I had no idea Louisa May Alcott was so prolific and could write such dark little pieces. All I know of her is _Little Women_ of course, which I read aI had no idea Louisa May Alcott was so prolific and could write such dark little pieces. All I know of her is _Little Women_ of course, which I read an eternity ago and loved. The stories here are sometimes mystery, and almost always a touch gothic romance, but all full of well rendered characters and spellbinding plots. Alcott has the ability to express deep psychic turmoil with the smallest of gestures: a lowered glance, a motion of the hand ability, and this is a great & diverse collection that includes plenty of strong female (and male) characters of both the good and bad kind. There is no shortage of sweet romance, but also troubled minds and hearts, unrequited love, tragedy, madness, mystery, and death. But through it all, even her darkest characters almost always find some sort of redemption.
I highly recommend it. I thought it was a really good intro to her oeuvre....more
What a funny little book about a rich kid turned out into the world and having some of the best, but mostly the worst, kinds of adventures. The two peWhat a funny little book about a rich kid turned out into the world and having some of the best, but mostly the worst, kinds of adventures. The two people he loves the most in the world die horribly, then are somehow returned to him in much shabbier shape. We learn that optimism is a joke, virtually everyone has a terrible story about his/her life to tell, and except in Utopia, everyone wants to steal your money however they can. But Candide remains steadfastly naive throughout which may drive the reader mad, but his quaint innocence and his inability to harbor bitterness is actually kind of moving....more
I bought this book at Target out of desperation for something to read, but it turned out to be a fun little book. It's a light hearted, easy read abouI bought this book at Target out of desperation for something to read, but it turned out to be a fun little book. It's a light hearted, easy read about the lives of five women living in Palo Alto in the late 60s/early 70s and the development of their writing lives. And while I use the term light hearted to describe the book, some of the things we watch these women go through are not at all light hearted.
Being a writer myself, I think I'm biased towards the book because it inspired me to write more, and having lived in Northern California since the dot com boom, I was drawn to the historical Palo Alto depicted in the book -- the early tech days in Silicon Valley when racism and sexism were still the norm.
This is a fun, easy to read book if you're looking for some light entertainment. And if you're a writer, a mother struggling to do something creative, or maybe just a woman needing something else, you might find a little inspiration in it too....more
hilariously funny book with an odd twist followed by another odd twist that while strange, doesn't seem unfitting or contrived. Well, maybe the tinieshilariously funny book with an odd twist followed by another odd twist that while strange, doesn't seem unfitting or contrived. Well, maybe the tiniest bit contrived but you end up buying it anyway.
The dialogue is action-movie paced and cleverly laugh out loud funny. Nobel Prize-winning author Pretextat Tach is a despicably unlikeable person who cherishes no one and nothing but himself and possibly food, and who we find out has done a despicable deed that he considers wholly justified and humane.
He despises women and men alike, though women slightly more -- most likely because of his status as a virgin. Haivng been bored out of his mind for twenty-four years, he commences tormenting the first humans, other than his assistant, he allows himself to have contact to celebrate the occasion of his impending death due to cartilage cancer.
Yes, even my summary is ridiculous. But the novel, while perhaps a little ridiculous, is a fabulous read....more
So much rape in the pop fiction novels I've been reading lately. I guess it sells.So much rape in the pop fiction novels I've been reading lately. I guess it sells....more
Interesting book about the fictionalized life of Frank Lloyd Wright. I didn't know anything about him so it got me interested enough to go google him Interesting book about the fictionalized life of Frank Lloyd Wright. I didn't know anything about him so it got me interested enough to go google him after I read it. I haven't read a lot of TC Boyle books, but this one felt a little different than the other one I know well. Smelled a little like Joyce Carol Oates to me with the internal dialogue and neurotic middle wife. But a good read. And a vast relief from the pop-fiction I've been reading lately....more
What suck. The narrative in the middle of the book was compelling enough for me to want to desperately find out what happened to the girl -- the mysteWhat suck. The narrative in the middle of the book was compelling enough for me to want to desperately find out what happened to the girl -- the mystery story was the only thing that was interesting. Other than that, it was pat: the characters were mostly caricatures and it was full of multiple narrative ploys that people might find titillating including financial scheming, rich people in crisis, 1337 hackers, sadists and rapists with a dash of mobsters.
I got to the end and then realized I had 50 mores pages to read. I shouldn't have bothered....more
I thought this was the _Girl with the Dragon Tattoo_ book when I went looking for it on my shelves. I acquired this book from somewhere. It's a good aI thought this was the _Girl with the Dragon Tattoo_ book when I went looking for it on my shelves. I acquired this book from somewhere. It's a good airport book -- fun engaging narrative and easy to read. I don't know how accurate its portrayal of the culture is, but that was probably the most interesting part of the book for me. Made me want to go back to Bangkok....more
**spoiler alert** I tore through this in 3 days and was so excited about it, but I felt that the ending was somewhat patched together. The story unfol**spoiler alert** I tore through this in 3 days and was so excited about it, but I felt that the ending was somewhat patched together. The story unfolds slowly and I enjoyed the narrative and the pace, but as it came near the end, I felt as if Wroblewski was slamming things into place for the big dramatic finale. He took all the subtle, inferred evil in the book and made a giant tattered flag of it at the end, then everyone dies. I stayed up until 3:30 reading it and I went to bed fuming.
