Books #11-13.
I'm a little behind on my book updating. And one of these days I might get a wild hair and even update about my life instead of pretending that it doesn't exist and burying it in fiction.
Book #11The Ex Files: A Novel by Jane Moore.
This was an undeniably chick-lit book. I usually avoid those, with their super pink covers and pictures of lipstick or shoes. It seems that all women are portrayed the same way, as image obsessed bimbos with no greater thought processes than how to land a husband. I hear you say "Oh, yeah, like the romance books you devour are soooo much better!", but at least historical romance gives you a little instruction about the past. Anyway, The Ex Files stars the high-maintenance model Faye, who is all set to be married to Mark, the struggling chef and all around nice guy. The only catch is that she decided to go the more male route of having one last fling before tying the knot. Turns out the random, very hot, mesmerizing man she picked up in the wine bar for an almost tryst (she stops at the last second before sex) is none other than Mark's older brother Tony.
If this didn't complicate the wedding enough, both Mark and Faye had decided to invite a couple of exes. Mark has along his very first girlfriend (the high school sweetheart) and the woman who changed his life in college... really the one that got away, Kate. Faye, having no real significant relationships to pull on invites a devestatingly handsome and devistatingly self-centered male model, and some very nice guy who was way too into her.
Most of the forward action of the novel takes place on the two days leading up to the wedding. With frequent flashbacks on both Faye and Mark's side to flesh out their characters, the stories about their exes and how the people around them are significant. For most of the present action, I just had that sinking feeling of overwhelming sympathy and awkwardness. Faye got herself into some remarkably uncomfortable positions. It makes one just want to yell "Oh, don't do that, are you stupid?!?"
But after all the weirdness is over, the wedding is called off and each Mark and Faye end up with their considerably better suited partners. It was the predictable kind of thing that you would expect from a book as such, very Bridget Jones. But it did have a couple of things to recommend it. First, it was a British novel, and I am back into my severe Anglophile phase. (Damn you and your excellent telly BBC!) I love British slang, so much better than American slang. Also, Ms. Moore managed to make a female lead that I would usually detest very relate able. She did this with the never fail of Daddy-issues. You all know I love me my Daddy issues and working them out through any means other than reality. (Speaking of which, when does Grey's Anatomy come back on?)
All in all, it was a fine read to get the retched taste of Haunted out of my brain. Perhaps not the greatest work of chick lit to come from across the pond, but certainly not the worst.
Book #12: Blood Sucking Fiends by Christopher Moore. (No known relation to Jane Moore of the previous novel.)
This is the book that came before You Suck: A Love Story which I loved so much. It has all the same characters, Jody and Tommy and Elijah and The Animals. No Abby Normal yet, but one very important character that I think I failed to mention in the last post. There is a very interesting cameo role in these book for The Emperor of America. If you are not familiar with the story of the only Emperor of America Joshua Norton, you really should wikipedia it. He was a very interesting fellow that lived in San Fransisco in the mid-1800s who proclaimed himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico. In reality he was a homeless and kinda crazy old man who had lost everything with bad investments. The remarkable part is that all of San Fransisco humored him. He had places to stay for free, ate for free, people even printed him his own money. For all purposes he lived out his reign as if he was indeed, Emperor. He has been referenced in many other forms of pop-culture, but I think in these books he has his greatest roles.
I was thinking of proclaiming myself Queen of New Orleans, but knowing my luck, they would probably just throw me back into the mental hospital.
This book was not quite as funny as it's sequel, but both books are still the most interesting things to come out of the vampire genre in quite some time. Certainly the most funny. Some times it's nice when the undead don't take themselves quite so seriously.
Book #13: The Dead Room by Heather Graham.
I became a fan of Heather Graham even before reading the first book by her that I picked up. The inscription/dedication of that first book encouraged people to come down to New Orleans and pour their tourist dollars into this place. Any author who is a friend of New Orleans is a friend of mine. It of course helps that she writes very interesting books. The first couple I had picked up were trashy vampire romance novels, taking place in Post-K New Orleans, which I thought were great. They had interesting takes on vampire lore and interesting plot twists. The other books she writes are thrillers. This is another genre that I usually avoid because of countless poorly written lemons, however, Ms. Graham always does quite well, and always includes the supernatural spin which I eat up like ice cream.
The Dead Room is no exception. Leslie is our main character, who is a very smart archaeologist. A year ago she lost her fiancee in an explosion that almost cost her her life as well. When she recovered she realized she had the ability to converse with ghosts. Eventually she returns to Manhattan to dig into the explosion that killed her fiancee, and becomes entangled with a case full of prostitutes that are just vanishing off the street. No blood, no trace evidence, nothing. Just vanishing.
As thrillers go, it is an excellent one. Perhaps the twist at the end isn't as surprising as the jacket blurbs made it out to be, but I have been watching an incredible amount of Dexter lately.
Though I don't encourage people very often to go out and buy anything (Goddess knows, I don't buy most forms of media that I consume) but Heather Graham and Christopher Moore are both authors you should at least check out from the library, if not go and support them by buying their books. Both are good investments for hours of fun.
Yay! Now I am all caught up on my books! I have been so accomplished this weekend it's crazy! I have left the house both days, and today I even walked in the park and absorbed some of that good vitamin D. Damn, it's almost like I have a life or something.
