Fooling Houdini is an illuminating glimpse into the intensely secretive, obsessive world of magic and magicians. Without giving away too much, Stone i...moreFooling Houdini is an illuminating glimpse into the intensely secretive, obsessive world of magic and magicians. Without giving away too much, Stone illustrates the dedication and practice necessary to even be considered a passable, let alone good magician.
He claims that the principles of magic - particularly close-up magic - are explainable by understanding basic concepts of psychology, physics, math and neurology. He visits scientists that demonstrate that the mind can be easily fooled if distracted enough, that there are formulas to predict the randomness of shuffled cards, and that the crowning achievement of any magician is to fool OTHER magicians.
After a very real humiliation, in front of other magicians, Alex Stone seeks the help of con artists, slight of hand experts and magic school symposia to hone his craft. With lots of practice, he is a capable honest con guy, with the ability to steal a watch, cheat at poker, play 3 card monte and perform a variety of scams.
It's a fun and interesting read. Definitely for fans of Moonwalking with Einstein.(less)
What a treat! This book is a rather silly, yet very well written account of the second Myfanwy Thomas, who wakes up in a park surrounded by people she...moreWhat a treat! This book is a rather silly, yet very well written account of the second Myfanwy Thomas, who wakes up in a park surrounded by people she killed with her bare hands and no memory of anything before that moment. Luckily, the original Myfanwy Thomas (I know - confusing) knew that she would lose her memory after being betrayed by a coworker, and worked hard to write letters intended to guide and inform the new Myfanwy Thomas in her body.
Myfanwy is actually a leader in the British Supernatural Secret Police, who are tasked with the protection of Great Britain from nuisances like houses full of disgusting fungus-y slime, and dragons. She can control the central nervous systems of people by simply touching them. He coworkers are all similarly supernatural, with a woman who can enter people's dreams, and a man who can manipulate metal.
It's as much screwball comedy as it is suspenseful, reminding me of a combination of Buffy (with the smart, strong witty female character), Ghostbusters, and X-Men. There is also a refreshing lack of romance. Female characters talk about work, not boys.
I look forward to the next book, and have been pushing it into the hands of all my nerdy, comic book and superhero loving friends. (I mean that in a good way, of course.)(less)
How Should a Person Be is a somewhat neurotic, self-obsessed essay/novel in which Sheila explores exactly that - how should a person be.
I also can't...moreHow Should a Person Be is a somewhat neurotic, self-obsessed essay/novel in which Sheila explores exactly that - how should a person be.
I also can't help but feel that the aimless twenty-something (especially the aimless twenty-something FORMER ART STUDENT LOOKING FOR A JOB) novel is becoming a new genre, which also includes Office Girl, by Joe Meno. The characters are very self-aware, tend to think more in abstract and slightly absurd ways, are desperately floundering and are very very hip. I think this is a genre that translates better to film, because you get to actually SEE the absurdity, and the artistic process in its making, rather than hearing the characters talk and describe it. (I actually really like Miranda July, who seems to have championed this genre really well.) (less)
I had a particularly weird experience reading this book. It reads like historical fiction and I had to constantly remind myself that the book is set i...moreI had a particularly weird experience reading this book. It reads like historical fiction and I had to constantly remind myself that the book is set in the present tense, and not in the 40s. It is a novel of prison mines, and ration cards, and loudspeakers in everyone's houses. It shows the cartoonish dictatorship of Kim Jong Il, and the overwhelming propaganda the North Koreans are subjected to from birth until death.
In the afterward, Adam Johnson described his own trip to North Korea, and how regardless of the amount of preparation he did, he still wasn't prepared for the reality of the place. Every oppression forced upon its people is turned around and promoted as a privilege - only to show how much greater North Korea is than any other nation. He talked about how he wanted to focus on the stories of the individual people - not the careful "citizens" of the Democratic Rebublic of North Korea, but the real inner lives of the people there.
