75 Books...More or Less! discussion
Archive (2012 Completed)
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Alecia's 2012 Challenge
Mod
Hi, Alecia! I'm glad you're back for 2012.
Book #2, The Cut by George Pelecanos 3/5 starsGeorge Pelecanos (who is a writer and producer of The Wire) has a very good ear for street dialogue. Therefore, his bad guys and good guys in his novel sound quite natural. The story is good, and his main character, Spero Lucas, an ex-marine-turned private investigator, is a good one. I especially loved that Lucas's brother Leo is teacher who has his kids reading, among others, The Hunter, a Parker novel. He quotes lines to his class about the description of Parker. This is a great way for Pelecanos to pay homage to Donald Westlake/aka Richard Stark.
Book # 3 Train Dreams by Denis Johnson 3/5 starsThis novella, which was originally published in the Paris Review in 2002 and re-released in 2011, is a lovely, lyrical book. It is a basically a short story about Robert Grangier, a day labourer at the start of the 20th century. There is much symbolism infused this book, which makes it's straighforward storytelling somewhat mystical. It's hard to tell the dreams from the reality, but, in the end, it doesn't matter. It's a lovely piece, with beautiful prose, and I also found some humour in it.
Book # 4 13 Million Dollar Pop by David Levien 3/5 starsThis was a well-written crime novel. I gather it is part of a series featuring Frank Behr, a former cop/investigator now working for a "white-shoe" private security company. He is chafing at the bit with this job, but his girl friend his pregnant and he needs the salary. When an attempt is made on a client's life that he is guarding, the story gets set in motion. Although I found it to be somewhat convoluted and muddled in parts, it's basically an intelligently-written story.
Book #5 Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith 3.5/5 starsI think parts of this book, and perhaps the overall concept, deserve 4 stars. If it was available, I'd give it 3.5 stars. But I did not care for the rather trite, redundant chapter titles, and I also wasn't crazy about all the dialogue presented in italics. It's a very good, ambitious story spanning 20 years or so. Tom Rob Smith knows his Communist history and makes surviving under oppressive regimes come alive for the reader. He does not spare the United States in this book, making the parts of the story set in the United States feel quite grim also. His narrative includes a particular FBI agent's nefarious doings, and once again normal citizens are at the mercy of a cold-blooded law enforcement official. Paranoia and fear run rampant in his books, and particularly in this story which has settings in the Soviet Union, Afghanistan and the United States. There is a lot of attention paid to the moral quandry of allegience to one's State/country or ideology. The story moves along nicely, and kept my interest.
Book # 6 The Wheel Man by Duane Swierczynski 2.5/5 starsI have already read Hell and Gone (4 stars) and Fun and Games (3 stars) by this author. This is an earlier book of his and the "hero" is mute getaway driver. I could tell, reading this, that Swierczynski's later novels were based on a similar type of writing, action and violence that is found in this book. I think his storylines and pacing have improved with time. Although there were parts of The Wheel Man that show his future promise, the book as a whole didn't do it for me.
Book #7 The Drop by Michael Connelly 4/5 starsI am a Michael Connelly fan. Whether his books are very good, such as this one, or lesser works, I always enjoy them. I think his plotting is his strong suit. He manages such intricacies that I am almost always surprised by the way the plots turn and twist, even if just a little. Although his prose is spare and almost dry, somehow he always makes me care about Harry Bosch. Harry is a man of principal, but he is eminently human, and makes mistakes and judgement errors just like the rest of us.
In The Drop, Harry is working on two cases at the same time. His fifteen year old daughter lives with him, and he is also a single parent. These two plot lines are both equally interesting and tie up nicely. I'm always sorry to finish Connelly's books, and look forward to the next one. Readers and fans will be happy to know that Harry's retirement is extended yet again in this book.
Book # 8 Cold Shot to the Heart by Wallace Stroby 4/5 stars
I will read more Wallace Stroby. Although Crissa Stone is a female "bad girl" protagonist, this book had the spareness (with a touch more humanity) of the Parker novels by Richard Stark. A fast, action-filled read that was well-paced and plotted.
Book #9 Six Bad Things by Charlie Huston 3/5 starsI did not read Caught Stealing, which I believe is the beginning of the story continued in this book. That must be some rip of a story, as this one has the hero, Henry Thompson, continously running for his life because of all the money (over 4 million) that is in his possession. There is very little in terms of backstory here, except for Henry's flashbacks. I love the way Charlie Huston writes, and when I began reading Six Bad Things, I was sure this was a true winner. But as I progressed in my reading, the chases continued relentlessly, the bodies piled up, and things got a bit muddled. But I will read Caught Stealing, and am interested in more by this author. He can really write!
