The Next Best Book Club discussion
Personal Reading Goals
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Kandice's 2010 Reviews
Good goal Kandice...I just decided this year to keep a book journal so I can write down how I felt about the books I read. That way someday when I look back I can say oh yeah I really liked that one. Good Luck on your goal and happy reading :~)
Good luck, Kandice! I'm glad you're trying to write more reviews because I always enjoy reading yours :)
Thanks, Liz! I was always afraid of sounding...silly, so was afraid to write them, but the more you write them, the more you want to.
2010I will that simple.I will concentrate with what I already own.I have more than 50 unread books waiting on my shelves.
Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
***
The best word to describe this book, start to finish, is charming. From the very first paragraph, it was sweet and endearing. It's the story of a middle aged woman opening the very first female detective agency in Africa with her inheritance.
Every book I've read that takes place in Africa is told in such a calm, simple voice. The worst things can be happening and yet calmness oozes off the page. People do bad things and no one gets overly upset or surprised. People ARE people and DO bad things. So what? It's such a refreshing change of pace.
One of the main themes is the discrimination Mma Ramotswe must overcome because of her gender. Women simply can not BE detectives in Africa. Until she shows them they can. I found it funny that she strives to overcome this stereo-type, and yet expects all men to behave badly, cheat, lie and steal. Again, they're men. They do these things. One must expect it. It's such a double standard, and yet she still managed to charm me with her beliefs. She was so matter of fact about it, and so unwilling to asign blame.
I will be looking for the others in the series. I really like Mma and can't wait to see what will happen with the zinger we are served in the last paragraph, on the last page. I know what I am hoping and look forward to seeing if I am right.
Hi Kandice.What a great serie.Its such a delightful story.simple and smartly written.I enjoyed so much and each time I read one of the serie it reminds me how life can be wonderful with little simple thing.The serie is great.Now I'm always looking forward for the next release.
Kandice, as you know I love this serie, so I really hope you can rea dthe rest of them.
Hi Kandice, I've just finished the latest one in the series, The Miracle at Speedy Motors - just as charming and delightful as all the others! Have you seen the TV series? It's wonderful! The characters are so well cast!
Kandice, Charmimg is the perfect word to describe this series. I have listened to them all, except for the newest. The T.V. Series is great, the only reason I have HBO..looking forward to the second season!!
The Golden Mountain - Beyond the American Dream
**
Okay, I admit it, I picked this up thinking it was a novel, not a memoir, or however it's classified. It was dry, lacked details or description, and just failed to get my interest. I literally forced myself to finish.
Kai tells us her great-great, great, grand and mother's stories beginning in Hong Kong, leading, eventually to her life in America, or The Golden Mountain as it's called. She's unflinchingly honest. There is a shock right at the very beginning, told in very droll, dry tones that never seemed to change. I had to go back over to make sure I actually understood what she was telling us, not only once, but often. That's how flat this was. An incident a better author could have used to bring me to tears or anger...nothing, nada, zip. My only reaction was anoyance at having to waste the time re-reading.
This felt more like a chronicle than a story. I know it's possible to relay an accurate family history in an interesting way, but Kai never seemed to try. She relayed dates and facts, relying on shock value to keep our interest. Unfortunately she didn't keep mine. I never even cared enough about the characters to sympathize, even in the midst of tragedy and gross injustice. It's a pity, because in another author's hands, it could be an engrossing story. I've always been fascinated by life in that corner of the world. What a waste.
Marci wrote: "Kandice, Charmimg is the perfect word to describe this series. I have listened to them all, except for the newest. The T.V. Series is great, the only reason I have HBO..looking forward to the secon..."I have HBO, and usually only watch their series. I've missed this one, so may need to catch up;) Thanks.
On Writing
This is a re-read for me. I knew I had read (at least parts) of it many more times than one, but I am still unsure of how many. I was so surprised to find how very familiar almost every section, paragraph, sentence and word was. I've said it many, many times, but I really love Stephen King!
I'm not a writer and have no aspirations to be. That didn't stop me from enjoying every word of this book. Yes, I see how it could be instructive, but so much more importantly than that, it shows us a little of how King became the King we know and love. We get glimpes into his life that we would never have access to otherwise. Because these personal glimpses were my favorite parts of the book, it almost made me sad when King says, towards the end, that this book was horribly hard for him to write. Even if you take away the hiatus his accident made neccesary, he put it aside longer than any other novel he has written. Maybe because this one's not a novel, so unfamiliar, and possibly a little scary, territory for him. He knows how to keep us interested and involved with his imagination, but obviously felt daunted by the process of putting fact (flavored with opinion) on paper. He need not have done. It's a brilliant piece of work, and the fact that us non-writers gobbled it up is a testament to that.
