Category Archives: Book Reviews

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Feb 13 2012

Evernote Noted

I admit I haven’t been a big note taker since college. I’m still pretty much a physical pen and paper or post-it kinda guy when it comes to remembering things or jotting down ideas I want to remember.  I often read about my favorite authors who have passed on and how their “notes and letters” became the property of some University or Library archives. This is the case with a recent project of mine involving some extensive research on Tennessee Williams. Williams died in 1983.

I have to remind myself that Williams, and all of my other favorite authors from that era who have passed, had no access to a computer.  The pen and the paper honed their craft, followed by a manual typewriter. It makes since that they would have volumes of material worthy of being archived in a professional setting devoted to preserving such papers.

Today, writers like me are lucky enough to have computers. And though I sentimentalize the idea of note taking longhand on paper, I much prefer an easier and more organized way of doing it on the computer. I was lucky enough to recently discover the App known as Evernote, which is doing just that for me.

I mainly bought this App because it was free on my Kindle Fire so I decided to give it a try. My test run of it was for a fictional writing project I’m currently researching actually about Tennessee Williams, where I’m utilizing both physical books and the web for research.

I started by using Evernote to keep track of quotes or small pieces of information I liked. I have not been able to get it to copy websites or pics for me on the Kindle Fire device, but maybe I’m doing something wrong?  Most tablet devices have a slow interface in that you can’t really multitask or copy information when toggling between screens or applications. Therefore, unless I just haven’t gotten the hang of it, Evernote is really only good for making physical notes on the Kindle Fire.  I’m okay with that though because it’s handy to use for note taking when reading a paperback book.  As for notes from Ebooks I’m reading on the device, I can just highlight them if needed and transfer them later.

To fully utilize the App the way it was intended and for this project, I decided to download it to my desktop PC. Grabbing websites and pics from here is much easier. I pull up the App and literally drag and drop my information into it just like a Windows desktop file. It copies pictures super fast, and I even created a note of web links that I wanted to revisit later.

After syncing all of this information back to my Kindle Fire, I was much more pleased with going back and reviewing my notes and pics that I had collected on the Kindle device.  When viewed as a whole, it’s a nice collage of pictures, quotes, and other small pieces of information that I have found to be very inspiring.

So, for me, it’s good to have on my Kindle device solely for note taking, but I am enjoying it much more on my PC. The collage of information I’ve collected has been very inspiring and I only wish I’d had something like this back when I was in college!As for if it’ll be worthy of being archived on some University computer one day when I’m long gone, only the future will tell.

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Feb 5 2012

Book Review: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Though each chapter of The One and Only Ivan is only a few sentences, and the book contains a few illustrations, the book is about 300 pages but speaks volumes when it comes to being a heartfelt story of humanity. It is the story of Ivan, a silver back gorilla, raised in captivity as an attraction at a circus themed mall. He is best friends with an old elephant named Stella and a stray dog called Bob. Mack is his keeper. George, the janitor, and his daughter Julia often come to visit.

Like Julie, Ivan loves to draw and paint, and though he is old and not much to look at anymore, his paintings often sell for 40 dollars (with frame). One day, a new promising attraction arrives – a baby elephant named Ruby. Stella makes Ivan promise that he will take care of her and see that she has a happy home, because Stella may not be around much longer.

And so begins the story, actually based on a real Ivan, of how a gorilla with so much heart and compassion captures an audience – in the story and also off the page.

Applegate gives the animals each a brutally honest voice when it comes to how they view humans and how they have been captured for our pleasure or even abused. At times, the book is very sad. But it will also have you smiling with tears in your eyes too. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and if it doesn’t have you respecting animals just a little more than before, maybe giving your dog or cat a few extra kisses or treats going forward, then I don’t know what will.

This is a book I will be sharing with others for a very long time to come!

Feb 3 2012

Reading Recap For January

Back when I posted my 2012 New Years Resolutions, I know I said I wasn’t going to set a reading goal because I’m always reading a book regardless. But then I went ahead and accepted a reading challenge anyway over at GoodReads, committing to 50 books for the year.

