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A Rebirth

Several months, one wedding, many tears, and possibly even carpal tunnel syndrome, and finally it's time to unveil the new Shelf Life. Tomorrow I will come back here one last time and post the new URL. The new and improved Shelf Life will have a sparkling new layout, more visually engaging reviews, more non-review articles on books and reading, and yes, even a Twitter feed (you can find me as ShelfLifeBooks). And to top it all off, a regular schedule.

To celebrate, I'll be posting a new review or article each day for a week, and a themed list everyday. Tomorrow don't miss the interview with Philip Freeman, author of The Philosopher and the Druid and St. Patrick of Ireland!

Coming soon to a book blog near you

Well folks, this is it. In just two days, my sweet husband-to-be Nicholas will become my actual husband. As you can imagine, we are pretty excited about moving forward into married life and enjoying a wonderful honeymoon.

Being the book-obsessed bride-to-be that I am, I just had to bring some books along (of course, it also helps to pass the 10 hours we spent in a car on our way to the wedding site). So next week, you can count on seeing reviews for The Fortune Cookie Chronicles (you will love it!), The Savage Garden, Unchristian and A Poisoned Season.

But more importantly, you'll read those reviews on the brand-spankin' new Shelf Life 2.0. It will have tons more things to love, so keep coming back to us! You want a teaser of the greatness to come? How's an interview with the amazing Professor Philip Freeman sound? It's happened, I'm just waiting to post it on the new site.

So while I'm off getting married this weekend, what will you do to fill your Shelf Life void? Well, a good start would be catching up on the fantastic e-book, The Gearheart. You could also stop by The Domestic Scientist next week for some of the inside looks at the details of the wedding (in addition to being a fabulous human being, Renee is also my Matron of Honor). Or you could amuse yourself with books from The Top Shelf.

No matter how you choose to occupy your time without me, dear readers, look for the new and improved Shelf Life to appear after August 17th. See you all then, and as a married woman to boot!

Review: Bento Box in the Heartland

It seems I just can't get enough of food literature, because although today's offering is my third food-memoir this year, I have loved it every bit as much as the others. Savor this review, readers; it is the last before my wedding this weekend and a long honeymoon in the mountains.

Genre: nonfiction, food memoir

Plot: When author Linda Furiya was growing up in 1960s rural Indiana, her family was the only group of Asian Americans within 30 miles. Her unusual heritage brought about many struggles, but produced a story of family, culture, and most importantly, the food that shapes our identities.

Structure: Furiya's memoir is very loose; that is, it is organized on thematic rather than chronological lines. At the end of each chapter, to my delight, I found that Furiya chose to include a mouthwatering recipe she mentioned in the chapter.

Execution: There is definitly a Japanese aesthetic at play here. Furiya's stories are not happy, not exactly. There is an undertone of subtle sadness in every page, coloring every memory. Perhaps its because death marked her childhood frequently, and neither she nor her parents enjoyed a happy life. Although her early chapters were beautifully structured and had a nice roundness to them, toward the end they became both longer and more abrupt. One recipe was repeated twice, though through printer error or author's intention I do not know. Also, jumping around chronologically worked in terms of storytelling, but sometimes it left me very confused and aching to fill in the gaps. Overall, it lent a sense of privacy to her memoir I think was unintended, as if she was saying, "I will tell you this much but no more."

Theme: Japanese Americans, World War II, Japanese food, 1960s Americana

Read this if you enjoy Asian food at all, this will leave you itching to break out your sushi mats.

4 out of 5 stars

Other works:
Furiya, a newspaper columnist, also wrote about her time in China in her book How to Cook a Dragon.

If you liked this, you might also like:
Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love
Nicole Mones' The Last Chinese Chef
Katherine Darling's Under the Table

Review: The Philosopher and the Druid

I truly surprise myself sometimes! I actually did not expect to get another review posted so soon before the wedding, but today's review title was so good I couldn't help but devouring it. Freeman once again combines superb style, history, and storytelling in a wonderfully informative but warm look at the ancient Celts.

Genre: nonfiction

Plot Synopsis: Forget what you think you know about the Celts. Freeman is out to prove that most of our connotations concerning this much-loved culture is mostly myth and lore. By rediscovering the Greek explorer Posidonius and his lost History, Freeman weaves primary source material with other historical, linguistic, and archaeological discoveries to create a much better picture of the Celtic/Gallic culture. The result is a dazzling, fascinating work that is both historically sound (in my amateur opinion) and an engaging read. Oh that more history books were like this!

Structure: Freeman, author of the delightful St. Patrick of Ireland, has already proved himself to be a capable historian with a flair for storytelling. The Philosopher and the Druid is no different. Freeman first sets the scene by describing the ancient world Posidonius grew up in, including his philosophical point of view and the steps he would have undertaken to understand the Celts/Gauls (Freeman proves they are actually quite closely related) before venturing among them. He divides his work into several chapters. Then, the next five chapters retell the history of the Celtic cultures throughout Europe, organized by their history in several geographic regions (a chapter on Galatia, a chapter on Massalia, etc.) and the cities Posidonius would have visited on his journey to Gaul.

Finally, Freeman tackles what Posidonius and other ancient authors, such as Strabo, Pliny, and Julius Caesar, tell us about every aspect of Celtic life, including women, tribal authority, feasting, bards, druids, and religion.

Execution: As I have mentioned several times, Freeman is anything but dry and boring. He has a natural knack for pacing and storytelling, and I found his prose compelling but professional. It had just enough polish to keep me interested, but not enough that it did disrespect to his work as a historian.

Freeman also possess a great ability to tell us exactly what we can safely know. He never glosses over a problem or a gap in the historical record, but nevertheless tries to fill in the knowledge as best he can. This sort of open, honest but optimistic approach to history makes him very unique among the authors I have read. His unique subject matter and the way he straddles the popular/academic boundary makes him an author I will keep turning to.

Theme: Greco-Roman history, Greek philosophy, Celtic history and culture, archaeology, linguistics, ancient religion/myth

Read this if you are interested, even slightly, in the Greco-Roman world or Celtic history, because believe me, he will make you thirst for more.

5 out of 5 stars

Other works:
Freeman, a professor of classics at Luther College, has also written:
Julius Caesar: A Biography
St. Patrick of Ireland: A Biography

If you liked this, you might also like:
Robert Graves' I, Claudius, based on actual Roman authors like Suetonius, Tacitus and Plutarch, also combines good storytelling with good history

Review: Till We Have Faces

This review is, for many, many reasons, very difficult to write. To begin with, I should be doing things for my wedding in about a week, and as such I find myself a little distracted. For another, this is my favorite book from my favorite author, and I wonder if I will be able to give it the praise it deserves without being sycophantic. Well, all I can do is give it my best shot, right?

Genre: fiction

Plot: This is a retelling of the Greek myth Psyche and Cupid, set in a barbaric kingdom called Glome. Lewis tells the story through the eyes of Orual, Psyche's older sister/mother figure, writing a long complaint against the gods for what they have done to her. His chief change to the story, which seems like such a small thing but has such brilliant ramifications to it, is to make Psyche's palace invisible to mortal eyes.

Structure: The book is unequally divided into two parts. In the lengthier Part One, Orual, seething with hatred and wrath for the gods, sets down to write her story once and for all and to show how unjust, how unfair, the gods have been to her. She begins in her early childhood, and carries it all the way to late adulthood, telling of her kingdom, her relationship with her sisters, the great sacrifice of Psyche, and the choices she made in trying to cope with what happened to her and her family.

Part Two is an answer to her initial writing. She receives an answer from the gods, a change in perspective, and writes an amendment to her initial, raging work. Part of my enchantment with this novel is its unusual epistolary structure (which has fallen out of favor in modern literature, much to my dismay), which is a perfect platform for the emotional story Lewis sets out to tell.

Execution: Lewis is a master of the English language, no doubt about it. His prose is perfect, suited exactly for the dark, heavy language of an ancient world and yet full of modern sparkle (where, I think, he vastly improved upon his colleague Tolkien). More than that, he gives touches of allegory. What do I mean by "touches?" I mean that you cannot come at this book straight on and say, "ah, this must be a symbol for this." It's too artless. This is a story that demands to be taken in sideways. You cannot come at it from the front; you have to come at it sideways and see glimpses, parallels, of what he alludes to. This to me is what makes this a supremely good book. Like true theology, clear, rational thinking gets you a little ways.

One of the best things about this work, I think, is that it combines Lewis' rich depth of knowledge, imagination, and deep questions without easy answers (why must holy places be dark?). It marries his fertile imagination with a powerful, emotional story; I think we all see ourselves in Orual, and so she touches us deeply. Her rage, her confusion, her disbelief and frustration are all ours. Her shock when she discovers she is, deep down, dark and ugly and selfish, is ours. And her ultimate redemption gives us hope. The pathos, the empathetic imagining which makes this story so distant and beautiful but also so near and real, that is what makes this a masterpiece.

Theme: Greek myth (Psyche and Cupid), love, sacrifice, allegory, philosophy

Read this if you want the richly imagined world of Tolkien in a lighter prose. This is, I think, also good for those dark nights of the soul when we wonder what God is doing or where he is.