Each time he mentioned an author, movie, short story or novel he enjoyed that I also loved, I felt a thrill. To share something, even something as small as interest, with the man himself, was a heady feeling. Of course the culmination of all those lead up thrills was his reading list at the back of the book. He was very careful to make it clear these were not assignments, simply the books he had enjoyed in the last few years, but still...I READ SOME OF THOSE TOO!!!!
I couldn't help but notice, 6 up from the bottom, Joe Hill by Wallace Stegner. Is this where his son got his pen name? Hmmmm....
*****
Joe Hill's real name is Joseph Hillstrom King so he just shortened it to Joe Hill for a pen name. But his parent's named him after the labor leader ( I think that's what he was). So, without having read the aforementioned book, the answer is Yes, i think so? :)and no i'm not stalking him haha.
You know, as soon as I asked myself that, I looked in The Complete Stephen King Encyclopedia The Definitive Guide to the Works of America's Master of Horror (which, as a fellow stalker, I have at hand!LOL) and saw that. Still...like you said, they chose the name because of the labor leader, and Stegner's book may be about him, sooooo.Now I'll have to research Stegner's book. I'm not a Stegner stalker, alas. The only one I've read of his was Angle of Repose and I had to slog because I didn't like it.
Maybe we are a little TOO involved? NEVER!!!!!
I read this unauthorized biography of Stephen King that came out either in 2008 or 2009 and, even though it gathered info from a lot of sources I'd already read it was a little weird. I suck as a stalker. I like On Writing because not only is it a great resource book but it's like a long letter to us fans. Feels more personal.
Well I have the one I mentioned above, and I also have Feast of Fear Conversations With Stephen King but I haven't read it yet. What biography did you read?
had to search for it: Haunted Heart The Life and Times of Stephen King. It was pretty good and very recently written. Some biographies of his were written at the height of his fame so they stop in like the 80's, early 90's. This one even has info on Joe Hill
Guess I need to look for that one. Thanks a LOT Rachel! *sarcasm*;)
Chess Rumble
I checked this out of the library expecting a comic. It WAS shelved with the comics and graphic novels after all. That's not what I got. It's illustrated, and there's an ongoing narrative, but I think it's a poem. The naration appeared in verse, anyway, and I found that distracting. Not rhyme, just verse, in columns on the pages.
Anyone could see where this was going. A young man, living in a bad neighborhood, loses a sister and his father in very quick succesion. He becomes a discipline problem, and because of his large size, a physical threat. He can't control the anger that sparks his temper and seems to have a first class ticket to juvenile hall. Chess saves him.
As predictable as it was, G. Neri got the dialogue exatly right. I just read On Writing by Stephen King, and he says portraying real speech, let alone dialects, accents and colloquialisms is very, very hard. Neri did that perfectly here. I could actually hear the words being said. Maybe not the voices, but the words were written the way they would sound, not the way they would appear courtesy of spell-check. The slang was understandable, but helped to create my idea of just who this kid was.
Jesse Watson's illustrations were beautiful. Mostly black and white, elaborate shading and a tiny touch of color where black and white just weren't quite enough. The characters were brought to life, and his drawings of chess pieces were beautiful, even if they were only the plastc $5.99 starter sets
***
Hey-added V for Vendetta to my TBR list. Looks good, liked the movie and i'm highly suggestable! haha, hope my library has it.
The Name of this Book is Secret
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I read this at the urging of my 12 year old son. Maybe, begging, pleading and bribing would be more accurate, but I don't want to split hairs.
Probably everyone who has read the A Series of Unfortunate Events books will compare these. The style is clever, very interesting to kids, and pretty educational on a small level. I devoured ASOUE when my kids did and can see I'll have to work my way through this significantly shorter series. I would not be surprised to find out Lemony Snicket and Pseudonymous Bosh were one and the same. If they are, that guy is an excellent pen name picker!
Cass and Max-Ernest, the main characters are quirky enough to be likable and interesting at the same time. They show social issues they will obviously work through during the series, and I think that's a huge part of the appeal. If these characters can oversome their unpopularity, anyone can, right?
