist/absurdist, this novel was intriguing, with great character development as the doctor and the community suffer through the plague and its effects. Pretty cool, well written, Albert Camus. Yeah.
God Bless You Mr. Rosewater - Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
A lawyer tries to prove insane the drunken firefighter philanthropist, Eliot Rosewater, so his relative can gain control of his company. Kurt Vonnegut has this gift of making things that sound boring turn into exciting adventures. In other books of his, he can make wired things that don't make any sense exciting adventures. I'm not sure exactly what this book, or any of his others really besides Slaughterhouse-Five, is actually about, but it was witty, so, go ahead and read it if you want.
The Touch - F. Paul Wilson
I suppose this series is growing on me. As I said before when I read the first and second books in this series, I was wary to begin because I don't really trust my mother's taste in books, but my dad liked it too, so I decided to give it a try. It is a series of more than fifteen books, and I've officially decided now to read all of them, but obviously not consecutively. This book, The Touch, is about a doctor who discovers one day that he can heal people by touching them, like a faith healer. The writing, as it is in Wilson's other books, is simple but suspenseful. I don't love it, but I'll admit that I like it.
The Island at the End of the World - Sam Taylor
A sort of post-apocalyptic novel about a father and his three children trapped on an island after the great flood. Kind of pretentious, but it was still good.
How the Dead Live - Will Self
Sex, drugs, rock and roll, and dying of cancer. My kind of book! This is a good book by a good author, sort of a story about death, but mostly a story about life. I recommend you read it if you are looking for a laugh, but prepare yourself for some disconcerting scenes as well.
The Almost Moon - Alice Sebold
I seem to have read mostly emotional, disturbing novels this month... This book is about a woman who kills her mother. It takes place over the course of one day. I read The Lovely Bones, by the same author, last year, and I thought it was amazing. This was just as good.
I had a bit of time this month to read, and I made sure to read a lot to catch up on my 100 books in a year goal. I'm going to have lots of reading time in August too! I'm glad...
Notes from Underground Anthology - The Literary Lab
The Notes from Underground Anthology is a compilation of short stories, poems, and pictures by twenty-five wonderful writer winners of a contest hosted by The Literary Lab last year. There is amazing variety in this collection, and all of it is well-written, inspiring, and fun.
Misery - Stephen King
Ah, Stephen King. Whenever I read his books, I just feel like writing, especially when I read a book of his involving a writer character. This was a great book about a writer who is kidnapped and held captive by his number one fan, who forces him to write a book especially for her. Quite disturbing, but very fun.
Anthem - Ayn Rand
This is a sort of science fiction story about a man living in a communist society. I wrote a bit about Ayn Rand recently, here.
Post Office - Charles Bukowski
Semi-autobiographical and witty, I liked this book. It was a quick read. It's about the life of a post office worker... I can see how it would not be for everyone, but the author is well known and a great writer, so maybe you'd like it...
The Storm - Frederick Buechner
This is an odd book, based loosely on The Tempest. It is about a man, whose young lover died while giving birth to their child. I wasn't quite in the reading mindset when I read this, so I may have to go to the library and check it out again... Eventually...
Yellow Dog - Martin Amis
Another Martin Amis, one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. A man gets hit on the head and becomes violent and stuff (I'm so eloquent), and there is a scandal involving a British princess involved. It was interesting and entertaining. But also a bit disturbing, of course, considering that is a Martin Amis novel.
The Plague - Albert Camus
A fictional account of bubonic plague in the 1940s in Algeria, taking place of the course of many months. Exsistentialist/absurdist, this novel was intriguing, with great character development as the doctor and the community suffer through the plague and its effects. Pretty cool, well written, Albert Camus. Yeah.
God Bless You Mr. Rosewater - Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
A lawyer tries to prove insane the drunken firefighter philanthropist, Eliot Rosewater, so his relative can gain control of his company. Kurt Vonnegut has this gift of making things that sound boring turn into exciting adventures. In other books of his, he can make wired things that don't make any sense exciting adventures. I'm not sure exactly what this book, or any of his others really besides Slaughterhouse-Five, is actually about, but it was witty, so, go ahead and read it if you want.
The Touch - F. Paul Wilson
I suppose this series is growing on me. As I said before when I read the first and second books in this series, I was wary to begin because I don't really trust my mother's taste in books, but my dad liked it too, so I decided to give it a try. It is a series of more than fifteen books, and I've officially decided now to read all of them, but obviously not consecutively. This book, The Touch, is about a doctor who discovers one day that he can heal people by touching them, like a faith healer. The writing, as it is in Wilson's other books, is simple but suspenseful. I don't love it, but I'll admit that I like it.
The Island at the End of the World - Sam Taylor
A sort of post-apocalyptic novel about a father and his three children trapped on an island after the great flood. Kind of pretentious, but it was still good.
How the Dead Live - Will Self
Sex, drugs, rock and roll, and dying of cancer. My kind of book! This is a good book by a good author, sort of a story about death, but mostly a story about life. I recommend you read it if you are looking for a laugh, but prepare yourself for some disconcerting scenes as well.
