Bookkeeping 2006-Last two weeks of March through All the live long May.
Oh how the not really mighty have fallen...my big goal to read a book a week has been sadly lagging in the last few months. March, technically, I did read four books, but in the first two weeks of the month, and then for the rest of the month, nada mas.
In April, I managed two books, though one of them was so short, it really shouldn't count:
April Book 1: Pure Drivel by Steve Martin--Funny in parts, but not that funny. This was a collection of short pieces. I really think that Steve is better at longer, melancholy fiction. Whenever I read Shouts and Murmurs submissions from him in The New Yorker, I always go in expecting many giggles, and come out saying, huh...that was kind of weird. (For Shouts and Murmurs, my favorites are usually Paul Rudnick, Jack Handey, Bruce McCall and Andy Borowitz.
See the following link for some excellent Shouts and Murmurs entries.:
http://www.newyorker.com/search/results?query=shouts+and+murmurs&page=1
April Book 2: Murder at the ABA by Isaac Asimov--I really liked this one. It's a very silly mystery novel that features Isaac Asimov as a character. The protagonist of the book may or may not have been based on Harlan Ellison. I had my own personal encounter with Harlan at a book signing. I got him to sign Angry Candy for me, but first I wrote in my own dedication that said: "I apologize that every one of these stories including the introduction made Christine cry. Sincerely,_______________." When I handed Harlan the book, he read my note, then he looked at me with squinched up eyes and a little smile and shouted, "Christine! I'm not going to sign that, because I'm not sorry!" He made me giggle. Afterwards, everyone told me that they thought for sure that he was going to yell at me (not just pretend yelling.) AFTERWARDS!!!! Thanks a lot people, I had no idea Harlan is sometimes a ticking timebomb. I must admit I'm in love with him and Murder at the ABA fit in well with my own make believe Harlan.
May was also a two book month:
May Book 1: Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris--Sookie Stackhouse is my kinda girl. She's gotten it on w/ Bill the Vampire, Eric the Vampire, Alcide the Werewolf, made out with Sam her collie-morphing wereboss, and almost been tempted into a relationship w/ Calvin Norris the leader of the werepanthers. I LOVE SOOKIE the PSYCHIC SLUTBOMB!!!! I thought for sure that she'd pine eternally for Bill, but NO!!!! She got right back on another vampire after Bill tried to kill her (accidentally). Good girl. Though Dead as a Doornail wasn't my favorite Sookie,(Dead to the World probably is, because I've got a thing for Eric, even though he's blond) it's still darned good.
May Book 2: Angel of Darkness by Charles de Lint--This was my first ever de Lint (though technically, this particular book was originally released under the name Samuel Key.) I loved it. Read it straight through in one night. It's creepy, serial killer-y and amazingly inventive. I loved the flashes into the wasteland, cool and scary.
In April, I managed two books, though one of them was so short, it really shouldn't count:
April Book 1: Pure Drivel by Steve Martin--Funny in parts, but not that funny. This was a collection of short pieces. I really think that Steve is better at longer, melancholy fiction. Whenever I read Shouts and Murmurs submissions from him in The New Yorker, I always go in expecting many giggles, and come out saying, huh...that was kind of weird. (For Shouts and Murmurs, my favorites are usually Paul Rudnick, Jack Handey, Bruce McCall and Andy Borowitz.
See the following link for some excellent Shouts and Murmurs entries.:
http://www.newyorker.com/search/results?query=shouts+and+murmurs&page=1
April Book 2: Murder at the ABA by Isaac Asimov--I really liked this one. It's a very silly mystery novel that features Isaac Asimov as a character. The protagonist of the book may or may not have been based on Harlan Ellison. I had my own personal encounter with Harlan at a book signing. I got him to sign Angry Candy for me, but first I wrote in my own dedication that said: "I apologize that every one of these stories including the introduction made Christine cry. Sincerely,_______________." When I handed Harlan the book, he read my note, then he looked at me with squinched up eyes and a little smile and shouted, "Christine! I'm not going to sign that, because I'm not sorry!" He made me giggle. Afterwards, everyone told me that they thought for sure that he was going to yell at me (not just pretend yelling.) AFTERWARDS!!!! Thanks a lot people, I had no idea Harlan is sometimes a ticking timebomb. I must admit I'm in love with him and Murder at the ABA fit in well with my own make believe Harlan.
May was also a two book month:
May Book 1: Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris--Sookie Stackhouse is my kinda girl. She's gotten it on w/ Bill the Vampire, Eric the Vampire, Alcide the Werewolf, made out with Sam her collie-morphing wereboss, and almost been tempted into a relationship w/ Calvin Norris the leader of the werepanthers. I LOVE SOOKIE the PSYCHIC SLUTBOMB!!!! I thought for sure that she'd pine eternally for Bill, but NO!!!! She got right back on another vampire after Bill tried to kill her (accidentally). Good girl. Though Dead as a Doornail wasn't my favorite Sookie,(Dead to the World probably is, because I've got a thing for Eric, even though he's blond) it's still darned good.
May Book 2: Angel of Darkness by Charles de Lint--This was my first ever de Lint (though technically, this particular book was originally released under the name Samuel Key.) I loved it. Read it straight through in one night. It's creepy, serial killer-y and amazingly inventive. I loved the flashes into the wasteland, cool and scary.