5 out of 5 stars

Other works:
Lewis is a prolific author, but some of his best loved works are:
The Pilgrim's Regress
The Space Trilogy
The Chronicles of Narnia
Mere Christianity
The Screwtape Letters
The Four Loves

If you liked this, you might also like:
Carolyn Parkhurst's The Dogs of Babel - another story of love and loss

Update on the Lack of Updates

Hey all! Wondering why your favorite place for book reviews is suddenly not looking so fresh anymore?

Well, I have a confession to make readers. Here's what's been hogging my reading hours as of late:

Distraction #1: Video Games


This would be funnier if it weren't also true

Yes, yes, I've been giving into my inner 10 year old lately; I'm playing Super Paper Mario. It's so frustrating at times I could throw the Wiimote (but I won't), but the humor is so good it keeps me coming back again and again.

Also been playing through FFX again with the Nicholas, which is fun if for nothing else than the cosplay jokes:




Distraction #2: Good Sci-Fi


is realy just Shepperd wif boobz

While Stargate Atlantis will always have a place in my heart, Battlestar Galactica is helping me with the withdrawl. Oh, Blockbuster, how I love thy dollar-per-day deals...

Oh, and before ANYONE SPOILS ANYTHING I'm not done with Season 1.

Distraction #3: Epic Cross-stitchery

My ambition is matched only by my Zelda fandom!

Seriously, I've been working on this over a year now, and it's so close to being done I can't help but work at it while watching TV or watching my fiance play with his newest toy, Need for Speed Underground. Oh, and by the way, those of you who thought WindWaker sucked need to go read the article on Destructoid.

Distraction #4: Nearly Newlywed


Nothing says classy like kegstand

There's also this other little thing. I happen to be getting married in 11 days to a wonderfully geeky and goofy man I love dearly. And after the wedding, moving to a new city with my new husband for a new job.

Needless to say, I'll be occupied with other life things for the next few days. But you know, since I'm going through all these major changes, wouldn't it be a perfect time to put Shelf Life through some alterations as well? Yes, yes indeed.

So consider this your "pardon our dust" warning. Reviews may be sparse the next few weeks (I'll try to get in a few before the big day), but rest assured, Shelf Life is far from finished! Soon 2.0 (aka Shelf Life Electric Boogaloo) will debut with...

Well I can't tell you! Otherwise you might not come back! But oh, many awesome things will come, including a new domain. So check back often, entertain your now empty Internet time with The Gearheart Audio Book and The Domestic Scientist, and we'll see you soon!

P.S. the poll from last week was a tie, but I'm halfway through Till We Have Faces.

Poll!

I have read 49 books this year, which puts me just a little behind on my goal of 100 for all of 2009. But since #50 is still a huge accomplishment, I thought I would put the choice into YOUR hands! I will somehow occupy myself otherwise this week and leave voting open until Friday. On Saturday I will announce the winner and get to work on that review!

I chose for the options books I already have checked out from the library, but you're free to suggest something else.

So get with the voting already!

Review: Sex God

I surveyed my 2009 Shelf the other day, and I wasn't too thrilled with what I found. It's like I've gone on a fiction binge since college ended, and while that was fun for a while (and tempting to return to since Alruff raved about this), intellectually I crave books that will jar my brain, or at least rattle it.

So on my last trip to the library, I stayed far away from my favorite fiction section and chose to wander non-fiction for a while. One of the titles I found was the one up for review today by Rob Bell. I have to warn you, I am highly skeptical of Rob Bell. Theologically, we dissected his work at lot in school and found a lot of it lacking or at least not articulated well. But although the first few chapters of his book started off exactly as I expected it to, the last few definitely gave me exactly the kind of brain jolting I wanted.

Genre: nonfiction (theology)

Plot Synopsis: The book begins with an introduction to the "new-but-not-really-new" of "this is really about that," i.e., most of what we talk about or argue about or think about is about one thing on the surface, but really about another, deeper thing. This is basically the heart of his book--sexuality is really about spirituality.

Chapter 1 I really can't tell you what it was about, because I'm not sure myself; it was all fireworks and glitter but no substance (which is exactly what I expected of Rob Bell). Chapter 2 explains how sexuality is really just connectivity, which means that any relationship is based in sex somehow. Chapter 3 discusses the two extremes in viewing sex: as a crude, physical thing with no true value (the angelic, or gnostic, view) and the carnal hedonism that refuses to think of anything spiritual happening (the animal, or Epicurean view). Chapter 4 approaches the dark subject of lust and how to overcome it. Chapter 5 recalls a junior high dance to make a metaphor about the inherent choice and power found in love, both human and divine. Chapter 6 continues the theme of chapter 5, this time focusing more on the divine side.

Chapter 7 speaks of the intimacy of marriage, and the danger of losing it. Chapter 8 also speaks of marriage, specifically about the unity and intimacy of "two becoming one." Chapter 9 looks to the future, anaylzing Jesus' words in Luke 20:34-36 and positing that actually, marriage is just a temporary window into the state we will all be in at the Final Age. The Epilogue closes with a touching story of a marriage between two broken people that itself implodes a few years later. The point is to simultaneously shatter your rosy expectations of marriage and to give you hope; for although life is a messy business, Bell believes God can heal anyone and anything.

Structure: Each of the chapters is a pretty quick read, unless you stop to read all 173 endnotes (most of which are just Scripture references, but sometimes are short essays on some point he's making). Always opens with a recollection or story, and always closes with some sort of provacative statement. Which is good, I guess, just a little repetitive.

Execution: Bell, of Nooma fame, is known for painting powerful pictures or giving interesting perspectives on a theological subject, and this is mostly what he did in the first five chapters. Comparing God to a junior high girl, humanity to lipstick, sexuality to friendship; it's all very typically Bell. The biggest thing I disagreed with was his clearly Freudian view of sexuality, i.e. that any relationship is rooted, grounded in sex (which he sees as simply connectivity with others). I disagree, and believe that my friendships with my best friends/bridesmaids, or with my good friend Alex for that matter, is entirely divorced from any sexual feelings towards them. Likewise, this is what makes my relationship with Nicholas so special; he is the only person I have a deep, meaningful relationship with that is also sexual in nature.

If there were some way to remove chapters 7-9 from the other chapters, I would do it and recommend it to any dating couple. Bell gave very interesting, thoughtful, Biblically-grounded views about marriage, submission, intimacy, oneness, and Jesus' mysterious words about "being like angels" is all about. Some of the passages here were very moving, and sparked great discussion between Nicholas and myself.

A word about his use of the Greek/Hebrew: I normally cringe when authors insist on citing the original languages, because it's very hard to test their use of it (even for theology students). However, Bell used a fair deal of it, about 70% I was familiar with already and can verify that his use of these words are quite sound. So, I think he's fairly credible.

Theme: theology, God, sexuality, marriage, Hebrew, Greek

Read this if well, if you're already a fan of Emergent Church authors like Bell, William Young or Don Miller, obviously you will like it. But I would say that even more conservative students like myself will find some things to enjoy about it, even if you disagree with a lot more than you agree with.

3 out of 5 stars

Other works:
Velvet Elvis (his most controversial work so far)
Jesus Wants to Save Christians

If you liked this, you might also like:
C. S. Lewis' The Four Loves
There are SEVERAL commentaries out there about Song of Solomon, but I would suggest in particular Intimacy Ignited by Dillow & Pintus.

Review: Under the Table

Besides reading (and crafting), the other big passion in my life is for food. I love to cook, especially to bake, and my husband-to-be never fails to remind me of his appreciation for this passion when I step up to the stove. So it's no surprise, really, that when I came across this title in a Barnes & Noble in Chicago, I knew I had to track it down. Turns out it was the best book I've read this year, and I can't wait to tell you why I devoured (haha don't mind the pun) it in just 3 days.

Genre: nonfiction (memoir)

Plot: Sick of her desk job and realizing her life has had a steady undercurrent of food, Katherine Darling decides to follow her dream and enter chef school at the French Culinary Institute in New York. This book is about her journey, her struggles and her triumphs (and her annoyances).

It also made me really, really, REALLY want to go to chef school myself and become pastry artist.

Structure: Darling put together her book in a really clever way. She has written each chapter as a short story, of sorts, recounting one experience or fiasco or lesson or reflections on supporting character, and has grouped them according to "levels" corresponding with her progress through the four levels of chef school. The result is a light, fun read that is hard to put down combined with a very clear progression. It's the best of both worlds! We know the plot is marching onward with every page, and yet at the same time, it has all the fun and jaunty storytelling of anecdotes shared around the table. In my opinion, perfect.

I also love that she included several recipes, either inspired by the chapter she just retold or similar ones. This is a great way to involve the reader in more than just the passive sense of reading about great food; it gives them a chance to make great food! What a wonderful idea.

Execution: Darling can WRITE! This isn't shocking considering her former career (in publishing) and her current one (in food magazines), but still, it's the hallmark of the book. Many people can write about being in chef school, but few can do it with candor, grace, and polish. She has this easy-going, light storytelling that is combined with these great, dramatic moments that make it worthwhile and interesting. It's like hearing her talk about a favorite memory from chef school at Starbucks. Her characterization is superb as well, shifting the focus between herself, her classmates, and her chef-instructors seamlessly, providing much more depth. Surprisingly, the wit that I usually enjoy in favorite authors like Jasper Fforde and C. S. Lewis is absent, but the prose still entertained, delighted, and explained itself nicely without it.

