The Best and Worst of 2009

Here are my favorite -- and least favorite -- books of the year.

First, the best. I picked my favorite ten, but they aren't ranked beyond that. I tried to rank them in order of favorites, but it was simply too difficult. Quite simply, these were all amazing novels.

THE BEST

- Benjamin, Alice I Have Been
- Collins, The Hunger Games
- DuMaurier, My Cousin Rachel
- DuMaurier, Rebecca
- Phillips, Angelica
- Phillips, The Egyptologist
- Savage, Firmin
- Simmons, Drood
- Waters, The Little Stranger
- Vidal, Julian

And now, for my least favorites. I gave decent reviews of some at the time but found they do not hold up in retrospect. Thus, this list is not so much about "bad" books as it is about books I simply didn't enjoy. (Labeling it "The Worst" is somewhat of a misnomer, but will work in place of the wordier "Books I Didn't Jive With.")

THE WORST

- Brown, The Lost Symbol
- Coupland, JPod
- Fforde, The Fourth Bear
- Freund, I Never Saw Paris
- Hyde, The Abortionist's Daughter
- Koja, The Cipher
- Millhauser, Dangerous Laughter
- Moody, Right Livelihoods
- Oppegaard, The Suicide Collectors
- Sijie, Mr. Muo's Travelling Couch

A Year in Reading: 2009

Well, folks, it's once again time for my Year in Review.

I didn't read as many books this year as I would have liked. I managed to finish 71, when last year, I read 88. In 2007, I read 77. So this was a pretty crappy year, reading wise. Oh, and my reading resolution? Pretty much crapped out on that one. That's okay: I'll be trying again in 2010.

I'm not going to be too hard on myself for reading fewer books this year than in the last two years; I had some chunksters in there (such as Drood and Armadale) that caused me to slow down a bit. (Sure, let's go with that.)

I'll highlight my best and worst later; for now, here's the full tally:

JANUARY

1. Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
2. Bachelder, Bear v. Shark
3. Coupland, JPod
4. Davidson, The Gargoyle
5. Diaz, The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao
6. Gottlieb, Now You See Him
7. Hyde, The Abortionist's Daughter
8. Lippman, What the Dead Know
9. McEwan, On Chesil Beach
10. Thomas, The End of Mr. Y
11. Tinti, The Good Thief


FEBRUARY

12. Collins, The Moonstone
13. Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love
14. Hill, 20th Century Ghosts
15. Millhauser, Dangerous Laughter
16. Moody, Right Livelihoods
17. Przekop, Aberrations


MARCH

18. DuMaurier, Rebecca
19. Lehane, Mystic River
20. Moerk, Darling Jim
21. Moore, Fool
22. O'Nan, Songs for the Missing


APRIL

23. Ferris, Then We Came to the End
24. Freund, I Never Saw Paris
25. Lerman, The Blonde on the Train
26. Mabanckou, African Psycho
27. Matheson, Button, Button
28. Simmons, Drood
29. Thomson, The Book of Revelation


MAY

30. Brown, Angels and Demons
31. Oliver, Evidence: Poems
32. Vidal, Julian
33. Wray, Lowboy


JUNE

34. Brown and Presley, The Liberation Diet
35. von Daniken, Chariots of the Gods
36. Doyle, I Love You, Beth Cooper
37. Eco, The Name of the Rose
38. Irving, The World According to Garp
39. Kurlansky, The Food of a Younger Land
40. Waters, Fingersmith
41. Wood, Lottery


JULY

42. Dick, Martian Time-Slip
43. Fforde, The Fourth Bear
44. Hall, The Raw Shark Texts
45. King, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
46. Sijie, Mr. Muo's Travelling Couch
47. Smith, The Secret Speech
48. Stewart, The Ivy Tree
49. del Toro and Hogan, The Strain


AUGUST

50. Phillips, Angelica
51. Waters, The Little Stranger


SEPTEMBER

52. Benjamin, Alice I Have Been
53. Brown, The Lost Symbol
54. Collins, The Hunger Games
55. Maitland, Company of Liars
55. Sigler, Infected
56. Simmons, A Winter Haunting


OCTOBER

57. Atwood, The Year of the Flood
58. DuMaurier, My Cousin Rachel
59. Niffenegger, Her Fearful Symmetry
60. Sigler, Contagious


NOVEMBER

61. Collins, Armadale
62. Cottam, The House of Lost Souls
63. Koja, The Cipher
64. Preston, The Hot Zone
65. Sapphire, Push


DECEMBER

66. Clark, The Great Stink
67. Klein, The Moth Diaries
68. Long, Year Zero
69. Oppegaard, The Suicide Collectors
70. Phillips, The Egyptologist
71. Savage, Firmin

A mystery, some history, and a whole lotta poop

The Great Stink
Clare Clark

This is a crazy bit of a book right here. Quite a large...erm, chunk (gag) of the action takes place in the London sewers (the sewers of 150 years ago, mind you), where all sorts of filth rush past one's feet. Filth. And disease. And rats. Oh, and did I say filth? Because I meant poop. VOMIT.

Anyway, our story follows two different individuals, both of whom rely on the sewers to make their livelihood, albeit in entirely different ways. There's Long Arm Tom, a "tosher" who enters the sewers to find and trap rats used aboveground in dogfighting. And then there's poor William May, so traumatized by his time spent in the war that he enters the tunnels for reasons far darker than those required by his official job. (He is an engineer helping to map the current sewer so that it might be improved.)

