Here are few of the books I’ve read since April and a few short thoughts on each one:
Book: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Author: Kinsolver, Barbara
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: Kinsolver takes us through a year of eating local and home grown. With the help of her daughter and husband who share wonderful recipes and facts about the detriment of our current food industry respectively. I’ve yet to read the other recent titles out there about eating and local sustainability. I choose this one because I am a big Kinsolver fan and I wanted to read about how they did it rather than why I should. I learn that eating locally and sustainable was not only good for me but probably one of the biggest things we as a nation could do to turn around many of the ecological problems we are facing. Since finishing this book I have made a few small changes, trying to buy produce in season and locally at farmers markets but it has not been an overnight change and I’m looking forward to the point when I can try and grow some of my own food. And the idea of making my own cheese, from my own goat, well that makes me oddly excited. I think it has been a life long dream of mine to be able to feed myself from the earth rather than the supermarket.
Book: Survivor
Author: Palahnuik, Chuck
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Survivor marks the beginning of surge of Palahnuik books over the last three months–I’ve completed three of his book since April. Survivor is the tale of a religious cult who all take the Jim Jones path leaving only a few surviving members out in the world. Eventually they all die except one, he’s the main character of the book and the book is told from his point of view as he recounts his life and what happened to him in the moments before he crashes a plane he’s hijacked. It was a fun read, no one idea from the book really stands out to me but I think it was an interesting commentary on fame in America.
Book: The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire, The Darkest Road (The Fionavar Tapestry)
Author: Kay, Guy Gavriel
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: This is a trilogy of books so I’m going to provide a single write up for all three. I couldn’t stop reading. I was so glad there were three and a bit sad when it was all over. I’m new to fantasy and this was a good one to stoke the fires of my new interest. It’s epic. It is universal. There is magic and mayhem. There even some old lore from our own world. The story follows 6 college students as they are whisk from our world into the Fioneverse. I highly recommend this series to any fantasy-fiction fans out there.
Book: A Long Fatal Love Chase
Author: Alcott, Louisa May
My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Summary: I’m a huge fan of Louisa May Alcott. I’ve read Good Wives several times so I was excited to read one of the novels she wrote before she was famous. I really shouldn’t rank it 2 out of 5 because it was fun to read but it was so extra cliché. But then I have to wonder if since she wrote it so long ago if at the time it wasn’t cliché. Anyway, it wasn’t as strong as her other books but it was super dramatic and fun.
Book: Such a Pretty Fat
Author: Lancaster, Jen
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Lancaster made me laugh and I can totally relate to how she feels about losing weight. In fact, I’ve used her description of reverse anorexia before. I’m fat but I feel thin most of time. However, she was really prissy and the fact that she won’t carry heavy things is a bit over the top, but still kind of funny. I think my favorite part is at the end and she goes swimming and the homeless woman calls her a fat b—-. And she’s like, “I may be a b—- but I’m not fat.”
Book: The Witch of Portobello
Author: Coelho, Paulo
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: Coelho wrote the Alchemist, which I read a long time ago. He writes with symbolism and intent to teach or communicate lessons. This was a story about a woman told from the point of view over everyone she ever knew. The tagline on the story is how well do people know you? How well do you know your self. I like books like this because self-help books can be a bit overbearing and I like a little sugar with my medicine. I’m a big fan of Chelho and this one didn’t disappoint. It is about a woman born a gypsy, adopted by Muslims in Beruit. They moved to the United States where she came of age. The woman begins to uncover the powers with herself and eventual comes to a fatal end. But it doesn’t end there. The prose is wonderful and I plan on reading this one again.
Book: Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey
Author: Palahniuk, Chuck
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: The last book I read by Chuckie P. was Diary, which I loved. This one I got because it too was told from the point of view of all the people in Rant Casey’s life. I thought it paralleled The Witch of Portobello nicely and I wanted to see how the two extremely different writers handled the venue. Palahnuik has some crazy stuff going on in his head. This story is sort of futuristic in a society much like our modern day but now, thanks to overpopulation, folks have been split into day and night shifts. Also, everyone has a port in the back of their head that they can jack into experiences. Like renting a movie, plugging it into your head and seeing, smelling, tasting and feeling everything that happens. The story is about this kid Casey who finds another way to live, with a bit more gusto. Also, Chuck throws in some time travel just to spice it up. It’s a fun book and worth the read if you have a few hours for pure entertainment. I mean, I think Rant Casey would be more validated if you just went out and lived it your self instead of reading about.
Book: Blood Ties (Castings Trilogy, Book 1)
Author: Freeman, Pamela
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: I’m hooked. Fantasy-fiction is so good. This is a story of a land of peaceful earthy folks taken over by a warring people from the north. Quite a stretch? Yes. Well, it is well written and it is supposed to be the first of three by an Australian author. I’m so into this story, I’ve already pre-order the next book. What can I say? I’m a sucker for magic and horses and strong women as main characters.
Book: The Devil and Miss Prym: A Novel of Temptation
Author: Coelho, Paulo
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: Coelho intrigued me once again to read this novel about temptation. A stranger shows up with a sack of gold and a proposal that rocks the very moral foundations of a small isolated town. This novel questions people and set to battle the forces of good and evil. Are people inherently evil? Can a little evil done go a long way toward a good intention? I enjoyed this book and again I feel that I should reread his books. There are so many ideas and questions that spring out of his writing. I recommend this one for a book club.
Book: Snuff
Author: Palahniuk, Chuck
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Those strange viral marketing videos got me on this one, by the way that link is not safe for work (NSF). Well it helps that I’m a fan of Palahniuk, but they were so cheeky. Heh. So this is about an aging porn star who decides to go out with a bang. Oh my goodness, that was almost too punilious for even me. Seriously, Palahnuik spins us this lovely tale, all told from the point of view of three of the men waiting for their turn. It takes hilarious pot shots at the whole pornography industry and really sums up how kind of gross and pathetic the whole scene can be. It’s not his best work for sure, and I’m not sure if I would really even recommend to most people, unless you are interested in a few gag laughs. However, if you are into porn you should read it, you might change your mind. I still can’t eat cheese flavored potato chips without getting a bit grossed out.
