Bad things hide in the dark*

Crescent
Phil Rossi

UGHHHHH. I'm SO behind on reviews. Damn you, real job. Ergo, I'm gonna let Amazon do the work today:

Darkness has inspired fear since mankind first watched the sun go down. Bad things hide in the dark, feral beasts with mouths full of razors waiting for a taste of flesh. But now, the darkness is stirring with a life of its own. Crescent Station is the last bastion of civilization, floating in the cold, outer systems where colonized space gives way to the sparser settlements of the Frontier. Like the boom towns of distant Earth's Old American West, Crescent Station is a gateway to power, wealth, and opportunity for anyone who isn't afraid to get his or her hands dirty. But deep within the station's bowels, in Crescent's darkest and most secret places, an ancient evil is awakening and hungry, and it threatens the very fabric of space and time. Will the residents of Crescent Station find a way to stop it before the terror drives them insane? Or is it already too late?

Erm. Well.

Long story short: I downloaded this one for my Kindle. It was either free or only a dollar or two, so it was worth it. Not the best book I ever read, but it kept me entertained while I was on my treadmill. The Big Bad in Crescent was a bit confusing, though, since I was never entirely sure what the ef it was, but it didn't really matter.

In a nutshell: Entertaining enough. And space! The final frontier, and all that.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: personal Kindle copy



*Ugh, I suck so bad, I couldn't even come up with a better title. My brain = barf.

Kristen Stewart and Katniss = BFF forever

Catching Fire
Suzanne Collins

So it took me forever to read this book because I refused to read anything but the Kindle edition, since that's how I read The Hunger Games. And because Scholastic and Amazon had some kind of pissing contest over the digital version, I couldn't read it until now. Snore.

Anyway, I loved the first book; this one, not so much. Perhaps it was due to the super-long delay? Perhaps. Or perhaps Katniss was just super-annoying this time.

Here's the entire book in short form:

Gale. Peeta. Gale. Peeta. Oh, shit. The president hates me. GaleGaleGale. Peeta. Peeta. Gale. PeetaPeeta. Problems that are a bit more important than this silly love triangle. Gale. Peeta. Peeta. End of book.

AND THEN because Katniss was so annoying I couldn't help but picture Kristen Stewart in her role and then the whole thing went to hell.

you have no idea how long this took me

In fact, Kristen Stewart would seem the ideal person to play Katniss, since all the both of them do is bitch and moan. To be fair, though, Katniss is living under an oppressive regime while KStew is just oppressed by the ravages of fame. Yawn. Go bathe in your millions.

In a nutshell: Not as great as the first, but I'm still looking forward to the third and final installment.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3.5 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: Personal kindle edition

The Harris chick done got me good

Dead Until Dark
Charlaine Harris

Reasons why I should hate Sookie:

1. Sookie? SOOKIE?

2. ugh, simplistic writing!

3. ugh, simplistic characters!

4. Speaking of which, Sookie has the intellectual capacity of moldy cheese. (She decides to have sex with Bill WHEN???? And WHERE is the best spot for this adventure???? Sookie, just jump in front of a bus, please. I mean, REALLY.)

5. Every character seems like a joke.

6. SookieSookieSookie

However, I couldn't hate this book. I tore through it while I was on vacation. On a cruise. When I could have been eating, drinking, partying, etc. Also: Eric. And, the simple writing makes for a fast read.

(Don't get me started on the show, though. Even though I'm enjoying it, every friggin male looks like his hair's been cut with a chainsaw, and Anna Paquin's jacked up teeth are horrifically mesmerizing. But: Eric.)

Oh, yeah: Sookie's a telepath and there are some murders and some vampires and by the end of the book the murderer is caught and blah blah blah blah.

In a nutshell: So bad, but sooo good.

Bibliolatry Scale: What in the hell do I give this? A 2? (Under normal circumstances, yes.) A 4? (It was enjoyable enough.) Okay, then: 3 out of 6 stars. For what it's worth.

FTCBS: Sigh. Personal copy. BUT BUT BUT it came from Walmart, so it was only like 5 bucks. BOOYAH!

In case you're interested: Book 2, Book 3, Book 4

The Classics Circuit: Agatha Christie

The A.B.C. Murders
Agatha Christie

I don't read much mystery, especially Agatha Christie -- I read And Then There Were None when I was 12 -- so I was glad when the Classics Circuit gave me another reason to read her.

I settled on The A.B.C. Murders, because it seemed to have serial-killer potential, and those types of mysteries hold more interest for me than the "gah someone stole my diamonds!" type.

