Thursday, November 21, 2013

November 2013 Book Blog

Fourteen books bringing up the year total to 40! Hope you find these helpful in directing you towards your next great book (or keeping you away from the garbage).


(27) The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin



If I were Oprah, I would make this my book of the month, every month, for four years. I wouldn’t stop chucking hardback copies at my audience until I knew that every person had an opportunity to read it. Who needs new cars or trips to Fiji or the latest tablet when you could read this book?

Alright, let’s be serious now. I’m not alone in my feelings for this intricate and beautiful science fiction story. This is a Hugo and Nebula Award winning novel. It might be difficult to locate a  “best of sci-fi” list that lacked this title. Yet, until I dig some personal digging into the must read books in this genre, I had never heard of it.

The premise is that Genly Ai, a humanoid representative, has traveled to an inhabited planet to invite the local governments to join a federation of planets. Feels like a great Star Trek episode. But a most fascinating story development is that people of this planet are androgenous. The life cycle and traditions of child-rearing turn this exploration and political book into feminist sci-fi. The glimpse into what could be if we were not so governed by our established gender roles made me very envious. The last one-third of the book transforms into a survival adventure story that was engrossing and suspenseful.

Length: 286 Pages
Genre: Science Fiction



(28) I Suck At Girls by Justin Halpern



Describing his dance moves:
“I have one move: reaching my arms out wide, leaning back, and lurching my chest forward to the rhythm of the music, like a guy being shot repeatedly in the back. But that night, I pushed the move to its absolute limits.”

In his follow up to Sh*t My Dad Says, Halpern continues his witty memoirs, this time focusing on his many failed attempts to woo the opposite sex. With occasional appearances of his awesomely potty-mouthed father, I loved returning to his life, this time as a college student and a twenty-something navigating through the world of women and dating in Los Angeles. Both of Halpern’s memoirs are divided into short vignettes, so these are great books to read for small bursts of time for a great chuckle and silly entertainment.

Length: 192 pages
Genre: Memoir



(29) The Running Man by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)



This book wasn’t on my radar until I read an interview with King, in which he stated that The Hunger Games had borrowed ideas from his 1982 novel, The Running Man. Although I enjoyed the first Hunger Games book and wasn’t looking for trouble, I wanted to find out if the comparison was accurate and whether there might be a small scandal here! Was the premise of Hunger Games really stolen from The Running Man? I had heard previous comparisons between the the Japanese horror film Battle Royale, and my impressions after viewing the film was that I didn’t think there was an obvious or overt plagiarism of ideas (unlike the atrocity that is the Uglies series).

So what’s my verdict? I don’t think Collins stole from King anymore that King stole from H.G. Wells via The Island of Dr. Moreau. The similarity between the novels is simply that the manhunt is televised, but otherwise the stories diverge significantly. The Running Man is about a single man being hunted across the country by a team of trained assassins, which is quite different than a story about teenagers murdering each other within the confines of an adaptable game environment.

Comparisons aside, how did I like it? The title is not inaccurate; it is truly a novel about a guy running around to avoid death. The story was emotionally cold. As he began his competition, I found myself caring less whether he was killed or not. Although he was altruistically sacrificing himself for his family, his character was immensely one-dimensional and lacked a range of human emotions and qualities that could have made him feel real. I couldn’t get behind him. I wanted him to die quickly so I could be done with reading about him running around.

I began by reading King’s updated introduction to the book and was enjoying it, until he gave away the ending of the book I was about to read. As my eyes read past it, I was startled, and immediately stopped reading the introduction. I guess he assumes that because the book is over 30 years old and was made into a movie, it is a re-read for everyone? That was frustrating and made the end anticlimactic. Perhaps that is why the suspense never worked well during the story.

Length: 336 Pages
Genre: Dystopia



(30) Twittering from the Circus of the Dead by Joe Hill



“YouTube is full of clowns, message boards are full of fire-breathers, and blogs are for people who can’t live without a spotlight on them.”