I think he succeeded very well in telling the stories of a variety of people - an orphan, a commander, a torturer, a movie star, a sea captain, and many others. The shifting perspective was a little confusing, but the story as a whole was powerful and left me wanting to know what happened after it ended.(less)
Nicole George had an unusual family life. She was told that her father died from colon cancer, when she was 2, but a palm reader's claim that her fath...moreNicole George had an unusual family life. She was told that her father died from colon cancer, when she was 2, but a palm reader's claim that her father was still alive sent her on a mission to find out the truth. What transpires is an interesting story, that involves lots of dogs, chickens, 2 separate coming out stories, girl bands, and actually calling Dr. Laura.
It's hip in a stereotypically Portlandia way.(less)
The Bravo Squad was filmed by a Fox News crew, in the middle of an unexpected battle, when the survivors become instant celebrities. They are sent on...moreThe Bravo Squad was filmed by a Fox News crew, in the middle of an unexpected battle, when the survivors become instant celebrities. They are sent on a victory tour, where they meet the president, and participate in many parades. The tour's grand finale, before they are sent back to Iraq to finish their terms of service, is to participate in the half-time show (along with Destiny's Child) of a Dallas Cowboy's Thanksgiving Game.
The interesting thing about this book, is that it shines a gigantic, shiny spotlight on American culture. The tour thrust these soldiers, mostly teenagers, into the center of the spectacle where the questions, and celebrations, and thank-yous force them to relive the worst day of their lives.
It is a rather subtle, but powerful statement against war, what it does to those that survive it, and how our culture exacerbates the whole situation. (less)
I read this at the exact perfect moment. It was a foggy, misty, grey day, where I stayed home and read. I was looking at the Hudson in the same condit...moreI read this at the exact perfect moment. It was a foggy, misty, grey day, where I stayed home and read. I was looking at the Hudson in the same conditions that prevail throughout the book. Because of the fog, I couldn't see the Tappan Zee Bridge, and could easily image the steamboats going up and down the Hudson. I wanted the mermaid to be found in my backyard!
Sailor Twain is the story of a steamboat captain who finds a wounded mermaid in the Hudson during the gilded age. He nurses her back to health, and discovers more about her from the other passengers that seem to be trapped on the boat.
It is beautifully drawn, and evocative, and was one of the most immersive, memorable reading experiences I've had in a long time.(less)
Evie, a 17-year-old flapper wannabe, is sent to stay with her Uncle Will in New York City after getting into some slanderous trouble at home. It's the...moreEvie, a 17-year-old flapper wannabe, is sent to stay with her Uncle Will in New York City after getting into some slanderous trouble at home. It's the 1920s and Evie can't see how it would be a punishment, other than the fact that her uncle runs the "museum of the creepy crawlies." While seeking out her gin parties, she crosses paths with flappers, Ziegfeld girls, pickpockets, a Harlem poet, and a very very creepy serial killer.
Libba Bray did an extraordinary amount of research to recreate New York City in the 1920s, and as a NYC history enthusiast, she got it very right. She incorporated everything from the speakeasies and bar raids, the elevated trains, to the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti, automats, and the NYC immigrant experience. I really enjoyed the whole thing.
Additionally, the narrator for the audiobook did an amazing job. She had many many accents and voices to perform, and she did then very convincingly.(less)
I'm guessing that at one point Barbara Shapiro was a painter. It's not because she can describe the process of classical painting, or the drive to be...moreI'm guessing that at one point Barbara Shapiro was a painter. It's not because she can describe the process of classical painting, or the drive to be an artist, or the way a painting can be cleaned - or removed, but because her character seems to have the spirit and drive of an artist. She aptly describes the comings and goings of the art business, with its cronyism, the too-hip-for-anyone gallery workers, the money, the collectors and the black tie affairs. It was this familiar atmosphere, that I have had a love/hate relationship with over the last decade, and it was refreshing to see it accurately described.
