TCBOB

Thursday, January 24, 2013

#12 - The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

This lovely little piece of prose is EXACTLY the balm that my chapped reader's brain needed after the last two "less than interesting" books that I suffered through.  The Lover's Dictionary can be consumed in an evening or in bite sized chunks but once I sunk into the easy dialogue and non-linear yet complete story telling, I didn't want to stop.

If this book had been written as a linear, unbroken story line, it would have been the standard "boy meets girl on the internet, they fall in love, stuff happens, the end" kind of story.  But the story telling made it much more interesting and enjoyable.  Imagine if someone went through your journal, assigned a single word to each entry and then alphabetized them into individual chapters.  That's what happens here.  Pieces of information are parceled to us out of order but, anyone who has ever been in through a rocky relationship knows how the pieces fit into a full story.

Give yourself a break and indulge in a common story with a beautiful presentation.  You won't regret it.

“Trying to write about love is ultimately like trying to have a dictionary represent life. No matter how many words there are, there will never be enough”

Goodreads Rating: 4 stars

On deck (nook): Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
In Progress (audio): The Firm by John Grisham

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

#11 - Damned by Chuck Palahniuk

Well.  I finished it.

Don't laugh - for some reason this was QUITE the struggle...for one, work has been getting busy again so its officially audiobook season and for two.  I just...didn't get it and, thankfully, after reading through some of the goodreads reviews I was able to find I am not the only one.

I was introduced to Chuck P. through his best known work, Fight Club.  Through the late nineties, early 2000's I fairly frequently turned to his novels as a sort of macabre commentary on life.  With his "less than normal" characters and blunt writing style, he definitely fit into my life genre at that time.

Back to Damned.  The story seems simple enough, a 13 year old girl dies and goes to Hell.  In life, she was the spoiled daughter of a movie star, in death she was simply a 13 year old dead girl.  Each chapter starts with "Are you there Satan, it's me Madison" as a callback to "Are you there God, it's Me Margaret." As that would be exactly the kind of reading material in Madison's library, it seemed like a quirky yet appropriate reference.  But then we jump to analogies of "The Breakfast Club" between her friends in hell, some throw backs to Dante's Inferno, Jane Eyre and, I don't know. It got all mixed up in there for me.

Some of the more disturbing references include but are not limited to: landscapes full of partial birth abortions (or feces, or toenail clippings or wasted sperm, or tepid bile - take your pick); being damned to hell for peeing in a public pool more than twice or using the horn on your vehicle too much; and an extremely disturbing scene which for some reason, that was never fully explained, involved a demon receiving oral pleasure from a severed head.

A lack of continuity, gratuitous and unnecessary grossness and a conclusion that makes absolutely no sense no wonder it took me the whole week to slog through a bit at a time...

"The only thing that makes Earth feel like Hell, or Hell feel like Hell, is our expectation that it ought to feel like Heaven."

Goodreads rating: 3 (rounded up from 2.5 just out of respect for an author that I used to respect)
In Progress (audio): The Firm by John Grisham
On Deck (nook): The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

#10 - Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

Why can't I stop reading (audiobooking?) this series? After the tragedy of Explosive Eighteen I swore off of all things Plum...then the new one comes out and I think "maybe Janet will have listened to everyone on goodreads and toned down the explosions, sexual tension and ridiculous Lula-isms and give us some real character development."

Then I start reading (listening?) and it starts with ridiculous Lula-isms, followed immediately by a car explosion, and then transitions directly into the standard "I am in love with Morelli but still want to bang Ranger" drama.  I found myself banging my head on the steering wheel somewhere between Webster City and Blairsburg.

OK so standard plot, Stephanie is broke, needs to find a skip, and gets in a lot of trouble by looking for said skips.  The addition of Tiki to this book makes for some nice internal dialogue even though the resolution to that sub plot is not only implausible but stupid.  The sub sub plot of Ranger's friend who is in trouble was a bit much and I would often forget that that was going on at the same time while I was into the other plots.

The blessing of this book is that it is short (only about 7 hours in audio format) so I slipped through it in about a day and a half behind the wheel.  That equates to about two hours with a paperback and a cup of coffee.

My advice would be to read it if you are hopelessly addicted to Stephanie Plum but: wait for summer when you are baking in the sun and need some non-heavy reading, and don't expect anything but a carbon copy of the previous seventeen books.