Book #11The Ex Files: A Novel by Jane Moore.
This was an undeniably chick-lit book. I usually avoid those, with their super pink covers and pictures of lipstick or shoes. It seems that all women are portrayed the same way, as image obsessed bimbos with no greater thought processes than how to land a husband. I hear you say "Oh, yeah, like the romance books you devour are soooo much better!", but at least historical romance gives you a little instruction about the past. Anyway, The Ex Files stars the high-maintenance model Faye, who is all set to be married to Mark, the struggling chef and all around nice guy. The only catch is that she decided to go the more male route of having one last fling before tying the knot. Turns out the random, very hot, mesmerizing man she picked up in the wine bar for an almost tryst (she stops at the last second before sex) is none other than Mark's older brother Tony.
If this didn't complicate the wedding enough, both Mark and Faye had decided to invite a couple of exes. Mark has along his very first girlfriend (the high school sweetheart) and the woman who changed his life in college... really the one that got away, Kate. Faye, having no real significant relationships to pull on invites a devestatingly handsome and devistatingly self-centered male model, and some very nice guy who was way too into her.
Most of the forward action of the novel takes place on the two days leading up to the wedding. With frequent flashbacks on both Faye and Mark's side to flesh out their characters, the stories about their exes and how the people around them are significant. For most of the present action, I just had that sinking feeling of overwhelming sympathy and awkwardness. Faye got herself into some remarkably uncomfortable positions. It makes one just want to yell "Oh, don't do that, are you stupid?!?"
But after all the weirdness is over, the wedding is called off and each Mark and Faye end up with their considerably better suited partners. It was the predictable kind of thing that you would expect from a book as such, very Bridget Jones. But it did have a couple of things to recommend it. First, it was a British novel, and I am back into my severe Anglophile phase. (Damn you and your excellent telly BBC!) I love British slang, so much better than American slang. Also, Ms. Moore managed to make a female lead that I would usually detest very relate able. She did this with the never fail of Daddy-issues. You all know I love me my Daddy issues and working them out through any means other than reality. (Speaking of which, when does Grey's Anatomy come back on?)
All in all, it was a fine read to get the retched taste of Haunted out of my brain. Perhaps not the greatest work of chick lit to come from across the pond, but certainly not the worst.
Book #12: Blood Sucking Fiends by Christopher Moore. (No known relation to Jane Moore of the previous novel.)
This is the book that came before You Suck: A Love Story which I loved so much. It has all the same characters, Jody and Tommy and Elijah and The Animals. No Abby Normal yet, but one very important character that I think I failed to mention in the last post. There is a very interesting cameo role in these book for The Emperor of America. If you are not familiar with the story of the only Emperor of America Joshua Norton, you really should wikipedia it. He was a very interesting fellow that lived in San Fransisco in the mid-1800s who proclaimed himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico. In reality he was a homeless and kinda crazy old man who had lost everything with bad investments. The remarkable part is that all of San Fransisco humored him. He had places to stay for free, ate for free, people even printed him his own money. For all purposes he lived out his reign as if he was indeed, Emperor. He has been referenced in many other forms of pop-culture, but I think in these books he has his greatest roles.
I was thinking of proclaiming myself Queen of New Orleans, but knowing my luck, they would probably just throw me back into the mental hospital.
This book was not quite as funny as it's sequel, but both books are still the most interesting things to come out of the vampire genre in quite some time. Certainly the most funny. Some times it's nice when the undead don't take themselves quite so seriously.
Book #13: The Dead Room by Heather Graham.
I became a fan of Heather Graham even before reading the first book by her that I picked up. The inscription/dedication of that first book encouraged people to come down to New Orleans and pour their tourist dollars into this place. Any author who is a friend of New Orleans is a friend of mine. It of course helps that she writes very interesting books. The first couple I had picked up were trashy vampire romance novels, taking place in Post-K New Orleans, which I thought were great. They had interesting takes on vampire lore and interesting plot twists. The other books she writes are thrillers. This is another genre that I usually avoid because of countless poorly written lemons, however, Ms. Graham always does quite well, and always includes the supernatural spin which I eat up like ice cream.
The Dead Room is no exception. Leslie is our main character, who is a very smart archaeologist. A year ago she lost her fiancee in an explosion that almost cost her her life as well. When she recovered she realized she had the ability to converse with ghosts. Eventually she returns to Manhattan to dig into the explosion that killed her fiancee, and becomes entangled with a case full of prostitutes that are just vanishing off the street. No blood, no trace evidence, nothing. Just vanishing.
As thrillers go, it is an excellent one. Perhaps the twist at the end isn't as surprising as the jacket blurbs made it out to be, but I have been watching an incredible amount of Dexter lately.
Though I don't encourage people very often to go out and buy anything (Goddess knows, I don't buy most forms of media that I consume) but Heather Graham and Christopher Moore are both authors you should at least check out from the library, if not go and support them by buying their books. Both are good investments for hours of fun.
Yay! Now I am all caught up on my books! I have been so accomplished this weekend it's crazy! I have left the house both days, and today I even walked in the park and absorbed some of that good vitamin D. Damn, it's almost like I have a life or something.