It all begins when Inspector Poirot receives a mysterious letter from the killer, kindly informing the inspector of where and when the murder will take place. (God, everyone ise SO POLITE in the UK, even murderers. Even the dicky, "superior" Inspector Crome is rather nice.)

Anyway, before you know it, Alice Ascher of Andover in assassinated. Egads! (Unfortunately no one actually says egads! in the novel, but I'll forgive the omission.) Fast forward a bit, another letter, another town, and bam! Betty Barnard of Bexhill is butchered. (Ok, she's strangled, but alliteration, you know.) The killer, identified in his letters only as "ABC," leaves an ABC Railway Guide at the scene of each crime.

Soon the murders pile up, and it seems not even Poirot's powerful intellect can prevent the killer from tearing through the alphabet!

Just kidding! The murderer turns himself in.

BUT WAIT! Poirot is not so easily fooled -- and soon, he proves to everyone through a series of really dramatic assumptions that SOMETHING ELSE IS REALLY GOING ON.

AND HE'S RIGHT.

even babies are amazed by Poirot's sagacity

Poirot proves to his fellow investigators -- and to the reader -- that the true nature of the murders was always before them (and us), but had been rendered invisible by their previous assumptions.

Oh, Poirot. You are a sly fox indeed.

In a nutshell: A bit dry in places, despite all the murdering. And oy, what an intricate solution.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: You know what I'm going to say, don't you FTC? Yes, yes you do. YES, YES, YES, personal copy here -- all I do is buy shit like books and shoes and DRESSES from FOREVER21, I can't stop myself, GIVE ME A BREAK ALREADY

Ambivalating all over the place

Beatrice and Virgil
Yann Martel

Well, it's been roughly two weeks since I finished Beatrice and Virgil, Yann Martel's newest novel, and to say I'm perplexed is an understatement. Did I like the book? Hate it? Ambivalate it? Hopefully writing this review will help me solve the mystery.

To begin, a brief overview: Beatrice and Virgil is Martel's way of discussing the Holocaust without *actually* discussing the Holocaust. He argues that of all the great atrocities of the world, only the Holocaust has avoided greater attention in fiction, and once those who have lived through it pass away, we are in danger of forgetting -- unless we tell stories about it. To this end, he has written Beatrice and Virgil, a "story" about the Holocaust that uses animals to represent those who suffered.

Okay, so animals as allegorical figures? Check. Conversational, intimate style? Check. Shocking, gut-wrenching ending? Check. Sounds a lot like Life of Pi, eh? Then why am I so ambivalent?

To start, one must know that Beatrice and Virgil is no Life of Pi. Pi remains one of my favorite novels and has for me a mystical quality that Beatrice and Virgil simply lacks. So, perhaps BAV suffers simply for not being Pi. In that case, Martel was doomed before I even picked up the damn thing, which isn't exactly fair.

But even apart from the obligatory Pi comparisons, Beatrice and Virgil has its problems. In my opinion, using animals as an allegory for the Holocaust was somewhat weak, the Beckettian absurdism unnecessary; worse, some parts were underdeveloped, and some parts OVERdeveloped.

That's not to say I didn't like Beatrice and Virgil: it was a short read, as I read it in a few hours and was relatively moved by the experience. The novel made me think, and I enjoyed Martel's narrative voice even if this work was flawed.

Ultimately, even if some elements were a bit weak, Martel achieves what he sets out to do: he reminds us of the atrocities of the Holocaust (even if the reminder only underscores the fact that the animals' suffering in no way compares to that of those who suffered under the Nazis), and he uses fiction as a means of telling the truth.

In a nutshell: I still don't know. It was...okay-ish?

Bibliolatry Scale: 3.5 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: I was lucky to receive a review copy from the publisher, and, even though I didn't LOVE it...Thanks!

First Impressions lead to False Ideas

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart
Beth Pattillo

In Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, Beth Pattillo brings us another romantic mystery involving the work of Jane Austen.

Her previous novel, Jane Austen Ruined My Life, involves a bunch of long-lost letters written by the author. This time, the mystery surrounds the long-lost first draft of Pride and Prejudice.

Claire Prescott, arriving at Oxford to present her sister's a paper to a summer symposium, quickly finds herself in the midst of Another Austen Adventure. She meets an elderly woman claiming to have the mythical First Draft tucked into the odd nooks and crannies of her home. BUT, she could be suffering from dementia. OR, she could be telling the truth. WHAT TO DO?

