Books Read January

Genesis (2006/2009) - Bernard Beckett

Genesis plays on a familiar sf trope: What if robots began to develop their own conscience? Anax is a young woman seeking admittance into the prestigious Academy, but first she must pass a series of examinations. These exams serve as a way to fill us in on the backstory of an island republic that’s sealed itself off from the world by means of a Great Sea Fence. One of the early defenders of the island named Adam disobeys one of the republic’s directives and is imprisoned with an android. This historical event forms the basis of Anax’s “thesis” if you will. What follows is lots of philosophical discussion about man, robot, free will, etc.

Genesis feels like familiar ground for good reason: we’ve been there before with Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick and others. Therein lies the problem. I’m not the most well-read sf reader out there, but early on I had an idea about how the book might end. I’d hoped I was wrong, but I wasn’t. If you’re new to the genre, you might enjoy Genesis. Otherwise, this is probably one republic you’ve already visited.


When You Reach Me (YA 2009) - Rebecca Stead

Everyone seems to be anointing When You Reach Me as one of last year’s best novels for children, maybe even the best. While I was intrigued by much of the book, narrated by a sixth-grader named Miranda, I wasn’t completely caught up in it. Set in New York City in 1979, Miranda is fascinated with Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, a fascination that seems to drive the story in some ways, ways perhaps even Miranda doesn’t understand. The novel is really about friendship and relationships (its strongest point, in my opinion), but there are also weird things at work: mysterious notes left for Miranda, a new weird boy in her class and a strange homeless man hanging out near a mailbox.

The problem for me was that Miranda wasn’t more fascinated about what was going on around her. She takes it all these strange happenings as rather routine, which, after reading A Wrinkle in Time, seems very unlikely. An enjoyable read, but I’m certainly not ready to say this was the best children’s book of 2009.


Scenting the Dark and Other Stories (2009) - Mary Robinette Kowal

Thoughts here.


Some of Your Blood (1961) - Theodore Sturgeon

My fear is that with each passing year, fewer and fewer people seem to be talking about Theodore Sturgeon. Maybe it’s just where I am and the circles I move in, but I certainly hope Sturgeon is not in danger of being forgotten. This odd psychological tale of a disturbed soldier with a horrific secret is a real page-turner, although the letter format of the first several pages gets rather tiresome. Some sections of the novel seem quite dated, but the unsettling sense of unease Sturgeon creates is remarkable.


Essential Fantastic Four Vol. 3 (GN 2007) - Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

It’s always fun to revisit the comics of my youth. I once owned most of these original issues of the Fantastic Four (issues #41-62 plus Annuals #3 and 4), so the otherworldly Kirby artwork was familiar, yet still pretty awesome nearly 40 years after I’d first discovered it. What doesn’t always hold up are Stan Lee’s stories, but you have to consider what most comic writing was like at the time. It’s still fun to watch the characters develop and the progression of some of the most ground-breaking art in comics.


Holy Superheroes! Exploring the Sacred in Comics, Graphic Novels and Film (NF 2008) - Greg Garrett

This short, interesting book examines several of the major American comics from Marvel and DC Universes, focusing on their spiritual aspects. Chapter themes and topics include Evil, Justice, Vigilantism and more. Although the thrust of the book is comics and graphic novels, Garrett includes some discussion of movies (most of which are film versions of comics/graphic novels). I only wish the book had gone into a little more depth, but it’s a good starting point.


Valdez is Coming (1970) - Elmore Leonard

Elmore Leonard seldom disappoints. Heck, maybe never. It's rare that I read Westerns, but Leonard's writing (and especially his dialogue) is so good, you forget you're reading a Western. A masterful storyteller. There's a dying scene that's written so well, so poignantly, you'd think Leonard actually died to see what it was like so he could write about it.


The Authority Vol. I: Relentless (GN 1999) - Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch, Paul Neary, Laura Depuy

Writer Warren Ellis presents a team of superheroes doggedly determined to combat an international terrorist and his army. It’s amazing to think that these original issues appeared pre-9/11. The artwork and coloring are astounding. This is one of the few graphic novels I want to revisit soon.


The Nobody (GN 2009) - Jeff Lemire

After reading Lemire’s Tales of Essex County Vol. 1, I had some idea of what The Nobody would be like: sparse drawings, atmospheric renderings of small-town life, odd characters. Yet The Nobody captivated me in a way that Essex County did not. I won't be able to articulate exactly how until I read it again, and maybe not even then.

A man walks into a small Canadian fishing village wrapped in bandages, very much like The Invisible Man. The townspeople are understandably suspicious, all except for a teenage girl who feels strangely drawn to the man. The Nobody did not go where I expected, which in itself is refreshing. Definitely worth a look.

That's it for January. Now go and read something.

The End Begins Tonight

With both anticipation and trepidation, I await tonight's season opener of the sixth and final season of Lost. I missed the first two seasons, caught up to speed on DVD, then watched Seasons 3-5 as they aired. I guess you could say I was fascinated with Seasons 1 and 2, was a little disappointed in the strike-interrupted Season 3, engaged once again with Season 4, and often quite confused with Season 5. I still think it's a good show and maybe even a great one, depending on how they end it.

