Speed Bump

A friend who knows about this blog (calling her a "reader o' the blog" may be a stretch) asked me if I feel "pressure" to blog regularly.  The truth is that I do not.  I am well aware that no one out there is awaiting new posts with bated breath (Meaningless Digression No. 1:  I understand that "bated breath" is the correct spelling of this particular term, despite the fact that most spell it "baited breath."  Neither spelling makes much sense anyway as this is an idiom that must give those learning American English as a foreign language some significant pause.  A later post will discuss some other pet peeves of mine when it comes to language.  The pet peeviest of mine, though, is "I could care less."  THAT MEANS YOU DO CARE.  THE TERM IS "I COULDN'T CARE LESS."  THAT SHOWS HOW TRULY LITTLE YOU CARE.  MORON.).

For various reasons, the reading has slowed in the last week.  I expected to have a post regarding Freedom by Daniel Suarez, the second Daniel Suarez Virtual Book Club selection, in the books by now (Meaningless Digression No. 2:  Get it?!  "In the books."  I tell ya, I've got a million horrible pun and pun like jokes).  For various reasons, I am only one-third of the way through the book and cannot provide a blog entry ETA.

So, if you're reading this, you get blog filler.  I sincerely hope that you haven't gotten this far.  Or this far.  Or this far.  Stop.  Seriously, stop.

After Freedom, Comprehending Columbine by Ralph W. Larkin (assuming that I motivate to the library to pick it up today or tomorrow--as always, apologies to the author and publisher) has jumped to the top of the pile o' books (see sidebar).  It was recommended by someone who read this post.

Live long, read and prosper.  We'll leave the lights on for you.

There's An App for That

First of all (you all know how I love to use "first of all" in my posts), I'm not sure if you abbreviate "Application" as "Ap" or "App."  I could look for it online and find it very easily--probably in less than five seconds.  The fact that I know this but have not done so tells you how much I care about whether I spelled it correctly or not.

I discovered a new add-on for my preferred Mozilla Firefox internet browser yesterday.  I'm wondering if the fact that I didn't know about the add-on before is one of the great conspiracies (like the Owen Meany conspiracy) of you blog followers.  ("Yeah, the guy was blogging something about wish list coordination--he's such a freaking moron--I love going to his blog to see how stupid he is NOW!")

You see, there's an add-on called the Amazon Universal Wish List that lets you put any item, from whatever website exists, on to your Amazon wish list.  No more reconciling your Barnes and Noble wish list with Amazon.  No more bookmarking a site just for the purpose of revisiting it later in case you decide to buy something (why did I bookmark that?).

Anyway, I think it's a helpful tool.  And I thought I'd pass it along.

Live long, read and prosper.  We'll leave the light on for you.

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell - B

I enjoy reading series when I find an author that "spins good yarns" and utilizes interesting characters.  I am one of those geeky readers who has to start from the beginning of a series instead of picking it up midway through.  Of course, some series require a huge commitment.  For instance, I've heard great things about The Wheel of Time series by the late James Oliver Rigney, Jr., (Robert Jordan).  But the series goes on and on and outlasted its author.  Glad I never picked that up--I'm not in a place in my life where I can make THAT kind of commitment.

The Kurt Wallender series by Swedish author, Henning Mankell, is perfect for me.  I borrowed Faceless Killers from the library (as always, with apologies to the author and publisher) in part because I wasn't certain I'd like the series--I wanted a "taste."

Faceless Killers is about a brutal crime in Sweden and the ensuing police investigation, headed by Kurt Wallender.  The novel introduces us to Wallender who, like most compelling fictional spies, investigators and police officers, is a flawed, imperfect character.  Coupled with the stark background of Sweden as the setting, Faceless Killers is not a "by the numbers" mystery.

I will read more Kurt Wallender mysteries.  I will pick up the next in the series when I'm in the mood for a fun read.  However, if you want to read a GREAT novel that takes place in a similar setting, pick up The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon.  Outstanding.

Life long, read and prosper.  We'll leave the light on for you.

Fifth Business by Robertson Davies - B+

A good friend recommended Fifth Business by Robertson Davies to me.  I had read, and my friend reminded me, that Fifth Business had been an inspiration to John Irving in writing A Prayer for Owen Meany.  He had read both novels and told me that I would find numerous parallels between them.  He was interested at my reaction in reading Fifth Business so soon after Owen Meany.

