Enduring Love by Ian McEwan (31 of 1294)

Enduring Love was the first McEwan book that I read with 8 total on the 1294 list.  This book was definitely something I wouldn't have picked up on my own, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  Judging by the cover and the title I didn't hold out much hope.

But it's true that you can't judge a book by the cover.  The story of Joe Rose and his partner Clarissa witnessing a horrific hot air balloon accident, and Joe participating in the rescue attempt leads to one man's death.  One of the other men involved in the accident, Jed Parry, becomes obsessed with Joe.  I was initially confused with the obsession at first, because it seemed like Jed was trying to show Joe God, but then he started telling Joe he loved him, and it was obvious the attraction was more than that.

It turns out there is a name for the obsession, de Clarembault's Syndrome.  Overall, Enduring Love was an interesting read, and it talked of a disease I had never heard of before.  I'm definitely glad I read it, and look forward to reading more of McEwan.  It seems more people like Atonement better than Enduring Love, but I think I prefer Enduring Love.

The book was turned into a movie in 2004.  The tag line of the movie was - "An extraordinary event brought them together.  A deadly obsession will tear them apart."  I haven't seen the movie yet, but I wouldn't mind watching it.

My rating: 4 stars

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (30 of 1294)

Frankenstein is a story that most everyone knows, in one form or another, but I have to admit that I was a little surprised after actually reading the book.  I guess my biggest surprise was that Frankenstein was the doctor who created the monster, and not the monster himself.

The other surprise was, well, just about everything else.  Based on what I thought I knew about Frankenstein I didn't think that I would like the book much, but this was not what I expected and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

It was a pretty sad book though, but well written.  If all you know about Frankenstein was from the movies (like me), I'd recommend giving Frankenstein a shot.

My rating: 4 stars

Baltimore Blues

I'm still debating on whether Baltimore Blues applies to the Ravens losing to the Patriots, or the title of the book.  As a Ravens fan I still haven't gotten over the loss just yet....

However, I started reading Laura Lippman towards the end of last year, and started with the Sugar House.  I always seem to start off in the middle of a series for some reason, and The Sugar House was the fifth in the Tess Monaghan series.  I found it to be a good story, with a good core of characters, and it was enough to cause me to want to read more of the series.

There are some things that I really like about the Tess series, and other things that I'm not too big a fan of.  Sometimes it takes me a little too long to get into the book, and sometimes things can wander around a bit, but overall I've enjoyed reading most of Laura Lippman's books.  There are still a couple of books that I still haven't read yet, but at this point I'd still rank The Sugar House as my favorite.

But I've enjoyed most of the Tess series, and most of the stand alone novels, although I wasn't a fan of Life Sentences.  In fact, if I read that one first I probably wouldn't have read any other Lippman books.

My ratings:
Baltimore Blues - 3 stars
Charm City - 3 1/2 stars
Butcher's Hill - 3 stars
The Sugar House - 3 stars
In a Strange City - 3 1/2 stars
The Last Place - 3 1/2 stars
By a Spider's Thread - 3 1/2 stars
No Good Deeds - 3 stars
Another Thing to Fall - 3 stars
The Girl in the Green Raincoat - 3 1/2 stars
What the Dead Know - 3 1/2 stars
To the Power of Three - 3 stars
Life Sentences - 1 1/2 stars
I'd Know You Anywhere - 3 stars

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis (29 of 1294)

Lucky Jim was one of the books that I picked up after reading several reviews and had some pretty high expectations.  Maybe that reflected my overall feelings toward the book, but it wasn't as good as I expected.  It certainly wasn't bad though, it just seemed a little dated in places.

There were definitely some funny parts, and overall I'd say that I liked it, but I didn't love it.

My rating: 3 1/2 stars

The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allen Poe (28 of 1294)

Edgar Allen Poe has always been one of my favorite authors, and The Pit and the Pendulum was one of the first stories that I remember reading by Poe, and still one of my favorite Poe stories.  It's a short story, and can be found online here.

It was first published in 1842 about a prisoner of the Spanish inquisition.  A horror story, where you experience the fears of the prisoner, who is forced to decide whether it is better to die by the pendulum, or jump into the unknown pit.  As the pendulum gets closer and closer the prisoner manages to escape by luring the rats with meat to chew through the ropes that bind him to a board.  With the walls closing in forcing him to the pit, and the unknown terror of the pit.

For a modern rap take on the Pit and the Pendulum you can check this video out:



The Pit and Pendulum is definitely worth checking it, and I'd consider it a classic.

My rating: 5 stars

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (27 of 1294)

The Big Sleep was published in 1939, and introduced private detective Philip Marlowe.  Marlowe is called to the mansion of General Sternwood, and is enlisted to help deal with a blackmailer.  Throughout the book Marlowe is forced to deal with the General's two daughters, both of which are trouble, murder, kidnapping, and extortion.

There is enough twists, plot turns to keep things interested, and the book is well written.  For me it was fun to be introduced to Marlowe, and it is easy to see the influence several years later.  The wise cracking Marlowe was tough, hard drinking, but believes in doing the right thing.  He isn't afraid to dish out violence, but he doesn't do it unless it's necessary.  Chandler set the rules for private detectives with Marlowe that influenced other characters that came later.

Michael Connelly, Robert Parker, and Robert Crais are examples of authors who were influenced by Chandler.  It's easy to see why after reading The Big Sleep.

My ratings: 4 1/2 stars

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (26 of 1294)

Oliver Twist was Charles Dickens second novel, and one that I read in school.  Oliver Twist was an orphan, who leads a miserable life.  He escapes and travels to London where he meets the Artful Dodger, who is a leader of a gang of pickpockets.

It's been a long time since I've read this, but I did enjoy reading the book.  It's one of the books that I wouldn't mind reading again, as time permits.

My rating: 4 stars