Look At Me

Read December 2009/February 2010.
Photo courtesy Barnes & Noble.

The Scoop: Written by Jennifer Egan (USA) in 2002. Published by Anchor. Finalist for the National Book Award.

The Ingredients: The main character is Charlotte, a former model, who now has a new reconstructed face after suffering an extreme car crash. The secondary character is also named Charlotte and she is the teenage daughter of older Charlotte's former best friend. Both Charlottes are outcasts in their circles and the stories intertwine as older Charlotte struggles with her identity and younger Charlotte tries to fill a void by forming relationships with two older men. Throughout the story, older Charlotte (the real focus of the novel, as her story is written in first person) gets involved in a search for a mysterious man named Z and a voyeuristic Internet start-up.

Serves: Adult. Some sexual and mature content.

[Part One: Double Life] Chapter One: After the accident, I became less visible. [4/5 Though short and simple, it does make you ask questions and hints at a theme of visibility, literally and figuratively.]

Result: I started the book in December but never got to finish it. It says something that rechecking out the book stemmed more from my need to finish things I start rather than yearning to see what happens in the remainder of the book. It was hard for me to like the main characters, as in, I didn't like them. I would like to give credit for an intriguing idea (a woman whose very life revolved around her looks has her looks completely changed in an instant...think of the possibilities where that could go!) and some compelling themes, like the relationship between identity and appearance, the definition of American (yes, the story works in terrorism), and the commodification of one's self. But all in all, some of the narrative is drawn out and confusing, or simply not interesting. It tries really hard to be multi-layered by delving into a multitude of characters' lives, but that part is overdone, as two Charlottes, a detective, younger Charlotte's parents, brother, uncle, a writer, Z, friends, business partners, and so on, becomes difficult to keep up with. The novel also struggles to be 'deep', because though there's so much to explore, it becomes stuck in cliches and it just never quite gets there. [2/5 Could definitely be better, perhaps if we could feel more sympathy for the characters or if it narrowed its focus a bit more. Conceptually good but doesn't completely deliver or satisfy.]

Wigfield: The Can-Do Town That Just May Not

Read November 2009.
Photo courtesy Wikipedia

The Scoop: Written by three of the creators (and stars) behind Strangers With Candy. Published in 2003 by Hyperion Books in the US.

The Ingredients: Russell Hokes, "author", secures a book deal and finds his inspiration in Wigfield, a small town that pretty much lacks any town-like qualities and actually just exists off the side of the highway. Wigfield's existence is being threatened by flooding due to the scheduled destruction of the town dam. This is a narrative of Hokes telling his story of writing the story of this town's potentially doomed future, spliced with interviews with town locals and photographs by designer Todd Oldham.

Serves: Adult.

Introduction: Prior to embarking on the voyage of discovery that is this book, a quick but gripping note about me: My name is Russell Hokes, author. [3.5/5 A good preface for what the book is like - sarcastic, satirical, verbose]

Result: I didn't really know what to expect of the book but had vaguely high expectations due to the comedic prowess of the authors, so that might have let me down a bit. I do hear that the audiobook is the way to go with this though, because the authors' voices lend quite a bit of personality and character to the story. I definitely would want to hear that in action. This is a rather funny read, all in all, but not necessarily a book you won't want to set aside - it took me some time to work my way through it. There are some parts that I thought really funny but occasionally the humor/writing gets a bit old, or maybe I just didn't quite get it. The format and concept is inventive, and along with the very interesting photographs, perhaps perusing it slowly is actually the way to go. If you are a fan of Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, or Paul Dinello (I am not too familiar with Dinello as I've only seen one episode of Strangers with Candy), you will probably enjoy it for the most part. Just take it for what it is. [3/5 Probably won't pick it up again (unless I find the audiobook) and won't highly recommend it to others, but still entertaining while it lasted.]

Specials

Read November 2009
Photo courtesy Scott Westerfeld's site.

The Scoop: The third in the Uglies series with protagonist Tally Youngblood. Written by American author Scott Westerfeld in 2006, published by Simon Pulse.

The Ingredients: Tally Youngblood is now part of a unique Special Circumstances crew with her friend Shay and other Cutters. Being a Special also means undergoing a different surgery that makes one virtually superhuman. They are tasked to find the new location of the New Smoke, the camp where Uglies go to rebel against the Pretty operations and lifestyle. Aaaand adventure ensues.

Serves: Young adult.

[Part 1: Being Special] Crashing a Bash - The six hoverboards slipped among the trees with the lightning grace of playing cards thrown flat and spinning. [2/5 Not very enthralling, but...hoverboards!]

