#97 The Broken String: Poems

#98 Eclipse

#94 The Lightning Thief

#95 Jitterbug Perfume

#96 Ashley Montana Goes Ashore in the Caicos

#92 Where the Wild Things Are

#93 Averno: Poems

#90 New Moon

#91 The Paintings of Our Lives: Poems

#88 Osage County

#89 Twilight

#86 The Return of the King

#87 Coraline

#83 The Fellowship of the Ring

#84 101 Things You Didn't Know About Jane Austen

#85 The Two Towers

Thank you--I need it!

Well, good luck with the upcoming school year. Wishing you all the best . . .

Thanks, Kay! It actually took me a little longer than I thought it would, but I was determined to hit 75 before school started--and that's on Monday!

Paula, thanks for stopping by . . . and CONGRATS on surpassing the challenge already this year!!!

Since I don't have time to write reviews right now...

#74 The End of Desire (Poems)

#75 The Thirteenth Tale

#76 Strange Flesh (Poems)

#77 Behind My Eye (Poems)

#78 Daisy Miller

#79 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

#80 The Tale of Despereaux

#81 A Single Thread

#82 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

I know, I was just up on the Island for an orientation today, and I drive up to "move" on campus next week; I have paperwork to fill out Monday, will stay with a friend that night, and will get to campus Tuesday. I still have to pack, though!! (I hate packing; can you tell?)

And I'm SOOO far back on my reviews; I must be up to 80 books by now!

How have you been? You're right; it feels like forever!

Love the reviews!!

How are YOU doing? I feel like we haven't communicated in like forever!! Are you moving to the Island? Whats going on in general? What are you reading now?

I'm so glad they've been helpful, Stacie! I'll be sure to add more samples more often; I was lazy this morning. :)

I really appreciate all your poetry reviews- especially the ones with samples ;) I've added several books to my to read list because of your reviews here. Thanks!

#73 Rules for Aging

One of the best examples of Rosenblatt's satirical work I've read yet. (Then again, the feeling of poignancy I'm getting may be from just recently having another birthday.)

The premise of the book is to give "advice" to people in order to age in the best ways possible. Although the first rule sets up the ironic tone throughout the book like the first line in Pride and Prejudice does, the rest of the rules that follow aren't all that bad for a person to follow. The majority of them concern ignoring what other people may think about you and dumbing yourself down so you can't think too much and, therefore, open yourself up to potentially difficult situations, the heart of each point may, in fact, actually help a person live longer.

In total, 145 pieces of "advice" are given in a mainly tongue-and-cheek manner and make references to mainly obscure people and events (including those of the author himself). You don't have to follow them (he certainly doesn't follow them all), but, as Roger implies, you might live a little longer if you do.

#72 The Jungle Book (Classics Illustrated)

Another example of why this series is so good. Not only is Kipling's The Jungle Book reduced to three of the stories from the series "Mowgli's Brothers," "The King's Ankus," and "Red Dog" (in order to move the focus towards Mowgli's character but also to show different stages of Mowgli's development), but it also gives unbiased and critical commentary about Kipling and his work. Feeley openly acknowledges Kipling's prejudiced politics and the ebbs and flows of Kipling's reception of his work (based on said political leanings). He also gives additional excerpts that were excluded from the dialog pieces included in this abridged version as well as a better look at the overall layout of the original two books as they were first published.

This would serve as a good introduction for younger readers to Kipling's work, as it gives reasons for why it should be lauded as well as where its downfalls are.

#71 The Art of Drowning

This is a Collins collection that contains some of my very favorite poems: "The Best Cigarette," "On Turning Ten," "My Heart," and "Dear Reader." I've read or listen to them about a dozen or more times, but that doesn't make them any less moving.

One of the things Collins does that can grate a reader's nerves is write about writing (what's that poetic term called again?), over and over, but otherwise his poems are thoughtful and at least somewhat deeper than surface level.

Pretty much anything published by the Pitt Poetry Series will be good, but this collection of Collins's poetry is some of his best.

#70 The Weird World of Gahan Wilson

Gahan Wilson is an illustrator who, as his book promises, is pretty weird. But he's fun to listen to when you have the chance to meet him, and his illustrations often are idioms taken to logical extremes or puns on paper. It's fun to flip through this collection of previously published comics, and I can't wait to get it signed next week.

Hehe, Chase and Raul are starters for the NL, and Ryan Howard is a backup. Shane is in the running for spot #33, so I'll be sad to miss the All Star game (AGAIN) this year while I drive out to Long Island.

Oh, and about Stargirl. I had just hoped that, since she so often conformed to NO mold that that trend would continue as she dated Leo. I'm not saying her character, like his, wasn't realistic. And I'll have to go back and see about his borrowing the family car; talk about not being observant!

Thanks for such a great review on Stargirl. I have to admit I see the things you saw now that I have had them pointed out to me. I have NEVER claimed to be overly observant.

I think Leo borrowed the family car. That is how I remember it.