The two stories twist and turn and ultimately collide at the end -- but in the meantime, readers are treated not only to a look at one of the grossest places ever -- and May does WHAT there?!?!? Does he not understand DISEASE??? -- as well as a look at life in England during the Victorian period.

In a nutshell: A bit slow in places, but an overall an enjoyable read with a satisfactory resolution.

Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: Yep, another one I bought. I'm sensing a pattern here.

Another day, another apocalypse

The Suicide Collectors
David Oppegaard

Another book about the end of the world! What can I say, I've been feeling a little apocalyptic.

Anyway, this one's an odd duck. So, right: the end of the world has come, this time due to the suicide of nearly everyone on the planet. After some time, these odd "suicide collectors" arrive to collect the body of the deceased. Time passes, and, as our novel opens, our protagonist (Norman) and his friend (Pops), hearing rumors of survivors in Seattle, decide to leave their homes in Florida to see what's up.

As our story unfolds, taking us through the ruins of America, we encounter survivors, who are handling the apocalypse in different ways. Some are good, some are bad, you get the point. Onward to Seattle.

Upon arriving in Seattle, Norman becomes mixed up with the scientists attempting to solve the suicide problem. And then he blows something up, although what it is, I was never sure. Unfortunately, that's the major problem with The Suicide Collectors: there's no explanation. Why did everyone start killing themselves? I dunno. Why do the collectors collect the bodies? What are they doing with them? Not sure. What is this mysterious thing Norman blows up? Not sure of that, either.

The Suicide Collectors suffers from other flaws as well; some scenes are simply too incredible, the characters somewhat flat. On the positive side, however, the plotting is fantastic and the novel barrels along, allowing me to read it entirely in the course of a few hours.

In a nutshell: Interesting idea, but a lack of explanation and clunky writing undermines the intriguing premise.

Bibliolatry Scale: 2 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: Yep, bought this one too.

I can't believe I cried over a rat

Firmin
Sam Savage

If you're a book lover, you absolutely must read Firmin. Firmin is, well, a rat -- but he's the most likable fellow I've met in a long time.

Living in the basement of a bookstore in the 1960s, Firmin survives his early years by munching on the likes of Joyce and Melville. Soon, however, he learns that books are not for eating, but for reading -- and read he does, becoming arguably the most-educated rat to ever live.

Unfortunately, with his increasing knowledge comes a self-awareness that is none too kind. As Firmin becomes all-too-aware of his own limitations, he yearns for a greater life than the one he must endure.

Filled with allusions and pathos, Firmin is a book for everyone -- but especially for those who love literature. And look: the book comes replete with its own little bite mark. Sigh. I love you, Firmin!

In a nutshell: This is one rat you can't help but love. You can live with me, little buddy!

Bibliolatry Scale: 6 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: I bought this one myself.

A disease from the past? Great, something else to fear.

Year Zero
Jeff Long

About two years ago, I happened upon Jeff Long's Deeper, and I knew I had to read more by this author. A month ago, when searching for some good "Kindle books," I found my second opportunity to hang out with this author.

The plot for this one sounds rather complicated (it doesn't feel complicated when reading the novel, thankfully), so bear with me. A big earthquake levels much of the Middle East. Boo. However, parts of Jesus' actual neighborhood are now accessible. Yay! Unfortunately, some of the artifacts are tainted with disease. Boo. Now a deadly plague is tearing across the globe. Poop.

Nathan Lee, our intrepid protagonist, after numerous adventures that culminate in his imprisonment in a Tibetan jail, finds himself unguarded once the plague begins to rear its ugly head. Finally free, he slowly makes his way to America, specifically Los Alamos, where surviving scientists struggle to find a cure for the plague. Lee's in for an even bigger surprise, though: the scientists are making clones from the DNA found on the artifacts! And then things go from bad to worse. Oh boy.

Year Zero provides readers with an interesting, thrilling scenario. While I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Deeper, I was entertained enough to want to search out more by Jeff Long. And I won't wait another two years to do it, either!

In a nutshell: Intriguing and fast paced, Year Zero was an original and fun read.

Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: I bought this one for the Kindle.

Christmas loot!

Santa was, once again, very good to me. Here's a list of all the books I received for Christmas. Have you read any of these?

The Oxford Book of Victorian Ghost Stories
Sebastian Barry, The Secret Scripture
Christopher Buckley, Boomsday
Tracy Chevalier, Burning Bright
Deborah Eisenberg, Twilight of the Superheroes
George Eliot, The Lifted Veil and Brother Jacob
Rachel Klein, The Moth Diaries
Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood
Arthur Phillips, The Egyptologist
Douglas Preston, The Monster of Florence
Peter Straub, Ghost Story
Terese Svoboda, Trailer Girl
Peter Watts, Blindsight
Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Shadow of the Wind

There isn't enough Purell in the world

The Hot Zone
Richard Preston

The Hot Zone is a book I read in November. Thankfully, after this, I'll be all caught up and will be able to cover some December reads. NICE.

I don't know why, but I've been reading a lot of disturbing books lately, mostly one that involves end-of-the-world scenarios. And while The Hot Zone doesn't necessarily concern the end of the world, it was apocalyptic enough for me.

The Hot Zone is all about EBOLA. In fact, that's how I imagine the word in my head: all in caps. It's just that intense. Lord knows I'm paranoid enough about such things, so I can only wonder what possessed me to read this book. (Actually, I do know. It was Heather's review of it. Gee, thanks, Heather.) Needless to say, if EBOLA ever hits my area, I'm throwing myself in front of a bus at the first warning symptom. I'll be damned if I'm going to endure the grueling progression of this disease.

Wait -- what? It sloughs...off? And comes out where???
FML.