The story itself, is a little unbelievable, but Barbara Shapiro did an excellent job making it come to life.
Recommended for mystery fans with an appreciation of impressionist art.
P.S. I too have always had a fascination and love for the luminosity of Degas' paintings. As not a huge fan of the impressionists, as a whole, I've always been drawn to the work of Degas, with his bold use of color and combination of layered media and painterly brushstrokes. I really enjoyed Clair's meditations on Degas and the act of painting.(less)
The Yellow Birds is an account of the horrors of the Iraq war from a poet's point of view. The language is beautiful, the insights are very personal a...moreThe Yellow Birds is an account of the horrors of the Iraq war from a poet's point of view. The language is beautiful, the insights are very personal and the things the main character had to deal with are truly gruesome.
It deals with the loss of friends, the unnaturalness of being required to kill, the racism and us vs. them mentality, and the psychological effects of going home to be regarded as a hero.
In the City of Thieves, two boys struggle to save their own lives during the Battle of Leningrad. Lev, a recently orphaned boy living in the city is c...moreIn the City of Thieves, two boys struggle to save their own lives during the Battle of Leningrad. Lev, a recently orphaned boy living in the city is caught taking a pocket knife off a dead soldier and is sent to prison, where he meets an AWOL Russian soldier. The two of them are sent on the impossible task to bring back 12 eggs for an official's daughter's wedding cake. If they succeed, they are promised their freedom. If they do not, they will be executed.
The scarcity of food has left much of Leningrad starving and some are resorting to cannibalism, or death. Lev and Kolya set off on their search and encounter prostitutes, thieves, Nazis and villagers.
Despite all the death and starvation, Lev and Kolya are surprisingly entertaining characters. Lev strives to be a chess master, and Kolya, a former academic, is crafty and resourceful. Their banter is often funny, despite the horrors they encounter. It is an unforgettable story.(less)
There are several stories happening at different times, that all sort of interconnect. There is a LOT happening. The book opens with a folk tale about...moreThere are several stories happening at different times, that all sort of interconnect. There is a LOT happening. The book opens with a folk tale about a coyote making meth. Some of the subjects of the multiple story-lines are: a washed-up British rock star, a couple of anthropologists in the 20s, a Spanish priest, and an angsty/music-loving Iraqi teenage girl. Arguably, the two most prominent story threads revolve around the Matharus, Jaz and Lisa and their 4 year old son, and the story of a 1960s cult that aims to make contact with the Ashtar Galactic Command. All these stories are tied together by a series of three rock formations, called the Pinnacles.
For fans of The Cloud Atlas (it's similar in structure), and those up for a bit of a challenge. (less)
Cameron is a very believable character. She discovers her desire for girls at age 12, and while she has thoughts about it being wrong or against what...moreCameron is a very believable character. She discovers her desire for girls at age 12, and while she has thoughts about it being wrong or against what is expected for her, she is unapologetic. She initially blames herself when her parents die, but her grief outshines her own shame. When her born-again aunt steps in as her guardian, she is defiant and more self-assure.
Emily Danforth doesn't shy away from the topics that make young adult novels often bland and safe. She tells it like it is. Cameron's desires are plainly laid out for the readers, and are very real. She spends less time as a confused kid, and more time seeking out other gay friends, and being a regular teenager. She smokes pot and shoplifts and breaks into abandoned buildings.
Emily Danforth takes a strongly neutral stance in her narration, and does not elevate or admonish either Cameron's sexual identity or the pray-the-gay-away schools and camps. She allows the story and its characters to stand on their own and allow readers to make their own opinions about Cameron and her predicament. An impressive first novel.(less)
The Middlesteins is the story of a suburban Jewish family living outside of Chicago. The primary focus is on Edie, who is the loving, yet strong-heade...moreThe Middlesteins is the story of a suburban Jewish family living outside of Chicago. The primary focus is on Edie, who is the loving, yet strong-headed matriarch, who struggles with compulsive eating and her many health problems. Her family is beside themselves, and after many surgeries, they see no sign of Edie changing her behavior.
