What (Not) to Read (and what to again and again and again) 2009 Edition

Granted, this list is based entirely on what I have read this year and there are a lot of books from 2009 that I have not read, but I think I found a pretty good selection to pick out the good from the bad. Feel free to disagree (nicely) or comment. I don't bite (normally).

The Best Nonfiction:
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
A thrilling tale of life and death (as it says in the title) that not only weaves together the lives of many Amazon explorers, but helps put the importance of such treks in perspective. I'm not a huge nonfiction reader and tend to go in streaks, but when I first saw this one on the shelf, I knew I needed to read it. Percy Fawcett is a thoroughly engrossing character, and insane to boot, which makes Grann's telling all the more interesting. I guarantee you will not regret this one if you have yet to read it.

In the Valley of the Kings: Howard Carter and the Mystery of King Tutankhamun's Tomb by Daniel Meyerson
Another engrossing tale of obsession. Howard Carter is less mysterious through Meyerson's lens, but still equally engaging. If you want a definitive volume on Howard Carter, this is not exactly it, but In the Valley of the Kings is very informative and obviously well researched. Howard Carter's stubborn nature and inherent archaeological senses are well described in this volume, as well as his reputation which, for good or bad, made sure his name would carry on well into the future because of his discoveries.

The Worst Nonfiction book of the year:
The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King - A Nonfiction Thriller by James Patterson and Martin Dugard
For a book labeled as a "Nonfiction Thriller" it reads as a speculative history. No sources are listed for a topic that is not necessarily common knowledge. I, who had just finished reading Daniel Meyerson's book and have had more than a passing interest in Ancient Egyptian history found Patterson and Dugard's book to be unenlightening on the topic. While it was an intriguing "Who Dunnit," the actual "facts" of the book came off more as a story than facts. Perhaps it's due to Patterson's ability to tell a good story, or maybe it's the lack of research, but The Murder of King Tut falls well short of the authors' aims and is best avoided (unless you really want a historical mystery that is not so much a mystery and is more speculation than historically based).


Best Twi-Alikes:
Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
What's better than some monster hunters, a potentially forbidden romance, and a cast of demons, weres, and super humans to go with? Not much if done right. Cassandra Clare puts a spin on the whole supernatural romance genre and cooks up three books that are completely engaging and romp-roaring fun. If you've not checked these out and you loved Twilight, then you must get them. Now! They're that good.
Clary is a spitfire of a main character and Jace is a total hunk (well, all the male characters are in their own ways). The hunt is on to save Clary's mother who is, for mysterious reasons, unconscious. As it turns out there's more than one or two twists and turns in her quest to not only discover her past but to save her family.
The books are: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass

Immortals series by Alyson Noel
No Vamps in sight with these books, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of drama or romance to be had. Ever starts out at a new school after a car accident claimed the lives of her family. There, she meets the super hunky, but overly mysterious Damen. As it turns out, they are destined to be together, or not. Ever struggles with the realization that she is more than just a regular teenager and Damen has been looking for her again and again and again throughout all her past lives.
As kitschy as it sounds, the books are pretty good and worth checking out. They're better written than Twilight and the twists and turns are just as good as anything Meyer cooked up. Alyson Noel has found herself a guaranteed hit with this series and each book throws something new out there while advancing the characters and the story. Highly recommended.
The books are: Evermore, Blue Moon, Shadowland

Worst Twi-Alike:
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
I had high expectations for this book, which may have aided in my disappointment, but on the whole, this may actually have been worse than Twilight (which I really am not much of a fan of). The writing was okay, but the switching first person narrative between Sam the werewolf and Grace the not werewolf, but possibly in love with one supposedly normal human, never fully separates itself. They sound so much alike that sometimes it is hard to tell who's narrating a chapter and who isn't and if you're not paying attention, it can really screw you up.
The one thing it has going for it is that it's sort of an original concept. Sam is only not a wolf when it's warm out and the colder the weather, the faster he turns. And he stays as a wolf longer the older he gets. But that's about as far as the originality goes. The Sam/Grace romance takes off at alarming speed and they're so much on the same wavelength at times it's creepy. Plot development is a bit sparse as Stiefvater trends toward the romance angle more at times than the actual story part. So, if you like a good romance, fine, but if you're like me and looking for a good plot, this isn't it. Thankfully, no vamps, but at times I kind of wanted one just to mix things up a bit. I'd avoid this one despite the good reviews other places.
But, for those of you who are really into it, look for Linger, the next book in The Wolves of Mercy Falls series coming in July.


Trippiest Reads:
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
A book which I actually reviewed after reading because it was so trippy. Good in some ways, bad in others. Make your own choice, but be prepared for some wacky, um, you know.