The premise is the search for the Philospoher's Stone, Fountain of Youth, or whatever name you want to give to the secret to living forever. The people trying to find this secret are unsavory to say the least, part of a secret club, smart enough to catch our heroes, but dumb enough to lose them in time to set up the next book. Perfect formula to capture 9-14 year olds and get them hooked. Their moms too, I guess;)
***
Rachel wrote: "Hey-added V for Vendetta to my TBR list. Looks good, liked the movie and i'm highly suggestable! haha, hope my library has it."Hooray! I can't wait to see what you think. It's so good and very, very dense, just like Watchmen.
Kin
I really enjoyed the The Spiderwick Chronicles Box Set while my children were reading them, so when I saw this at the library I had to try it.
It was the same premise except that the age she was writing for has gone up to about 15-18. The illustrations were beautiful. Not on par with Brian Froud, but certainly in the same style. Because the premise of the book is a girl finding out as a teen that she's a fairie, she begins to see the fairie world all around her. It was fun to pour over the illustrations for what she was seeing that everyone else was not. Teens were portrayed very accurately, right down to their thongs peeking out of the top of their jeans!
In addition to Rue Silver awakening to her heritage, there is a murder and a disapearance her father is blamed for. Rue takes it upon herself to solve both and does, but we are left on the last page with the beginnings of the NEXT adventure for Rue.
If it's available at the linrary, I will certainly read it.
***
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
I have always read Mary Roach's articles in Reader's Digest with delight, so couldn't wait to read this one when I saw it was by her.
I don't see how anyone could read this through and NOT consider donating their body or organs. She ends the book with the thought that as important to us, the owner of the body, what happens to it after we die, it's the loved ones we leave behind who must live with our decisions. I agree, so I think everyone should start talking to their spouses, children, parents and siblings now.
There were so many parts of this book I would think "This is my favorite" as I was reading, only to replace it a few pages later. "No, THIS is the best part." There is so much about cadavers I never knew. Many things it would never have entered my mind to worry or think about.
Organ donation as a legal defense? Yes! A man shoots his victim during a robbery. Said victim is left brain dead, but has an organ donor card in his wallet. The robber's lawyer uses the fact that the victim was ALIVE until he was killed by the Dr. collecting his heart for transplant. Seriously. It happened. She sites sources.
There's an ecologist in Sweden who thinks people should be composted after death. We would, in this small way, be giving back to the world that nurtured us in life. The circle of life at it's most round, if you can get over the bad smell of the compost heap you poured potatoe peels and egg shells in as a child.
Scientists have grafted extra heads onto dogs and monkeys. They really have. In one such case, the "experiment" actually lived 26 days! I was shocked to read this. Of course the end result they are hoping to achieve is the transplantation of a human head onto a new body, thus extending life indefinitely. Well, as long as new bodies can be procurred.
Mary Roach instilled her subtle, dry humor exactly where it was needed. Even when a subject wa particularly unsavory, you can't gag because your mouth is busy smiling, if not outright laughing. She asked questions in her search for information I would have been embarassed to utter. They were, without exception, exactly the questions I would have wanted to ask. Thank you, Mary Roach.
*****
Farscape: The Beginning of the End of the Beginning
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I've been missing the show, so was pleased to see this graphic novel/glorified comic. It's always comforting to revisit old friends, especially when their personalities, relationships, ticks and idiosyncracies have been kept intact. The witty quips, arguments, and uncurrent of friendship were well preserved here.
The story revolves around Moya and crew helping Rigel reclaim his rightful throne as Dominar. At first only Chiana and D'Argo's son accompany him to his home planet. Those two have entered a purely sexual relationship to deal with D'Argo's death, that his son for one, has tired of. The trip is a welcome distraction. Aeryn and Chrichton stay on board with their newly nicknamed son, Deke, to find a settling down location. That's the plan, anyway. We all know about Chrichton and plans...
Anyway, as anyone could have predicted, things go awry, Chrichton and Aeryn, Deke in tow, race down to save their friends from none other than...Scorpius! What's he doing here?
The best part of the story was the development of a relationship between Aeryn and her son. She's so afraid of inadequacy as a parent that she's failing until she is finally too distracted by events to worry about it anymore. Finally, motherhood falls into place.
The art work was (mostly) excellent. I felt the portrayal of every character was accurate enough for the actors to have wanted panels with their characters to keep. Aeryn Sun was the exception. She just never looked like the Aeryn I love until the one panel where she appears in her trademark, tight pony. There she was!