And MANY a girl has tried to change who they truly are and what they believe for a boy. I think Stargirl felt this would make Leo happy. And the people around her happy. And who hasn't wanted that for their boyfriend OR themselves at one point in their lives or another.

Just my 2cents! :-)

(Did you know Detroit (MY favorite baseball team) is in first in the AL? YAY YAY YAY!!!...Did any of your team get picked for the all-stars?)

#69 God Particles

I have mixed feelings about this collection of poems. It's separated into three sections, with many shorter poems included. Some of them aren't as funny as they're intended to be (I happen to like semicolons and dislike colons and exclamation points, and Lux never uses the former but always uses the latter), and many just aren't poignant enough to warren poetic topics, I think.

However, clearly Lux has a good ear and can write some really good lines. One of my favorite poems was, in fact, the title poem, and the rest mainly fall within the second section of the book. I can't really figure out how the three sections logically fit together, but I'm willing to read along anyway (although I was, at times, skimming).

One things I truly dislike is a poem that uses the title as its first line. And I don't meant that the title and first line are the same (I'm fine with that), but the title actually leads into the first "line" of the poem. And maybe 1/4 or 1/3 of Lux's poems do that, including the first one--which is especially awkward, as there's a dedication literally between the title and that "first" line, which makes for some difficult reading very early on.

Still, I prefer the length of these poems, and at times they surprise me when they travel to unexpected places as they conclude. I have to read more by Lux to judge how indicative this is of his work in general.

#68 Stargirl

[spoilers included:]

There were things I just loved about this book. Stargirl, as she is presented at the beginning and the end of the book, simply is an amazing character: a bit of a Luna Lovegood before there was a Luna. I was, however, desperately disappointed that she would drop her personality so completely for her boyfriend and for the sake of gaining popularity, as it simply seemed out of her character to do so.

Then again, I can also identify with the narrator of the book, Leo. One might catch the star connection with his name and Stargirl's and decide, too soon perhaps, that they're destined to be together. Which is not the case, as he ignores her once drops "Susan" and regains her initial Stargirl identity. Then, she and her family drop out of sight from Arizona and move back to Minnesota.

The thing with Leo is that he doesn't wish to stand out at all, which being with Stargirl causes him to do, yet he also doesn't want to "disappear" from the world, either, and be purposefully ignored because of his relationship with Stargirl. He pretends that her quest for popularity will turn the world aright, which is wrong, but knows that she cares enough about him to try for his sake. His inability to deal with the conflict of wanting to be with Stargirl but also wanting to be part of his school is real and, if not refreshing, at least a dark hurt that Spinelli doesn't shy from.

And Spinelli also magnifies (and to a point exaggerates) the life of the typical high school kid, with the popular ones running the show and the odd ones being pushed out. Of course, Stargirl made an impact that never went away even if she did, but I feel like some simple questions were side-stepped in order to focus on Leo and Stargirl. How, for example, did Leo have a car if he apparently had no job and made no money? What did Leo do in school, if anything, since we really only see him afterward or on weekends or in the hallways? Did he ever do his homework between hanging out with his girlfriend? And how did Stargirl possibly manage all of her good deeds on top of her schoolwork? I just feel like, if this is to be a *true* representation of the good and bad of high school life, these details need to be included in the story so that it has the ring of reality, which, ultimately, it lacks.

Not that it's a bad story, but I think that Spinelli took some easy outs (a la Rowling) despite nailing some heavier issues. Maybe the book lacks a balance or, for that matter, a better resolution; Stargirl disappears, but Leo still gets mailed an "anonymous" birthday gift fifteen years later--and yet he has no idea what's been going on in Stargirl's life (which may be her will or his own; that question, too, is left up in the air).

There are many good things in this book, like suggesting the need for personal expression, preferably without the bad things that tend to happen to Stargirl because of those outbursts. Random acts of kindness also are encouraged, with the focus on anonymity. The struggle between the desire to fit in and the desire to be singular and "other" is a big theme carried throughout. Interesting characters abound. But there are problems, too, like a sort of love/hate relationship on Spinelli's part on the opinion of home schooling (which I tend to share, although I certainly wouldn't write about them--as I'm a coward). And the girl giving up her identity for the guy, with the guy not being able to deal with her reversion, just drives me crazy.

This would be a good book for a group discussion, as there are so many issues involved that it would take all night to sort out everyone's opinions.

#67 Brother Odd

[spoilers included:]

I was almost embarrassed for Koontz considering how predictable this book was. I mean, the "red herrings" were so thinly veiled that I don't know it's even proper to call them that. The ghost of the dog at the end and the replacement of Elvis with Frank Sinatra as Odd's official ghostly companion did surprise me in the end, however.