I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President by Josh Lieb
I really should have reviewed this one after reading, but I could not decide if the main character really was insane or not so I didn't. A good read in that it actually has a moral in the end and the main character has a happy ending, but enough crazy stuff in there that it's hard to tell if he's totally off his rocker or if the world in which Lieb places the story is that insane. Best for your teen readers with off the wall senses of humor.


Other Noteworthy Titles:
The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamillo has another gem of a children's tale here. Even if it does not have the success of The Tale of Despereaux, The Magician's Elephant is equally as engaging and perhaps even better told. Peter, a ten year old orphan, encounters a fortune teller who tells him his long thought dead sister is, in fact, alive. What follows is the story of Peter, his sister, an elephant, and a whole cast of unlikely characters that is entirely satisfying and uplifting by the end. This is, perhaps, my favorite children's book of the year and highly recommended for every age.

The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan
I read a lot of graphic novels this last year and this was one of the best (the other being David Small's Stitches, also well worth checking out). But what I really loved about Matt Phelan's book is that it is a story of boy growing up. You get the feel of the dust bowl era and what everyone went through during that time. The pure desolateness of the land and how important water was really is central to this story, and more than that, how the main character grows up through the course of the book. Beautiful pictures and a beautiful rendering of what starts out as a dusty landscape and becomes so much more in the end. Very gripping and original. Great for adults to give and share with their kids. Do give this one a look if you get the chance.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman
This one is potentially a hard sell. It's a bit like Harry Potter for grown ups with Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia thrown in, but in a really dark and totally disturbing way. Quentin, the main character, stumbles into a magical world, completes schooling there, and then goes off on a bit of a quest, becomes jaded with the magical world and then returns to corporate America in which he is set up for life and needs to do nothing. Except he never seems to be able to shake the magical land of Fillory. The amazing thing about the book is that it takes the reader all the way through Quentin's young life. It really feels like multiple books in one, but books you want to keep going. By then end I was breathless. I still wanted more, but I wanted just as badly to get out. If you like fantasy stories, definitely give this one a try. And if you like a book that has a strong message, this also has it. Well worth a try. You'll be surprised where it takes you.

And a Few to Avoid:
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
I was really into this book for most of it. Honestly, I kept reading and reading and got really into the characters and the story which are all really interesting. Except I got to the last few chapters and the author threw in a few twists (a few of which I saw coming and was really hoping not to find), and then it lost me. I have yet to read her other book (The Time Traveler's Wife), but I do not recommend this one even if you liked that one. By the end, the characters fit the molds they were set in and never really break out. The final chapter is a disappointment from a plot line that was otherwise really well done. The writing is exquisite at times, along with the descriptions, but the plot will certainly let you down, so Read at Your Own Risk and don't say you haven't been warned.

Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation
For a book that is very highly reviewed by many sources, it is very hard to get into. While Nation shows an obvious sense of humor in the writing, I managed to get through about a quarter of the book before I had to give up. There was not enough suspense and I did not find enough reason to keep reading to know more about why Bran was being chased. The general writing of the book trends toward explaining every little detail and for someone like me who is looking more for a good story and good writing to keep me going, I did not find this one to be it. I tried, I really did, but in the end I failed because I lost track of the plot too easily even though some of the characters were interesting. So, try it if you must, but I am placing Kaleb Nation's Bran Hambric on my Avoid Me pile.

A Witch and a Wizard? One can never go wrong with Magic

I just finished James Patterson's latest young adult read and I have to say, I was impressed . . .
by the sheer number of storylines from other books I've read that I can find parts of in the book.

Basic plot:
Brother and sister abducted mysteriously shortly after brother's girlfriend has disappeared. Brother and sister accused of being accused of having powers. Thrown in jail, tested, escape from jail courtesy of girlfriend's spirit guiding them through "Shadow Land," aka another dimension. Brother and sister help other kids escape, find out they are part of a big prophecy that will eventually change the world. End book one.

I'm not saying the book is bad. It was entertaining enough, but as I was reading, I kept thinking, "That sounds like . . ." Witch & Wizards's main characters are a witch, Wisty, and her brother Whit who, surprise,turns out to be a wizard. They're both intelligent people and have strong narrative voices. Seeing as they're siblings, I'll forgive the fact they occasionally sound a lot like one another so if you're not paying attention to the title headings that tell you which sibling is narrating at the time, it is easy to forget, temporarily, who is speaking unless they are off on their own separate plotlines. (Apologies for that massive, near run-on sentence.)