Wait, there's more! Soon after arriving at Oxford, she meets her own Mr. Darcy, a handsome, dashing gentleman also attending the symposium. Ruh roh: what about her boyfriend at home? OH NO WHAT TO DO??

In all, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is a light, entertaining little book that even non-Austen fans (like myself) can enjoy. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it as much as Jane Austen Ruined My Life, but Pattillo still provided me with several hours of escape.

In a nutshell: Fast-paced, entertaining, and somewhat predictable, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart teaches that not every dashing, handsome gentleman deserves to be adored.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3.5 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: This book was sent to me by the publisher.

The politest argument ever

Daphne
Justine Picardie

It's no secret that I love Daphne du Maurier; when I saw Daphne, historical fiction centered on her obsession with Branwell Bronte (ooh! and I love the Brontes, too!), I knew this book was destined for me.

The plot revolves around several key characters: du Maurier herself, eager to prove herself a "real" author by completing a biography of Branwell, the forgotten Bronte, that puts him in a new light; J.A. Symington, a former member of a Bronte expert who may not have honestly gained some of his most prized possessions; and, finally, our young (unnamed) narrator who finds herself in the middle of a real-life du Maurier novel just as she struggles to complete her own du Maurier studies.

At right: Daphne at work

While the plot was interesting, several things failed for me. The narrator's journey is simply not interesting, and I hated being taken from the world of du Maurier and Symington in order to return to this fool's problems. She's, what, 23 and married to some recently-divorced scholar 20 years her senior. Not surprisingly, he can't get over his first wife, and he doesn't respect her scholarly interest in du Maurier, and he's so condescending and blah blah blah.

Also, the dialogue. When moving between du Maurier and Symington, no problem. But when writing current dialogue...whoa. Not good. For example, during a scene in which our lovely young narrator argues with her husband's ex-wife, she says, "Rachel, don't be arch with me, and please stop manipulating me." Arch? Really? And, "please stop manipulating me"? This narrator needs a good case of "Bitch, step OFF." Or, maybe even something non-verbal?



'Nuff said.

In a nutshell: Daphne and Symington provide an intriguing tale; unfortunately, the narrator doesn't fare as well. Still, reading Daphne taught me more about one of my favorite writers.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: I received Daphne as part of as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.

(what felt like) The Neverending Story

Last Last Chance
Fiona Maazel

This one is an odd duck, since I both liked and disliked Last Last Chance.

The premise seemed intriguing: A lethal strain of virus -- superplague -- vanishes from a lab. The epidemic, not to mention a healthy dose of panic and paranoia, runs rampant. Even worse, Lucy's (now dead) father is to blame, although Lucy's got bigger fish to fry. She's battling addiction and her own inner demons; her family doesn't fare much better. Her mom's a crackhead. Her "true love" married her best friend. And so on.

Unfortunately, the intriguing premise did not translate into an enjoyable novel, and I nearly abandoned it after the first fifty pages. I just couldn't connect to the story -- there was too much going on, too many characters I couldn't care about. Nevertheless, I persevered, and ultimately found Last Last Chance to be just okay.

The good: Maazel's prose, reminiscent of Amy Hempel, is glorious. Her writing appears effortless and natural, and I was frequently struck by a neat turn of phrase. If it weren't for her prose, I probably wouldn't have finished the novel.

The bad: The length. And, to a certain extent, the story. Last Last Chance is ambitious, and Maazel's tackling a lot in it. Unfortunately, the story feels too crowded -- not to mention too long. The novel could have lost a good quarter without being the worse for wear. I also couldn't find any sympathy for any of these characters (except for the grandma, but c'mon, who doesn't love a grandma?), and I almost wanted someone to get superplague just to take the story up a notch. THAT woulda been entertaining!

In a nutshell: I wasn't a fan of Last Last Chance, but Maazel's prose makes her one to watch.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3 out of 6 stars

FTCBS: I received Last Last Chance as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.

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

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

Great idea, okay execution, mediocre editing

The Raw Shark Texts
Steven Hall

I've written the title first for a rare change, and I can't help but think it says it all, leaving me stumped as what to write in the actual review. Mother effer!

Okay: I've actually been reading this book FOREVER (literally almost two years), but I stalled out midway through. It's just sooooo taxing. But still, resolution and all that, so I plugged on.