Book # 10 The invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer 1/5 starsIt is always somewhat jarring to not like a book that so many seem to have loved. This is one of those situations. I noticed it was a New York Times Notable Book of 2011, and many goodreads readers seem to have found it very special. The paperback clocks in at 758 pages, which was quite a long slog for me, considering how little I cared for the writing or the characterizations. I have read so many other powerful works on WW II and the holocaust, but I'm sure there is room for another story, if it's moving and strong. I found the writing, although serviceable, to be tedious, stilted and strained. There is too much mundane detail of their everday lives that seemed to me to reach anticlimactic points along the way. These details of the main character's, Andras and Karla's,love affair, help stretch this book to it's unnecessary length. The only thing that differentiated this tale from others I have read was the Hungarian background of the characters. Some of the scenes set in the work labor camps were slightly stirring, but still rather tepid. Even attempts at levity (when Andras and his fellow worker attempt underground neswspapers parodying the work camps) failed to amuse.
Book # 11 Gone 'Til November by Wallace Stroby 3/5 starsI like Wallace Stroby a lot. I hope he's very prolific! A noir novel, fast read, good characterizations and dialogue. This is the 2nd novel of his I've read with a well-drawn female protagonist. I find that unusual for a male mystery writer, but he does it very well.
Book # 12 The Barbed-Wire Kiss by Wallace Stroby 3/5 starsThis is Wallace Stroby's first boook. As such, it shows the promise he fulfills in his later novels that I have read. It's interesting to me that he switched from a male protagonist in this book, to female in the later books I read.
Book # 13 Caught Stealing by Charlie Huston 3/5 starsI had read Six Bad Things before I read Caught Stealing, which is too bad. This is the first part of a trilogy, and I wish I had read it in order. But, nonetheless, it was a good read. Charlie Huston imbues Henry Thompson with humanity in spite of the brutality he is faced with in escalating amounts throughout this book. Henry's first person narrative and general likeability draws us to him and makes us root for him as his world becomes a violent, crazy mess. He's an innocent at the beginning of the book, but that innocence gives way to a pragmatic life-saving, moral turn-around by the end. I have the third part of this trilogy,A Dangerous Man, and plan to read that. The main criticism I would give is the unrelenting action and violence sometimes gets too much. Perhaps the reader needs a little break in order to appreciate all the mayhem. I think sometimes the non-stop action can almost be lulling in itself. I have read other books with this same issue, namely those by Duane Swierczynsk.
Mod
Book # 14 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3/5 starsI don't remember what grade I was in high school when this book was required reading. I do remember not caring much for it. When I came upon a copy of The Great Gatsby, I was between books, and thought it might be time for a re-read, since this book is thought of as a great classic of American literature. At first I noticed how short it is...perhaps that is a reason to put it on young student's lists? But it is an eminently adult book, with story lines of love and casual adultery that few young people could comprehend. This go-round, I had a greater appreciation of FSF's prose, some of it quite lovely. But I still felt underwhelmed, perhaps because of the setting, among the very wealthy, indolent characters, soon after World War I. It's dificult to identify with some of their motivations, although Nick Carroway, as our narrator, does a good job of being more of a "regular guy". I drew a breath when I came upon the famous line from Nick near the end " They were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made...."I did enjoy it more now, but still am not sure of it's elevated status in our pantheon of great books.
Alecia wrote: "Book # 14 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3/5 starsI don't remember what grade I was in high school when this book was required reading. I do remember not caring much for it. When I c..."
I have to agree with you. I found it much easier to read as an adult, and definitely got more out of it, but I'm definitely not as in love with it as some people seem to be.
Book # 15 The Heartbreak Lounge by Wallace Stroby 3/5 starsThis is a pretty solid earlier work, but it meanders a bit at times. Harry Rane, the former cop turned private investegator, is the book's hero. But Stroby really gets better in his two most recent novels. For some reason, he seems to write better when his protagonist is a female.
Book # 16 Amsterdam by Ian Mc ewan 4/5 starsThis is an earlier work by McEwan, written over 20 years ago, and the winner of the 1998 Mann Booker Prize. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed Atonement and Solar, and I know I like his writing.
He still has his characters make dubious moral decisions and face the consequences. But in this novel, the consequences are really dire. Two old friends , who shared a lover in common, are introduced to us at the beginning of this book at her funeral. From that point, the reader follows a falling out between them that turns tragic, mainly due to the wording in a post card sent from one to the other.
