It’s been too long…
I apologize for my long absence! Now that I’m a poor college student, I can’t afford new books very much. As such, I’ve just been re-reading my favorite books. But I’ve recently read some new ones.
ODD THOMAS BY DEAN KOONTZ
More than one person has recommended this book to me in the past, and I finally bought it. I read it in about two days, not just because it’s an easy read, but the story is fast-paced and interesting. Odd Thomas (yes, his real first name is Odd) sees dead people. And this can sometimes be a problem. Odd lives in a small desert town, so when a new man arrives in town, followed by beings that thrive on death and destruction, he knows his town is in for trouble. Odd races against the clock to discover and prevent what is to come, helped by the ghost of Elvis, his boss at the local diner, and his soulmate. It took me a while to get into the groove of Koontz’s writing style, but once I did I couldn’t put this book down. While it’s not my favorite book, I’d certainly recommend it to people, especially those looking for an interesting and engrossing plot line.
[B&N]
THE GUNSLINGER BY STEPHEN KING
This is the first book of the Dark Tower series, which has been recommended to me several times. I bought it on a whim at a half-price bookstore. I don’t usually read series; I’m not sure why, but I figured I might as well start this one. Because it’s by Stephen King, it seems like it would be a horror series with lots of blood and crazy people. But far from a horror novel, this book is a futuristic Western-type somewhat reminiscent of the TV show “Firefly”. It takes place in a “world that has moved on” and follows Roland, the last Gunslinger on an odyssey of sorts to catch the Man in Black, a sorcerer with a dubious past. On the way, he picks up Jake, a boy from New York City brought to the world of the story by the Man in Black. This description makes it sound somewhat boring, but it is anything but. And the end, while being suspenseful and making you want to read the rest of the series, is not one of those annoying cliffhangers, a la Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, that seems like an obvious bid to make you read the rest of the books. I would highly recommend it and I can’t wait to read the rest of the books!
[B&N]
GOOD OMENS BY NEIL GAIMAN AND TERRY PRATCHETT
I recently reread this book, which made me remember why I love it so much. First, it’s about the apocalypse, and the apocalypse is always fun. Second, it’s British humor. Enough said. The book’s star characters are Crowley, a demon, and Aziraphale, an angel. After being stuck on the Earth for a few thousand years together, they have become something like friends, and have grown to like Earth. But the Devil has decided that it’s time for the birth of the Antichrist, and that Crowley will supervise it. However, the Antichrist leaves the hospital with the wrong family. Meanwhile, Crowley and Aziraphale try to postpone the Apocalypse while all the preparations are made. And, as I’m sure you can imagine, hilarity and destruction ensue. Probably one of the funniest books I’ve ever read, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a good laugh.
[B&N]
THE ANGEL’S GAME BY CARLOS RUIZ ZAFON
I had high hopes for the newest novel by the author of my favorite book. I’ve been wanting it since June, and I was so ecstatic when I got it for Christmas that I read it in two short days. This is another masterpiece from Zafon, but for some reason I enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind more. The book is extremely well-written and captivating. However, it is more disquieting than Zafon’s previous novel, possibly because it is a lot darker. One reviewer called it “Borgesian”, which is an apt assessment. The story has so many layers and is a lot deeper than it may seem on the surface, just like a Borges story. The main idea: David Martin is a hugely popular writer, except no one knows who he is. He made his name writing penny-dreadfuls under a pseudonym for dishonest publishers. He is a recluse who lives in an abandoned mansion with a disturbing past. So when Martin receives an offer from Andreas Corelli, a mysterious French publisher, to write a book different than any other in existence, Martin accepts. But as Martin works on the book, he sinks deeper and deeper into a madness caused by the dark past of his house, along with the despair of forbidden love and his investigation of Corelli’s background. The end still baffles me today, and I’m not quite sure if that’s a good or bad thing. I would recommend it for someone who isn’t looking for a light and happy novel, but rather a dark, twisted, and complicated one.
[B&N]
MY LIFE IN FRANCE BY JULIA CHILD AND ALEX PRUD’HOMME
I bought this book at the same time as Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously, but I didn’t get around to reading it until a couple weeks ago. The book is written exactly how Julia Child talked and presented her show. It isn’t as funny as Julie and Julia, but it is still interesting, genuine, and heartwarming. It’s the story of Julia Child’s, well, life in France. She talks about how she first got into cooking, the experience of living in France, and the ups and downs of writing Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I don’t usually like autobiographies, but this one is an easy and entertaining read, and I’d definitely recommend it.
[B&N]
THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH
Considering I’ve now read this twice for school, I should review it. Not that anyone would want to read it for fun. I found that the second time I read it wasn’t quite as painful as the first. This epic poem, which is largely considered the first great literary work, tells the story of the Sumerian king Gilgamesh and his quest for immortality. He and his best friend Enkidu set off to defeat the forest and make names for themselves. But when Enkidu dies in battle, Gilgamesh’s quest becomes more personal and he looks for actual immortality. I wouldn’t recommend reading it for fun, but it’s not too terrible.
[B&N]
THE WHITE ROAD BY JOHN CONNOLLY
John Connolly is also the author of The Book of Lost Things, which happens to be one of my favorite books (I re-read that over winter break!). So when I saw this thriller in the airport bookstore, I figured it was a good bet. And it was. Connolly’s characters are complex and well-crafted, so much so that I became personally invested in the story. This book is part of a series featuring the same detective Charlie Parker, and so I came into the series late. Perhaps it may have been even better if I’d read the other books first. Charlie Parker takes on the case of a young black man wrongfully accused of the murder of the daughter of one of the most powerful men in South Carolina, and becomes engulfed in spectres from his past and racial tensions that run deep into the past. As he tries to solve the case, Parker treads the thin lines that separate this world from that of the spirits. The result: a disturbing supernatural murder mystery thriller. The colorful cast of characters includes the disturbed and serious Parker, the psychopath who murdered his wife and child, a schizophrenic serial killer specializing in young women, and Angel and Louis, Parker’s friends with chips on their shoulders. A wonderfully crafted story that will leave you with chills for weeks afterward.
[B&N]
What I’m currently reading: La sombra del viento by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (this might sound familiar…it’s the original Spanish version of The Shadow of the Wind!)