Last night I knocked out my 8th book for the year.  I’m 4 books ahead of where I should be right now, which puts me at 16% for the year! Check out my progress here if you are interested.

True, two of these were novellas and one was a Kindle short story, so I’ve really only read 5 full-length novels, but I’m counting all of them anyway!

And here’s the link to where I keep track of my book reading over at Amazon.

So, what are you reading?  Do you keep track of books you’ve read for the year?  If so, what is your goal for the year and where do you stand?

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Jan 24 2012

Extremely Difficult and Incredibly Unnerving

It’s no surprise today to learn that the movie  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.  It has all the right things that a Best Picture nomination should probably have:

Tom Hanks.

Sandra Bullock.

Cute lil boy that reminds us of Haley Joel Osment.

9/11.

You may or may not be surprised to learn that its based on a book by Jonathan Safran Foer, who also wrote Everything is Illuminated, which was a good movie but did not have Sandra Bullock or Tom Hanks in it.  But it did have Elijah Wood if that counts for anything.

Anyway, I started reading ELIC this past Saturday and I am about 60% through it. Half of it is the first person narrative of a young boy named Oskar Schell who lost his father in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  Oskar comes across a key in his father’s belongings which he believes is a clue that is father left for him to something quite extraordinary, so the book becomes Oskar’s adventure in finding out what the key goes to.

The book is written in a bit of stream of consciousness type format, in that almost all of the dialogue between Oskar and anyone else is crammed into one large paragraph, sentence after sentence, making it a bit hard to follow and determine who is saying what if you aren’t paying attention.

Chapters are frequently broken up by random photos which you learn Oskar is taking along the way: a door knob, the back of someone’s head, the front of a house… and then there are random photos that Oskar hasn’t taken but which point your attention to something trivial in the text: a roller coaster, a skeleton’s hand, an elephant’s eye up close.  There’s also a “falling man” picture that repeats itself throughout the book, reminding us that this is a 9/11 story.  By the way, the date has not been mentioned so far in the 60% of the book I’ve read.  You know they are in New York.  Oskar mentions his father was killed in a terrorist attack and mentions visiting Ground Zero, but other than that, the date itself has not been mentioned. I don’t know if that’s important, but I’m sure it was left out intentionally.

Speaking of things being left out, about every other chapter is told from the point of view of Oskar’s grandmother or grandfather. Their chapters are also told in an extreme stream of consciousness narrative…long run on sentences, short choppy sentences, no quotations around dialogue, long paragraphs, no paragraphs… it’s erratic and unorganized and very hard to follow at times.  Much of it appears to be drafts of journal entries that the grandmother has written to her son, Oskar’s father, about how his parents met, etc. The grandfather was a mute sculptor.  At least I think he’s mute, but I don’t really know if he was always mute.  He writes in a notebook a lot when conversing with his wife.  He also leaves her, but comes back later, maybe, I’m not sure…I still have 40% more to read, hopefully I’ll find out.

And hopefully, you get my point. This book is extremely hard to follow.  BUT….buried in it is something that makes me want to finish it instead of throwing it across the room, although I wouldn’t actually throw it because I’m reading it on my Kindle Fire.  Maybe, I’d delete it from the device instead with a smirk on my face.  There!  Take that ELIC!

But I’m going to finish it.  I don’t want to play the 9/11 card and say that’s why I’m reading it.  Sure, seeing the trailers for the movie helped.  It’s definitely meant to tug at our heart strings.  Maybe that’s even why some people don’t want to see the movie or read the book.

Though this is Foer’s 2nd book, his ability to fill a page with banter, but still give his reader those A-ha! moments like some archeologist who just found a femur bone on the last day of a five year expedition is amazing.  I stumble all over my tongue trying to describe this book to someone as I’m reading it, but deep inside, I get it.  Do you hear me Foer?  I get it.  I connect with Oskar as a kid.  I feel sorry for him.  He makes me laugh. He pisses me off.