The Almost Moon - Alice Sebold
I seem to have read mostly emotional, disturbing novels this month... This book is about a woman who kills her mother. It takes place over the course of one day. I read The Lovely Bones, by the same author, last year, and I thought it was amazing. This was just as good.
Books I Read This Month - June 2011
I'm supposed to be at the 50 book mark, since it's halfway through the year, and I'm trying to read 100 books in one year, but I'm a little bit behind at 46! I guess I have to read more in July...
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
The cartoon movies and the one with Johnny Depp had plots. The book didn't. But it was fun anyway. A goofy classic adventure that will never get old. :)
Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll
Same as first... :)
The Dispossessed - Ursula K. le Guin
Let's not go on a political rant here... This is science fiction, which I am not a fan of, as I said when I read one of her books last month, but the subject matter this author discusses in her books intrigues me extremely. 100 and some years ago, on the planet Urras, there was a revolution, and a group of people moved to the moon, Annares, to begin an anarchical society. Now, one man returns to the plant to learn about the society and try to make the people get along. I'm really into freedom and all that jazz, so I enjoyed this book. I would recommend it, even if you are totally against anarchy, because Ursula K. le Guin has a very interesting viewpoint on it. It makes you think.
The Green Mile - Stephen King
Stephen King is always good. This book had a distinct voice. It was fast-paced and thrilling. I kept getting deja vu as I read it, but then I realized I'd seen the movie a while back. Anyway, this is an amazing book. You should read it if you haven't already.
If on a winter's night a traveler - Italo Calvino
The tone is wonderful. I felt like the author was speaking right to me, even though I am a girl, and the 'you' in the story is obviously a male. It was written in second person, the writer speaking to the reader, and I think this book is a book that every writer must read. So get on that! :)
The Tent - Margaret Atwood
This is a book of little vignette essay type things, all connected thematically. I thought it was a very interesting idea, and the mini stories were very well written.
The Ethical Assassin - David Liss
This is the kind of book I would like to write: a funny thriller that's well written and has a strong message. It's about this kid who's selling encyclopedias to make money for college, but he is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up as an accessory to murder. I really liked this book.
Demons - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
When you're reading a book that is over 600 pages long, has dozens of characters, and has been translated from Russian to English, it can be pretty tricky to understand. But that's Fyodor Dostoyevsky for you. Of what I did understand, it was funny and clever, and I liked it. Typical Dostoyevsky, I suppose.
Peace, Aimee
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
The cartoon movies and the one with Johnny Depp had plots. The book didn't. But it was fun anyway. A goofy classic adventure that will never get old. :)
Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll
Same as first... :)
The Dispossessed - Ursula K. le Guin
Let's not go on a political rant here... This is science fiction, which I am not a fan of, as I said when I read one of her books last month, but the subject matter this author discusses in her books intrigues me extremely. 100 and some years ago, on the planet Urras, there was a revolution, and a group of people moved to the moon, Annares, to begin an anarchical society. Now, one man returns to the plant to learn about the society and try to make the people get along. I'm really into freedom and all that jazz, so I enjoyed this book. I would recommend it, even if you are totally against anarchy, because Ursula K. le Guin has a very interesting viewpoint on it. It makes you think.
The Green Mile - Stephen King
Stephen King is always good. This book had a distinct voice. It was fast-paced and thrilling. I kept getting deja vu as I read it, but then I realized I'd seen the movie a while back. Anyway, this is an amazing book. You should read it if you haven't already.
If on a winter's night a traveler - Italo Calvino
The tone is wonderful. I felt like the author was speaking right to me, even though I am a girl, and the 'you' in the story is obviously a male. It was written in second person, the writer speaking to the reader, and I think this book is a book that every writer must read. So get on that! :)
The Tent - Margaret Atwood
This is a book of little vignette essay type things, all connected thematically. I thought it was a very interesting idea, and the mini stories were very well written.
The Ethical Assassin - David Liss
This is the kind of book I would like to write: a funny thriller that's well written and has a strong message. It's about this kid who's selling encyclopedias to make money for college, but he is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up as an accessory to murder. I really liked this book.
Demons - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
When you're reading a book that is over 600 pages long, has dozens of characters, and has been translated from Russian to English, it can be pretty tricky to understand. But that's Fyodor Dostoyevsky for you. Of what I did understand, it was funny and clever, and I liked it. Typical Dostoyevsky, I suppose.
Peace, Aimee
Books I Read This Month - May 2011
Since I didn't have school this month, I got a bit of reading done. Here's what I read!
The Tomb - F. Paul Wilson
This is the first book in a series that my parents have been urging me to read. I read The Keep quite a while back, which they told me is a kind of background to the series of like twenty books. I'm not sure I'm committed to reading all of them yet. I mean, The Tomb was good (the writing was great, the characters interesting, the plot suspenseful) but twenty more like it is a lot to handle. I'll probably end up reading them all, just not consecutively. Obviously. Since I didn't read any more in the series this month.
