A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz is the third book from the Booker long list that I’ve read this year. The other two, Child 44 and A Case of Exploding Mangoes, were enjoyable but ultimately forgettable. A Fraction of the Whole, however, has bucked the trend by being both enjoyable and unforgettable.
The book [...]
Archive for August, 2008
A Fraction of the Whole
Posted in Fiction on August 28, 2008 | 5 Comments »
Painted Devils / Cold Hand in Mine
Posted in Fiction, Speculative Fiction on August 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
I recently read two books of Robert Aickman’s “strange stories” (as he himself called them), Painted Devils and Cold Hand in Mine, and I’ve been having a terrible time phrasing my thoughts on them in any succinct way. To begin with, Aickman’s stories are mysterious in the extreme. Although much of my job involves textual [...]
Heart-Shaped Box
Posted in Fiction, Speculative Fiction on August 24, 2008 | 8 Comments »
Okay, I admit it. I picked up Heart-Shaped Box, not particularly because I’d heard good things about it (though I had) or because the subject was intriguing (though it was), but because the author, Joe Hill, is Stephen King’s son. I’m sorry, Mr. Hill. When you’re an up-and-coming author, that has to be an incredibly [...]
On the Road
Posted in Fiction on August 23, 2008 | 7 Comments »
On the Road by Jack Kerouac is one of those books I’ve always felt I ought to read, simply because it’s representative of a whole era that I’ve not read much about. Now that I’ve read it, I can appreciate the art behind it, but I can’t say that I enjoyed it. This novel about Sal Paradise’s [...]
What Is the What? (Audio)
Posted in Audiobooks, Fiction on August 22, 2008 | 1 Comment »
What Is the What? is the novelized autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Lost Boys who left their homes in southern Sudan during the civil war in the 1980s. Now living in Atlanta, Deng tells of his journey from his hometown to a refugee camp and finally to America. He describes the people he meets [...]
“What Should I Read in September?” Giveaway
Posted in Giveaways on August 15, 2008 | 43 Comments »
I can’t pass a book sale, a giveaway, or a book swapping site without acquiring one, two, or twenty new books, and I am trying to read through the huge collection of unread books I’ve amassed in recent years. These monthly giveaways help me clear my shelves while giving you a chance to choose your own giveaway prize!
Here’s how to [...]
Miracle and Other Christmas Stories
Posted in Fiction, Speculative Fiction on August 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
I feel a bit silly, reviewing a collection of Christmas stories at this time of year. Maybe I should save it for December, when it’s a little more seasonal. But this collection by Connie Willis is so much fun that you can really read it any time of the year and still enjoy it. Treat [...]
A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Posted in Fiction on August 13, 2008 | 5 Comments »
Since I’ve yet to encounter a book on the Booker prize shortlist that wasn’t worth reading (although not all have blown me away), I thought it would be fun to actually read through the longlist this year. Last weekend, I breezed through the exciting, but not particularly literary, thriller Child 44, and now I’ve finished A Case [...]
Shadows and Moonshine
Posted in Children's / YA Lit, Fiction on August 11, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Sometimes it’s a dicey proposition, going back to books you loved when you were a child. In some cases, you find that whatever magic they had is now gone: there’s not enough plot, the dialogue is tinny, the book is sexist or racist, there’s too much you can’t overlook. Sometimes you just can’t see why [...]
The Awakening
Posted in Fiction on August 11, 2008 | 3 Comments »
It’s taken me more than a week to write a post about Kate Chopin’s novella The Awakening. At first, I was at a loss even to write a synopsis. The story seems simple, but once I began, I realized that it’s subtle and complex in ways that make it hard to condense. It begins with a [...]
