75 Books...More or Less! discussion
Archive (2013 Completed)
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Alecia's 2013 challenge
Alecia, hmmm, I think I'll take Night Film off the tbr list!
Well, you could always give it a try. Seems some people really liked it. But it was a dreadful chore for me to finish, and I felt other books calling to me.
Alecia wrote: "Well, you could always give it a try. Seems some people really liked it. But it was a dreadful chore for me to finish, and I felt other books calling to me."I'll trust your review, as I have lots of other books calling my name too :-) Anyway, it's a rare book that justifies that length!
Alecia, I read your comment last week about considering writing your own graphic memoir - can you tell us more?!
It is in the planning stages, and I will be sure to keep you posted. It will be self-published, so I was looking for, and think I found, a print designer who can format and lay out the finished product for me. The subject will be about living with IBS, and be done in comics/cartoons. I currently have an anonymous (well, not for long) blog out, www.chronicallyme.com and it will done in the spirit of that blog. Of course, I haven't started yet;) Thanks for asking...
Alecia, I just spent part of my treadmill time reading your blog. It's fantastic! You're very talented as an artist and a writer (which I already knew from your well-written reviews). I also deal with a chronic disease - RA along with some mystery symptoms that some docs want to dx as fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and GI problems - that no one seems to be able to diagnose or treat. I could relate to so much of what you wrote!! And you made me laugh :)
Oh, and the helpful commenter who suggested weed for "anxiety" really cracked me up, lol
Thank you,Jan. I'm sorry you have to endure RA, but you certainly know what it's like to live with a chronic condition! I'm glad you could relate to some stuff in my blog, and I guess that's what I'm hoping will happen with a book...it will transcend IBS and somehow cover what it's like to live with a chronic ailment (or ailments) and deal with life. Of course, I'd like it to be humorous, so I'm glad it made you laugh. Now, I have to discipline myself and start thinking and drawing. But thank you for the kind words. I actually started out as a fashion illustrator (well, that's dating me:), but I have been cartooning about my life as long as I can remember.That book, "Cancer Has Made Me A Shallower Person", that I gave one of my coveted ;) 5 star reviews to, was really worth a read. So funny and knowing in the face of extreme adversity...
Andrea wrote: "That is great Alecia!"Now that I've announced it, I have to do it ;)!! Thanks, Andrea.
JanB wrote: "Oh, and the helpful commenter who suggested weed for "anxiety" really cracked me up, lol"I don't remember that one...I'll have to back and check. Too much. People also email me to the account on the blog. I've gotten some very touching feedback for the most part.
Alecia, I'll be first in line to buy your book when it's published and really look forward to it. Based in my reaction, I'd say it will definitely be relevant to anyone dealing with a chronic disease.And you've just reminded me that I need to add your 5 star read to my tbr list :)
Jan, Since you will be one of the 5;) people to buy this book when I finallly write it, perhaps you would like to weigh in on a decision I need to make...I need to decide on a size for it. As I will probably use createspace to self-publish, they do have their rules. It has boiled down to either 6 x 9 (industry standard) and 81/4 x 8 1/4, or 6 x 8 1/4. Although I like the last choice best, I'm concerned it won't allow for enough frames per page (and the book graphic print design person I may work with didn't seem wild about it). The book that you added to your TBR list was 8 1/4 x 7 which I love...but I can't do it as it was custom by a publisher. Thanks for your input!! In this case, size matters.
Alecia wrote: "Jan, Since you will be one of the 5;) people to buy this book when I finallly write it, perhaps you would like to weigh in on a decision I need to make...I need to decide on a size for it. As I wi..."lol on being one of the 5 people to buy it - which I'm sure won't be true :-)
Your question is outside of my expertise but I can see why your concern would be fitting enough on the page (or the graphics being so small that people my age may need a magnifier to read, lol). For comparison I just measured one of my knitting books and it's 8x8, which is a nice size so I guess my vote would be the 8 1/4 X 8 1/4. Good luck making a decision!
My library doesn't have the Miriam Engelberg memoir - darn it.