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
I don't have much to say about this book that has not been said before, so...
You Shall Know Our Velocity - Dave Eggers
Two young men travel around the world in seven days, giving away $35,000. It was funny in some places and tear-jerking in others. The writing was amazing, but the plot confused me slightly.
The Lathe of Heaven - Ursula K. le Guin
My sister pressured me into reading this. It's science fiction, so I was kind of wary, but it was a very intriguing read. It's about a man whose dreams change reality. He goes to a psychiatrist, who tries to use the dreams to his advantage. I would recommend you read this if you are in the mood for a philosophical discussion.
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
I read this a couple years ago but had to read it again. It's just such a cultural phenomenon, and I'm kind of obsessed with the Catch-22 idea. I run into them almost every day. Good book.
The Nomination - William G. Tapply
The Nomination is the last book published by William G. Tapply before he died a few years ago. It's about a supreme court judge nominee and his history. He tries to hide the secrets of his past so that he will get the job. Somewhat of a murder mystery, the book was wonderfully written. Round characters and a distinct story line. I'd recommend it, but only if you enjoy the genre.
K-PAX II: On A Beam of Light - Gene Brewer
Sequel to K-PAX, which is an amazing book. There's a third one, too, but I'm not sure what it would be about, since this one wrapped up the story pretty well. Psychiatrist's sessions with a patient with multiple personalities, the main alter being an alien from the planet K-PAX. This, like the first book, is one of those unexpected treasures. You'd think it would be the story of the patient and how he heals from the trauma in his life, but it is surprisingly philosophical. I enjoyed it very much. I definitely recommend it, but you have to read the first book first. And maybe see the movie. Kevin Spacey is amazing.
London Fields - Martin Amis
Dense (470 pages took me over a week to read) and almost plotless, but the characters were wonderfully wrought, and there were some humorous moments. Not my favorite of Martin Amis, but it didn't change my high opinion of him. His novels are kind of long and winding, like this one, but his novellas are brilliant.
Peace, Aimee
The Tomb - F. Paul Wilson
This is the first book in a series that my parents have been urging me to read. I read The Keep quite a while back, which they told me is a kind of background to the series of like twenty books. I'm not sure I'm committed to reading all of them yet. I mean, The Tomb was good (the writing was great, the characters interesting, the plot suspenseful) but twenty more like it is a lot to handle. I'll probably end up reading them all, just not consecutively. Obviously. Since I didn't read any more in the series this month.
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
I don't have much to say about this book that has not been said before, so...
You Shall Know Our Velocity - Dave Eggers
Two young men travel around the world in seven days, giving away $35,000. It was funny in some places and tear-jerking in others. The writing was amazing, but the plot confused me slightly.
The Lathe of Heaven - Ursula K. le Guin
My sister pressured me into reading this. It's science fiction, so I was kind of wary, but it was a very intriguing read. It's about a man whose dreams change reality. He goes to a psychiatrist, who tries to use the dreams to his advantage. I would recommend you read this if you are in the mood for a philosophical discussion.
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
I read this a couple years ago but had to read it again. It's just such a cultural phenomenon, and I'm kind of obsessed with the Catch-22 idea. I run into them almost every day. Good book.
The Nomination - William G. Tapply
The Nomination is the last book published by William G. Tapply before he died a few years ago. It's about a supreme court judge nominee and his history. He tries to hide the secrets of his past so that he will get the job. Somewhat of a murder mystery, the book was wonderfully written. Round characters and a distinct story line. I'd recommend it, but only if you enjoy the genre.
K-PAX II: On A Beam of Light - Gene Brewer
Sequel to K-PAX, which is an amazing book. There's a third one, too, but I'm not sure what it would be about, since this one wrapped up the story pretty well. Psychiatrist's sessions with a patient with multiple personalities, the main alter being an alien from the planet K-PAX. This, like the first book, is one of those unexpected treasures. You'd think it would be the story of the patient and how he heals from the trauma in his life, but it is surprisingly philosophical. I enjoyed it very much. I definitely recommend it, but you have to read the first book first. And maybe see the movie. Kevin Spacey is amazing.
London Fields - Martin Amis
Dense (470 pages took me over a week to read) and almost plotless, but the characters were wonderfully wrought, and there were some humorous moments. Not my favorite of Martin Amis, but it didn't change my high opinion of him. His novels are kind of long and winding, like this one, but his novellas are brilliant.
Peace, Aimee
Books I Read This Month - April 2011
Please submit your entry for the character contest today! Today is the last day! I'll announce the winners on Monday.
Didn't read very much this month again! I'm falling behind on my 100 books in a year goal...
The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen
I read Freedom a couple months ago. It's amazing how this guy can say so much about the American way of family life and society while focusing only on one family and their struggles. Both of those books are like that, but they are drastically different at the same time. He's a great writer. I'll definitely have to read his other stuff some time.
The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
I read this because (cough, cough) I saw the movie, and it reminded a bit about my current WIP. Plus it's a classic, and Oscar Wilde is awesome. "The Importance of Being Earnest" is one of the funniest things I've ever read. But this book was really good. It said lots of interesting things about art and karma and stuff. I would totally recommend it if you haven't read it yet.