This short story is an experiment in writing as Hill tells the story through the twitters of a annoying teenage girl. That’s it. Just a list of twitter posts. Each post is time stamped as she whines and complains about all the horrible things her mother is doing on her family’s road trip. She is authentically teenager. Things start going horribly wrong though when her family stumbles upon a roadside circus. Had this story gone on longer in this format, it might have been unreadable and obnoxious. But, as a short 15-20 minute read, I thought it was an inventive way to tell a story with fun horror and gore! Fond memories were made here.

Length: 100 Pages
Genre: Horror


(31) Dark Places by Gillian Flynn



In this mystery, seriously messed up Libby Day decides to respond to a speaking offer to make some quick money. “The Kill Club,” a group of individuals fascinated with studying infamous American crimes, invite her to speak with them about the murder of her family that occurred when she was a child. The contact she makes with the group sets off a chain of events that forces her to revisit the crime and evaluate what really might have happened on that night.

Some aspects of this story just had to be inspired by the West Memphis Three, as it dealt with a horrific crime and a great amount of public suspicion that the wrong suspect was imprisoned. Certainly, the writing and story draws you in quickly. Flynn did an excellent job creating a real life crime and splitting the book into two main stories--retelling the events of the day of the crimes while balancing that with adult Libby’s experiences to investigate other possibilities. However, the ending is very contrived and was a disappointment.

Length: 368 Pages
Genre: Mystery


(32) Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill



Twittering from the Circus of the Dead was such good fun, I decided to try a full length and popular novel by Hill. His debut novel features a story about a 50-something rock star who buys a ghost off of ebay. Seriously, if anything, this book taught me one important life lesson. Do not buy ghosts off ebay. You’re going to have a bad time. The characters were quite unlikable, but they were felt like tangible, real people, so I felt their suffering right along with them as they dealt with this ghostly problem. There were some honestly frightening scenes, and at moments, Hill was very successful at making me hide under my covers with the shivers.

Joe Hill, by the way, is Stephen King’s son.

Length: 376 Pages
Genre: Horror



(33) Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke



Clarke’s ability to mingle real science with a fictional and future world is remarkable. Rama is the central and incredibly well-developed character of this novel: it is a massive space ship passing through our solar system, headed for the sun. The entirety of the story revolves around this first contact with an extraterrestrial technology. But, that’s all this story is. Any attempt for human character development is pasted on, and there is virtually no plot beyond exploring a massive space ship. Yet, I enjoyed the science and didn’t regret my trip to Rama.

Length: 243 Pages
Genre: Science Fiction



(34) All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot



I was destined to be a veterinarian! Well, until I got a B in Intro Biology my first semester in college, and I had to give up that dream. I have to thank this book though, for helping me realize what an enormous bullet I dodged. Assisting in a sheep birth? Oh my. I thought dissecting a cat was brave! This charming and funny book takes readers on the adventures of the day-to-day duties of a country veterinarian. Herriot’s employer is hilariously absent-minded and contradictory, and his clients vary in temperaments and issues. I loved the light-hearted tone of the book, even when the medical procedures were a bit gruesome, it all just worked. Highly recommend!

Length: 437 Pages
Genre: Memoir


(35) The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson


Giving any kind of summary of the plot would be a huge disservice to a future reader, so I’m going to omit any details, except to say: this is a book about a 100-year old man who climbs out of a window on his birthday, and disappears! This book is over-the-top in its absurdness, and provides a rich fictional history lesson in the real story behind major world events over the past 100 years. The characters are pure fiction, and completely loveable.

Length: 384 Pages
Genre: Fiction



(36) Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover



This book is so bad, it isn’t worth my time reviewing. No. Just no.

(By the way, this has the highest GoodReads rating I've ever seen: 4.6. Young adult readers must have no expectations whatsoever for decent writing or storytelling. Don't believe me? Read it. It's free on the kindle. But I warned you.)

