Non 1001 Book Reviews

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

There certainly was a lot of buzz about Swamplandia! It seemed like everyone was talking about it, and I put it on my list after reading about the upcoming HBO series based on the book.  So I definitely had high expectations when I picked up the book, although I actually knew very little except for the buzz factor.

And it started off well, I thought the cover was really nice, and we are introduced to 13 year old Ava Bigtree, her family, and life at Swamplandia!, the family owned home and theme park featuring alligator wrestling.  We learn of her mother's (the star performer) illness and death, and the chaos it causes, along with their new rival - World of Darkness.

After the first few chapters I started to buy into the hype, and thought it was well written, and this would be good story, and then...

And then, I don't know what to think.  I guess things just didn't go in the direction I expected and got a little weird.  Neither of which are always bad things, but left me feeling like I didn't really care where it was going.  I found myself dreading the chapters that weren't about Kiwi, Ava's older brother because the other storyline wasn't too compelling, at least to me.  I also felt the ending did two things I don't like, wrap things up too quickly and leave too many questions unanswered.

A good premise at the start, well written, but for the most part plot free.  I'm not unhappy that I read it, but I don't know if I'd recommend it to someone else.  There was enough promise that I'd read the second book that Karen Russell puts out, but enough concern that if the plot isn't better that would be my last.  I guess a real mixed review.

My rating: 3 stars



The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

I can't help but draw parallels to Swamplandia! to The Art of Fielding, which I read last year when it first came out.  Maybe the only real parallels were the hype for a debut authors first novel.

Since I love baseball, I really wanted to read The Art of Fielding because of the topic, and the hype.  So I wanted to buy into the hype and really had high expectations for this book.

Henry Skrimshander is the star shortstop prospect destined for big league success, and headed to play college ball at a small school called Westish College.  The president of the college, Guert Affenlight falls in love with Henry's roommate and teammate Owen Dunne, while the president's daughter Pella returns to Westish to start a new life.  Mike Schwartz, the team captain, takes Henry under his wing after recognizing Henry's talent.

While this is technically a baseball novel, it's a lot more than that.  The relationships of the five main characters and how the decisions of one effects the others plays a major part.  Their success and failures, and how they handle both kept me interested.  The characters felt real, yet flawed.  They may do things wrong, but I still found myself rooting for them.  There were a couple of points that I felt were unrealistic, but I won't nitpick too much.

In the end I really enjoyed the book, and thought that it lived up to the hype.  It does remind me of Jonathan Franzen, but that isn't a bad thing.  A well written story, that was an impressive debut.

My rating: 4 1/2 stars

 

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I guess today's theme is hyped debut novels, so I might as well continue with the Night Circus.  A book about magic, with comparisons to Harry Potter had high expectations.

Two magicians each pick an apprentice to train who will compete at a travelling circus until their is just one winner.  I won't go into many details about the plot, but it was both simple and complex.  It's a magical world, and I really enjoyed reading it.  It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't Harry Potter, but I really enjoyed reading it.  It jumped around time periods a little too frequently, and I want to say that I enjoyed reading the book more than the story itself, but don't mean that in a negative way.

I'm torn with adding another 1/2 star because it's on the cusp right now, but I would highly recommend it regardless.

My rating: 4 stars

I've also finished a few Reading Olympic books, which I talked about previously.

Here Lies the Librarian by Gregory Peck - 3 1/2 stars

Eye of the Crow by Shane Peacock - 4 stars

This was a fun book to read, as 13 year old Sherlock Holmes solves his first case.

Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis - 4 stars

A novel about life under the Taliban.

Bridge to America by Linda Glaser - 4 1/2 stars

This book really surprised me, and I really enjoyed it.  The story of Fivel, a young boy in Poland who journeys to America.

Bull Run by Paul Fleischman - 3 1/2 stars

The Merlin Effect by Thomas Barron - 3 stars

Foundation by Isaac Asimov (55 of 1294)

This one is a hard one to review for me.  The Foundation series won a Hugo Award for best All-Time series, and have been labeled as the epitome of science fiction.  So there was/is plenty of hype for the series, and to be fair I've only read the first in the series.  I've also read that Foundation is the weakest in the series, but I haven't read past the first book yet, so I'm going to stick with what I know at this point.

