Book Reviews: December through April
I always need something non-school related to lull me to sleep, so in addition to reading at night, these were read mostly during Winter and Spring Break.
Special Topics in Calamity Physics, by Marisha Pessl The one pitfall to paperbacks is that they come without dust jackets, where one can locate crucial information about the story and author one will encounter on the pages within. Since I didn't have that, I based my purchasing a book I had never heard of on the one line praise of Jonathan Franzen (I really enjoyed The Corrections and at times, Pessl's style of weaving characters together reminded me of that same book) on the back cover. And it was totally worth it.
On Beauty, by Zadie Smith There's something really rare about writers who have such a distinct voice, a strength that stands out from the written word on the page. It's a gift, really, and Smith's virtue for capturing the human condition, in all of it's follies and with all of the grace possible while still displaying the imperfection of thought, action, emotion, and time, is astounding. Smith gathers together what most would deem complete opposites - the urban streets and the academic classroom, spoken word and published.
Veronica, by Mary Gaitskill Two women meet at different points in their careers, health, and their lives and what follows is a piece about lasting relationships, heartbreak, loss, and rediscovery.
A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini It's rare that you find an author whose style and voice are so clear that it resonates through each chapter. I read The Kite Runner when it first came out and as I was reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, I was reminded of the eloquent way in which Hosseini writes of pain, life, love, and death. Breathtaking.
The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss A sweet, sad, beautiful tale that spans 60 years, complicated characters developed throughout the story. Krauss weaves complex love story that spans from a wooded forest in Germany where a young boy hides from SS officers to two apartments in New York City, two families, and two lives lived from two different perspectives that will keep you thumbing the pages, eager for the next sentence.
Absurdistan, by Gary Shteyngart This fall I noticed that Shteyngart produced a second novel and immediately put it on my list of things to read. Continuing in the voice of his first novel, The Russian Debutante's Handbook, the oft bumbling hero Misha Vainberg finds himself in one ridiculous scenario after the next, all disaster stemming from his attempt to leave Russia and return to the US, which is one impossible task due to the death of an Oklahoma businessman at the hands of his gangster-like leader father. Deciding to buy his way to the US on a fake Belgian passport, Vainberg somehow becomes enmeshed in a fake civil war, all the while dreaming of his buxom Bronx goddess, his lovely woman who is sleeping with a literary enemy across the ocean in New York City. Rhouenna, his love, is the motivation for leaving Russia with his manservant and vintage tracksuits. Ironic, hilarious, and absolutely ridiculous.
Riding Toward Everywhere, by William T. Vollmann A beautiful, modern day tale of On the Road but instead of hitching, the characters train hop. Vollmann's prose is romantic, reality based, and will forever change the way you view those freight trains idle in the yards as you pass them in a blur from your commuter train window.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick Several months ago I read a review of Selznick's masterpiece and immediately bought it. Based in part on the magical films of Georges Méliès, the father of science-fiction movies, this beautifully hand drawn 550 page novel tells the tale of a young boy, a small girl, an old man, and the secrets binding the three of them together in a world of clocks, mystery, and movies in Paris.
This Is Not Chick Lit: Original Stories by America's Best Women Writers, by Elizabeth Merrick From Booklist: "This short story collection examines, in illuminating detail, issues and concerns facing women who won't find solace in a Prada bag." The editor and authors aim not to denounce the genre, but instead to poignantly add to it, to give it a twist, to provoke and enhance conversation.
Empire Falls, by Richard Russo I came across this book accidentally, in search of something else and was drawn quite honestly by the title. A small town blue-collar story about ordinary lives with humor, tenderness, violence, and redemption.
Gay Power: An American Revolution, by David Eisenbach I enjoy reading the lgbt history books which explore the beginnings of the movement, mostly in hope of finding something relatively comprehensive while noticing the obvious: exclusion. True to form this book focuses solely on the contributions of white gay men in the 60s and 70s, and though interesting at times, the consistent reaction is disappointing.
Beautiful Boy, by David Sheff I started reading this book to pass the time while waiting for my girlfriend to leave work and could not put it down. Memoirs about drug use, especially from the perspective of a parent, can often be preachy and typically 'just say no,' which is what I was half-expecting. Sheff however, building upon an earlier published article in the New York Times for his book, refrains from this trend and draws the reader down his painful road of education, forgiveness, and hope with both the professional observation of a journalist and the breaking heart of a father trying to save his son.
The Complete Wreck: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-13 by Lemony Snicket and Brett Helquist This box set was a Christmas gift from my girlfriend and I managed to tear through them in a few months. The story of the Baudelaire orphans and their adventures as they try to escape the evil clutches of Count Olaf is whimsical, charming, and smartly written, entertaining and a collection that can be read and re-read, regardless of age.