One of my concerns is all the loose ends hanging around. They are legion. My friend John and I always talk about how shows shouldn't even hit the air unless the writers have the entire thing mapped out, saying "Here's the show from beginning to end: four seasons (or five or six, or whatever)." But I know television doesn't work that way. I just like to know that the writers aren't flying by the seats of their pants, that they have a plan and they're sticking to it.

So many shows have started well and have not been satisfying over the long run, especially at the end (X-Files). And some shows are just cut off in midstream (Firefly, Carnivale). So when the writers of Lost say that this is indeed the end, I'm hoping they know what they're doing.

'Cause I sure as heck don't.

Books Bought January

Scenting the Dark and Other Stories (2009) - Mary Robinette Kowal

It’s rare that I purchase a book sight unseen by an unknown author, but I’d read so many glowing reviews about Mary Robinette Kowal’s writing that I decided to give this short collection a try. Plus it’s always nice to support the independent press, in this case, Subterranean Press.

Hardcover signed edition; Price = $25


Voices: A Thriller (2003/2006) - Arnaldur Indridason

An Icelandic mystery recommended to me by one of the several Karens that I know. I’ve lately become stricken with all things Icelandic, so it’s no surprise that Icelandic Fever would affect my reading choices. Actually I’ll have to wait on this one, not realizing at the time that this is the third book in a series. Ah, well....

Hardcover signed edition; Price = $3.98


Valdez is Coming (1970) - Elmore Leonard

I’ve read very few westerns, but I have read a few Elmore Leonard novels (and I love his dialogue). This is one of those “Read the Novel/See the Film” books. I did see the film many, many years ago and am eager to read the book.

Trade Paperback; Price = $3.98


Listen to This: Leading Musicians Recommend Their Favorite Artists and Recordings (NF 1999) - Alan Reder

Now how could you not like this book: Musicians talking about their favorite artists and recordings? Who knew that DMC is a fan of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon or that jazz saxophonist David Sanborn digs Puccini operas? What a fun book!

Trade Paperback; Price = $5.98


What Are the Seven Wonders of the World? and 100 Other Great Cultural Lists--Fully Explicated (NF 1998) - Peter D’Epiro

Here are just some of the questions answered in this book:

Who are the 3 daughters of King Lear?
What are the 4 properties of a musical tone?
What were the 5 events of the ancient Olympic pentathlon?
Which were the 6 Axis Powers in World War II?
What are the 7 voyages of Sinbad the Sailor?

and such all the way through the number 24 (although a few numbers are skipped). A true geek’s delight!

Trade Paperback; Price = $4.98


Here, There Be Dragons (J-Fic 2006) - James A. Owen

I’m not sure where I heard about this fantasy novel for kids, but it’s been on my list for at least a couple of years.

Hardcover; Price = $5.98


The Authority Vol. 1: Relentless (GN 1999) - Warren Ellis, etc.

I’ve been trying to broaden my graphic novel horizons lately and thought this might be a good place to start. Thanks to my friend Orangerful and Steve at Third Eye Comics in Annapolis for steering me in the right direction.

Trade Paperback; Price = $14.95


Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (NF 1997) - Jonathan Culler

My Clarion 2004 bud Trent Hergenrader spoke highly of the Very Short Introduction series published by Oxford University Press, so I decided to take the plunge with this volume. (Purchased with birthday $)

Trade Paperback; Price = $8.60


The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929-1968 (NF 1968) - Andrew Sarris

I’d heard the name Andrew Sarris before, but after reading about him in Roger Ebert’s Awake in the Dark, I thought it was time to read him. (Another purchased with birthday $)

Trade Paperback; Price = $12.50


Notes from a Small Island (NF 1996) - Bill Bryson

The Ultimate Teen Book Guide says that this one is a laugh a minute. I’ve read a couple of Bryson’s books and enjoyed them, so for ten cents, it wasn’t a huge leap of faith.

Trade Paperback; Price = $.10

Suttree (1992) - Cormac McCarthy
I’ve greatly enjoyed Blood Meridian and No Country for Old Men, but those who have read more McCarthy than I have say this is his best work.

Hardcover; Price = $.50

The Motel Life (2007) - Willy Vlautin

The plot of this one sounds like a bad county song: two brothers from Reno are on the run after killing a boy in a hit-and-run accident. Could be because Vlautin is a member of the alt-country band Richmond Fontaine. I’ve got a feeling I’ll either love or hate this one.

Ex-Library Trade Paperback; Price = $.10

The Dragon King Saga (1985) - Stephen Lawhead

Someone recommended this trilogy (beginning with In the Hall of the Dragon King) over 25 years ago. I don’t know if I’ll still enjoy it now, but hey, the whole trilogy is in one place and the price was right.

Mass Market Paperback; Price = $.10


“Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman (1997) - Harlan Ellison

Ah, one of the first sf stories I read as a “serious” reader. How could I turn this down?

Ex-Library Hardcover; Price = $.50

Tales of the Ten Lost Tribes (2008) - Tamar Yellin

I believe it was Jeff VanderMeer who highly recommended this on his blog. It was on the weedling list and almost no one had checked it out, so I shelled out two quarters.