Length: 105 Pages
Genre: Young Adult



(37) Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain



“We live with a value system that I call the Extrovert Ideal--the omnipresent belief that the ideal self is gregarious, alpha, and comfortable in the spotlight. The archetypal extrovert prefers action to contemplation, risk-taking to heed-taking, certainty to doubt. He favors quick decisions, even at the risk of being wrong. She works well in teams and socializes in group. We like to think that we value individuality, but all too often we admire one type of individual--the kind who’s comfortable ‘putting himself out there.’”

“Whoever you are, bear in mind that appearance is not reality. Some people act like extroverts, but the effort costs them in energy, authenticity, and even physical health. Others seem aloof or self-contained, but their inner landscapes are rich and full of drama. So the next time you see a person with a composed face and a soft voice, remember that inside her mind she might be solving an equation, composing a sonnet, designing a hat. She might, that is, be deploying the powers of quiet.”

In evaluating the validity of the Extrovert Ideal, Cain reveals the importance of utilizing the talents of the one-third to one-half of the population who fall under the introvert spectrum. By rejecting the notion that extrovert behaviors are good and introvert behaviors are undesirable and require fixing, the introvert can be a better understood employee, spouse or student. Cain’s book is captivating, clear and full of great examples that accentuate the variety of difficulties introverts face.

Length: 336 Pages
Genre: Non-Fiction


(38) The Graveyard Story by Neil Gaiman



As a kid, I would have loved this macabre children’s book about a little boy raised by ghosts in a graveyard. But as an adult, I found it to be too contrived and immature for my grown-up tastes. The middle wandered from random tale to tale, and the ending failed to fully explain some of the mysteries established at the beginning of the book. I’m looking forward to reading more Gaiman, but I’ll look for his adult titles in the future!

Length: 312 pages
Genre: Children’s Fiction


(39) Doctor Sleep by Stephen King



The sequel to The Shining! Twenty-five years later, Danny Torrance is all grown up, and he’s a raging alcoholic. In this great example of modern King, Torrance helps a little girl who also has the ability of the shining. This was a great thriller and had an exciting and satisfying ending. If you’ve only seen the movie and have not read The Shining, I’d really recommend reading the book before venturing into the sequel. The movie and the book are very different, and I think there are some plot points in the sequel that would be confusing without the proper background.

Similar in addictability of 11/22/63, I found it difficult to read Doctor Sleep in small servings. I knew if I was going to start reading, I needed to have a long block of time. Everytime I opened the book, I read between 100-200 pages. The experience of being with these characters in this dire situation was emotionally draining, and I wanted to read it fast and quick. After finishing the book, I found it difficult to begin reading another narrative. It required several days of processing before I could move on to new characters. King once again demonstrates his prodigious ability to weave mature stories and create real characters in his modern writing.

Length: 531 Pages
Genre: Horror


(40) First World Problems: 101 Reasons Why the Terrorists Hate Us by Ben Nesvig



“If you can afford to spend 3 days to wait in line at Best Buy to save $30 bucks on a Blu-ray player, you’ve got nothing to offer society. Pack it up, fold up shop, you’re done--we can make it the rest of the way without you.”

I love first world problems on reddit, and this was like reading an extended version of a meme. Each chapter had a heading to describe the very serious issues the author has to face (for example, his sunchips bag is too loud for late night snacking) and a brief description of the issue. Some of them were funny, and some were not and just uncomfortably flat, as if he were a stand up comedian getting no laughs. It was a stupid book, but I have no regrets. Meanwhile, I’ve decided on a title for a first world problem I recently faced: “I want a cheeseburger, but McDonalds isn’t switching over to lunch for 17 more minutes.”