JanB wrote: "Alecia wrote: "Jan, Since you will be one of the 5;) people to buy this book when I finallly write it, perhaps you would like to weigh in on a decision I need to make...I need to decide on a size ..."Thank you...for some reason I cannot make up mind. The example I have of the 8 1/4x8 1/4 is a children's book, so perhaps that is causing me a problem. And also, if I want to use cream colored paper instead of white, I can only do that on 6x9. I appreciate you weighing in on this momentous decision, and I will try and decide so I can move forward and get started!
Too bad about the memoir...it was written in 2006, so that might explain it. Sadly, she passed away soon after her book was published. Can they order from another library?
It's always easier to make someone else's decision :) I can see why that size may be troublesome for you if it reminds you of a children's book. I'm standing in front of my bookcase measuring books and found a 6x9 (I'm very visual when it comes to things like that). Honestly, I think that's a nice size too and maybe a little easier to hold in your hands.I guess I'm no help :) I'm sure whatever decision you make, once it's done it will be perfect!
Good idea to check for an inter-library loan! Sad that the author passed away.
Book # 56 The Virgins: A Novel 4/5 starsWhat a nice feeling, to read a novel in almost two sittings without looking at how many pages I had left! Granted, this is a short book, but the writing made my reading an effortless and enjoyable experience. For that alone, 4 stars.
The book is set in 1979, and tells the story of Aviva and Seung, two students at an elite East Coast boarding school. The story is told by our rather unreliable narrator, Bruce Bennet-Jones, who spies Aviva arriving on her first day at school and falls in love with her. They have a very unpleasant experience in which the reader learns a little about our narrator's boorish ways. When Aviva and Seung become a couple, their heat together is palpable to everyone who witnesses them together. But the story is a layered, nuanced one that peers into teen sexuality and confusion, disruptive family lives, and is a window into boarding school life of that era. I thought it was quite successful and sensitive.
Book # 57 The Good Lord Bird 3/5 starsThis is historical fiction told as a good old yarn by a character who did not exist in history. Henry Shackelford, the fictitious character known through out the book as Henrietta, or "Little Onion", is kidnapped at about age 12 by John Brown, the abolitionist, whose mission is to free the slaves. Little Onion is a slave, and for some reason John Brown mistakes him for a girl. He is able to pass as a girl throughout this book and is kept as a kind of good luck charm near John Brown, and is able to witness the historical events and interact with some famous people leading up to the Civil War. The way the story is told, through Onion's colloquial narrative, is interesting, and sometimes humorous. I found it moderately entertaining and somewhat unique. And it certainly paints a nuanced portrait of John Brown.
Book # 58 Save Yourself 2/5 starsI was undecided whether to give this one or two stars. Only because some of the writing itself was pretty good did I decide on two stars. I think I am in the minority after looking at all the glowing reviews, but I found this to be an unrelentingly grim, lurid, static story. The plot seemed to be at the same time going nowhere, yet all over the place. The bullying in high school and online of one of the teenage characters was absolutely horrible, but it seemed to go nowhere, just told for the horror of it all. And the character of the blood-sucking goth leader, Justinian, was extremely creepy. Not for me.
Book # 59 Andrew's Brain 3.5/5 starsI would give this very short (almost a novella?), latest work by E.L. Doctorow a 3.5 for the sheer enjoyment of reading his prose. I won this book in the Goodreads Giveaway. The only reason I did not award it 4 stars was because I was a little confused with the ending.
It's been a long time since I read Billy Bathgate and Ragtime. Both were books I remember with great fondness. It's nice to be in the hands of such a wonderful writer.
This book is narrated by Andrew, a cognitive science professor, and he is apparently talking to his psychiatrist. Andrew's point of view sometimes abruptly shifts from the first person to the third. It is hunorous, poignant and very knowing, and I read it very quickly.
Book #60 Femme 3/5 starsThis little slip of a novella is Bill Pronzini's nicely written noir starring his usual cast of characters. Nameless Detective and his associates get involved with the "bad" girl, Cory Beckett, and her weak brother. While normally this would've just garnered an "OK" from me, as the plot is as thin as tracing paper, Pronzini's writing makes it a very enjoyable short read.