We are left with many, many dangling plot lines. What will become of Scorpius? Will there be a relationship (past sex) for Chiana and D'Argo's son? Will the Chrichton-Sun family ever find a home, or could Moya have been that home all along? Most of all, what the hell is that slow-mo thing Deke can do? Guess I'll have to search out the next installment to find out.
****
Push Not the River
This was an incredibly moving story. I'm not sure how factual it was, but I am fairly certain the dates and events were correct. I wsn't very familiar with 18th century Poland, and feel I learned a lot as I was entertained. I prefer to get my historical facts that way, so this was the perfect read for me.
Right until the end I had a 4 star rating in mind. I really cared about Anna from page one, and I'll be the first to admit she had it rough, poor thing. From the death of her father, brother and mother in such a short span, to rape, forced matrimony...she was put through the wringer. Not to mention the political unheaval that was the basis of the background. What was a little off for me was that no matter how bad things got for her, there was always someone to take care of her. Is anyone so charismatic that someone's always there? It became a non-issue for me at the end, because Zofia wiped out that tiny bit of unbelievabilty. Zofia made this book for me!
When young Anna loses her family, she is sent to live with relatives, including a gorgeous, winsome, sneaky cousin, the aforementioned Zofia. Zofia truly loves Anna, but jealousy and ambition often push that love aside. Strangely enough, Anna seems the only person inher life she does truly love. Could this be because Anna is the only one with the courage to be honest with her? As many times as she helps Anna, she throws obstacles in her path to happiness. Obstacles that Anna trips over, but invariably is able to dust herself off and climb over or walk around. Each time a lesser woman would have given up and taken the easy route, Anna perseveres, keeps doing what she knows is right and somehow comes out on top.
As perfect as Anna is, Zofia is as perfect a foil. She lies, cheats, steals, leads men on, beds many, and yet in her heart she truly holds love. She seems to instinctively know on which side her bread is buttered and has no problem flipping to keep the buttered side up. Yet, in the end, she makes a huge personal sacrifice to save Anna. Anna being who she is, is able to forgive, keep doing what is right and move on toward the happiness she has always sought and deserved.
Because there is a sequel, there must be more to keep Anna from her happiness. I don't even want to guess. I can't imagine a more entertaining character than Zofia, but am looking forward to the author's attempt.
*****
Heathentown
Two young women, Anna and Kit, are volunteering in Chad when Kit is mercilessly, and seemingly without reason, killed. Kit follows Anna's body home for burial and we slowly find the women were lovers as well as friends. Anna discovers Kit is not dead and buried and tries to understand why. The reason involves mammoths, voodoo, witchcraft, underground cities, undead, many things, none of which we can be sure of because nothing is actually explained or made clear.
This seemed to be reaching for mysterious, but not quite getting there. Often, in spooky stories, it's scarier when things are hinted at or alluded to, but not actually spelled out. In this case, there just weren't enough hints. This may be the first in a series, I'm not sure, but this one didn't even give me enough of the mystery to want to read another.
The illustrations were okay, but not great. Tricky panel angles were used to add to the suspense, but rather than adding something, they were distracting. There was also a lot of "Ooof!". "Ahhhhhh", THUS and "Ummph!" used. Sometimes pages worth. This would be fine if the illustrations let us know what was happening, but instead, there was a lot of black, mist, confusion, not a lot of plot progession.
**
Heart-Shaped Box: A Novel
I want to start by saying I really wavered between three and four stars. If three and a half were an option I would feel that was a fairer rating, but since it's not...
This book started out terrific. I was immediately drawn in and interested. It didn't take me long to care about Jude, Danny and Mary Beth/Georgia. The premise-a ghost for sale on an E-Bay knockoff-was pretty clever as far as I was concerned, if not completley original. Hill used back story in a very smooth way to help me come to know and care about the characters without slowing down his narrative. And like his dad, he had no problems drawing realistic personalities. No one is all good. No one is all bad. Too many writers, especially with first books, tend to sketch cardboard, black and white, characters. Not Hill.
They seemed to breathe from the page. I felt I could meet them and recognize them if I did.
