The story begins in a nursing home, narrated by a ninety-three year old retired veterinarian recalling his first experience working in a Depression era circus. Rich with historical detail and possessed of a lively, complicated plot, the book captivated me enough to be a twenty-four hour read. That’s a book I pick up and only [...]
Honestly, I’ve never been fond of chicken. As a child I refused to eat it after I read that birds were the modern relatives of dinosaurs. If you wouldn’t eat snake or lizard why would you eat a chicken? My mother still refers to it occasionally by my label when I ask what she’s making: [...]
The first experience I had with Japanese literature was when I was thirteen. I was away at summer camp on a college campus, and their bookstore had a clearance shelf that included a defectively bound copy of Yukio Mishima’s The Sound of Waves for a dollar. I was hooked not so much by the writing [...]
I can’t say why exactly, but I do prefer William Gibson’s more recent work. Maybe it’s obvious that a writer gets better with practice, but in his case I would suggest the reason is a ‘less is more’ sort of evolution. Neuromancer, like The Difference Engine, is so packed with ideas and descriptions the effect [...]
Somehow, I had always missed reading the whole thing. I knew the plot, several of the catchphrases, but had never actually read the book. It was worth it. An easy read, bit of a fable, with a sly straightfaced narration, the book describes a politic inevitable in communes and corporations: the ascent of power, the [...]
I haven’t been reading much, and this book took me forever. A brilliant compilation of research on attachment, technology, and sexology, I skipped through it and doubled back. I don’t know why. A few laborious passages on pets or prostitution left me cold, but in the end I think I got it. I certainly discussed [...]
The hard part is the follow through. We hear all the time about the dangers of processed foods, and many of us have experienced first hand the benefits of a healthy diet, at least a healthy meal or two, and the satisfaction of real food. I feel better physically if I eat my vegetables and [...]
Augusten Burroghs is a talented writer with a tormented past. His memoirs have made best-seller lists; he is riding the cutting edge of literary trendiness. Memoir! You should write a book! Its all the rage these days; I hear it myself at cocktail parties. How flattering to think we could finally be recognized for all [...]
Here is a book that knows what the modern novel is about: a postmodernist classic. David Mitchell makes skillful use of his writer’s bag of tricks. The storyline is chronologically creative; a series of short stories link through coincidence and theme. The characters are unique, while the theme develops historically and ideologically. By the end [...]
I can’t believe some people are dissing book trailers. This is art, and I want more of it. What an amazing way to be introduced to a new read!