Narrative voices aside, I had a hard time really get into the book the way I had hoped to. Perhaps that was due to the fact I kept thinking of other books as I was reading. It's part Harry Potter: the magic part where the siblings find out they're, well, magic; more part Harry Potter: The One Who Is The One (sound like He Who Must Not Be Named aka You Know Who to anyone else?) is the big bad and, guess what, magic; a third part Harry Potter: Someone turns into a weasel so basically transfiguration of people to animals (it's in The Goblet of Fire, Draco the bouncing ferret which is close enough to a weasel for me. Stretching though, aren't I? Back to the point).
Part Fahrenheit 451/Brave New World/1984: book burning! Dystopia! Oppressive Government! Okay, maybe not big on the book burning in the actual story, but the last little appendix thingy with all the "banned" books and words and whatever else as dictated the New Order would suggest something of the kind. New Order seems to equate to Big Brother at times as well
Part Peter Pan/Oliver Twist/Lord of the Flies: No Never Never Land to speak of, but there are a bunch of homeless kids living in a mall that have a leader that they rotate every week because "power corrupts." At any rate, it's not exactly the Annie-type orphan. None of them are about to be adopted by a gajillionaire.

That's just a list of the ones I could remember off the top of my head. And it's not necessarily a bad thing that all those elements are in there since they've been proven in the past to work. They just distract from the rest of the story, which, unfortunately packs a lot of plot into one three hundred page volume (with large type and lots of white space I might add) that maybe should have been longer. For as much as what really happens in those pages, there authors leave a lot unsaid. There's little more to the book than plot and the occasional character thought, which, for being in first person, is surprisingly sparse in the details. Patterson and co-writer Gabrielle Charbonnet are like the anti-Stephenie Meyer of storytelling in that they are as minimal in the telling of the story as possible by sticking largely to the plot and little else. But it does make the story read fast.

One part I really liked about Witch & Wizard is that the humor is evident and not overwhelming while keeping the heaviness of the story from being too much. The authors found a good balance between Whit and Wisty so that the story flows well even when switching narrative. And there is just enough suspense to keep the reader intrigued, though it may not be on the level of some of Patterson's adult books.

I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. So, as for the recommendation, I'll leave it at Read at Your Own Risk but definitely give it to your teenage kids because they either love Twilight or Harry Potter or The Hunger Games, maybe all three, and there's enough action, magic, and suspense, not to mention Whit's sort of romance to keep them interested.

Going Quixote for Gen Y

Going Bovine by Libba Bray was a distinctly challenging novel for me to read. Heading into the reading of the book, I was both excited and leery. All the advance reviews were really good, but a friend who'd tried reading it had given up part-way through, and she's the sort who doesn't give up on a book easily. I did read the book from start to finish, but it took some work. And, in the end, I came to two conclusions: 1) This book is meant for a more mature set of Young Adult Readers (or even adults, but no kids, please) and 2) I might have been just as well off reading Don Quixote by Cervantes.

Here's the basic plot:
Cameron Smith is a bit of a loser (okay, a total loser by his own standards). His twin sister, Jenna, is total perfection. She's got a jock/religious convert for a boyfriend, she gets good grades, and everyone in the school basically worships her. In contrast, Cameron's practically failing classes, hangs out with the stoner crowd in the bathroom from time to time and can only daydream about hooking up with mega hottie Staci Johnson. Not to mention things at home pretty much suck since his college professor dad is too busy spending time with his TA, and Cameron's mom can never seem to finish what she starts.
Then things get weird. Cameron starts losing control of his limbs and punches Jenna's boyfriend during class. Not to mention he's seeing things that aren't really there, like fire giants coming out of the toaster. Cameron is put through a battery of tests and finds out he has Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease which is the human equivalent of mad cow disease.

And all of that sets up the mother of all hallucinogenic trips. "You've got to find Dr. X, get him to close the wormhole before the whole planet goes up in flames. Before everything is obliterated" Dulcie, presumably an angel that Cameron's hallucinating, tells him (117). So Cameron grabs the dwarf gamer Gonzo (who temporarily shares a room with Cameron in the hospital because Gonzo's mom is pretty sure he has just about anything and everything for no reason other than other people have it), and Cameron and Gonzo break out of the hospital. The only clue Cameron has is that anything random is actually connected to his mission so it's not really random, it just seems so. (Good luck making sense of that.) And thus they end up in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Except that the flaw in the telling of the story is pretty obvious throughout this whole section. Reality and Cameron's dream state don't intersect very often and when they do, it's usually a fleeting moment. "I open my eyes, ands she's shooting something into my IV line. Glory? I hear it in my head, but I don't know if I've said it out loud" (162). But maybe that's part of the point, not being able to tell reality from the dream.

