books 63 and 64

Bitter Sweets, Roopa Farooki
rating:


This debut novel has been compared to Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake, and I have to say that, beyond the obvious cultural connection, I didn't really see it. This book is so soaked in deceit that I had a hard time relating to many of the characters, and some of the major issues raised are dealt with so neatly that it was difficult to believe. Still, I found Farooki's writing to be smooth and her voice to be very readable.

Last Rituals, Yrsa Sigurdardottir
rating:


The subtitle of this novel is: "An Icelandic Novel of Secret Symbols, Medieval Witchcraft, and Modern Murder." Yep, that pretty much says it all. Lawyer Thora is contacted by the family of a murdered German graduate student studying in Iceland. They're unhappy with the outcome of the police investigation and want her to find out more. I'm a fan of Scandinavian crime novels, generally, though this one was a little different b/c the victim was a German national. I figured out who the murderer was pretty early on, but the rest of the novel was still pretty interesting. Witches, torture, creepy stuff, etc.

book 62

Slam, Nick Hornby
rating:


Nick Hornby's latest novel is about a teenager, Sam, who is really into skating (skateboarding, that is, but apparently only rubes call it that). He's got a few nice things going for him - he might be the first in the family to go to college, he's got a pretty girlfriend, etc. But then it all goes out the window after something occurs that changes his life (I'm not saying what b/c the book jacket acts as if it's some kind of secret). Hornby's teenage voice is really good, and I really liked the fast pace of the story. I'm a little quibbly about the parts where he is able to magically preview the future, but those moments are pretty well contained. I remember not being super happy about How to Be Good, the last Hornby I read, but I enjoyed this one so much that I'm considering going back and reading that suicide book he wrote.

I've got three more days to up my totals for 2007. Can I do a book a day and make it a respectable 65? Stay tuned...

book 61

Garden Spells, Sarah Addison Allen
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A debut novel from a North Carolina writer, Garden Spells is about the Waverly sisters of Bascom, NC, and how they deal with their strange family history. One of the sisters is a caterer, and she makes all of these delicious-sounding foods out of the edible flowers grown in the magical family garden. I was hungry a lot while I read it. Overall, a fine read, but it all wrapped up a little too nicely for my taste.

book 60

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
rating:


Re-reading for book club. If you don't know what happens, you should watch the movie.

book 59

The Abstinence Teacher, Tom Perrotta
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Eh. I've really liked Tom Perrotta ever since I read The Wishbones back in high school. But this one really didn't do it for me. It's about Ruth, a sex ed teacher involved in scandal, etc. etc. and Tim, a former drug-addict now born-again Christian who coaches Ruth's daughter's soccer team. It was well-written but I didn't feel like there was much arc or movement to the story, like I was just waiting for whatever big thing was going to happen and I'm still waiting now, even after the book is over.

book 58

Origin, Diana Abu-Jaber
rating:


This book rocked. It's a really dark mystery about a fingerprint analyst, Lena, who becomes involved in a serial murder case involving infants. It seems pretty standard mystery fare at first, but as it progresses it becomes increasingly more intense and imaginative and awesome. Compulsively readable.

book 57

If I am Missing or Dead, Janine Latus
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The jacket description seriously misrepresents this book. I thought this memoir would be about Latus' sister's murder and how she dealt with it. The title refers to a letter left by the sister (Amy) in a desk drawer to let people know of her fears regarding her romantic partner in the event of her disappearance or death. But Amy's death doesn't actually come into play until the very end of the book. The rest focuses on Latus' own bad relationships, particularly her oppressive and frightening marriage. I mean, seriously, her husband makes her get breast implants and forces her to weight herself every day. Amy is really an afterthought here. Well written, but not what I really wanted it to be.

book 56

last one! I'm all caught up now.

Bangkok 8, John Burdett
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It took me about fifty pages or so to get into Burdett's style, but once I was in, I was in. This novel is about a Thai policeman whose partner is killed in a very strange way early on. It turns out that his death is all wrapped up in this mystery, which drives the remainder of the narrative. I'm not sure if I'd say it's full of twists, really, but I definitely wouldn't have guessed the outcome at the beginning, or even halfway through. I think I'll pick up the sequel soon.

On another note, this is the only book I've ever read entirely in airports/on airplanes.

book 55

How to Talk to a Widower, Jonathan Tropper
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This is a prime example of dick lit. Oops, I'm being crass. "Lad Lit." The main character is a 29-year old widower with a troubled stepson and a very, very strange relationship with how own family (especially his twin sister). He's a writer, but his columns about being a widower are really kind of blah compared to the rest of the book. He is coerced into dating again, and all kinds of wacky things happen. Pretty funny and very readable.

book 54

Getting Rid of Matthew, Jane Fallon
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Eh. Three 'bots, I guess? Jane Fallon is the longtime partner of Ricky Gervais and has done lots of writing for British TV, so I was pretty excited about this one. Really it's British chick lit with a "twist." It's about Helen, whose older, married boyfriend leaves his wife to be with her. Surprise! It's not what she thought it would be and she kind of hates him. So she gets buddy buddy with his estranged wife, pretending to be a woman named Eleanor, and tries to convince her to take him back. Hijinks ensue.

book 53

Songs Without Words, Ann Packer
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My experience with this book was eerily similar to the one I had with book 52. I read Packer's last novel, The Dive from Clausen's Pier, when I was in college and really loved it. The main character there was in her twenties, I think. This one focuses on two women who are probably in their 30s, maybe early 40s, and their relationship. One of the women has a tense relationship with her daughter, which becomes a major focus. Slower than Moriarty's, but I was still able to read it pretty quickly (It was on the "Sizzler!" shelf at the public library, which means I only got to keep it for four days).

book 52

The Rest of Her Life, Laura Moriarty
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Laura Moriarty rocks because she lives in my new home state of Kansas. I read her last novel, The Center of Everything, years and years ago, and loved it. I enjoyed this one as well. It's about a woman whose teenage daughter is involved in a car accident. It deals a lot with the family dynamic, especially the mother-daughter relationship. I thought it was a good read, and I like Moriarty's simple writing style, but I feel like it would have resonated with me more if I had a child. My sister, who has two daughters, vouches for its relatability on that level, though.