so many books, so little time
I apologize for the lack of updates...I have been reading, but life has gotten in the way so I haven't been reading nearly as much.
The past few books are as follows:
Take the Cannoli by Sarah Vowell
I believe this was her first published collection of essays. It's quite good if a bit uneven. My favorite essays dealt directly with her life or with American history. I learned a lot about the Trail of Tears that our fabulous public school system failed to teach me.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
I was wary of reading this, not only because of the length (it could certainly have been a couple hundred pages shorter), but also because of all the mixed reviews. However, I really enjoyed it. It's classically suspenseful and beautifully written, frightening but not horrifying. Kostova gives us well-rounded characters and fascinating Eastern European historical background. Apparently the film rights were bought before the book even came out, so I'm wondering how that will be. I'm not sure if it will translate well to screen.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Another book I missed in childhood. It was lovely! It's clever but not complicated. It's a fun, fast read.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
RUN RUN RUN and get this book NOW.
I got a signed copy at BEA (the author was very charming) and just finished it last night. This is absolutely one of the most powerful, profound books I have ever read. It is narrated by Death, who tells us the story of Liesel, a young girl sent to live with a foster family outside of Munich during World War II. I'm a bit speechless: that is how good this book is. I'll sum up with Zusak's autograph in my copy: "Jennifer - to life, to death and to colors. Markus Zusak." READ THIS BOOK.
Of course, after reading something so elegant and touching, I decided to go for a bit of a palate cleanser so I picked up my ARC of The Art Thief by Noah Charney. This is a galley that was hyped in Publisher's Weekly, and I was excited to grab a copy at BEA. It's about Europe, art, and thievery, so I figured it would be thrilling. It is not. (Disclaimer: I've only read 20 pages, and I will read 30 more for the sake of the 50 page rule. The copy I have is not the final copy. Although I doubt it's going to magically improve by publication.) It is crap. It's pretentious (the author bio alone screams "I'm a tool! Look at me! Are you looking?!") yet poorly written. The descriptions are highly overwrought, and it's offensive not only to those who may not like modern art, but also to women. ("It's not my time of the month!") The characters are all cliches...the whole book is a cliche, as if it's trying to ride the coattails of The DaVinci Code, which, sadly, is why I can see this being popular. I want to send the author a copy of The Book Thief with a note saying, "THIS is how it's done." It comes out in September. My verdict: don't bother.
posted by junipar
The past few books are as follows:
Take the Cannoli by Sarah Vowell
I believe this was her first published collection of essays. It's quite good if a bit uneven. My favorite essays dealt directly with her life or with American history. I learned a lot about the Trail of Tears that our fabulous public school system failed to teach me.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
I was wary of reading this, not only because of the length (it could certainly have been a couple hundred pages shorter), but also because of all the mixed reviews. However, I really enjoyed it. It's classically suspenseful and beautifully written, frightening but not horrifying. Kostova gives us well-rounded characters and fascinating Eastern European historical background. Apparently the film rights were bought before the book even came out, so I'm wondering how that will be. I'm not sure if it will translate well to screen.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Another book I missed in childhood. It was lovely! It's clever but not complicated. It's a fun, fast read.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
RUN RUN RUN and get this book NOW.
I got a signed copy at BEA (the author was very charming) and just finished it last night. This is absolutely one of the most powerful, profound books I have ever read. It is narrated by Death, who tells us the story of Liesel, a young girl sent to live with a foster family outside of Munich during World War II. I'm a bit speechless: that is how good this book is. I'll sum up with Zusak's autograph in my copy: "Jennifer - to life, to death and to colors. Markus Zusak." READ THIS BOOK.
Of course, after reading something so elegant and touching, I decided to go for a bit of a palate cleanser so I picked up my ARC of The Art Thief by Noah Charney. This is a galley that was hyped in Publisher's Weekly, and I was excited to grab a copy at BEA. It's about Europe, art, and thievery, so I figured it would be thrilling. It is not. (Disclaimer: I've only read 20 pages, and I will read 30 more for the sake of the 50 page rule. The copy I have is not the final copy. Although I doubt it's going to magically improve by publication.) It is crap. It's pretentious (the author bio alone screams "I'm a tool! Look at me! Are you looking?!") yet poorly written. The descriptions are highly overwrought, and it's offensive not only to those who may not like modern art, but also to women. ("It's not my time of the month!") The characters are all cliches...the whole book is a cliche, as if it's trying to ride the coattails of The DaVinci Code, which, sadly, is why I can see this being popular. I want to send the author a copy of The Book Thief with a note saying, "THIS is how it's done." It comes out in September. My verdict: don't bother.
posted by junipar