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Bill Olver

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Little Miss Potato Head by Robert Laughlin

Her mom and dad have nothing but

Contempt for their imperfect genes.

They've spent a fortune, and for what?

A perfect child by other means:

We'll call her Little Miss Potato Head.

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Published on March 14, 2012 08:16 • 21 views

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Bill Olver's Books

Average rating: 4.42 · 19 ratings · 2 reviews · 9 distinct works · Similar authors

	Big Pulp Fall 2011 by Bill Olver (Goodreads Author) (Editor), James R. Stratton, Conda Douglas 4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Big Pulp: Interrogate My Heart Instead by Bill Olver (Goodreads Author), Kristine Ong Muslim (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 5.0 of 5 stars 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Big Pulp: We Honor Those Who Serve by Bill Olver (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Steve Singleman (Contributor), Anna Sykora (Contributor) 4.33 of 5 stars 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Big Pulp Summer 2012: The Puroined Pearl by Bill Olver (Goodreads Author) (editor), Beth Cato (Goodreads Author) 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	We Honor Those Who Serve 0.0 of 5 stars 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Big Pulp: The Biggin Hill Duel 0.0 of 5 stars 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Big Pulp Winter 2010 by Various, Bill Olver (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Tim Lieder 4.75 of 5 stars 4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2010	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Big Pulp: Lot's Crawlers by Joel Kela, DeAnna Knippling (Goodreads Author), Bill Olver (Goodreads Author) (Editor) 0.0 of 5 stars 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Big Pulp: A Question of Storage by John Bowker, Milo James Fowler (Goodreads Author), Bill Olver (Goodreads Author) (Editor) 0.0 of 5 stars 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Bill Olver is currently reading

The Wolves of Pavlava

by Adriana Renescu

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May 24, 2012 06:33am

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May 12, 2013 05:27pm · like

Bill Olver is currently reading

The Wolves of Pavlava
by Adriana Renescu

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May 24, 2012 06:33am

Bill Olver wants to read

Bleeding Hearts (Demimonde #1)
by Ash Krafton (Goodreads Author)

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Mar 04, 2012 06:22am

Bill Olver took the Never-Ending Book Quiz

questions answered:	6
correct:	6 (100.0%)
skipped:	0
best streak:	6
questions added:	0

Nov 13, 2011 06:29pm · like · beat his score

Bill Olver rated a book 5 of 5 stars

Little Children
by Tom Perrotta

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Tom Perrotta's Little Children is perhaps best known for the Academy Award-nominated film version, which faithfully captured the awkward humor and brutal honesty of this tale of suburban thirty-somethings, each of whom get their turn to ask the very...more Tom Perrotta's Little Children is perhaps best known for the Academy Award-nominated film version, which faithfully captured the awkward humor and brutal honesty of this tale of suburban thirty-somethings, each of whom get their turn to ask the very sensible question, "How the Hell did I end up like this?"

Sarah is a bright, average-looking woman approaching middle age and wondering where her life went. She has a toddler who does little to evoke maternal feelings and a husband who prefers huffing the dirty panties he bought off a porn star's internet site to having sex with his wife. Todd is an aging jock and stay-at-home father, supposedly studying for the Bar exam, but still unsure if he wants a career in law. He spends lots of time with his son at the local play park, where he elicits horny glances from the housewives who've dubbed him The Prom King but won't approach him. Soon, thanks to their children and the unintended consequences of their general dissatisfaction, Sarah and Todd meet, flirt, and in time segue to a full-fledged affair.

While taking aim at the tedium and hypocrisies of suburban life, Little Children has at its core a sense of romance, of fantasy and possibility. In Todd, Sarah finds the handsome, athletic, attentive boyfriend she'd always dreamed about, but she also yearns for her own identity – the literate, engaging, funny, outgoing person she feels trapped inside herself and within her failing marriage. Todd's attempt to recapture his youth leads him back to the football field and to Sarah, the starry-eyed girl who worships his beauty and thrills to his amateur athletic triumphs, in ways which his beautiful, successful wife cannot.

It would be wrong to pigeonhole Little Children as merely a novel of adultery or a satire of suburban living. The novel is viciously, painfully funny in parts, but Perrotta also evinces a great deal of empathy for his characters' longings. Even the convicted pedophile, recently released from prison and now the target of a self-appointed neighborhood watch, elicits a little sympathy, even as he haunts the neighborhood swimming pool and bullies his unwitting dates.

Perrotta's harshest barbs are flung at the suburban mothers who, despite their age and supposed maturity, band together like a batch of nasty high school girls, complete with a ringleader who keeps them in line with veiled threats and judgments. While Sarah and Todd long for their youth, these women wallow in the worst aspects of it, and thereby contribute much of the cruel humor of the novel.