Book # 61 The Maid's Version 3/5 starsThe writing in this book is so lovely that I wish it had meandered a bit less. Some of the time I had a problem figuring out which character or event was being described. It jumps between 1929, when a terrible dance hall explosion tragedy takes place, and the narration of this story by a grandson in the 1960's. The maid in question is Alma Dunahew, whose sister is one of the forty-two killed in this explosion, and she tells the story, as she remembers it, to her grandson. Woodrell is a very good writer, and it's a worthy read for the prose alone.
Book # 62 Man Alive!: A Novel 3/5 starsThis book starts off in such a strong, powerful way, that I was tempted to give it 4 stars for the first half. But it petered out in the second half, and that was a disappointment. But what a beginning, and this author can write!
Dr. Owen Lerner, noted child psychiatrist, is feeding quarters in the parking meter when he is literally struck by lightening. The description of this event is so vivid and, at times scarily hilarious, that it alone is worth the reading of this book. His whole family is sent into free fall by the effect this bolt of lightening has on Owen. While his twin sons, daughter and wife wait for him to get back to normal from the greivous wounds he suffered, Owen is obsessed with barbecue and trying to recreate that moment when he is in the air due to the lightening, which he found transcendent. He is a changed man. His wife tends to him but is growing estranged, and his children are in pain. There are very good descriptions of family interactions and emotions. But the drama of all the family members tends to meander a bit as the novel progresses.
Book # 63 The Last Original Wife 3/5 starsI'm not a huge fan of chick lit, but this was a well-done "talking with your girlfriends" kind of book. Frank's writing, whether narrating in Les or Wes's voice, caused me to feel as if I was in a nice chatty conversation (well, actually a monologue) with the narrators. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as reading this was kind of fun. Les is the last original wife in her crowd, and after years of abusive, neglectful behavior at her husband, Wes's, hands, she's had enough. Her husband's friends have gone on to much younger wives and she is put-upon and fed up. Les has also had it with her two grown children. On the cusp of her 60th birthday, she does something about her situation. It's hard not to cheer for her.
Book # 64 Devil in the Hole 3/5 starsThis is a fast-paced novel based on the horrendous murder of his entire family by John List in the early 70's. It is told from multiple points of view, and is not a who-done-it as we know right away who did it. It is more how this murder affected the different people who were involved, including police, neighbors and random people John Hartman ( the fictional John List) met along the way.
Book # 65 The Outcasts 3/5 starsIf there is such a thing as a noir western, this would be it. There were many parts of this story that I liked, but it just didn't quite gel as a whole. Two threads are told separately, until they finally come together at the end. Lucinda's tale begins when she escapes (with some stolen money) from a brothel where she has been a virtual prisoner. She heads toward the Middle Bayou to meet her lover, and is taking a teaching position in that remote area as a cover for her real intentions. Nate is a Texas lawman who joins two rangers hunting a merciless killer named McGill. Kathleen Kent tells a good story, and I would read another book by her. This is an enjoyable read, and the characters are very dark.
Book # 66 The Best of Youth 3/5 starsI rounded this rating up to 3 stars as the narrator is a very amiable fellow, and the writing was pretty good for the most part. The story line, however, was rather rambling, and the serious parts of the story did not jive well with the more comedic parts that started this novel. I did find the part about the goats pretty amusing in a horrifying way. I won't go into any more detail than that.
Henry inherits 15 million dollars, while he is in his 20's, because of his parent's untimely death. He is socially awkward, but a nice guy at his core. He discovers himself both romantically, and with his writing career as the story progresses. I liked Henry, but found this book , while a pleasant read, rather uncompelling.
Book # 67 Y: A Novel 3.5/5 starsI would round this up to a 3.5 rating. I liked the spunky narrator, Shannon, who was abandoned at birth by her mother, Yula. She is abandoned at a YMCA, hence the Y of the title. But the letter Y also explores "why" of the path not taken. Yula is observed abandoning her baby by Vaughn, who just happens to be at the Y early that morning. He decides that this baby is not meant to be with her mother, and so gives a skewed description of the mother to the police.
Shannon is shunted through foster homes, enduring abuse and neglect, until she finds some stability with Miranda and her daughter. But things are not easy for Shannon. She has a tremedous longing to find out who her mother was, and why she was abandoned.
The novel is told between Shannon's narration of her life, and Yula's story. The reader gets an understanding of choices made and lives affected by these choices.