Besides the disturbing nature of the book (which the sick part of me took delight in), there were some drawbacks. I had an issue with the organization of the book, since it jumped around a bit in parts, and a few parts dragged while others were repetitive. Overall, however, The Hot Zone was a frightening, all-too-real read. And I won't even mention the part about how EBOLA arrived in Washington D.C. a little over a decade ago. FEARPARANOIAVOMIT.

In a nutshell: Not for the faint of heart, The Hot Zone is a terrifying true story that reminds why I hate leaving my house and interacting with dirty humans.

Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: I bought this one for my library, in case I ever want to enjoy the gruesomeness again.

If you have tears, prepare to shed them now

Push
Sapphire

Woohoo -- I've finished reviews left over from October; now it's time for some tardy reviews from last month. No more tardy for the party!

So, I was doing a little Amazon shopping a few weeks ago, when I needed just a wee bit more for free shipping -- six buckies, to be exact. Amazon kindly made some recommendations, and I found Push for exactly six bucks. Six bucks?!?!? And it didn't even have the annoying movie tie-in cover? Sold!

Most of you are probably already aware that Push is the novel that has been made into the movie Precious, which has lately taken Hollywood by storm. While I haven't seen the movie, I have seen enough interviews with the actors in the film to know that I wanted to know more about this story.

Prose-wise, Push is a simple enough read, and I read it entirely over my Sunday-morning coffee. Prose aside, however, Push is not an easy book to read. Precious is badly abused by both her mother and her father, and her struggle to escape the cycle of violence is heartwrenching. Some passages are quite difficult to read, and -- I'm sure you could see this coming -- I cried more than once.

In a nutshell: Precious's story might disturb you, but her spirit will enchant you.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: Dammit, I just said I bought this for myself from Amazon!

The real horror is next door to us

Contagious
Scott Sigler

Another day closer to 2010, another late review.

This time, I'm reviewing another of October's reads -- Contagious, the sequel to Infected, which I read in September. Contagious follows our intrepid hero and anti-hero as they seek to stop the impending invasion.

Contagious, like its predecessor, is relentless in its pacing; once you commit to the opening pages (actually, scratch that -- once you read Infected), you won't be able to put this book down until the last page.

Contagious picks up pretty much where Infected left off. Margaret Montoya and Dew Phillips have teamed up with badass Perry Dawsey to stave off the new wave of the invasion. Doing so won't be easy, however -- these aliens are feisty buggers with more than one trick up their sleeves.

The only thing that didn't polish my brass was a few overly-political scenes in which the President and his Cabinet debate how to handle the attack. I also hated how the female Secretary of State was a bleeding-heart liberal who felt that the loss of any innocent life was unconscionable. I consider myself a pretty liberal person, but in the event of any invasion -- alien, zombie, Canadian -- even I say shoot first, ask later. Sorry, Canada.

In a nutshell: Not as awesome as Infected (I actually felt a slight pang in ye olde heart after reading the ending, which was heart-wrenching, albeit utterly appropriate), but pretty awesome nonetheless. In fact, I'm looking up other Sigler titles as I type this. Hello, Ancestor. I'll be seeing you in 2010.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: I purchased Contagious for the Kindle.

The end of the world as we know it

The Year of the Flood
Margaret Atwood

Gah! The end of the year is when????? And I'm how many reviews behind???? Erm.

Anyway -- Atwood. I read this one back in October, and have been pondering my review ever since. Now, I'm rushed and won't give it the attention I intended. Oh well.

If you aren't familiar with TYoTF, Atwood returns to the world she created in Oryx and Crake. It's the future, things are bad, evil corporations do evil things...you get the point. Now a disease has wiped out much of humanty, and the survivors struggle for survival. TYoTF focuses on some of these survivors, while Oryx and Crake focused on the origins of the plague.

To get to the point, I enjoyed TYoTF, even if I didn't think it was one of her best works. And, while I didn't think it was necessary to have read Oryx and Crake immediately before (I had read it in 2004), I was annoyed that I didn't remember more of the connections. Since some of the characters in Oryx and Crake reappear in TYoTF, I was frustrated more by knowing I was forgetting something, which might have prevented me from better enjoying the book.

One thing that bothered me by TYoTF were those passages I found "skim-worthy," -- for example, the hymns and sermons that precede the chapters. At first they provided an interesting look into the world of TYoTF, but after awhile I felt they were just slowing me down.

In a nutshell: Not her best, but admirable nevertheless.

Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: I purchased this one for my library.

I think Wilkie Collins just blew my mind

This post is part of the Classics Circuit; please visit the site for more stops on the Wilkie Collins Tour!

Armadale
Wilkie Collins

I just don't get it. I don't understand how anyone can take a story as impossible and outrageous as this one and make it not only credible, but convincing. Clearly, the man was a master.

The events of Armadale (more incredible than those of The Woman in White and The Moonstone) nearly defy easy summary. Long story short, two men end up with the same name of Allan Armadale. One kills the other. Each has a son, also named Allan Armadale, who grows up never knowing of his "other." Years pass, and -- you guessed it -- they meet. (Cue dramatic music.) Then things get REALLY complicated.

There's more, of course -- lots more (the above is really only the first 100 pages of an 800+ monster). As in my previous encounters with Wilkie, the plot hinges on coincidence after coincidence, yet things never feel contrived even though they clearly are. Wilkie makes the impossible possible.

