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Book Corner-January
Posted on 2006.02.03 at 21:38Current Mood: searching
Current Music: Matchbook Romance-"If All Else Fails"
The Mermaid Chair-Sue Monk Kidd
Cold Skin-Albert Sanchez Pinol
7 Deadly Wonders-Matthew Reilly
A Million Little Pieces-James Frey
Stargirl-Jerry Spinelli
Joey Pigza Loses Control-Jack Gantos
Tree Castle Island-Jean Craighead George
Cell-Stephen King
Teach Me-R.A. Nelson
Jonny Magic and the Card Shark Kids-David Kushner
The People's Act of Love-James Meek
The adult stuff wasn't doing it for me this month so I'm switching to a mainly YA reading list for the time being. Of course the YA stuff isn't really doing it for me either, so maybe I'll just got to a good author list.
Mermaid Chair I read to get inside Michelle's head, but since Michelle isn't a Benedictine monk doubting her faith and having an affair with a married woman, I'm not sure it did much good. I liked it better than Secret Life of Bees, but it wasn't as good as I had hoped.
Cold Skin was a story about a weather observer off the coast of Antarctica and the horde of monsters that plague the island. It suffered from the differing perspective of a European author and was disappointing because it never went the way I wished it would or addressed the themes I would have liked.
7 Deadly Wonders was plain horrible in every aspect except concept. But in any book when the main charcater's trained hawk saves him from immolation by snatching a burning torch from the air, then I'm done.
A Million Little Pieces was hard to read (not in a good way) and while I didn't have any problems with fuzzy facts or changed recollections I did have real problems with the format. Like all books that capture the public consciousness I am always a bit disappointed with what America is reading.
Stargirl was completely fantastic especially on audio. And while the message was predictable nothing about the story's path and outcome was. I am still haunted by the talk of the difference between 14 and 3 stones.
Joey Pigza was also great on audio and a surprisingly complex and true children's story. Funny, heartfelt, suspenseful and real I would recommend it to anyone.
Tree Castle Island is a Battle of the Books book I ahve to read for work, but it has been the only one that has captured my imagination and made me want to read further. Boy in the wilderness story with some family drama thrown in, but the real magic is the sense of place and detail of environment.
Cell is repetitive King, but vintage King and for that I am thankful that there is anything coming our way from him. It isn't as wonderful as his early stuff, but isn't saddled with the disappointment that came with the last Dark Tower books so I'm ok with it.
Teach Me is well written YA and a credit to the genre even if the subject is salacious for salaciousnesses sake. Not the best I've read and not life changing, but a solid contributor to the genre.
Jonny Magic was suposed to be about the rise of this guy from AMgic player to card counter, but was way more about the MIT card counters than anything Magic related. That book has already been written, the Magic one has not. And probably never will be.
People's Act was a great concept and wonderful setting and NOTHING happening. I don't ahve the time to waste on novels that refuse to tell a story.
I need to find some good YA this month and read it. As of now I don't have much to go on. maybe I'll finish up the Sharpe books if I can't find anything else.
Cold Skin-Albert Sanchez Pinol
7 Deadly Wonders-Matthew Reilly
A Million Little Pieces-James Frey
Stargirl-Jerry Spinelli
Joey Pigza Loses Control-Jack Gantos
Tree Castle Island-Jean Craighead George
Cell-Stephen King
Teach Me-R.A. Nelson
Jonny Magic and the Card Shark Kids-David Kushner
The People's Act of Love-James Meek
The adult stuff wasn't doing it for me this month so I'm switching to a mainly YA reading list for the time being. Of course the YA stuff isn't really doing it for me either, so maybe I'll just got to a good author list.
Mermaid Chair I read to get inside Michelle's head, but since Michelle isn't a Benedictine monk doubting her faith and having an affair with a married woman, I'm not sure it did much good. I liked it better than Secret Life of Bees, but it wasn't as good as I had hoped.
Cold Skin was a story about a weather observer off the coast of Antarctica and the horde of monsters that plague the island. It suffered from the differing perspective of a European author and was disappointing because it never went the way I wished it would or addressed the themes I would have liked.
7 Deadly Wonders was plain horrible in every aspect except concept. But in any book when the main charcater's trained hawk saves him from immolation by snatching a burning torch from the air, then I'm done.
A Million Little Pieces was hard to read (not in a good way) and while I didn't have any problems with fuzzy facts or changed recollections I did have real problems with the format. Like all books that capture the public consciousness I am always a bit disappointed with what America is reading.
Stargirl was completely fantastic especially on audio. And while the message was predictable nothing about the story's path and outcome was. I am still haunted by the talk of the difference between 14 and 3 stones.
Joey Pigza was also great on audio and a surprisingly complex and true children's story. Funny, heartfelt, suspenseful and real I would recommend it to anyone.
Tree Castle Island is a Battle of the Books book I ahve to read for work, but it has been the only one that has captured my imagination and made me want to read further. Boy in the wilderness story with some family drama thrown in, but the real magic is the sense of place and detail of environment.
Cell is repetitive King, but vintage King and for that I am thankful that there is anything coming our way from him. It isn't as wonderful as his early stuff, but isn't saddled with the disappointment that came with the last Dark Tower books so I'm ok with it.
Teach Me is well written YA and a credit to the genre even if the subject is salacious for salaciousnesses sake. Not the best I've read and not life changing, but a solid contributor to the genre.
Jonny Magic was suposed to be about the rise of this guy from AMgic player to card counter, but was way more about the MIT card counters than anything Magic related. That book has already been written, the Magic one has not. And probably never will be.
People's Act was a great concept and wonderful setting and NOTHING happening. I don't ahve the time to waste on novels that refuse to tell a story.
I need to find some good YA this month and read it. As of now I don't have much to go on. maybe I'll finish up the Sharpe books if I can't find anything else.
