novel

A Canticle For Leibowitz

Book Notes kitt decided around 22:00 on 1 August 2016 to publish this:

In reading The Knowledge, several of the quotes at the beginning of chapters were ones from A Canticle for Liebowitz. Given the book was one of Paul's favorite books in high school, I thought I would read it again. I mean, really, it's been so long since I've read it that it is almost as if I hadn't read it, so it could be new for me again. Though, let's be real, reading a book as a kid, then reading it as an adult means you are reading a new book.

One of the defining ideas of the book is that, well, humanity pretty much destroys itself with a nuclear war, sending the world back to the dark ages where anarchy rules along with mutants and the church. No surprise there, the book was written in the sixties when the overt threat of nuclear war was far more in the front of people's consciousnesses. I would argue that the threat isn't really that much reduced, people as a whole have just moved on a bit. The threat of a nuclear bomb is sufficient, no one REALLY wants to use it.

In Canticle, people used it. People destroyed the world. Humanity survived. Humanity rebuilt. Humanity had the same stupid existential arguments, the same pettiness, the same everything that makes us human. Which means, of course, that we would regain the world, only to destroy it again.

In reading the book this time, I was struck with just how much of the discussions we had as a group in high school included the arguments and discussions from the book. I suspect just as my world was shaped more than I'd like to admit by the books I read in high school, this book shaped Paul's world. I could be projecting.

Many of the philopsophical discussions stuck with me, and I had to pause reading to think about them. I wish I had someone reading the book at the same time, so that we could talk about it.

Anna and the Swallow Man

Book Notes Posted by kitt at 21:37 on 15 July 2016

My short summary of this book to Rob was, "Mom picked it out. About an orphan girl surviving WW2 Poland by wandering the wilderness. There's a mystery about who the swallow man is. Has been good, if sad," which pretty much sums up the book.

It's a quick read. I hadn't realized until just as I'm writing this review that it is a young adult / teen's book, which pretty much explains the quick read, short number of pages, and easy plot. That all said, it is a moving book, sad not only because of the horrors going on around a seven year old girl who understands much and understands so little about human nature and the war raging around her in Poland during World War 2, but also because of the personal heartache of the loss of a friend, trusted companion, and father-figure, even as he is still there physically.

I liked how the characters began shallow and deepened as the book progressed.

And how the reader is reminded, as the characters are, that life is more than just existing.

Career of Evil

Book Notes kitt decided around 21:06 on 14 July 2016 to publish this:

This is the third of three books currently published in the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith / J. K. Rowling. This one was also the most grisly (which, well, given all the violence in the world, isn't actually THAT grisly), and the one I read the fastest. Picked it up last night, finished it today.

Continuing in the series, we have Robin Ellacott still unable to communicate effectively with Cormoran, about needs and wants and desires. Cormoran isn't special, though: she can't communicate with her fiancee, Matthew Cunliffe either. We have the continual male-female tension between Cormoran and Robin, both attracted to each other but neither admitting it or moving forward with it, the tension made doubly so with a shocking (not shocking) revelation from Matthew early(-ish) in the book.

My enjoyment of characters and plot development in the last book lead me to believe I would enjoy this one, which I did for the most part. We learn a lot more of Robin, which is great, and a bit more of Cormoran, which is also great. We don't really learn that much about Matthew, other than he's still a money-obsessed asshat, but I suspect that's what J.K. want us to feel, so shrug on that one.

The delivery of the bottom half of a woman's leg, along with a couple other incidents of violence against various women, made parts of the story uncomfortable, but I think that's likely the point. The mystery's solution was revealed slowly, and in a good way to not have the reader going WTF, NO, which is good. I hope there's another Cormoran Strike novel, I'm enjoying the mysteries.

The Silkworm

Book Notes Written with a loving hand by kitt some time around 22:10 on 13 July 2016

After reading The Cuckoo's Calling, I started reading Anna and the Swallow Man, managing all of 10 pages before I really wanted to read more about Cormoran Strike and his assistant, Robin. I guess that means that CC was a good enough book that I wanted to follow the characters again, dropping another book for it.