Result: Very action-packed, suspenseful, and thrilling. We find out what characters who appeared previously had been up to, so there's a good sense of cohesion and tying things back together. The technological concepts Westerfeld incorporates just add to his strength at science fiction writing. It makes the story all the more interesting and really drew me in to imagining all of it in full form. I think it's pretty neat when, while you're reading a book, you can just picture everything happening right in front of your eyes, down to the littlest details. The sneak suits, the Specials' unique body modifications, the hoverboards of course, position finders...they really make for a fascinating world. [4/5 A significant improvement from the second. The action scenes are very exciting and the ending left me wanting more.]

I Love You, Beth Cooper

Read October 2009.
Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

The Scoop: Written by Larry Doyle, a former writer for The Simpsons. Published by Ecco (HarperCollins) in 2007. Adapted as a Canadian/American film in 2009, directed by Chris Columbus, and starring Paul Rust and Hayden Panettiere in the lead roles.


The Ingredients: Debate team member and high school valedictorian Denis Cooverman, instead of sticking with his prepared speech for their graduation, ends up declaring his love for popular cheerleader Beth Cooper in front of the whole student body and their parents. He also singles out some other notable students in his speech, upsetting them. Beth ends up thinking Denis' profession is sweet, but off-duty soldier boyfriend doesn't. The rest of the novel follows the progression of the night as Denis and his best friend Rich end up joining forces with Beth and her gang, much to Denis' shock.

Serves: High-schoolers/teenagers. Or those who really want to relive high school shenanigans for some reason.

1. The Valedict: Denis Cooverman was sweating more than usual, and he usually sweat quite a bit. [1/5 The first line paints the picture, but not very creatively or eloquently.]

Result: I checked this out from the library on a whim. I just saw the spine and recalled that there had been a recent movie adapted from it, so I wanted to see what it was about. Despite some rather good reviews (the book, not the film), I didn't like it. I struggled to keep reading it and at the end I felt rather bummed that I had wasted time reading it. Admittedly, after reading some positive reviews, I could somewhat see where these readers were coming from, but it still didn't improve my overall feeling. Larry Doyle does have a way of expressing witty observations, but these mildly funny notes were few and far between. I felt the events of the night seemed a bit far-fetched or shocking (though who knows, because I was a very tame and mild-mannered high-schooler). One review also talked about Doyle's uncanny way of imitating the speak of teenagers, but I don't agree. And the plot line just seemed to drag on a bit and got redundant, like (spoiler alert...) how Denis got pummeled by Beth's boyfriend time and time again. And then there are the overdone high school stereotypes - the dorky awkward yet smart boy who has spent a lifetime secretly pining for the cheerleader, and of course the blond pretty popular cheerleader with the older boyfriend, the cheerleader's sidekicks, the closeted gay guy who relies on humor and his schtick of reciting movie lines to draw attention away from his homosexuality, the big jock bully who actually is just acting out on being hurt when he was younger, and so forth. [1/5 I would not recommend this book. Unless...I have no idea. It does seem like some people enjoy this book. Somehow it just was not my cup of tea, or the humor was beyond (or far too beneath) me. It could have been an interesting story, but it did not actualize the way I might've imagined it to. So a 1 for concept, I guess.]

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Read October 2009. 
Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

The Scoop: Written by Jonathan Safran Foer (US), who debuted to overwhelming acclaim with Everything Is Illuminated. Published by Houghton Mifflin in 2005. One of the first fictional novels to incorporate the September 11th attacks (specifically those of the Twin Towers) as a theme and major plot point.

The Ingredients: First-person narration primarily through the eyes of young Oskar Schell, but also through letters written by his grandparents, addressed to Oskar or his father. The parallel stories revolve around devastation dealt by single tragic events - the 9/11 attacks that killed Oskar's father, and the WWII Allied bombing of Dresden, Germany, the hometown of Oskar's grandparents. Oskar finds a key he believes belonged to his father and embarks on a journey to discover how it relates to his father's death, as he is sure there is an answer there. Also interspersed throughout the novel are pictures, blank and nearly-blank pages, different type and formatting, etc, to create another level and make connections.

Serves: Most age groups. Some sexual descriptions, but mostly suitable for even preteen/elementary-schoolers (I can see myself having read this in elementary school had it been available).

[Chapter 1] What The?: What about a teakettle? What if the spout opened and closed when the steam came out, so it would become a mouth, and it could whistle pretty melodies, or do Shakespeare, or just crack up with me? [5/5 Draws you in and also gives great insight to the creative mind of the narrator.]

Result: A really beautiful presentation of a story. It'd be hard to not feel for and be touched by young Oskar (although I sheepishly admit he occasionally got on my nerves). I loved the formatting, the characters (their complexities and details, their stories, their interactions with Oskar), and how Foer connects everything. It's a very moving novel and feels so real - I could just picture everything happening as it happened - and I genuinely wanted this earnest and sensitive boy to be real even though his life has been touched with such tragedy. It was so refreshing to see the world through his eyes, because though he is only 9 years old and approaches things with childlike naivete and emotion, he also possesses a maturity proving he is wise beyond his years. I really enjoyed it and was moved to tears by the end. [5/5 Superb writing and story. Would definitely read and enjoy this again.]