In the end, however, even the bitchiest character gets a chance to show another side of herself, as Perrotta gives his entire cast a bit of triumph and a bit of human failing, all in service to a superior novel with a witty, candid, and ultimately affectionate view of the trials and disappointments of adulthood.(less)

Nov 13, 2011 06:27pm · see review

Bill Olver rated a book 3 of 5 stars

The Somnambulist
by Jonathan Barnes (Goodreads Author)

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Readers who enjoy humor with their fantasy, and especially those who appreciate Victoriana and the occult, may find a new addition to their library in The Somnambulist, the debut novel by Jonathan Barnes. Billed as a parody of the penny dreadful, The...more Readers who enjoy humor with their fantasy, and especially those who appreciate Victoriana and the occult, may find a new addition to their library in The Somnambulist, the debut novel by Jonathan Barnes. Billed as a parody of the penny dreadful, The Somnambulist is an enjoyable romp, filled with Neil Gaiman-like eccentrics and weird tidbits, a light tone, and just enough mystery and suspense to keep the reader's attention through the last page.

Barnes' protagonist is Edward Moon, a stage magician near the end of his career in England at the turn of the 20th century. His stage assistant and roommate is an eight-foot tall, mute, completely hairless, and apparently invulnerable being known as the Somnambulist. Together, they perform Moon's act to slowly dwindling audiences, while Moon's fame as a detective of the weird also fades, as the public forgets his efforts solving strange crimes that baffled the police. Nearing retirement but not resigned to it, Moon is called upon by the police one more time to solve a series of bizarre murders occurring about London. During the course of his investigation, he stumbles upon a vast conspiracy intended to bring down the entire city, at the center of which is a secretive cult known as Love, Love, Love, and Love.

Moon and the Somnambulist are surrounded by a bizarre yet affecting cast of oddities, including a brothel full of sideshow freaks employed as hookers; Moon's former assistant, now an asylum inmate known as Barrabus; an amoral albino government agent with a penchant for setting fire to the homes of those who don't cooperate with his investigations; and a mysterious ally who seems to be moving backward through time as Moon and the others move forward.

Barnes' writing is very good, with strong descriptions and clever turns of phrase. He employs a first-person narrator, an unknown and omniscient observer whose identity is unknown until the end of the novel. His omniscient and insulting view of the main characters (and the reader) keeps the narrative flowing with only occasional breaks in the plot for his abusive observations. Because of the narrator, however, the reader does not get to know the main characters with any intimacy, and though the novel is a page-turner, that has more to do with the quality of the writing and the unfolding mystery, as opposed to any real affection for the characters. For example, the Somnambulist communicates only through writing, while the narrator – and thus the reader – is never privy to his thoughts or any knowledge of his background. As a result, he doesn't garner the emotional investment he might otherwise. He's a mystery that is never solved.

Though perhaps a bit too inscrutable – in addition to the narrative distance from the main characters, there are a number of questions left unanswered by the end of the book—The Somnambulistis nonetheless cleverly written and an enjoyable read, with plenty of moments that elicit laughs, shivers, and sometimes both at the same time. It's well worth an afternoon or two.(less)

Nov 05, 2011 07:09pm · see review

Bill Olver rated a book 5 of 5 stars

Watchmen
by Alan Moore

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Nov 05, 2011 07:05pm

Bill Olver rated a book 5 of 5 stars

Sharp Teeth
by Toby Barlow (Goodreads Author)

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With an opening line clearly urging his readers to consider their favorite epic poem, Toby Barlow raises the curtain on his powerful, compelling novel, Sharp Teeth.

Anthony, the temporarily down-on-his-luck protagonist, finds employment with the Los...more With an opening line clearly urging his readers to consider their favorite epic poem, Toby Barlow raises the curtain on his powerful, compelling novel, Sharp Teeth.

Anthony, the temporarily down-on-his-luck protagonist, finds employment with the Los Angeles animal control department, where he is faced with the sad and gruesome task of capturing and putting down strays. His co-workers are rough around the edges and more than a little mysterious. When they begin disappearing, Anthony has no idea he is about to be drawn into an eerie underworld of secret societies, dog fights, drug deals gone awry, and werewolves. Lots and lots of werewolves.

For his first novel, Barlow set two very high goals. First, he dared try to bring a fresh view to the worn-out werewolf myth. Second, he decided to write it in free verse. Happily, he nails it, on both counts.

In addition to his unorthodox method of story-telling, Barlow adds layers of complexity to lycanthropy, applying the rules of the pack to the wolves' human counterparts – street gangs, communes, and corporate raiders. These werewolves don't need to wait for a full moon to complete the change. They control their metamorphoses—or don't—at will.

Like both wolves and humans, the packs vie amongst themselves for dominance. One large group is based on a philosophy of self-control and careful planning. For them, becoming wolf is a reward, a release, as they work their carefully crafted plot to dominate the human world. Other groups are less circumspect. They revel in their power, and enjoy a show of force. Though taking different paths, each of the groups has plans for dominating L.A., and for taking revenge on those who harmed their kin.

Barlow's skill with language immediately draws the reader into the novel, regardless of how his lines are formatted. His writing is lyrical, yet sharp, dense with richly detailed scenes that nonetheless keep the tension high and the pace fast. His verses reward multiple line readings, and yet—somehow—this doesn't slow the thrust of the novel. Sharp Teeth is at once meaty and swift and incredibly satisfying.(less)

Oct 27, 2011 04:35pm · see review

Bill Olver added

Big Pulp Winter 2010
by Various