Warm Bodies

Warm Bodies Book Cover

Author: Isaac Marion

Publisher: Emily Besler Books/Atria (2011)

R is a twenty something year old zombie. He wears a button down shirt, slacks, and a red tie. He even thinks and talks! His friend, M, is schlubby and talks too. He even makes jokes! These are not the zombies we are used to reading about. R and M live (or should I say loiter) around an airport in an unknown city. R collects human objects (like Ariel’s treasure cove) in a 747 plane. He listens to Frank Sinatra on a record player and actually sings along to the music. On a mundane trip to find food in the “city,” R meets and rescues Julie after ending Perry, Julie’s boyfriend’s life. What occurs afterwards changes the zombies as they know it.

The Color Purple

Author: Alice Walker

Publisher: Harcourt Books (1982)

This is the tale of two sisters – one, Nettie, is a missionary in Africa and the other, Celie, a wife, living in the South. Through letters, they share their lives, their hopes, their dreams, and their desires through thirty years. Celie manages to shake the abuse with the love and affection of Shug Avery, her husband’s ex-squeeze, and finds herself with Shug’s support.

Nettie battles jealousies and death in Africa and somehow manages to come out okay enough to see her sister, Celie again.

The length of time they finally find each other again is thirty years but their experiences make them stronger people in the end. Albeit their unfortunate circumstances, they manage to see a brighter future with the people they encounter and be glad they have the opportunity to see another day.

The power of love, as shown in this book, most definitely conquers all in the most harrowing circumstances. Told in epistolary style, we see Celie’s vocabulary change throughout with some assistance from Shug and company and also her confidence grow with each passing entry.

Alice Walker is such an effective and powerful storyteller that I can only hope to write as well as she does. I look forward to reading more of her work!

Letters to a Young Artist

Edited by: Peter Nesbett, Sarah Andress, and Shelly Bancroft

Published by: Darte Publishing LLC (2006)

A young artist asked a group of established artists “Is it possible to maintain one’s integrity and freedom of thought and still participate in the art world?” and this pocket sized books contains written responses from these writers. The book contains letters from Jo Baer, John Bladessari, Cai Guo-Qiang, Yoko Ono, Yvonne Rainer, Adrian Piper, William Pope. L and many more.

Not being familiar with 85% of these artists, I couldn’t gauge the level of their popularity. Their messages about art were consistent across the board – as an artist, just Do. At least this is the message that I culled from the small book.

As a writer, I was able to relate to the advice and support these artists provided to the “young artist.” At the end of the day, all artists must create, love what they do, put aside the monetary success, and express themselves the only way they know how to in their medium. I think every artist should own this and read it as their own support group. In the vein that Writing Down the Bones and Bird by Bird are compassionate to the budding and accomplished writer, Letters to a Young Artist provide the same sentiment to aspiring and accomplished artists everywhere. To have an idea of what some of the letters are like, read Yoko Ono’s letter here.

In short, an inspiring nugget that reassures every artist why they are doing the work in the first place; they hear it from those who have been there and know what to expect in their future.

Joseph Gridgely says it best: “It’s the stuff that has nothing to do with art that has everything to do with art.”

Player Piano

Author: Kurt Vonnegut

Publisher: Dell Publishing (1952)

From Wikipedia:

“The novel follows Doctor Paul Proteus, an engineer at the Ilium Works. The novel takes place in an America of the future where machines run everything and do everything, making people almost afterthoughts. Specialization is the norm, and all of the wealthy upper-class people have doctorate level degrees, with eight years of schooling for everyone; consequently it creates a society of well-educated thinkers and not doers. Paul seems to be on his way up the ladder of success in this techno-utopia – a perfect wife, a fast-track position at Ilium Works and a shot at a major promotion. But he is plagued with doubts about what modern life has become. Through a strange series of events, Dr. Proteus joins a revolutionary organization called the Ghost Shirt Society and even becomes its leader, at least in name. These Ghost Shirts, their name taken from the Native American Ghost Dance, succeed in destroying much of Ilium’s mechanized infrastructure. Yet, they realize the lack of hope in their mission, and at the end it becomes clear that their goal was to give man hope instead of revolutionize society.”