Night Train - Martin Amis
Martin Amis is my new favorite author. I think this guy is a genius. I read Time's Arrow a while back, and I think it made me tack a #9 onto my top 8 favorite books. Night Train was a good book, easier to read than Time's Arrow, but it is about suicide, so...
Mangrove Squeeze - Laurence Shames
Personally, it wasn't for me. I felt like the Russian mafia thing had been done before. But there were some funny bits in there that made me laugh. And there were these two homeless guys that I think made the story. I'd recommend it if you want a funny detective story rather than a serious one.
The Information - Martin Amis
Another Martin Amis. Be prepared for more Martin Amis because I went to Borders the other day and bought some Martin Amis. He's cool. And really smart. And English. This book, The Information, proved to me even more how awesome this guy is. He's an amazing writer who can take the most complex human emotions, splatter them on the page, and create this epic monster of a story to explain the root of human behavior. (Both Night Train and Time's Arrow are novellas, less than 200 pages, but they are epic monsters, I'm telling you.) So yeah.
Peace, Aimee
Didn't read very much this month again! I'm falling behind on my 100 books in a year goal...
The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen
I read Freedom a couple months ago. It's amazing how this guy can say so much about the American way of family life and society while focusing only on one family and their struggles. Both of those books are like that, but they are drastically different at the same time. He's a great writer. I'll definitely have to read his other stuff some time.
The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
I read this because (cough, cough) I saw the movie, and it reminded a bit about my current WIP. Plus it's a classic, and Oscar Wilde is awesome. "The Importance of Being Earnest" is one of the funniest things I've ever read. But this book was really good. It said lots of interesting things about art and karma and stuff. I would totally recommend it if you haven't read it yet.
Night Train - Martin Amis
Martin Amis is my new favorite author. I think this guy is a genius. I read Time's Arrow a while back, and I think it made me tack a #9 onto my top 8 favorite books. Night Train was a good book, easier to read than Time's Arrow, but it is about suicide, so...
Mangrove Squeeze - Laurence Shames
Personally, it wasn't for me. I felt like the Russian mafia thing had been done before. But there were some funny bits in there that made me laugh. And there were these two homeless guys that I think made the story. I'd recommend it if you want a funny detective story rather than a serious one.
The Information - Martin Amis
Another Martin Amis. Be prepared for more Martin Amis because I went to Borders the other day and bought some Martin Amis. He's cool. And really smart. And English. This book, The Information, proved to me even more how awesome this guy is. He's an amazing writer who can take the most complex human emotions, splatter them on the page, and create this epic monster of a story to explain the root of human behavior. (Both Night Train and Time's Arrow are novellas, less than 200 pages, but they are epic monsters, I'm telling you.) So yeah.
Peace, Aimee
Books I Read This Month - March 2011
Hello there! How was your spring break? Mine was just fine, thanks.
I did not read very much this month. I was busy. You know how it goes. But here is what I did read.
Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift
Eh, too weird for me. I can see why it's a classic, but tiny people and giants and magic horses just aren't my thing.
Horse Soldiers - Doug Stanton
Speaking of magic horses... No, I'm just kidding. :) Now there is an interesting story behind this book. Part of it is that the author, Doug Stanton, lives in the same town as me. I went to high school with his kids. He and Michael Moore (yeah, the guy who made those documentaries) founded all sorts of cool stuff for my city. My itty-bitty city is going to be famous one day, perhaps a miniature (and I mean miniature) NYC or LA. I have a love/hate relationship with this town. It's so small and cold, but the culture is amazing. But now to the book... It's a non-fiction New York Times best seller about soldiers in Afghanistan who rode horses when fighting against the Taliban. I'm not a fan of non-fiction, and I mostly read this book because of the author... But it was well written, you know, and the subject was pretty interesting. I have strong views about war, which I will not get into right now besides to say war is bad, but I thought the message of this book was good despite the fact that it takes place in a war zone. In the book, the soldiers are supporting each other and trying to stay alive and keep the US free, as they say. Even though I think war is unjust, I was in agreement with many of the things written in this book.
The Stand - Stephen King
Epic, duh. I read the, uh, new and improved version, and I really liked it. It took me about two weeks to read mostly because I was really busy and sick and etc., but also because it was over 1000 pages long. But yeah, it was awesome. Good versus evil, the circle of live, all that good stuff.
Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury
I'm not into fantasy so much, but this was pretty good. The tone of the writing was ominous, which really added to the story. It was cool.
Glue - Irvine Welsh
I've read other Irvine Welsh: Trainspotting (the one about drugs) and Marabou Stork Nightmares (the one about the guy in a coma). This author is kind of weird and writes about controversial stuff. This one has a little bit of everything: sex, drugs, blood and guts. It is also written in a Scottish accent. Weird, I know. It's hard to get used to at first, but once you get going it's kind of fun, and you end up thinking in a Scottish accent for about an hour after stop reading. But yeah, this was a good book. It's about these fours guys growing up in the slums. It's about loyalty and friendship and perhaps a bit of family too.