He had a knack for describing that really brought up the creep factor. There were a few phrases repeated throughout that just gave me chills. "In the death hole." "The dead drag the living down." The description of something as mundane as the buttons on the dead man's suit, the accent, perfectly audible from the page, of an old woman, not to mention the bread and butter of a horror writer. The way he described the violence, wounds, pain, agony and mental anguish were exquisite. I could see and feel, sometimes hear, each hurt as it was inflicted. He can definitely turn a phrase. There's a reason writer's are called wordsmiths and Hill is certainly worthy of that description.
I think what brought the rating down for me was the last third of the book. The beginning started with such a bang, I found myself wondering, after only about a third, what Hill was going to have happen for the next 275 pages. Turns out a lot of the same thing. I admit, it was interesting, thrilling, exciting, all kinds of good writing, but I somehow wanted more. I was okay with the happily ever after feel to the very end, it was the 250 pages in between that didn't live up to the beginning's promise for me.
***
I have to admit I didn't really like the ending either but I still love Hill :)
I can tell I am going to love him too. I hate to even voice this thought, but realistically I know King can't write forever. I'm glad Hill will be able to slide in there:)
Yeah, and i like that I would feel that way even if his last name really was Hill!
It was really hard for me, once I finished, to step back and review his book on=bjectively! I really, really believe my like had nothing to do with who he is. Yes, I think he has quite a few of his dad's knacks, but like someone else said, you can't be a writer formed after the 70's and NOT be influenced by King. I see himm getting better and better, so I don't see the 3 stars as negative at all:)
Kandice wrote: "It was really hard for me, once I finished, to step back and review his book on=bjectively! I really, really believe my like had nothing to do with who he is. Yes, I think he has quite a few of his..."I think I may have said that but I doubt it's an original thought. I think I gave a higher rating to 20th Century Ghosts than HSB but HSB is very solid debut novel. I also have trouble not comparing him to King but then I remember I compare all my horror to King and hope I'm doing it that way than a father/son thing. I have to admit, i think I may have stated this in the SK fans group but I liked 20th Century Ghosts more than Just After Sunset.
*edit* ok I appear to have rated HSB higher than 20th CG but I don't really feel that way anymore. I've reread 20th CG since I bought it and haven't done that yet with HSB. Oh well, I rate from the gut.
I have a gorgeous copy of 20th Century Ghosts that Becky gave me for Christmas. I am even more anxious to read it now, and may read it right after I finish the poop weasels with C&B.
oooh what copy do you have? I had the paperback
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but I sold it to replace the book in hardcover because I'm trying to buy all Hill's books in hardcover now, have a gorgeous HSB from a used book store that looks like it was never read. The hardcover I own of 20th CG is this one:
I don't like it as much.
20th Century Ghosts
I put in the ISBN and that's the same one I have, but I love it. HBs are my favorites and when they are made so there's no dustcover is just heaven to me. I hate a dustcover to get torn, wrinkled or messed up, so it's the perfect edition for me.
The HB I have of HSB is
but it doesn't look like that. There is NO green in evidence at all, just a lovely grey/blue that makes me think of the truck. Does yours have green on it?
Kandice wrote: "20th Century GhostsI put in the ISBN and that's the same one I have, but I love it. HBs are my favorites and when they are made so there's no..."
I hate dustcovers too so this is a good edition for me. I think it's just the grey on black isn't eye catching to me.
I have the same HSB and mine is also more grey/blue than green. It sits right next to a HC edition of Merrick by Anne Rice which has lots of greens so i know it's not me being color blind :) I can't believe I found it used, looks barely cracked open.
The Centurion's Wife
This started out great. I audio-ed it, and the reader had a nice voice, even though she did "voices" which I usually find distracting. The problem was that even though the beginning showed promise, it never got there. Generally a good book starts out good and then builds up. You can usually tell right away. This seemed like it would build up, it just didn't.
This was basically a re-telling of the aftermath of Jesus's crucifixion. I know the story from the bible and had no problem with the liberties the authors took, because it's a Historical Fiction novel. I found nothing offensive as some reviewers seemed to, but it was boring. The rising from the dead of a messiah should not come across as boring, whether you are reading it as fiction or fact. It should be exciting stuff! This was not.
My biggest problem with the writing, and I'm not sure which author is to blame, was that they described in words how the characters were feeling or speaking. Every time. What I mean, is that instead of showing me a character was in awe, by describing tone, volume of speech, facial expression, action, etc. the authors chose to say "So and so was awed." This story begs for descriptive detail, It's a story I would like to have felt. Instead, it read like a list of facts, or the authors take on the facts.
