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

Are you a virgin?

Mr. Muo's Travelling Couch
Dai Sijie

You know what? There are some books that defy a serious review. This is one of them. Allow me to present to you Random Facts about Mr. Muo's Travelling Couch:

1. Mr. Muo REALLY wants a virgin.

2. This book was part of my reading resolution.

3. I didn't really care for this book.

4. While a lot happened in the novel, not much ever seemed to happen. Puzzling.

5. This book has appeared under the (much better, in my opinion) title "Le Complexe de Di," or The Di Complex (much like the Oedipal complex that so fascinates Muo). I prefer the other title, as it emphasizes how another's desires influence Muo. In all honesty, though, I probably wouldn't have cared for the book no matter what title it had.

6. I much preferred Sijie's Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress.

7. Oh well.

In a nutshell: In finding a virgin to offer to the wily Judge Di, Muo hopes to free his love from prison. While this sounds interesting, I couldn't must a care for anyone in the bok.

Bibliolatry Scale: 2 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

Never con a Con

The Ivy Tree
Mary Stewart

Hm. This one had such promise. Perhaps it hasn't aged well?

The Ivy Tree promised to be a fast read. It had mystery, it had romance. It had a gorgeous English manor that made me envious. I thought it would be an easy read to knock off another title in my resolution. Unfortunately, I was a bit deceived.

Mary Grey meets a mysterious man while visiting Northumberland. This angry, even frightening, man believes Mary to be his long-lost cousin Annabel. When he learns Mary is not his cousin, Connor Winslow hatches a plot, and soon he's convinced Mary to return to his home posing as Annabel in order to secure an inheritance. What's in it for Mary? Money, of course -- enough to live easily for the rest of her life. Mary agrees and quickly finds herself knee-deep in trouble.

Like I said, The Ivy Tree started out well enough, but then things just seemed full of teh obvious. I mean, the bad guy's named Con. CON. Certainly not surprising when he proves himself dishonest. Furthermore, some of the dialogue was a bit stilted and VERY old fashioned and even a bit sexist, which was awkward given the author is a woman.

There were a few positives. It wasn't so awful that I gave up. I was interested enough in these (rather flat, unfortunately) characters to make it to the end. Still, while a few things surprised me, and the novel's bit o' romance was sweet enough, I don't feel interested in reading more by this author.

In a nutshell: Mystery + romance + intrigue + deception = YAWN

Bibliolatry Scale: 2 out of 6 stars

Nature = scary (not to mention buggy)

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Stephen King

Trisha McFarland is royally screwed.

Her parents are getting divorced: dad's an alcoholic, and mom's hatching one crackpot bonding plan after another. Her love of baseball (especially Tom Gordon, her favorite player) is one of the only things capable of bringing a smile to her face. Unfortunately, the comforts of home are far away after she finds herself lost in the middle of the woods with no tools and barely any food. Hoping rescue is just an hour or two away, she begins walking back toward what she believes is the path from which she first veered.

Needless to say, Trisha is wrong.

What follows is a harrowing misadventure that reminds anyone with half a brain NOT TO LEAVE THE FRIGGIN PATH when you're traipsing through the woods. Unless, of course, you happen to be a) older than 9, b) insane, or c) equipped with basic hiking gear, like, say, a compass.

What she thinks is a shortcut isn't; what she believes will take her back won't. Trisha gets lost and lost again, all the while struggling to survive in the face of some pretty awful obstacles.

As if this weren't already enough, King throws something ELSE at this poor kid: something is stalking her in the woods. What is this thing - is it beast? or human? Real, or a figment of her imagination?

In a nutshell: A fast, entertaining read that might have been better as a short story; still, readers can easily sympathize with Trisha and will want to see her through to the end.

Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars

Much madness is divinest sense

Martian Time-Slip
Philip K. Dick

I don't know how I got on a Dick Kick, but somehow I bought the first Library of America edition (see my previous reviews here and here), so of course I was obligated to buy the second edition containing five of his novels from the 60s and 70s. Because each novel received its own entry in my reading resolution, I figured it was time to knock one of these bad boys down.

The first novel in this collection, Martian Time-Slip, blew me away. It was by far better than I remembered the previous novels being (even though, upon rereading my reviews, it seems I enjoyed those quite a bit). Martian Time-Slip is unlike previous Dick novels I've read: there were no drugs, no crazy technology -- in fact, the novel contained only one main hallmark of Dick's fiction: the male protagonist whose grip on reality is threatened by powerful forces, both external and internal. Will said protagonist defeat these forces and keep his sanity? (With the final scene still burning a hole in my brain, I must say I doubt it.)