Player Piano is the first book I’ve read by the renowned Kurt Vonnegut and I really wish it wasn’t. This story took me five months to read and the book is a mere 296 pages for frak’s sake. The ebbing and flowing of the narrative didn’t work; it made the story too boring at times to care. The relevant social commentary about man versus the machine, was effective however, the exposition was slow-moving and dull. I’ve read my share of dystopic stories including social commentary that manage to make the story entertaining; Vonnegut fails in this respect in this small book that’s packed with potent material. It’s unfortunate this was my first Vonnegut novel; I hear better things about his other works. I hope I’m not disappointed again.

Would I suggest this book? Most people who have noticed me reading a Vonnegut novel have not read this one particular story. If you are a Vonnegut fan, you won’t miss it. As your first Vonnegut book, pass.

Going Bovine

Author: Libba Bray

Published by: Delacorte Press (2009)

“The best day of my life happened when I was five and almost died at Disney World” – first lines from the satirical and hysterical tale of Cameron Smith, the boy who contracts mad cow disease at his employment, Buddha Burger (or so we think). After contracting this disease, he’s admitted to the hospital in where he meets an angel decked out with combat boots and hot pink hair named, Dulcie. She enrolls him to go on a quest to find Dr. X, the man who will help cure him. On this quest, Cameron is accompanied by his schoolmate, Gonzo, the Mexican dwarf, meets a gnome named Balder, and travels all around the country to find Dr. X. The end result provides Cameron with a new meaning for his life.

At a whopping 480 pages (hardcover edition), this book never appeared long or tedious. Libba Bray has a magnificent grasp on the youthful voice with a nostalgic twist. There are sections that recall the nineties MTV Spring Break reality TV shows which made this reader laugh with recognition. Apart from appealing to adults, the ability to make apathetic Cameron likable was incredible. Bray’s talent was showcased straight up and down in this novel. What worked particularly well, was the banter between Gonzo and Cameron; one could hear the dialogue clearly which never sounded stilted or forced. Teenagers all across the country are speaking, thinking, acting, and feeling like this. As an adult, I was able to empathize with Cameron through his journey. This was a delightful, fun, amusing, and playful novel on all fronts. I haven’t laughed this much while reading a book since S.G. Browne’s Breathers (see my review here). Do pick this book up when possible because you will not be disappointed.

One more thing, as a reader, one will have a sense of Libba Bray’s silliness with her acknowledgements section (located at the beginning of the book) which had me chuckling out loud. It was like reading Scott Pilgrim vs. The World in my head! It was bright, colorful, witty, and very memorable as well as having heart.

I’ll end this review with a few of the last lines (no spoilers, I promise) which is how I responded upon completion of the book.

“And there’s nothing to say but wow. Wow. The same word backward and forward. And I can see why.”

The Beatles: The Biography

Author: Bob Spitz

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (2005)

This book chronicles the inception of the most memorable band in rock and roll history right down to its demise. The author culled information from interviews, newspaper articles, other Beatles biographies, and the 1995 Beatles Anthology, to make this story fascinating, sad, and brilliant about the four boys from Liverpool who vowed to be the “toppermost of the poppermost.” The legacy of John, Paul, George, and Ringo as The Beatles in this incarnation (details and nuances are different in other biographies) will forever immortalized as the best rock and roll band around.

I received this book as a birthday gift in April after I made my love affair with The Beatles public to friends. Never having read a biography about them before, this account revealed to me why this band influenced the many recording artists today. Completely enthralled from the first page, the biographer did a phenomenal job of keeping his readers invested in The Beatles’ tale while also making minute details interesting that would be considered otherwise. A fantastic ride into the 1960s while having the soundtrack in real time, I had a blast reading and listening to the Beatles.

This particular biography spends less time referencing the music but focuses on their personal lives beginning and ending with John. The reader weaves through the trials and tribulations of the teenagers who started in The Quarrymen to the young twenty something men in The Beatles.

For the new Beatles fan, this book will not disappoint. As for the Beatlemaniac, this addition to the collection of written biographies about the band will be old news or fill in holes to the knowledge about them.

“As the Beatles, they had been to the toppermost of the poppermost. They had encountered crowds, heard the screams, felt the love. Saw the light. In a brief and shining interval, they had lived a dream that no Liverpool lad could imagine – a magical, fabulous dream, like out of a fairy tale. An unforgettable dream.”