Length: 162 Pages
Genre: Humor






Wednesday, September 25, 2013

September Books 2013

September Book Blog 2013







(17) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick


(18) Ubik by Philip K. Dick


(19) Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick


(21) The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick


(25) The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick


Some novels are like spending the day at the beach. First, you just let the waves touch your feet a little, and you aren’t so sure if you want to commit to going in further. Slowly, slowly, you walk deeper and deeper, and as you do, your skin adapts to the cold, and the sensation of the living, moving water draws you further into the depths, until just your little head is popping out the water. Sometimes seaweed wraps around your legs. Sometimes a wave hits you hard, pushing you under the water. You emotions range from fear to absolute joy. Before you know it, the day is over, it is time to go, and you long to be there again. Reading a slowly developing novel takes trust in the author, and even if you have a slow start, you are seldom disappointed in the adventure.


This is not like reading a Philip K. Dick book whatsoever.


Reading a Philip K. Dick novel is like being unexpectedly thrown into an ice cold swimming pool, having the air knocked out of your gut as you desperately tread water back to the edge. You pull yourself back to dry land, soggy in your wet clothes, and wonder, “what in the world just happened to me?”


Another easy comparison is to say that a Philip K. Dick is reminiscent of the Twilight Zone. In one short episode, you are immersed in an alternate reality with immediate consequences to your emotions. You feel uneasy from the start, and by the end, usually you feel even more unclear about what just happened to you.


Philip K. Dick is a no-nonsense and concise soft science fiction writer. Despite an extensive and prolific writing career, each these novels are distinct individuals. Much like the Twilight Zone, there are common motifs, but each story is an unique landscape of characters, technology and situations.


Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is about a bounty hunter on Earth in search of androids.


Ubik is about, well, it’s hard to explain what Ubik is about. One of the fascinating technologies introduced at the beginning is a storage method for dead loved ones. The living family members may visit the storage facility and have conversations with those preserved individuals after their deaths. Not exactly like Futurama’s glass bowl deceased celebrity heads, but close enough.


Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said is about an obscenely famous talk show host who wakes up to discover that he is no longer famous. In fact, he seems to be no one at all. He does not take the news too well.


The Man in the High Castle is Dick’s Hugo Award winning novel involving an alternate universe where Japan and Germany won World War II. This is not classic sci-fi, as its focus is not on aliens or robots or space travel. This is a case study of a set of characters living in a dystopian world where Nazi ideals are still alive and thriving.


The Minority Report is about the director of the “precrime” unit suddenly becoming a person of interest. This book is only about 100 pages and a quick, fast-paced and intriguing read.


Although I have many more Philip K. Dick novels to enjoy in the future, I would advise that Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a great first introduction to his writing style. If the silly title is a turn-off to you, just know that the movie adaptation of this book is called Bladerunner.


Do you have a Philip K. Dick book you love? I’d love to know where to go from here. VALIS and A Scanner Darkly are certainly on my to-read list.


Length: 104 Pages - 288 Pages
Content: Appropriate for All Adults
Genre: Science Fiction








(20) John Dies in the End by David Wong


The only thing I knew about this book was the title, so my attention was thoroughly piqued when the first scene of the book followed two young men as they drove a ghost from a young woman’s home. I thought, great! This is going to be a fun book about ghost hunting!


But then the book became a meandering journey of randomness. Lots of crazy monsters and gross visuals.


I don’t think this is a bad book. I’ve seen countless recommendations for it on the reddit book forum, and it has already been adapted into a film. It was just this style of storytelling didn’t fit my taste and I was bored. I felt like the story just jumped from one unlikely, ridiculous situation to another. Yet, when I reached the last one-hundred pages, it finally picked up and was pleased I finished it. I think this is a guy book.


Length: 479 Pages
Content: Language and Violence
Genre: Humorous Horror Fiction






(22) Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein


In a nutshell, this science fiction novel is about a descendent from a lost crew of human astronauts. He is found living with martians and is fully immersed in their culture and traditions. He is reluctantly brought back to Earth, and begins to learn the language and adapt to the customs of his parent’s native planet. On Earth, he “groks,” meaning he attempts to understand the foreign concepts of religion, politics, money, law, human relationships and sexuality.