Speaking of the brain, I loved how PKD dealt with the mind in this novel; it was different from my previous PKD experiences. Martian Time-Slip, in fact, seemed only nominally "science fiction-y" in that it took place on Mars. The real setting, however, is the human mind, especially the mind of the mentally ill.

PKD questions whether those who have a mental illness like schizophrenia or autism are truly mentally ill, proposing instead that they have astounding gifts simply unknown to the rest of us. In Dick's world, several characters locked in their own internal worlds actually see and know more than they should, including that which has not yet happened. Such a talent is easy for one with power and money (not to mention an unflappable will to exploit the less fortunate) to use for his own devices.

I haven't yet attempted to write a conventional summary because the plot is both too simple -- and yet somehow too complex -- to condense into a basic paragraph, but I'll try. There's a colony eking out an existence on Mars. Some people have gifts. Other people have power. The latter uses the former. The result is disturbing and utterly unforgettable. Clearly, this summary leaves something to be desired; there is too much I have neither the time nor the place to include.

In a nutshell: Martian Time-Slip transcends the traditional Dick-ian trope of paranoia and drug use to take a compassionate (and fascinating) look at those with debilitating mental illness.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5.5 out of 6 stars

I was nothing until I hated

The Secret Speech
Tom Rob Smith

This month's review has been posted at Pajiba, and this time I was excited to read Tom Rob Smith's follow up to Child 44, which I read -- and adored -- last summer.

Thankfully, The Secret Speech is just as entertaining as its predecessor. You may read my thoughts by clicking here.

In a nutshell: Fast paced and overall awesome, even if murdered children aren't a feature this time around.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars

Why doesn't the Gingerbread Man wear shorts?

The Fourth Bear
Jasper Fforde

You may have noticed a lack of posts lately (actually, you probably haven't, but let's pretend) -- and this is a good thing. No posts = kicking ass in my resolution. It's been trying, especially when some books just suck.

Which brings me to The Fourth Bear. I wanted to like it: everyone else seems to. Fforde's got a good enough idea going, treating fairytale characters as though they are real, but the jokes and gags that follow all seem like too much effort for not enough of a return.

First, a recap: The Fourth Bear begins as Goldilocks, an investigative reporter, questions a local cucumber grower. Soon, the grower is dead and Goldilocks is missing. Jack Spratt of the Nursery Crime Division investigates her whereabouts, and he soon finds -- wait for it -- the three bears. These honest bears, however, know nothing about Goldilocks present location, leading Spratt to believe in the presence of a fourth bear. Meanwhile, the notorious Gingerbread Man is running amok, leaving innocent victims in his wake. If only Spratt can solve the crime in time...

Sure, he looks cute. . .
but wait until he rips off your arms

Unfortunately, for Spratt and his cronies, I was rooting for the Gingerbread Man, who was the most interesting character in the book -- Fforde should have let the Man do as he pleased. I really didn't care whether Spratt ever found Goldilocks and solved the cucumber mystery (which became way too complicated for my blood). The running jokes involving fairytale characters in real-life setting were cute at first, but the humor faded quickly. I had to force myself to finish, and, had this not been the only book available during an interminable transatlantic flight, I probably wouldn't have finished at all.

In a nutshell: Cute and quirky at first...but the cute and quirky wore off quickly. Fforde's novels are immensely successful, though, so you might not want to take my word for it.

Bibliolatry Scale: 2 out of 6 stars

Oh, and if you want the answer to the question posed in the title of this post, it's because he has crummy legs. Get it? GET IT? That's so funny right? Just like this book.

Reading Resolution: June Update

Time to gather some links and rack up my progress for the month of June. Not that great, but I was traveling for a good bit.


RESOLUTION TITLES READ IN JUNE: 2

Eco, Umberto. The Name of the Rose
Irving, John. The World According to Garp


NON-RESOLUTION TITLES READ IN JUNE: 6

Brown, Kevin and Annette Presley. The Liberation Diet
von Daniken, Erich. Chariots of the Gods
Doyle, Larry. I Love You, Beth Cooper
Kurlansky, Mark. The Food of a Younger Land
Waters, Sarah. Fingersmith
Wood, Patricia. Lottery


TOTAL TITLES READ IN JUNE: 8

CURRENT RESOLUTION PROGRESS: 27 / 88

TOTAL BOOKS READ IN 2009: 41