I'll admit I was a little disappointed after finishing Foundation.  Foundation is made up of five short stories, and there is a lot of jumping forward quite a bit, so the characters you get to know are gone by the next part of the story.

The basic premise is that Hari Seldon uses psychohistory to predict the future of the galaxy, and the fall of the Galactic Empire.  Seldon creates a Foundation at the far reaches of the galaxy, preserving knowledge and documenting this in an encyclopedia.

The overall story was good, but there just were too many things that I didn't like to rate it too high.  Hopefully I feel better about the rest of the series, but Foundation was just good, not great.

My rating: 3 stars

James Thurber

The Wonderful O by James Thurber (53 of 1294)

I wasn't sure what to expect with a book titled The Wonderful O, but it definitely what I got.  I put this book on hold at the library, and was surprised that this was actually a kid's book.

Black hates O's.  His ship is the Aeiu.  Black and his pirates land on the island of Oroo searching for trouble, and ransack the island to no avail.  So what to do?  Ban the letter O.  No gold, no chocolate, no dough, and you get the idea.

"Oft becomes the same as foot."

"A man named Otto Ott, when asked his name, could only stutter."

I was pleasantly surprised finding this book, or bk if you prefer.  I read it for myself first, then I read it to my kids, and even read it to my daughter's class, then read it again.  It was a fun book, and well written.  It immediately made me want to run out and get the other James Thurber book on the list.



The 13 Clocks by James Thurber (54 of 1294)

I actually wished that I read The 13 Clocks first, because I enjoyed The Wonderful O so much I could only be disappointed.  But after reading I was only slightly disappointed, because it really is a wonderful book.  The writing is amazing, and it's one of those books that are good for any age.

My ratings:
The Wonderful O - 5 stars
The 13 Clocks - 4 1/2 stars

Dracula by Bram Stoker (52 of 1294)

Dracula is another one of those books that has been adapted so many times that just about everybody knows the story.  But like many of the stories that have been done over and over again, the actual book is different than most of the movie adaptions.

First, I'm not the biggest fan of the horror genre, although there are exceptions.  Second, I'm not a big fan of vampires either.  There are exceptions to both of those "rules" though, so I tried to go into reading Dracula with an open mind.

So after reading Dracula I'm left with a few things -

1) As it usually is the case, the book is much better than any movie version that I saw.
2) The letters and journal entries were annoying at times
3) The ending was a little anti-climactic
4) It's a classic

I liked it more than I thought I would, although part of me feels like I should have liked it more.

My rating: 3 1/2 stars

New York Trilogy by Paul Auster (51 of 1294)

I'm not even sure where to begin with this one.  I finished New York Trilogy last night, so I thought I'd review it while it was fresh in my mind.  At times I found it brilliant, at times I wasn't too impressed, and at times I just didn't know what the heck was going on.

The New York Trilogy was made up of three stories, the first of which was City of Glass, which I thought was the best of the three.  A wrong number things off and sets in motion Daniel Quinn, a mystery novelist who publishes them under a pseudonym, who takes the call intended for a private detective, named Paul Auster and takes the case trying to help Peter Stillman.  Quinn is hired to watch Stillman's father and things really go downhill.  The lines or reality become blurred, and Quinn gives everything to complete the task he (as someone else) was hired for.

The second story was Ghosts.  This was a very colorful story.  I'm not even sure how to summarize it, but it went something like Blue was hired by White to spy on Black, who just sits around his apartment all day.  I don't want to say this was bad, but to me is was a pretty confusing story.

The third story was The Locked Room, where the narrator is searches for his old friend, Fanshawe, who is missing, but presumed dead.  Fanshawe left the narrator with some unpublished work, which the narrator works to publish, while marrying Fanshawe's wife, and tracking down Fanshawe.  The third story was my favorite of the trio.