Theme: food, chef school, french cooking, recipes

Read this if you love Top Chef. It's really very reminiscent of this show in terms of the gourmet food, the top-notch celebrity instructors, the competition in the kitchen, etc.

No question, this one gets 5 out of 5 stars

Other works:
Under the Table was published just a few months ago, so it's not surprising it's her only work right now.

If you liked this, you might also like:
Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love
Julie Powell's Julie & Julia (soon to be a movie! Yay!)
Julia Child's memoir My Life in France

Review: Leonardo's Swans

You'd think that with less than a month until my wedding, I wouldn't have much time for reading but I've managed to find time here and there for it. And as often as I try to run away from it, I think historical fiction will always have a place in my heart; in fact, I'm afraid the majority of things I've read this year could be classified as such. Thankfully, Leonardo's Swans was one of the best of the genre! It was a delight to read.

Genre: novel, historical fiction

Plot: The story begins not exactly in media res but more like at the very end of the plot, with Isabella D'Este Gonzaga remarking to her dead sister Beatrice about how far they have both fallen in the days of French-occupied Milan. From there the story jumps back nearly 20 years, when both the girls are very much alive and competing with one another for attention, political clout, and art in the high Renaissance period of Italian art.

What makes this story jump off the page is its painstaking attention to political detail. Too many times--such as in the book that immediately jumped to mind when thinking of this title, The Birth of Venus--books about this time gloss over the intricacies of politics in favor of a "slice of life" look at the heroine's family/house/servants, etc. Not so with this book. These women are the most powerful in Italy at that time and are privy to all the secrets and intrigues of the politics of the day.

Also, I think it says much about author Karen Essex that even though she reveals how it all plays out in the end on the first page, she still manages to imbue her work with suspense and surprise.

Structure: This was actually a little sloppy in my opinion, and probably the one thing that keeps this book from achieving all 5 stars from me. First off, the chapter titles (which is always a tedious device to me anyway) were all, I assume, taken from Tarot cards. But without any explanation, this was just a guess on my part (and I assume on the part of my fellow readers). Second, these chapters were ENTIRELY too long, and had too many "breaks" within them. Third, there were these very random "excerpts" from Leonardo's notebook which REALLY bugged me. I have no way of knowing how authentic these excerpts are (although they seem to be legit), but more bothersome, they seem to have little if any bearing on the actual story. Instead of enhancing the plot, which is what a nicely placed quote can usually do in a book, these either blatantly repeated the story thus far or were completely unrelated. In short, these random little boxes didn't add to the book and I would have much preferred it to be written without them.

Execution: As I said, the plot was executed with perfect precision. You all may not know this, but at one time I was an art history major and so I was particularly attentive to the details of the paintings mentioned. On this count, Essex was clearly one of the most superior authors I've ever read. She described the works accurately and with an eye to the theoretical/esoteric discussions I was familiar with as an art history major, but did so with a natural air that never felt cumbersome. Also, her characters were fully realized and had great depth to them, which is always a good thing. I was especially pleased with her portrayal of Leonardo da Vinci, who fell somewhere between the benevolent grandfather of Ever After and the crazy conspirator of The Da Vinci Code (man I hate that book).

Now the title I have to disagree with, but that's a personal nit to pick I guess.

Theme: 15th century Italy, Leonardo da Vinci, Ludovico Sforza

Read this if you love art history or political novels (like Tom Clancy or Ian Fleming, I would imagine although big fans of theirs might disagree). Also, I imagine if you enjoyed Tasha Alexander's work you would like this, too.

4 out of 5 stars

Other works:
Stealing Athena
Kleopatra
Pharoah

If you liked this, you might also like:
Tasha Alexander's Emily Ashton novels
Sarah Dunants's The Birth of Venus
Robert Alexander's Rasputin's Daughter

Review: Nymph

As you may remember, I was quite impressed with my first encounter with Francesca Lia Block. Unfortunately, her next title (which I eagerly awaited) left me disappointed, bored, and more than a little disquieted to find that it was a "fantasy erotica" title. I wonder if they should have added an "o" to the title?

Let me be clear. I may be a bride-to-be, but I'm not interested in erotic fiction. Never have been, probably never will be. Thus I was understandably turned off (haha so pun-y) by the subject matter. But beyond the quite elicit sexual material, what really hurt this book is the lack of poetics I had come to adore in Block.

Genre: short story anthology

Plot: I'll cut to the chase. The only good thing to be said for the plot is it pulled off a Love, Actually by connecting all the major characters in some way. But I'm serious when I say that's it; the stories were basically just excuses to give a change of setting to the same sexual scenes over and over. The lack of creativity with these sexual exchanges, which really seemed to be the heart of the book, greatly hurt it in my opinion. At least I could have given her points for keeping it interesting, but nope, she didn't.

Also, it really bugs me that this was one of those supposedly deep books. She opens with a quote from Ovid's Metamorphoses (old school raunchy!) which promises to tell the reader of women's transformations. It never really does, I'm afraid to say, and even worse, she makes an artless reference to the same quote later on. So it was basically like someone took all the steamy scenes from those cheap harlequinn novels I will never touch, glossed over it with some fluff like names for the partners, and then called it a collection. Nothing of any artistic value, merit, or praise to be found from cover to cover.

Structure: Eight short stories each with one-word titles, about 4-5 pages each. Probably less, actually, since the type took up so little space on the page I'm willing to be the EPA received complaints about it.

Execution: Like I said, this is what really hurt it in my opinion. Even if it had just been a trashy romance, if she had done it with some pizazz I could have overlooked the subject matter. But in this case it was just too glaring a fault. Bad writing combined with poor storytelling, and of course the unrefined erotic material, made for a terrible reading experience.

Theme: mermaids, naughty nurses, lesbian fairies...I'd go on but it would just begin to get ridiculous

Read this if you're a fan of I don't know, Hot Topic lingerie?

1 out of 5 stars

Other works:
The much more elegant The Rose and the Beast
Blood Vampires (another fantasy anthology)
Psyche in a Dress (similar blend of poetry/prose and mythology)
Ruby (a "modern day adult fairy tale")

A full list of her work is available here.

If you liked this, you might also like:
.... for once, I think I'm out of suggestions.
Oh wait! You might like that other catastrophe I read this year. Man, when will I find a good anthology?

I think I need a good dose of C. S. Lewis now to replenish my literary sensibilities.

Review: The Gum Thief

Normally, I try to write a review immediately after finishing a book, so that my thoughts are still fresh. With this exceptional title, however, I decided to marinate on it a few days instead, just because it was SO DIFFERENT from anything else I've ever read. In fact, it's uniqueness is one of the reasons I'm giving this the distinction of a Top Shelf book.

Genre: novel (pop culture)

Plot: This is quite possibly the only novel ever set in an office supply store. Depressed, middle-age creepy alcoholic Roger passes his days stacking paper reams, drinking Vodka like water, and writing a novel so cleverly entitled as Glove Pond. But co-worker and goth beauty Bethany discovers his secret journal and starts confiding in him. And then all kinds of crap happens.

Structure: By far the best part of this book is its structure, which is quite unique (I guess I shouldn't put a qualifier on an absolute like that, bad Ashley!). It's entirely epistolary, rotating between Bethany, Roger, DeeDee (Bethany's washed up mom), and Blair (co-worker at Staples) which makes for some interesting questions (especially in the middle, when Roger may or may not still be alive) and perspectives. Also, interspersed with the story are excerpts from Roger's novel, Glove Pond, which are hilarious in and of themselves but even more so when taken in conjunction with the novel's plot. All in all, a very clever, completely original way of storytelling that bumped this book from "great" to "awesome" in my book.

Execution: At first, Coupland's prose was incredible. Witty, engaging, funny (really laugh out loud funny), at turns sardonic and profound, it was some of the best prose I've come across this year. Additionally, he managed to bring complex, dynamic characters to life through notes, people. That takes skill. However, by the middle it became less funny and more somber, which was a little disappointing. But, the "what the !!!" ending totally makes up for it.

Theme: Staples, goths, alcoholics, divorce, writing, has-beens, wannabes, community college, England

Read this if you're a fan of The Office or, even more closely related, Office Space. Or if you work at a mega-chain store, because I bet you can relate to the characters extraordinarily well.

5 out of 5 stars

Other works:
JPod
Eleanor Rigby
Hey Nostradamus!
All Families Are Psychotic
God Hates Japan
Miss Wyoming
Girlfriend in a Coma
Microserfs
Life After God
Shampoo Planet
Generation X

(some of you may be surprised I'm willing to award an avowed atheist the highest review marks possible on this site, but I guess it just goes to show that pagans can use pen and paper, too).

By the way, website bonus! He totally lists some original aphorisms on his site.

If you liked this, you might also like:
Nietzche's Beyond Good and Evil

Review: Bound

My last two reviews have mentioned one of my favorite childhood authors, Donna Jo Napoli. So on my latest library trip, I decided to pick up one of her books I haven't read, just for old time's sake. To my delight, it not only brought back all the good memories I associate with her wonderful work, but was a great story in its own right.

Genre: young adult fiction

Plot: Xing Xing lives as a second-daughter slave girl in Ming Dynasty (1368) China. Her young life has already been marked by the passing of both her beloved parents, and now she lives as a slave for her vicious stepmother and dim-witted half-sister. But Xing Xing is a clever girl, whose determination, virtue, and just a touch of magic, eventually enable her to escape her misfortunes.