I found McEwan's humor shining through his writing that is a precursor to his very funny (I thought) novel, Solar. Although the ending makes it almost more of a cautionary tale than a "real life" story, I still thought it worked well.
Mod
I never would have stuck wih Atonement if someone hadn't told me what a good book it was and to keep at it. The first 50 pages were incredibly slow! But I still think about it also.
Book # 17 A Dangerous Man by Charlie Huston 3/5 starsThis is the last part of the Henry Thompson trilogy. Henry is forced do do heinous things in order to protect his mother and father. They are the ransom for Henry's soul. I think the other two books need to be read in order to get Henry's back story. It moves along at quite a pace, and if you enjoy an action-filled noir, this trilogy might be the ticket.
Book # 18 The Odds by Stewart O'Nan 4/5 starsI always am eager to read a new book by Stewart O'Nan. I still think about Last Night at the Lobster, another short, but powerful novel by O'Nan. This is also a very short novel, but it's a powerfully written, yet gently told story of a long marriage. Marion and Art are on the cusp of filing for bankruptcy. The idea is to take what money they have left and revist Niagra Falls, where they had their honeymoon. There they will bet their remaining money on the roulette wheel according to a method that Art believes will be successful. If they lose, divorce is an option that has been discussed. They book a luxurious suite in the hotel for this Valentine's Day stay, and as the story unfolds we learn about their different expectations and experiences (they've both had affairs). They sightsee around Niagra Falls, and we see how this long-married couple know each other so well. It's all told with O'Nan's sharp eye for detail and his keen observation of the human condition. I was a little unsure what the ending might mean for the couple's marriage for the long-term, but I really enjoyed this book.
Mod
So well said!!!!
Book # 19 Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson 3/5 starsI am giving this "Memento" duplicate 3 stars because of it's readability. No matter that I was waiting for the inevitable twist to take place, it did keep me going. The movie "Memento" had it's main character write everything down on his body as his short term memory disappeared after a period of time (I think when he went to sleep). The same thing is going on for this main character, Chris. She is suffering from amnesia, and anything she has learned duting the day becomes erased when she wakes up the next. She begins keeping a journal on the advice of a Dr. she is secretly seeing. Sinister doings unfold, but, as I say, it does keep you going.
Book # 20 The Expats by Chris Pavone 2/5 starsI was expecting something better than this after reading a nice review of it. However, I found the plotting device of shifting back and forth from "Two Years Ago" to Today" chapters clumsy and distracting. The writing is OK, but the tension built up (this is supposed to be a suspense novel after all) is quite mild to non-existent. Yes, it's interesting that this couple lives in Luxembourg, and that makes for a little different background. But my belief is required to be suspended a little too much when I'm asked to believe that this very happily married couple could have lied to each other for so many years in such a huge way (she's a secret CIA agent and he's got his own schemes).And neither of these two parents seem to pay much attention to their two young children.
Book # 21 That Woman, The Life of Wallis Simpson Duchess of Windsor 3/5 starsBecause this is such an enduring love story/tragedy, this biography is pretty good just by virtue of it's subject matter. I agree with some of the reviewers that the author brings up some issues with no proof to back her theories up. She bandies around various rumours such as the one that the Duchess (Wallis Simpson) had a sexual disorder, and was possibly a hermaphrodite. She also perpetuates the story I have heard before that Wallis learned some exotic sexual techniques in China, and that is perhaps why she, a rather plain, twice-divorced, middle-aged woman, so enthralled the Duke. These stories are never resolved, and while these snippets may make for a good excerpt for Vanity Fair and help to sell books, overall they do not add any lustre or credence to this biography. The writing is serviceable and some chapters are better than others. However, the basic story remains enthralling, tragic and pathetic in equal measures.
Book # 22 Mudwoman by Joyce Carol Oates 2/5 starsI usually love (or at least like a lot) Joyce Carol Oates's work. This one, however, was too ambiguous for me. Her prose is very poetic, and I admire her fluid style, as if words just pour out of her. But this tale of the disintegration of "M.R. Neukirchen", the president of a Princeton-like university, was too fraught with horrific dreams and seemingly fugue-like states to fully engage me. The question of whether something was really happening to M.R., or was she just dreaming or having psychotic breakdowns, was happening too often to fully draw me into the story. The rise of this highly accomplished woman, from such a horrendous beginning, was an interesting concept. And Oates certainly knows the world of academia. But this one was not for me.