I did not see this book's mystery revelation coming. I love that about this book, and Rowling's adult mystery writing. I did think "SO MANY WORDS" when I read this book, as with all of Rowling's latest books it seems, and that Rowling really needs an editor to help cut down on how many words she likes to write. I thought this of the last four Harry Potters, and I think that about CC and this book. So. Many. Words.

This book continued the life of Cormoran Strike, after he started to gain success from the previous book's mystery's solving. After dealing with a lot of soul sucking cases, Cormoran takes the case of a distraught woman looking for her husband to come home. Her motivation wasn't punishment or anger or suspicion, but a desire for her family to be whole again. This hit a nerve with Cormoran causing him to take the case. He finds the husband, and a who-done-it mystery at the same time.

I'm enjoying these Strike books, and look forward to reading the third one, too.

The Cuckoo's Calling

Book Notes Written with a loving hand by kitt some time around 14:56 on 10 July 2016

The first of three Cormoran Strike detective mystery books, I have this book on my list because, I know you'll be shocked here, Mom selected it. I know, I know. Shocking.

Suffice it to say, I managed to read about a third of it before I thought, "So many words," and had to look up the details of this Robert Galbraith author dude. Last time I thought "so many words" was from the last four Harry Potter series, so maybe this was a British author kind of thing?

Turns out, yep, not only a British author kind of thing, the same British author kind of thing: Galbraith is a pseudonym / pen name of J.K. Rowling.

So, there you go. Another book that needs an editor's hand. Read it fast enough, and you might mind less. I did. I read it fast, and enjoyed it. I TOTALLY missed the boat on who the bad guy was, which is ALWAYS delightful. Having an author who can lead you down the wrong path and still have the correct path make sense, is just totally delightful.

I went ahead and checked out the next book in the series. The physical description of Cormoran reminds me a lot of Jonathan, which contributed, no doubt, to my enjoyment. I'm curious where the series (of three books so far) goes.

Remains of the Day

Book Notes kitt decided around 14:39 on 2 July 2016 to publish this:

I have to say, this one was a rough read. Seems that the books I'm reading as of late are all about people who are incapable of expressing their love and, while also craving it, affection. I might have to start reading my non-fiction in-progress books just to move away from these tragic love stories.

Remains of the Day is nominally about the several journey of a post World War 2 butler, Mr. Stevens, as he goes to visit a former housemaid of the manor. On the journey, Stevens reminisces about the past, through which we learn about Lord Darlington, Darlington Hall, the decades of Steven's service, and Darlington's political views. The movie, which I haven't seen in years, does the book good justice, if I recall it correctly. It may lose some of the nuances, but I seem to recall most of the major plot points when reading the book.

Yeah, so, the idea of unrequited love, two persons incapable of expressing their fondness for each other, their inability to communicate, these things really hit me hard. I've struggled with vulnerability, both in the giving and the accepting in others. Being vulnerable is the only way you can be with someone when you want to be intimate. Knowing, trusting, feeling in your bones that the other person has your best interest at heart, that arguments aren't for winning but for understanding the other person better, is hard, really hard sometimes. Really really hard, and worth the effort.

Unsurprising, as much as I struggled with this book, I, of course, recommend it (or the movie, since I'm less dogmatic these days about books being the better way to go).

Gone With The Wind

Book Notes Posted by kitt at 20:12 on 19 June 2016

Before reading

This book has been in my to-read pile for, well, um... uh.... 20 years? No, that's not quite right, but let's go with it. I have it in paperback and audiobook form, and finally decided that, dammit, I am going to read or listen to this book and finally remove it from my to-read pile. In reality, I want to read it because I want to see if my "If you see the movie, and someone tells you the book is better, don't bother to read the book, because you already know the high points" theory, formed after reading This Is Where I Leave You having seen the movie first, is valid. I've seen the Gone With The Wind movie. I saw it waaaaaaaaay long ago, before I was old enough to understand the nuances of the plot, story, messages. I plan on watching the movie again after finishing the book.