Structure: The chapters were straightforward and quick-paced, allowing me to breeze through the 25 chapter within a day. Vivid and compelling, Napoli's greatest strength is her charm as a storyteller. She knows exactly how much detail to leave in, how much to leave out, and how to keep the pages turning. Although she used next to no reference to the Chinese language, the culture still shone through, striking the perfect balance between setting and story.

Execution: Napoli's prose is measured, but not lyrical. She writes with clarity and not much ornamentation, yet strangely this doesn't bother me the way simple prose usually does. I think her plot makes up for this by far, sweeping the reader off their feet too fast to realize the sentences are, for the most part, plain.

Napoli typically writes (or should I say, reimagines) fairy tales in modern ways, but I was so taken with this one that I didn't even figure out what she was basing it on until the very end (don't read the Theme section if you want to be surprised by it, too). And even then, I was still pretty surprised by the twists! Perhaps I'm just too smitten with an old favorite author, but I thought it was a marvelously executed attempt with spirit, zeal, and art.

Theme: Ming China, foot binding, Confucianism, and Cinderella

Read this if it's been too long since you've heard a good fairy tale

4 out of 5 stars

Other works:
For fun, I will provide an (*) around the books of hers that I've also read:
Alligator Bayou
* Beast
Breath
Crazy Jack
* Daughter of Venice
Fire in the Hills
For the Love of Venice
The Great God Pan
Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale
The King of Mulberry Street
* The Magic Circle
North
* Sirena
The Smile
* Song of the Magdalene
* Spinners
Stones in Water
* Zel

If you liked this, you might also like:
Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Peony in Love
Kara Dalkey's Little Sister, The Heavenward Path, and The Nightengale

Ironically, I will NOT recommend Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club because I hated that crap.

Grinning With Envy

Like most days when I'm blessed enough to spend an hour at the library, I rather brusquely collided with the fact that I....which metaphor to use here...have a rather ravenous literary appetite. Here was my process today: I checked my shelf for some new titles and jotted a few down. When we got to the library, I did a quick catalog check (only one was in that branch, but I requested two others).

I then went on what I lovingly refer to as a book binge. I wandered the shelves rather randomly, remembering certain titles (what was that book called? Oh, Snow Falling on Cedars, I should read that again) or authors (who wrote A Poisoned Season? oh right, Tasha Alexander. Where's the A's in fiction?), and skimming the titles for anything that catches my eye (Cold - why not?). Sometimes I get a vague impression of what I want, sort of like a food craving. I want a good mystery or when was the last time I read a good sci-fi?.

The point of this rambling is that at the end of the day, I wandered up front with a stack of about six rather randomly chosen books, knowing full well that I had another two at home and I probably won't read all eight of them even being unemployed.

Contrast this with my fiance, who I think indulges my library habit because either he thinks I'm adorable when I'm revved up or feels guilty about something. At any rate while I go slap-happy running around the genres like a pinball on crack, he methodically peruses the new book section at the front of the store and emerges with two books that are so compelling, so interesting, I'd rather trade my entire mystery-bag-du-jour stack for his meager but far more substantial one. In fact, I've had to tear myself away from reading one of them (Gum Thief, which you will definitely be reading about later) to write this.

After praising him for his judicious quality-over-quantity literary philosophy, I have laid down a literary gauntlet: our next trip to the library, YOU will choose all my books. You will choose one book that you know I'll love, one book that you love, and one wild card.

I'll be pretty interested to see what he comes up with (and who he seeks advice from).

Review: The Rose and the Beast

What do fairy tales and sci-fi have in common?

Well, there are plenty of ways to answer this (some might even argue that the latter is merely a new brand of the former), but the one I was thinking of was that both genres have incredible capacity for innovation and great stories while, simultaneously, having ample room for laxity and mediocrity. Thankfully, Francesca Lia Block's The Rose and the Beast falls into the former category, making it one of the more delightfully rich books I've undertaken this summer.

Genre: this one's hard to place formally, but I would say young adult fiction (anthology)

Plot: Block has taken 9 classic fairy tales and retold them, but in a way that's both timeless and fresh. Sometimes the stories are obviously modern, but sometimes they're just told with a more contemporary spirit. Sometimes the endings are a little different, sometimes it's the emotional depth that has changed more than the plot. Most of them are set in L.A., which seemed a little bizarre at first but actually makes plenty of sense when you think about it.

Structure: Each story is self-contained, and they vary in length. One of my favorite elements of this work was that Block deliberately kept herself to one-word titles, which sometimes obscured the tale they were trying to tell, but sometimes added an extra layer of depth to it. Overall it was a marvelously thoughtful book, and the precise care she took with each word was very apparent.

Execution: I could write essays about Block's prose. It's so lyrical as to be almost poetic, but at the same time, it has a weight that poetry sometimes just doesn't. Poetry has glamour and flash, but sometimes the meaning is much more hollow. But with Block's prose, you have all the polished care of a poet combined with the hearty meat of fiction. Everything sparkles, yet nothing is said without meaning to it. In short, exactly the right way to write this book.

I have to pause to comment about her heroines, too. Like fantasy, it's all too common for fairy-tale revisionists to make the main characters from the same mold as Xena, Warrior Princess, which in turns makes them dull and forgettable. In these stories, the girls were not this unapproachable warrior women. They were fragile, passionate, humble, talented, beautiful, strong, violated, broken...as different from one another as the stories they sprang from.

Theme: Fairy tales (snow white, thumbelina, cinderella, sleeping beauty, little red riding hood, rose white and rose red, bluebeard, beauty and the beast, the ice queen), Los Angeles, love in all its many-splendor'd forms.

Read this if you appreciate the work of poetry but not the poem itself.

5 out of 5 stars

Other works:
Blood Vampires (another fantasy anthology)
Psyche in a Dress (similar blend of poetry/prose and mythology)
Ruby (a "modern day adult fairy tale")

A full list of her work is available here.

If you liked this, you might also like:
- Again, I have to run to the fairy-tale revisionist masters, Jane Yolen and Donna Jo Napoli
- T. S. Elliot's The Wasteland
- George MacDonald's At the Back of the North Wind

Review: Tithe

Readers, I have been in a funk lately. There is an enormous stack of books on my refridgerator/side table (my room has become the holding cell for all manner of junk these days), most of which I am, or was at some point, interested in. But lately I just haven't been able to stick to it. Two weeks went by without me finishing anything other than Coraline, which is pretty sad really. But the downward spiral has been broken, if only by a mediocre offering.

Genre: novel, young adult (we all know what that means)

Plot: Kaye is a weird 16 year old who, when she's not pulling her washed-up rock-star mother's head out of a toliet, daydreams about the faerie friends who used to play with her as a child. Now back in New Jersey, a chance encounter on a rainy road draws her into the world of Faery, where her actions have unforeseen consequences.

I'm not going to lie, this plot had about as much depth or coherency as a Sci-Fi Channel (or should I say Syfy) Original Movie. I have good memories with many YA writers, such as Jane Yolen or Donna Jo Napoli, but much of what makes the genre compelling was missing from this one. One dimensional characters, terribly boring story, no true twists, unpolished language all contribute to its failure, but worst of all is the supposedly-complicated plot cliche. Oh I hate this trope. You know the one, where the author pretends she's come up with this marvelously intricate plot, but if you stop and think half a second it's really pretty lame.

To sum it up, every negative thing you've heard about Twilight could probably be said of this book. Even Roiben, the main male emo hero/love interest shares a lot of similar qualities to everyone's favorite statue.

Structure: 15 Chapters, each beginning with quotes so randomly obscure I seriously thought Black was making it up. But when I got to one I recognized from Rilke, I knew they were real. The beginning chapters jump so far into the story without any explanation that I was left with a jarring sense of abandonment. The ending chapters, however, go completely the opposite direction -- the story is neatly wrapped in a pretty conventional/predictable package.

For something that obviously had a LOT of development from the Tam Lin story, I guess I'm just a little disappointed it didn't take on some of the more interesting, clever turns it could have.

Execution: This was Black's first novel, and it shows. The prose is unremarkable, at times wandering into the ridiculous. The climax Tithe scene was the only interesting, well-written piece, but even then I suspect heavy amounts of influence from The Chronicles of Narnia and/or Harry Potter (which, I should say, isn't necessarily a bad thing). Still, I hope the sequel amps up the prose pizzaz, because hiding okay prose behind cool-sounding quotes is not something I'd make a habit of.

Theme: New Jersey, Goth Faeries, modern fairy tale

Read this if you like those gothic "faerie" drawings I always see at the mall.

2 out of 5 stars

Other works:
Well, apparently she got better. Holly Black is the author of The Spiderwick Chronicles, in addition to the two sequels to this series (Ironside and Valiant).

A full list of her work is available here.

If you liked this, you might also like:
Anything by Jane Yolen or Donna Jo Napoli -- I think you will find their ability to retell fairy tales and mythology much better realized

The oft-mentioned, always-mocked Twilight series

I'm currently reading Francesca Lia Block's The Rose and the Beast, which is another fairy tale retelling but in much more lyrical prose

Why You Must Worship Librarians

My good friend Obajoo found this and I can't help but pass it along. Chances are, if you read this blog you will appreciate this:

Why You Should Worship Librarians

Man, makes me want to go in for my MLS!