I think what I liked best was the interaction between Odd and the man he at first thought was the source of the bad vibes at the abbey, Romanovich; sadly, the majority of this takes place nearer the end of the book. I also was highly entertained by Brother Knuckles, and now I want to read both The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tuland and The Tale of Despereaux (although I've wanted to read that anyway). The various literary and contemporary references, I think, are part of the reason why I keep reading these books because those tend to be the moments when I laugh out loud, literally. That and I think I have a mini-crush on Odd, who's so similar to Harry Potter that I sometimes have a hard time separating them in my hear, especially since the age differential is so slight. Is Odd almost too good to be true? Maybe, but I think that also is his allure, the fact that in spite of the horrible things he witnesses he still believes in humanity enough to want to keep living (and delay his reunion with Stormy) and fight for it.

That being said, there were some really strange creatures present in this novel (I couldn't help but be reminded of some of the crazies from the Hitchhiker books) around which I could not wrap my brain, which was the biggest detriment (for me) when reading this book. Otherwise, it was written fairly well and was suspenseful enough to engage my attention until I finished reading. Obviously the book's meant to have a follow-up (which now is available), since Odd is left at the end to wander off towards his next adventure.

I wish there wasn't so much repetition of information (clearly intended for those who jump into the third book without reading the first two), since it's like reading about Quidditch rules in the first few Harry Potter books (which I think I also said about the second book in the series), since this clearly can stand as an adventure on its own, especially since it's so far away from Pico Mundo; the references to those characters and events got in the way of this narrative at times.

I'll still hold out on the fourth book in the series; it is hard letting go of Elvis after three books, after all.

#66 Forever Odd

[spoilers included:]

For various reasons, I both like this more than and less than the previous Odd Thomas book. First, I'm glad that there was less unnecessary prose (although I'd bet there are still about 100 pages that could've been removed from this book as well), although there were some awkward moments that were supposed to be funny but broke the necessary tension of the scene.

I do, however, have problems with the main bad "guy" in this book. She just felt... superfluous to me. I mean, to go through all that trouble just to confront Odd and try to make him allow her to see dead people as he does (which is something he can't actually do). I know we need a catalyst for this knowledge she accrues about Odd (via his childhood friend), but it's almost unnecessary, really, if his deed from the fall really were so well known.

The pacing, for the most part, also was okay. Th middle dragged; I got that Datura was taunting Odd, but it reminded me of Umbridge goading Harry throughout HP5. (I did, however, absolutely love the couple of Harry Potter references, along with all of the other cultural references that pepper the novel, because it gives the narrative such a contemporary feel.) The novel also dragged as it neared the ending; once Datura's fatally mauled by the random mountain lion that just happened to be trespassing the long-ago destroyed and, therefore, abandoned casino (which was funnier than I think it was intended to be) just caused me to lose interest in the ending.

I still can't figure out how Odd happened to make it out of where he almost drowned to a different diner--and survive after dying somewhere in the middle of his journey there; the scene, as it's set up, just doesn't mak that very clear.

One thing I missed was the interaction Odd usually has with the Pico Mundo crowd, as those characters are infinitely more interesting than the few Odd's forced to encounter on his rescue mission. I did wish these events would carry out in more than the course of a single day, but I suspect that that will not happen in the next book in the Odd series.

I also feel like this book specifically sets up the next one, mainly by virtue of Odd's request to Stormy's uncle in the final chapter. The first book is pretty much an independent one (probably just to see if people would find themselves attached to Odd before making an official "series" out of him), but this one clearly hinges onto the one that follows. Also, even though it's not necessary to read the first Odd book to follow along with this one, little points here and there (that sometimes feel unnecessarily repetitive, especially to those who've already read the first book--another thing that reminds me of, at least, the first three HP books that somehow feel the need to remind the reader how to play Quiddich) make reading the second book easier.

I do wonder what happened to the plaque Odd carried with him out of Stormy's place, since that's never resolved, and I wonder about his death complex, as he's disappointed that he DIDN'T die at the end of this book. So maybe a few too many loose ends, whether deliberately or not, are left so in an unsatisfactory manner.

Maybe I just need to get used to Koontz's writing style, or maybe I'm hoping that there will be more character development out of Odd instead of his being more willing to defend himself and kill others who are out to get him (with directly contradicts his death with complex). I'll give the third book a chance and see if I'm willing to buy the new fourth book after that.

#65 The Book for My Brother

I have mixed feelings about this book, but I'm giving it a higher rating than I normally would because it's a book in translation. Once can tell that Salamun is worldly and knowledgeable because of the breadth of his poetic subjects. I feel like his shorter poems are stronger than his longer ones, though, in one respect because often at the end of the longer ones he includes a line or two that offers the obvious moral.

Also, one can tell that Salamun is intelligent because his poems use phrases from multiple languages within particular pieces. Which is strange, but only because ALL of these poems are already translated. And the even stranger part is that each poem is translated in tandem with Salamun and some other poet--but each poem has a different co-translator.

Still, amid the cultural references that are over my head, there are a few real gems in this book. My favorite poem is "The Writing," but that might be because I'm a writer:


The Writing

The writing
of poetry is
the most

serious
deed in the
world.