Ex-Library Hardcover; Price = $.50

Grilling: Exciting International Flavors from the World's Premier Culinary College (NF 2006) - The Culinary Institute of America

It’s not quite grilling time yet (not with six inches of snow on the ground), but it’ll be here before you know it. And since I need to expand my grilling repertoire, here’s the perfect solution.

Ex-Library Hardcover; Price = $.50

Total Book Expenditures for January = $88.25

Next Time: What I Actually Read

The New Peter Straub Novel - Release Date February 9

The book trailer for Peter Straub's upcoming novel A Dark Matter. I can't wait for this one!

Geaux Saints!

I rarely write about sports here on the blog, but I'm faced with something I truly never thought would happen: The New Orleans Saints going to the Super Bowl. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for them, you might even say delighted. When I was growing up in Mississippi, the Saints were the nearest NFL team, so we saw their games every painful, excruciating week. And they were awful. I mean really bad. If you didn't grow up watching them every week, I'm not sure you can truly appreciate the depth of atrociousness that was the Saints.

They really sucked.



Yet there were glimmers. There was Tom Dempsey (a man with half a left foot) kicking a 63-yard field goal in 1970, a record that still stands today (although Jason Elam tied the record a few years ago). And of course, there was Archie Manning. I remember watching the Saints on TV and going to a couple of games. At the time, I didn't know a lot about football, yet I did know that quarterback Manning was clearly talented, but he couldn't do it all by himself. As a whole, the team just never seemed to be able to put it all together. Manning's last season was in 1982, about halfway thorough my college days. I still watched, still hoped, but to no avail. It really boggled the mind how the Saints would have a game all but locked up and lose in the closing seconds due to either a bonehead play or a freak sequence of events that no one could have predicted. When Ken Stabler went to the Saints for three seasons in the 80s, there was hope, but those hopes never materialized. I remember the "Aints," the bags over the heads and everything.

Then came a real turnaround in 1979. The Saints won 8 games and lost 8 games that season. It was a really, really big deal: the first time they weren't losers. If you don't know the rest of their history, you will. Just turn on any sports station or watch ESPN for the next two weeks. You'll hear all about it.

Again, I'm delighted for them. It's hard to describe, but there's almost a sense of relief in last night's Championship Game. There was something about growing up, watching the Saints lose week after week, year after year, even decade after decade that really got to me. I'm not sure why. I never played organized football and my favorite team was the Dallas Cowboys (perhaps because they did win a lot?), but something about all those Saints losses really hurt. Maybe it caused me to want to strive for something bigger, not just to not lose, but to win, to excel. Maybe watching those Saints games made me work a little harder to achieve my goals as a musician, a teacher, a writer, a person.

Or maybe I just like to see the underdog win sometimes. I don't know.

But I'm glad for the Saints. Best of luck in the Super Bowl. Enjoy!

I'm So Confused...

We're getting closer to making a large(r) screen TV a reality, but the more I look, the more confused I get. The Samsung LN40B630 40-Inch is probably my top choice right now. I'd like to get a 46", but I think the price jump is a little too much. The things I will insist on are 120Hz (as opposed to 60Hz, even though the prices for the 60Hz are dropping like crazy) and 1080p.


I've still got lots of review to read and places to look. Maybe this weekend. It's not so much confusing as it is time-consuming. The other considerations require just as much thought. For instance, a Blu-Ray player, one that will allow me to watch streaming NetFlix and allow me to up-convert my regular DVDs to near HD quality. I've heard that a lot of Blu-Ray players just don't hold up, breaking after a few months. Everyone's trying to get me to consider the PS3, but I'm not interested in games (and don't want to get addicted!).

And what about surround sound? If I get surround, the speakers in the back of the room will have to be wireless. $$$

Lastly (and most oddly), Cindy and I rarely watch TV. So why the big screen? I love movies. That's the main reason I want the TV. Currently we get only local channels which is fine with us. I'm hoping I'll still be able to pull the same channels out of the air with the TV's digital tuner. I certainly don't want to pay $60 a month for channels I'll never watch.

Lots of my Facebook buddies (especially Don) have given me some great advice and insight. Still....Decisions, decisions.

Goals, Not Resolutions

So we're over two weeks into 2010... How are you doing on your resolutions? Most of the people who have resolved to get in shape at my gym either have already given up or are going at a time other than my usual time. I hope they haven't given up, but I do like to find a parking spot and available equipment.

Anyway, I prefer the term goals to resolutions. Resolutions are usually heard in the form of "I'm going to lose weight this year" or "I'm going to get in shape this year." Too vague. A goal, in my mind, is more specific and has a definite time-table. For instance, one of my goals is to read at least 120 poems in 2010. Why? I'm quite poetry-ignorant and want to understand how poems work, both for enjoyment and my own writing. (Although I don't plan on writing any poetry, I think reading it can greatly enhance your fiction writing.) So my goal is to read at least 10 poems a month. That's not that many, but it's probably nine more than I typically read a month. And by read, I don't mean zip through; rather absorb, dwell on, chew, digest.

Next, to get at least one short story published in 2010. In the last three or four years, I've had one story published (all in small magazines or on websites most people have never heard of) with the exception of 2009 in which I published nothing. Mostly because I wrote nothing, certainly nothing of consequence, other than revising a YA novel, which is still sitting on my hard drive. It's not a lofty goal, but I need to spend a minimum of 10 hours a week writing from January to April (this is over and above the novel revision, which I plan to have ready to submit by July). Again, that's not much. It's certainly not enough, but I should have more time on my hands in April.