Review: Coraline

It's a good thing I went to the library yesterday, because I woke up this morning S-I-C-K. I think I've caught my annual summer cold. Thankfully I have a nurse for a mom, plenty of throat antiseptic, and the wonderful, horrible freedom of unemployment.

At any rate, the first on my reading list (and #41 in my overall count this year!) was Coraline by Neil Gaiman. I did not see the movie (I do not have fond associations with stop-motion claymation, and there were plenty of other good movies I wanted to see at the time), but I thought I had pretty much figured it out from the trailer. I was very wrong, and greatly underestimated Gaiman's command of the English language. It turned out to be quite the delicious, if horrifying, treat.

Genre: novel, children's

Plot: Coraline is an adventurous young girl who one day wanders into a mysterious door in her home, and gets caught up in a dream-world somewhat akin to what I think a Tim Burton and Lewis Carroll collaboration would be like.

The plot was deceptively simple, and yet--like Gaiman's prose itself--the more you pondered it, the greater it seemed to get. It is easy to summarize, but very well crafted. Equally, the villains don't seem particularly gruesome, but somehow they are still pretty scary.

Structure: The thirteen short chapters were well paced; I finished it in about 2 hours. After so many books with prologues, epilogues, etc. etc., it was refreshing to get just a straight-forward narrative structure.

Execution: This is my first encounter with Gaiman, but I'm quite impressed. His prose reminded me greatly of C. S. Lewis (an all-time favorite author), in that what was said had a charming sort of polish to it, the kind that generates a quiet smile or amusing smirk. It was also very similar to the Alice in Wonderland series, only with more deliberately creepy elements.

I think in this instance, a sample is well-justified. Here was on my my favorite passages:
"Miss Spink and Miss Forcible made a point of telling Coraline how dangerous the well was, and they warned her to be sure she kept away from it. So Coraline set off to explore for it, so that she knew where it was, to keep away from it properly."

Theme: England, children's fantasy/horror

Read this if you're in the mood for children's horror. I know that sounds stupid, but that's really the best way I can describe this. Besides, I'm sick remember?

4 out of 5 stars

Other works:
Gaiman is an amazingly proficient author with awards in SEVERAL fields. I will here only focus on his other novels:
Neverwhere
Stardust
American Gods
Anansi Boys
The Graveyard Book

If you liked this, you might also like:
Kipling's The Jungle Book
Carroll's aforementioned Alice in Wonderland
Lewis' classic The Chronicles of Narnia

Wove, Twu Wove

Just for the record, I want everyone to know I have the best fiancé ever.

"So, you want to go by the library?" he asked me this morning.

"Sure, but what do you want to go for?"

"Oh, nothing really. I just thought it'd be something you would enjoy."

Now there's a man after my own heart.

Review: Mary of Nazareth

Is there anything worse than the heart-wrenching sense of betrayal?

You think you know someone. You read three of there books and enjoy them thoroughly, and then WHAM! The fourth one comes way out of left field, slaps you silly, then laughs as you whimper and curl into a ball. And then it starts kicking you.

Ok, ok, I exaggerate, but only a little. It's true I am (was?) a fan of Marek Halter, a French novelist whose prior three entries, the highly-lauded Canaan Triology, focused on some of the well-known women of the Old Testament. Sarah. Zipporah. Lilah (well ok, she was fictional, but she still was very well imagined). So I guess after tackling the Old Testament, Halter decided to take on Mary of Nazareth. Too bad his ego got in the way of his research, because this novel was offensive not just as a Christian, but as a student of history.

Genre: novel, historical fiction

Plot: The world knows Mary of Nazareth as the Virgin who gave birth to Jesus. But you can forget all the stereotypes you normally think of when you imagine her, because Halter sets out to make her into a post-modern feminist, complete with radical ideas formed with shallow words and empty cliches. This Mary is a philosophy-touting, ghost-talking, down-with-the-man shouting rebel who ASKS God to give her the Messiah to birth. At first I was surprised at Halter's portrayal, but it began to make much more sense when in the last few pages he reveals that he (supposedly - I don't really buy it) discovered the Gospel of Mary, which is what he based his work on.

What really bothers me though, is not just that this is not the Mary of the Bible, but that this Mary is not at all authentic. And if you're going to write a historical novel, you had better be authentic. There are so many instances where ideas flow out of the character's mouths that would have been unthinkable to the Jews of the day, even the radical ones. It's clear that Halter based his work entirely on this gnostic gospel, which scholars know is a very late source, and ignored a lot of other historical (and may I add, secular) works that would have given him a more solid historical base.

In more objective terms, I found the plot extremely predictable and the dialogue wooden and contrived.

Structure: A short prologue, the rest of the novel in two bulk chunks, and an epilogue where Halter confesses (contrives?) how he discovered the Gospel of Mary in Poland.

Execution: Halter's prose is bulky and unrefined. There's just no polish to anything. As I said earlier, I really found the dialogue lacking, too. Overall it came off as a slipshod work without any real forethought.

Theme: first century Israel, Essenes, Barabbas, Mary

Read this if you're a fan of the Jesus Seminar

1 out of 5 stars

Other works:
Lilah
Zipporah
Sarah
The Book of Abraham
Stories of Deliverance

If you liked this, you might also like:
Donna Jo Napoli (one of my favorite childhood authors)'s Song of the Magdalene is a much more compelling version of Mary of Magdalene's story

Review: Waiting

A few months ago, I mentioned that Janice Y. K. Lee (author of listed her favorite books at her site. My local library actually had one of her recommendations so I decided to give it a try.

Lee described Ha Jin's Waiting as "deliberate, painstaking prose by a master of extrapolation." For the most part I found this blurb accurate, but what really blew me away was the author's uncanny emotional realism.

Genre: novel

Plot: Lin Kong is a man conflicted. On the one hand, he is an army doctor of a respectable rank living in a fairly large city in Communist China circa 1960s and falling in love with head nurse Manna Wu. But due to government policies and the intricacies of his own heart, he cannot divorce his country wife Shuyu with her bound feet and backwards ways, living in his hometown and caring for their daughter Hua. Each year for 17 years, Lin returns to his small village and attempts to divorce his wife. But each year he is denied. This year, he promises life will be different, but he cannot foresee all the ways his world will change.

Structure: Fairly typical structure: prologue is set in the current time, the subsequent middle chunk is set in the more distant past chronologically plowing along until the prologue's events, and the conclusion is the aftermath.

Execution: Ha Jin's prose is indeed quite deliberate, and strangely moving in its subtlety. His main strength is his ability to capture, in a more convincing way than I think I have read in a long while, the way people process situations emotionally. So often I think that we as readers fill in the gaps with a few clues that authors present, the way that our brains subconsciously fill in the words of a friend's sentence on a noisy street. But Jin's book does all the work for us, and the result is a wonderful emotional story if not a very exciting or surprising one plot wise.

It's also one of the most aptly-named books I've ever come across.
Theme: Communist China, 1950s-80s.

Read this if all the summer blockbusters have left you wanting some emotional storytelling instead of all the high-gloss explosions.

3 out of 5 stars

Other works:
He's written several poetry and short story collections, but his other novels are
In the Pond
The Crazed
War Trash
A Free Life


If you liked this, you might also like:
Nicole Mones' The Last Chinese Chef and Lost in Translation
Janice Y. K. Lee's The Piano Teacher
Janette Turner Hospital's Orpheus Lost

Review: The Witch of Cologne

One of the many, many, MANY things I've done in the past 10 days while in Chicago was finishing Tobsha Learner's The Witch of Cologne. I was a fan of Learner's Soul (2008), which I found highly enjoyable (but not "unputdownable" as one critic lauded), so I was pretty eager to test this one out.

The Witch of Cologne is set in the late 17th century Germany, when the chaos of the Thirty Year's War, the plague, the Spanish Inquisition, and racism still rocked the fledging country-state of Cologne. The main character, Ruth, is a Jewish (actually she's more modern-atheist-Jewish than medieval-Jewish) midwife whose dangerous ideas about philosophy, science, and mankind land her firmly in opposition with the Inquisition. As if that wasn't hard enough, the book is replete with gory details of medieval life that make it a marvel anyone survived long enough to breed more miserable miscreants.

Genre: historical fiction

Plot: Learner started strong, really strong, but she got carried away a la Peter "which ending is the real one?" Jackson. There were at least 3 times when I was confounded by uncomfortable juxtaposition between the emotional closure I felt on the page and the blunt fact that there were still more pages to read. On top of this, the novel was just far too predictable. The climax was hardly climactic (unlike the numerous, NUMEROUS sexual liasons) and the offing of the main villain just plain weird. It felt very deus ex machina, and I found myself once again saddened that a plot with such promise was sacrificed to poor planning on the author's part. The biggest problem was that it was dragged on too far and lost a good deal of the emotional energy an earlier closing in the plot would have provided.

Plus, I for one got bored reading about a certain priest's fondness for cunnilingus (6 different instances, by the way).

The supernatural elements were gimmicky, too. Even as a woman of faith I found them far too Hollywood to be very effective, and particularly the aforementioned final scene of the inquisitor. I nearly laughed aloud. But the tension that Ruth felt between science/logic/knowledge and faith/superstition/the supernatural is a real enough one that I and many of my friends can relate to. I guess I can say one good thing about this book after all!