Peace, Aimee
I did not read very much this month. I was busy. You know how it goes. But here is what I did read.
Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift
Eh, too weird for me. I can see why it's a classic, but tiny people and giants and magic horses just aren't my thing.
Horse Soldiers - Doug Stanton
Speaking of magic horses... No, I'm just kidding. :) Now there is an interesting story behind this book. Part of it is that the author, Doug Stanton, lives in the same town as me. I went to high school with his kids. He and Michael Moore (yeah, the guy who made those documentaries) founded all sorts of cool stuff for my city. My itty-bitty city is going to be famous one day, perhaps a miniature (and I mean miniature) NYC or LA. I have a love/hate relationship with this town. It's so small and cold, but the culture is amazing. But now to the book... It's a non-fiction New York Times best seller about soldiers in Afghanistan who rode horses when fighting against the Taliban. I'm not a fan of non-fiction, and I mostly read this book because of the author... But it was well written, you know, and the subject was pretty interesting. I have strong views about war, which I will not get into right now besides to say war is bad, but I thought the message of this book was good despite the fact that it takes place in a war zone. In the book, the soldiers are supporting each other and trying to stay alive and keep the US free, as they say. Even though I think war is unjust, I was in agreement with many of the things written in this book.
The Stand - Stephen King
Epic, duh. I read the, uh, new and improved version, and I really liked it. It took me about two weeks to read mostly because I was really busy and sick and etc., but also because it was over 1000 pages long. But yeah, it was awesome. Good versus evil, the circle of live, all that good stuff.
Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury
I'm not into fantasy so much, but this was pretty good. The tone of the writing was ominous, which really added to the story. It was cool.
Glue - Irvine Welsh
I've read other Irvine Welsh: Trainspotting (the one about drugs) and Marabou Stork Nightmares (the one about the guy in a coma). This author is kind of weird and writes about controversial stuff. This one has a little bit of everything: sex, drugs, blood and guts. It is also written in a Scottish accent. Weird, I know. It's hard to get used to at first, but once you get going it's kind of fun, and you end up thinking in a Scottish accent for about an hour after stop reading. But yeah, this was a good book. It's about these fours guys growing up in the slums. It's about loyalty and friendship and perhaps a bit of family too.
Peace, Aimee
Books I Read This Month - February 2011
Hey there. Anybody watch the Oscars last night? I did. Pretty sweet, eh? Anyways, here are the books I read this month!
Impact - Douglas Preston
I don't really like science fiction, but this book was pretty good. I'm not sure what else to say about it. Yup. It was good and I liked it, but I didn't like it enough to read it a second time. You know the deal.
When You Are Engulfed In Flames - David Sedaris
I wasn't quite sure what this was about at first. All there was on the back cover was quotes about how awesome it is, which bothers me because how am I going to know if I like it if I don't even know what it's about? But anyway, it turned out that I did like it. Each chapter was a kind of short story that could stand alone, but they were all told in first person by the same guy. I love it when I read a book and it reminds me of my own writing, and tons of ideas rush through my head; the downside to this is that I can't decide whether or not to keep reading since the book is so good or to stop and write the stuff that's plowing through my brain. Then I end up having some existential crisis and have to take a nap. So this book reminded me of my short story The Wayfarer that I have been thinking about turning into an entire novel. It's about this guy telling his life story. But it's way cooler than it sounds. When You Are Engulfed In Flames is about some guy telling his life story, so there. And it's funny.
Against The Day - Thomas Pynchon
I usually don't do this, but in this case, I had to stop in the middle of the book and move on to something else. First of all, the book is about a thousand pages long, and second of all, I honestly had no idea what the heck was going on. It's about some people on a boat, I think? But never mind my complete obliviousness to the plot, I kind of enjoyed the book. There were some funny parts and the writing was interesting.
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
This is one of those classic books that everyone says you have to read. Yup, it was a good book, and I, like those other people, recommend you read it too. It was about freedom of speech and stuff like that. And well-written also.
Booky Wook 2 - Russell Brand
The second installment of Russell Brand's life. Not as funny or moving as the first, but still intriguing. It's interesting to see the parallels in his addiction, and his motivation for fame. It's lovely how his love for Katy Perry changed him so much. The book not only says a lot about how fame and sex can manipulate a person, but it also says quite a bit about how love can change a person for the better. Can't wait until he writes a third one; it will probably be about his married life and be more spiritual.
On the Road - Jack Kerouac
I had read this before two or three times, but I wanted to read it again because it is one of my favorite books. Sal Paradise (Jack Kerouac) begins his journey admiring Dean Moriarty's (Neal Cassady) zeal and lust for life. It is a spiritual journey for Sal/Jack in that he is shedding all material possessions and societal rules to become somewhat of a hobo, traveling across the country in search of the meaning of life. Over the course of his adventure, Sal/Jack changes as he sees new parts of the world and the rude and wild, unchanging nature of Dean/Neal. This book really changes my life. Literally. I'm not just saying that because it was awesome. It actually changed my outlook on life. You should read it if you haven't.