I really enjoyed Fifth Business.  I didn't love it.  I think that I had Owen Meany, a novel I loved, in the back of my head while reading Fifth Business, and my impression of Fifth Business necessarily suffered as a result.  Plus, Davies is CANADIAN.  Freaking CANADIAN.  So he wrote in Canadian English ("honour" with a "u") for example.

The novel takes the form of the memoir of its fictional narrator, Dunstan Ramsey, written at the time of his retirement as a teacher.  The action begins with an episode involving two children, Ramsay, and his childhood friend, Percy Boyd Staunton, who is a fixture throughout Ramsey's life.  The episode involves a snowball thrown by Staunton at Ramsay, and what happens with that snowball shapes the rest of Ramsey's life.

I viewed some of the predominant themes from Owen Meany through the lens of Fifth Business, and vice versa.  It actually has the makings of a decent college term paper.  Lord knows I could have used some good term paper ideas back then.

Fifth Business suffered from my Owen Meany experience primarily because I enjoy Irving's style, language and wit.  Davies protagonist and style are more stiff and makes for a read that's not as fun as reading Irving. 

Fifth Business is the first novel in Davies' Deptford Trilogy, and I definitely intend to read the other two novels.  Despite my quibbles, Fifth Business is well written and made me think.  It stayed with me between readings and stays with me still.

Take a look at the sidebar regarding my reading list, if you care.

Live long, read and prosper.  We'll leave the light on for you.

The Long Fall by Walter Mosley - A-

The Long Fall by Walter Mosley was just a fun read.  I wouldn't call it "literature" (read the previous word in the most pretentious way you possibly can--everything we read need not be, and everything I read certainly is not, necessarily "literature").

Mr. Mosley had previously written the Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins mysteries.  I hadn't read his novels before.  I must admit that I think I'm losing my marbles because, as I said on a previous post, I have no idea how or why I read The Long Fall.

As each year comes to a close, I peruse best books lists and add books that look interesting to a wish list on Amazon and/or BN (I know, I know, it would be helpful to coordinate those, but they have completely different books on them; that's probably part of the reason I ran in to this problem in the first place).  Anyway, The Long Fall shows up on my wish list.  I got a holiday Amazon gift certificate and bought a few books, including The Long Fall.  Now, I can't find the novel on any year end list or figure out why I added it to my wish list or why I bought it.  But I was pleasantly surprised and glad I bought it.

The Long Fall is a book written in the noir style, and it's not dated or hokey like some of the detective novels written in the 1950s or 60s can appear.  Mr. Mosley's introduces a new private investigator protagonist, Leonid McGill, a man with a checkered past that this first novel only begins to explore.  McGill is hired to find some men who begin turning up dead after he finds them.  McGill then investigates what exactly he's been put in the middle of. (Big problem with the preceding "sentence."  Ending a sentence with a preposition.  I HATE doing that.  I wasn't going to go, "TO what exactly he's been put in the middle."  That just sounded pretentious.  And as discussed above, I'm definitely not "pro pretentious.")

I very much enjoyed this novel.  The second Leonid McGill novel comes out in the next few months, and I expect to read it as well.  I might pick up an Easy Rollins novel (so many books, so little time).  Whether you will enjoy The Long Fall depends in part on whether you like noir novels.

Live long, read and prosper.  We'll leave the light on for you.

Columbine by Dave Cullen - A-

The tragedy at Columbine occurred when my oldest child was just under three years old. At the time, I thought that living in a nice neighborhood and sending your children to a good suburban school meant that your kids would be safe during the school day. The tragedy shattered my belief. Home schooling was discussed. I was, and still am, profoundly troubled by this tragedy. What led two boys to do this horrible act? Could it have been prevented? Where were the parents? Where was law enforcement?

Knowledge is power, and after doing some research regarding the author and learning about the research he undertook for the book, I wanted to read Columbine. Author Dave Cullen spent 10 years covering the story (yes, the story still lives).

No spoilers here as to specifically what you will learn by reading this book. The book will dispel many of the myths you associate with the tragedy. As I was reading the book, for example, I saw a procedural police show which offhandedly blamed the tragedy on "violent video games." Not even remotely true. Trench coat mafia? Not true. Most of what you think you know about the two boys is, likewise, probably not true. (I'M NOT TELLING YOU WHAT YOU KNOW!!)

The book explores how this happened, studying the two boys responsible. Will you feel "better" after reading the book? Will you feel like the tragedy was the product of innumerable causes and that "it can't possibly happen" where you live? I leave that to you. I did not feel "better," but I didn't revisit home schooling either.