If I was to rate them individually it would be 4, 3, and 5.  It you like clear cut answers, this trilogy wouldn't be for you.  It's strange at times, puzzling at times, and leaves you wondering, but overall it works well.

My rating: 4 stars

Some random thoughts

I've been going through different piles of books lately, looking at what I've got on my Kindle, and library books that I've got, not to mention books that I've got on hold at either the library for either the Kindle or physical books I think that it's time to start cleaning out.  With over 200 books in my reading list I figure it's a good time to do some clean up and read, or finish reading, some of those books before buying any more books or putting any more books on hold.

We'll see if I can refrain from buying any more new books to lower than number quite a bit, while hopefully getting caught up on posting reviews for the 1001 Books that I've already finished reading.  At least that'll be my goal for the next 11 weeks, and we'll see where I stand.

I figure May 13th will be a good day to reevaluate where I stand with my list, since I signed up for a half marathon that day, and began getting serious about training for it last week.  With 6 miles tomorrow that will close out a successful week 1 of training.  11 weeks to go.

I don't know if discovering a new author is right, but I've read a few authors over the past couple weeks that I didn't before.



First up was Robert Crais, who is my favorite of the group of new authors.  I've heard his name, and walking through the library and picked up Voodoo River.  I always seem to read authors out of order when I first discover them, and Voodoo River was the fifth in the series.  My first thought was what kind of name is Elvis Cole and I picked it up and put it down several times.  I had it out for three weeks and was about to return it without even getting through the first chapter, but I decided to renew the book which I don't like to do.  But I made it through that first chapter, and got hooked pretty quickly.

Elvis Cole is a private detective who was hired to find the biological parents of actress Jodie Taylor.  But more importantly I was introduced to Elvis Cole, and his partner Joe Pike.  The story moved quick, and I enjoyed Elvis's style and humor.  It's like a west coast version of Spenser.  With 14 books in the series I thought I should go back to the beginning and read them in order.

Which brought me to the Monkey's Raincoat the first book in the series.  Elvis is hired to find the husband and son of Ellen Lang.  I was a little worried that I thought that it would go in a certain direction, but it went in several directions that I didn't expect, and the fast paced story and witty dialogue eased my fears.  With two books down I started thinking that maybe I like the series even better than Spenser.

I managed to already mess up the order, skipping ahead to book number 3, Lullaby Town, but that was because I had both books and picked up the wrong book and started reading it, and by the time I realized I had the wrong book I was too into the book.  Elvis is hired to find the ex-wife and son of the "it" Hollywood director, Peter Alan Nelson who suddenly wants to be a father, despite his childish behavior.

Another quick story, and another good read which makes it 3 for 3 at this point for Robert Crais.  Which may mean that I have to modify my rule and not get any new books except for Robert Crais..

My ratings for each: 4 stars



I was given a set of Tim Dorsey books by someone because I lived in Florida for ten plus years and would appreciate the humor.  Serge Storms is the main character, and is a Florida historian/serial killer.  It's definitely a crazy book, which goes all over the place hunting for a suitcase filled with 5 million dollars.  What the book lacks in plot it makes up for with humor.  It's definitely a very funny book filled with crazy characters and over the top Florida characters.

I've read both Florida Roadkill and Hammerhead Ranch Motel, the first two in the series.  It's definitely been a fast paced, outrageous series so far.

My rating for both: 4 stars



Bad Blood was my first exposure to John Sandford, and the fourth in the Virgil Flowers series.  I don't know much about Sandford, but apparently Flowers' boss Lucas Davenport, who appears briefly in the book is featured in the longer running Prey series.  It took a while for me to get into this one for some reason, but once I did I enjoyed it quite a bit.  One murder turns into much more and things get complex pretty quickly.  There are definitely some sensitive topics in the book - religious cults and a child sex ring, but I thought that the book was good enough to give Sandford another shot.