Book # 68 Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson 4/5 starsThis is a very well-researched, readable account of Charles Manson, his life and background, and the horrible events that he and his "Family" are remembered for over 40 years later. I was just starting college when the Tate-LaBianca murders made headlines, and Manson and his Family were the subjects of endless fascination and in the public eye for quite a while. I also remember reading Vincent Bugliosi's book, Helter Skelter.
I think the author, Jeff Guin, sums up this book very well at the end when he writes, " There was nothing mystical or heroic about Charlie-he was an opportunistic sociopath. The unsettling 1960s didn't create Charlie, but they made it possible for him to bloom in full, malignant flower. In every sense, one theme runs through and defines his life. Charlie Manson was always the wrong man in the right place at the right time."
Book # 69 Johnny Carson 3.5/5 starsI would round this rating up to a 3.5 for the ease and enjoyment of reading such a dishy book. There had been advanced publicity for some of the revelations in this book, but I only read a good review of it in the NY Times. I thought it would be of interest to read while I was out of town, and I was right. Although I wasn't a huge fan of Johnny's, I did grow up with him and the Tonight Show,and he was an iconic part of my life. This book is written by Henry Bushkin, who became Carson's personal lawyer while Bushkin was still quite a young man. Along with bettering himself financially with such a wealthy, well-known client, the two became close friends for eighteen years. They did not have a good ending to their relationship, and although Bushkin tried to tell the story of his relationship with Carson in an objective manner, the hurt still lingers, Despite that, it is quite an enjoyable read, and the reader gets to know Johnny a bit better (at least through Bushkin's point of view).
Book # 70 A Constellation of Vital Phenomena This is one of those cases where the writing was beautiful, the book garnered rave reviews, and I just could not finish it. I don't know whether it was the subject matter (Chechnyan war) or the kind of fable/grim realism style, but I just could not slog my way to the finish. Others seem to have loved it, so it's obviously worthy to some.
Book # 71 Bad Monkey 2.5/5 starsI would round this up to a 2.5/5 rating, as I chuckled out loud several times while reading. Carl Hiaasen has a wry sense of humor, and that is always appreciated by me. However, this overlong (sort of) mystery is chock full of kooky characters and jumps back and forth with it's plot line from Florida to The Bahamas. After a severed arm is found, caught by a tourist in the waters of Key West, FL, said arm becomes the temporary property and future fixation of ex-policeman Andrew Yancy. The rest of the book describes his self-appointed mission to figure out how this arm became separated from it's (fraudulant, he's convinced) owner, and expose the nefarious plot to get insurance money. Some parts are more amusing than others, and some parts just drag. I did not particularly enjoy the many pages of Hiaason's depiction of his Bahamian character's dialogue in Patois.
Book # 72 Sycamore Row 4/5 starsI have not read a Grisham novel for years. I dismissed them as mediocre courtroom dramas that make better movies than books. But my eye was caught by the very good reviews I recently read for Sycamore Row, and I decided to give Mr. Grisham another try. Not only that, but it is the first time I have read a book in it's entirety on my ipad. Both experiences were very good.
This is a very thoughtful, readable and engaging courtroom drama with a good storyline. Seth Hubbard's suicide starts off the book, followed by the revelation that he has left 90% of his very substantial estate to his black housekeeper, Lettie Lang, in a handwritten will. He has cut out his children and all tax benefits from his previous will, and mails this new will along with a letter of instruction to Jake Brigance, a lawyer he has never met. This novel is set in the late 80's (which has little bearing on the plot), and continues with characters from a previous Grisham novel. It is not necessary to have read that one to enjoy Sycamore Row.
I read many of his earlier books but became disenchanted. But when this book was offered on an e-book sale I snapped it up because someone at the gym told be it was very good. Now, with your review, I'm looking forward to it even more!
JanB wrote: "I read many of his earlier books but became disenchanted. But when this book was offered on an e-book sale I snapped it up because someone at the gym told be it was very good. Now, with your review..."As another, former non-Grisham fan, I will be interested to hear what you thought of it. I like pleasant surprises.