Special Topics in Calamity Physics, by Marisha Pessl The one pitfall to paperbacks is that they come without dust jackets, where one can locate crucial information about the story and author one will encounter on the pages within. Since I didn't have that, I based my purchasing a book I had never heard of on the one line praise of Jonathan Franzen (I really enjoyed The Corrections and at times, Pessl's style of weaving characters together reminded me of that same book) on the back cover. And it was totally worth it.
On Beauty, by Zadie Smith There's something really rare about writers who have such a distinct voice, a strength that stands out from the written word on the page. It's a gift, really, and Smith's virtue for capturing the human condition, in all of it's follies and with all of the grace possible while still displaying the imperfection of thought, action, emotion, and time, is astounding. Smith gathers together what most would deem complete opposites - the urban streets and the academic classroom, spoken word and published.
Veronica, by Mary Gaitskill Two women meet at different points in their careers, health, and their lives and what follows is a piece about lasting relationships, heartbreak, loss, and rediscovery.
A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini It's rare that you find an author whose style and voice are so clear that it resonates through each chapter. I read The Kite Runner when it first came out and as I was reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, I was reminded of the eloquent way in which Hosseini writes of pain, life, love, and death. Breathtaking.
The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss A sweet, sad, beautiful tale that spans 60 years, complicated characters developed throughout the story. Krauss weaves complex love story that spans from a wooded forest in Germany where a young boy hides from SS officers to two apartments in New York City, two families, and two lives lived from two different perspectives that will keep you thumbing the pages, eager for the next sentence.
Absurdistan, by Gary Shteyngart This fall I noticed that Shteyngart produced a second novel and immediately put it on my list of things to read. Continuing in the voice of his first novel, The Russian Debutante's Handbook, the oft bumbling hero Misha Vainberg finds himself in one ridiculous scenario after the next, all disaster stemming from his attempt to leave Russia and return to the US, which is one impossible task due to the death of an Oklahoma businessman at the hands of his gangster-like leader father. Deciding to buy his way to the US on a fake Belgian passport, Vainberg somehow becomes enmeshed in a fake civil war, all the while dreaming of his buxom Bronx goddess, his lovely woman who is sleeping with a literary enemy across the ocean in New York City. Rhouenna, his love, is the motivation for leaving Russia with his manservant and vintage tracksuits. Ironic, hilarious, and absolutely ridiculous.
Riding Toward Everywhere, by William T. Vollmann A beautiful, modern day tale of On the Road but instead of hitching, the characters train hop. Vollmann's prose is romantic, reality based, and will forever change the way you view those freight trains idle in the yards as you pass them in a blur from your commuter train window.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick Several months ago I read a review of Selznick's masterpiece and immediately bought it. Based in part on the magical films of Georges Méliès, the father of science-fiction movies, this beautifully hand drawn 550 page novel tells the tale of a young boy, a small girl, an old man, and the secrets binding the three of them together in a world of clocks, mystery, and movies in Paris.
This Is Not Chick Lit: Original Stories by America's Best Women Writers, by Elizabeth Merrick From Booklist: "This short story collection examines, in illuminating detail, issues and concerns facing women who won't find solace in a Prada bag." The editor and authors aim not to denounce the genre, but instead to poignantly add to it, to give it a twist, to provoke and enhance conversation.
Empire Falls, by Richard Russo I came across this book accidentally, in search of something else and was drawn quite honestly by the title. A small town blue-collar story about ordinary lives with humor, tenderness, violence, and redemption.
Gay Power: An American Revolution, by David Eisenbach I enjoy reading the lgbt history books which explore the beginnings of the movement, mostly in hope of finding something relatively comprehensive while noticing the obvious: exclusion. True to form this book focuses solely on the contributions of white gay men in the 60s and 70s, and though interesting at times, the consistent reaction is disappointing.
Beautiful Boy, by David Sheff I started reading this book to pass the time while waiting for my girlfriend to leave work and could not put it down. Memoirs about drug use, especially from the perspective of a parent, can often be preachy and typically 'just say no,' which is what I was half-expecting. Sheff however, building upon an earlier published article in the New York Times for his book, refrains from this trend and draws the reader down his painful road of education, forgiveness, and hope with both the professional observation of a journalist and the breaking heart of a father trying to save his son.
The Complete Wreck: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-13 by Lemony Snicket and Brett Helquist This box set was a Christmas gift from my girlfriend and I managed to tear through them in a few months. The story of the Baudelaire orphans and their adventures as they try to escape the evil clutches of Count Olaf is whimsical, charming, and smartly written, entertaining and a collection that can be read and re-read, regardless of age.