1. A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson, Rating: 2.2
I really like Bill Bryson--don't let this low rating scare you away from him. Do choose another one of his books to read, however. This book is about hiking the Appalachian Trail, which apparently wasn't quite big enough of a subject for Bill--he fills in the gaps with the history of various towns, complaints about the people he meets, and occasional rants about the government, America, and stupid tourists. Generally speaking, Bryson is very funny and informative, but he's just a little off his game here.
2. The Art of Travel, Alain de Botton, Rating: 3.7
This book is fascinating and absolutely impossible to read straight through. It was highly recommended by several friends, and deserves high praise. It unfortunately was a major struggle for me to get through--I'm really not good at slowing down and enjoying good writing and deep thoughts. I started reading this book last July, and only now finished it. One line in particular, however, was worth reading the whole book for (and conveys exactly why I enjoyed writing my travel blog so much):
"the most effective means of pursuing this conscious understanding [of beauty] was by attempting to describe beautiful places through art, by writing about or drawing them, irrespective of whether one happened to have any talent for doing so." (the endorsement of lack of talent being key to the whole experience)
3. The Vintner's Luck, Elizabeth Knox, Rating: 4.6
Don't let the cover put you off--this is a must-read. The story is slightly odd (a relationship between a French man and an angel, 100 years ago), but the pacing is perfect (each chapter equals one year--how can you get bored when things move that fast?) and the writing is exquisite. Seriously. Thanks to Galen for the recommendation.
4. The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova, Rating: 2.3
This book has been on the NY Times best-seller list forever (at least 6 months). I reserved it at the berkeley library last July, and only got my hands on a copy two weeks ago. Obviously it's quite popular. The story deals with two generations of a family pursuing Dracula, traveling all over the world, and researching in all sorts of exciting libraries. Right up my alley. But...it's just not very good. So not very good that it makes me lose faith in the American book-buying public. The story actually reminds me of The Da Vinci Code--compelling story that overcomes a lack of writing finesse. Except the writing is worse, and the story is less compelling. I didn't hate it (the story at times is quite interesting), but can't recommend it.
5. Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood, Rating: 3.2
Very, very odd. I think that's really all I can say about this. It actually falls into one of my favorite genres of fiction--the end of the world--but is very different than other books on the subject. A major departure for Atwood.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Sunday, December 04, 2005
November 2005 Book Reviews
This is a pathetic list--I'll try harder next month. I've got a new friend at work that has made some interesting recommendations.
1. Stolen Figs and Other Adventures in Calabria, Mark Rotella, Rating: 1.7
I really wanted to like this. I had an email recently from Sandra, a lovely Canadian woman I met in Brugges, who is in the midst of planning her wedding and honeymoon. She's taking Italian lessons, and they're planning on spending time in Calabria (in Italy). She mentioned that she was reading this to learn more about the area. Mark Rotella is an editor at Publishers Weekly, and, despite that credential, just can't write very well. The book reads like he took the contents of a guidebook to the region, moved things around about, and inserted a few personal details--often the same details, over and over again. A big reason that I only got through two books this month was the fact that I was determined to finish this, and found it extremely difficult to care about. It did, however, make me interested in Calabria.
2. Three Junes, Julia Glass, Rating: 4.2
Everyone seems to be reading this these days. The first 100 pages are slow going, but it really picks up after that. There are multiple narrators (all connected through blood or friendship) with distinct voices and points of view. There's a plot, but the book really isn't about that--I felt that it was more about exploring relationships and emotions and feelings. Definitely worth checking out.
1. Stolen Figs and Other Adventures in Calabria, Mark Rotella, Rating: 1.7
I really wanted to like this. I had an email recently from Sandra, a lovely Canadian woman I met in Brugges, who is in the midst of planning her wedding and honeymoon. She's taking Italian lessons, and they're planning on spending time in Calabria (in Italy). She mentioned that she was reading this to learn more about the area. Mark Rotella is an editor at Publishers Weekly, and, despite that credential, just can't write very well. The book reads like he took the contents of a guidebook to the region, moved things around about, and inserted a few personal details--often the same details, over and over again. A big reason that I only got through two books this month was the fact that I was determined to finish this, and found it extremely difficult to care about. It did, however, make me interested in Calabria.
2. Three Junes, Julia Glass, Rating: 4.2
Everyone seems to be reading this these days. The first 100 pages are slow going, but it really picks up after that. There are multiple narrators (all connected through blood or friendship) with distinct voices and points of view. There's a plot, but the book really isn't about that--I felt that it was more about exploring relationships and emotions and feelings. Definitely worth checking out.
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