As in
love
everything

comes out.
The words tremble
if they are

right.
As the body
trembles in

love,
the words
tremble on paper.


So much said in so few words. I wish that, in other poems, Salamun was more consistent in his use of punctuation and sentences (as he is in the above poem), but otherwise I blame ignorance in comprehension on myself. This is a good collection for those who have more worldly knowledge than I do.

#64 Remembering Harry Kalas

Obviously this book isn't perfect because it was rushed for publication (conveniently, it was on sale the week before Father's Day), since there are a few grammatical errors that didn't get caught by proofers and even a page that seems to be missing from one of the essays included. Also, many of the stories included in the book are ones that those who watched Harry Kalas's funeral service have already heard, but that doesn't mean this isn't an outstanding collection about an outstanding man.

And he's a "man," which was the surprise I got while reading the book. Obviously, the book largely lauds Harry's magnanimity and, of course, his voice and lifelong love of baseball. But his heavy smoking and drinking doesn't get glossed over, and his recent declining in health certainly is mentioned as well. His divorce is mentioned and, to be sure, his devastation over Richie Ashburn's death (as so eloquently described by Kent Tekulve in the final essay in the book). So even though Harry was an awesome, one-of-a-kind announcer that no one, in the Philadelphia area at least, will ever come close to "replacing," because that would be an impossible and really unfair job for anyone to attempt it.

I know I still have a hard time watching or listening to Phillies games (as I'm doing right now) because I can't hear Harry call them. But I've loved reading and reminiscing about him in Wolfe's book, and I look forward to reading and hearing more of these stories as they continue to come forth.

#63 Swallow: Poems

I trust Carol Muske-Dukes' opinion, and I also know that Breadloaf writers are some of the best in the United States. So I wasn't in the least surprised to find that I truly enjoyed Field's first collection of poems, Swallow.

This collection is divided into three sections. Overall, however, there is in a large part a sibilant cadence throughout the book which, for me, is incredible because it's often subtle and, interestingly, contrasts with the personal subject matter. I think my favorite poem is "Subway," but some of Field's most poignant lines are much later in the book, such as those that conclude "Boy Pouring Water":


But the weather will turn, the nonstop turning
of the seasons turn you to nothing.


WOW. Such power in so few words. Which is odd, since her poems tend to be on the long-ish side (although certainly coming nowhere near Derek Walcott-lengthed pieces).

Another attractive feature of these poems is that their meanings seem just beyond the grasp of the reader; I, for example, could intuit what the underlying subject matter really was about, but I fully accepted the moments when I had no clear, visual idea of what was supposed to be going on on the surface of the poem. There's just so much depth to Field's work that I can't wait to find out more about her and see if she's published anything else yet.

#62 Kim (Classics Illustrated)

Another abbreviated graphic novel-type version of a classic, but this is one I haven't read yet. The core of the story remains, however, and is delivered mainly through the dialog among characters. I think what makes this particular version of the book helpful is that it offers author information, cultural background, and character analysis. It also offers basic information concerning Buddhism and the polycultural environment in India during the nineteenth century.

This kind of starter book makes me want to read the original, so in that sense it's a successful interpretation of a classic novel.

#61 Reader's Digest Reading Skill Builder Part 3

This is a workbook intended for (I suppose) second or third graders to help them with comprehension and vocabulary. Therefore, all twelve stories are fairly simplistic; pictures are included along with a short list of key words preceding each story. The questions asked at the end of the stories, for the most part, are multiple choice and lead young readers back to the story itself so that they can find or check answers.

This type of book clearly is useful for young children who struggle with reading comprehension and need to build some confidence before moving onto more taxing school assignments.

And you know, Stacie, it's not like I hate the books or anything, I just am a bit of a traditionalist (like I told Dawn) and have certain expectations for books and characters. And sometimes Adams is funny (I found that most often to be the case in the third book, so far), but working that hard to find the funny just makes it pointless (to me). But maybe that's the point? I should try reading these books when I'm not sleepy! :)

Paula wrote: "#57 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

When I finally finished this book, I felt like I missed the joke. Maybe it's because I don't follow astrophysics all that closely. Maybe it's because the b..."

Douglas Adams was a satirist, so I always thought that the point of these books (I've read them all many times- they are favorites of mine. Well, I'm not that fond of 'So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish'... but I like the others) is that there is no point. That existence is like that... no plot, no great plan, just chains of mindless, meaningless, ridiculous happenings. It's not a point of view I necessarily share, but I can appreciate it in the books.

It's kind of weird (but not in a bad way) hearing from someone who didn't like the books. It makes me step back from my own experience and go 'huh... yeah, I can see why that might annoy people.'

Hey Dawn, reading currently is slow-going with me lately, simply because of all the weekend events going on in the family. BUT I managed to make it to the used book store yesterday (I had a coupon for a free book because of my birthday, so used it to get the second Odd Thomas book!) and just pile on to my ever-growing list of books I have to/want to read. SO SO SO excited that I got a copy of Remembering Harry Kalas for my birthday!!