But, it did give me an appreciation of dog breeding and made me feel soft and fuzzy about dogs and mute kids. Wroblewski doesn't have any of Mantel's grace with words (Wolf Hall), but he can tell a half decent story in a similarly thick tome....more
I loved this book. Mantel's use of language is lovely. I didn't know anything about Henry VIII or the Tudors or Anne Boleyn before I read this book anI loved this book. Mantel's use of language is lovely. I didn't know anything about Henry VIII or the Tudors or Anne Boleyn before I read this book and it was an interesting way to peek into their lives -- through the eyes of Cromwell. He was a beautifully rendered character....more
My first Chabon novel. It took me right into a world I have absolutely no familiarity with and made me comfortable in it. A complex mix of comedy, traMy first Chabon novel. It took me right into a world I have absolutely no familiarity with and made me comfortable in it. A complex mix of comedy, tragedy, and conspiracy theory. He paints vibrant characters, made me crave pickles and pie, and was charmingly entertaining for a few days -- I was engrossed enough I had a hard time putting it down....more
I picked this off my shelf thinking I hadn't read it, but apparently I'd had so this is my re-read review. The stories are great and in true JCO fashiI picked this off my shelf thinking I hadn't read it, but apparently I'd had so this is my re-read review. The stories are great and in true JCO fashion, oftentimes more psychological thrillers/mysteries than what you would traditionally call a mystery story. I haven't read any of the other Best American Mystery collections so I don't have anything to compare it, but I really enjoyed this one. My favorite story is "Disaster Stamps of Pluto" by Louise Erdich about a town that's fading away and its last historic society member tells of her own tragic history....more
I loved this story, as well as the other stories in this small collection. Stevenson is fabulous at a sort of subtle, yet intensely frightening sense I loved this story, as well as the other stories in this small collection. Stevenson is fabulous at a sort of subtle, yet intensely frightening sense of horror that creeps up on you and takes a chilling hold of you and won't let go. Everyone knows the gist of the Jekyll and Hyde story, but I think the original tale gives you a better sense of the depravity of the second personality that Jekyll so carefully teases out of his real self and the unnaturalness of this, as well as his complete and utter horror at what he becomes....more
The writing wasn't impressive, but the narrative was compelling. I don't know that much about Korean history and this was an interesting story about tThe writing wasn't impressive, but the narrative was compelling. I don't know that much about Korean history and this was an interesting story about two families during Japanese occupation just before the border between North and South Korea became the DMZ. The authors are sisters writing a story based on the lives of their parents, one from South Korea and the other from North Korea. I think the authors usually write children's books and you can that from the novel....more
Not the most elegant prose, but as always a compelling narrative from Sundman. This one is pretty geek heavy with flavors of higher math, hypotheticalNot the most elegant prose, but as always a compelling narrative from Sundman. This one is pretty geek heavy with flavors of higher math, hypothetical future biology, and digital design. All of this coupled with religion. There is a small twist at the end that I love and makes me laugh. In fact, his whole religion concept makes me laugh -- priests walking around with nooses around their necks, a Christ figure that's actually a severed head, and the turnover of Christ figures. Religion mixed with politics and power...pretty sounds like status quo to me....more
I was a little disappointed with the brevity of the first stories, but found them compelling nonetheless (sometimes the later stories expand on the eaI was a little disappointed with the brevity of the first stories, but found them compelling nonetheless (sometimes the later stories expand on the earlier ones a bit). The comparative analysis he does between brain disorders is interesting and was novel for me. Sacks really focuses on the human experience and how it affects the manifestation of disorders differently in individual patients, as well as the importance of evaluating patients in a more humane way, and not just clinical manner which often can be incomplete and imprecise....more
This was fabulous! When I first started it, I was like what the fuck? But once I got into it, I loved it. A lot of clueless male characters with rich This was fabulous! When I first started it, I was like what the fuck? But once I got into it, I loved it. A lot of clueless male characters with rich relatives, bizarre situations that resolve almost magically, and gambling, golf, and girls. His stories are easy to read and relatively short and very funny and light hearted. These stories are an early precursor to the modern day sitcom. My favorites were, oddly enough, the golf stories. I know nothing about golf and have never played, but these stories made golf intensely fascinating and attractive. I'm sad I'm done with all 666 pages of this book....more
This was lovely -- funny and engaging. A little history, a little biology, and a sympathetic narrator. I thought the ending was a little too easy & clThis was lovely -- funny and engaging. A little history, a little biology, and a sympathetic narrator. I thought the ending was a little too easy & clean, but the build up to it was nice....more
I've had this for a few months and finally picked it up one morning when I was feeling rather soft about my husband. I'm not one for sappy romances, aI've had this for a few months and finally picked it up one morning when I was feeling rather soft about my husband. I'm not one for sappy romances, and lo and behold my luck! This is a book of love stories meant for someone just like me. Wonderful stories by wonderful authors full of angst, lust, death, cheating, and broken hearts that reveal the rawness and reality of love, not its rose hued glory....more
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