What I'm Reading Now (Good & Bad!!)
Readings of 2003
Readings of 2004
Readings of 2005
My Best-Reads List
January, 2006
The Short Reign of Pipin IV
John Steinbeck
What if you were royalty? The whole government is just a sham anyways. They need a front puppet, and Pipin is the man chosen. Stupid enough for everyone to love. This book isn't literary genius, but it is a kick in the pants and a handful of giggles. I give it a 6.
The Glass Menagerie
Tennessee Williams
This play can be read in one short sitting. Don't let the short length fool you, the impact that it has will last for months. I've read this play in the past, and was still haunted by it, so much so that I reread it. Then that wasn't even enough, I had to watch the movie. Neurotic mother, homely daughter, and bitterly sacrificing son. Heavy family drama, that centers around getting a gentleman caller to come to dinner. I give it a 9.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
Lynne Truss
Grammar made fun. I will never look at advertisements without scrutiny again. Ironically I am a horrible speller and a bit of a grammar botcher myself. Sometimes I don't mind when the pot calls the kettle black, like in this case. If you want to learn a bit about punctuation, but don't want to read the ol Elements of Style by Strunk and White, then this is your book. I give it a 7.5.
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Malcom Gladwell
What does that title mean? The book is about what happens in the first two seconds when you see someone, or open a book. Why and how we make judgments without seeming to think. Interesting stuff. I give it an 8.
February, 2006
The 158 Pound Marriage
John Irving
Two married couples try to be liberated and swap partners. All gets emotionally crazy, as one would expect. OK story, but not one of his best. I give it a 6.5.
The Wayward Bus
John Steinbeck
He nails it again, with a myriad of interesting characters and plot twists. A broken down bus, a small town, some city folk, and a luggage rack full of pies. One of my favorite of Steinbeck's. I give it a 9.
Trying To Save Piggy Sneed
John Irving
Bummer. I really wanted to like this book. It is an autobiography by one of my favorite authors. I thought it was a bit dull, especially all the stuff about wrestling. I did begin to understand why so much wrestling appears in his novels, through all of his tales of the glorious years on the mat. The short story that this book was named after was awesome. Too bad that there werenąt more like it. It's worth borrowing from the library just to read the first story and to look at the old photos, including Irving in his wrestling gear. I give it a 4.
March, 2006
The Niagra River
Kay Ryan
The first several poems didn't hook me. I am not sure why. Maybe I just need to warm up to her poems again, after having not read her books in awhile. By the tenth poem, I was loving them again. As is my ritual with her work, I read each poem twice. They are almost always better after the second read. Take it slow. Let her words swish around, like wine in the mouth, getting deeper and more full-bodied with each swirl around the teeth. Kay Ryan always has some good commentary about life and the little things that make it matter. I give it an 8.
In Evil Hour
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
In two words, "Not thrilled". A bit of a let down actually. True to Garcia Marquez's style, this book is packed with so many characters, it's hard to keep them all straight. I found the story flat, however it thankfully picked up some speed in the last twenty-five pages. The premise is a small town where someone is putting up lampoons about the town folk. No one feels safe from the exposure that the lampoons will give about their lives. The mayor decides to enforce a curfew with military style enforcement. Rebellion, bloodshed, and power struggle ensue. Sounds interesting, but it just didn't grab me. This is the story he wrote right before Love In The Time Of Cholera , which I adored. Can't win them all, I guess. I give it a 4.
April, 2006
In Dubious Battle
John Steinbeck
An intense look at the workings of migratory workers going on strike at a time when the "working man" was treated even worse than s/he is now. The story centers around Jim Nolan and his tragic idealism of having the courage to never submit or yield, no matter what the price. A good story, though quite heavy. I came out feeling like I understood a bit more about early California apple pickers and their struggles, not to mention the mindset of people who want to fight for the right of migratory workers. I give it a 7.
May, 2006
The Moon Is Down
John Steinbeck
What goes on when soldiers overtake a small peaceful town, in hopes of taking all their coal. The citizens begin to find themselves and fight back. The soldiers learn humility and doubt. And Steinbeck paints little pictures of each character, in this short but powerful book. I give it a 6.5.
The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2003
Edited by Dave Eggers
I found this to be a wonderful and diverse collection of readables. Stories, essays, opinions, and cartoons; they're all in there. I was really moved by an article by Daniel Voll originally published in Esquire called " Riot Baby", which follows a boy from the time he was born during the riots, until he is ten years old. There was also a hysterically funny piece which simply combined a bunch of song titles (like for a mixed tape) to illustrate the flow of a relationship from the initial meeting, to the break-up and disgust. Brilliant. I give it an 8.
June, 2006
July, 2006
August, 2006
September, 2006
October, 2006
November, 2006
December, 2006