You know, I've heard good things about The Mysterious Benedict Society, so I'll have to check around and see if I can find a copy. Also, I was really excited about the Hitchhiker's Guide books, so I'm glad I bought them all for cheap (I think they were $3/each at Borders when I was them a couple months ago). I still can't figure out where the story's going, even after reading the first three books, and that's what's been so frustrating about them for me; I'm too much the traditionalist, I suppose. Gee, I seem to be helping you knock all kinds of books off your reading list! ;)

#60 Romeo and Juliet (Classics Illustrated)

Even though the original text is abridged, and even though the story is presented in a graphic novel-sort of way, I liked this edition of the play. Granted, even though the blank verse is kept within the chosen dialog blurbs it's not formatted as poetry, but this might be a good thing for those who struggle with Shakespeare and simply want/need a more basic understanding of the story itself.

Another added benefit of this edition is that there are essays included at the end of the book that discuss Shakespeare himself, analyze characters and character motivations, and openly question readers about whether or not a traditional "happy ending" would even have worked for a story such as this.

A quick, thought-provoking read for those who are not yet familiar with Shakespeare.

You know, I was SO going to read these books, until you did and reviewed them. Off the list they went. I am SO glad you did all the hard work for me.

Am reading a GREAT YA book right now....The Mysterious Benedict Society. So far (only like 25 pages in) its FABULOUS!!!

How's it going where you are???

#59 Life, the Universe, and Everything

Slightly better read than the first two Hitchhiker books, simply because the story's more cohesive and actually seems to have a purpose. Not that the ending is all that wonderful; in fact, the story pretty much falls flat by the epilogue but, surprisingly, was almost riveting until that point.

Characters haven't really changed or developed much since the first two books, but the ways in which they interact with each other makes up for that. Also, I love that the characters keep "accidentally" finding each other even as they desperately try to stay as far apart as possible.

Overall, it was almost worth it to read the first two books in order to read (and, therefore, understand the goings on in) this one.

#58 The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

More of the same that one would get from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, really. I mean, seriously, the universe comes to an end a little more than half-way through the book. And, at the book's very end, life is deemed meaningless, so that makes me as depressed as Marvin, the robot that gets assigned to ride a spaceship driving itself into a sun.

Anyway, most of the story follows Zaphon, but nothing really comes of the trip he's destined to make with the ruler of the universe. He and Trillian are separated from Ford and Arthur, who crash land onto Earth two million years before it was blown up (for details, see book one of the five-book trilogy). And then the book ends.

Still can't figure out what's so funny, and still can't see much of a plot holding together all the space travel.

#57 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

When I finally finished this book, I felt like I missed the joke. Maybe it's because I don't follow astrophysics all that closely. Maybe it's because the book has dated itself over the last thirty years. Maybe it just wasn't my kind of book.

Anyway, I felt like there wasn't really any plot or ending in the book. Characters move around in space (but don't exactly evolve or change themselves), planets blow up, and no one really knows why. But the answer to the big questions (not that anyone knows what the real question is) is 42, so I guess that's all we need to know.

I was hoping for something more Like Monty Python, but I don't think I really got that. I'm not sure what I got, but I guess that's beside the point.

#56 The Alchemist

Eh, it was okay. I felt like the novella should have been a long short story instead because of the book's cyclic, repetitive nature. Plus, it was really strange to read Bible quotes and stories in such a different context after just finishing Lamb.

Anyway, another criticism I have is that narration moves from one character's head to another in a way that seems unnecessary, especially since the boy really is the book's main character. Plus, readers are introduced to one alchemist about 1/3 of the way into the book, when the major alchemist only comes into play about 1/2 way into the story. And, even then, he's not the "real" alchemist, so having a wandering narration only caused further confusion. Plus, did I mention the story was circular and repetitive?

I'm glad I finally got around to reading it, but I'm thinking that Coelho has to go either longer or shorter in order for his books to really get me interested in them.

#55 Lamb

[spoilers included:]

There is so much to say about this book that I'm not sure where to begin. I will say that my rating is a little higher than it normally would be but that I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt because I have a sense of humor, a crucial personality trait for readers of this book.

It's not like I had to make many predictions to figure out how it would end, of course, but before I go to the end of the book I knew that Biff, the narrator of this "gospel" and the reason for the book in the first place, would commit suicide by the end. I also knew that he would be the consummate sinner as a counterpoint to Joshua's nearly-perfect nature. (Moore chooses to refer to Jesus under his Hebrew name.) And Biff got the girl in the end. But, really, those things had to happen or else the story wouldn't make any sense.

