The Millennium Trilogy

I’m not usually one to read books that have a lot of hype. Sure, I’ve read and blogged about popular series (Twilight) or bestsellers (A Reliable Wife), but typically I’ve read advanced copies and have glommed on before the reading rampage or at least The New York Times Book Review. So it is with a wry smile at myself and my particular anathema to reading crazes (I refuse to read anything that Oprah tells me to read, thank God I had already read Beloved and East of Eden), that I finally, after much hype and an amazing amount of sales, that I picked up Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest).

I can’t say much about this trilogy. I don’t quite understand the inordinate amount of hype, unless it is perhaps because of the author’s early demise. Truth be told, if I hadn’t heard about how good the second two books were, I never would have picked them up after having finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which I found to be a bit slow and dry. I don’t know if it was the translation, or just Larsson’s writing style, but there were times when I was flabbergasted by the unrelenting detail of the most inane actions within this book. “She walked across the room, turned on the light. Took of her red coat. Put it on the chair.” While this is not actually text from the book, this is a very good example of Larsson’s writing. It was amazing that I actually finished the book, based on that alone. Toward the end I did begin to enjoy the plot, but I was not exactly overwhelmed.

I must admit that I did enjoy The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest much more. The writing was still dry, but not as stale as the first book. I enjoyed the character of Lisbeth Salander (more so than anyone else) and the conspiracies against her in these two books were much more appealing. Actually, I thought that if the first book would have dealt more with Salander, as opposed to Blomkvist, who I found to be an oversexed, less than desirable male, but as a character, intriguing because of his relationship with Salander, it would have been a much more interesting read.

I’m not saying much in this piece, I know, but the series has been talked to death. Basically, it wasn’t horrible, the plot as spanned between the three novels was interesting, and ended much better than it started out, but I’d rather read Tana French, someone with great characters and actual prose as opposed to the dry, somewhat boring stage directions of Larsson.

In conjunction with this rather brief blog piece I highly recommend reading this fantastic essay from The Millions. The author, Jane Potter, puts into words similar thoughts, but in a much more eloquent way. I really think she hits the nail on the head.



This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Blameless: A Narcissistic Reviewer’s Examination

This summer I experienced the ultimate in reader dismay, a cliffhanger ending with months to wait before the next book. In a world where every book seems to be a part of a series this isn’t that much of a surprise and really shouldn’t cause such aggravation, but in the case of Gail Carriger’s Changeless, I was so enthralled by the plot and so involved with the characters, that when the book ended I literally groaned. I so loved Changeless that I reread parts of it, hoping to find some clue as to the direction of the next booking the series. I have many a times been the subject of author abuse; where an author goes off the deep end and completely ruins the flow of his/her characters by changing circumstances or ruining relationships, and I was desperate to find within the text of Changeless, some small hint that could assuage my irrational reader fears. Needless to say, Ms. Carriger cleverly hooked me with her volatile ending and guaranteed that I would purchase the third book in her Parasol Protectorate series, Blameless.

It was with excitement and some degree of trepidation that I opened the pages of Blameless. I was thrilled to finally get my hands on the book (and earlier than the stated street date too), but I was fearful that my new favorite protagonist Lady Alexia Maccon née Tarabotti, would be led of the deep end (or placed into a situation that I as a selfish reader did not want to see her go). I’m the usual narcissistic individual who wants everything to happen in books and movies, exactly how I want them to happen, so while this is a rather ridiculous thing to expect authors to do (I’m fairly sure they can’t read my nor any other reader’s minds), I still had this neurotic fear of character destruction that hovered in the far corners of my rather scrambled brain. I also had so many theories as to what happened at the end of Changeless (I refuse to give away plot points because I very much want you all to pick up these books not because of some plot summary that I spit out, but because they are legitimately good books and should be read), that I was fearful I would be wrong in my assumptions. I really hate to be wrong.

What I found when I did sit back on the couch with Blameless clenched between my hands, was pure, unadulterated entertainment. This book took me in directions I had not fathomed, but utterly which delighted me. I can honestly say that this was my favorite of Gail Carriger’s books thus far (Heartless, book four will be out in the summer of 2011) and not only did I finish it in record time, but I nearly read it again just for the fun of it. I have not had a truly fun, inventive, and totally original read in quite a while as on top of my ARC reading, I’ve been slogging through the remarkably dry Millennium trilogy and while not suffering, really needed a good “un-put-downable” novel. Unfortunately, my mother was just as eager to read Blameless, so I had to trek to her house and share, eliminating my immediate thoughts of rereading (I think I’ll reread all three just prior to the release of Heartless).