And finally (although this is not my final goal, not by a long shot), to read (or listen to) Roberto Bolano's massive 2666, not only because it's been on my shelf for over a year, but also because it represents all of the other books that have been sitting on my shelf for well over a year. (It was also given to me by a co-worker and one day she's going to ask me how I liked it!) My goal is to have it read by the end of February.

Tell me about your goals. Or resolutions. Or dreams.

Scenting the Dark and Other Stories (2009) - Mary Robinette Kowal

Scenting the Dark and Other Stories (2009) - Mary Robinette Kowal

There's a lot of great science fiction, fantasy and horror being published by small presses and I like to support their efforts when I can. Usually I'll purchase a couple of small press books a year, books that I know I can't get anywhere else by authors I know I'll like. I decided to take a chance on Mary Robinette Kowal's debut collection of short stories from Subterranean Press. I'd never read one word of Kowal's work, but have read glowing reviews of her individual stories as they appeared in print or online. So it was a bit of a risk spending $25 on a slim 80-page book by a relatively unknown author.

I'm so glad I did.

Kowal's stories are filled with interesting characters and fascinating ideas, but it's the human element (as well as excellent writing) that makes this collection soar. Two of the stories concern young adults who yearn for something they don't yet have. In the case of a boy named Aage in "This Little Pig," it's a 1952 MG in a future in which internal combustion engines are largely a thing of the past. For a girl named Jaiden in "Jaiden's Weaver," it's an expensive teddy bear spider that her homesteading family will never be able to afford. Both stories capture not only the yearning of these two people, but also the humanity and struggles that we all remember from our youth (and beyond).

"Just Right," about OCD and "Locked In" about a man suffering from ALS are both moving without becoming sappy, powerful without being manipulative. Yet the title story is my favorite, a tale of a blind man and his dog who travel to distant planets searching for exotic native fragrances that can be turned into perfumes. Kowal narrates this gripping "first contact" story from the blind man's point-of-view. I challenge anyone to write a gripping, nail-biting alien story as good as this one without using visual imagery.

Kowal, winner of the Campbell Award for Best New Writer, is clearly a writer to watch. I know I plan to.

Book Loot

Well, the holidays are over, most of us have been back to work for awhile, so now it's time to reflect on what's really important. That's right, Book Loot. Here are the books I received for the holidays:



I'd never heard of Nicholas Carr until recently, but from what I've read, he has an interesting perspective on technology and culture. I've dabbled into Big Switch and have had a tough time putting it down. I can say the same for Jeff VanderMeer's Booklife: Strategies and Survival Tips for the 21st Century Writer. Lots of great stuff in here, but I'm reading it in bits and pieces as not to get overwhelmed. (Thanks, Dave and Cher!)



I don't always agree with him, but I do enjoy Roger Ebert's writing. I'm already over 100 pages into Awake in the Dark and am delighted to have received it. (Thanks, Jan and Pete!) High Wire by Peter Gosselin is actually not a Christmas present, but Cindy's dad read it and thought I'd like it.



I've been coveting the ESV Study Bible (Is it right to covet a Bible???) for quite some time, so I was delighted to get it for Christmas. This is a beautifully put together Bible with study aids, cultural references, maps, just all kinds of stuff. (Thanks, Cindy!)



I decided to take advantage of the Small Beer Press sale (which is now over), an effort to raise money for the Franciscan Children's Hospital in Boston. I also decided to try two authors I've never read - Cloud & Ashes: Three Winter's Tales by Greer Gilman and Hound, a mystery by Vincent McCaffrey. These two and the next two books were sort of presents to myself, so I didn't take a look at them until after the New Year. (Well, not much of a look...)



More from the Small Beer Press sale, Benjamin Rosenblum's The Ant King and Other Stories and A Working Writer's Daily Planner, a really nifty and inspiring planner/journal that I've been using since Jan. 1. I highly recommend it.

Okay... Tell me about the books you got. (You did ask for books, didn't you?)

The Year in Reading

I finished 2009 with 119 total books read, one less than I read in 2008. A lot of people seem impressed with reading over 100 books a year, but they shouldn't be. I know a lot of people who read many more than I do, some over 200. And consider that many of these books (over one third) were audiobooks.

A few breakdowns:

Fiction = 89
Non-Fiction = 39

Male authors = 86
Female authors = 36

Translated works = 5

And the breakdown by Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction, YA and J-Fiction: (It makes a nice little peace sign if you turn it upside down.)