Book # 23 Getting Off by Lawrence Block (writing as Jill Emerson) 3/5 starsThis book is exactly what it claims to be on the cover..."A novel of Sex and Violence". The only reason that I am giving it 3 stars is that I am a long-standing fan of Lawrence Block and his writing gives this book the lift to just clear an only OK rating. Even though he is "writing as Jill Emerson", it's still Block. This is not for everyone and I am not recommending it as such. I found the repetitive sex and killing of the protagonist (she changes her name with every "episode"...she's a serial killer, after all) to be almost boring, and the plot line thin to non-existant. But I had no idea Block wrote these type of books, and I found it interesting to read this one. I am awaiting the return of Matthew Scudder or Bernie Rhodenbarr.
Book #24 The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan 3/5 starsI was not as deeply enthralled by this book as I had hoped. It is a very intriguing premise, of course. Too many people adrift in a too-small lifeboat can bring forth all kinds of human dilemmas, and I was eager to read this book. Certainly, parallels can be drawn with Lord of the Flies, in the sense that the veneer of civilization runs pretty thin when faced with such extreme and punishing adversity. But that book gripped me and this one...not so much. Perhaps it is the voice of the narrator, Grace, a newlywed separated from her husband when the ship they are on mysteriously explodes, that does not reach me. This story takes place in the summer of 1914, not long after the disaster of the Titanic. Many of the book's questions and mysteries are left unanswered, but many interesting questions regarding religion, survival, and ethical choices are raised.
Hi, Alecia - just checking in. Thanks for all of your comments because I really appreciate your insights.
Thank you, Kay. I've got a pile of books waiting to be read, and I'm always hoping the next one will be special.
Book # 25 Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman 3/5 starsI would give the first half of this very amusing book 4 stars. I just found it bogged down a bit in the second half. Tom Violet is the son of philandering, pulitzer prize winning author Curtis Violet. Tom is a copywriter, and has also been working on a novel. Since he stands in the shadow of greatness (his father), he is very unsure of his own writing ability. His marriage is struggling, he loathes his job, and he is flirting with a young, adoring assistant at work. Matthew Norman is a good writer, very funny at times, and I look forward to reading whatever he produces next.
Book # 26 Harbor Nocturne by Joseph Wambaugh 3/5 starsI will read all the "Hollywood" books Joseph Wambaugh cares to write. Although this was not one of his strongest, it was still very enjoyable. All the side stories are terrific, and he's great at building his characters.
Book # 27 Taken by Robert Crais 3/5 starsI have not been that happy with the last couple of novels by Rober Crais. This one is better, and has a lot more "heart". Elvis Cole always espouses certain moral values along with his detective work. But in this one, I think the reader feels the injustice Crais is writing about as well. Elvis is hired to track down the daughter of Nita Morales. He stumbles into a world of border professionals who prey on innocent victims, ransoming people, and killing those they cannot get a price for. I can see a screenplay already.
Book # 28 The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger 2.5/5 starsI would give this book a 2.5 rating. It did not grab me, although the premise was a good one. The writing is pleasant enough, but did not grip or stir me in any way. I was disappointed, as I had read a very good review in the NY Times Book Review that made me eager to read it. Amina, from Bangladesh is wooed by and woos George, from Rochester, NY online. They marry and Amina moves to Rochester. Their story was mildly interesting to me, no more.
Book # 29 Poison Flower by Thomas Perry 3.5/5 starsI would give this entry in the Jane Whitefield series 3.5/5 stars. I like the idea of this character, a "super-woman" who helps guide unjustly accused or victimized people into a new life. This book is quite well-plotted and moves along nicely. Perry's style of writing is always strangely removed and a little cold. And the character of Jane is just shy of being a super hero. She escapes from every dire situation she's in and the reader knows it's just a question of how she will do it. In Poison Flower, there is mention of Jane and her long-suffering husband wanting a child. I don't know what this blessed event might do to this series.
Book # 30 The Talk-Funny Girl by Roland Merullo 3/5 starsThis is a very nicely-written story of Marjorie, a 17 year old raised in rural New Hampshire. Her life is filled with ignorance and severe abuse by her isolated parents, who also speak to her in their own dialect, a mountain hybrid of English. Marjorie also speaks this dialect, and when the authorities finally force her parents to send her to school at age 9, she cannot seem to shake this way of speaking, and is often an object of ridicule. Her salvation is found when she is hired by a man who is building a "cathedral" right in the center of town.