You will note that I do not refer to the two boys by name above because I do not want them to be recognized for a deplorable act. You will also note that I do not refer to the "event" as "Columbine." Students who were there, you will learn in reading the book, feel very strongly about their school--their school is "Columbine," and they do not like when people refer to the event by that name.

I highly recommend this book if you are interested in learning about the tragedy and, in particular, the two boys at its core.

Live long, read and prosper. We'll leave the lights on for you.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - B-

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius?
A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius?
An Exaggerated Work of Heartbreaking Genius?

Wait!?  How did "exaggerated" sneak in there?

I've had great difficulty remembering the title of this book.  I don't know why.  More problematic for me is the fact that I keep wanting to insert "exaggerated" into the title.  More on that later.

Because the title is so unwieldy, I'm going to refer to this book simply as "The Work" (by Dave Eggers) in this post.  Recall that Dave Eggers' Zeitoun made its way onto my best books read during 2009 list.

The Work tells the true story (the author explains that some of the names and details have been altered for the purpose of telling the story and protecting the identities of certain ancillary characters) of the Eggers family, particulary Dave and Toph (Christopher).  Dave and Toph have two other older siblings, Bill and Beth.  Their parents both died of cancer within five weeks of one another when Toph was 8, Dave in his early 20s, Beth in her mid-20s and Bill in his late 20s.  Beth was finishing up law school at the time, and Bill was out in the real world working.

Primary caretaking for Toph fell to Dave.  How would you balance being the "parent" of an 8 year old at about 23 years old while trying to grow up yourself and provide your 8 year old "son" with a semi-normal life?  Including a semi-normal relationship with you, your "son's" brother?

This is the story that Dave Eggers tells in The Work.

Back to "exaggerated."  I don't know how that word kept making its way into the mix when I was trying to remember the title of the book.  Especially because one of the last words I would use to describe this book is "exaggerated."  The work comes off as extremely honest.  Dave criticizes himself more than he does anyone else.  Dave describes his own flaws and foibles more than anyone else's.

The book's honesty, though, worked against it a bit for me, purely as a matter of taste.

I didn't love The Work.  I liked it, and I appreciated what Eggers did and how he did it (The Work has shown up on lists of the books of the decade).  I think that I would have appreciated the book much more had I been unsettled and in my 20s, able to identify directly with one of the older siblings.

In other words, I am not suggesting that any of you run out and read The Work.  If you've heard about it and/or think that you can better identify with the story and personalities, you won't be disappointed.

Live long, read and prosper.  We'll leave the light on for you.

Cornucopia of Earthly Delights

Let’s lead off with some housekeeping. I am three books behind on posts. In the hopper are A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers, Columbine by Dave Cullen and The Long Fall by Walter Mosely (more on The Long Fall below).

I’m actually giddy with excitement over my bounty of blog material. Nonetheless, there are a number of random book thoughts that I have compiled and wanted to share.

1. Vacation Books Redux – We’ve blogged on vacation books before. When on vacation, one of my chosen activities was to peruse those reading by the beach and pool to see what they were reading. Of course, one must do this (a) while wearing sunglasses and (b) without breaking stride. Otherwise, you will, at best, be called a creep and, at worst, be questioned by local authorities. (“I was staring AT YOUR BOOK” just not believable.)

I wanted to put together a post listing the books and authors I observed on vacation to the tune of “12 Days of Christmas” (complete with, “FIVE STEPHEN KINGS”), but couldn’t muster it.

I saw lots of David Baldacci, lots of Stephanie Meyer, lots of Stephen King, too much Dan Brown (I pitied the poor sap reading Digital Fortress). Lots of self-help books and business non-fiction. Lots of kids reading Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series (OK, that one could have been one kid reading one book who I saw multiple times). Harry Potter’s still out there. I saw a bunch of books that I suppose were romance novels due to the facts that (a) I had never heard of the books or authors, (b) usually there were pink and/or yellow flowers on the cover and (c) I never saw such a book being read by someone with a Y chromosome.

Interestingly, not an e book reader to be found, ye olde Kindle snobs out there. . .

2. A quick note on The Long Fall (post pending). I have zero idea why I ordered or read this book. It showed up on a wish list of mine (so I must have put it there), and I bought it. I figured I had seen it on some year-end best book list. But I can’t even find it on a 2009 best ONE HUNDRED book list. [Spoiler Alert: The book is probably going to get an A- recommendation, so it’s not like it was a bad experience.]