And that’s probably what a good book should do.  Makes us think about it. Laugh at it. Hate it. Write about it.  But most of all, it makes us remember.  I may not be able to clearly tell anyone what this book is about by the time I finish reading it, but I will remember it.

And in the end, isn’t that what a good book or a good movie or a good person or a good memory deserves?

To be remembered.

Dec 31 2011

Book Review: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was mentally added to my “Books I’ll Probably Never Read” list well over a year ago. I tend to stray away from pop culture books popular among the masses for whatever reason which become overnight sensations and which Hollywood always makes into movies.

For two years, a coworker has periodically asked me if I’d read it yet. After the release of the American version of the film, I picked up the movie tie-in version of the book during a three hour layover in the Detroit airport. I had read the first 100 pages before I even boarded the plane. I texted my coworker friend to let her know I’d broken down and finally started it. She advised me to “stick with it because it is definitely a roller coaster ride after the first 100 pages.” And she wasn’t kidding!

Several people had previously warned me about the slow start, which provides you with a ton of background information about each central character. Corporate greed, libel lawsuits, magazine publications, financial banter, high end security business, it’s all in there and can be quite boring and can quickly turn you off if you don’t stick with it.

Larsson is a genius though when it comes to developing in-depth characters and putting them in this high tech cut throat world. Outside of all the big time corporation, family lineage speeches that almost put Victor Hugo’s lengthy writing to shame, there is a complexstory deep within the pages that grabs your attention and will not let go.

The breakdown of it is a story you probably know by now. A convicted journalist is hired by a wealthy businessman to find out what happened to his niece who disappeared forty years ago. The journalist is assisted by a punk computer hacker who has her own demons. Mayhem ensues. Secrets are revealed, and so on.

It’s a crime novel whose central theme is nothing you probably haven’t read before if you are a fan of the genre. What makes this book different is the multidimensional characters and heavy plotlines which really make up a complex read as a whole.

It’s definitely a book I still say I probably never would have read had a friend not talked me into it. I actually did the same thing by telling another friend she HAD to read this book. Like so many other reviews have said, “stick with it” and you certainly will not be disappointed.

Dec 30 2011

Book (audio) Review: Relentless by Dean Koontz

Having just gotten into reading Koontz earlier this year, this is about my tenth book of his and I consider it one of the better. I listened to this one on audio during a holiday road trip. It’s read by Dan John Miller and he does a decent job; he even does different voices for the characters which made it lively! I can honestly say I’d probably been more disappointed had I not listened to the audio version and had actually read the book. I’ll explain why in the rest of my review.

Ever heard the old writer’s expression, “Be careful or I’ll put you in my next book!”? Relentless is Koontz’s homage to authors receiving bad reviews, but in this case he sides with the reviewer taking out revenge when the author speaks up.

Relentless is the story of author Cullen (Cubby) Greenwich enjoying some success from his new book. He’s married to a lovely wife named Penny. They have a child prodigy son named Milo, and a peculiar dog named Lassie. When Greenwich lands his first bad review from literary writer Shearman Waxx, his curiosity gets the best of him despite Penny’s warnings to “let it go.” When Cubby encounters Waxx in a public restroom during lunch and their odd meeting actually turns humorous, Waxx warns Greenwich of impending doom.

At first, it seems Waxx is a serial killer with intentions of killing off bad authors. He shows up at Greenwich’s house and strange things start to happen. Just as things turn more serious, it seems Waxx almost has supernatural powers. A chase ensues as the family set out to escape Waxx and also uncover just what he’s up to.

By the end, I was a bit let down. I actually wish Waxx’s behavior would have had some supernatural elements to it, but Koontz let’s him off the hook. The book does still have its peculiar happenings, but those are linked more to Milo and Lassie – which ended up being a pleasant surprise in the end. Koontz offers bits of humor in minor characters like Cubby’s agent, Milo’s babsitter, and Penny’s parents – all which are presented cleverly in the audio when the dialogue is read by Miller.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read…I mean “listen.” Definitely one of the more enjoyable and original reads from Koontz this year for me with good suspense and a dash of humor, despite the downfall of the ending.