It all started out so...erm, swimmingly: Eric Sanderson awakes, an amnesiac who has completely forgotten his former life. Bits and pieces return thanks to letters he has written himself. Remembering brings its own dangers, however: a Ludovician -- a conceptual shark -- is hunting him. Wait -- what?

This conceptual, metaphysical shark is not a real shark as one might expect: it hunts words, memories, thoughts. Soon Eric is on the run, hoping to avoid the shark before his memory is wiped clean again. And then things get REALLY weird.

Hall plays with words and their concepts, giving words a power they've never had before. He uses the visual appearance of the words well, too. Unfortunately, the novel gets bogged down in...well, WORDS. He's got a brilliant idea here, but the novel could have lost a good chunk of text without being the worse for wear, not to mention some scenes getting more complicated than was really necessary.

In a nutshell: Oh well.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3 out of 6 stars

Take a ride on the Insane Train

Chariots of the Gods
Erich von Daniken

Every once in awhile, I've had it with reality. When this happens, I make myself a very special treat. I take a hefty dose of ground-up vicodin and a few tablespoons of some quality methamphetamine and sprinkle them all over my Lucky Charms. You might think I next add milk to this healthy concoction, but you'd be wrong. Gin is the only way to complement this tasty confection. Sweet, cheap gin. Then I turn on Intervention and laugh and laugh and laugh.

It was on one of these galactic escapades that I met Erich von Daniken. He started to tell me all kinds of crazy shit, like God is really an interstellar astronaut. Then he took a big hit on a glass bong and flew up into the heavens on his great purple wings. Now that's some good shit!

Drugs are bad, kids

Usually I chalk up such visions to an overdose, but I kept thinking of him long after the meds had worn off. That's when I found Chariots of the Gods. It wasn't a dream after all!

Using points from the Bible and other religious scriptures, von Daniken theorizes that, long ago, interstellar astronauts came to earth and bred with us. They returned at other key moments in our development and didn't always like what they found. When that happened, they just killed us off, a la Noah and the great flood. He uses Egyptian and Sumerian art to argue that what are assumed to be depictions of the gods are really depictions of interstellar travelers.

To be fair, von Daniken doesn't assert that his theories are true. He does, however, believe that more research is needed. At times, he argues convincingly (he is at his most convincing when comparing the mythologies of several early cultures), but not at others. A lot of the book is simply question-raising. Why do we see this? Why do we believe that? Why do high-waisted pants make women look fat?

In a nutshell: Many questions, few answers, but interesting overall. Until we meet again, von Daniken.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3.5 out of 6 stars

If it tastes good, spit it out

The Liberation Diet: Setting America Free from the Bondage of Health Misinformation!
Kevin Brown and Annette Presley

For the record, I think diet books and weight-loss plans are stupid. As someone who has struggled with her weight (and who has lost a good amount of poundage as well), I know losing weight isn't easy. Sure, I'd like nothing more than to eat pizza and french fries while sitting my ass on the sofa with a good book, but doing so will prevent me looking the way I want to look. Eating healthy foods, eating smaller portions, and exercising daily are unfortunately the only way to go.

The authors of The Liberation Diet, however, take issue with the current notion of what constitutes "healthy" food. In fact, they even go so far as to say that a lot of exercise isn't necessary. Hm. You know what they say: if it sounds too good to be true...

First, a run down of some of their main points:

1. Crisco is actually industrial waste marketed as a healthy alternative to lard and butter. Beware this and other false foods.

2. The USDA food guide pyramid (with the base -- and largest portion -- devoted to grains) was specifically designed to boost the sale of agricultural products; it was NOT designed to promote health. In fact, a great number of industries benefit from our current food guide pyramid -- not individual Americans and their health. Instead, one should buy locally grown, fresh food, which cannot be mass produced and distributed.

3. Animal fats are good for you - in fact, the authors note that "the heart gets its fuel from saturated fat, and it is the only organ in the body that does not succumb to cancer."

4. Carbohydrates (even whole grains) make you fat and one should not eat more than two servings of them a day.

5. Calorie counting is a waste of time because there is no way to be totally sure how many calories are being consumed or burned at any given time.

6. Instead of following the current recommendation of several small meals a day, one should eat 2 to 3 meals a day.

7. One should only eat breakfast if hungry.

8. Fasting, at least in moderation, is good.

9. Pretty much ignore food labels, since many are misleading. However, if a food has more than 12g of carbs or 5g of sugar, don't eat it.

10. Exercise accounts for only 20% of weight loss; diet accounts for 80%.


THE GOOD

1. Many of their points are sound, but a lot are common sense. It should hardly come as a surprise that Crisco is a fake food and therefore bad for you.