This has been plaguing me for days now, as I think I’ve lost my marbles. Why did I get this book? What else am I forgetting? Why do I keep picturing myself clad in a straightjacket repeating “Th-th-th-that's all folks!”?

3. I have a bone to pick with all of you a**holes out there who have been holding out on me. If one more person freaking tells me that “A Prayer for Owen Meany is one of the best books they’ve ever read,” I’m going to stroke out! Why did it take several blog months for somebody to come forward with the recommendation? THAT’S WHAT THE DAMN BLOG IS HERE FOR! I feel like I’m the no colon butt of all of your jokes here, folks! (“Yeah, I’ve been f**king with him. Not letting him in on the whole ‘Owen Meany’ thing. What a moron!”)

You got any other bright ideas out there? Do you, punks?

4. I have recently had debates with numerous people over the “to re-read or not to re-read, that is the question” question.

My view has always been, “so many books, so little time.” Re-reading any book just takes time away from expanding the experiences of reading new books. On the other hand, re-reading a book, particularly one you haven’t read for a while, can be like reading a new book because of your changed perspective from one reading to the next.

Where I’ve landed for now is that I intend to re-read some books when my kids read them in school. My kids will, of course, hate me for this. Just wait until I ask them about themes and symbolism. Or plot points.

Look for several new posts next week.

In the meantime, I’m taking a new sign-off for a spin. A combination of the previous sign-off and a hotel slogan.

Live long, read and prosper. We’ll leave the light on for you.

Another 2009 Top 5 List - Respected Guest Blogger

My head is spinning (not unlike the Great World in Colum McCann's 9/11 novel which shows up on many top 2009 lists and figures prominently on my "to read" list) from the marked site interactivity spike resulting from one (ONE!) offer to guest blog a 2009 top 5 list.

OK, so many of you (I realize that there aren't "many of you" to begin with, but bear with me here) are likely intimidated to add to the blog, via comment or as guest blogger (or, more likely, you just don't exist). I give this guest blogger great credit, and you should give her opinions some weight. She is one of my recommendation "go to" people, though we do not share an affinity for self-help books. Among other various and sundry accomplishments, she recommended Owen Meany, and the novel she listed first below would have been in the mix for my 2009 picks, but I read the novel in 2008.

She's also a Kindle snob.

In her words: "My best books are not necessarily the best books I've read, but these are the books that had the most impact on me. When I think back on the year, these stand out, each for a different reason."

Without further ado. . .

The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones

As a foodie, I was attracted to this book because of the in-depth discussion of Chinese cuisine (of which I know little about). But the two main characters, Sam and Maggie, were far more memorable than the food. They are both quiet characters -- no witty dialogue or engaging repartee -- but their taciturn demeanor is what made them real for me. I particularly enjoyed how the author wrote about Maggie's grief (she is recently widowed at the start of the book). We learn about Maggie and her dead husband through Maggie's flashes of memories of simple, every day life events with her husband. (I think this is what real grieving is -- re-living the memories of the ordinary moments with someone who is gone.) And, we learn about Sam through the history of his elders and their commitment to traditional Chinese cooking. These are characters who stick with you long after you've forgotten the ending of the book.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Settlerfield

This isn't high-brow literature (which you might expect from an author who is likened to Austen or Bronte), but it is a fun read. It's a modern day Victorian mystery, with family secrets, large country estates, and stories within stories. But the best part of this book is the pacing. The mystery slowly unravels, but you never feel as if the book plods. For someone who is known to race to the ending, I enjoyed simply letting the story unfold as the author doles out bits of the plot. I'm also partial to this book because it was the first one I read on my Kindle and I was surprised to find how quickly I was engaged in the story, forgetting that I was reading from an electronic device. (how about an entire blog entry to the pros/cons of the Kindle?)  [Editors Note:  click here]

Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos

I think most reviewers would describe this as chick lit, but it is so much more than that (which is not to denounce chick lit, of which I am a big fan; this book simply transcends the genre). It is indeed a love story -- but the real love story that shines through is the one between Cornelia (a waitress) and Clare (an 11-year-old girl in need of a mother). It's the kind of read that makes you feel a little bit more human. Yes, at times, the story is a little too tidy, with all the pieces falling into place just so, but I can forgive that because this book just made me feel good.