Bray is constantly trying to blur the lines between what is real and what isn't with Cameron. "We all walk in a land of dreams. For what are we but atoms and hope, a handful of dust and sinew . . . Am I a part of your dream? Or are you a part of mine?" Morpheus, a performer, says during the Mardi Gras parade (144). But the shifts in reality and dream take some getting used to. They don't flow in and out of each other like a dream state, but rather mingle and blend so that a brief sentence might indicate Cameron's temporary waking state. By the end, even Cameron seems to have accepted that reality, for him at least, may be a dream state rather than a waking state. "I walk through all kinds of landscapes. Past. Present. Future. Alternatives. At first, I try to figure out what's real and what's not. But after a while, it doesn't matter anymore" (474). Until the end, though, Cameron and the reader fight to figure out what is real and what isn't.

Despite his slacker-like tendencies early on in the book, Cameron really does want to live and he has plenty of fight in him to do so. It just comes out in drug/mad cow induced dreams. And part of the challenge of reading the book is coming to grips with death. Cameron very much becomes Don Quixote tilting after windmills in his dream adventure quest to live. "The only thing I know about Don Quixote is that he and his sidekick go off and have imaginary adventures, battling windmills disguised as giants and that sort of thing" (32). In many ways, Cameron's subconscious takes hold of that description of Don Quixote and runs with it. Gonzo, with his short stature and clearer vision of the world, is very much the Sancho Panzo like character. He is, in some ways, a steadying force in Cameron's visions. The real highlight, though, is the Norse god Balder who is, in fact, a lawn gnome that Cameron's dad showed him pictures of very briefly.

Balder, unfortunately, makes his appearance too late in the book for my liking. He is the real deal in terms of hallucinogenic travelling companions for Cameron. By the time Balder does arrive on the scene, Cameron's really lost the thread of things. "Balder argues that you can never know about destiny: are the people you meet there to play a part in your destiny or do you exist just to play a role in theirs" (293). Cameron seems to be taking to heart the concept of not knowing the true nature of dreams or destiny at that point, but it is at the risk of his own sanity. A very long sidetrack that involves religious zealots (perhaps a reaction against twin sister Jenna's boyfriend) that a also involves bowling bogs down the middle of the story. So, when Balder suddenly arrives on the scene as a very amusing, yet very sage, Norse god/lawn gnome, he's some much needed comic relief that also puts the adventure back on track.

Unfortunately, the hallucinations grow ever more confusing and complicated, as if Bray is trying too hard to make the novel funny to even out some of the gloom of a major character's impending death. By the time the trio of Mad Cow Boy, Dwarf, and Lawn Gnome God reach Spring Break in Daytona, Florida, the travellers are cashless and weary and the reader is ready for Cameron to just get it over with already. He's already tried to save the world by repeating what the mysterious Doctor X (who is probably based on his real-life doctor, Doctor Xavier) tried (325). He's already connected a string of random things from before he was sick into his hallucinations including Coyote and Roadrunner cartoons, the gnome that becomes Balder, the snow globes that play a larger than necessary part in the end of the story, and finally the incident Cameron has on the Small World ride at Disney at the beginning that is echoed at the end of the novel.

When the cryptic Wizard of Reckoning says

We're just gonna die in the end. Sensible attitude. I liked that about you, Cameron. That's why I'm a little surprised by this third act filled with heroics. So much effort. Really, you're making it much harder than it needs to be (466).

it feels like Cameron really just needs to finish his quest already. But, in Don Quixote fashion, he has to try to do something to get away from the truth. Because the book isn't just about death. In Cameron's words "I think about dying every day, because I can't stop thinking about the living" (240). That's what he wished for. To live.

In a roundabout way, the book works to that end. Cameron has lived, just not in the way he anticipated. His hallucinations made him feel alive, so even if he was in a dream state, he was living in the dream moment. And that's where the real challenge of reading the book comes in, understanding that Cameron's crazy dream quest echoes Don Quixote's story. They both wanted to live and to adventure and that's what they did. Except that none of it was done in the way "normal" people go about doing it.

I wouldn't give this book to just anyone. I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone. The subject matter itself is deserving of a mature reader. But one of the drawbacks of the book is the constant swearing. After a while it becomes overkill to what is otherwise a well written book from a language and syntax standpoint. The theme of life and death and what it means to truly live is easily discerned, but the depth of the exploration of it isn't for less mature readers. Simply put, they just won't get it. While they might like the adventure elements, a little more background knowledge seems necessary to fully appreciate the exploration of the topic.
Going Bovine by Libba Bray is a good book. I wouldn't call it a great book, but I would recommend reading it along with Don Quixote as one potentially educates the reading of the other. But on its own Going Bovine reads like Don Quixote on an acid trip for Generation Y.

Read at your own risk.