Book # 73 The Goldfinch 5/5 starsThere are so few books that I read and award 5 stars( I read mostly new fiction nowadays), that reading The Goldfinch was a special privilege for me. The writing is exquisite, moving, and engrossing. I can not do it justice in this review, but the lucky reader is in the hands of a very gifted writer, Donna Tartt. I did read her previous books, most notably, The Secret History years ago, and a very good book that was.
This is a very long novel (don't drop it on your foot, as Stephen King kids about it in his glowing review of it in the New York Times Book Review), and it is narrated by Theo Decker, who is a young boy at the start of this saga. The first part of the book has the most wrenching description of the aftermath of an explosion I have ever read. This tragedy sets the story in motion, and paves the way for the circuitous, sometimes tragic trajectory Theo's life takes. Some of the later dialogue spoken by his Russian friend, Boris, sometimes slowed me down a bit and felt a bit awkward, and I got a bit mixed up differentiating between some of Boris's nefarious cohorts. But these quibbles aside, I thought that the book was a splendid reading experience.
Book # 74 Nostalgia 4/5 starsThis is the second excellent book I have read this year about wartime Post Taumatic Stress Syndrome, the other book being Sparta by Roxana Robinson. In Nostalgia, the setting is the Civil War, as opposed to present day in Sparta. But both young men are traumatically affected by their wartime experiences, and have extreme difficulty coping with their internal traumas.
Summerfield Hayes is a young man on the path to study law, and an excellent baseball player, when he decides to enist in the army during the Civil War. He and his sister, Sarah (a schoolteacher), live in Brooklyn, NY and they have recently lost their parents in a tragic accident. Summerfield has strong feelings for his sister, and it is partially to escape these feelings that he enlists. Sarah is angry and heartbroken, but Hayes enlists anyway and the bulk of the story is about his wartime experiences, including chilling hospital descriptions. The writing is beautiful, poetic and compelling, but this is definitely not a cheery tale. One of the main characters in this book is Walt Whitman, who appears later in the story, and plays an important role in Summerfield's life.
Book # 75 W is for Wasted 3/5 starsReading Sue Grafton's alphabet series is like visiting with old friends. Some of their stories are better than others. But no matter that it is not one of the best, it's still Kinsey Millhone, and it's still entertaining. This one is a tad overlong, and once again is told in Kinsey's voice and in the third person for some of the plot. The multilayered tale involves two dead bodies, a mysterious will, Kinsey's long lost relatives, a bunch of homeless people, and a corrupt pharmacological research trial. Since Grafton still has her stories set in the 1980's, Kinsey is only 38 years old. Lots of paperwork and pay phones,she's still wearing her one utilitarian "all purpose" black dress when needed, and she is still making her notes on index cards. Her octogenarian friends are still alive, loving and helpful. She's not quite as starchy and prickly as she used to be (unfortunately), but I still like her!
Alecia wrote: "Book # 75 W is for Wasted 3/5 starsReading Sue Grafton's alphabet series is like visiting with old friends. Some of their stories are better than others. But no matter that it is..."
I have this waiting on my kindle too.......so many books....
I love Kinsey (and Henry!) and like the 1980's setting. I agree that some of the books are better than others but thought the last few were back to her earlier standards. I'll be sad to see the series end.
Congrats on making it to 75! :-)
Mod
Thank you on the congrats. Just 2 years ago I was reading well over 90 books a year. Then along came Words With Friends and general tinkering with my iPad. So those distractions took their toll. But I'm still a bookworm! And Jan, I will miss Kinsey also. I've been reading her for so long. She doesn't get any older, but I do.
Alecia wrote: "Thank you on the congrats. Just 2 years ago I was reading well over 90 books a year. Then along came Words With Friends and general tinkering with my iPad. So those distractions took their toll. Bu..."Ah, someone else with a WWF addiction! I suppose there are worse addictions to have. At least we are using our minds, right? :-)
Maybe we can count our online "research and tinkering" as reading?!
Another WWF addict...almost reading...words, no story:)If you ever want to start a game with me, let me know...The NY Times named The Goldfinch one of the ten best books of 2013. Even though I don't know about their other choices, I agree with that one! I hope you enjoy it when you get to it.
Alecia wrote: "Another WWF addict...almost reading...words, no story:)If you ever want to start a game with me, let me know...The NY Times named The Goldfinch one of the ten best books of 2013. Even though I do..."