My Goodreads Rating: 2 stars (1.5 rounded up - yeah it was that bad/disappointing)

On Deck (audio): The Firm by John Grisham (yeah shut up Mandi)
Currently reading (nook): Damned by Chuck Palahniuk (yeah I'm STILL slogging through it I've been busy!)

Sunday, January 20, 2013

#9 - A Time To Kill by John Grisham

Two years ago I had the audiobook "Summer of Stephanie" where I dug through all of the Stephanie Plum novels of Janet Evanovich.  Last summer, Audible and I took an awesome journey through the murder cop world of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch character.  This year, my goal is to get through the library of John Grisham.  Call it one of those things that I always intended to do but never had a chance to complete.
So I started at the beginning.  The 1989 debut novel of John Grisham, "A Time To Kill"

The book is set in 1984.  That fact is important due to the extreme nature of the story and the tensions surrounding it.  Set in Mississippi, the opening chapter describes in uncomfortable detail, the rape and beating of a ten year old black girl.  (The "N" word abounds throughout the novel so if you are sensitive to this kind of racial positioning this is definitely not the book for you!)  The rapists are then gunned down by the girl's father, thus the trial.

I can't stress enough how disturbing the year depicted by the novel is.  This is not the sixties, not the civil war, but 1984 long after the desegregation of the blacks and whites took place.  My mind cannot fathom the presence of the Ku Klux Klan, extreme racial tension and the flippant use of the "N" word both by the rednecks and the affluent of society.  The questions this book brought up were deep ones:  "Does the justice system work the same way for blacks as it does for whites?", "Is it justice for a father to avenge this horrible thing that happened to her daughter by killing the men who did it?", "What difference does things like marches and violent intimidation tactics make among the 12 jury members in charge of this man's fate."

It makes you think, it tells a good story, and I really enjoyed the way the plot weaved together.  This is starting off to be a good year for audio stories!!

Goodreads rating: 4 stars
Currently reading (nook): Damned by Chuck Palahniuk
In progress (audio): Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

#8 - Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

Let me set the stage.  I had had a TRULY awful day that was filled with such experiences such as, getting up ungodly early (read: 6:45am - early for a Saturday) and then finding out that I could have spent two more hours in bed which meant that I killed time at Walmart which lead to someone bashing into my car in the Walmart parking lot then driving off.  What's a girl to do?

I turned to my slightly dysfunctional but extremely helpful Book Posse (the real name shall remain nameless) to find some light reading that would make me feel better.  You would think that this would be an easy task since each of us easily has 500 books in our "Read" and "To Read" queues until all four of us realized that our reading list only includes depressing literature.  My sweet Mandi Lindsey(!!!)came up with the solution and recommended "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" by Jenny Lawson.  She is a genius - don't believe me? Check here.  Well you can click there but Lindsey can be found here

Know what? It worked!!! I laughed like an idiot and my eight year old son kept asking me what had me so tickled and I would just say something like "bovine insemination" and continue reading.  Jenny writes like she is one of my own crazy friends and a little bit like my crazy, scattered brain.  I completed about 3/4 of the book in one sitting...then the last 50 pages took me about three days to complete because I had to do things like take care of my family and go to work and other less pleasant things.

Just a disclaimer: Topics included but not limited to that are addressed in this book, the incorporation of dead animals into both fashion and home decor, the above mentioned bovine insemination story, social ineptitude,  and multiple arguments with her husband that will make you think that Victor must be the most tolerant man in the whole world.  Oh yeah, and she also says Vagina, Vulva and Stabbing...a lot!

If none of this bothers your delicate sensibilities and you are in a foul mood, tell your book club friends to remind you of this book and enjoy!

Goodreads rating: 5 stars

On deck (nook): Damned by Chuck Palahniuk
In Progress (audio): A Time to Kill by John Grisham

Saturday, January 12, 2013

#7 - C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton

I love audiobooks.  It's no secret.  It's a great way to while away the miles on more "guilty pleasure" books while saving my reading time for things that really feed my mind.

"C is for Corpse" is the third offering of the Kinsey Milhone series.  Kinsey is a Private Investigator but not the kind you are used to seeing in this kind of novel.  She is smart, witty and no nonsense and a very pleasant contrast to the Stephanie Plum character from the Janet Evanovich series.  It's refreshing to see a smart and competent single woman who is not subject to falling for the pretty boys that cross her path.