Structure: Learner's book is divided into 10 sections which roughly (I imagine) follow the 10 divisions of the Kabbala holy book, the Zohar. A good idea, perhaps, but often I failed to see the connection between plot and supposed heading, so it ended up just feeling rather arbitrary.

Execution and Style: If there was a portion of this book that wasn't mediocre at best, this was it. Learner writes beautifully, although Jasper Fforde she is not. Still, her background as a playwright is quite clear in the theatrical atmosphere, and she writes almost entirely in the third-person present tense.

Theme: The Thirty Year's War, Benedict Spinoza, Kabbalism, Lilith, medival midwifery

Read This If: you're feeling medieval-y but all your D&D friends are out LARPing without you.

2 out of 5 stars.

Other Works:
Soul
Quiver (anthology)

If you liked this, you might also like:
Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl
Ken Follett's World Without End
Theresa Tomlinson's The Forestwife

Review: St. Patrick of Ireland

First, some non-review related stuff:

* I'm going to Chicago for two weeks! Woo hoo! Unfortunately I probably won't get to see much of the city itself, since my fiance and I are going there for training with our jobs. But, I'm probably going to have limited if any Internet access between now and June 11. I hope no one forgets me while I'm gone!

* I got to be a guest poster on The Domestic Scientist!! How cool is that? You can check it out here

* So far this year, I've read 37 books! Wow! This is the first year I've ever kept track, though, so I have no idea if that is as good as it sounds for me or not.

Ok, on to the review!
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

If I had no discipline whatsoever, I would totally live off of historical fiction alone. However, since I have a fairly wide range of interests, I deliberately challenge myself to try and read a good variety of books. Thus I found myself wandering the biography section of my local library and came across this slim volume. Little did I know I was in for a hugely rewarding treat. To quote the author, "everyone had heard of St. Patrick, of course, but the man most people know is little more than an icon who drove the snakes out of Ireland. This lack of knowledge about the real Patrick is truly regrettable, because he has such an amazing story to tell: a tale of slavery and brutality, pain and self-doubt, sorrow and constant struggle, but ultimately of perserverance, hope, and faith. His letters, in the end, remain as a remarkable gift from an extraordinary man."

Genre: non-fiction, biography

Plot: Freeman strives to once and for all tell the true story of St. Patrick, piecing together what we can from his two extant letters and filling in the gap with his vast knowledge of the British Isles in the 5th century. The result is a hugely fascinating tale focusing on one man, but expanding to include centuries of history and Irish culture. He also includes the whole texts of these letters at the end for the benefit of his readers, an unprecedented move in academic writing, a field that too often leaves much to the layperson's imagination.

Structure: Freeman composes his work around Patrick's probable chronology, beginning with the earliest things we know of him and working his way until his most likely time of death. Freeman also adds chapters about three critical forces in Patrick's ministry--kings, druids, and women--and two other chapters about the context and content of his two letters.

Execution and Style: One of this book's greatest strengths is its ability to flow, seamlessly, from one topic to the next in the author's clear but strangely moving prose. He strives to capture as much as he can about the ancient world but in a very precise, controlled way; likewise, he is dismissive but polite about the supernatural elements of Patrick's life. In short, he is definitive but accessible, knowledgeable but brief.

Theme: 5th century British Isles, the early Irish church, St. Patrick (of course) and many other well-known characters (such as Palladius, Pope Celestine, etc.) connected with him.

Read This If: you are interested in the medieval church, interested in St. Patrick, or just looking for a different sort of biography. It's a good mental exercise without being dry or terse.

4 out of 5 stars.

Other Works:
Julius Caesar: A Biography
The Philosopher and the Druids: Journey Among the Ancient Celts

If you liked this, you might also like:
Roland H. Bainton's seminal biography of Martin Luther, Here I Stand

Audiobooks: imposters among us?

Hello dear children, did you miss me? I'm back from my awesome weekend fun just in time to see lots of doctors and pack up for my next two-week adventure to Chicago.

I used to HATE driving, especially the 5 hour trek from Fort Worth to Houston, between my college and my hometown. Bleh. However, then I discovered this wonderful new toy, the audiobook, which can be procured FOR FREE at the library. O happy day!

Since then I have used this medium to keep myself awake on several long trips as well as read more books than I'd normally have a chance to do. Ah, but there's the question...am I really reading them? Is reading a book at all different than listening to one? Is the idea of a book intrinsically bound in the paper, the printed words, the act of turning pages?

On the one hand I want to say yes, since I'm a staunch non-fan of Kindle and all its other eBook cousins (the machines will kill us all!!!111). I wouldn't trade the heft, the weight, the real experience of reading as long as I am physically able to. However, like I said, this does allow me to take in/"read"/experience more books/stories than I'd be able to before.

So it all comes down to this: should I add The Memory Keeper's Daughter (my latest audiobook) to my 2009 shelf? What do you think?

Review: The Prestige

This was by far one of the hardest reviews I've ever had to write thanks to its phenomenal movie adaptation. The 2006 flick is, unfortunately, one of the rare exceptions to the "book is always better" rule. I usually always argue, "how could anyone write the story better than the author?!"

In this case, I was completely wrong. and as a result I found it very hard to not be disappointed with the book. However, for the sake of my review (and my professional aspirations?), I tried to forget everything I knew from the movie and take it as objectively as possible. Too bad I still found it lacking.

For those of you curious as to how different the movie is from the novel, let me briefly outline the biggest departures. First, the novel is much, much broader in its scope, since the story spans several generations. Secondly, the motivation for the feud is ... well, shallow. Stupidly so. And the ending is just not as well executed nor as shocking as the movie; it left me vaguely disgruntled.

Ok, now that that's out of the way, onto the review!

Genre: novel, science fiction

Plot: In 1878, two of Britain's greatest magicians enter into a feud that will change not only their own lives, but will continue to haunt their families for generations. Each can perform an illusion the other yearns to unravel, and each will stop at nothing to destroy the other.

The main fault I had with this book was, surprisingly, the plot. While the essence of it is extremely imaginative and it's told with technical excellence, it loses its power by being stretched out over way too many pages, told with surprises that were fairly predictable, and with an ending that fizzles far more than it dazzles.

Structure:
The book has 5 parts, told by 4 different narrators. First we meet a Borden descendant who finds himself in collusion with Kate Angier - this is told in third person. Then we read Alfred Borden's account of the rivalry through his diary. Then Kate Angier takes over, telling some family anecdotes that are only mildly related to the main plot. Then a retelling of the main events, this time through Rupert Angier's diary. Finally, the third-person narration returns to wrap it all up.

In short, it felt like a novel within a novel -- on a technical level, brilliant, but in terms of conveying the story in an interesting, compelling way, it just felt too repeated, too convoluted, too stretched out to be as effective as it could be.


Execution: Priest's exacting duplication of early 19th century language and painstaking attention to detail are outstanding. He fully inhabits both of his main characters in a way that not only highlights their differences, it underscores their similarities. He shifts between several different narration styles, but he does so very smoothly. Although the plot is a little lacking, on a technical level he is an above average author.

Theme: Turn of the century England, magicians, electricity and Nikola Tesla -- it's about a time when science was still mostly a mystery that could deliver things unimagined before, and about two men whose obsessive rage destroyed their families and their careers.

Read this if you you haven't seen the movie! (I feel like I've mentioned the movie too much in this supposedly objective review) But seriously, if you like period pieces, you'll love Priest's use of language. If you're a fan of Mary Shelley or other gothic horror writers, I think this'll be right up your alley.

2 out of 5 stars

Other works:
Indoctrinaire
Fugue for a Darkening Island
Inverted World
The Space Machine
A Dream of Wessex (US title The Perfect Lover)
The Affirmation
The Glamour
Short Circuit
Mona Lisa
The Quiet Woman
The Extremes
eXistenZ
The Separation
numerous short stories

If you liked this, you might also like:
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Oscar Wilde's The Portrait of Dorian Gray

Double Feature! Review: The Piano Teacher

Your eyes do not deceive you, children -- this is the second update this week! To what do you owe this joy?

A few things. First, I've got a huge library stack that I'm trying to get through quickly. Second, I'm going to be in Chicago for two weeks at the end of the month, and I highly doubt I'll be able to do much updating then. So I think if I just spoil you all you'll forgive me for being sparse.

Now then, on to the topic of this review. This book was another Barnes&Noble find that I eventually procured at the library, and like so many others of this genre, it took me completely by surprise.

Genre: historical fiction novel

Plot: Claire is a new bride in a new country (a phenomenon I myself will soon experience!). It's the 1950s, it's Hong Kong, and life is quite different from what Claire expected. She finds herself employed as a piano teacher to a wealthy local family, and is soon caught up in the aftermath of events that occurred during the Japanese occupancy in World War II. At the same time, Claire begins on a journey that will transform her from mousy and conventional into the exotic, independent woman she longs to be.

Structure: If I had to summarize it in one word, it would be jolting. Although the narration is consistently third-person, and is technically divided into three parts, the stability ends there. The story is told out of chronological order, jumping between the 1940s and the early 1950s. The author utilizes this in creating a superb air of suspense, and sometimes using it to lend an otherwise unimportant scene a foreboding, haunting aspect. This unique approach to storytelling is by far the author's greatest strength, and when combined with the rather unique setting (I've never read any other book about this particular time and place) makes this novel really stand out in my mind.