My rating: 3 1/2 stars

5 More Reviews

Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (46 of 1294)

Like Water for Chocolate tells the story of Tia, the youngest daughter who must adhere to tradition and care for her mother.  This means she isn't allowed to marry, and her true love, Pedro, marries her sister instead to stay close to Tia.  Tia has a passion for cooking as well, and the book is broken down into twelve monthly chapters, each starting off with a recipe then telling a portion of the story during the book.

There were some things that I liked, and others I didn't like.  It was a good story, and showed Tia's growth as a person, which led to her eventually standing up to her mother.  I thought the ending was good as well, and I didn't mind some of the elements of "magical realism".

The recipes at the beginning of the chapters did nothing for me.  Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather read a cookbook instead.  At times it felt too much like a romance book, and some of the "magical realism" elements were over the top and I felt like I was reading a romance novel, which isn't my thing.

While the book was turned into a movie I really have no intention of seeing it.

My rating: 2 1/2 stars



The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield (47 of 1294)

The Garden Party is a short story that can be found online.  Young Laura Sheridan is preparing for the family's garden party when she hears of a fatal accident down the road where one of their poor neighbors die.  It's a short story, but the topics of death and the differences between the classes of people play a part.

My rating: 3 1/2 stars



The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (48 of 1294)

Another short story, about a women confined to a room by her physician husband because of a "temporary nervous depression".  She becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper hanging on the wall.  In interesting short story about mental health that is well worth reading.

My rating: 4 stars



Candide by Voltaire (49 of 1294)

Another short book which I was a little hesitant to read after reading about it.  I'm always hesitant when a book was published in the 1700's and it's a satire.  They always seem to feel dated, or don't hold up too well.

So I was pleasantly surprised after reading.  It was both brief and rewarding and a humorous book.  After reading Candide experience one tragedy after another, it makes you think at least a little bit.

My rating: 4 stars



Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (50 of 1294)

Great Expectations was another one of the books that I was forced to read in high school.  I probably would like it better now than then, but this was a good book.  Pip, the orphan was the main character in the story, and a memorable character.  The growth of Pip in the book as he learns some of life's important lessons and that living a good life is more important than living a wealthy life.

My rating: 4 stars

A Handful of Reviews

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (41 of 1294)

This was a book that I read in school, twice - once in English and once in Spanish.  Maybe we only had to read part of it in Spanish, but it didn't help much either way.  So it should have made an impression on me, but when I think of Don Quixote all I think of is chasing windmills, and the Moldy Peaches - "Don Quixote was a steel driving man".

Was it long - yes.  Was it worth reading - yes.  Did I get as much out of it being forced to read it in school - probably not.  I probably would get more out of it if I read it again today, but I'll be honest and say that probably won't happen.

My rating: 3 1/2 stars



Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (42 of 1294)

One of the most challenged books of the 21st century, I read Of Mice and Men in high school and it was one of those books that you always remember, and want to read again.  Set during the Great Depression it tells the story of George and Lennie.  Lennie, the mentally retarded gentle giant, and George, his protector, who live in California and looking for work.

I don't want to spoil anything if you haven't read it, but it's a classic, and if you haven't read it I strongly recommend reading it.

My rating: 5 stars




A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (43 of 1294)

I think that most everybody knows the basics of the story, at least in one way, shape, or form.  With so many different movie versions, to cartoon version done by everybody from Jim Carey to Mickey Mouse to the Jetsons the story of Ebenezer Scrooge is pretty well known.

It wasn't until a few years ago when I actually read the book during the holiday season, and I've read it again last year.  After reading it though, it is definitely worth reading.

My rating: 5 stars




Aesop's Fables (44 of 1294)

A collection of well known fables, many of which are well known - The Tortoise and the Hare, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and The Ant and the Grasshopper are some examples.  Cute stories, good messages, and easy to read.

My rating: 4 stars




Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger (45 of 1294)

Two stories, originally published separately compromise the book.  Franny tells the story of Franny Glass and her weekend date with her college boyfriend, Lane while she experiences a breakdown, questioning everything about her life.