Armadale is also interesting for its comment on identity and the nature of free will. Are the sons of the first generation bound by the sins of their fathers? Can they redeem their fathers? And what of Lydia Gwilt, one of the most fascinating, corrupt villains I've had the pleasure of meeting? In an early glimpse into her character, she writes, "I am in one of my tempers to-night. I want a husband to vex, or a child to beat, or something of that sort. Do you ever like to see the summer insects kill themselves in the candle? I do, sometimes." And that's what she says when she's being charming! I don't want to say too much about her and ruin the fun, but trust me -- Armadale is worth reading for Lydia Gwilt alone.

An utterly fascinating, entertaining, and intelligent novel, Armadale exceeded even my high expectations. What seems like a confusing premise is anything but confusing in its execution. In fact, Armadale might have just toppled The Woman in White. I adored Count Fosco, but he is simply no match for Lydia Gwilt.

In a nutshell: How do you do it, Wilkie? I want to learn the ways of the Force.

Bibliolatry Scale: 6 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: I proudly paid for this one! (In fact, I snagged the Oxford edition AND a free Kindle edition, so I always had it at my fingertips!)

Rachel, my torment

My Cousin Rachel
Daphne DuMaurier

I've been meaning to post about my lastest encounter with the late, great Daphne DuMaurier. Not too long ago, I read Rebecca, and I was floored. I knew I had to read something else by this author, and when I found a discounted version of My Cousin Rachel, I knew fate was on my side.

It wasn't long before fate and I had yet another run-in, this time during one momentous day in October when I was called for jury duty. Thankfully, I remembered my new friend and brought her along for the day. We had a wonderful time together, as we eagerly anticipated hearing each subsequent round of suckers jurors who were next up. I dodged a bullet that day, but if it weren't for the experience, I might not have been able to read My Cousin Rachel. Each hellacious hour was filled with this spellbinding story, and while reading I was able to imagine that I was far from the courthouse that day.

Instead, I was on the estate of Philip Ashley (AKA Idiot Who Needs a Smack in the Head). Philip, who has been raised by his cousin Ambrose, looks back on his life and the choices that have brought him to this moment. Idiot takes us back in time, to a time when Ambrose was still alive. They loved one another. A lot. (But not like that -- jeez.)

At any rate, they love one another so much that Idiot fairly falls apart after Ambrose passes away. Ambrose, a confirmed bachelor (I'm pretty sure he likes to spit on the floor in the face of encroaching femininity or some such) goes off to Italy for a little healthification. While there, he meets his cousin Rachel, whom he -- previous misogyny be damned -- quickly marries. Unfortunately, the happy groom's health takes a turn for the worse, and it isn't long before he's dead. When Cousin Idiot learns the news, he is crushed.

Right: Olivia deHavilland as Rachel squares off against Richard Burton as the Idiot

Impetuously, he blames Rachel. But when he inherits the entire estate, it becomes clear that Rachel has no financial claim on anything. Perhaps his blame was hasty. But then Rachel returns to England, and all sorts of shit hit the fan. Philip is soon torn apart by powerful, conflicting forces: he falls in love with her, but also believes she had a hand in his cousin's death. Plenty of evidence support each side of the argument.

Was Rachel guilty? Did she poison Ambrose -- and does she mean to do the same to the idiot? One can only hope! (He's dumb enough to warrant it.) But don't worry about him: he's got a fool-proof plan for flushing her out into the open. Only, not. Read the book and be flabbergasted at that genius ending! Brilliant!

In a nutshell: The ambiguity! The uncertainty! DuMaurier, you've done it again.

Bibliolatry Scale: 6 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: I bought this one meself, so la la la lala.

People, stop going to houses of evil

The House of Lost Souls
F.G. Cottam

Still focusing on nanowrimo, my reading time is severely impaired. Nevertheless, I managed to find time to squeeze in a little House of Lost Souls. I waited eagerly for it to arrive . . . and then took my good old time reading it. Had I not lagged while reading this novel, I might have liked it better. As it was, I started to forget details, and when things began to get a little complicated, I was confused.

The novel opens on a funeral, but not just any funeral, mind you. This one was to bury a suicide, the young girl offing herself after a particularly traumatic experience in the haunted Fischer House. Now, Paul Seaton -- who survived an encounter in the same house a decade earlier -- has been enlisted to help rid the remaining girls of the affliction that continues to stalk them. To save the survivors, Paul must return to the house and put an end to the evil that stalks the grounds. Before he does so, however, the author rewinds the clock, returning us to the events that unleashed the evil decades before.

The House of Lost Souls is creepy, atmospheric, and unsettling. It's a perfect novel to read while curled up on the sofa with the lights down low. At times, I felt the story was bogged down with extraneous information (while other elements, that I wanted to know more about, weren't given the same treatment), but the novel was nevertheless an entertaining, thrilling read, and intriguing enough that I plan to check out more of Cottam's work.

In a nutshell: A little more complicated in places than it needed to be, but I enjoyed it overall.

Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: I bought this book myself.

This Funhole isn't that fun

The Cipher
Kathe Koja

Uh-oh. Nicholas, a would-be poet trapped in video store hell, has found a black hole in the basement. He and Nakota, his sometime girlfriend, become obsessed with it, dubbing it the Funhole and staring into its depths for hours on end.

Then they begin to experiment, lowering down a jar of bugs. Then, a mouse. Even a human hand. They do not return unscathed, the Funhole disturbingly altering them. Soon, they get the bright idea to send down a camcorder. Should be interesting, right?

As you might have guessed, things go from bad to worse for poor Nicholas and Nakota. Unfortunately, the same can be said for the book as a whole.

The impressionistic, often hazy style of writing often created confusion as to what was actually happening (it doesn't help that Nicholas is an alcoholic and not the most clear of narrators).