Oh, and there's also this huge plot twist.

Execution: Lee is very subtle; so subtle, in fact, that sometimes your forget how good she really is. She manages to describe just enough details to transport you, in Elizabeth Gilbert's words, "out of time, out of place, into a world you can feel on your very skin." And yet she does so without bogging us down in details. She focuses more on little moments, quiet revelations and gestures, for a lot of the novel's emotional punches. The best thing about her prose is that she writes almost the bare minimum, leaving--like all good Greek tragedies--a lot to the reader to imply or imagine. Strangely, the absence adds a richness that is hard to imitate.

Theme: Hong Kong in the 1940s and 50s, war, love, and also a missing treasure collection. It's almost like the plot of an Indiana Jones movie if it were written without Indiana Jones in mind.

Read this if you like historical fiction, or if you're in the mood for a quiet, but none the less exciting, thrill

4 out of 5 stars

Other works:
This is the author's first work. While poking around her website, though, I found her favorite books list! I think I'll be adding most of these to my own list, too.

If you liked this, you might also like:
Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club

Review: Guinevere's Truth

If all you knew of me was a list of my favorite TV shows, I'm pretty sure you'd guess I was a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy novels. But, surprisingly, you'd be wrong. Ashley the Iconoclast strikes again (what a lame comic book that'd be)!

Sure, I enjoy a good sci-fi novel now and again--although I don't much care for ones based on TV shows because I'd rather just watch the show. But fantasy I am quite discriminating of, and this anthology by Jennifer Roberson I find to be a good portrait (Dorian Gray style) of what I dislike about the genre.

Genre: short story anthology (fantasy)

Plot: Roberson strives to have some variety in her plots, and to some degree she achieves this. The "some" should be a tip off to you. She has a various amount of settings, but the main characters are predominantly strong warrior-princesses women. I think this is, as she herself admits, partly because of the influence of Marion Zimmer Bradly on her.

Structure: Again, it varies due to the nature of the collection, but for the most part there are either extremely long "did I fall into a novel" stories, or short, almost inconsequential vignettes. Almost none of them felt "right," the way a good short story should feel. Fitting with the strong women theme, she mostly writes in the first person of her chosen heroine. This does little to persuade me against her actually writing of one woman's many past lives.

Execution: This is Roberson's main flaw. Despite her formal education, I just don't thinks he's very good at writing. Competent, yes; creative, at times. But definitely not good, which is especially puzzling considering she's the author of multiple multi-volume series. I found myself describing her style as vapid, pointless, wooden, and laughable in the non-intended way. Most of all wooden. There's just no spirit, no clever play of words that make her stories sparkle. All of her heroines felt very much like the same rip-off of the aforementioned Bradley (and warrior princess), and all the men felt like the same generic guy written over and over and over again, like a bad extra being used too many times.

Theme:Roberson rarely moves from the traditional, tried-and-true (I guess) fantasy themes--Arthur, Robin Hood, a nondescript medieval place, Norse mythology, and the strong, goddess-worshiping women who inhabit such places. She does have some more imaginative forays into modern settings, but for the most part I found them all terribly tired.

Read this if you like Marion Zimmer Bradley, or have a particular penchant for fantasy but want to hold off on your next 450 page epic. If you're not already a fan of the genre, I doubt this will do much to win you over.

1 out of 5 stars

Other works:
well, see for yourself

If you liked this, you might also like:
Margo Lanagan's Red Spikes and Black Juices anthologies
Marion Zimmer Bradley's Swords and Sorceresses anthologies

Review: The Sex Lives of Cannibals

I have seriously been trying to write this review for three days. Who knew being unemployed would be so time consuming?

A few weeks ago I posted an author alert on J. Maarten Troost. When I saw my local library this volume, I almost tripped over several small children trying to get it to the check out desk. This light, uproariously funny, and just plain weird travel memoir was well worth risking a few lawsuits over, as it recounts the adventures of one post-graduate loafer and his aid-working, beguiling girlfriend as they adapt to life on The Republic of Kiribati. Don't worry if you've never heard of it before; you're not stupid, it's just that small.

Genre: travelogue/memoir

Plot: Unlike most travel books, which set out to have some spiritual truth revealed to the author while describing the grandeur of Italy at great lengths, this one cuts the bull and strives to tell it like it is. Sort of. With a lot of humorous, I hope that's an exaggeration but I think it probably isn't anecdotes. While there are no profound epiphanies about the state of man, there are some rather insightful thoughts here and there between rants about La Macarena.

Structure: A first person narration segmented into tongue-in-cheek paragraph-titled chapters, of which I believe there was 20. Mostly these focused on grouping a few anecdotes together, which provided both a unifying structure and a brevity feeling to the overall work.

Execution and Style: A little crass and a lot sarcastic, it's sort of what you'd expect if Dennis Leary had to write a travel magazine. A lot of historical/literary allusions, and a lot of cynicism make it appealing to intellectualists, but a lot of almost slap-stick funny anecdotes make it palatable to the masses.

Theme: the pacific islands, traveling, travel humor, la macarena

Read This If: you need a good laugh while recovering from that sunburn on the beach last week, or if you wondered what Gilligan's Island would be like with pot.

4 out of 5 stars.

Other Works:
Lost on Planet China
Getting Stoned with Savages


If you liked this, you might also like:
Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love (it is more serious, but it has funny moments)

Review: Moloka'i

Years ago, as was my habit then, I was wandering about aimlessly in Barnes & Noble while waiting on an appointment when I came across Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. I was intrigued and liked the first chapter, but when I put it back on the shelf for all intents and purposes it became lost to me. I would try fruitlessly to search for "hawaiian books about leprosy with a big pink flower on the cover" without any luck. It wasn't until the middle of a sermon illustration at my church when someone mentioned "Molokai" that it clicked, and I have to say, the book was well worth the wait. It follows the life of Rachel Kalama, a young Hawaiian girl living at the turn of the 19th century diagnosed with Hansen's disease and sent to live on the infamous leper colony, Kaulapapa. But there's plenty in this vast novel about the regular routines of life, friends, family, World War II and racism.

Genre: Novel

Plot: the plot was quite good for its "slice of life" genre of historical fiction; deep characterization was sprinkled with some unexpected twists to make it a satisfying, though somewhat linear, read. In other words, it was good the first time around, but not really worth rereading. I do praise him particularly for having tackled so vast a subject (one person's whole life) in an engaging, quick way. This was not a Ken Follett novel, but nor was it focused on a small portion of her life, either. Equally, he chose to write about both the grief and the joy of life, and struck a pleasant balance between the two.

Structure: The story is centered on Rachel Kalama, from roughly age 7 until the end of her life; with such a large scope, the chapters would have been unwiedly but Brennert wisely chose instead to tell a few significant scenes from a group of years. The overall effect was a large collection of colorful anecdotes woven together, such as when grandparents tell stories of their own lives. It was a pleasing touch, especially with the highlights of Hawaiian legend and political/historical details added to really enhance the narration.

Execution and Style: Brennert was a competent, capable storyteller; he was neither overly grandiose as some would be tempted to revert to in describing the Hawaiian backdrop, but nor was he particularly innovative. He did treat the descriptions of the medical victims with both candor and tenderness, which is one of his greatest strengths. We are told of their plight but in a way that is neither demeaning nor superficial. He sprinkled in a few native Hawaiian words which could have been a major pitfall, but he executed the device well enough.

Theme: Hawaii, especially Hawaii right before it became a United State; leprosy; World War II (Pearl Harbor, Japanese internment camps); Hawaiian mythology

Read This If: you're not afraid of a tear-jerking historical fiction, or ever wondered what Magnum, P.I. would be like with less cheese and more medical traumas.

4 out of 5 stars.

Other Works:
Honolulu
Kindred Spirits
Time and Chance

If you liked this, you might also like:
John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath
Kathleen Tyau's Makai
Kiana Davenport's House of Many Gods
Yoshiko Uchida's Picture Bride

Iliad 2.0

Yesterday I spent over 12 hours in a Uhaul. I occupied some of that time reading a book on the classics. When my fiancé Nicholas asked, "so what did Paris do after Helen was taken from him?" I jauntily proceeded to retell the Iliad in the most ghetto fabulous way ever as a war between preps and gang lords (warning, some language used for comedic effect):

So Zeus got word from an oracle that one of his sons would bustacap in him, just like he did to his father. So he finds out that Prometheus knows and tortures him to find out which ho he gots to avoid. Turns out it's Thetis, so he shacks her up with Peleus. Unfortunately Zeus forgot to invite Eris, the goddess of discord, at this big Olympian shotgun wedding sort of like that one bad fairy in Sleeping Beauty. Anyway, this royal goddess like totally snubs them by throwing an apple marked "to the fairest" into the mix, and a mega catfight ensues.

Athena, Aprhodite, and Hera claw the other girls out of the running and go to Zeus to pick the coolest shorty of them all. But Zeus knows Hera will be a royal bitch if she doesn't get picked, so he's all like, "I ain't touchin' that bitches." All the other gods do too. So these three catty women all find Paris, this shepherd/frat boy/playa in Troy. They each promise him like, a whole hood to himself, or a badass reputation, or the love of the most beautiful ho in the whole world. Paris picks the last prize and Aphrodite gets the apple. She forgot to tell him that this girl, Helen, is actually already married.