Enough with the stats and graphs! Here's everything that I read in 2009:

JANUARY

Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America (NF 2008) - Thomas L. Friedman * * * *
Last Evenings on Earth: Stories (2006 translation) - Roberto Bolano * * * * 1/2
Mansfield Park (1814) - Jane Austen * * * * *
The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death (2009) - Charlie Huston * * * *
The Hour I First Believed (2008) - Wally Lamb * * * 1/2
Ernest Hemingway on Writing (NF 1984) - Larry W. Phillips, ed. * * * *
The Truth About Celia (2003) - Kevin Brockmeier * * * * *
Indemnity Only (1982) - Sara Paretsky * * *
Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (1964) - Philip K. Dick * * * *
What I Saw and How I Lied (YA 2008) - Judy Blundell * * * * *
The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (YA 2007) - Sherman Alexie * * * * *

FEBRUARY

Killshot (1989) - Elmore Leonard * * * *
Looking for Alaska (YA 2005) - John Green * * * * 1/2
The Hunger Games (YA 2008) - Suzanne Collins * * * * 1/2
Logged On and Tuned Out: A Nontechie’s Guide to Parenting a Tech-Savvy Generation (NF 2007) - Vicki Courtney * * * 1/2
Deadville (YA 2008) - Ron Koertge * * * * *
The Final Solution (2004) - Michael Chabon * * * 1/2
The 39 Clues, Book 1: The Maze of Bones (J-Fic 2008) - Rick Riordan * * 1/2
Bog Child (YA 2008) - Siobhan Dowd * * * * *
Little Brother (YA 2008) - Cory Doctorow * * *

MARCH

Me, the Missing, and the Dead (YA 2008) - Jenny Valentine * * * * 1/2
The Adoration of Jenna Fox (YA 2008) - Mary E. Pearson * * * 1/2
The Little Sleep (2009) - Paul Tremblay * * * *
Newes from the Dead (YA 2008) - Mary Hooper * * * 1/2
The Castle (1922) - Franz Kafka * * * *
Outliers: The Story of Success (NF 2008) - Malcolm Gladwell * * * * 1/2
Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life (NF 2008) - Colin Duriez * * * 1/2
Snow Falling in Spring: Coming of Age in China During the Cultural Revolution (YA NF 2008) - Moying Li * * *
Faceless Killers (1991/2003) - Henning Mankell * * * 1/2
The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment (NF 2007) - Tim Challies * * * * *
No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row (YA NF 2008) - Susan Kuklin * * * 1/2

APRIL

Ubik (1969) - Philip K. Dick * * * *
Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting Our Children (NF 2008) - Joe S. McIlhaney, Jr., MD and Freda McKissic Bush, MD * * * * 1/2
Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters (2008) - John Langan * * * *
The Manual of Detection (2009) - Jedediah Berry * * *
Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else (NF 2008) - Colvin Geoff * * * *
Castle (2009) - J. Robert Lennon * * * * *
Feathers (J-Fic 2007) - Jacqueline Woodson * * *
Knots and Crosses (1987) - Ian Rankin * * * * 1/2
My Teacher is an Alien (J-Fic 1989) - Bruce Coville * * * 1/2
An Open Book: Coming of Age in the Heartland (NF 2003) - Michael Dirda * * * *

MAY

The Grifters (1963) - Jim Thompson * * * * *
The Neddiad (J-Fic 2007) - Daniel Pinkwater * * * *
Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose (NF 1969) - Flannery O’Connor * * * * *
The House with a Clock in Its Walls (J-Fic 1973) - John Bellairs * * * 1/2 (2nd x)
Private Midnight (2009) - Kris Saknussemm * * * * 1/2
Making Movies (NF 1995) - Sidney Lumet * * * * *
Hide and Seek (1990) - Ian Rankin * * * *

JUNE

Pretty Monsters (YA 2008) - Kelly Link * * * * *
Why We’re Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be) - (NF 2008) - Kevin DeYoung and
Ted Kluck * * * * *
No Right to Remain Silent: The Tragedy at Virginia Tech (NF 2009) - Lucinda Roy * * * *
Hostage (2001) - Robert Crais * * * 1/2
Wait Till Helen Comes (J-Fic 1986) - Mary Dowling Hahn * * 1/2
The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith (NF 2008) - Tim Keller * * * * *
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (J-Fic 1968) - E.L. Konigsburg * * * *
The Impossible Bird (2002) - Patrick O’Leary * * * 1/2
Ignore Everybody and 39 Others Keys to Creativity (NF 2009) - Hugh MacLeod * * * *
Tooth and Nail (1992) - Ian Rankin * * *

JULY

Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town (NF 2009) - Warren St. John * * * * 1/2
Dead Until Dark (2001) - Charlaine Harris * * * 1/2
The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book 1 (J-Fic 2006) - Rick Riordan * * * 1/2
Intent to Kill (2009) - James Grippando * * 1/2

AUGUST

The Scarecrow (2009) - Michael Connelly * * * *
Strange Telescopes: Following the Apocalypse from Moscow to Siberia (NF 2009) - Daniel Kalder * * * * 1/2
Simplexity: Why Simple Things Become Complex (and How Complex Things Can Be Made Simple) (NF 2008) - Jeffrey Kluger * * *
The Girl Who Played with Fire (2006/2009) - Stieg Larsson * * * * *
The Thin Book of Naming Elephants: How to surface Undiscussables for Greater Organizational Success (NF 2004) - Sue Annis Hammond & Andrea B. Mayfield * * * *
Same Kind of Different As Me (NF 2006) - Ron Hall & Denver Moore w/Lynn Vincent * * * *
Illyria (2007) - Elizabeth Hand * * * * 1/2
White Sands, Red Menace (J-Fic 2008) - Ellen Klages * * * *
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations...One School at a Time (NF 2006) - Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin * *
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates * * * *

SEPTEMBER

The Long Goodbye (1953) - Raymond Chandler * * * * *
Life As We Knew It (YA 2008) - Susan Beth Pfeffer (Books For The Beast) * * *
The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership (NF 2009) - Bill Walsh with Steve Jamison and Craig Walsh * * * * 1/2
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (NF 2005) - Malcolm Gladwell * * * * 1/2 (2x)
World of Faith and Freedom: Why International Religious Liberty is Vital to American National Security (NF 2008) - Thomas F. Farr * * * * 1/2
The Siege (2009) - Stephen White * * * *
Ravens (2009) - George Dawes Green * * * * *
Unwind (YA 2007) - Neal Shusterman (BFTB) * * * * 1/2
Farewell, My Lovely (1940) - Raymond Chandler * * * * 1/2
Slammer (2009) - Allan Guthrie * * * *
Wake (YA 2008) - Lisa McCann (BFTB) * * *
The Sacredness of Questioning Everything (NF 2009) - David Dark * * * * *

OCTOBER

Confessions - St. Augustine (trans. Henry Chadwick) * * * * *
Wise Blood (1952) - Flannery O’Connor * * * *
Marked (YA 2007) - P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast (BFTB) * *
Graceling (YA 2008) - Kristin Cashore (BFTB) * * * *
The Concrete Blonde (1994) - Michael Connelly * * * *
The Restless Dead: Ten Original Stories of the Supernatural (YA 2007) - Deborah Noyes, ed. (BFTB) * * *
Isis (2006) - Douglas Clegg * * * * 1/2
Columbine (NF 2009) - Dave Cullen * * * * *
Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God (NF 2008) - Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski * * * * *
Her Fearful Symmetry (2009) - Audrey Niffenegger * * * *

NOVEMBER

The Space Between: A Parent’s Guide to Teenage Development (NF 2009) - Walt Mueller * * * *
Audrey’s Door (2009) - Sarah Langan * * *
As I Lay Dying (1930) - William Faulkner * * * * *
Await Your Reply (2009) - Dan Chaon * * * * *
This is For the Mara Salvatrucha: Inside the MS-13, America’s Most Violent Gang (NF 2009) - Samuel Logan * * 1/2
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That
Matters (NF 2009) - Timothy Keller * * * * *
Odd and the Frost Giants (J-Fic 2009) - Neil Gaiman * * * *
Stormbreaker (YA 2001) - Anthony Horowitz * * * *
Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye (J-Fic 2004) - Geronimo Stilton * * * 1/2
The Film Club (NF 2008) - David Gilmour * * * 1/2
Good People (2008) - Marcus Sakey * * * *
Pobby and Dingan (2000) - Ben Rice * * * * 1/2
Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity (NF 2006) - David Lynch
* * * 1/2

DECEMBER

The Real Festivus; The True Story Behind America’s Favorite Made-up Holiday (NF 2005) - Dan O’Keefe * * * 1/2
The Fine Line: Re-envisioning the Gap Between Christ and Culture (NF 2008) - Kary
Oberbrunner * * * * *
Rogue Male (1939) - Geoffrey Household * * * * 1/2
9 Dragons (2009) - Michael Connelly * * * * 1/2
Break (YA 2009) - Hannah Moskowitz * * * *
Peace Like a River (2001) - Leif Enger * * * * 1/2
Secret Lives (2008) - Jeff VanderMeer * * * * *
The Giant-Slayer (J-Fic 2009) - Iain Lawrence * * * *
Red Shift (1973) - Alan Garner * * * * 1/2
unChristian: What a New Generation Thinks about Christianity...and Why It Matters (NF 2007) -
David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons * * * * 1/2
Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall (2009) - Kazuo Ishiguro * * * 1/2
Leviathan (YA 2009) - Scott Westerfeld * * * * 1/2

Okay. Now go and read something.

Best Books of 2009: Fiction

Originally I planned to write separate categories for general fiction, SF/Fantasy, and Horror. There's really not much straight-up SF/Fantasy or Horror on this list, but some titles contain elements of each of these genres, so let's just toss out all the genre classifications! Right out the window - There they go! After all, good writing is good writing, right? So: the best adult fiction of any kind that I read in 2009:


Mansfield Park (1814) - Jane Austen

Everyone should read something by Jane Austen at some point in their lives. Yes, everyone. No, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies doesn't count (although it is fun).


The Truth About Celia (2003) - Kevin Brockmeier

If you asked me to give you just one word on what I thought of this novel it might be "sad" or "beautiful" or maybe just "Wow." Or maybe I'd just point to the book, then point to you, then point to the book again. Sometimes word descriptions just don't work. Maybe I'd just hand you the book.

The Truth About Celia is a book of interconnected short stories told from various points of view. Celia is a seven-year-old girl playing in her backyard one early spring morning while her father Christopher shows their historic house to a couple of visitors. Janet, Celia's mother, has gone to rehearse with a community orchestra. And at some point during the day, Celia simply disappears without a trace.