In a nutshell: Great premise, disappointing execution. (So says the hypocrite participating in nanowrimo. Yes, I'm aware of the irony.)

Bibliolatry Scale: 2 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: I got this one outta the library...thank heavens.

Is there anybody out there?

Helllooooo out there!

Am I alive? Dead? Inhabiting a ghostly in-between?

Never fear - I'm here, I'm just occupied with non-readerly pursuits. For the first time ever, I'm participating in nanowrimo, and reading is taking a backseat. While I haven't stopped reading entirely, I'm doing so at a much slower pace, and I intend to post short mini-reviews soon.

I'll return in sounder form come December.

Reading Resolution: September Update

Hm. This is a bit overdue, eh? Looks like that reading resolution has fallen right in the crapper.

RESOLUTION TITLES READ IN SEPTEMBER: 0

NON-RESOLUTION TITLES READ IN SEPTEMBER: 4

Brown, Dan. The Lost Symbol
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games
Maitland, Karen. Company of Liars
Simmons, Dan. A Winter Haunting


TOTAL TITLES READ IN SEPTEMBER: 4

CURRENT RESOLUTION PROGRESS: 33 / 88

TOTAL BOOKS READ IN 2009: 55

An unconventional, unsettling ghost story

Her Fearful Symmetry
Audrey Niffenegger

I've recently had the pleasure of reviewing Audrey Niffenegger's latest novel for Pajiba.

I adored The Time-Traveler's Wife, so I was eager to see what her latest effort was all about.

While it doesn't reach the heights of TTTW, Her Fearful Symmetry is both intriguing and unsettling. To read my full review, kindly click here.

In a nutshell: Compelling and moving, with a truly unforgettable ending. Everyone won't like it, but everyone will have an opinion about it.

Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: I received a copy of Her Fearful Symmetry from the publisher.

Fall Festival Recipe Exchange

Yay! It's time for the Fall Festival Recipe Exchange, hosted by My Friend Amy!

Disclaimer: This recipe, while yummy, is not my own. Actually, such a disclaimer is probably a good endorsement of the recipe's yumminess, if you knew my cooking skills.

Follow this link for more awesome recipes by FoodieFarmgirl. Follow this link to see both Amy's recipe and links to other participants.

Enjoy!

Farmgirl's Spicy Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins
Makes about 18 large muffins (or dozens of small muffins)


INGREDIENTS

1 cup raisins
3/4 cup orange juice
3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg (slightly less if freshly grated)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or butter, melted*
1 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup honey
3 eggs
1 15-ounce can packed pumpkin (or 1 pound fresh pumpkin puree)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (toasted if desired)


DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place raisins and orange juice in a small bowl and microwave for 2 minutes; set aside. Grease muffin tins.

Combine flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl and set aside. Combine margarine, brown sugar, honey, and eggs in a large bowl and mix well. Stir in pumpkin. Gently fold in dry ingredients, alternating with the raisin/juice mixture. Stir in the pecans.

Generously fill muffin tins. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. (Bake baby muffins about 15 minutes.) Cool muffins in tins for 15 minutes, then remove from tins and serve warm, or let cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container for up to three days or freeze.

*Lowfat version: Simply omit 1/2 cup (1 stick) of the margarine or butter.

Strength does not come from physical capacity, but from an indomitable will

Infected
Scott Sigler

I don't remember how I heard about Scott Sigler's Infected, but whoever it is, I owe you a solid. Sigler combines an intelligent premise with fast-paced plot -- and he's got some serious writing chops to boot.

Alien seeds land on earth, most ineffectively falling to the ground or swept away by the weather. A lucky few, however, land on a couple of very unlucky individuals. In time, these seeds grow and evolve, probing deep into the human body. The infected, for their part, at first notice a rash which soon becomes an itchy, triangular growth that is an eerie blue color. Soon, these growths take on a life of their own...literally. It isn't long before the infected become violent, homicidal maniacs driven insane by the voices in their heads.

Thankfully, the CIA is on the case. Agent Dew Phillips seeks to find newly infected persons before they butcher both themselves and their families. CDC epidemiologist Margaret Montoya hopes to discover how to stop these triangles, which dissolve into a gooey mess not long after the host's death. Finally, former football player Perry Dawsey, who might be the best anti-hero ever created, finds himself infected -- and will stop at nothing to free himself from the triangles.

Sidenote: Dear Perry, please be real, and please come hang. We have lots of beer. You are teh awesome. xoxoxo

Anyway.

Infected explores the seeds burgeoning development, moving from mindless probes to sentient beings. There's a lot of science here, but it never feels that way. Infected is intelligent and believable. It's more than a little hair-raising. Equally pleasing, however, is the writing. This isn't a great story with bland writing -- Infected's got it all. As soon as I finished, I started Contagious, the sequel. I just can't get enough.

In a nutshell: Well written, perfectly paced, and a gripping premise -- what else could you ask for? Oh, yeah: no more triangles in the eyeball, please. I have a thing about eyeballs. Otherwise, we're cool.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5.5 out of 6 stars

An open letter to Melanie Benjamin

Alice I Have Been
Melanie Benjamin

Dear Ms. Benjamin,

I know Alice I Have Been won't be published until January, so I hope you don't mind my impertinence by discussing your book so far before its publication date. Unfortunately, I just can't wait. It's that good.

True, I am predisposed to liking things that in any way involve Charles Dodgson, but I think my affinity for the man and his (hopefully) misunderstood fascination with children would lend me a keener critical eye. In fact, yes, I think that is so. My praise, therefore, is all the more difficult to secure. Sure, let's go with that.