The book is split into six sections, the latter consisting of the Passion. For the most part, though, Biff's gospel fills in the missing years that are not accounted for among the traditional fur gospels. While I enjoyed the banter between the boys (although at times I found there was little distinction between their dialog, and I still can't decide if that's deliberate on Moore's part or if that's a recurrent flaw in the narrative), sometimes I got carried away. I mean, really, kung-fu Jesus? And pretty much everything that occurred at Balthasar's place was just strange. In all, I think there was just too much "boy humor" at times (the entire middle 200 pages of the book), which completely took me away from the narrative. I get that the motivation was to compare Christianity to other religions of the world, but by the time Biff and Joshua were learning from the third Magi I was over the not-subtle connections.

I also wonder if the book is intended to be more about Biff than it is about Joshua, since Biff does mature as the book progresses (although one can wonder by just how much). That being said, it was nice to read about a Jesus who really questions his "gifts" (the miracles were a given in the story as opposed to theoretical happenings) as well as how at times it was amusing to see how he learned to use them. I appreciated that Biff, along with Joshua's oldest brother (the one born directly after he was), at times felt the heat from being second to God's son, as that puts things into perspective. And Mary Magdalene was not a whore (mainly) in the book, which is correct despite her constant misrepresentation over time.

I couldn't help but feel blasphemous at times while reading this book, especially at the beginning. But I did feel like all the Catholic education was being used, in a strange way, as I followed along the story and looked for specific Biblical events to be recreated a la Moore's overexcited imagination. I did pick up a couple of errors in the text, too (ones that were not explicitly mentioned in the afterword), that also took me out of the story at times. For example, the Kama Sutra book that Biff copied would not have had pictures, as they were added only after the British translations came out. (Don't ask how I know that.) Still, the humorous moments at times were very funny, and I didn't feel offended by the story in any way. (Kinda the same reaction I had after watching Angels and Demons. Strange.) I do wish that it hadn't been so damn long (seriously, the middle section could have been chopped in half and it wouldn't have damaged the story at all), but I think that's because the "boy humor" got old long before it ended.

In the end, Lamb is much more respectful to Christianity (and other religions, except for Hinduism) than one might initially think, and Biff really is a great friend to Joshua, especially as he tries to protect the often-naive savior from his (mostly) unconsciously self-sacrificial activities. The human, humane Joshua (despite the miracles) is a fresh portrayal of the deified martyr and, like Moore, I like to think of him as a character with a sense of humor. And, even for non-believers, the basic message of compassion and kindness comes through without the pretense of a typical religious text. This book is full of surprises, maybe the best ones being those from Biff towards his best friend that are most unexpected.

#54 700 Sundays

I have mixed feelings about this book, since I was under the impression (based on the book's title) that this would be filled with the experiences Billy Crystal had with his father during his childhood; what I got was a personal narrative that was composed of familial anecdotes, most of which took place during Crystal's formative years.

For me, the first half of the book was a list of name-drops with badly written grammar. I never saw Crystal's show (which, I assume, bears the same name as the book), but I can imagine that the jokes in the book are better live (with this timing that he wrote about throughout the book). Then Crystal wrote about his father dying a little more than half-way through the book, and immediately everything changed.

Ultimately, the books picked up the pace for me once the majority of the forced "funny" was dropped. Again, the jokes probably are smashingly good live but fall flat in print, so reading the personal parts that really touched Crystal were the best ones to read about. Unfortunately, this makes up maybe a little more than a third of the book, so what I'm hoping is that, if Crystal writes another personal narrative, he drops the schtick and talks about his career almost with detachment.

Fans of Crystal will enjoy this book, especially if it is synonymous with the one-man show he performed. It might make more sense, actually, for people to read it after watching the show if it is, in fact, the same thing.

I haven't read anything by Baldacci, but if you recommend him then maybe I should! I've been very non-adventurous in my reading lately, so I think I have to expand my horizons a bit--and read that stuff that's been collecting dust on my shelves. Good for you getting to #50, too; only 25 to go. :)

OK!
I AM only 3 behind you! YAY! Last year I was WAY behind. I have hope!! :-)

I cannot wait to get The Reader and I SO loved Holes. That was probably the best book I have read in awhile (well, until last night when I finished The Great Gilly Hopkins, which was AMAZING!).

I am going to do a re-read of HBP in July, right before the movie comes out. Erik is going to read it first and then I will since I can read faster than he can! :-) I am also going to do a re-read of 2 books I have read already to prepare me for the third that just came out by David Baldacci. YAY! I really like some of his stuff. Some of it though, it really weird and hard to follow. Have you read The Christmas Train by him??? If not, I highly recommend it. It was AWESOME!

#53 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

[spoilers included:]

Obviously I can't squeeze my original 180-page "review" of this book here, but I can give my opinion in brief. Overall, the book adequately ended the series in a mostly satisfactory way. While the many Hogwarts-sized plot holes continue to drive me crazy each time I reread the book, they do not deter me completely from doing so because the book's good qualities clearly outweigh the bad ones.