Buffalo Lockjaw - Greg Ames
This book was so depressing. The author was trying to be funny, but the situation in which the characters were was a difficult thing to make humorous. But for a debut novel, it was alright.
Time's Arrow - Martin Amis
Now this is a good book. It's told from the point of view of this entity living in this doctor's head experiencing his life backwards from death to birth. It was awesome. You should read it.
The Keep - F. Paul Wilson
My parents have been urging me to read this for a while now, since the whole Repairman Jack series starts with this book, they say. I was wary at first because I don't quite like my mother's taste in books, but I rather liked it. It was a thriller set in World War Two. I think I might read the first Repairman Jack book by F. Paul Wilson, though it kind of depends on how I like that one on whether I will read the rest of the series or not. There are seriously like twenty books in the series. I don't know if I could be that committed...
The Art of Fiction - Ayn Rand
I posted about this here, here, and here. It is a great resource for writers. Take a look at it!
Peace, Aimee
Impact - Douglas Preston
I don't really like science fiction, but this book was pretty good. I'm not sure what else to say about it. Yup. It was good and I liked it, but I didn't like it enough to read it a second time. You know the deal.
When You Are Engulfed In Flames - David Sedaris
I wasn't quite sure what this was about at first. All there was on the back cover was quotes about how awesome it is, which bothers me because how am I going to know if I like it if I don't even know what it's about? But anyway, it turned out that I did like it. Each chapter was a kind of short story that could stand alone, but they were all told in first person by the same guy. I love it when I read a book and it reminds me of my own writing, and tons of ideas rush through my head; the downside to this is that I can't decide whether or not to keep reading since the book is so good or to stop and write the stuff that's plowing through my brain. Then I end up having some existential crisis and have to take a nap. So this book reminded me of my short story The Wayfarer that I have been thinking about turning into an entire novel. It's about this guy telling his life story. But it's way cooler than it sounds. When You Are Engulfed In Flames is about some guy telling his life story, so there. And it's funny.
Against The Day - Thomas Pynchon
I usually don't do this, but in this case, I had to stop in the middle of the book and move on to something else. First of all, the book is about a thousand pages long, and second of all, I honestly had no idea what the heck was going on. It's about some people on a boat, I think? But never mind my complete obliviousness to the plot, I kind of enjoyed the book. There were some funny parts and the writing was interesting.
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
This is one of those classic books that everyone says you have to read. Yup, it was a good book, and I, like those other people, recommend you read it too. It was about freedom of speech and stuff like that. And well-written also.
Booky Wook 2 - Russell Brand
The second installment of Russell Brand's life. Not as funny or moving as the first, but still intriguing. It's interesting to see the parallels in his addiction, and his motivation for fame. It's lovely how his love for Katy Perry changed him so much. The book not only says a lot about how fame and sex can manipulate a person, but it also says quite a bit about how love can change a person for the better. Can't wait until he writes a third one; it will probably be about his married life and be more spiritual.
On the Road - Jack Kerouac
I had read this before two or three times, but I wanted to read it again because it is one of my favorite books. Sal Paradise (Jack Kerouac) begins his journey admiring Dean Moriarty's (Neal Cassady) zeal and lust for life. It is a spiritual journey for Sal/Jack in that he is shedding all material possessions and societal rules to become somewhat of a hobo, traveling across the country in search of the meaning of life. Over the course of his adventure, Sal/Jack changes as he sees new parts of the world and the rude and wild, unchanging nature of Dean/Neal. This book really changes my life. Literally. I'm not just saying that because it was awesome. It actually changed my outlook on life. You should read it if you haven't.
Buffalo Lockjaw - Greg Ames
This book was so depressing. The author was trying to be funny, but the situation in which the characters were was a difficult thing to make humorous. But for a debut novel, it was alright.
Time's Arrow - Martin Amis
Now this is a good book. It's told from the point of view of this entity living in this doctor's head experiencing his life backwards from death to birth. It was awesome. You should read it.
The Keep - F. Paul Wilson
My parents have been urging me to read this for a while now, since the whole Repairman Jack series starts with this book, they say. I was wary at first because I don't quite like my mother's taste in books, but I rather liked it. It was a thriller set in World War Two. I think I might read the first Repairman Jack book by F. Paul Wilson, though it kind of depends on how I like that one on whether I will read the rest of the series or not. There are seriously like twenty books in the series. I don't know if I could be that committed...
The Art of Fiction - Ayn Rand
I posted about this here, here, and here. It is a great resource for writers. Take a look at it!
Peace, Aimee
Books I Read This Month - January 2011
Bad Twin - Gary Troup
Be prepared to roll your eyes. This book was ghostwriter for a fictional character, Gary Troup, by Laurence Shames. Gary Troup (prepare yourself) was a character from the show LOST. He was a writer whose manuscript was found in the plane crash on the island. Troup never actually appeared on the show, only his name on the cover. A character started reading the manuscript, but he dropped it in a fire and was never able to read the ending. So I wanted to. :) Enough about LOST. This book, though I am biased, was really good. It was a crime novel about a private detective hired to find a wealthy missing twin brother. It was character driven and had great themes: good vs. evil and choice vs. destiny. I thought it was awesome.