It must be noted that I finished your novel a few weeks ago, and my praise remains undimmed. My reactions remain unchanged. I deemed Alice perfect immediately upon finishing it, and I still deem it so today.

The truth is, Alice I Have Been was one of the most enchanting, most moving books I've ever read. Alice Liddell comes alive in your novel, and watching the young girl transform into an elderly woman was both utterly riveting and totally realistic. Although I'm sure much of your work was a creative reimagining of events, the story never felt false. More importantly, Alice never felt false. It seemed as though she herself had written a memoir of her life, so totally did you capture her voice and her life. Perhaps that is the greatest compliment I can give.

However, I must make clear that Alice I Have Been is an excellent story on its own, regardless of the characters' connections to a famous author or another literary work. In fact, your novel does stand on its own, for at its core it is simply a moving story of a life blighted by the scrutiny of others.

My biggest complaint is that I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program; while it is debatable that I would have heard of your novel otherwise, I can't help but feel chagrined when I see the ARC. Yours is a novel for which a quality copy is a must. That's okay -- your Alice, like her previous incarnations, won't be easily forgotten.

I wish you nothing but the biggest success with Alice I Have Been. It is more than a story of a young woman famous for her relationship with an older man. You have brought Alice to life and, in the process, allowed readers to find themselves in her.

In a nutshell: Simply enchanting, entirely captivating: this book should be preordered immediately.

Bibliolatry Scale: 6 out of 6 stars

He who cannot lie does not know what the truth is

Company of Liars
Karen Maitland

It's 1348. Plague is tearing across Europe and has reached Britain's ports, slowly worming its way inward. Added to the mix is a bout of ye olde climate change, resulting in dead crops and starving people. Is anywhere safe in these pestilence-ridden times?

Nine travelers, each with a secret, has ignored a predilection for isolation in an attempt to survive in the company of others. This group -- including a relic seller, a story-teller, an expecting couple, and a pale, ghostly child who reads the runes -- attempt to flee the pestilence by reaching the north. As you might expect, it will be easier said than done.

As the title suggests, these individuals are not the most honest of souls. As their journey progresses, the truth slowly unravels. To be fair, quite a few secrets can be seen from miles away, but Maitland reserves a few, truly surprising aces up her sleeve for the very end. And the final page? Ohh shit!

I can't say anymore without ruining the fun, but I will say that Company of Liars features the best of historical fiction: Maitland has clearly done her research, but she doesn't allow the story to be bogged down by heavy-handed swaths of information. Company of Liars is seamless, flowing, and utterly un-put-down-able.

Has anyone read any of Maitland's previous novels? I'd love to know what you thought. Company of Liars was so good that I want to read more of her.

In a nutshell: I also want some runes. Like, for real.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars

Fruit baskets and bum days

A Winter Haunting
Dan Simmons

Fruit baskets! I knew it couldn't last.

In the past two years or so, I've read and adored two recent novels written by Dan Simmons. Because I enjoyed his most recent works so much, I've vowed to read more of his earlier work. Hence, A Winter Haunting.

The premise sounds promising: Dale Stewart -- middle-aged, divorced, and depressed (not to mention heavily medicated) -- makes the trek back to his hometown in an effort to isolate himself. Such isolation is necessary to write his novel; of course, it's also necessary for him to face his own personal demons.

You see, years ago, Dale's best friend died under suspicious circumstances, which is partly why Dale returns to the now-empty house of his dead friend. Yes, that's right: he chooses to pass the winter in his dead friend's house, and, what's more, he even chooses to pass each night in his friend's very bed. Allllrighty then.

sounds like a perfectly sane plan!

The reader, of course, can see where this is headed long before dumb Dale does. Dale's personal demons return to haunt him -- both literally and figuratively. While several scenes were surprising, some were simply too...shall I say incredible? to elicit any actual apprehension in the reader.

I also had an issue with the narrative voice, which was a bit awkward for me, even if the premise was an intriguing one. (If you don't mind a minor spoiler -- and one resolved in the first chapter, at that -- you can highlight the following: The narrator is Dale's dead friend. Yes, you read that correctly. And while such a narrator sounds interesting, the execution was somewhat lacking.)

Still, I'm not done with Simmons, not by a long shot. I consider A Winter Haunting merely a pothole on an otherwise perfect highway. Right? RIGHT?

In a nutshell: I knew such high expectations were impossible to maintain. Sigh. I'm not giving up on him, though: we all have our bum days.

Bibliolatry Scale: 2.5 out of 6 stars

Warning: Ignoring this book will have sinister consequences

The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins

So, for months upon months, all I've been hearing is people rave about The Hunger Games. I, being the snooty bitch I am, ignored such praise, since I, of course, do not read YA fiction. Sneered I, I'm sure it's good...to TEENAGERS! And lo, Bibliolatrist ignored the words of the great prophets, and her heart was hardened.

Fortunately, I couldn't ignore it any longer. This book was everywhere I turned. I would hear sinister laughter echoing behind me at odd times, only I'd turn around to find nothing there. I knew it was The Hunger Games. I'd often feel someone following me, but the culprit would vanish before I could catch it. I knew The Hunger Games was following me.

Every dark corner echoed with sinister steps;
this omnipresent novel will never give up!

So even though most (if not all) of you reading this have already devoured The Hunger Games, I'll nevertheless recap the plot for the 0.0001% of you who haven't yet enjoyed this most awesome of novels:

It's the future. The US no longer exists as we know it. Now, 12 districts surround the Capitol, which exacts a terrible price for the districts' submission. Each year, two tributes from each district -- one boy and one girl -- must fight to the death in a televised event known as the Hunger Games. The winner -- there can be only one! -- earns both fame and wealth, and the winning district receives food and other luxuries for the entire year.