Getting Things Done by David Allen

Moving away from fiction, this next favorite of mine is more about what you can take away from the book, than about the book itself. With a cult-like following, David Allen's Getting Things Done is a book I would normally avoid if only because I loathe a book that is heralded as a universal fix for anything. But the methodology detailed in this book for organizing your life (and thus allowing you to be more productive) simply works. Like other productivity/self-help books, the writing is overly simplistic and annoyingly repetitive; however, within weeks of implementing the process (which involves capturing everything that is going on in your life so that you don't have to keep fretting about things) I found that I slept better (no more waking up with random thoughts of things that needed to be done), was less distracted, and had more free time. With the onslaught of information we receive today, I think everyone needs a means of dealing with their stuff. This one worked for me.

Go Put Your Strengths to Work by Marcus Buckingham (or any of the Buckingham Strengths based books)

Another entry in the business/self improvement category. And, another book that will not wow you with the writing. You could read any of the Marcus Buckingham books and come away with the same info -- what would happen if each of us had a real sense of our strengths and offered them up at every opportunity? And, what would a business look like if it worked on discovering the strengths of each of its employees and utilizing those strengths to further the business, instead of forcing employees to develop the skills they don't have? Buckingham's books challenge you to make an honest assessment of your own strengths and to start volunteering those strengths whenever possible. It's a very interesting (and refreshing) view of career development because it seems to me that most folks spend more time focusing on the things they need to improve, instead of the things at which they excel. This book made me think a lot about the best model for running a business and my own career development. This is a book I wish I had read in my 20s, so I've recommended it to several college-aged relatives.

A Prayer for Owen Meany - A

My favorite book from 2009 was also the second to last book I read last year--A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. The novel was highly recommended by multiple people whose opinions I trust, so my expectations were high. Nevertheless, Owen Meany exceeded my expectations.

The novel is about the lives of John Wheelwright and his best friend, Owen Meany, who grew up together in a small New England town.  Most of the action takes place during the 1950s and 1960s though the narrator, John Wheelwright, is telling the story in the late 1980s.

What makes a great novel for me?

I always start with the characters--particularly the protagonist.  Did I find Owen Meany compelling?  Extremely.  Will Owen stick with me long after I finished the novel?  He's unforgettable.

Then, how was the novel written?  In this case, beautifully.  The novel flows, the language near perfect.  Owen Meany is one of the few novels I have read in recent years where I somewhat wished I was back in college and had a highlighter attached to my hand.  A large reason that the novel "works" is that the narrator is Owen's lifelong friend, John Wheelwright.  In my opinion, Irving had to use a third person, particularly one with whom Owen had shared life experiences, in order to best capture Owen.  (Book club question No. 1:  How reliable is John's narration?)

Did the novel make me think?  Almost too much.  As I was reading the novel, I was bombarded by themes.  Life and death.  Fate vs self determination.  Self fulfilling prophesies?  Religious themes (many of which I may have missed).  Sexual themes.  (Book club question No. 2:  Discuss the symbolism surrounding each theme.)

I could write much more here, but as per this blog's mandate, I will not give any of the plot of the novel away, and to provide more color would necessitate "spoilers."

I often say that a great book "makes me a better person."  I learn something.  I recognize the "art."  In other words, I'm more than entertained.  A Prayer for Owen Meany satisfies this criteria for me more than any other book I read in 2009.  If you like reading literature (particularly literature written in a modern, non-Hawthorian style), read Owen Meany.  Or read The World According to Garp which my sister, who highly recommended Owen Meany, said was "better" after I finished Owen Meany!

Live long, read and prosper.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - B

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is not yet available in the US and will not be available until late May.  I ordered from Amazon UK (don't be a sucker and pay over $40 in the "aftermarket"--order directly from Amazon UK if you cannot wait.  The book should arrive within a week--mine came in three business days--and will cost less than $28 shipped).

The main criticism of the second entry in the Millenium Trilogy, The Girl Who Played with Fire, was that the novel "just ended."  Fire was my favorite of the three, however, because I continue to find Lizbeth Salander to be, far and away, the most compelling character in the trilogy, and simply put, Fire had the most Lizbeth in it.

The action in The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest picks up RIGHT WHERE Fire left off.  Those of you who are concerned that Hornet's Nest may "not end" since author Stieg Larsson died in the midst of writing a fourth novel need not worry--Hornet's Nest ties up all of the loose ends from Fire.

I did enjoy reading all three novels, but I didn't love this trilogy as much as others.  Hornet's Nest is definitely a worthy conclusion to the series and therefore earns a solid B.  For those who read Dragon Tattoo and Fire, I strongly suggest that you read the concluding entry.

Live long, read and prosper.