Work Cited.
Bray, Libba. Going Bovine. New York: Delacorte Press, 2009.

The Long Overdue Hunger Games Trilogy Review

Admittedly, when I first heard of the book, I thought "that's a silly title." And it certainly wasn't something I was interested in reading. But everyone who was anyone in the young adult and juvenile literature circles were gushing about the book so I thought, why not?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was a life changer. I could barely put the book down for work or sleep or whatever other necessities required me to stop reading it. I wanted to know everything that happened to Katniss Everdeen and the other children in the book. Because they are children and children shouldn't have to fight one another to the death for other people's entertainment just so the government can make a point.

As shocking as the premise is (12 districts in a post-apocalyptic U.S. have to send 2tributes to the Hunger Games in the Capitol. The winner is the last survivor and then it happens all over again the next year. Oh, and it's all televised - think real-life life and death Survivor here, just with kids age 12+.), the story and the will to survive no matter what the cost is presented in such a way that you're forced to agree with Katniss's tactics. She's humble and likable from the start, strong and instinctive in the arena. And a little bit of a rebel. She's the type of character you want to be in some ways and you relate to her despite all the carnage and moral ambiguity surrounding her.

And when the first installment ends, you want more knowing there is still more.


Catching Fire picks up where The Hunger Games leaves off. Katniss, however, finds herself in even more of a dilemma torn between doing what's right for the people she loves and what is right for her. Not to mention she's been pressured by President Snow to do as the government wants. The one drawback is that Katniss remains aloof to what's really going on around her despite the signs. (The symbol of the mockingjay present on both book covers is evident throughout both stories thus far and is obviously representative of something more long before Katniss realizes it; about the only drawback to the books so far is that her first person retelling of the events tends to frustrate the best of readers with her inherent stupidity on the topic). Katniss, because it's just how she is, pushes on despite all the obstacles. Family and friendship are key elements in her story throughout and are the biggest driving force in her decisions which, ultimately, are about to lead to some of her biggest revelations.

The moment you and Katniss think everything makes sense, though, Collins changes the game. In a good way. I tore through Catching Fire and was really only disappointed when it came to an end. My main question now, despite all the other one's Katniss's telling of her story bring up, is when can I get my hands on a copy of the final installment?

I highly recommend these books for anyone who loves a good story, especially one that leaves you breathless and asking for more at the end. Rebellion was never so fun.

Work Cited
Collins, Suzanne. Catching Fire. New York: Scholastic Press, 2009.
''. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008.

Move It to Movits! - CD Review

I'm putting aside the books for a moment to bring your attention to a new musical group that, if you haven't heard of them, you should have.



Movits is the coolest thing to come out of the country of Sweden since Ikea, or maybe ABBA depending on your preference. But the point is, this group rocks (well, raps/jazzes anyway). It doesn't matter that most Americans don't have a clue what they're singing about; it does matter that Movits has a hit CD on their hand, and mainly through word of mouth. If you haven't heard them yet, check out their live performance from The Colbert Report:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Movits! - Fel Del Av Garden
http://www.colbertnation.com/
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Protests

From start to finish, Movits delivers a satisfying blend of hip hop/jazz fusion that will have your toes tapping long after you've hit the stop button. What they deliver is fresh for a music scene that seems to be filled with nonstop Top 40 (rap, pop, alt rock that isn't so alt these days). If you're just as tired of all that as I am, then Movits is your answer. And, as the video shows, they know how to perform live, which for any group is a bonus.

Curious about where to find their CD, well, you could check Amazon, but at this time, they aren't expecting more in until September at the earliest. Amazon also has a downloadable version available as well that also allows you to get the first track for free.

So maybe not a book this time around, but a well worth it for you buck (however much your buck ends up being) CD. Movits is the biggest thing in music from Sweden since ABBA and that's saying something.

I Liked It, But What's It About?

It's rare to come across a book you like but wouldn't recommend to others. I find myself in such a position. Here's one to avoid: The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes.

The following review may assume a few things, may take on a few mannerisms that seem brash and maybe a little rude, but it is only in following with the author's style of narrating the book that I do so.

The storyline is familiar enough. An illusionist, bored with his usual tricks, investigates murder on the side. He has, like all good Victorian magicians/investigators, a few less than above board proclivities, which help set the scene and the mood as well as the time for the story. He also has a large, silent type for a partner(The Somnambulist as we shall always know him; the author is uncannily sparse in his naming of characters). Together they go in search of a murderer and uncover a much more sinister plot and, of course, foil it in some manner by the end. (You will, I hope, forgive my spoiling that part of the story. I haven't spelled it out for you at least.)