Katniss, the girl tribute from District 12, is our protagonist, and we follow her as she leaves her home and prepares to enter the Hunger Games. She, along with Peeta (the other tribute from her district), are sent into a vast arena full of traps -- not to mention deadly foes. OMG, WILL KATNISS SURVIVE??? (Since this is the first book in a trilogy, this isn't the most difficult question to answer.)

Still, despite not truly fearing for Katniss' safety, I couldn't put the friggin thing down. I tore through that beast in a couple hours, barely stopping to eat. (And, trust me: that's saying something.) At night, I dreamed about The Hunger Games. I lovelovelovelove this book like the enchanted tree loves Schmendrick.



In a nutshell: OMG IT IS THAT GOOD ... I just wish Katniss had a different name. And Peeta too. I mean, Peeta? Really? UGH.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5.5 out of 6 stars

No brain required

The Lost Symbol
Dan Brown

This month, I was happy to review The Lost Symbol for the wonderful Pajiba.com.

I had a lot of fun writing this review, and I think it shows. Among other things, I get to dissect Brown's "plundering prose" and paper-thin characterization. I'm not sure Brown intended to write a comedy, but The Lost Symbol had me cackling like a fiend.

Click here to read more and find out just what's so darn funny.

In a nutshell: Exactly what you'd expect, but fun enough that it doesn't really matter.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3 out of 6 stars

BBAW Meme -- with a twist

Oh, boy. I'm always a sucker for a good meme, so of course I couldn't pass this one up. And, this meme celebrates BBAW, so participating feels even more necessary.

Since we were instructed to be creative when answering the following questions, I'm going to try to answer using only those words that begin with vowels. I'm counting Mr. Y too, because I can. (And I must, or else game over.) So, without further ado, here we go:

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
Yes, occasionally; I enjoy all edibles.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
I only inscribe educational oeuvres.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?
I use any insignificant article in identifying an area.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Any engrossing account earns attention.

Hard copy or audiobooks?
I enjoy an actual object.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
I am accomplished at arresting an oeuvre at any interval.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
Occasionally, if it appears important.

What are you currently reading?
An internationally infamous author's exciting account of an unbelievable adventure

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
I often ingest assorted accounts in unison.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
Anytime, anyplace, anywhere.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
Individual oeuvres.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
Atwood Adams

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
Ilk initially; after, alphabetically

* * * *

Whew! that was hard. Let's not do that again.

BBAW Interview: the Bibliophile and the Bibliolatrist

In celebration of BBAW, I have the distinct honor of interviewing a fellow bookblogger. I was teamed up with Marie of Boston Bibliophile, an excellent blog that you should be reading if you haven't been already.

Marie was kind enough to answer my questions; after you're finished reading her thoughts, be sure to head on over to Marie's site to read my answers to her questions. Happy BBAW!


1. How has reading influenced your life?

I learned to read before I started kindergarten and I can't think of how reading hasn't influenced my life. My love of reading is what makes me who I am!


2. Why did you start blogging about books? What is the most surprising thing that's happened to you as a result of your blogging?

I started blogging in August, 2007. The biggest surprise has been just all the great people I've met. I had no expectations at all when I started and just thought it would be something fun to try.


3. Are you ever at a loss as to how to review a book? What do you do when that happens?

After I finish procrastinating, I just start writing and see what comes out.


4. Have you ever read a book that you did not blog about? What kept you from doing so? (If not, could you imagine anything that would keep you from writing about a particular book?)

Yes, I've read several I haven't blogged about. One, called Money and the Ways of Wisdom, was a very dry and academic theological treatise I was assigned to review for a professional journal. I did the review, but it just didn't seem right for the blog -- apart from seminarians it's hard for me to imagine most people would want to read the book, or read about it for that matter!


5. What are your favorite genres to read? What makes them so enjoyable for you?

My favorite genre is literary fiction, because I love really good writing and I like a book that challenges me and keeps me thinking.


6. What are your least favorite genres to read? What do you find unappealing about them?

Probably fantasy. I just don't have any interest. I also dislike certain types of religious fiction because I don't like my reading didactic.


7. What has been your favorite book to review? Is that the same as your favorite of the reviews you've written?

Tough question! So far this year (and forgive me for being a broken record!) my favorite review to write was Abraham Verghese's Cutting for Stone, because that book was just such a wonderful surprise and figuring out how to write about it was a very satisfying challenge. I love reviewing graphic novels because I have to work a little harder to describe artwork and it's a good exercise.


8. How does blogging influence your reading life? Does blogging about books have a large impact on your life as a reader, or not so much?

Blogging about books has had a huge influence on my reading life because things get in front of me that I would never pick up, or would never have heard of. Reading blogs and getting offers from authors and publishers has exposed me to a whole new world of books. It's also helped keep me current on recent fiction; in the past, I never- and mean never unless the author was a favorite- bought or read hardcover fiction.


9. When you're not reading books (and then writing about them), how do you like to spend your free time?

I like to do crafts like quilting and wool felt embroidery, and I love to exercise and bake. I work out five times a week and sew often.


10. Finally, if you could offer one piece of advice for the future book blogger, what would it be?

I would say, figure out what your goals are- what you want to do with your blog. Do you want to review books in a specific genre, or a wide variety; do you want to do blog tours and giveaways and publicity stuff; is it important to you to get free books; do you want to be a blogging superstar or write for a niche audience; do you want to blog about things besides books. Once you have an idea of what you want to accomplish, read blogs and find some that do some of the things that you want to do and see how those bloggers go about it. Ask questions and just get out there and blog! You can always change your blog's name, its look and its focus but it's good to know what you want to do when you start so you can get on the right path.