2. As for point #3 above, it sounds good, but then again those six vodka-cranberries sounded good to me last Friday, and look where they got me.

3. I'm all about point #9. In fact, I'll go even further and say that if there isn't at least 4g of fiber in those 12g, pass on it.


THE BAD

1. The exclamation mark at the end of the super-long title is a bit twee, don't you think?

2. I wholly disagree with their stance on calorie counting. I know we can never be totally sure of how many calories we consume (then again, can we ever be truly sure of anything? sigh.), but to discount calorie counting as a whole seems a bit dumb. I personally got my chubby ass in to some EXTREMELY TINY pants through constant calorie counting and daily exercise AND YES I COULD CUT A BITCH AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF SUCH DEPRIVATION but it was all worth it. Right? Right????

3. Fasting may be good in theory, but just ask my husband how lovely I am after I haven't eaten for a few hours.

4. I take issue with point #7. I'm very pro-breakfast. In fact, I'm a big fan of the "inverted pyramid" approach to eating: my breakfast is my biggest meal, lunch is medium-sized, and my dinner is quite small. Takes some getting used to but has worked quite well for me.

And that, ultimately, is what I think many need to keep in mind when it comes to dieting: what works for one person might not work for another. So take this approach with a grain of salt. But not too much salt. Salt makes you bloated, even if it IS quite tasty.

In a nutshell: I still say eat a little and exercise a lot, but what do I know? Still, The Liberation Diet taught me some things I didn't know, reaffirmed some things I did, and made me disagree with still others.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3.5 out of 6 stars

Angels & Demons: Skim and Toss

Angels and Demons
Dan Brown

To be fair, I went into this one with eyes wide open. I knew the writing would be sub-par, some scenes would be melodramatic, and the plot gripping. For the most part, I hit the nail right on the head.

I won't go into the plot, since most people are already familiar with it. Basically, the novel follows symbologist Robert Langdon, who gets embroiled in a mystery that plots the Catholic Church against those who champion science. Of course, Langdon is in a race against time ... yadda yadda yadda.

That said, I enjoyed reading, even if skimming was way too easy. The characterization was a bit shallow, and many points were foreseeable. However, the worst aspect for me was the overly-simple nature of the prose. I would have liked to see this novel written by one with a way with words. In better hands, this novel could have been more than just a page-turner.

In a nutshell: Predictable in places, groan-worthy in others, gripping in still others. A perfect beach book.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3 out of 6 stars

Poop or get off the pot

African Psycho
Alain Mabanckou

Shh. Listen. Can you hear that?

That's the sound of me tearing through another title in my reading resolution. Woot. Woot. Although, to be fair, this was an easy one: Mabanckou's African Psycho is a slim book at a little over 150 pages.

African Psycho, as one might expect, is the African version of American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. However, unlike Patrick Bateman, who had a thirst for murder and (may have) racked up more than a few bodies, Gregoire Nakobomayo is more a murderer in thought than in deed.

You see, Gregoire wants to kill, but somehow never manages to do so. He wants more than anything to please the soul of his dead idol, the serial killer known as Angoualima. Gregoire visits Angoualima's grave frequently, and imagines the ghost of his idol berating him for his failed attempts at infamy. Vowing to please his idol at last, Gregoire plans to kill his girlfriend by the end of the year.

Murdering his girlfriend will have another important effect than just getting Gregoire in Angoualima's good graces: it will help him be somebody and do something important. Gregoire imagines that murdering his prostitute girlfriend will actually benefit his city in the end.

Unfortunately, it's Gregoire himself who gets in his way. As one might have guessed, our poor narrator thinks too much and as a result does very little. Consequently, African Psycho is a frequently humorous, if not entirely violent, novel.

In a nutshell: Psychological and philosophical, African Psycho is intriguing but not necessarily enjoyable. The disappointing ending prevented it from being a solid four stars.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3.5 out of 6 stars

As flies to wanton boys are we

Fool
Christopher Moore

The next title of my reading resolution is also my newest review for Pajiba.

This time, I've read Fool, the latest by Christopher Moore. Long-time readers of Bibliolatry may remember my first encounter with Moore, the excruciatingly painful Fluke. Ah, good times.

Anyway, the good news is that Fool is way better than Fluke. You can read my full review here.

In a nutshell: I didn't hate it, but I'm still not a fan. Sorry, dude.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3.5 out of 6 stars

The Dance of the Stick FTW!