What I love about this book and its predecessors is the completely unique world and language created by the author. Her use of words, style, and syntax is brilliant. The language of her characters is almost a character itself. Also, the environment she creates with her words is a strong character, often driving the narrative to new heights. One can literally see, hear, and smell (the Thames does come off as having a rather nasty odor) the locations and abodes within this world. Whether it’s her reimagining of Victorian England, tours through flying dirigibles, or descriptions of the Italian countryside (very orange), Carriger uses her distinctive voice to fully create these environs for her readers.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the wonderful cast of these books. The supporting figures are distinctive and rich in personality and physicality. They are not mere background characters, but driving forces behind and around the protagonist, continuously manipulating the gears of the story, affecting not just the heroine, but the world in which they reside. Alexia Maccon is one-of-a-kind, a truly dynamic character whose wit and unreserved soullessness made me smirk far more often than I usually do. She also proves that just because one doesn’t possess a soul, doesn’t mean that she can’t feel deeply and reacted emotionally. I can’t suitably describe the richness of this character; it’s something that can only be discovered by picking up this wonderful series and discovering the multitude of layers created by its author.

I realize I’ve spoken more about Gail Carriger’s series as opposed to the book Blameless itself, but in order to get the humor and intelligence of this fantastic read it is of absolute importance for readers to discover its nearly flawless predecessors. I found Blameless to be beyond thoroughly enjoyable, a wonderful treat for the mind and imagination, a gem of a book in a diamond of a series.





This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

When Extraordinary is Nothing More than Ordinary

Extraordinary, according to Dictionary.com, means beyond what is usual, ordinary, regular, or established; exceptional in character, amount, extent, degree, noteworthy, remarkable. To be extraordinary something must stand out, it must be notable, beyond compare, and it must be, well… extraordinary.

Nancy Werlin’s book Impossible was an original, mesmerizing, and edgy faerie tale. It was a book that hooked me with its unique storyline and captivated me with its engaging, earnest characters. I always enjoy an edgy read, combine that with some form of the paranormal and I’m usually hooked, hence my fandom for a series like Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely. So, when handed a copy of Werlin’s soon to be released Extraordinary I was rather excited to see what inventive characters and thrilling new storyline she had come up with next.

Extraordinary it was not.

I say this with sadness because I really wanted to like this book. I loved Impossible and when I am keen on an author I always anticipate reading him/her again. I am a loyal fan, if an author has hooked me once; I tend to be a fan for life (which explains why I still read JD Robb, even though the last several books have been horrendous). So, when I say I really wanted to love Extraordinary, I really wanted to love it. Unfortunately, there was not much in this book for me to enjoy.

Let me start with what I did like about Extraordinary, before I dissect it negatively. I thought the message, which finally makes itself clear toward the end, in a rather banal way, was quite wonderful. This message is best encapsulated here in the following two quotes:

…perhaps—rare though truly extraordinary may be—there is no such thing as simply ordinary. Or perhaps there is always the capability of becoming extraordinary, buried inside any ordinary being.(pg. 373)

Is being…extraordinary—maybe it’s not about being that way all the time, every minute of life? Because that’s not really possible…But maybe it’s about learning that you have something deep inside that you can reach for when you really need it. Strength. Strength that helps you do whatever it is you need to do, when you need to do it.(pgs. 388-389)

I liked this idea that everyone has the capability of being extraordinary, the ability is there, and all you have to do is reach for it. Considering that this book was written specifically for teens and young adults, this message is rather endearing as it is during this age that many suffer from feelings of inadequacy, or as put in this book, ordinariness, when all anyone really wants to be is more than ordinary.

I also liked the main concept of this book, in which a single girl can make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save not only a loved one, but also an entire race. That she is put in that situation because of an ancient pact between an ancestor and the Queen of Faerie adds to the uniqueness, while also appealing to the paranormal fiction explosion that has taken over the world.