Christopher, a writer, tries to deal with Celia's disappearance by creating stories that might explain what happened to his daughter. Sometimes they're stories of pure fantasy as in "The Green Children," a story of two children who are transported to a parallel world where their green color fades with time. Another, "Appearance, Disappearance, Levitation, Transformation, and the Divided Woman," is a tale from the point of view of Stephanie, a divorcee whose ten-year-old son Micah wants desperately to become a magician. Sometimes the connecting elements of these stories are clear, sometimes nebulous as Brockmeier bends the rules of narration to wonderful effect.

Other stories are told from Christopher's point of view, Janet's, and even Celia's. Maybe the most effective story, "The Telephone," is about Christopher receiving calls from Celia over the toy phone still in her room four years after her disappearance. Yet Christopher is torn between keeping the news of the calls to himself or sharing them with Janet while their marriage begins to slowly disintegrate.

Sad. Beautiful. Wow. Get your hands on it and read it.



Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (1964) - Philip K. Dick

A novel I'd like to read again soon. A wild ride with lots to think about. Read the Wikipedia description. It's far too much to go into here. And if you've never read PDK before, this is probably not the best place to start. My vote would be The Man in the High Castle.



Castle (2009) - J. Robert Lennon

The most powerful book I read in the first half of 2009. Since reading it, I've seen many negative reviews. Ignore them. Eric Loesch buys a large piece of land in his upper New York state hometown. He wonders if the locals remember him, as their welcomes seem not-so-welcome. Loesch discovers one small part of his land that is actually owned by someone else, yet the owner's name is blackened out on all the legal documents. An extremely potent look at power, memory, culture and the 21st century world we live in. Highly recommended.



Her Fearful Symmetry (2009) - Audrey Niffenegger

Audrey Niffenegger's Her Fearful Symmetry has taken a lot of knocks, many of them unfounded. I believe the culprit in this case is the old "I-loved-your-first-book-and-demand-that-each-subsequent-book-be-just-like-it" syndrome. I have not read her first novel, The Time Traveler's Wife, so I cannot make any comparisons, but even if I had, it shouldn't matter. Writers (and all artists) are free to pursue any paths they choose, even if they diverge from the expectations of their previous works. If it's good writing, it's good writing and it shouldn't matter if Niffenegger's next novel is about time travelers, ghosts or pig farming in Oslo.

The main story here (and there are several smaller ones) concerns 20-year-old American twins Julia and Valentina Poole, who have inherited a London apartment from their recently deceased aunt, whom they have never met. But there are two important conditions: the twins must live in the apartment for a full year before they can sell it and the girls' parents must never enter it. I guess if I had to pin this novel down, it's a ghost story, but it's so much more. The writing is wonderful, the atmosphere both humorous and creepy. Her Fearful Symmetry is one of those novels that comes dangerously close to coming off the rails at times (especially as the ending approaches), but I found myself drawn in, unwilling to leave until it was over (and maybe even not then).


As I Lay Dying (1930) - William Faulkner

(I choose this cover because I find the Oprah sticker so distasteful.)

“My mother is a fish.” Oh boy. Faulkner loves multiple points of view, stream of consciousness and dark, dark humor. He also loves strange and does it well. I haven’t read tons of Faulkner (at least not yet), but As I Lay Dying seems to me one of his more approachable novels. One by one, we meet the family of Addie Bundren as they seek to honor her wish to be buried in a nearby town. As with much of Faulkner’s work, the novel is set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi.



Pobby and Dingan (2000) - Ben Rice

Delightful, funny, sad and celebratory short novel about Kellyanne, a young girl who loses her imaginary friends Pobby and Dingan. The story is narrated by Kellyanne’s brother Ashmol, who believes in none of the products of Kellyanne’s imagination. But he does care about her. Seek this short book (only 94 pages) out. You won’t be sorry.



Private Midnight (2009) - Kris Saknussemm

This is one seriously messed-up book. Many readers have said that Private Midnight is hands-down the weirdest book they've ever read. I'd have to say that Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves still holds that distinction for me, but Saknussemm's novel is definitely near the top.

Private Midnight is a mixture of detective noir, David Lynch, supernatural horror, psychological games, mythology, sexuality and way, way more. Disturbing? Yes. Also very hard to put down.



Illyria (2007) - Elizabeth Hand

(Please note that the picture on the left is the expanded novel-length edition of Illyria, due out in May, 2010. The novella that I read is pictured on the right.)

It pains me that Elizabeth Hand is not more widely read. Both her short and long fiction are stunning. She has a beautiful command of the language and a vision of the strange that together form work that is simply incredible. Illyria is a dark romance focused on the stage, particularly Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." Maddy and her cousin Rogan are teenagers born on the same day, yet in many ways opposites. Romantic and artistic longings are beautifully and painfully intertwined in this short, masterfully written tale.



Isis (2006/2009) - Douglas Clegg

First published as a limited edition by Cemetery Dance in 2006, Clegg's novella has thankfully gained a wider audience in this Vanguard Press edition. If you could bring a loved one back from the dead, would you do it? The concept has been around forever, but Clegg has managed to make the tale compelling and extremely difficult to put down. A creepy little Gothic tale with some wonderful illustrations.