One of the issues with the book is that it is unclear as to whether or not Barnes sees himself as the narrator or if he is merely affecting the tone of the narrators beliefs in telling the story. It is an ambiguous point which makes the story seem at times absurd and at others lacking in merit altogether. The narrator is, for the most part, pompous, self-absorbed, and almost wholly anonymous right to the end. "So I told them my real name. I shan't repeat it here. It's ... no justice to a man of my talent and ambition" (290). Thus, even when his identity is revealed it isn't and makes reading the book more frustrating. It also changes the tone of the last three chapters of the book as the narrator becomes completely entwined in the story. Readers no longer have a firm grasp on the reality of the book and it may, in fact, then all be a bunch of lies. He even states on page one: "This book has no literary merit whatsoever ... I doubt you'll believe a word of it." I for one found every single event drawn into question by the end. Suspension of disbelief only goes so far and in this case, it failed me utterly by the end.

But let us move on. We are given, from very early on, that the story takes after popular detective stories of the Victorian time. "Our hero was an unusually brilliant observer ... cut from the same cloth already stitched and darned by Sir Arthur and Mr. Poe" (21). And Edward Moon does seem very much like a Sherlock Holmes, and The Somnambulist very much like something that might roam the Rue Morgue. Certainly the gruesomeness is present as well as the mystery and sleuthing elements. Barnes, however unfortunately for him, trends toward being vague to build suspense. His narrator has little grasp on what is really important to the reader in trying to piece together the events. He overreaches in many places and even undercuts himself at times. "I have faith in you. You'll have worked it out by now, I'm sure. Four days. Four days before the dream ends, the old man wakes and the city falls" (204). I had worked it out, even without him spelling it out for me. But then, our narrator "has never yet succeeded in underestimating the intelligence of the general public" (92). It is indeed a condescending statement and very much unworthy of the poor readers who have endeavored thus far to reach the point of condescension. Surely Barnes or his editors should have known that no one deserves such derision just for reading a book?

The appeal of the book, then, comes from the plot. Snippets of information are thrown in here and there to create a modicum of suspense or intrigue. Or even foreshadow. But it still fails in achieving anything beyond vagueness and unfocused plot points. It begins to feel as if the author is simply withholding information to keep people reading, which, as most writers know, is never a good thing.

As I mentioned in the beginning, I liked the book. I would certainly never recommend it though. The macabre is a bit like reading Gaiman, but it doesn't help the story and instead makes it feel disjointed. As a fan of Poe and Doyle I found the elements similar to their stories and how they wrote, but again, Barnes failed me there. In the end, curiosity was the only thing that kept me going and by the end, I was still greatly confused and certainly not comforted because I did not understand what happened to the characters as several points were never elaborated upon that should have been. So I do not recommend it.

I repeat, do not read The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes. I know you want to now, but don't do it! (I dare you not to.)

Work Cited:
Barnes, Jonathan. The Somnambulist. New York: William Morrow, 2007.

What Popular Ficton Has Taught Me - Twilight Edition

5 Lessons I learned from Twilight
(Feel free to disagree, but if you’re going to respond, please think it out.)

Context on this is important. I’ve read book one. That’s it. No more. You’ll get my reasoning for not reading the other books in the series by the end. But for now, all you need to know is that I’m a librarian faced with the conundrum of what to give the Twilight obsessed teen (or tween or even adult) once they’ve finished the series.

Here are the five things I’ve learned since the release of the series.

1. Popular Fiction is not the same as good writing
Flip to a page, any page (I dare you) and you’ll find some passage that’s overwritten or over justified. I opened, randomly, and found “I looked down, frustrated. I unrolled my silverware, picked up my fork, and carefully speared ravioli. I put it in my mouth slowly, still looking down, chewing while I thought” (172). “I … I … I …” It takes up the whole of the passage and that’s just the fist part of the writing that didn’t read well for me. Meyer’s writing style takes every little nuance and explains it regardless of necessity. I’d be afraid to read any of her poetry, to be honest, because she spends the majority of the book over explaining Bella’s emotional reactions.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I get the attraction for the audience that most reads the books. What gets my hackles up is that they think this is good writing and they try to emulate it because it’s popular. The elements of the story are not awful (cliché, passé, take your pick), but the execution needs a makeover to be considered good writing.

Moving on …

2. Word of Mouth makes a best seller
I’m piggybacking this on to point one because Twilight has once again proven that a badly written book (or series of books) can surpass itself if the right person becomes a mouthpiece for it. Tween and Teen girls are all over the books because a friend read it and said it was the best thing since (I’d say sliced bread, but perhaps I should go with) the iPod (to be more current). It’s like “Harry Potter Syndrome” all over with a more select focus group and an inferior series in terms of the writing. But a kid reads it, so the mom reads and the friends read it so suddenly everyone’s reading it just to find out what all the fuss is about. Word of mouth sells books plain and simple.

