All Consuming : Shannon

A story about "American Gods"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:01:00 GMT

American Gods

by Neil Gaiman

My thoughts on Neil Gaiman.

Consumed "Lord of Light"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Tue, 10 May 2011 12:34:39 GMT

Lord of Light

by Roger Zelazny

NOT WORTH IT!

A story about "By Nightfall: A Novel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Thu, 05 May 2011 19:29:22 GMT

By Nightfall: A Novel

by Michael Cunningham

Some thoughts on this:

I read afterward that this is an homage to Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice, which I haven’t read. The text is liberally peppered with literary allusions. One character is reading Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain, which Mann intended as a satirical counterpoint to Death in Venice. Knowing this adds some interesting shading to the plot/characterizations. Other references are to The Great Gatsby, Jane Eyre, Anna Karenina and more I’m sure I don’t remember. Also, there are lots of allusions to art, both classical and contemporary. This can come off as a bit pretentious on the author’s part. I liked the book nonetheless.

The best bits occur when the author is taking us through New York City — by train or cab or on foot in the middle of the night. There is a sense that everyone in the city is merely play-acting their lives. There are buildings where people do something in finance or the arts — no one is sure exactly what they do. But once this was a city of accomplishment, of industriousness and real work — all faded or decayed or overlaid with something a lot less meaningful. There is a sense that 21st-century humankind is not worthy of this city.

A story about "Hoptoad"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:26:42 GMT

Hoptoad

by Jane Yolen

I wish I had a copy of this book. It’s the first book my toddler memorized and “read” back to us.

A review of "The PowerBook" (rated 2 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:21:53 GMT

The PowerBook

by Jeanette Winterson

I was never quite sure what the point of this book was the whole time I was reading it. I recognized that the title and several chapter heads referred to Macintosh computers, but there really was no computer in the book. Instead, there was a series of loosely joined stories, some based on legends from the past, some bordering on fairy tales, and others slices of present-day life.

The center of the story is a rather mundane lesbian love affair. They desperately love each other, want to be together, can’t be together, then maybe… But the meat of the book is lost in a lot of filler that, while sometimes engaging, ultimately never gets into that bigger something it’s trying so hard to be.

A review of "The Hollow Man" (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 19:49:43 GMT

The Hollow Man

by Dan Simmons

I was torn in two by this book. Half of it – the half dealing with perception and parallel worlds and whether there’s life after death – I really liked. But the other half really turned me off, and not just because it was, in some parts, so totally disgusting. You see, the actual events of the book – rather than the flashbacks – are supposed to represent one man’s descent into metaphorical hell and rise back out after the death of his wife. This man also has the ability to read other peoples’ thoughts, but his wife was the only person with whom he could communicate back and forth telepathically, so after her death, he is exposed to the darkest thoughts that people hide, because he is in the dark himself. Okay, it’s a very nice concept – it just wasn’t executed very well. The hellish events that the man goes through – escaping from New York mobsters in Florida and Vegas, living on the streets in Denver, working for a female serial killer who tries to kill him with a special set of razor-blade dentures – are just so unbelievable that they become laughable, and the whole carefully constructed metaphor falls apart. But on the other hand, the flashback scenes and the theories about perception and parallel worlds (and I’m sure you’re wondering how all that fits into the plot) are intriguing and very believable, and the scene at Disney World is wonderful. So I can only just barely recommend this book, but my recommendation has to be lukewarm at best.

A story about "Snug House, Bug House (Bright & Early Books(R))"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 17:54:05 GMT

Snug House, Bug House (Bright & Early Books(R))

by Susan Schade

My toddler is teaching himself to read with this cute book about bugs building a house for themselves from a tennis ball they found.

A review of "Eating Crow: A Novel" (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 17:31:21 GMT

Eating Crow: A Novel

by Jay Rayner

A light fluff novel about a restaurant critic who – after a chef kills himself following a particularly harsh review – discovers the joys of apologizing and eventually becomes the chief apologist for the United Nations, expiating the sins of the Western world—everything from slavery to colonialism to corporate monopolies. There is a very interesting account of a chocolate-themed dinner for all the foodies in the audience, plus an elaborate apology lunch demanded by a Jesse Jackson-like character as part of the slavery apology.

A review of "The Hollywood Dodo: A Novel" (rated 2 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:58:57 GMT

The Hollywood Dodo: A Novel

by Geoff Nicholson

Yes, Nicholson pens some strange novels, but sometimes that bizarreness is just not enjoyable. This is one of those times. The story cycles through three points of view, between the 1600s and the present day, but unfortunately, I did not very much enjoy spending time with any of the POV characters. The story itself is also rather preposterous, as it attempts to link the dodo with modern moviemaking, while throwing in some supernatural gobbledygook to help tie things together, and ending with a denouement that is wholly unbelievable and unsatisfying. I think I prefer Nicholson’s nonfiction.

A review of "Getting It in the Head: Stories" (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:37:20 GMT

Getting It in the Head: Stories

by Mike McCormack

This is an odd and sometimes disturbing collection of short stories that quite often cross the line into a dark, surreal world indeed. While a few of the stories were just OK, and one or two were ridiculous, enough rose into the realm of the superb to make this collection worthwhile for any connoisseur of twisted fiction.

