All Consuming : valthezeh

A review of "Now I Can Die in Peace: How ESPN's Sports Guy Found Salvation, with a Little Help from Nomar, Pedro, Shawshank, and the 2004 Red Sox"

nobody@allconsuming.net (valthezeh) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:45:36 GMT

Now I Can Die in Peace: How ESPN's Sports Guy Found Salvation, with a Little Help from Nomar, Pedro, Shawshank, and the 2004 Red Sox

by Bill Simmons

I thought this would be a fun read since I generally love Simmons’s column, but the perpetual misogyny made me so sick to my stomach I could barely get through ten pages without having to put it down. It’s a shame, because now I kind of hate the guy and it taints his column for me.

A story about "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (valthezeh) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 02:32:31 GMT

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)

by J. K. Rowling

I wasn’t really all that excited about the book to be honest – I’m not the biggest fan of the series, though I definitely enjoyed it. I really didn’t think the author could manage to come up with an ending that lived up to all of the expectations people had developed.

Long story short, she did. I was impressed with how well the ending fit, and how complex, startling, and appropriate it was. I had some minor gripes (epilogue!) but really, it was amazing and a really fun read.

A story about "Life of Pi"

nobody@allconsuming.net (valthezeh) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 02:27:11 GMT

Life of Pi

by Yann Martel

It was worth reading in that it gave me a lot of food for thought in terms of religion, death, and what really matters in life, but I thought it was somewhat poorly tied together, and I actually didn’t like the main character from about page 4 on.

I would recommend it for people who are interested in survival stories and can deal with a little boredom.

A story about "American Gods"

nobody@allconsuming.net (valthezeh) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 22:14:21 GMT

American Gods

by Neil Gaiman

Several times throughout the book, I thought I knew where it was going – a critique of the American lifestyle, a commentary on the American value system, or an endorsement of the US over other places, but it was none of those things, and a little bit of all of them, and a lot more, too.

A story about "Invisible Man: A Novel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (valthezeh) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:17:36 GMT

Invisible Man: A Novel

by Ralph Ellison

By the time I got through the first few paragraphs, I knew that this was going to be one of my all-time favorite books, and it didn’t disappoint. It was one of those books that you’re not the same after reading.

A story about "The Time Traveler's Wife"

nobody@allconsuming.net (valthezeh) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 00:31:17 GMT

The Time Traveler's Wife

by Audrey Niffenegger

Eh, mixed feelings. Some of the story was interesting and very innovative, but the romance itself annoyed me. I didn’t think it was explained well enough how a real relationship could exist between the two when there was such an imbalance between them. All of the witholding information on his part left a bad taste in my mouth, and I didn’t get enough closure. Still, it was worth reading.

Amazing (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (valthezeh) — Mon, 28 May 2007 02:01:54 GMT

The Lovely Bones

by Alice Sebold

It was completely absorbing – I couldn’t put it down. Insightful and beautiful… the kind of book that sends chills down your spine and raises goosebumps on your arms. Loved it!