I read historical fiction for excitement to help me understand better what has happened in the past. This portrayed a very exciting, world changing event in the blandest of voices. I will not be continuing the series.
**
The Shack
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I'm unsure how to write a review of this book. Do I review the "story" or the "style"? Either one deserves only 1 star in my opinion so it probably makes no difference. I'm going to try to address both.
I resisted reading other reviews or anything about this author before actually reading the book. Friends had strongly suggested I read this. Friends that are not, in the normal order of things, readers, so I knew they must feel the religious aspect of the book was worth reading. I was only recently able to classify my beliefs. A friend on GRs showed me the phrase "Cafeteria Christian". That's me! This book seemed to be written with that type of Christian in mind, so that was okay.
As I read the foreward, I was immediately confused. The foreword is written as if the book is NOT a work of fiction. Almost as if the story within it's pages is true, but because it is religious, the mass public may not believe it, so to reach as large an audience as possible, Young decided to sell it as fiction. My copy clearly says "fiction" on the spine. Are you confused? I was.
I read this while out of town, so did not have access to a computer. I do not know if Young has written other books, but if so, they can't be very popular. He is so obviously NOT a skilled story teller. The idea of the story was very interesting to me. A man loses his youngest child to a predator and this causes him years of anguish, guilt and anger. That was enough to interest me, but the way Young tells the story is so dry. Again, it seemed more along the lines of one of the "True Crime" books that have become so popular. I kept trying to remember if I had heard of this particular serial killer. I had not, because he does not exist. Long story short, based on the writing skills used to tell the tale, 1 star is all it deserves. It was an idea that could have been a great book, but was wasted with sub-par writing.
Now to the religion. There were many passages I found moving. I don't want to spoil anything, but I think anyone reading will know that the main character of the book, Mack, spends a weekend with God. The Christian version of God. I found it clever the way God was portrayed in three forms, none of whom fit the traditional stereotypes of God. Not only is God NOT a long-haired, grandfatherly type, God is a black woman. I don't think of God as male or female, so found this interesting. Jesus is portrayed as a youngish man who is obviously a hard physical worker and not the beautiful "white" version we see on most Christian literature. The Spirit was my favorite. She was hard to see except out of the corner of your eye, beautiful, but not because of features, a flitting, ever present free "spirit". Almost a hippy. Perfect.
What I disliked, and was almost offended by, was the way Young tries to "justify" evil things happening to innocents. I've heard many, many sermons, read other books and had long talks with friends about this subject. Young tries too hard to explain and justify. Religion is faith. He demonstrates this by having Mack walk on water with Jesus and then completely dismisses this when he makes any explanation from God neccesary. God invites Mack to the Shack to "explain" herself. This implies that an explanation is necessary. I find that offensive. If one truly believes in God, ANY God, one can not demand and expect explanations. It's absurd.
Even disliking the book as much as I did, an idea was presented by Young that I found very appealing. He has Jesus explain that when man was created, God had already created woman inside of him. Man was never meant to be alone, and that's why woman was made of his rib, or "born" of him. it was necessary for woman to be born "of" man, and then only woman be able to give birth to men, so that there was a circle. An unending loop of creation. I found that a beautiful idea. I may have heard, or read it somewhere before, but if I did, it didn't stick. I can thank Young for that, at least.
*
The Stephen King Illustrated Companion
The text in this book didn't hold a lot of surprises, especially if you're a
I have three other books "about" King, Feast of Fear: Conversations With Stephen King, The Complete Stephen King Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Works of America's Master Of.... and The Stephen King Companion, not to mention Danse Macabre and On Writing which are non-fiction and written by King himself and give you plenty of personal insight. It's safe to say I know a lot about the guy. All the little "extras" I could remove, touch and feel were what made me love this book more than the others.
This is a "must have" for any true King
*****
20th Century Ghosts
This could very well end up one of my favorite new reads of the year. I know, we're only 2 months in, but it was really that good! I recently read Heart-Shaped Box and could tell I was going to like Hill's style. My problem with HSB was that I found it to be too much of the same thing over and over. This collection of short stories, and one novella, seemed the perfect outlet for Hill's talent. He grabs you quick, and even though many of the stories are left with a relatively "unfinished" feeling you just can't stop reading.
