October Books Read

Okay, so October wasn't such a great month for reading, at least in terms of quantity. Maybe it was all that Halloween candy...

Anyway, here's the list for October:

BOOKS READ

Hard Times (1854) - Charles Dickens

Although Dickens' shortest novel, Hard Times seemed much longer than it actually is. Largely a Victorian social satire, Dickens manages to mix in some true bleakness (and a little mystery) with the humor. Maybe this was a book I would have enjoyed reading more than listening to the audiobook. Certainly not my favorite Dickens novel, but still recommended.

One for Sorrow (2007) - Christopher Barzak

Barzak's first novel hits all the right notes until the very end, which I thought was wrapped up a little too neatly. Still, Barzak understands the teenage mind and knows how to add some freshness to the "teenage ghost" sub-genre.

Step Across This Line: Collected Nonfiction 1992-2002 (NF 2002) - Salman Rushdie

I was hoping that most of Rushdie's essays would focus on literature and writing (and to a large degree, they do), but I found that I even enjoyed the long essay on soccer, which I know very little about. Rushdie focuses somewhat on the publicity he received from writing The Satanic Verses, but wisely (and probably more interestingly) examines the underlying differences in culture that cause us to look at literature with different viewpoints and worldviews. Rushdie's account of his return trip to his homeland of India is heartfelt but certainly not over-emotionalized. And don't miss his essay on the film version of The Wizard of Oz.

The Museum of Dr. Moses: Tales of Mystery and Suspense (2007) - Joyce Carol Oates

Other than the excellent title story (which closes the book), this collection just didn't do it for me.

The Resurrection Man's Legacy and Other Stories (2003) - Dale Bailey

It's a real head-scratcher to me why Dale Bailey's name isn't mentioned more in conversations about superb short story writers. Not a one of these stories disappointed in any way. Bailey - like Bradbury - has a strong sense of nostalgia and family, yet none of these stories contain even a hint of sentimentality. His characterization, description, setting, tone, voice - they're all top-notch. Highly recommended.

Best American Fantasy (2007) Jeff VanderMeer, Ann VanderMeer, editors

For those of us who tend to get the majority of our short fiction from genre magazines and webzines, the VanderMeers show us some of the treasures we've been missing. True, some of these stories do come from genre publications, but many of them appeared in literary venues that - let's face it - most of us probably don't regularly peruse. Some wonderful stuff from Kevin Brockmeier, Tony D'Souza, Maile Chapman, Kelly Link, and many others. And I can't think of any story I read this year that moved me as much as Chris Adrian's "A Better Angel."

The Other Side of Dark (YA 1986) – Joan Lowrey Nixon

One of the students in my writing forum recommended this YA book to me. Although some of the stuff in it is a bit dated, Nixon comes up with an intriguing situation (a 17-year-old girl who has been comatose for four years after suffering a violent attack) with some pretty good suspense.

The Arrival (Graphic Novel 2007) - Shaun Tan

Although I can't officially place this one on my "Books Read" list, since it contains no actual text, I highly recommend you purchase a copy of this outstanding work. Nothing I can tell you about it will do it justice, but you can trust me on this one. Really.

Go read something.