Dec 27 2011

A Christmas Memory

Well, Christmas has come and gone once again.  It still lingers in a plate of leftovers or in a new favorite toy.  It’s recorded in a photo shared on Facebook, no doubt taken with the new iPhone you asked for and received.  And in a few days it will be time to usher out the “old” and say hello to the “new,” whether that be just by changing the calendar or celebrating traditions over the comings and goings of Father Time.

For the first time last year at Christmas, I read Truman Capote’s short story “A Christmas Memory.”  I decided I would make it a tradition of my own to read it each year.  Earlier this year, I found an illustrated version of it in a used bookstore and snatched it up, saving it for Christmas this year.  I enjoyed reading it as soon as I woke up Christmas morning. It’s beautiful watercolor illustrations by Beth Peck were an added bonus.

The story itself is a sad one when it comes to the ending, but very warm and heartfelt.  Many reviewers over time have shunned Capote’s short stories because they are often odd or sad.  But it is these handicaps or eccentricities that evoke the very feeling Capote wanted his readers to take away from his writing.  Southern Lit at it’s very best, if I must say!

“A Christmas Memory” is the story of a seven year old boy nicknamed Buddy and his elder cousin in her sixties carrying out the tradition of making fruitcakes one Christmas.  The magic of the story is the love and attention the two share while accompanied by a rat terrier named Queenie.  To quote the story, “We are cousins, very distant ones, and we have lived together – well, as long as I can remember. Other people inhabit the house, relatives; and though they have power over us, and frequently make us cry, we are not, on the whole, too much aware of them. We are each other’s best friend.”

Though time and distance are only responsible for the changes made to my Christmas memories of today, I still recall with great joy the holidays of my childhood. The farther away I grow from them, the more important they become.  And the harder they become to remember.

What is your favorite Christmas memory or tradition?

Dec 21 2011

Book Review: Appalachian Justice by Melinda Clayton

It’s not often that I read a book that stays with me.  By “staying with me” I mean I think about it and the characters long after finishing the last page.  I can recall the events that took place, and often every character’s name, as if they were real pages from my own life story and real people that I know and love.  A book like this is usually one that I consistently suggest to other readers that I know will appreciate it as much as I did.  Appalachian Justice by Melinda Clayton is all of this.

Clayton weaves a small town Southern drama that is reminiscent of only the pain and brutality that the beloved Flannery O’Connor delivered in her short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” or the love and tenderness shown in Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory.”   The voice of her characters and their personal handicaps resonates with Southern charm and honesty that runs deep in my own backwoods roots, and that I still appreciate in classic Southern lit because it hits so close to home.

Appalachian Justice is the story of Billy May Platte, a half-indian woman living alone on Crutcher Mountain after a painful childhood provided reason for her to escape the clutches of the small mining town of Cedar Hollow.  With her parents gone, at age 14, Billy May befriends Corrine and their innocent love for each other is soon shattered when Corrine’s brother and her friends discover their secret.  Their small minds, fed by sexual voracity, are intent on teaching Billy May a lesson.

Years later, Billy May, now age 44, finds the past resurfacing when a young girl named Jessie escapes to the mountain after being raped by her step-father, one of the same men who hurt Billy May so long ago. Can Billy May confront her past in order to come to the aid of Jessie?  A harsh winter settling in on Crutcher Mountain is not the only thing that makes her choice difficult.

The story switches between 1975 and 2010, told through Billy May’s eyes in present time when she is an aging woman in the hospital lying on her death bed.  Her mind keeps taking her “back to the mountain” when she first met Jessie.  Along the way, her own childhood is revealed through her story and through other points of view provided by the various townspeople who were once Billy’s friends.  They were unaware of her haunted past and as the truth is revealed, they too come to Billy and Jessie’s defense in hopes of keeping the past from being repeated.

A story that is at times disturbing and uncomfortable, Clayton has done what few authors since the fictional Jo in Alcott’s Little Women have been able to achieve.  She writes with honesty and from the heart.  She remains truthful to her characters and does not hold back. Her story is not sensationalized. And that is exactly why hers is a book that will stay with me – in my heart and on my bookshelf – a read that I am anxious to share and experience again and again.