Here is what was wrong with this book. It’s predictable. I pretty much was able to anticipate every scene before it occurred. I don’t mind that on a small scale, after all it is usually fun to figure out who the murder is before the detective, but not when you figure out the entire plot, twists and all. The characters are generally unappealing until literally the last twenty pages, far too late for my tastes.

My main issue with Extraordinary is with Werlin’s attempt to tie-in the subject of anti-Semitism. Every so often the main character Phoebe jumps to the conclusion that some statement or action made by other characters is anti-Semitic or racist. I have no problem with this if there are genuine references to create these feelings in the character, but pages later Werlin contradicts the character’s claims through the voice of a different character. If this happened once I could push it aside, but this happens throughout the book. At one point Phoebe even attempts to draw a connection between the dying faeries and the Jews during the Holocaust. This is Werlin trying way too hard to connect this story in some way to the horrors of the past. Using the fae as an allegory for the Jewish race is an interesting idea, but Werlin does it in such a spotty way that it just seems like too far a stretch and in actuality becomes an annoyance instead of—what I assume she meant to do—enlightenment. This theme is spread so thinly across this novel, yet when it does hit the reader it hits with the finesse of a drunk and blind boxer, wobbly and way off course.

While Extraordinary is anything but, please do take the time to check out Impossible. It is worth a read and I promise it will produce far more entertainment than this sadly mediocre new book.

An Evening with the Warwick’s Booksellers

On Tuesday, August 24 Warwick’s (only the best Independent Book Store around) hosted its annual Reading Group Recommends Night. This is typically an evening where 100 or so book lovers congregate to hear all about the best reading group geared books available. The Warwick’s staff has been doing this presentation for several years, each year more successful (much larger attendance and sales) thanks to the diverse group of presenting readers with very eclectic taste. Done in a lecture format, with each bookseller presenting at a podium for 10-15 minutes, this is the perfect chance to sit back, take notes, and hear enthusiastic reviews from extraordinarily well-read booksellers. This was my fourth year as a presenter, my first as a sort of moderator/introducer. My picks are listed below with brief explanations of why these books are so good. To see a full listing of the books discussed click here. I urge you to do so as the books that are mentioned here are not only unusual to many reading group circles, but they all have the distinction of being remarkably well-written, literary pieces, that not only offer mental stimulation, but also provide some wonderful entertainment.


Still Missing
By Chevy Stevens
Centered around an escaped kidnap victim and detailing her capture, incarceration, escape, and ongoing recovery, Still Missing is an engrossing read. It possesses wit that engages, suspense that thrills, and a twist, which will rock readers.

Deeply psychological, it has an interesting introspective feel to it thanks to a first person narrative. This stylization helps to bring the reader more fully and emotionally into the story creating a unique bond between the reader and the character. I highly recommend this novel to fans of Gillian Flynn, Chelsea Cain, and Lisa Unger, or for anyone who loves a well-written psychological study, that also happens to be a thriller.


Juliet
By Anne Fortier
(Released today, August 24)
Juliet is the story of Julie Jacobs, a young woman who is drawn into the mysterious and very real world of Shakespeare’s most famous warring families. Yes, I’m talking about the actual tale of Romeo and Juliet, or as this novel poses it, Romeo and Giulietta, who lived and died in medieval Siena (not Verona) and were the unfortunate pawns of power-hungry families.

This was a fast-paced, intriguing story, which brought to mind other fabulous tales that intertwined two time periods and stories to make for one excellent novel, namely The Thirteenth Tale, The Eight, and Kate Mosse’s Labyrinth. I liked the complexity of the characters, the clever plot, and the wonderful historical research that Fortier put into her story. Juliet is a delightful and engaging new book perfect for reading groups who like to juxtapose two texts or with an interest in classic books (or plays in this case). I highly recommend reacquainting oneself with Shakespeare’s version first though, as it helps to fill-in the background of this creative tale, making just that much better.


Saving CeeCee Honeycutt
By Beth Hoffman
(paperback ed. Out 10/26/10)
This wonderfully delightful novel absolutely grabbed me. The author, Beth Hoffman, has this smooth prose that captures the idiosyncrasies and nuances of southern life and style. The cast of characters is vivid in personality, feminine intelligence, and southern charm. Hoffman also manages to convey a hard core of strength and determination beneath her sweetly loving and exuberant female characters. This seemingly simple story of a newly motherless girl taken in by her great aunt is truly superb. It is both laugh out loud, and cry in the dark, a multi-dimensional story wrapped in the façade of a light and easy read. This is one of those books that you put down, and then pick right back up because you must find someone else to read it and enjoy it with you.