Sick with worry, the rest of her family copes or doesn't cope, while watching her self-destruct. The story is told from MANY points of view, though mostly in the third-person. The reader sees it from the point of view of Edie's husband - a pharmacist, and the first Jewish business owner in their suburban town, her daughter Robin, who escaped Chicago to live in Brooklyn and soon came back, her son Benny, his twin children, his wife, and even the friends they had from their synogogue.
It is funny, and charming, and sad. There are extra-special laughs for anyone who has attended a themed bar-mitzvah any time in the last 20 years.(less)
A cute story of danger and world domination that can only be stopped by 4 smart, parentless kids. The book itself contains several puzzles that kids c...moreA cute story of danger and world domination that can only be stopped by 4 smart, parentless kids. The book itself contains several puzzles that kids can try to solve along with the kids in the book.
This book is truly heartbreaking. The characters have such dimension, and such quietly tragic lives. Larry Ott has been his Mississippi small town's p...moreThis book is truly heartbreaking. The characters have such dimension, and such quietly tragic lives. Larry Ott has been his Mississippi small town's pariah for 25 years, since he took a girl on a date and she was never seen again. Silas Jones is the town constable, who left for many years and returned. The story opens with the discovery of the body of a second girl 25 years later, and "Scary Larry" is immediately blamed.
Silas and Larry were friends as children, until Larry's abusive father intervenes. Both Larry and Silas, as kids, are quiet, thoughtful and sweet. Their friendship was genuine, and seemed to be a respite from the problems of their own home lives.
I don't want to say much more, but it really is a moving, frustrating story, that actually had me wanting to yell at the characters. It is really Southern Gothic at its best.(less)
Tom (or Chi-mo as his torture-intent classmates call him) is a snarky, self-aware high school kid. He only has one real friend, with whom he is consta...moreTom (or Chi-mo as his torture-intent classmates call him) is a snarky, self-aware high school kid. He only has one real friend, with whom he is constantly coming up with hypothetical band names, stage personae, and album name for the band they are unlikely to actually put together.
He is too smart for his school, whose educational approach involves copying pages of books and actual grudge-match fighting among students. Beyond that, he's a pretty regular kid. His dad died when he was young, but he has a loving, if not trying-too-hard family (complete with a stepdad who desperately wants to be seen as cool).
He also HATES The Catcher in the Rye, and especially hates the adults that are always foisting it on kids with the expectation that it'll change their lives. Tom is pretty much an updated Holden Caulfield. The "Phoneys" are "Normals." "Giving the time" becomes "Ramoning."
Highly recommended for older kids. It's smart and funny, and honest to the teenage boy mindset.(less)
A cute, story about a constantly moving kid, the school bully, a boy seen running without shoes on, and some mysterious construction site vandalism.
Th...moreA cute, story about a constantly moving kid, the school bully, a boy seen running without shoes on, and some mysterious construction site vandalism.
This is definitely a story for kids who cheer for the underdog, with an environmental twist.(less)
I LOVE the way that Barbara Kingsolver writes. Her descriptions are lush. Her characters are real. Th issues presented in her novels are always real t...moreI LOVE the way that Barbara Kingsolver writes. Her descriptions are lush. Her characters are real. Th issues presented in her novels are always real too. This book was no exception to that.