Peace Like a River (2001) - Leif Enger

I have found that you either love Enger's Peace Like a River or you hate it. You either buy into it or you don't. The novel, set in rural Minnesota in the early 1960s, is narrated by Reuben "Rube" Land, an asthmatic 11-year-old boy. The plot itself is fairly simple: two boys break into the Land home, intending to threaten (or just scare?) Rube's 9-year-old sister Swede. Older brother Davy intervenes, killing the two boys before hiding out from the police. The bulk of the novel consists of the family trying to find Davy before the law does. The book contains a combination of earthiness, elements of the fantastic and faith. Perhaps each of these elements in isolation bother people. Perhaps it's the combination of them. Regardless, Peace Like a River is a unique experience that's worth your time.



Await Your Reply (2009) - Dan Chaon

Finally, my favorite read from 2009. No other novel I read this year was as compelling and as satisfying as this one. In the first chapter of Await Your Reply, we see Ryan Schuyler, a college dropout, racing down the highway with his severed hand in an ice chest. In the next, it's Lucy Lattimore, recent a high school graduate running away with her history teacher. Then we have Miles Chesire, searching for his twin brother who vanished 10 years ago. From there, it's a wild ride.

Wild, but not chaotic. I could tell you more about these characters, but I won't. (And I'd advise you not to read too many reviews that might reveal more than you want to know.) Dan Chaon masterfully unwinds these parallel stories that seem to have no connecting elements other than identity.

Await Your Reply is all about identity and the possibility of starting over, a concept attractive to many people in these unstable times. But the novel is also about family, relationships, trust and fear. Alternating chapters told across various timelines add an almost insurmountable tension, keeping the pages turning at a brisk pace. Yet read too quickly and you'll miss some wonderfully resonant writing that requires patience.

As soon as I finished the novel, I wanted to start it again just to see if I could find the clues that I'd missed the first time. You may have the same reaction. Don't be surprised. And don't plan to get much sleep once you've started this one.

That's it for fiction. Next time: a list of every blessed book I read in 2009: good, bad and everything in between.

Best Books of 2009: Mystery and Suspense

I read a good bit of mystery/suspense this year, but to be honest, most of it wasn't very good. So here's what was left, the best of the mystery/suspense/action/thriller/noir books I read in 2009:


The Grifters (1963) - Jim Thompson

Several thoughts on this one here.


The Little Sleep (2009) - Paul Tremblay

Don't let this little jewel slip under the radar; seek it out. South Boston PI Mark Genevich suffers from narcolepsy. That's right, a private investigator who can fall asleep while questioning someone, while on a case, while driving, while... well, you get the picture. A wonderful combination of the hard-boiled and surreal with plenty of humor and power. Definitely worthy of your time. Check it out.


The Girl Who Played with Fire (2006/2009) - Stieg Larsson

If you haven't yet caught Larsson fever, start with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Just understand that this second book, The Girl Who Played with Fire, is even better.



Knots and Crosses (1987) - Ian Rankin

My first experience with Rankin and his Scottish detective John Rebus. Good, solid (if somewhat dark) detective fiction. I read the first three books in the series this year and while Hide and Seek and Tooth and Nail were both good, Knots and Crosses is the best of the three for my money. (Thanks to my friend Tom for recommending Rankin.)



The Siege (2009) - Stephen White

I’d never read anything by White before now, but I may keep reading him on the basis of this one. The action takes place at Yale, where someone is holding an unknown number of students inside the building of one of the university’s secret societies. At various intervals, prisoners are released to deliver messages from their captor, messages which are sometimes confusing, sometimes deadly.



Ravens (2009) - George Dawes Green

When a Georgia family wins over $300 million in the lottery, two low-life drifters try to cash in on the winnings by holding members of the family hostage. It seems a lot of reviewers have dismissed Ravens as out-of-control, over the top and simply unbelievable. I think it’s one of the most revealing looks at the culture of greed and, oddly enough, how the Stockholm Syndrome works.




The Long Goodbye (1953), Farewell My Lovely (1940) - Raymond Chandler

I hadn’t read any Chandler since reading The Big Sleep a few years ago, so taking on two of his novels was a real treat. The Chandler imitators are a dime a dozen, but nobody captures the spirit of hardboiled like Chandler when he’s penning Philip Marlowe tales. Marlowe is a tough, hard-drinking thinker of a private detective getting involved in cases that have no tidy solutions, mostly because, beneath his jaded hard shell, he is a moral man who can’t help but at least try to do the right thing, even at a cost to himself. I love everything about these novels: the gritty L.A. atmosphere, the 1940s and 1950s feel, the language, the femme fatales, everything.



Rogue Male (1939) - Geoffrey Household

Something of a forerunner of Frederick Forsyth’s The Day of the Jackal. A man attempts to assassinate an unnamed tyrant (obviously Hitler) and is captured before he can carry out his mission. The would-be assassin escapes and provides the reader with what reads like a memoir on how to lose yourself from those intent on finding you at any cost.



9 Dragons (2009) - Michael Connelly

Connelly’s best Harry Bosch novel since Echo Park (2006). The killing of an Asian convenience store owner in Los Angeles seems somewhat routine until Bosch gets an anonymous phone call telling him to back off the case. In no time at all, Bosch receives a video on his cell phone showing that his daughter in Hong Kong has been kidnapped. Connelly remains one of my favorite crime fiction writers.

Next time: The rest of Fiction