McCormack’s characters are often sick and sometimes deranged, and the world he imagines, while still recognizable, quite often descends into outright horror. McCormack is an intriguing voice (although he does rely a little too much on the trite urban legend as the framework for some of his stories).

A review of "Mirror" (rated 2 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:30:28 GMT

Mirror

by Graham Masterson

Mirror starts out all right, with a mysterious mirror and a little dead boy reflected inside it. But it quickly degenerates into the ridiculous, involving a plot to put together Satan’s body and bring it back to life, with some gross stuff involving people cutting out their own tongues and getting devoured by Satan’s penis. Sorry, but I just couldn’t buy it. Maybe I was laughing so hard I forgot to be scared.

A review of "Confessions of a Shopaholic (Movie Tie-in Edition) (Shopaholic Series)" (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 23:01:11 GMT

Confessions of a Shopaholic (Movie Tie-in Edition) (Shopaholic Series)

by Sophie Kinsella

This is a fast-paced novel about a financial journalist who can’t control her own spending and the things she dreams of buying. Sweet and often laugh-out-loud funny, the story follows Becky as she meanders her way through canceled credit cards, overdrawn bank accounts and tempting but overpriced clothes to find a sense of herself and a millionaire boyfriend.

A review of "The Tao of Poop: Keeping Your Sanity (and Your Soul) While Raising a Baby" (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:40:09 GMT

The Tao of Poop: Keeping Your Sanity (and Your Soul) While Raising a Baby

by Vivian E. Glyck

A light-hearted look at parenthood and how the lessons learned as a mom can be applied to a life of mindfulness. I particularly appreciated the reminders that parenting a newborn forces us to live in the moment more and simplify our lives, which I am already striving to do. I also enjoyed the tips on dealing with boredom and reconnecting with my creative self, issues I’m struggling with as a new mom.

A review of "Gudgekin the Thistle Girl and Other Stories" (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:34:58 GMT

Gudgekin the Thistle Girl and Other Stories

by John Gardner

This is a collection of four darkly humorous fairy tales, illustrated with witty black-and-white drawings by Michael Sporn. I have enjoyed these stories since I was a child because they are both more sophisticated and more unexpected than your usual fairy tales. Also, they are very funny and stick with you long after reading them.

A review of "Madame Bovary" (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:29:54 GMT

Madame Bovary

by Gustave Flaubert

Recently, I read a review of the new translation of Madame Bovary in the New York Times Book Review that suggested that no one could possibly sympathize with, or even like, Emma Bovary, probably one of the most famous characters in literature. The introduction to my copy of the novel intimates the same. But having recently read Madame Bovary, I am completely sympathetic with Emma, even if I don’t condone her actions.

All of us, especially those of us who are heavy readers, probably go through a phase of life in which we fantasize an exciting, adventurous future for ourselves, when we are swept up by great passion and every moment trembles with meaning. But then we grow up and discover that life is largely mundane, and most of us make our peace with that and find other means of contentment. However, Emma Bovary couldn’t bring herself to do that. Her relentless attempts to live a storybook fantasy lead her first to the Church, then to adulterous love affairs, then to bankruptcy and, ultimately, self destruction.

In many ways, Emma is a feminist figure. In 19th century France, the only choices for a woman of her class were the nunnery or marriage. Emma chose marriage, but when she became bored, she didn’t have the options that her male lovers did: to go to Paris or travel abroad or take another mistress. Perhaps if she had had more choices, she wouldn’t have destroyed herself and her family.

It’s not men who seduce Emma, but the novels she reads that lead her to believe that her life could be a passionate one rather than the dreary, day-to-day routine of the small village where her husband is a doctor. If we condemn her for refusing to be satisfied with a mundane life over which she really has no ownership, how are we any different from anyone who has ever insisted that women stay in their place? Certainly, Emma makes terrible choices in her almost hysterical pursuit of something — anything — that can fulfill her. But we can’t fault her for pursuing that.

A review of "The House of the Scorpion" (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:24:21 GMT

The House of the Scorpion

by Nancy Farmer

Note: This review contains mild spoilers.

The House of the Scorpion is a novel intended for young adults, but it is only distinguishable as that by the youth of its main characters and the sometimes simplistic straightforwardness of the writing. The themes it addresses — the outsider, the moral obligations of those in power, the determination of nature vs. nurture — are much more complex and will appeal to readers of any age.

The House of the Scorpion is set 140 years in the future, in a dystopian country called Opium or Dreamland, located between the U.S. and Mexican (now Aztlan) borders. Opium was founded by a drug lord named El Patrón in a deal with its bordering countries to eliminate illegal immigration and funnel the drug trade to Asia, Europe and Africa. El Patrón rules Opium absolutely, modeling it on a fantasy version of his childhood Mexico. His Farm Patrol captures illegals and lobotomizes them, turning them into slaves called “eejits” or “zombies” to work the opium fields. El Patrón keeps himself alive by harvesting organs and tissue as needed from clones of himself, whose brains are also destroyed.