Special Mention:

Revolution
By Jennifer Donnelly
Release Date: October 12, 2010
Revolution is one of those books that sucks you in emotionally and rivets with its dramatic prose and utterly fantastic plot. The narrative switches between Andi, a modern day teen and the voice of Alexandrine Paradis, a young performer and companion to young Prince Louis XVII Charles, smoothly building just enough intrigue to capture the reader’s interest and keep it locked in for the entire novel. The characters are brilliantly depicted and the research that went into describing the atmosphere and the horrors of the French Revolution is thorough and impressive. I cannot praise this novel enough. After I finished it I was loathe to read anything else, wanting to relish the superb storytelling and character development of Donnelly. What an amazing read for both adults and older teens.

If you would like to hear a podcast of the evening click here.

It’s a Book Jackass

In an age where people read things on their cell phones, ipads, Kindles, and computers it is not so amazing that someone might see a book and ask the question “What is that?”. Lane Smith tackles this concept in his new picture book, aptly titled It’s a Book.

This brilliant satirical book is simple in its presentation (after all, it is a book), yet oddly deep in nature as it cleverly tackles the ebook debate without ever criticizing ebooks or other technological breakthroughs (or hindrances, depending on your take).

While the book is in picture book format, suggesting at first glance that it is meant for children, this book is a far better read for adults. Please don’t discount the younger set though, I may be giving small children more perception than they have, but I think many little kids (maybe 5 & up) will actually get the premise, especially as children as young as kindergarten are using computers or handheld devises (maybe this is just the kids I know?). My only suggestion, and this actually gives me twinges, is to censor the last sentence of the book “It’s a BOOK Jackass”, unless you don’t mind your little ones calling each other jackass (and they will).

Simply put It’s a Book is the Book of the year and if you don’t check it out you’re probably an illiterate, or just not in touch with you intellect. Remember, books don’t get plugged in, charged, lit up, or scroll, they simply, and brilliantly open up a world of knowledge and imagination, if what you’re reading doesn’t do that, well then, it’s not a book jackass.

Ice Cold

The latest in Tess Gerritsen’s series featuring Detective Jane Rizzoli and Medical Examiner Maura Isles starts off like a spine tingling horror film. Complete with an eerily abandoned town aptly named Kingdom Come, a snowstorm, and a group of people seeking shelter after their vehicle has gotten stuck in a ditch, Gerritsen creates an amazingly tense and often frightening atmosphere. I had mental visions of the film Silent Hill through this first part, and have to admit to feeling a bit white knuckled. The uncertainty of Maura’s survival and the introduction of a brainwashed, polygamous, and pedophilic cult keep the reader engaged, but sadly the second half fizzles and seems oddly incongruent with the horror-movie style of the first hundred or so pages. Despite the second-half lag, Ice Cold was still entertaining and worth a go, but if you’re new to Gerritsen my recommendation would be to take a look at some of the earlier books in this series, such as The Surgeon, The Sinner, or my personal favorite Vanish. I actually was introduced to the series with Vanish and it made me an instant Gerritsen fan. Dealing with the horrors of human trafficking, and placing Jane Rizzoli in the position of hostage (a hostage in labor to be exact), Vanish is full of psychological twists that are absolutely enthralling. The combination of intriguing characters, impossible and horrific situations, and brilliant plot makes for one hell of a good mystery read (which is why it was nominated for an Edgar Award).

On a connected note, TNT has adapted Gerritsen’s characters into a television series, Rizzoli & Isles which will begin airing on Monday, July 12 at 10:00 pm. It stars Angie Harmon (Law & Order) as Rizzoli and Sasha Alexander (NCIS) as Isles. TNT has produced some pretty well written and cast programs; let us hope that the station runs true to form with this series. I’ll give it a go and report back.

Just an asside, but if you read Vanish and are slightly twisted (like I am) and wanted to read another really good thriller that deals with the subject of human trafficking read Lost Girls by George Shuman, it made me never want to travel alone again. Or watch Taken starring Liam Neeson.