This book was Kingsolver's attempt to write a novel that made the threats of climate change real in a tangible way, and it succeeds. It shows how those that are least likely to believe that climate change is happening are the most likely to be affected by it. It brought together many of the facets of the culture of Southern Appalachian families - poverty, farming, family, faith, and customs. It's similar to Prodigal Summer, though much less sensual.(less)
Lots of fun! This book parodies Seattle, mom culture, Microsoft, and the malaise of upper middle class life. Bee is a smart kid. As the reward for ge...more Lots of fun! This book parodies Seattle, mom culture, Microsoft, and the malaise of upper middle class life. Bee is a smart kid. As the reward for getting straight A's (or S's - the school couldn't possibly award a's b's and c's - it's too demeaning) Bee decides the family should go on vacation to Antarctica. Bee's mom, Bernadette, is a certified genius, an agoraphobe, a celebrated architect, and Bee's best friend. She hate Seattle and its inhabitants, especially the other moms at Bee's school, whom she calls Gnats. She pops pills, has an airstream trailer on their property, just so she can be alone, and hires a virtual assistant from India to do everything she needs to do.
Jam-packed with weird facts about architecture and domestic life in general. Bill Bryson attempts to create a comprehensive history that covers everyt...moreJam-packed with weird facts about architecture and domestic life in general. Bill Bryson attempts to create a comprehensive history that covers everything from the invention of the bra and the telephone, to familial sleeping habits and agriculture. While the scope is very broad, this is an excellent book for trivia-lovers.(less)
Lots and lots of unreadable books? A bookstore that never closes and requires workers to climb up a 30 foot wall of books? Incredibly strange bookstor...moreLots and lots of unreadable books? A bookstore that never closes and requires workers to climb up a 30 foot wall of books? Incredibly strange bookstore patrons, who never seem to buy anything and may be part of a cult? Hackers, Google employees and nerd love! Yes! All of it!
This book is a lot of fun. It's a little bit like a mix between The Shadow of the Wind and Ready Player One. Clay has no idea what he's getting himself into when he applies for a job at Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour bookstore. Why would a bookstore even stay open for 24 hours, when the only people that come in are the twitchy, and definitely odd people that only borrow books from the "Waybacklist" - a 3-story shelf of books written in undecipherable code?
While the story unfolds, it's charming and fun and completely self-aware of being a nerdy-book-loving read.(less)
I was told that I didn't need to be a baseball fan to enjoy this book because it was about so much more: literature, and collegiate life, and sexuali...more I was told that I didn't need to be a baseball fan to enjoy this book because it was about so much more: literature, and collegiate life, and sexuality. I agree that there is more to it than baseball.
A (baseball-playing) friend of mine complained that the characters are to literate to come across as convincing baseball players, but I look at this another way. These characters come across as VERY convincing college students. This is a very literary book, that is tied to the writing of Melville. It is beautifully written, with characters that are mostly believable.
I read someone compare this book to The Marriage Plot. I agree. If you take away the baseball in the Art of Fielding, and dial back the melodrama of The Marriage Plot, they would be VERY similar books - both academic, and masterfully written..(less)
This was an interesting book. Having worked in museums and auction houses as both an art handler and as an archival researcher, I have always taken fo...moreThis was an interesting book. Having worked in museums and auction houses as both an art handler and as an archival researcher, I have always taken for granted the issue of provenance. I know how much work goes into the verification of the works of art, the need for the paper trail proving the change of hands from the artist all the way to the current owner. Even so, I knew that forgeries - and GOOD forgeries are out there in the art world.
What I didn't know was the lengths to which Myatt and Drewe (particularly Drewe) would go to falsify the the paper trail. Myatt comes across, at first, as a sympathetic character who is desperate to keep himself and his 2 kids with a roof over their heads, who originally was an almost innocent player in the whole scheme. He eventually knew that he was creating fakes, but didn't know how to get out of it. Drewe was an experienced con man.