See, Helen was so damn beautiful, her daddy was battin' off playas left and right. So he finally made them all have this big aggro fight and swear they ain't gonna go after the winner. Menelaus brushes all the other haters off and gets the girl. Yay for him.

But then Paris rolls up and is all like, "ho, come ride wif me" and she's all like "okay pimp" so they go back to Troy. Menelaus is all like, "dude that is messed up" so he goes to his brother Agamemnon and is like "go get us a crew and let's go kick Trojan ass."

So they assemble ALL their homies and storm down to the Trojan hood, except that well, it's a really rich hood so they have this huge wall. The Greek gang can't get in, so they basically tool around for 10 Freakin' Years.

In the middle of year 10, the Greeks are stormin' down this one town and they take a girl named Chryseis to be one of their hoes. But Chrysie's dad is like, this major big shot and stuff, so he offers all these Benjamins to get her back. When they don't give her, he calls down some networking skills and gets this nasty virus spread around them. So then they're all like, "oh snap what do we do?" and their oracle dude Calchas is all like, "give back Chrysie" so Agamemnon is all like, "well if I give her back one of y'all's gonna give me a bitch" and Achilles is like "that's so like you, dawg, you always be trippin on us." So then Achilles and Agamemnon have this huge aggro and Achilles goes off and pouts in his crib.

So since Achilles isn't fighting anymore, the Trojans are all like "sweet action!" and go down and really lay on the smack on the Greeks. Caps be bustin' every which way. So Agamemnon goes to Achilles' cousin, Patroclus, and is all like, "yo dawg, put on Achilles' chains and roll up in his chariot and they'll get all shitfaced." So he does, except, the Trojans totally call his bluff and he dies.

So then Achilles gets uber-pissed and starts slaughtering everyone. All the homies just about die. So then Hector, the best Trojan prince of all, he goes out and fights Achilles and gets killed, but then Paris kills Achilles, so everyone's dead now.

So Odysseus, the smart one, he comes up with this ghetto-tastic plan. They build this big-ass horse and leave it in front of the gates, and the rest of the Greek crews go sailing off. The Trojans think they won and so they have this all-night rave and get hammered. But then the Greeks totally bust down the horse doors and bust everyone's balls and basically take over the Trojan hood. Except for this one dude, Aeneas, but that's a whole nother story.

And so all the Trojans were killed but their condoms were good so the Greeks took all those and went home. Which is actually yet another story.

Review: La Cucina

Ah, Sicily: land of great food, great wine, and large women who enjoy them. Rosa Fiore is one such woman, who leaves her quaint, anecdote-laden family farm for an even quainter city after the murder of her lover. Many years later, her drab life gets a breath of fresh air when L’Inglese, her English lover, ignites her passion in the kitchen and in the bedroom.

Genre: Novel

Plot: This was one of the rare books that I initially disliked but grew to enjoy as the story progressed. Usually, if I don’t like something within 50 pages, I put it down. I don’t care how famous it is or how much controversy it’s caused; if it’s not gripping me within 50 pages I’m not going to read it. By the end of the first section, I couldn’t really see the point of reading on (everything seemed so neatly tied together), but I’m certainly glad I did. This charming, almost quaint novel actually packed some deep surprises by the end!

Structure: The novel is told by Rosa Fiore in the first person. It’s divided unequally between 4 periods of her life, named after the four seasons in nature, with the bulk of it occurring in section 3. Perhaps the best choice on the author’s part is that the majority of the story happens to Rosa in middle age. In a world where staying 17 forever is the ultimate fantasy, this is like a breath of fresh, hormone-free air. The book also employs in media res, my absolute favorite literary device when used correctly and my most abhorred when not. Thankfully, Prior did it right.

Execution and Style: Prior’s first chapters start strong, but as I mentioned earlier, by the end of the first chapter it seemed oddly flat. There was no hook to keep reading other than the bulk of pages behind my hands. Only in the middle did she begin to throw out chunks of suspense and unanswered questions.

Also, there’s a fine line between authors building a sense of authenticity when mixing two languages (in this case, English and Italian) and, conversely, just coming off as know-it-alls. Prior fell in the latter half. In fact, her constant switching between the two actually caused some mental disorientation. I kept asking myself, why is this Italian woman thinking in English?

Scores of characters make an appearance throughout, but remarkably, none feel too flat (even the pervert bank manager, who emerges only to masturbate in the adjacent window to the action). This large cast of comical, quaint characters—along with the dreamy, larger-than-life events that kept occurring (a fire caused by a sex dream which gets the whole town horny?)—almost enticed me to go off in search of an Italian farm to work on. But the most important secondary character of all was the food constantly streaming from Rosa’s hands. Prior did a wonderful job of interjecting long, descriptive recipes in prose form; I’m pretty sure I actually salivated at one point.

Theme: Large Italian women cooking large Italian meals pretty much sums this one up. But if that’s not enough for you, there’s also the Mafia, libraries, chattery grandmas, horny grandpas, pizza millionaires, clairvoyant Siamese twins, and James Bond-like English spies/lovers. And the food. Did I mention the food?

Read This If: you love Italian cooking, or are looking for a “feel good” type of story but lent Chocolat to a friend. A word of caution, though; if you’re expecting a serious historical fiction novel about true-life 1960s Italy, this isn’t for you. Seriously, it’s a great read that’s just quiet enough for a relaxing break between suspense/thriller novels but wth just enough excitement to be worth your while.

3 out of 5 stars.

Other Works:
Cabaret
Nectar
Ardor

If you liked this, you might also like:
Joanne Harris’ Chocolat
Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love
Natsumi Ando and Miyuki Kobayashi’s Kitchen Princess series (manga)

Review: Rasputin's Daughter

I’ve never been a huge fan of those “_______’s Daughter” (it’s a literary meme by now) books, mostly because the few I’ve tried left me rather unimpressed. So when I saw this volume by Robert Alexander, I was intrigued but not hopeful. By story’s close, however, I was left breathlessly closing one of the best books I’ve read this year. Alexander presents a story of the infamous Rasputin’s final days through the ever-changing eyes of his daughter, Maria, who is inevitably caught up in palace intrigue and secret societies herself.

Genre: Novel

Plot: One word sums it up: gripping. I’ve never read a character-driven novel such as this with so much suspense. Or, I guess conversely, I’ve never read a suspense novel laden with so much characterization. Either way, it was incredibly good, and one of the few books I can truly use the cliché “page-turner” on. The fact that educated readers will know what happened to Rasputin in no way diminishes the storytelling which is, in my opinion, the mark of an excellent writer.

Structure: The narrative structure is mostly story-within-a-story, as Maria Rasputin recounts her father’s last days upon request to another character. Maria’s recollections are interspersed with mysterious, foreshadowing interjections by an unknown narrator revealed only at the very last paragraph, which makes for a rather exciting element of mystery in the narration enhancing mystery in the characters themselves. On a technical note, each (each!) chapter ends on a significant and haunting note that successfully pushes the reader forward or creates a yearning to keep reading.

Execution and Style: Alexander has mastered the balance so many historical fiction authors struggle with: how to write an English novel with a non-English-language-setting. Put in too much italicized vocabulary, and the reader is lost. Put in too little, however, and the La Cucina effect occurs: why is this (blank)-speaking character thinking in English?

Alexander’s superb style immerses you not just in Russian language, but in Russian thinking, and yet somehow does so without feeling blocky or wooden. Alexander also excels at voice. 17-year-old Maria living at the early part of the 20th century actually reads like her, not a modern man trying very hard to become her.

What I found most interesting about this book though, and what really pushes it high up on the list for me, is how Maria’s vision of her father keeps shifting from naïve adoration to disgust to finally a mix of both. Alexander is not content to paint us a picture of a cleverly connived Rasputin; instead, he strives to give us a complex portrait of an undoubtedly complicated man.


Theme: The final days of Tsarist Russia, but also fathers and daughters. It touches briefly on Christian sects of Russia, too.


Read This If: you like good historical fiction, good suspense, or good character-driven stories. Seriously, I can hardly think of a reader out there who wouldn’t enjoy it on some level, but I suppose if you are a really big fan of this era of history, you will enjoy it the most.

5 out of 5 stars.


Other Works:
The Kitchen Boy – his first novel about this period
The Romanov Bride – his latest
The Todd Mills Mysteries (written as R. D. Zimmerman)

If you liked this, you might also like:
Sarah Dunant’s The Birth of Venus

Author Alert! J. Maarten Troost

Every once in a while I find myself in a bookstore, idly wandering the shelves and noting books of particular interest to me. I have to say that despite the proverb, I usually do judge my books by their covers.

So you can imagine why someone like me, who is always looking for a laugh and has spent some time in China, couldn't resist peeking into the pages of Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost.

The guy is hilarious. Several times I chortled and chuckled and quoted lengthy passages to my fiance, who I'm sure was half-amused half-annoyed by my persistent interruptions. He soooo well captures the bizarre, almost inexplicable spirit of being in China; the befuddling contradictions and culture confusion that so pervades even the simple(?) act of crossing the street or watching television.

He makes me laugh, but he also makes me smile in fond memory. I can't wait to read more of his stuff, and I think you should too!