The main plot circulates around an accidental death turned homicide in an affluent family.  Kinsey has a personal attachment to the victim as well as a professional one which added a nice intrigue to the story and both helped and hurt her investigation.

The subplot was a pleasant sidetrack without taking away from the focus of the main plot.  All of the personal characters in Kinsey's life make an appearance in a meaningful way.  All in all, not high literature but a pleasant fictional distraction from the monotony of the road.

Goodreads rating: 3 (rounded down from 3.5)

On Deck (audio): "A Time to Kill" by John Grisham
In Progress (nook):  "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" by Jenny Lawson

#6 - The End Of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwallbe

"The thing that all readers have in common, is reading." Nothing is more true.  Reading has brought me closer to so many people, sharing stories has given me so much great conversation.  When I picked this up, I was thinking that it would be similar to the other "club" kind of books that are out there (i.e. Friday Night Knitting Club, YaYa Sisterhood, etc.) but it is so much more than that.

This book is written from the viewpoint of a son who is watching his mother battle end stage pancreatic cancer.  What could have been a completely excruciating time in both of their lives ended up giving them an opportunity to talk about all of the issues that come up through the frame of literature.

If you are looking for an awesome reading list see the appendix of this novel.  My goodreads "to read" shelf is overflowing with the recommendations put forth in this book.

One of the lovely things about the way that Schwalbe writes is that he can give an overview of the books that his mother and him read during the two years of her illness without completely giving away the book itself.  Poignant excerpts from the novels are highlighted and would intrigue any reader to explore the books they are reading further in their own library.

MaryAnne Schwalbe is such an inspiration.  She handles her illness with such grace, not letting her treatments get in the way with her living, constantly thinking of others when they try to put the focus on her.  Her life, career and parenting play out just like I would love for mine to.  Someday I hope to be able to read the same things with my children and let that open up a new world view to all of us.  I love reading alongside my 12 year old stepson.  Our conversations are littered with references to what we are reading and have read and I hope that never dies!

Read this book.  You won't regret it.

Goodreads Rating: 5 stars

On Deck(nook): "Damned" by Chuck Palahniuk with a brief stop at "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" by Jenny Lawson to soothe a bad day.

Audio Progress: Finishing "C is for Corpse" by Sue Grafton

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

#5 - Tough Sh*t by Kevin Smith

Ok first just know that if you are not comfortable with vulgar language, gratuitous and graphic vocabulary regarding sexual organs and frank, straight viewpoints on hollywood and surrounding topics, this is not the book for you.

That being said, I have been a Kevin Smith fan since the advent of Clerks in 1994.  In fact a good majority of free time my sophomore year of college was spent on the original Jersey trilogy of Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy.  I appreciated the cinematic originality and crazy story telling ability of Smith to create a world that seemed like it was being taped behind the counter of my local haunts.

So it seemed a no-brainer to read this book.  When I found out that Kevin himself recorded the audiobook (in his own home, while smoking copious amounts of pot) I knew this was DEFINITELY one to "read" on audio on my commute to Eastern Iowa.

The book didn't disappoint, it was written just like Kevin talks, after seeing two of his TV specials ("An Evening with Kevin Smith" and "Too Fat for Forty") I had already heard versions of some of the stories that he told (thus the 4 star rating which would have been 4.5 if available) but what really intrigued me are the stories of growing up in the dawn of the late eighties/early nineties indie film explosion, the stories about distribution and marketing without using the mass media machine that the big blockbusters utilize and making his own success.

I was also impressed with his intense love for his wife and his ability to express her love and support in a way that was self deprecating and incredibly tender and sweet.  I'm excited to see what the next incarnation of Kevin Smith is going to entail.  As long as his unique storytelling style is part of the mix, I know it will be amusing and funny and worth the time.

Goodreads Rating: 4 stars (rounded down from 4.5)
On Deck (audio): C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton
Currently In Progress (nook): The End of Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

Monday, January 7, 2013

#4 - "Bonk" by Mary Roach

I don't know what I was expecting when I picked this out of my nook library.  I had actually picked up a copy of this and the other two Mary Roach books (Stiff and Spook)  for a friend of mine who is much older and more conservative than I am.  My science geek background and natural curiosity about the topic (and the fact that it was next in order in my nook queue) had me opening the file.

OK, its not a bad book.  Some parts were downright interesting, talking about how sex has been studied over the years and some of the idiotic theories that have arisen over the centuries about how and why things happen during the most intimate act.  That was the interesting part...