Except, in his hubris, El Patrón decides to keep the brain of of one his clones, a boy named Matt, intact. The novel is divided into sections based on Matt’s age and important periods in his life, from youth to middle age to old age. Never intended to have a long life, Matt’s “death” — and most critical turning point — comes at age 14, when he discovers that his true purpose is not to take over the family business from El Patrón, but to supply his next heart. The House of the Scorpion is Matt’s coming-of-age story, and at this point when Matt escapes to Aztlan, he begins the final process of becoming himself: no longer a despised, inferior clone, an outsider, but a true leader.

Sharing El Patrón’s genetics, Matt also shares many of his characteristics: pride, innate leadership, the drive to do what is necessary to achieve his goals. For most of his youth, although he is largely ostracized, Matt is not completely alone. Three people highly influence him: Celia, the woman who raises him and loves him unconditionally; Tam Lin, his bodyguard, who teaches him about the world and who believes in him; and Maria, his childhood friend who shows Matt that he is capable of being loved, despite being a clone. These are influences that El Patrón lacked. So when Matt comes into his own as a leader, he has the potential to do what El Patrón never could: to correct the egregious moral sins of his culture.

The House of the Scorpion won many honors, including the Newbery Award and the National Book Award for young adult literature.

A review of "Dying for Chocolate (Goldy Culinary Mysteries, Book 2)" (rated 2 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:18:08 GMT

Dying for Chocolate (Goldy Culinary Mysteries, Book 2)

by Diane Mott Davidson

These are your basic light little mysteries, but they suffer from a two-dimensional quality. The viewpoint character is just so pure – she’s in her thirties, has a child, and still feels guilty about sleeping with her fiance before the wedding, and enjoying it – while all the other people in the small Colorado town where she lives are so nasty, snobbish, priggish, gossipy, and shallow that the reader gets a lopsided view that just isn’t believable. And the reasons these people have for committing murder strain your disbelief even further, but I won’t give anything away. I was also particularly put off by one line in Dying for Chocolate: “She had that drawn look that vegetarians get.” I haven’t looked drawn since I became a vegetarian – quite the opposite, in fact – and everyone knows that a vegetarian diet is, in point of fact, much better for you. Anyway, the books do have a redeeming quality – they all include several sinfully sweet recipes so you can take time out and cook something if the story is bothering you.

A review of "Hornet's Nest (Andy Brazil)" (rated 2 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 19:50:17 GMT

Hornet's Nest (Andy Brazil)

by Patricia Cornwell

Hornet’s Nest is a sloppy mess that doesn’t at all resemble Cornwell’s more mature Kay Scarpetta novels. I wouldn’t even think that it was written by Cornwell if it didn’t contain all of her amateurish idiosyncracies that can usually be overlooked in favor of a strong story, but not here. The story jumps from point of view to point of view without warning, sometimes within the same paragraph, getting into the brains of the most minor characters (even the cat!). The vague plot bumps and ambles along, wandering off along uninteresting side paths at the slightest provocation. The characters are emotional maelstroms, whirling from extreme to extreme at the drop of a hat. And the worst offense of all – Cornwell calls my hometwon of Chapel Hill a “big city” when it is, of course, a “village.” The entire book resembles its title – a buzzing, chaotic mess, but with nothing at the center to hold it together. In fact, it reads like a first draft that Cornwell didn’t care enough about to whip into shape; unfortunately, she didn’t care enough about her readers to refrain from publishing it.

A review of "Loves Music, Loves to Dance" (rated 2 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 19:44:17 GMT

Loves Music, Loves to Dance

by Mary Higgins Clark

Although supposedly the “queen of suspense,” Mary Higgins Clark is an amateurish, uninteresting writer to anyone used to meatier books. She writes like a B-grade romance novelist and is sometimes so lazy that she doesn’t even complete her sentences. Her characters are two-dimensional paper cutouts, her plots hold no surprises but plenty of unbelievable coincidences, and everyone falls in love at the end. Unless your a fan of dime-store romances and want to read one with a serial killer (but no sex, unfortunately), I’d recommend that you avoid this novel and everything else in Clark’s too-considerable oeuvre.

A story about "Very Hungry Caterpillar"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 19:37:09 GMT

Very Hungry Caterpillar

by Eric Carle

A newly born caterpillar goes looking for something to eat. Teaches days of the week, counting, types of food, the life cycle of a butterfly and how you get a tummyache. Fun to read, and not so annoying to read over and over if requested. Colorful pictures and “bite” holes cut through the pages increase enjoyment for little readers.

Eric Carle draws beautifully, but his books can sometimes get tedious; this is one of the better ones.

A story about "Dear Zoo: A Pop-up Book"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Shannon) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 19:30:32 GMT

Dear Zoo: A Pop-up Book

by Rod Campbell

A very cute book, in which a zoo keeps sending a young child inappropriate animals. My son likes to name the animals hidden under the flaps and tell why each one is not a good gift. The camel is too grumpy, the lion too fierce, and so on.