Much like his father, Hill has quite a few genres at his fingertips. To call him a horror writer simply because his first book was, and there are some ghost stories here, feels very, very unjust, inaccurate. My three favorites in the collection, Better Than Home, Pop Art and 20th Century Ghost weren't even close to horror. They were sweet, emotional journeys that had my lids pricking with tears. Yes, there is a ghost, but she's not spooky, scary, evil, any of the things I generally associate with horror. Even Best New Horror, the one that may actually be a horror story, can be viewed as almost comical, as a friend pointed out to me her idea of what the ending meant.
I know many people avoid short stories because they feel that such a small number of pages doesn't allow them to fall in love with, or become engaged by the characters. I feel the exact opposite. I can fall in love with a character very quickly if the author writes them well. I prefer to use my own imagination a bit to fill in blanks or draw out the conclusion. Hill is a master of engaging the imagination. He gives you the framework and the right amount of detail to get your mind whirring in just a few pages. I can't wait to read his next.
*****
hehe first time i've been referenced in a review :) i'm reading "You Will Hear The Locusts Sing" right now.
Rachel wrote: "hehe first time i've been referenced in a review :) i'm reading "You Will Hear The Locusts Sing" right now."I wasn't sure if you'd want me to say your name:) I'm glad you knew it was you!
Dreamcatcher
I've put off writing a review because Becky wrote the review to end all reviews and said it all! It's my resolution to review all the books I read this year so I have to make the attempt. Here goes...
I read this the week it first came out in 2001 because I always read his books as soon as they come out. At breakneck speed more often than not. I tend to re-read and savor the books later, but the first reading is like a "fix" I have been Jonesing for, so taking my time is not really an option. I was especially happy to get this particular fix because I had been so devastated when King had his accident. This book was proof he had not left us.
This is one of the few I never went back to re-read. Until now. I couldn't even think of this book without flenching my glutes, so my aversion was understandable. This time around I wonder what took me so long! Yes, I giggled through the horrendous gas and "birthing" of the poop weasels, but once I got over that I really enjoyed this densely layered book.
I always love when King writes about aliens. In Dreamcatcher, aliens have been present on our world for a long time. The military is very aware of their probes and visits. The book starts with 4 childhood friends, all grown up now, meeting for their annual hunting trip in a cabin dead center of ground zero. Needless to say, with them being King characters, they all carry a lot of emotional baggage. The guys share a LOT of history that King peels like an onion in flashbacks thoughout the story.
At the onset of a huge storm, the aliens arrive, en masse, in thier ship. They are broadcasting, in highly recognizable human voices, English and French, "There is no infection here.". Has an ominous ring to it, huh? Fortunately they land in the woods in the middle of just about nowhere. Not quite so fortunate is the fact that it's hunting season. The military swoops in to contain the "virus" the aliens have introduced, (guess they were lying about the "no infection" part) and begin these efforts by rounding up all the hunters and corralling them. These particular aliens seem intent only on survival. They aren't out to wipe out mankind...unless human interfere with said survival, that is.
In addition to the "grey boys" we've come to expect of aliens, there is a red, mosslike growth of a virus humans can become infected with AND a small creature, the aforementioned poop weasels that incubate in the human digestive track, eventually eating thier way out. Our four hunting friends end with the fate of the world, literally, in their hands with the help of thier very, very special fifth friend from childhood.
One of the effects of close proximity to the aliens is ESP. Our friends have shared a bit of a mental bond and heightened perception since childhood, and this just ups their mental abilities to the nth. It may sound cool to be able to read your neighbors, family and friends minds, but if you carry that thought to the final conclusion...it's not! It causes havoc, distrust, hate, fear and above all panic. I felt panic was the tone of this book. It takes place over the course of just 2 days, and beginning to end is constant action at breakneck speed. It is NOT a slow boil.
****
Mr. Monk and The Blue Flu
Let me start by saying I find Goldberg's Monk books to be a little like updated Agatha Christie's. They are quick, fun mysteries that are almost always readable in a day. They sweep you along, and while not too deep, they give you the clues you need to solve right along with Monk, Marple, Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence, etc.
This was no exception to the fun, but I found it familiar. While I'd like to feel good about solving the main mystery very early, I think it may have actually been a television episode. I am going to have to do a little research and be sure before I feel too accomplished regarding my "detective" skills.
I like that Goldberg uses Natalie Teeger as his narrator. She's very realistic as far as Monk and his "idiosyncracies" go, but at the same time, fiercely protective of him. As much as she tries to explain this protectiveness as "what she's being paid for", it's obvious she (and Julie) genuinely care for Monk. Because they've sufferred such similar loss they understand each other. It's sweet, but not in a sacharine way.