You're on! I'm Jan37 on WWF.
I've seen The Goldfinch on several "best of" lists. I'm anxious to start it but want to wait until after next week when my reading time will be limited due to houseguests - both the 2-legged and 4-legged
variety :-)
I've also seen Life After Life by Kate Atkinson on the lists and I agree. It was a favorite of mine this year.
I will put Life after Life on my TBR list. I will send you a WWF game...from beautyofwords :) good luck with all your house guests!
Alecia wrote: "I will put Life after Life on my TBR list. I will send you a WWF game...from beautyofwords :) good luck with all your house guests!"love your WWF name :-)
Book # 76 The Gods of Guilt 3/5 starsI always want to read whatever book Michael Connelly has written. As this is his latest, it was, of course, eagerly anticipated by me as a "slam-dunk" enjoyment. I prefer Harry Bosch to Mickey Haller, but Mickey's OK too. Connelly does a good courtroom drama, and I think that part of Gods of Guilt is the best of the book.
The story dragged a bit,and seemed a bit convoluted, but there are always some twists and turns that make a book by Connelly jolt you back to attention. It's a little odd and quirky to have Mickey's character know that there was a movie made about him, and there are now a lot of Lincoln Lawyers parking their Town Cars around the courthouse. But otherwise, all is the same in Micky Haller-land.
Book # 77 My Notorious Life 3.5/5 starsI am rounding this up to 3.5/5 stars. It is fiction based on a real life story of a "female physician" who practiced in NYC in the mid-19th century.
This story is narrated by Axie Muldoon (great name), who along with her sister and brother, are wrested from their poverty-stricken mother and placed in different homes far away from their native NYC. The first part of the book tells of that harsh childhood and then follows Axie to her internship (actually more like indentured servitude) with a midwife and her physician husband, who take her in back in NYC. The second part of the book follows Axie's midwifery and potion-selling practice as aided by her husband Charlie, a fellow-orphan.
It is interesting (and rather horrifying for women) to read about the lack of birth control and the effects thereof during that era. Although an interesting concept, and seemingly well-researched, this book lacked that extra "zing" in the writing that would make the reading experience truly shine for me. But, it was a nice read, and it seems many really loved it.
Book # 78 The Cuckoo's Calling 2.5/5 starsRight under the wire, this is my last book read for 2013. I have a disclaimer: I am not a Harry Potter fan, and have only read one of that series under duress (a family member pressured me as he was sure I would love it). I most likely would have liked these books when I was a young child, but not as an adult. I do appreciate that many adults find JK Rowling's books very enjoyable, but I am not one of them. That being said, I was curious as to whether I would like her writing for an adult audience (this after the revelation that "Robert Galbraith" was, in fact, JK Rowling), and I noted the reviews were generally good. I also like a good mystery, so I was game. Although I would round this up to a 2.5/5 stars, I found it to be a rather pedestrian mystery that went on a little too long. The lengthy exposition at the end when the private detective, Cormoran Strike, confronts the murderer, was tedious and not believable to me. I liked the beginning, when the temp secretary, Robin, meets her boss, and nearly gets knocked down the stairs by his abrupt opening of his door. I had high hopes for the book then, and actually chiuckled a little at the dynamics between the two of them. But then the actual story began, and moderate tedium set in.
75 Books...More or Less!
Books mentioned in this topic
The Cuckoo's Calling (other topics)My Notorious Life (other topics)
The Gods of Guilt (other topics)
W is for Wasted (other topics)
W is for Wasted (other topics)
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While I applaud Marisha Pessl for the heroic effort it must have taken to write and compile this very long book chock full of graphics, I had to slog through much of it, and had to force myself to finish. There are many parts in here that are well-written, but I found it overlong, over-written, and, on the whole, a strain to read. The plot veers all over the place, from a secret club hidden in Montauk, NY, to a store selling witchcraft supplies, and on and on. There have been many comments made about her overuse of italics...I agree.
I also did not care much about the character, Ashley Cordova, whose probable suicide led the investigation in this book. Her father, a famous cult-horror film director named Stanislas Cordova, is the subject of endless musings and theories. The back story on him and his films is very creative, but still I was not engaged. I also noted the wild praise written about this book from some readers. So, perhaps, this was just not for me.