Book # 31 Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson 5/5 starsI was not that eager to read this bio. As someone who reads mostly fiction, and also someone with not that much interest in Apple/Steve Jobs, I read it purely on a recommendation. These low expectations gave way to pleasure while reading this book. I found this extremely well-written and researched book by turns interesting,surprising and ultimately, quite moving. I remember watching interviews with Walter Isaacson when this book came out. Of course, the interviewers dwelled on the more "gossipy" parts of the book, such as Job's personal habits, his temper tantrums and feuds with famous people. He even dated Joan Baez! But the book is so much more than those snippets. At the end of the book, Isaacson writes "Was he smart? No, not exceptionally. Instead, he was a genius. His imaginative leaps were instinctive, unexpected, and at times magical." This is a terrific story of that genius, told as honestly and exhaustively as possible, and showing Steve Jobs with all of his flaws and frailties.
Alecia wrote: "Book # 31 Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson 5/5 starsI was not that eager to read this bio. As someone who reads mostly fiction, and also someone with not that much interest in Apple/Steve Jobs, I re..."
Like you, I wasn't eager to read such a brick of a book on Steve Jobs but it was a book club pick and I found myself absolutely riveted. It's now on my all-time favorites list. Excellent job by Walter Isaacson.
Jan, we seem to be "on the same page" quite a bit. Glad you felt the same (happily) surprised way I did after reading Steve Jobs. I was recommending it like crazy while I was reading it.
Alecia wrote: "Jan, we seem to be "on the same page" quite a bit. Glad you felt the same (happily) surprised way I did after reading Steve Jobs. I was recommending it like crazy while I was reading it."We do :-) And I was recommending it too - I wanted everyone I knew to read it! I loved it so much I had trouble starting a new book once I'd finished because of the inevitable comparisons.
Book #32 The Lola Quartet by Emily St. John Mandel 2/5 starsI found the writing tepid, and there were too many points of view. The shifting between the different back stories and present dilemmas of the characters just left me cold. The Lola Quartet was a high school jazz ensemble, and the players in this ensemble's lives cross paths years after high school. I really did not care about any of the characters. I realize that this book has garnered some good reviews, so perhaps others will find it of interest.
Tepid. Love that word - very descriptive.
Yes, the word tepid just about said it all for me re: that book.
Book # 33 Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James 1/5 starsI am breaking a rule that I have of not reviewing books I did not finish. In this case, after reading 194 out of 514 pages in this book, I not only surrender (I tried to finish, but just could not), I also want to express my opinion. Anyone who loved this book, just move on. I wanted to see what all the hubbub was about, and I must admit, I am mystified. Is it that difficult to find badly written "erotica" (read porn) so that this book became such a hot commodity? I would think the difficulty would be in finding well-written erotica. At any rate, I jotted down a few phrases that were repeated endlessly (until I got tired of doing that). To wit: "lips twitching", "sardonic smile", "his lips quirk up in a half smile", and, of course, our virginal female protagonist's endless "blushing". Our male hero's pants seemed to hang off of his hips in an intriguing way, as this attribute is constantly noted. He also seems to have a long index finger,also constantly mentioned. I could go on and on, but, mercifully, I will not. The author was not that merciful, as this is part of a trilogy that has made her millions. So what do I know? There are not enough kinky sex scenes that can make up for such puerile, sophomoric writing.
Book # 34 Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 3.5/5 starsI would give this book a 3.5 rating for it's unpredictable plot twist alone. I think tighter editing might have benefited this novel, as some parts seem a bit overlong. But that is just quibbling, as this is a very good read. The writing is quite good, and, as I mentioned, the twist the book takes is welcome and surprising.
On Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary, Amy disappears. The reader alternates between reading Nick's first person account of what is and has been going on, and passages from Amy's diary. Nick's behavior is suspicious, and the police start closing in on him. Their marriage is dissected in a very revealing, clever way, making this a most unusual tale.
Alecia wrote: "Book # 34 Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 3.5/5 starsI would give this book a 3.5 rating for it's unpredictable plot twist alone. I think tighter editing might have benefited this novel, as some parts..."
Oh darn! I have this on my tbr list, but your review isn't as good as I'd like!
It's nice to start off the new year's list with an old friend. It's always comforting to revisit Kinsey Milhone, who ages as slowly as I'd like to. This is a rather long novel for Sue Grafton, who is nearing the end of her alphabet series. Whenever Kinsey was narrating, I enjoyed the story. And it starts off with a bang in chapter 1 with a terrible death inflicted by some mob characters. But I felt the story meandered too much in some of the chapters. Although I still enjoyed the read, I think I prefer a more streamlined Kinsey story. However, it's nice to see she still has her octogenarian friends and her indestructible, utilitarian all-purpose black dress at her disposal.