That being said, the plot holes are enormous: Even at the very end of the book, Harry's explanation of how he came to be the "owner" of the last Hallow is a weak one, and I had to reread that particular section of the book several times (during the first time I sat and read the book) in order to determine the rationale in the first place. And that's not the only section where descriptions were fuzzy or difficult to understand, or just didn't make any sense or follow the traditional "rules" set up for magic in the other six books.

However, as always, characterization (if not always dialog; see Dumbledore's last, er, discussion with Harry for an example of Dumbledore's dialog that doesn't exactly sync with conversations he's had with Harry throughout the series) is spot-on and the action of the book is exciting enough to make it difficult to put it down. It does drive me crazy that the final third of the book takes place over the course of a single twenty-four hour period (unlike the other two thirds, which encompass almost nine months of traveling through dangerous situations); that unevenness suggests to me that too much information was left to be discovered too late in the series (for readers and for Harry).

Still, there are some descriptions that are outstanding and cause me to wait with bated breath for the last two films (Deathly Hallows parts one and two): The first one always is Harry's discussion in the tent with Hermione before they agree to go to Godric's Hollow, and another (really obvious one) is Harry's death march towards Voldemort near the end of the book--as well as the final duel, which, excepting some of the dialog, is fantastic. In the end, what probably makes this not my favorite of the Harry Potter books is simply that the sixth book (Half-Blood Prince) is just better-written.

Obviously those who have read and enjoyed the other six books must read this one to see how the series ends as well as to notice just how much characters have grown and changed, especially when compared to how they were portrayed in the first book of the series. The tone is appropriate (except in the epilogue, which seems out of place and more appropriate for a book earlier in the series) and the story concludes really in the only way that makes any sense. Just watch for the cursing, as that makes it not exactly reader-friendly for those not yet in high school.

#52 Tales of Beedle the Bard

This was a spur-of-the-moment reread, which I loved about as much as I the first time I read it. Here's my original review:

Why couldn't Rowling have written the other Harry Potter books this well?

The collection of five short stories (including "The Tale of the Three Brothers," which can also be found in HBP) are the Wizarding world's equivalents of Muggle fairy tales. The genius of this books, however, does not reside with the tales themselves (although all five are quite brilliant in different ways), but with Dumbledore's commentary following each story. What I like most about these "commentaries" is that they remind me of literary essays that go beyond the text and use historical (albeit mostly fictional as it pertains to the Harry Potter series) and other methods of literary criticism to examine Beedle's "real," less obvious messages and morals in his stories.

There even are footnotes inserted in the pages of commentary as well. Some ostensibly are from Dumbledore, while others were from JKR herself. If I didn't already own Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, I probably would have been annoyed at several references to them within those footnotes (as that means you have to buy that book as well for even more information), but all the profits from the sales of that book along with this one go to charity, so I guess I wouldn't have been able to complain all that much.

The stories themselves are well-written (again, I wish Rowling has written this well much earlier on), self-contained, creative, and wonderfully evocative. I wish these had been the fairy tales I grew up with, especially since most of the female characters are not passive, awaiting another to rescue them from misfortune. (This is especially true in "The Fountain of Fair Fortune," one of my favorite stories in the collection.)

This is truly a treasure for anyone who has read and enjoyed the Harry Potter books, as it gives additional information about the series (and, to a certain extent, to Dumbledore's character) without being the size of another tome. I can't wait to get the collectible edition (for Christmas) so I can see the other pictures included with that book.

#51 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Amazingly, I haven't read this book in almost four years. Yet, hands down, it's still my favorite in the Harry Potter series, and it the reason why I keep rereading the books.

This particular Harry Potter book is the best-written of the series, especially when it comes down to the sentences. (My suspicion is that Rowling got quite a bit of flak about the excessive wordiness of Order of the Phoenix and, therefore, actually concentrated on the phrasing in this book.) There are still far too many ellipses in use in all of the Harry Potter books, but other than that the dialog is sharp and the word choice crisp and precise.

My favorite chapter is twenty-three, the one in which Dumbledore explains to Harry why he must fight Voldemort: "But [Harry:] understood at last what Dumbledore had been trying to tell him. It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people, perhaps, would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but Dumbledore knew--and so do I , thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and so did my parents--that there was all the difference in the world." That quote, to me, pretty much sums up the entire series, and I'm glad Rowling finally penned such a superb summary statement.

This book also doesn't suffer from lapses of logic or plot holes the size of Hogwarts (the latter of which can be found in abundance in the last Harry Potter book), and readers' questions are (for the most part, so we think) answered as much as possible at the book's conclusion. Characters stay in character (a trait that, happily, is Rowling's strength throughout the series) and action moves at a steady pace, gaining momentum as the ends looms nearer, of course.

This book is so satisfying that it's no wonder I was slightly disappointed by the final one; if the penultimate book is the best, what can one do except push through the finally one doggedly in order to find out, finally, what exactly will happen in the end?