When they woke up, they left behind a gift to music lovers everywhere – their music.

Book Challenge Progress

As far as my book challenge progress goes, I’ve read ten books out of the forty I have listed in my book challenge. Slow going but I have read a total of eighteen books this year (double the amount of books I read last year this time around) so I’m on a roll!

I’ve discarded a few books that have bored me at the first chapter (honestly, if I can’t get past the first chapter, why bother reading it when I have too many other books to read?) therefore the titles have completely been deleted off my list. I’ve already started my reading list for next year but perhaps it’s too soon?

Below, a few tips to complete a reading challenge for yourself:

Ditch your MP3 player

It’s easy to tune out everyone and listen to music on your morning commute which I understand. If you want to really finish that book you’ve been reading for over a month, take a break from your music, leave the mp3 player at home and focus on your book.

My commute is fairly short (50 minutes to and from work) so I would normally listen to some tunes while crossing the Williamsburg bridge. When I committed to completing any book I was reading at the moment, those five minutes waiting on the train platform and those fifteen minutes on the train to my destination piled up which allowed me to read at least a chapter (depending how short) or a quarter of a chapter. Add those minutes up to the commute home? And I’ve read two chapters (or one, again, depending on length) in the day.

I used to listen to my iPod while reading but found myself actively paying attention to the melodies than my story. As much as I like to tune out completely, the soundtrack of screeching train brakes and automated train advisories proved to be less distracting and intrusive.

Carry the book (or e-reader) with you

You have no idea how much time flies when you wait for someone at dinner, lunch, or brunch. Not to mention, your commute to wherever you may socialize as well as work. All those times in between add up to completing the book you’ve been reading since two months ago. You’d be surprised how much quicker the book is read when the work is physically always in plain sight.

Create a goal

Take the time to check in on how many books you want to read for the month or year, execute, and complete. Write it down so you can see it and take mini strides to complete, whether it’s a chapter or half of one; if the intention is there, it will be easier to follow through.

When I look at the book (or books) I’m reading, I commit to completing either a chapter a day, finishing the chapter I started at work during lunch, during my commute, or when I’m in bed. Because completing the book is on my mind all the time, I make that much of an effort to devote my time to reading about another world or someone else’s life.

Compile a “Books to Read” list

Coinciding with my “Read Books I Own” list, the book queue I created has significantly helped me accomplish my goals.

Make a list of books that sound interesting, that you’ve seen a blurb of on a talk show, mentioned in a newspaper article, a friend has mentioned, and so on and commit to reading those books. There doesn’t have to be any particular order or genre (unless you choose it that way), it’s all about the love of reading in an organized fashion.

Join or Organize a Book Club

I have to say, being part of a book club is tons of fun. Not only do you share your love of reading, you get to discuss these books with folks and read genres you may never have thought of reading unless suggested.

In my book club, we’ve read non-fiction, young adult, historical fiction, literary, horror, and books with magic realism. The variety I’ve encountered in close to two years is more than I’ve ever encountered in my reading lifetime. I’m a Stephen King fan so I read everything he’s written. Book club allows me to venture out and explore stories I’d never pick up otherwise.

If you have friends that share your love of literature, organize a book club that chooses a book once a month, then meets at a member’s home or a different locale; whatever works for the book club. I find that hosting makes the members of book club connect not only as book lovers but as friends as well. If you don’t know any book lovers, there are many book clubs on Meetup.com if you plug in your zipcode.

or (for those who like to go it alone)

Track your progress

Pay attention to how long it takes you to read books. I place a sticky on my bookmark with the date I started and space for the date of completion to be aware of my reading stealthiness. When you can gauge how long it normally takes you to finish a story, you can track how many books you will complete by the end of the year and realize that when a book is taking you over six months to finish on your list that’s 300 pages, abandon and move on to the next.

I started The Hobbit three times before I finally physically lost the book. Will I read it? Probably not. Chances are, I’m just that into it no matter how many people love it.

For those with e-readers, I don’t own one so I have no idea what that would look like.

Do What Works For You

At the end of the day, organize your reading habits however you please. These are a few ways that have allowed me to accomplish my reading goals. If not, I don’t know how many books I will have read at this point this year.