Right Livelihoods: Three Novellas
Rick Moody

I've hit a wall recently, but, to quote Ms. Dion, my heart will go on. I can do this. My reading resolution will be fulfilled.

Thankfully, having a review for Pajiba was a nice kick in the ass. This month, I've reviewed Rick Moody's Right Livelihoods. This collection of three novellas was my introduction to this author, and, even though I wasn't wowed by Right Livelihoods, I plan on reading more Moody...after the completion of my resolution, of course.

To read my review, click here.

In a nutshell: Entertaining, but not entirely satisfying.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3.5 out of 6 stars

Only read 75% of this book

The Abortionist's Daughter
Elisabeth Hyde

The Abortionist's Daughter is, if nothing else, a fast-paced, engaging novel. That's not to say it's earth-shattering, or profound, or even particularly THAT GOOD (the end ruined it for me), but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this latest notch on my reading resolution belt.

Overall, I was pretty impressed by Hyde's handling of such a controversial topic: the plot was balanced, favoring neither side of the abortion debate and in so doing avoided feeling preachy or cliched. The novel opens as a prominent doctor is found murdered in her own home. As the Director of the Center for Reproductive Choice, Diana knows that more than a few people wouldn't mind seeing her dead. Unfortunately, solving the crime won't be that easy, as Diana has a few personal enemies as well. So whodunit? A stranger? Her husband? Daughter? The pro-lifers?

The Abortionist's Daughter follow the trajectories of several characters in the wake of the murder. Among them is Frank, Diana's husband, and Megan, Diana's troubled daughter. While Diana's character is full and developed, other characters (especially that of Megan) do not receive such treatment. Megan is especially problematic, and as the novel progresses it becomes increasingly difficult to find her actions credible.

This point is what ultimately "undoes" The Abortionist's Daughter, in my opinion. Things were motoring along perfectly until the final third of the book, when two characters begin to behave in utterly incomprehensible ways. Unfortunately this is also the exact point in the book in which all suspense is lost, as it has become pretty clear who's committed the crime. Didn't make for a compelling (or believable) ending to the novel.

In a nutshell: Fast, but forgettable...and wtf at that ending? Whatever, I'm over it.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3 out of 6 stars

This will all end in tears

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams

My bad.

Under normal circumstances, I would have quite enjoyed The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and the fact that I didn't is entirely my fault. Had I not already seen the movie, the novel wouldn't have seemed so stale. As it was, I knew what was coming before it came; even the narrative voice was repeated in the film, and thus offered no new enjoyment upon my encountering it again on the page. Had The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy not been yet another title in my reading resolution, I probably never would have pushed myself to finish.

Still, the fault is entirely my own. The fact remains that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxyis a perfectly enjoyable novel that is fast-paced and unlike anything I've ever read before. Plus, Marvin is utterly adorable, and perfectly justified in his depression.

I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed

In a nutshell: Under normal circumstances? Woohoo! In reality? Meh.

Bibliolatry Scale: Jeez, I don't even know how to rate this. 4 for quality, 2 for impact, so 3 out of 6 stars? Ugh, whatever.

Curse schmurse!

The End of Mr. Y
Scarlett Thomas

The End of Mr. Y marks the first of my reading resolution novels for this year. The reason I chose it was simple: its design. The pages are edged in black, and there's a "feel" to the book that grabs one's attention immediately. Plus, the premise sounded intriguing. There you have it.

The End of Mr. Y follows Ariel, a PhD student studying an obscure author whose most famous work (the aforementioned Mr. Y) is cursed. Is the novel truly cursed, or is this just literary myth? Ariel is unlikely to ever find out, since no copies of the book exist. When Ariel unexpectedly comes across The End of Mr. Y in a used bookstore, she spends her last cent to purchase it. Knowing that reading the book will bring the curse upon her head, she does what pretty much any bibliophile would do -- she reads it.

(Speaking of which, would you read a "cursed" book? I have to say that I probably would.)

Ariel is immediately drawn into a world that contradicts all that she has previously known about the nature of reality. Things get weird, and then they get weirder.

At times Thomas more than stretches the limits of my imagination, and towards the end, the plot becomes a bit silly. The first half of the novel was solid, however, so I was a little dismayed to see how some of these elements were tied together at the end.

In a nutshell: The End of Mr. Y was a fascinating read that was both thought-provoking and fast-paced. Were it not for the end, I'd have rated this one a solid four stars.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3.5 out of 6 stars