Favorite books, bump when you read a good book |
Favorite books, bump when you read a good book |
Jan 10 2009, 11:12 AM
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 336 Joined: 26-April 08 Member No.: 787 |
Have you read any good books recently? Here's a roundup of my favorites that I read in 2008:
General fiction The Gone-Away World In the near future, much of the world has been rendered unhabitable, thanks to the effects of a great war and some unusual weaponry. Human society limps along in a narrow Livable Zone. Then the pipeline keeping that area stable catches on fire. Uh oh. A dark, comic, conspiracy-laden, epic debut that unfolds slowly in unexpected directions. Plenty of plot twists kept me involved in the story. Pirates? ninjas?? mimes??? It's a love-it-or-hate-it book, and I'm firmly in the love-it camp. The Art of Racing in the Rain Enzo, a lab-terrier mix and the narrator of this novel, is the companion of Denny, a struggling mechanic/racer. Enzo is a wise and philosophical dog who hopes to be reincarnated as a human (he saw a documentary on tv that suggested this was possible). In the meanwhile, he is a steadfast friend to Denny and Denny's family, and is witness to some of the darkest times in Denny's life. It's hard to describe this book without making it sound like a melodramatic mess, but it's an emotional, compelling look at the human--and canine--condition. (Edit: forgot the following) Last Night at the Lobster Manny is the conscientious manager of a Connecticut Red Lobster. He's committed to his job and should be the envy of any corporate restaurant chain. Despite his efforts, however, he's been informed that his location is performing below expectations and will be closed. He wants to have a great last day and lock the restaurant up with some sense of dignity and accomplishment. But fate intervenes in the form of a northeastern blizzard, keeping much of his crew from coming in and making customers few and far between. This novella deals with the mundane, but provides rich characters, good dialogue, and a pitch-perfect feeling of everyday life. |
Jan 10 2009, 12:52 PM
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 336 Joined: 26-April 08 Member No.: 787 |
Genre Fiction
Crime Grand Theft (2004) Finally, a reliable readalike for Elmore Leonard. Teddy Clyde is an upscale car thief who grew up in on the hard streets of Philadelphia. He's careful to avoid the attention of the police and to stay out of the way of organized crime. That becomes difficult when the body of Mob boss Scarlotti turns up in the trunk of his car. With the help of undercover journalist Natalie, he has to find his way out of the situation and maybe make a little profit on the side. Snappy dialogue, morally gray characters, and plot-twists aplenty make this caper story a winner. Horror Heart-Shaped Box Aging rock star Jude Coyne collects many things: royalty payments from a lifetime of popular, anger-fueled music; young women nicknamed after states; and morbid curio pieces. When he comes across an online auction for a dead man's suit, complete with ghost, he goes for the bait. But the suit doesn't belong to just any dead man, and the ghost that comes with it is particularly mean. This one gave me plenty of chills and nightmares. Jude is a coarse character and not very likeable at the beginning, but his development throughout the story is compelling. Adventure/Thriller The Faithful Spy CIA agent John Wells has been undercover with al-Qaeda. When 9/11 happens with no warning from him, his handlers question whether he serves any purpose. His loyalty comes into doubt as time ticks by with no word from him. Meanwhile, Wells, now a true Muslim convert, is assigned by al-Qaeda to an attack on American soil. A classic spy story within the realm of current events. Fantasy The Somnambulist Edward Moon is a stage magician whose popularity is on the wane. His reputation as a crime solver secures him the investigation of a underground religious movement. His eponymous sidekick, a mute, freakishly tall, seemingly inhuman creature, accompanies him through his investigation of a shadowy Victorian world, filled with secret plots and magical elements. (side note: this may not be fantasy--magical realism? steampunk? mystery? but that's what I'm calling it anyway.) Science Fiction Mindscan (2005) Jake Sullivan suffers from a rare hereditary disease that left his father in a vegetative state at an early age. Fearing the same fate, he elects to have his brain scanned and downloaded into a basically immortal android body. The flesh-and-blood Jake is sent to a "retirement" community on the Moon, while the android Jake assumes his place on Earth. An interesting study of what it means to be human. |
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