Dec 20 2011

Relentless by Dean Koontz (Audio): The First 100 Pages..err, First 3 CDs.

As an early Christmas gift, I landed three of Dean Koontz’s books on audio which we found on sale at Tuesday Morning of all places.  I like audio books when I have more than the ten minute commute to and from work to devote to them.  I’ve enjoyed quite a few on the iPod while at the gym over the past year, but since these Koontz audios are on CD, they’d have to be reserved for the car.  So, I saved them for my three hour holiday road trip home to Tennessee this past weekend and started with Relentless.

First some notes on the audio itself…it’s read by Dan John Miller, someone I wasn’t previously familiar with.  He is well known for his voice though, has a country band he’s involved with, and has had some small onscreen roles.  He definitely holds my attention and brings life to the text.  He even somewhat does voices for each character.  Nothing over the top or hokey though, although as the third CD began, he sounded different and I had to check the box to see if someone else was also reading part of the book.

The story itself is also decent.  It’s about Cullen “Cubby” Greenwich, a well-known author climbing the charts, married to Penny, a children’s book illustrator who is the love of his life.  They have a six year old child prodigy named Milo. When Cubby’s latest book gets a bad review from well known literary reviewer Shearman Waxx, it rubs him the wrong way but at the advice of his wife, he’s determined to “let it go.”

But that’s hard to do when he discovers Waxx likes to dine at one of his favorite restaurants and Cullen goes there one day to get a look at the bitter reviewer.  An innoncent encounter between the two in the restaurant’s restroom soon turns into a bizarre and dangerous cat and mouse game.  Waxx is clearly a sociopath who will create “doom” in the lives of reviewed authors who cross his path!

Since I first started reading Koontz back in July, I’ve really come to appreciate his humor.  It shines here.  Milo, the genious son, and his strange dog “Lassie” are my favorite characters thus far.

Waxx’s “relentless” behavior of bringing terror to the lives of authors he’s reviewed seems a bit extreme, especially without the authorities ever getting involved.  But that’s what makes Koontz’s books good reads.  You can definitely expect the unexpected and they aren’t your typical hard boiled crime drama with private eyes on the case.  His characters are multi-layered and usually left to fend for themselves.

At a three hour one way trip, I made it through three of the eight CDs.  I can’t wait for the trip home on today to listen to more.  Full review to follow….

Dec 16 2011

The First 100 Pages: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Most people who know me know that I tend not to read what is too popular. I’m a big indie author supporter and am often reading smaller press books that the majority of you have no doubt ever heard of. I do often make exceptions.  Case and point, my Dean Koontz craze that started back in July!

Earlier this year I bought The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo on audio on my iPod and gave it a try while at the gym. I abandoned listening to it just after about thirty minutes, despite the outstanding reviews and numerous friends who have suggested it to me. Now, with an American movie tie-in, it seemed inevitable that I would never read this book!  Like I said, I stray from the popular on purpose.  I’m quite proud to say that I’ve never read any of the Harry Potter books to this day!

But with two hours to kill in the Detroit airport on Friday before my flight back home, I hit the bookstore first and there was the movie tie-in edition of Dragon in mass market.  I bought it and figured what the heck.  I’ve got two hours to kill. Before my flight had touched down in St. Louis at 7:30pm that evening, I had already read 100 pages of it and have to say I’m hooked.

True, as many have said, the first few chapters drag as Larsson introduces you to each of the main characters, spending a good chapter on each on trivial details that don’t seem too important (yet). But at least I do feel like I know these characters now and that’s important when it comes to really getting into the mind of what makes a book good.

I’m not going to bore you with the details of each of those characters here since I still have only a tiny glimpse into what this book is really about.  But I’m pretty sure you can expect to read a glowing review by the time I’m done.

Anyone else reading this book?  Already read it?  Your thoughts?  Are you looking forward to the American version of the movie?