Which means …

3. Stephenie Meyer gets ‘It’
‘It’ being that combination of the supernatural, romance, and the imperceptive heroine who doesn’t have a good sense of self until she gets outside reassurance from the local hottie. What teen girl wouldn’t want to hear the words “You are the most important thing to me now. The most important thing to me ever” from the most stunning person they’ve ever met (273)?
Unfortunately, this also means wading through the clichés of the YA romance scene that have become so popular since the turn of the century. Every teen wants a grown-up relationship these days. Stephenie Meyer gives them that through the imperceptive heroine, the perfect (or nearly so) other, along with all the in between angsty bits. There may be some violence and/or action thrown in for good measure.

This all leads to…

4. Fangs = Hot!
Bram Stoker set the precedence for it back in the day. Mysterious (shadowy to be more exact?) figure that’s really a monster underneath it all. Or is Dracula a monster? He’s got fangs, right? And he gets the girl, right? So it faded away a little. Anne Rice comes along. Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt make vamps hot for a bit. Until Joss Whedon appears on the scene. Let’s be honest. Stephenie Meyer was well beyond influenced by the Buffy/Angel days of television. Heck, Whedon even made werewolves cool again. Younger Twilighters should really see how it was done by a master of the genre and experience the early Buffy days. We really wouldn’t have the Twilight craze without those.

So finally …

5. Disliking it is tantamount to being disowned
Unless the person you’re talking to either hasn’t read any of the series or actually agrees with your reasoning that is. As if the arguments between Teams Jacob and Edward aren’t bad enough, the arguments Twilight lovers have for the haters really top all. (Just ask any Edward or Jacob lover why they love said character so much and you basically have your argument for liking the books right there). Okay, so maybe you won't get disowned for not liking it, but you better be on the offensive as to why and be sure about it because the lovers stick to their guns no matter what you tell them.

What I’ve found is that it comes down to how willing you are to slog through the horrendous writing (again, in terms of execution, not actual story) to find out what’s happened with the characters. Disown me if you must because I just don’t care enough about the characters to do it. Just give me the specific reason’s that Edward is so freakin’ hot and I’ll make suggestions based on that.

Work Cited
Meyer, Stephanie. Twilight. New York: Little, Brown, & Co., 2005.

It's like 1984 for the Computer Generation - A Must Read

Dystopic science fiction hasn’t looked this good since Orwell and Bradbury, nor has it been as accessible as Cory Doctorow’s young adult novel, Little Brother. A good way to describe the book simply is that it’s George Orwell’s 1984 for the computer generation written in the style of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. This is a must-read book for 2008.

Doctorow seems to channel Melville’s hero Ishmael through 17-year-old Marcus Yallow. More than just a kid with computer skills, Marcus has the ability to organize and fight back following wrongful imprisonment after a terrorist attack on San Francisco. “We’re just high school students. I wanted to flag you down because my friend was bleeding … who were these clowns? They weren’t wearing insignia. Maybe they were terrorists!” Marcus says and thinks after being captured (40-41). The ambiguity helps create suspense early in the book, especially as Marcus goes through the process of capture and release. As the book progresses, readers learn a lot of technical information and jargon much in the fashion of Melville describing whales in Moby Dick. While this is potentially off-putting for the more casual reader, the technical information gives insight into how capable Marcus is.

There are four parts to any crypto message: the original message, called “cleartext.” The scrambled message, called the “ciphertext.” The scrambling system, called the “cipher.” And finally there’s the key: secret stuff you feed into the cipher along with the cleartext to make ciphertext. (98)

Little seems beyond his abilities, but his limits are shown from time to time, especially when dealing with government agents.

While the title only works into the telling of the story on one or two occasions, it is appropriate, particularly as a send-up of Orwell’s dystopic classic 1984. All the elements are there from a controlling governmental force to the oppressed main character. However, the premise is twisted slightly in that both the protagonist and the antagonists are watching one another. “The surveillance I faced at school had followed me home, but this time, it wasn’t just the Board of education looking over my shoulder: The Department of Homeland Security had joined them” (84). Marcus’s computer skills allow him to create a subversive network called the Xnet. Little Brother’s title is a nod to Orwell’s Big Brother, the organization that's always watching, but Marcus and his cohorts seem to be doing more of the watching through the Xnet. It is also because of Marcus’s age that the title is apropos.