One complaint I have with these books is the editing. I realize these are not high-brow literature, but Signet prints them as hardbacks, as opposed to paperback, so they cost a pretty penny. If they are going to charge us that much for a glorified episode, they could pay just a bit more attention to the editing process. By page 150 I had counted 23 typos or grammatical errors. I stopped actually counting out of frustration, but they became more and more obvious. Having made that small complaint, I for one, really hope Goldberg continues to write these books for us Monk fans even though the series is over. I will really miss my favorite defective detective.
***
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red
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So, I'll have to admit, first of all, that I really thought Stephen King wrote this. I felt like such a putz when it was pointed out that he did not. At least I can breathe a sigh of relief, because this was not up to King's usual level. Duh!
This diary entry book tells the story of Ellen Rimbauer and her life at the mansion Rose Red. The story actually begins on the day footings are being laid for the mansion's foundation, and then follows Ellen and John Rimbauer on their year long honeymoon around the world, with their eventual return to the completed Rose Red. We are shown early on what sort of man John is, and that Ellen, despite being a bit non-conventional, is going to accept this behaviour, not only for the benefits of his wealth, but for the chance at children and a family. A well respected family.
Ellen Rimbauer is an infinitely fascinating character to me, almost from her first diary entry at 19. She is writing in 1902, but her inner feelings, thoughts, desires, are so out of step with the times that I couldn't wait to see what she would do with them. Turns out...nothing. Well, nothing, except marry a womanizing pig, albeit a rich one, contract syphilis from his easy ways, and then spend the rest of her life punishing him for it by spending his money on the never ending expansion of Rose Red.
I'm sure it's meant to be ambiguous, but it was never clear who or what exactly was "haunting" Rose Red. The fact that she was haunted was undeniable. She also needed "feeding" and was able to help herself in that regard. Many women disappeared and many men died within her grounds. Many of the women actually seemed to disappear in defense of Ellen Rimbauer or her honor, so even from the beginning the house seemed protective of, if not loving, of her. How was this relationship fostered? That's one question I would really like an answer to.
I own this book, but audio-ed it this time. I found many of the editorial notes amusing, especially on the audio. The diary entries are supposedly edited by Joyce Reardon, PH.D. as she is using them for her thesis. Where omissions are made, they are explained as unneccesary, repetitive, or in one large chunk, as too "risque". The book leaves it at Reardon's explanation, but the audio goes on to say that the edited entries can be found on a website for Beaumont University by entering a particular URL. I wonder how many listeners tried to read those edited entries since it was made clear they were not only sexual in nature, but downright deviant!
***
The Sea of Monsters
It's taken me a while to get to this second book in the series, but I'm glad I finally did. It took me only a day to read, not because it's easy, but because it's fun, quick-paced and you just need to keep reading to find out how it will all turn out!
As a kid I read anything about Greek mythology I could get my hands on, so when my children started reading these books I was a little skeptical. Could Riordan really bring the classic myths to children in a fresh way that would make them want to know more? Yes. He has! His take on the myths is so up to date, but still true to the spirit of the Gods that kids really do take the time to look up the original tales. That's what YA is for. Get them reading, get them interested and make them dig deeper. I really love these books.
In this second installment, Percy and Annabeth must once again save Camp Half Blood, summer home and training ground to demi-gods or heroes in the making. It seems they are always breaking the rules to do so and never get all the credit they deserve, but they are hero enough to understand that's just the way of the world sometimes.
I felt that the overall theme of this one was that we just can't choose our family, but that doesn't mean we abandon them when things get hard or uncomfortable. Percy finds he has a half-brother (sort of) who is, at least in the beginning, less than desirable. Luke's father Hermes, even after all Luke's done to bring about the ruin of Olympos, wants to bring him back into the fold. Poseidon, without really seeming to, helps his sons survive in ways they must reflect on to see the real gifts he's given them.
It's part of the genius of these books that not only do they get our children interested in the classic myths and legends, but they teach them the value of loyalty, perseverance, and general stubborness to succeed.
****
The Next Best Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Mr. Monk Goes to Germany (other topics)Mr. Monk is Miserable (other topics)
Honolulu (other topics)
Moloka'i (other topics)
The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers (other topics)
More...
I also want to review every book. Not a one sentence review, but a review that really expresses my feelings. I find myself reading a little differently when I know I am going to write a review. I think I'll post those.