Happy Reading!

The Man From Beijing

 Author: Henning Mankell

Publisher: Knopf (2008)

The book starts with a wolf that enters the town of Hesjovallen that is deserted because someone came and murdered everyone. An older man discovers a body in blood, gets in a car accident, and has a heart attack, dying in the process. Enter the investigators Vivi Sundberg that has to figure out who responsible for this Swedish massacre. Then we are introduced to judge, Birgitta Roslin from another town who learns that her grandparents were killed in that massacre. Then we are introduced to these Chinese brothers – San, Guo Si, and Wu, who have to leave their home in China because the landowner has murdered their parents and will come find them to pay a debt. As the book unravels, these three stories are intertwined in a roundabout way that makes the ending anticlimactic.

 As a book club selection, this book was a doozy. Perhaps it was the translation from the Swedish language to English, but I found this book very hard to get into and read. The English was stilted, stiff, trite, too direct, too much the way people don’t talk but should, and not fun or interesting to read. The plot started interesting enough; I thought the author would stay and thrill the reader in the way the story started. I thought this story would be more of a thriller the way it started with each different character section. But as much as each part was necessary to tell all parts of this story, this didn’t work as a whole. It was so damn awkward and blah that I found it so very hard to care. There was social commentary about the Chinese government and affairs which was clunky and bogged down the story; the direction of this tale was on pause as the characters talked about the Chinese government. I was bored to tears. I found myself scanning most of those sections to see what else would happen which was Nothing! I like fiction with current affairs integrated when it’s done well; even Dan Brown made history entertaining and I’m not too enamored with his work. If you are a fan of this author’s work, pick this up. If you are not familiar with Henning Mankell’s work, avoid this and try his other series. As a stand alone work of fiction, The Man From Beijing was weak, uninteresting, and bland.

Alias Grace

Author: Margaret Atwood

Published by: Doubleday (1996)

Grace Marks is convicted of murdering her employer, Thomas Kinnear, and his mistress/headmaid, Nancy Montgomery. She is thrown in prison for being the accessory. James McDermott murdered them and threw Grace under the bus with him, except he was executed and she was sentenced to prison. Her “sentence” is to work at the governor’s home. A psychiatrist, Simon Jordan, intent on opening his own mental institution, tries to coax the real story out of her while dealing with his own demons. In the end, Jordan, and everyone involved, learns more than they can handle.

Atwood’s prose is top-notch. How this is the first novel I’ve ever read by her boggles my mind. As a historical novel, the story based in reality about a woman in Canada named Grace Marks, Atwood did a phenomenal job at re-creating this world by using first hand accounts and old records to make this story as realistic as possible. By the novel’s end, I wanted to know more about this Marks woman and do my own research.

Would I recommend this? Hell yes. Although as one of Atwood’s best novels, I was told (I was amongst Atwood fans in my book club) this wasn’t her best. If she wasn’t at her best in this book, I’d like to see her at her Best! This was a great read. Highly recommended for history buffs and literary buffs alike.

The Starlight Crystal

Author: Christopher Pike

Published by: Archway Paperbacks (1996)

A week before Paige Christian is about board the spaceship Traveler as part of her father’s crew, she meets and falls in love with Tem. Albeit Paige leaving, they promise to write to each other. She vows she’ll see him again. With each hour that passes when she does board the ship, years go by and Paige suffers heartbreak. On the ship, the Shamere, an alien race, plan to obliterate the remaining human race (they’ve been in space for thousands of years at this point) but do not succeed. Without giving too much away of the remainder of the story, time weaves upon itself for Paige and love prevails.

At times, convoluted in execution but the message of love was clear. Pike’s books have that contemporary touch even though most of them were written in the late nineties. I think his work is the only work (some of them anyway) that doesn’t feel dated at all. I remember when I first read this and how I scratched my head in confusion – but when I re-read it as an adult, I could appreciate the beauty of the story he wrote even with all the craziness. The time travel isn’t explained particularly very well; it gets muddled in the process but doesn’t detract from the overall message. I really enjoyed this book and I’d like to re-visit this in another decade and see what I’ll be able to cull from it. Pike is still great.