Problem one was the overall structure of the book itself.  We would be in the middle of a story and I was really getting into the science of the study and theory and all of a sudden, Ms Roach would take us back to some side story that was parallel to the topic but not in stream to what we were talking about before.  Sometimes we would get back to the original scenario, sometimes not.

Problem two was the "footnotes" scattered throughout the book.  This book is listed at 329 pages, however, only 197 of them are actual in line text.  The rest took the form of footnotes and a few pages devoted to the bibliography (very necessary for citations).  Back to the footnotes.  Some of these did provide valid information regarding the subject matter at hand, in which case, I would have liked to seen these as part of the text.  Some of them were catty, snickering, immature comments that I did not find applicable to the topic.

If you are interested in sexology research and its history this is a nice overview.  If you are looking for a humorous piece about sex and science its just OK.

Goodreads rating: 2 stars
On Deck: The End of Life Book Club by Will Schwabe

Sunday, January 6, 2013

#3 - The Black Box by Michael Connelly

My third book of the year was in the form of an audiobook presentation by Audible.com.  While I am travelling, audiobooks have really been a godsend, keeping me awake, focused and most importantly, engaged in the world of the author through the narration.

In my evaluation of audiobooks I will review not only the novel but also the recording.  I strongly believe that a bad narrator can influence the entire experience of the book.  For example, I read all of the Janet Evanovich books via audible two summers ago and, looking back, the ones that I disliked the most were the ones that did not use the "regular" narrator that read the majority of the series.

That being said, Michael Connelly and I have had a great audiobook relationship.  The Harry Bosch series of books lead me into reading both his stand-alone novels as well as the Mickey Haller series (on which The Lincoln Lawyer movie was based).

The Black Box did not disappoint! Bosch has been through many changes over the last decade of books starring this character but I am really enjoying his exploits of having to balance being a single dad, and being assigned to the "Open Unsolved Division" or what we would know as cold cases.  His ability to pick apart the pieces of the cases and get down to the core issues of the investigations keeps you on your toes.  This novel does much the same thing, one lead following another and a little twist at the end to keep it interesting.  Even the somewhat repetitive subplot of the Internal Affairs investigation ended up tying in nicely at the end.  Another solid continuation of the stories and characters I have come to love.

Goodreads rating: 4 stars
Audio on deck: Tough Sh*t, Advice from a Fat Lazy Slob Who Did Good by Kevin Smith
Set to finish  "Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Sex and Science" by Mary Roach in the next day or so.

Friday, January 4, 2013

#2 - Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Yay progress!  You could definitely tell that this was Gillian Flynn's first novel.  The character development was spot on but the climax of the book which is set up as a murder mystery/reporter story wasn't surprising.  The motives however caught me off guard.      Gillian Flynn's writing style is SO raw and emotional.  There were several times when I would exclaim out loud "Wow! Did I just read that?"

The main character, Camille, is rolled out slowly but once you find out that she is a cutter, the words she carved into her skin take on a character of their very own.  The family dynamic was insane but Flynn took her time setting up each tableau in a way that NO movie will ever be able to set up better than I have it in my head.  Especially the final family dinner where things begin to unravel.  I could just see it all in my mind's eye vividly.

Even though I slid through this book in a few evenings it is not a light read by any means.  Prepare yourself to meet some seriously damaged humans through these pages.

Goodreads rating: 5 stars (4.5 if they had half stars just because of the predictable "who is the murderer plot"

On Deck: I will probably be finishing "The Black Box" by Michael Connelly tomorrow on audio book
On Deck (nook): "Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Sex and Science" by Mary Roach.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

#1 - Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling

Not bad my friends, only one day into the new year and I chomped down my first novel.  Of course it helped that I was too hung over to pry myself too far away from the sofa.  Gotta love the New Year's Eve Celebrating...

It also helped that it was a good book, had a great rhythm and was really funny at the same time.  I didn't know much about Mindy Kaling before picking up the book on the recommendation of my book brethren.  To me she was just the character, Kelly Kapoor from the office and had another show out there somewhere.  What I didn't know is that she is a writer, a director, a producer and has a really unique perspective and voice that was very likeable and easy to read.

This book would make a great beach read this summer or something to tuck into your purse to read in small bites like waiting at the dentist office or - you know - any other place that you might spend five or ten minutes at a time and can knock out a few stories

Goodreads rating: 4 stars


On Deck: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn