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September 01
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New comment on Renee's review of
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream
reply to this comment
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June 12
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Martha
is currently reading:
Water for Elephants (Paperback)
by Sara Gruen
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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June 11
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Martha
gave
to:
Special Topics in Calamity Physics (Hardcover)
by Marisha Pessl
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in June, 2008
Martha said:
"I liked the book. There, I said it. (I have to come clean - I peeked at what other people said in their reviews before taking my own keyboard in hand, and this surely is cheating. But - it did reveal divisiveness out there about this book. Seems ...more
I liked the book. There, I said it. (I have to come clean - I peeked at what other people said in their reviews before taking my own keyboard in hand, and this surely is cheating. But - it did reveal divisiveness out there about this book. Seems that the more literary crowd almost resents it, feels that its success is unjustified, that it is written in an overblown style, etc. Then there's the read for enjoyment crowd who appreciates the mystery, the tumbling downhill style when motives are revealed. It's as if this book somehow draws a line in the sand and your reaction to it reveals the tribe to which you belong. Are you really smart, or just some dope reading by the pool? I don't get the disdain - my feeling is if you don't like it, don't keep reading it. I often don't finish books and it's actually very liberating.) Now - on to the book! Teenage girl and her brilliant dad have traveled the country, never living in any one town for long, to accommodate his job as a perennial visiting professor at various small colleges. Now, they have landed in a town in NC (not Nags Head, sadly) for what will be her senior year in high school where she will attend a prestigious private school. The plot centers around her relationship with a particular teacher and a group of privileged students. Mystery and mayhem ensue. ...less
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June 01
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Martha
gave
to:
The Night Watch (Paperback)
by Sarah Waters
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in December, 2007
Martha said:
"Diving right in to another by Sarah Waters.
...and diving right back out again. did not finish this - only got a quarter of the way into it and never felt that spark of interest. I was probably only pages away from some big event that links all th...more
Diving right in to another by Sarah Waters.
...and diving right back out again. did not finish this - only got a quarter of the way into it and never felt that spark of interest. I was probably only pages away from some big event that links all the seemingly unrelated characters together - oh well....less
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May 08
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Martha
gave
to:
Little Children (Paperback)
by Tom Perrotta
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in January, 2008
Martha said:
"I thought the first few chapters painted a pretty cliched picture of suburbia, then things really took off - it was hard to put down there towards the end (and I loved the ending). wish I could have given it 3.5 stars.
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April 14
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Martha
read and liked
Jessica's
review of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay:
"Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman are drinking Peet's coffee and eating zampanos in front of the Cheeseboard on Shattuck Avenue.
MC: Ayelet, I'm trying to think of a new idea for a novel. It's gotta be fresh, bold.... Something nobody's eve...more
Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman are drinking Peet's coffee and eating zampanos in front of the Cheeseboard on Shattuck Avenue.
MC: Ayelet, I'm trying to think of a new idea for a novel. It's gotta be fresh, bold.... Something nobody's ever thought of before!
AW: Wow, Michael, that's a tough one. There have been so very many novels written over the years, it's hard to come up with something new that's never been done before....
MC: Yeah, I need an idea that's totally original..... Maybe I should ask the kids, they're creative... Hey, where are the kids?
AW: The kids? I don't know. We had 'em when we left Andronico's....
MC: That's odd....
AW: Ah, fuck 'em. The important thing is that we're together. Let's focus on thinking of something innovative, new, a bit wild....
MC: Ayelet -- I have an idea! An idea for my next novel!
AW: What? What?
MC: It'll be about..... some boys!
AW: Yes--?
MC: Yes, some -- some JEWISH boys! And they're....
AW: They're what, Michael?? What are they doing???
MC: They're living in -- in BROOKLYN!!
AW: (gasps) It's.... BRILLIANT! My God!
MC: But not the Brooklyn of today, Ayelet, no -- Brooklyn during the middle of the last century!
AW: Oh, Michael -- you're a genius! No one's ever written a book like that before!
MC: You know what else??
AW: Don't tell me -- no, no, do! DO! Tell me right away!!!
MC: These boys.... they're into comic books! I mean, REALLY into comic books.
AW: Comic books? Jewish boys living in Brooklyn in the middle of the last century, who're really into comic books? Oh Michael, do you think the world is ready for a novel like that? Such a drastic break with the entire history of American literature -- it could be risky!
MC: It could be, that's true. Especially if I mention..... the NAZIS!
AW: It's bold, Michael. It's bold, but I think... you should do it. You know, guys like Jonathan Lethem would give their left nut to come up with ideas like this.
MC: Guys like Jonathan Lethem don't have my vocabulary.
AW: I bet you get a Pulitzer for this one, babe.
MC: I bet I do too.
Bookster: Jessica, what the hell is your problem? What are you even talking about???
J: Uh..... nothing.
B: Did you even read this book?
J: (quietly) No.
B: Do you know anything ABOUT these people?
J: (looks down) No.
B: Or this book?
J: Nope.
B: You know, I happen to love this brilliant novel. Michael Chabon is a highly gifted writer, and so his wife, who is also an extremely caring and wonderful mother, much better than you'd ever be. What do you think this behavior is all about, J?
J: (makes small shrugging motion, mumbles incoherently)
B: Can you speak up a little?
J: (more distinctly) I didn't like the beginning. (clears throat) Actually, I hated the beginning. It made me want to throw up. It made me want to throw up and....
B: And.....?
J: And it also made me want to fall asleep. So I got....
B: Yes....?
J: I got scared, B. You know that's how Jimi Hendrix died, right?
B: You're pathetic.
J: Hey, you asked.
B: You are a small person.
J: That may be.
B: You're jealous. And also not smart. You're just mad because you don't have any Pulitzers or babies, and you never will!
J: HEY, woah! Where's all THAT coming from?
B: Okay, sorry, I didn't mean.... Look, I happen to like both these writers a lot, okay? Maybe we should just stop here. Don't you have things you're supposed to be doing?
J: I guess I do, yeah.
B: You should get off the Internet. This is a little bit crazy.
J: It's been tough lately. My small life. You know, lonely, childless, semi-literate.....
B: Look, I said I was sorry. Can we drop it?
J: Yeah, fine, sure. Whatever you say.
B: You should really read this book, though. Your characterization of it is insulting and ridiculous. If you gave it half a chance, you'd be totally amazed.
J: My charac--
B: Run along!...less
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April 10
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Martha
gave
to:
Down River (Hardcover)
by John Hart
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in April, 2008
Martha said:
"Another passed-along library book from my mom. (I feel like I have to explain why I'm reading all this s***.) Writing unfavorable reviews makes me feel guilty on some level, I think because I am criticizing something that I couldn't do myself. Rea...more
Another passed-along library book from my mom. (I feel like I have to explain why I'm reading all this s***.) Writing unfavorable reviews makes me feel guilty on some level, I think because I am criticizing something that I couldn't do myself. Reading this one, however, made me feel like writing a commercially successful novel wouldn't be too far beyond my reach. ...less
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March 18
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Martha
gave
to:
Election (Paperback)
by Tom Perrotta
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in March, 2008
Martha said:
"This was a library book my mom read and still had a few days left on it, so she passed it along to me. Extraordinarily fast read, entertaining. Common ingredient between this and the other Tom Perrotta book I read, Little Children: extramarital aff...more
This was a library book my mom read and still had a few days left on it, so she passed it along to me. Extraordinarily fast read, entertaining. Common ingredient between this and the other Tom Perrotta book I read, Little Children: extramarital affairs, and lots of 'em! Seems like he relies a little too heavily on unexpected character pairings to move things along, but as I said already - fast read, entertaining. ...less
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February 20
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Martha
gave
to:
The Book of Dave (Hardcover)
by Will Self
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in February, 2008
Martha said:
"I think I have developed Adult Attention Deficit Disorder. This was a really good book, and I just couldn't finish it. What a great premise - a disgruntled London cabbie writes a rant to his son after his wife leaves him. The book is discovered lo...more
I think I have developed Adult Attention Deficit Disorder. This was a really good book, and I just couldn't finish it. What a great premise - a disgruntled London cabbie writes a rant to his son after his wife leaves him. The book is discovered long, long after by a post-apocalyptic society that believes it has found the gospel. This is my impression of the premise after reading only half the book, anyway. Chapters alternate between the cabbie's sad life and the new-world society and their wranglings with the Book. I found the modern world of Dave much more compelling than the futuristic, yet devolved, people of "Ham", and I think that was my problem. I was bummed to see the Dave chapters end and the Ham chapters start, and finally I got to a Ham chapter and let the book sit there for too long. It's back at the Bon Air branch now if any of my local friends want to give it a try....less
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January 06
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Martha
gave
to:
Divisadero (Hardcover)
by Michael Ondaatje
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in January, 2008
Martha said:
"As I was finishing the book and the number of pages remaining was dwindling, I realized with alarm that what was to me the most interesting story line was not going to be revisited, much less resolved. I'll admit this was a huge disappointment - I'm...more
As I was finishing the book and the number of pages remaining was dwindling, I realized with alarm that what was to me the most interesting story line was not going to be revisited, much less resolved. I'll admit this was a huge disappointment - I'm sure the other wonderful qualities of the book should have been enough to satisfy, but man I would love to have been told how it turned out. It was so beautifully written though - I found myself going back over some of the passages or even snippets of dialog again because they were so pleasing to read. ...less
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