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Read October 2009.
Photo courtesy Wikipedia. 

The Scoop: Thriller novel by Lionel Shriver (US). Published by UK-based Serpent's Tail, first in 2003. Won the 2005 Orange Prize, UK-based prize awarded to female authors of any nationality writing in English. BBC Films acquired film adaptation rights to the story in 2005, but a series of issues and delays has plagued the adaptation. Script appeared on 2008 Brit List, a ranking of the best unproduced screenplays in British film compiled by the film industry. Currently, the film is scheduled to be filmed in 2010, with Steven Soderbergh named as one of the executive producers and actress Tilda Swinton signed on to star.

The Ingredients: In the form of letters written in first-person by Eva Khatchadourian addressed to her husband. Through the letters, Eva attempts to come to terms with her son Kevin and the murders he committed during a (fictional) school massacre. She talks about present events while delving back into their history to try and figure out what happened and what led Kevin to his depraved act.

Serves: Mature readers. Detailed recounts and descriptions of very disturbing and scary acts and events, violence, strong language, sexual innuendo.

November 8, 2000: Dear Franklin, I'm unsure why one trifling incident this afternoon has moved me to write to you.

Result: Absolutely breathtaking. I first heard of this title when I stumbled across a list/article of ten disturbing must-read books or something like that. I wrote down all the titles, but this one in particular jumped off the page for me because I've always found the sort of 'inside the killer's mind' type of thing fascinating and wanted a look for myself. And this book really delivers. Shriver is a stellar storyteller and writer, and her awesome vocabulary is a bonus. I couldn't put this book down, and when I had to, I'd be chilled to the bone and I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd read up to that point and speculating about what would come next. It stirs up incredible emotion and is so intricate that it is easy to forget that this particular story is (thankfully) fiction, though unfortunately, not entirely invented. It is an incredible exploration into the nature vs. nurture debate, though don't expect any clear-cut answers. [5/5 Fantastic writing, gripping story, thought-provoking detail, complex and real characters, strong emotion. This book will definitely leave a lasting impression on you, but be prepared, it may be easy-to-read because it is well-written, but it is not, by any measure, an easy read.]

Holidays On Ice

Read October 2009.
Photo courtesy Amazon. 

The Scoop: A collection of short stories and personal essays by David Sedaris (US), published in 1997 by Little, Brown and Company.

The Ingredients: The collection included previously published stories/essays (the first 2 I recognized from Barrel Fever - "SantaLand Diaries" and "Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!") and some new ones. All are based around the holiday season, as the title suggests. "Season's Greetings..." is a short story in the form of a Christmas letter that strays far from the norm, as Mrs. Dunbar, writing on behalf of the family, is forced to deal with some unsavory circumstances, but still tries to maintain a cheerful festive tone. "Dinah, the Christmas Whore" is a recounting of the night Sedaris (and the rest of his family) discover a new meaning to "ho, ho, ho". "Front Row Center with Thaddeus Bristol" is an honest review of the local school's Christmas plays/pageants. A man who works in the TV industry gives a sermon pleading the congregation for help in an ultimate heartwarming story in "Based on a True Story". Holidays on Ice ends with "Christmas Means Giving", a story that spirals into the most extreme showdown of generosity.

Serves: Adult, maybe even down to highschool-er age - there's nothing that I can remember being of extreme offense. But even though it's partially marketed as a holiday season collection of stories, it remains a grown-up book - don't sit the kiddies 'round the fireplace after the family Christmas feast and do a read-aloud with this one (note the stiff drink on the book cover).

"SantaLand Diaries": I was in a coffee shop looking through the want ads when I read, "Macy's Herald Square, the largest store in the world, has big opportunities for outgoing, fun-loving people of all shapes and sizes who want more than just a holiday job! [3.5/5]

Result: The two stories that I previously read in Barrel Fever obviously came as no surprise. I don't think I re-read them, as they were still pretty fresh in my memory. As I've mentioned, I prefer Sedaris's autobiographical essays to his fictional stories, so "Dinah" satisfied me well (double entendre not intended). The other three stories also had their own merits, and were mostly quite funny. Sedaris continues to impress me with his ability/gift to bring such unique and relatable characters to life. A nice easy read - you don't have to wait for the holidays to read it (as I chose not to do as well), but I can see how it would make one's holidays more spirited and amusing! [4/5 Prefer it to Barrel Fever in terms of material, but also theme, because I just love the winter holidays. Easy to read, sometimes tough to put down, entertaining, and witty.]