Thanks again to Marie for taking the time to answer my questions. Of course, I can't forget to send a big THANK YOU to Amy, without whom BBAW wouldn't exist. And finally, thank to all who worked so hard on the BBAW adventure!

Reading Resolution: August Update (or, a post in which I vomit repeatedly)

I've been putting this post off for a few days now. It's not pretty.


RESOLUTION TITLES READ IN AUGUST: 0

excuse me while I puke on the floor here...




NON-RESOLUTION TITLES READ IN AUGUST: 2

Phillips, Arthur. Angelica
Waters, Sarah. The Little Stranger


TOTAL TITLES READ IN AUGUST: 2

CURRENT RESOLUTION PROGRESS: 33 / 88

TOTAL BOOKS READ IN 2009: 51



there are no words.

envy is ignorance

The Little Stranger
Sarah Waters

You know, I don't even want to do an August recap, since everyone will vomit when they see that I read two books in August. That's right, TWO.

I know, I gagged a bit as well.

Sarah Waters gave me such an auspicious start to the month, as I tore through The Little Stranger like a bat outta hell. I loved Fingersmith, and, when The Little Stranger was longlisted for the Booker Prize, I went right out to see if it lived up to the hype.

It did.

In fact, perhaps Waters is to blame for the rest of the month being so non-bookish for me -- The Little Stranger was so good, so riveting, that nothing I picked up afterward could hold my attention. That's it! Damn you, you feisty little minx.

Anyway, in The Little Stranger a powerful, supernatural force is threatening the inhabitants of Hundreds Hall, and Dr. Faraday is there to save the day. We watch events unfold with increasing intensity, as Faraday is frequently called upon to lend a helping hand. Faraday himself is a bit of an outsider and his understanding is incomplete at best. The reader plunges along with him as he comes to know the family and their mysterious home better.

The Little Stranger is equal parts ghost story, social commentary, mystery, and psychological profile. There's so much to say, but it's better not to spoil the fun.

In a nutshell: Better than Fingersmith? I think so. The Little Stranger is a moving, thrilling, ultimately heartbreaking examination of class, love, and longing.

Bibliolatry Scale: 6 out of 6

a choice between truth and repose

Angelica
Arthur Phillips

Well, it's that time of year again, a time when quiet and relaxation are replaced with work and stress. That's right, summer's over, and I'm headed back to school. As a result, things have been pretty quiet around here. Progress on that stupid resolution is slow, and non-educational reading has been pretty nonexistent.

That said, I was able to read Angelica, and the fact that I was able to read it despite having so much "real" stuff to do is a testament to the novel's awesomeness. In fact, once I started it, I wasn't able to keep my mind on much else.

Angelica's one of those novels that gives readers the same story from several different perspectives, and even though I've read plenty of books that use this technique, I've never before encountered it done to such effect. The result is a twisting, serpentine version of what is true that illustrates how contradictory the truth can be.

Although the specifics differ with each version, the setup is always the same. Victorian England. A family torn apart by powerful forces. A mother fights for the survival of her daughter. But what, you're probably asking, is happening to the child. Well, now, that remains to be seen.

Angelica is part mystery, part ghost story, part psychological examination -- and no part disappoints. Each person's version of the truth is correct, even though it might differ from the account of another. I sympathized with each character, and I was fascinated by how each person's version of the truth was somehow correct, even as it totally differed from the other accounts.

In a nutshell: Saying more will ruin the fun; you'll just have to take my word for it. Angelica is a powerful, unforgettable novel that shows how totally different perceptions can be equally accurate.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars

Why are vampires cheap dates?

The Strain
Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

This month, I reviewed The Strain for the mighty Pajiba.

If you're worried The Strain is simply another vampire novel, you should at least know the authors had the good sense to make them angry and hungry, not kissy and concerned. To read the review in full, click here.

In a nutshell: It's a cheap thrill and a good time. I'm looking forward to the next installment due in 2010.

Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars


(The answer to the riddle in the title? Because they eat necks to nothing! Hardy har har.)

Reunited, and it feels so goooood

About a year and a half ago, I posted this lament for a lost friend. Well, cue the chorus of angels (which I actually heard last night), for I have found my old friend.

um, why are they singing Miss New Booty??

I had been reviewing and restacking my library, ruthlessly culling books to be removed from my library. As much as I hate to get rid of books, I have more than a few that simply do not deserve shelf space in my life. (Larryisms, I'm looking at you.)

Anyway, I was debating the merits of one particular book when, lo and behold!, my old friend fell into my hand.

The gods be praised!

Reading Resolution: July Update

Another month down -- time to check the progress on ye olde resolutione:


RESOLUTION TITLES READ IN JULY: 6

Dick, Philip K. Martian Time-Slip
Fforde, Jasper. The Fourth Bear
Hall, Steven. The Raw Shark Texts
King, Stephen. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Sijie, Dai. Mr. Muo's Travelling Couch
Stewart, Mary. The Ivy Tree


NON-RESOLUTION TITLES READ IN JULY: 2

del Toro, Guillermo and Chuck Hogan. The Strain (review forthcoming)
Smith, Tom Rob. The Secret Speech


TOTAL TITLES READ IN JULY: 8

CURRENT RESOLUTION PROGRESS: 33 / 88

TOTAL BOOKS READ IN 2009: 49