Zooey is her brother, and we learn more about the Glass family in the second part of the book.  I read this after Catcher and the Rye, and while I didn't find it as good, I did enjoy it.

My rating: 4 stars

From the Mafia to ....

Serial killers....



Taking a break from the 1001 books, I thought I'd take a break and talk about the Dexter series and everybody's favorite serial killer.  I've been reading the Dexter series since the first book, and finished reading the sixth in the series, Double Dexter.

The basic premise of the series is that Dexter is a blood splatter analyst for the Miami Police Department, and spends his free time relieving the world of undesirables.  A serial killer with standards.

Having read the series from the beginning there are parts that I don't like.  Sometimes it can be a little bit too graphic, but for the most part they are quick, fun books to read.  Having lived in South Florida for over ten years I can relate to many of the places and the writing can be very witty at times.

Six books into the series I felt that the first two started off strong, and the middle third of the series was a little bit weak.  The fifth and sixth books have been moving in the right direction though.  I was almost at the point where I was going to say one more book and I'm done, but I enjoyed the last two in the series more.

I should note that I have never watched the television series, and have no idea how closely the series follows the book.  Maybe I missed my opportunity to watch it through Netflix streaming.

My ratings:
Darkly Dreaming Dexter - 4 stars
Dearly Devoted Dexter - 4 stars
Dexter in the Dark - 2 1/2 stars
Dexter by Design - 3 stars
Dexter is Delicious - 3 1/2 stars
Double Dexter - 3 1/2 stars

Bret Easton Ellis

Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis (39 of 1294)

I've only read a few books from Ellis, the two in this review, and the Less Than Zero sequel, Imperial Bedrooms.  I think it's probably fair to say his books can be a little disturbing, and are probably not for everyone.  I imagine the drinking, drugs, and sex would turn some people off.

Less Than Zero was like a bad party that went on for 200 pages.  It's an almost depressing look at a bunch of kids who do coke, sleeps around, and parties their way through life.  I can't really feel too much sympathy for any of the characters, who lead pretty shallow and spoiled lives.

After reading the lifestyle certainly isn't glamorized, and maybe you feel a little sorry for the spoiled, rich kids living such shallow lives.  Sometimes reading a book makes you wish you were there, but if anything after reading this book I'm glad that I wasn't there.

My rating: 4 stars



American Pyscho by Bret Easton Ellis (40 of 1294)

If you are looking for a light, enjoyable book to read, don't read American Pyscho.  Disturbing doesn't even begin to describe this book, and in reality it is a pretty unpleasant book to read.  Patrick Bateman is not a character with any redeeming qualities.  It's a graphic book, with over the top violence, demeaning to women, and even violence towards animals.  If that bothers you I wouldn't recommend reading it.

However, that's not to say that American Pyscho is a bad book.  It paints an accurate picture of the 80's excess through the mind of a serial killer.  At times the book is funny, at times it is sick and twisted, but it is well worth reading.

My rating: 4 stars

A Book You Can't Refuse

The Godfather by Mario Puzo (38 of 1294)

I always like to read the novel before I watch the movie based on the novel, but in the case of The Godfather I've watched the movie several times before I even realized it was based on a novel.  It's very rare that I like the movie as well as the book, and I can only think of a couple examples, like Shutter Island.  Others like Harry Potter are good, but in different ways.  The Harry Potter movies aren't as good as the books, but I've gotten to the point that I can almost view them as separate things.  More often than not I end up hating the movie version of the books I enjoy.

So the Godfather was a strange book to read, because I view the movie as one of the greatest of all-time.  Could the book live up to my high expectations?

In a word - yes.

The Godfather tells the tale of the Corleone family, one of the families of the New York Mafia.  I think most people have watched the movie, and know the basics of the story.  You get to know Don Vito Corleone as the head of the family, and it is a violent story, but very well written.  The book was filled with fascinating characters, and a compelling story.

There are several characters in the novel who play a more prominent role than in the movie, like Johnny Fontaine and Lucy.  So if you like the movie I think that you'll love the book.

My rating: 5 stars