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I'm missing two books, I think. I feel like I've read at least two other books, but since I fell out of the habit of recording them as I read them, I've forgotten them. For now, at least.
Short and sweet,
Whistling in the Dark, Lesley Kagen
Convinced that there's a child predator out to get her, Sally O'Malley spends much of this novel suspecting others of foul play. Though some of the plot twists are terribly predictable (who'd've guessed Miss O'Malley's first suspect was actually her father? *eyeroll*) and some of the characters are either underdeveloped or seemingly made of cliches, this was still an enjoyable read. I think much of that is because we're seeing things through Sally's point-of-view--all the insecurities, bravado, misunderstandings, and whatever else makes up a pre-pubescent girl. Not exactly a taxing read, this is definitely a good beach read (save for the lack of steamy sex!).
The Water's Lovely, Ruth Rendell
Meh. It's a well-written story in terms of words and langauge on paper. But, the story is predictable from the first chapter (save for the very end and the sister's demise, though that twist made me laugh out loud more than anything else). I found myself angry with the characters for most of the read--the mooning ex-girlfriend, the uppity soon-to-be-mother-in-law, the smug sister... But, I read on, hoping for a satisfying ending or at least some sort of character-molting or a life realization. A number of people have recommended Ruth Rendell (both friends and patrons), but I was underwhelmed with the total package.
Wicked, Gregory Maguire
I bought my mom a copy of this at Christmas last year, tucking inside two tickets to the show. We went to the show in July, and enjoyed it. I think we both agreed to read the book and I finally got around to it last week. I LOVED this book, which surprises me to no end, given my complete aversion to fantasy (see - cannot read Harry Potter). Always one to root for the underdog, I devoured every second of Elphaba's story. I like Maguire's style and I'm disappointed to hear that some of his other titles (Ugly Stepsister, Mirror, Mirror, for example) aren't as well-constructed. Maybe Oz just has the bigger following? Maybe. I definitely want to give Son of a Witch a try and I've put that on reserve already.
The Pond, Ha Jin
I loved Jin's Waiting, reading it basically in one evening while waiting for Mike to finish a class way out in Ambler, PA (this was back when I still ate gluten--I had pizza that night--and we still had the X-Terrorist/HalliburtonMobile). When I found The Pond in a friend's freebie pile, I jumped on it. Sadly, this book isn't just as good a read. I don't know if the translation is too literal, or if it was written to seem as something poorly translated (doubt that), but the story's not exactly engaging. Perhaps if I was more familiar with the culture or the implied time period? .
So, I'm now up to 40/60 books for the year. I'm currently reading Body Surfing by Anita Shreve (eh, so far it's engaging). Next will be the above-mentioned Son of a Witch. Beyond that--any recommendations?
Short and sweet,
Whistling in the Dark, Lesley Kagen
Convinced that there's a child predator out to get her, Sally O'Malley spends much of this novel suspecting others of foul play. Though some of the plot twists are terribly predictable (who'd've guessed Miss O'Malley's first suspect was actually her father? *eyeroll*) and some of the characters are either underdeveloped or seemingly made of cliches, this was still an enjoyable read. I think much of that is because we're seeing things through Sally's point-of-view--all the insecurities, bravado, misunderstandings, and whatever else makes up a pre-pubescent girl. Not exactly a taxing read, this is definitely a good beach read (save for the lack of steamy sex!).
The Water's Lovely, Ruth Rendell
Meh. It's a well-written story in terms of words and langauge on paper. But, the story is predictable from the first chapter (save for the very end and the sister's demise, though that twist made me laugh out loud more than anything else). I found myself angry with the characters for most of the read--the mooning ex-girlfriend, the uppity soon-to-be-mother-in-law, the smug sister... But, I read on, hoping for a satisfying ending or at least some sort of character-molting or a life realization. A number of people have recommended Ruth Rendell (both friends and patrons), but I was underwhelmed with the total package.
Wicked, Gregory Maguire
I bought my mom a copy of this at Christmas last year, tucking inside two tickets to the show. We went to the show in July, and enjoyed it. I think we both agreed to read the book and I finally got around to it last week. I LOVED this book, which surprises me to no end, given my complete aversion to fantasy (see - cannot read Harry Potter). Always one to root for the underdog, I devoured every second of Elphaba's story. I like Maguire's style and I'm disappointed to hear that some of his other titles (Ugly Stepsister, Mirror, Mirror, for example) aren't as well-constructed. Maybe Oz just has the bigger following? Maybe. I definitely want to give Son of a Witch a try and I've put that on reserve already.
The Pond, Ha Jin
I loved Jin's Waiting, reading it basically in one evening while waiting for Mike to finish a class way out in Ambler, PA (this was back when I still ate gluten--I had pizza that night--and we still had the X-Terrorist/HalliburtonMobile). When I found The Pond in a friend's freebie pile, I jumped on it. Sadly, this book isn't just as good a read. I don't know if the translation is too literal, or if it was written to seem as something poorly translated (doubt that), but the story's not exactly engaging. Perhaps if I was more familiar with the culture or the implied time period? .
So, I'm now up to 40/60 books for the year. I'm currently reading Body Surfing by Anita Shreve (eh, so far it's engaging). Next will be the above-mentioned Son of a Witch. Beyond that--any recommendations?