The most shocking part of this story was the fact that the archives of the Tate, The Victoria and Albert Museum and many many other institutions were corrupted by Drewe's false provenance paperwork. There could also be upwards of 200 Myatt forgeries still out in the homes of collectors, in museums and galleries, and up for sale at auctions all over the world. Though not brilliantly written, it is a very interesting story of a long-running audacious scam.(less)
The Voyeurs is an obsessively-drawn, very personal graphic memoir, set up as a series of diary entries. Gabrielle Bell illustrates little snippets of...moreThe Voyeurs is an obsessively-drawn, very personal graphic memoir, set up as a series of diary entries. Gabrielle Bell illustrates little snippets of her days, from the various comic-cons to a trip to France with boyfriend at the time Michel Gondry, to interactions with friends and family. She comes across as often depressed and neurotic, but the comic still feels light.
The readers are the voyeurs, observing Gabrielle's life, warts and all. Entertaining.(less)
Maira Kalman, like so many others felt energized by the inauguration of Barak Obama and decided to write and illustrate her own investigations into de...moreMaira Kalman, like so many others felt energized by the inauguration of Barak Obama and decided to write and illustrate her own investigations into democracy. She travels all over the country, attending a town meeting, visiting the pentagon, watching Supreme Court proceedings and contemplating what makes this country as it is.
Written in a stream of consciousness style, she falls in love with Abraham Lincoln, talks about her family's love of the Marquis de Lafeyette, and muses on the early Americans' use of bold color.
The paintings are really lovely. They are painterly and remind me at once of Wayne Thiebaud and Matisse. Not terribly insightful, but an enjoyable read.(less)
Alan, as a character, is kind of a dope. He is in a pretty bad predicament - about to lose his house, unable to pay his daughter's college tuition, an...moreAlan, as a character, is kind of a dope. He is in a pretty bad predicament - about to lose his house, unable to pay his daughter's college tuition, and with a crazy ex-wife that doesn't care about anything. He is desperate for a big break and is hopeful that that break will be to sell hologram communications to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, as the IT infostructure of his King Abdullah Economic City.
When he arrives, he discovers that the city has not been built yet, and he and his young colleagues are forced to wait for days upon days in a tent in the desert for the king to arrive. He encounters a variety of people along the way, who are mostly unable to help him.
I found the characters to be rather flat, and I found myself not terribly interested in what happens to anyone. It is an interesting commentary on the outsourcing of labor and manufacturing to China, and the experiences of Americans in the Middle East.(less)
This book is full of 80s nostalgia and trivia for pop culture and video game nerds who grew up in the 70s and 80s. It is a really fun read.
In the near...moreThis book is full of 80s nostalgia and trivia for pop culture and video game nerds who grew up in the 70s and 80s. It is a really fun read.
In the near future, the world is suffering from a complete lack of resources, an economic melt-down, and general corruption. The real world is pretty bad for Wade, who conducts almost his entire life in a video game world, called the OASIS.
He and several thousand people compete to find the hidden easter eggs planted by the game's eccentric founder in order to win the company's fortune.
I often found myself chuckling by myself. Wil Wheaton narrates it, and does an excellent job. (less)
This book packs a wallop! It is gut-wrenching from beginning to end. I am amazed by Lionel Shriver's willingness to address taboos in ways that I have...moreThis book packs a wallop! It is gut-wrenching from beginning to end. I am amazed by Lionel Shriver's willingness to address taboos in ways that I have never really seen before. This is essentially a book about motherhood,in all its joys, and especially in all its miseries.
Eva never wanted to be a mother (again something you never see in books) and found it nearly impossible to get excited about the birth of her son. She felt nothing. From birth, he was pretty unbearable too. He cried nonstop from birth, refused to be potty trained until he was six, refused to speak until he was 3 - hiding the fact that he knew how, and was generally a shockingly creepy kid.
Lionel Shriver made his character truly chilling. He was icy, disinterested and cruel to Eva. He was a monster. He seems to be the perfect illustration of a sociopath. Eva, is also cold, superior and selfish. She is almost equally difficult to like, though placed within the context of the happenings in her life, she is surprisingly sympathetic.
The fact that most of the story takes place in Nyack adds another layer of familiarity to the story. I recommend this one for being a thought-provoking read.(less)
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