Art is Dead

Dystopic novels are all the rage now. From Hunger Games and The Passage to Matched, more and more books featuring pent-up, artless, soulless societies are being churned out. Why? Perhaps I’m being presumptuous, but I think it’s because authors are recognizing this turn in our own ever-changing society and readers being more sub-consciously perceptive than has been supposed are seeking relief from the politics of life or answers through fiction. All I know is that as we move further into the depths of this digital-visual age the concepts of these books seem to slink their way into our lives.

In reading these novels one main thread can be seen repeatedly. Whether it’s Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 from 1953, or the upcoming 2010 novel Matched by Ally Condie, there is one prevalent item that is banned, limited, or controlled with an iron grip, Art. Now, when I say I art, I don’t just mean Seurat, Caravaggio, and Da Vinci, I mean art, as it encompasses everything and anything that requires talent and imagination to produce; literature, music, film, theater, the things that years later define are particular generational culture. These authors have all predicted the abolishment of art and culture (for those of you who lack these, books fall into these categories, and yes I have had that conversation, which is why I’ve included this note). Now, we start to see how prophetic these imagineers are.

For years arts programs have bee cut from schools, much to the detriment to our students as many studies have now shown (California Arts Council). Arts programs have led to stronger reading and verbal skills, music and math intermingle repeatedly, and according to the Center for Arts Education, New York “research has also shown that arts education has had a measurable impact on at-risk youth in deterring delinquent behavior and truancy problems while also increasing overall academic performance” (Center for Arts Education.)In his book A Whole New Mind New York Times bestselling author and lecturer Daniel Pink recognized the influence of arts and goes further to state that people with strong arts backgrounds are the future in terms of business, financial, and personal success. As far as I’m concerned Arts are the backbone of our society.

So, why am I writing what seems to be an intro to a Masters Thesis? I’m writing out of frustration and disappointment. In this city we have one major newspaper, it’s not great, but outside of a series of community newspapers (some surprisingly good, some sadly horrific), it’s all we have. Over the past few years we have seen a once thorough review of arts and culture begin to dwindle, so that it is now only a few pages on Sundays. Now we have been informed of a complete reformatting of the Arts section, namely one where books have been ousted from the community of arts and culture. My dismay is great. Not just because books will be significantly absent from this coverage, but by the ignorance of the paper’s new Editor in Chief. A man who apparently does not recognize literature as either an art or as a part of our culture. Seeing as how the New York Times Book Review section on Sundays is a staple for many ardent and even not so ardent readers, it amazes me that another major metropolitan newspaper would diminish such a section. Also, at a time when book readership is growing thanks to the popularity of ebooks and ereaders (not a fan, but I understand the appeal), it would seem that now is the time to open the eyes of these newer readers to breakout fiction and non-fiction that they would not have heard of without the newspaper’s coverage (New York Times). I’m not the only one distressed by this, it appears as though the community in general is appalled and in order to better understand the newspaper’s decision a Arts and Culture Forum will be taking place at July 9 at Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave, La Jolla, Ca from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Moderated by Author, Lecturer, Psychologist Richard Farson and featuring a panel of notable community members, including the new Editor of the San Diego Union Tribune, this should be a unique opportunity to understand how a major city boasting an array of amazing museums, concert venues, independent book stores, and award-winning theaters, could possibly delete these important cultural and tourist drawing (let’s face is we do survive on tourism in America’s Finest City) from our newspaper. Yes, printed news as we know it is changing, but it is not dying, it is evolving, calling for it’s producers to tap into local interests, non-profits, and businesses in order to maintain it’s readership.

So Art is dead. At least according to this city’s newspaper. Let us hope that the citizenship vehemently disagrees. And let us hope that our future is not the one imagined by Bradbury and his cohorts.

More more information on the forum please visit: http://www.warwicks.indiebound.com/event/arts-forum



Works Cited

California Arts Council. Web. 02 July 2010. http://www.cac.ca.gov/artsinfo/research.php
The Center for Arts Education of New York | Arts Powered Learning. Web. 02 July 2010. http://caenyc.org/arts-education-report/executive_summary.
"E-Book Fans Keep Format in Spotlight." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 20 Oct. 2009. Web. 02 July 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/technology/21books.html.
Pink, Daniel H. A Whole New Mind: Why Right-brainers Will Rule the Future. New York: Riverhead, 2006. Print.