Doctorow taps into several major issues with this novel. Treatment of suspected terrorists by the government is an obvious subject. Marcus and his friends are not well matched against their government opposition. Freedom of the press is another issue tackled in the book, along with right to assembly. Readers are faced with questions of search and seizure as well as governmental control of the internet. At one point in the story, Marcus receives a correspondence from someone working for the government. “I signed up to fight terrorists. Instead, I’m spying on Americans who believe things that the DHS doesn’t like. Not people who plan on blowing up bridges” (274). What Doctorow gets at is how one event effects history and changes people’s lives drastically even if they do not see all the lingering affects.

Little Brother is more than just a novel. Like all good dystopic writing, it explores issues large than just one person. It is both political commentary and warning of what can go wrong with society. Cory Doctorow takes his knowledge of computers and makes it something larger and something more accessible making this book a must read for the computer generation along with librarians, parents, and anyone interested in better understanding teens and technology.

Work Cited.
Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother. New York: Tor, 2008.

Dewey Readmore Books

Do We Read More Books?

The story of Dewey Readmore Books, a world-famous library cat, begins on a cold morning. The author, Vicki Myron, discovers him in the drop box, half-dead from the sound of things. After being bathed and thawed, takes to the Spencer, Iowa library and claims it as his own. The town quickly warms (pardon the pun) to the cat that is willing to play to any crowd (and on demand from the sound of it). Despite early concerns of having a resident library cat, the community and those in charge of the city allow Dewey to have a home where, for the better part of 18 years, he is local entertainer, counselor and mascot drawing attention not just from the people of Spencer but from around the United States and even the rest of the world.

Dewey may have touched the world, but this book isn’t nearly as touching as it could be. The premise is basic enough: Myron, director of the Spencer Public Library, discovers a cat in the drop box and adopts it as a library cat. The cat endears himself to the public, becomes famous, and eventually dies. The telling of the story, though, has numerous asides that are meant to help the reader envision the setting but distract from the heart of the story. The prologue is four and half pages of travelogue that would be better served in a National Geographic program about Iowa. It is sentimental and over the top.

Exactly every mile, every road is intersected by another almost perfectly straight road. Inside is a square mile of farmland. Take a million of those square miles, lace them together, and you have one of the most important agricultural regions in the world … Let them have the oceans and the mountains, their beaches and their ski resorts. I’ll take Iowa. (1)

When Myron isn’t focusing on Iowa’s landscape, there’s something else from her lifescape invading the writing. Chapter 23 entitled “Memories of Mom” never even mentions Dewey, whom the book is meant to be about. His name is the largest word on the cover along with what is probably one of the most adorable pictures of a cat to ever be put in print. What cat lover would not pick up a book that looks that attractive?

The cover is about as far as the good things about the book go. Most of the writing is not only sentimental, but also overly descriptive. Perhaps this is because Myron is less than two years removed from Dewey’s death at the time of publication. Certainly people want to know Dewey’s story, but this is far from the best telling of it. Bret Witter, Myron’s co-author, should be ashamed of attaching his name to this work, especially if he considers himself an editor and a professional writer as the brief biography suggests. It should have been his job to keep the story on track and not allow Myron’s emotions to invade so much. It is for that reason that the best chapters in the book come near the end – the ones surrounding Dewey’s death. Only then does the writing start to stick with the facts and remove itself a bit from the author’s emotions. “I won’t argue one fact. Dewey was Spencer’s cat. Nothing has ever been truer. But he was also my cat. And finally, in the end, Dewey was a cat” (251-2).

As Dewey was in fact a cat, Myron should not have been so quick to attribute so many human qualities to Dewey. It is another problem with the writing of this book. Over and over again Myron gives us what she perceives to be Dewey’s interpretation of events. While cute, it soon loses the novelty and becomes a bit cocky. “Pride. Confidence. Assurance that this cat, this library, this experience, maybe even this town, really is special” (154). Myron seems to be using the work as a means of assuring herself that she is in fact special as well, not just Dewey. And while certain passages are helpful in illustrating the ideas of change and progress versus staying in the past, both of which Spencer seems to be doing much of throughout the book, they do make one forget about Dewey. It is as if, in the end, the book was less important in telling Dewey’s story and more important in trying to keep Spencer in the people’s minds after Dewey’s death.

Certainly, Dewey was an extraordinary cat. He touched people’s lives every day, but this book hardly matches his uniqueness. When it should be objective, it is sentimental. And when it’s not sentimental, the lengthy descriptions detract from the main character. Dewey Readmore Books should be rolling in his proverbial grave over this work. In the end, it is as much about a cat as it is about Promoting Iowa, and Spencer specifically. If you plan to pick up this book, be aware that it is less Dewey’s story and more Myron’s in the telling.

And to answer the question posed in the title: Not if they’re written like this.

Work Cited
Myron, Vicki and Bret Witter. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2008.