This is a difficult review, because the first half was incredible, and the ending was horrendous. As Valentine Michael Smith discovers what it means to be human during the first half, the reader also experiences these discoveries with him, and it is a very introspective experience to question the arbitrariness of our created human condition.


The problem with the story occurs when he finally fully “groks.” No longer is it a story about a childlike and naive human man learning how to be human. Now it is a story about free love, cults and religion, and is bogged down by a near halt in plot and story development. The last half of the book reads as scene after scene after scene of dialog in which his friends discuss what the former martian is working on in his new endeavours as a cult leader. I wouldn’t have minded the politics and preachiness of the last half of the book if something interesting could have happened. I read hundreds of pages of people’s conversations about what was happening, rather than experiencing it myself through great storytelling and descriptions.


Though largely disappointing, I was glad to have the experience of becoming human along with curious Smith.


Length: 532 Pages
Content: While there is little language or descriptions of sexuality, there are strong supporting motifs regarding free love and disapproval of religion
Genre: Science Fiction








(23) Foundation by Isaac Asimov


Foundation is a series of five linking short stories, beginning with the memorable psychohistorian Hari Sheldon, who comes under government scrutiny after statistically predicting the downfall of the empire within 300 years. The first story is great science fiction; the planet Asimov describes is so engrossing and captivating that you dig your feet into the story, ready to explore all of its magnificence. And just as soon as you’ve landed on this planet and fallen in love with it, you are removed. You are exiled to a boring planet that doesn’t have any metal so technological advancements don’t happen, and where the four subsequent stories are about writing an encyclopedia, trade relations, politics or war strategy. As I read the remaining stories, I kept thinking, I want to go back to the cool planet! I want to know more about that!


Oh well. This novel was written in 1951, so I have to give him credit for being innovative for his time.


Length: 256 Pages
Content: Appropriate for All Adults
Genre: Science Fiction






(24) Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern


Sorry about that title, but I really don’t know what else this book could be named, as it succinctly describes the content of this little memoir. Halpern became famous after starting a Twitter account by the same name, where he posted memorable quotes from his own father. This book of vignettes expands the quotes into short, hilarious stories about his highly-educated and frank father. Although his dad is brutally honest and has quite the potty-mouth, he obviously cares deeply for his children. If you don’t mind his language, I’d recommend this as a great book to read for 10 minutes at a time to get a deep, guttural chuckle. It’s also fun to read aloud; Greg and I were dying (dying = tears running down my face and hyperventilating from laughing so hard) as we read one of the final stories about his dad and his overfed dog, Angus. I am glad I purchased this one, because I can see re-reading these stories many times.


Length: 159 Pages
Content: Strong Adult Language
Genre: Humorous Memoir






(26) The Disneyland Quest by Matt Ainsworth


This was actually a novel I read a week prior to Gumball Rally (Gumball Rally is an annual Disneyland competition in May to see which team can ride the most attractions in 12 hours) but it somehow got left off my completed book list. I wanted to give a little love to this self-published, children’s book.


This story is about kids who become involved in a competition at Disneyland. They are given trivia questions about the geography of the park. Although the story is definitely meant for older children, I absolutely loved trying to solve the puzzles with the mysterious clues along with them (I was able to solve just one before the characters did). Having a familiar place as the landscape for a story was great fun. I think that recaps this book: just lots of fun. Looks like the sequel (California Adventure!) is available for loan through Amazon prime, so I’ll be checking it out soon!


The best audience for this book? Kids! I can see giving it to my daughters to read when they are older to get excited about an upcoming Disneyland trip.


The worst audience for this book? Someone who has never been to Disneyland. Unless you know the park well, you aren’t going to be enthralled by a story about kids running around a theme park trying to solve trivia questions with highly esoteric clues.


Length: 196 Pages
Content: Older Children
Genre: Fiction