#50 The Reader

[spoilers included:]

This book poses more moral questions than it answers, but because of that it's probably the closest to representing what most Germans today feel towards the Holocaust. The edition I read actually is a translation of the book published in 1995, which is pretty evident considering the cadence of the sentences and way they sometimes read, but I wonder if that doesn't also, inadvertently perhaps, give even more meaning to the ambiguity and distance emphasized in the book.

The story is divided into three parts. The first focuses on Michael Berg (the first-person narrator) and his affair with the much-older Hanna Schmitz. He knows little about her and, amid the passionate moments of their affair, he reads to her. Then Hanna suddenly leaves, and Michael moves on with the next part of his life.

This part is what is given in part two of the book, as Michael is in law school and watching the court proceedings as Hanna is on trial with four other women for Nazi war crimes. Hanna bears the brunt of the burden and some of the secrets she kept from Michael begin to leak out during those proceedings; Hanna's illiteracy is what keeps her from exonerating herself, and Michael suffers a moral dilemma as to whether or not to tell the judge about it even though she refuses to admit it in court. He says nothing, though, and she is sent to prison.

The third part of the book talks about Michael's life while Hanna is imprisoned, his failed marriage and the books he reads (and records on tape) to send to Hanna while she's imprisoned. We find out that he's the only person to communicate with Hanna during her incarceration, and she even learns to read and write so as to send him notes of thanks. Upon her release date, Michael finds a place for Hanna to live and a job for her to have once she's released, and his visit to her is one of repulsion that he tries to hide. The night before he's to pick her up, Hanna hangs herself.

The majority of this book is devoted to Michael's musings over Hanna, his relationship over her, why he is attracted to someone who could be guilty of Nazi atrocities (and what that says about himself), and wondering where blame should be placed, in the end, for all of this. But that's the thing: there are no real answers for this, and this is what Michael has to come to deal with. The complexity of the position of the Germans during WWII is brought out in all of its many layers (I suspect this might be why some people would be angry with this book, because it shies away from accusation when there is so much that was wrong that occurred during the war), and it also points out that the feelings today are just as mixed as they were fifty and more years ago.

A few times I wondered just how Michael was able to talk his way out of his questionable position (so to speak) with Hanna, which ultimately is why I gave this four instead of five stars; I can't attribute all of it to Michael being an unreliable narrator (which he is and essentially claims to be at the beginning of the book), so the moments that he took to explain his position weren't satisfying enough for me to overlook them.

Overall, this is a complex book on a complex matter that doesn't shy away from difficult questions even if it doesn't really answer them.

#49 Odd Thomas

[spoilers included:]

Overall, this was a compelling read that ended more or less where I thought it would (when I finally figured out where it was going). I have to admit that I cheated and, once I suspected that Stormy was going to die at the end of the book I checked to make sure, but that's only because she's one of my favorite characters and wanted to be prepared for it before I got there. (I'm still upset that she was killed.)

Anyway, I was surprised that I got so sucked in to the book because it took a couple hundred pages for me to really get involved with the story. My biggest gripe with Koontz is that his language is too flowery for such a book as he tends to write; I have a feeling that it easily could have had 100 pages cut with small, simple edits that would have made the book, which is dependent upon the action that propels it, a faster read that it sometimes was. On a personal note, I also prefer longer paragraphs with shorter sentences, which is the opposite of what this book offers.

I also was surprised that I had so few moments when I forced myself to suspend my beliefs so that I could follow the action of the book; really, only the "black room" was one that really threw me out of the book, and I accepted most of Odd's claims (with a grain of salt, of course) in order to proceed with the story at hand.

The quirky characters were fantastic and much more fully developed that minor characters tend to be. I felt like Odd's blind friend, though, was an addition for the sole reason to interpret the braille card, and I think pretty much that entire section of the book could've been rewritten because it was just so much more that the story needed. (Same with the wolves scene; just too much devoted to a part of the story that just wasn't necessary.)

Odd himself also was great in a very Harry Potter sort of way: he's young and, in this story at least, innocent (so we have the buldingsroman portion of the story), and he's also very moralistic (to the point that he's breaking rules for the greater good) and willing to put himself in danger in order to save the lives of others. I was able to read through most of his misdirections (which is how I figured out Stormy was going to die) while simultaneously chiding him for some of the naive things he was doing. Still, I wanted him to survive AND get the future with Stormy that he had been planning on, so even though I prefer more realistic endings that are not necessarily neat and tidy I still was hoping for the happier ending than I was presented with. Plus, books that take place over the course of a day at times drive me crazy (which is why the last Harry Potter book isn't my favorite, as about a third of it takes place over the course of one day).

I'm not sure if I'm willing to delve into the next Odd Thomas book yet (because of Koontz's prose more than anything else), but I'm glad I gave this one a try. Especially towards the story's end, I found it more and more difficult to put the books down, and racing to the resolution along with Odd was more exciting than I initially anticipated. A great read for those who love suspense and good characters!

Kay wrote: "Paula and Susan - I really enjoyed your discussion of "Holes". I've added it to my "To Read" list!"
Let us know how you you like it!