Don Quixote - Cervantes
Weird book, kind of hard to read since it's old and translated from Spanish. It was still pretty good, though.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
I saw the movie for this a long time ago, but I think the book was better. This is a great story about community and sacrifice. A good book, a classic.
Under the Dome - Stephen King
When the name of the author is in a larger font on the cover than the title of the book, you know he's good. And Stephen King is good. This was a great book that I recommend to you to read, if you haven't already. It's over a thousand pages, though, which is kind of intimidating, but it was actually a quick read.
Tell All - Chuck Palahniuk
I'm not sure if I liked this or not. I do respect the author a lot, though, because it seems like a lot of research had to go into it. Unless he's just very cultured. Maybe I didn't understand the plot fully, but I could take or leave this one.
Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane
So I went to the library and checked out like three Dennis Lehane books, so excuse the amount of him on this list. I saw the movie before I read this book, and I wish I hadn't because the ending wasn't all that exciting for me. If I hadn't have seen the movie already, it would have been a surprise, like the movie was to me. But besides that, Lehane is a wonderful writer, and I enjoyed this book. If you haven't seen the movie, then read this first! Then watch the movie, since that was really good too.
Gone Baby Gone - Dennis Lehane
I didn't see this movie, and after reading the book, I'm kind of indifferent to seeing it eventually. I liked Shutter Island better than Gone Baby Gone. It's not like I was disappointed or didn't like the book. I did like it. But you know, it's not like I would read it again or anything.
Mystic River - Dennis Lehane (again)
Pretty good. This one was better than Gone Baby Gone but not as good as Shutter Island. Sorry to you guys if I don't go into as much detail about books as other reviews do. But sometimes I just don't have much to say about it other than 'it was good.' (Conversely, there are books about which I could go on and on and on and on.) This one was good. It was entertaining and fun and thought-provoking, but it's not going to be on my favorite shelf or anything.
Dexter Is Delicious - Jeff Lindsay
I love the show Dexter. Michael C. Hall is an underrated actor with a voice almost as awesome as Morgan Freeman. Most people say they would have Morgan Freeman narrate their life, but I would choose Michael C. Hall. But we're not here to talk about him. We're here to talk about the book. This is the fifth book in the series. I read the other ones, of course, and the first one was the best. After that, they kind of went downhill a little bit. Dialogue is also not Lindsay's strong suit. But there is a lot of playful alliteration and play on words that make serial killers seem a little more fun and loveable. I'd recommend starting with the first book. If you like the show, the first book was the basis for the first season, but afterward, the two series separated a bit. I think besides the first book, the TV show is better than the books. They're still alright though. I'm just afraid Jeff Lindsay may have become a sell out.
My Booky Wook - Russell Brand
Every once in a while, like once or twice each year, I discover some fantastic actor or musician, usually a man, and I become absolutely, irrevocably, thoroughly, and possibly unhealthily obsessed. This time around it's Russell Brand. I had a bout of Jude Law last year (The Holiday is still my favorite movie of all time) but I kind of ran out of material. Then I was in love with John Lennon for a while, though he won't be pumping out any new material any time soon on account of he's no longer living. Yes, they are all Englishmen. I'm so cultured. Ahem, back on topic. I saw Get Him To The Greek a few weeks ago and loved it. So I bought Russell Brand's first memoir. He has a second one out already, and I'll probably go get that one if it's in paperback. This guy has led a very interesting life. He's a comedian and actor and writer and musician who is married to Katy Perry and has been clean from drugs and alcohol for eight years. Obviously this book has some intense content in it. I got to around page 100, hoping the rest of the book would be happier than what I'd read so far, but then I realized that he hadn't even become a drug addict yet and I had to take a breather. But he has this way with words that's just so, Aaaaah. And FUNNY! And it brought tears to me eyes on more than one occasion. Russell's attitude on life is so wonderful after everything he's been through. I respect him so much for this and his talents and his spirituality and his mindset and his humor especially. Plus he's really sexy. I think I may, I think I might, have to do an entire post on this book some time. Although it's a memoir, so the post would be less of a book review and more of a rant about Russell Brand, so let's kindly excuse this idea, as I'm sure you would like me to stop rambling now and just tell you to read this book and watch some of his movies. Funniest stuff I've seen in a long time. I just love this guy.
The Stranger - Albert Camus
This was good. The syntax, the prose, or whatever you want to call it, was very interesting. And the whole message of the book was great and I could really relate to it, even though it was about some Algerian man arrested for murder. That's how you know it's good, when you can really connect to the story when it's something completely opposite of yourself.