Above All Men

Book Notes Yeah, kitt finished writing this at 18:16 on 18 June 2016

I cannot figure out why I have this book. I thought maybe it was on some Book Riot list, but I can't figure out which one. Can't say I liked this book. I can say I didn't enjoy this book.

The premise is post-apocalyptic world (most of which are usually interesting), a war veteran is home trying to take care of his wife and son, while still fighting his own demons. The back of the cover says, "When a girl in town is murdered, David tracks the killer, while battling his own past." That back of the cover fails to mention said girl is his son's best friend. Also fails to mention that said girl is the neighbor girl.

So, why did I not enjoy this book? Couple reasons: the world described was hazy and completely unclear. I know what a farm looks like. I know what a dust storm looks like. I feel I should have been able to picture this world given my experiences with both, but I couldn't. The world was hazy. The characters were hazy. I didn't connect with any of them.

The author's style of writing also put me off. Ala Ulysses, quotes were absent from the characters words. I would have to stop and reread parts of the books (many, many, many times) in order to understand what was said and who said what. Each reread broke me out of the flow of the book. The no-quotes thing might be good for the author, it is crap for the reader.

The ending was reasonable, even if sad in the many lives changed. One hopes the characters can draw strength from doing the right thing in a seriously messed up world. That there are people who do the right thing, even at great personal cost, makes this book somewhat compelling.

My copy will be going into the Little Lending Library out front of Andy's house. I hope someone else enjoys this book more than I did.

One More Thing Before I Go

Book Notes Posted by kitt at 15:28 on 7 June 2016

On my little mini-Tropper kick, I picked up this book and read it quickly. I can still claim this to be a Mom-stack book, in a fashion, given how nearly all the other Tropper books I've read were Mom-stack books. Or not: I read it because I enjoy his writing style.

This book wasn't as outrageously amusing as Tropper's other books, though it still had some laugh-out-loud parts. I'm not sure how much amusement you can put into the story of a man who has a short time to live if he doesn't have an operation to save his life, but Tropper manages a good amount.

The thing that sticks with me with these last two Tropper books is the idea of falling in love with the girl walking by. Trooper describes Judd and Silver as both falling in love with the imagined story of this girl as she rides by, or that girl as she serves coffee. The idea of falling in love, of having those crushes, and enjoying the emotion, basking in the warmth of it, just rings delightful with me. It is in such contrast with the idea of One True Love That Survives The Ages™ that is this gold standard, impossible ideal of the lonely heart.

I enjoyed this book, as with all the Tropper books (just don't read them one after the other, they lose their delight). The ending was perfectly ambiguous.

This Is Where I Leave You

Book Notes kitt decided around 20:27 on 3 June 2016 to publish this:

You know when you go see a movie, and all the readers who have read the book the movie is from say, "Ugh, the book was better!" and you think, "Okay," and decide you won't ever read the book?

Right. Because reading the book, THEN seeing the movie is the correct order to experience a plot. Really.

Really really.

When I started this book, which I deliberately picked up because it is by Jonathan Tropper and I have enjoyed his other books, I keep thinking, "Ehhhhhhhhhhh, I feel like I have read this book," but I couldn't find it in my list of read books, so maybe I hadn't read it. Which is to say, I read this book at lightning speed because I really really really really felt I had already read the book.

Turns out, no, I hadn't read the book, I had seen the movie. Well, the last two thirds of the movie, anyway. I came across it while channel surfing and watched it because Timothy Olyphant is in it, and, well, after Sheriff Bullock and Marshall Givens, I'll pretty much watch most things Olyphant is in (and because, come on, he has a really cool last name, too).

So, yeah, the movie is STUNNINGLY close to the book. I knew all the plot twists and many of the jokes, and I have to say, if you've seen the movie, skip the book. If you've read the book, skip the movie, because the book has how the movie should have ended.

Pages