Peace, Aimee
Be prepared to roll your eyes. This book was ghostwriter for a fictional character, Gary Troup, by Laurence Shames. Gary Troup (prepare yourself) was a character from the show LOST. He was a writer whose manuscript was found in the plane crash on the island. Troup never actually appeared on the show, only his name on the cover. A character started reading the manuscript, but he dropped it in a fire and was never able to read the ending. So I wanted to. :) Enough about LOST. This book, though I am biased, was really good. It was a crime novel about a private detective hired to find a wealthy missing twin brother. It was character driven and had great themes: good vs. evil and choice vs. destiny. I thought it was awesome.
Don Quixote - Cervantes
Weird book, kind of hard to read since it's old and translated from Spanish. It was still pretty good, though.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
I saw the movie for this a long time ago, but I think the book was better. This is a great story about community and sacrifice. A good book, a classic.
Under the Dome - Stephen King
When the name of the author is in a larger font on the cover than the title of the book, you know he's good. And Stephen King is good. This was a great book that I recommend to you to read, if you haven't already. It's over a thousand pages, though, which is kind of intimidating, but it was actually a quick read.
Tell All - Chuck Palahniuk
I'm not sure if I liked this or not. I do respect the author a lot, though, because it seems like a lot of research had to go into it. Unless he's just very cultured. Maybe I didn't understand the plot fully, but I could take or leave this one.
Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane
So I went to the library and checked out like three Dennis Lehane books, so excuse the amount of him on this list. I saw the movie before I read this book, and I wish I hadn't because the ending wasn't all that exciting for me. If I hadn't have seen the movie already, it would have been a surprise, like the movie was to me. But besides that, Lehane is a wonderful writer, and I enjoyed this book. If you haven't seen the movie, then read this first! Then watch the movie, since that was really good too.
Gone Baby Gone - Dennis Lehane
I didn't see this movie, and after reading the book, I'm kind of indifferent to seeing it eventually. I liked Shutter Island better than Gone Baby Gone. It's not like I was disappointed or didn't like the book. I did like it. But you know, it's not like I would read it again or anything.
Mystic River - Dennis Lehane (again)
Pretty good. This one was better than Gone Baby Gone but not as good as Shutter Island. Sorry to you guys if I don't go into as much detail about books as other reviews do. But sometimes I just don't have much to say about it other than 'it was good.' (Conversely, there are books about which I could go on and on and on and on.) This one was good. It was entertaining and fun and thought-provoking, but it's not going to be on my favorite shelf or anything.
Dexter Is Delicious - Jeff Lindsay
I love the show Dexter. Michael C. Hall is an underrated actor with a voice almost as awesome as Morgan Freeman. Most people say they would have Morgan Freeman narrate their life, but I would choose Michael C. Hall. But we're not here to talk about him. We're here to talk about the book. This is the fifth book in the series. I read the other ones, of course, and the first one was the best. After that, they kind of went downhill a little bit. Dialogue is also not Lindsay's strong suit. But there is a lot of playful alliteration and play on words that make serial killers seem a little more fun and loveable. I'd recommend starting with the first book. If you like the show, the first book was the basis for the first season, but afterward, the two series separated a bit. I think besides the first book, the TV show is better than the books. They're still alright though. I'm just afraid Jeff Lindsay may have become a sell out.
My Booky Wook - Russell Brand
Every once in a while, like once or twice each year, I discover some fantastic actor or musician, usually a man, and I become absolutely, irrevocably, thoroughly, and possibly unhealthily obsessed. This time around it's Russell Brand. I had a bout of Jude Law last year (The Holiday is still my favorite movie of all time) but I kind of ran out of material. Then I was in love with John Lennon for a while, though he won't be pumping out any new material any time soon on account of he's no longer living. Yes, they are all Englishmen. I'm so cultured. Ahem, back on topic. I saw Get Him To The Greek a few weeks ago and loved it. So I bought Russell Brand's first memoir. He has a second one out already, and I'll probably go get that one if it's in paperback. This guy has led a very interesting life. He's a comedian and actor and writer and musician who is married to Katy Perry and has been clean from drugs and alcohol for eight years. Obviously this book has some intense content in it. I got to around page 100, hoping the rest of the book would be happier than what I'd read so far, but then I realized that he hadn't even become a drug addict yet and I had to take a breather. But he has this way with words that's just so, Aaaaah. And FUNNY! And it brought tears to me eyes on more than one occasion. Russell's attitude on life is so wonderful after everything he's been through. I respect him so much for this and his talents and his spirituality and his mindset and his humor especially. Plus he's really sexy. I think I may, I think I might, have to do an entire post on this book some time. Although it's a memoir, so the post would be less of a book review and more of a rant about Russell Brand, so let's kindly excuse this idea, as I'm sure you would like me to stop rambling now and just tell you to read this book and watch some of his movies. Funniest stuff I've seen in a long time. I just love this guy.
The Stranger - Albert Camus
This was good. The syntax, the prose, or whatever you want to call it, was very interesting. And the whole message of the book was great and I could really relate to it, even though it was about some Algerian man arrested for murder. That's how you know it's good, when you can really connect to the story when it's something completely opposite of yourself.
Peace, Aimee
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