This Week in Books 2/3-2/11

So this week was basically sucktacular and my reading time severely limited. I did, however, manage to finish one book. Quickly, before little bit decides she needs my full and undivided attention (Just as I wrote this sentence, she crapped her pants. My life is awesome!):

Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron

By Jasper Fforde

Pages: 390

If you have read any Jasper Fforde - by the way, how the heck do you pronounce that, is it like Smith or something, silly Welshmen - I guarantee you will like this. Man I love me some delicious dystopian fiction. Here's the gist: the world is run based on what and how much color you can see. Most people can only see one. Of course, on the surface, everything is hunky-dory but there is a disturbing secret of how they keep the society running so smoothly. A little bit darker than the Thursday Next series, but with the same amount of dry humor and obscure references.

Up next: Trying to finish The Help for book club by Monday. Fingers crossed.

This Week in Books 1/26-2/2

Coraline

By Neil Gaiman

Pages: 162

This is only the second book of Neil Gaiman's that I have read (technically third but since he co-wrote Good Omens with Terry Pratchett, I don't count that one). I love him. His books are dark and somewhat twisted and humorous. Although Coraline is essentially a children's book, it still has an element of horror to it which I love. Now I really want to go out and rent the movie version to see how it was interpreted. (Side note: I saw the movie Stardust before I read the book and I liked the movie version better - the book was still wonderful - I wonder how I'll feel about this one)

JPod

By Douglas Coupland

Pages: 464

If you have ever spotted this in the library or bookstore and thought it looked interesting, drop it like a hot potato. Okay, it was funny but it was also completely ludicrous. The people in it are horrible but not in an interesting way. As far as corporate satire goes, I have read better (see: Company by Max Barry). And then there are the random pages of numbers and words in oversized lettering inserted willy-nilly throughout the book as if he was trying to pad his page count. Grumble. I will admit that I'm going to try to read Microserfs - which I've seen good reviews for - before I completely give up on him as an author.

Well, the month of January has ended. To date I have read seven books (SEVEN!) and a total of 2,527 pages. Holy. Crap.

This Week in Books 1/20-1/26

Whoops. Forgot to do this yesterday because - well, let's face it - yesterday sucked giant donkey balls.

Leviathan

By Scott Westerfeld

Pages: 440

In all honesty, I can't decide if I love this book or just have generally positive feelings about it. In a nutshell, its a steam punk alternative history of World War I. Yes, you read that right. It's an interesting concept and he's come up with some pretty cool inventions/ideas, but I'm just not sold on it yet. Plus, I really hate it when books end in such a way that it is obvious there is a sequel coming. Like really obvious. It almost felt like the book wasn't completely finished. Oh well, will probably have to wait awhile for the sequel. One more book to read by him and then I'll be all Westerfelded out.

Dead Until Dark

By Charlaine Harris

Pages: 292

Ugh. I can't believe I actually willingly read this. Okay, it wasn't that bad. The writing was pretty juvenile. I thought we had gotten past the need to describe in detail what everyone is wearing. Vomit. And the sex scenes sucked. And not in a sucked vampire blood way. In an oh-my-god-I-can't-believe-someone-writes-sex-like-this-way. Also, was it really necessary. I'm all for romance novels with lots of sex in them, because that's what they're all about, but this is pretending to be a mystery novel, it just doesn't work for me. Also, doesn't do it for me.

This Week in Books 1/13-1/19

I'm going to try this new thing where I document what I've read each week along with a few comments so that I have some record of what and how much I've read and for any of my readers if they are curious.

Extras

Scott Westerfeld

Pages: 417

This is technically the fourth book in a series (and yes I have read the other 3) but it reads well on its own. In fact, I would almost recommend reading this one by itself instead of with the other Uglies books. Although some of the characters from the first three do reappear in this one, they are not the central characters and I find the story doesn't mesh as well with the other books. That being said, it was still a great read. Very fast paced and an interesting commentary on today's society. Without giving too much away, the society depicted in the book is based on fame in which where you live and what you can buy is based on how popular you are. Can you say Twitter anyone?

Liar

Justine Larbalestier

Pages: 384

So funny thing. The authors of the two books I read this week are married. Heh. Anywho. The narrator of this book is a liar. She admits it in the first sentence. If you can't stand unreliable narrators, this is not a book for you. But if you like a bit of a mystery and you like to be left wondering what exactly is happening, I highly recommend it. I'm still going "what the fuck" and I finished it several days ago.

Cross One Off the List

I have procured a library card! Actually, I have been meaning to get one for the last week, but it never seemed like a good time what with the snow and single digit temperatures. But tonight was the night! The husband and I took the baby with us to the library on south Grand. If you haven't been, it is a very nice library and considerably better looking and cleaner than the one back home in Vancouver, but the fiction section smells vaguely of feces. That's right feces. It's not a particularly strong smell, but it's there and it sort of detracts from the overall niceness of the building. I might have said something mean and slightly inappropriate about why it smelled to Brian, but I won't repeat it here. You all can just imagine what it is I could have said.

So. Where was I? Oh, yes. I have a library card now and I checked out three books. Yes, three and I have two more that I requested because they were checked out from that location. That is five books which I will attempt to finish reading before the first week of February. If you are curious I got Extras and Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, JPod by Douglas Coupland and Liar by Justine Larbalestier. And yes I know four of the five are considered "Young Adult," but I just can't help myself.

On a related note: I have finished reading my first book since September! It was Up Till Now: The Autobiography by William Shatner. Truly high class reading. It was actually not that bad and there were both some truly funny and truly touching moments. I admit, I started tearing up when he was talking about the tragic death of his third wife. And the story about the skunk, tomato juice and an EMT is worth the price of the book. Hilarious! I am using too many exclamation marks!

Confession

I like young adult novels. There, I said it. I'm a 27 year old woman who reads young adult. In my defense, however, there is a lot of really good stuff out there right now. (Of course there is also some really really bad stuff out there. *cough*Twilight*cough*. Which I do admit to reading because it's like crack. You know its bad for you but you just can't stop yourself).

My most recent find is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I also have a weakness for dystopian fiction (Aside: another great dystopian young adult series is Uglies by Scott Westerfeld) so I really couldn't help myself. I really suck a summarizing novels but, in essence, two teenagers from each of the 12 districts in this society are chosen to compete in a reality television death match. Only one is allowed to survive. It's is supremely fucked up but fantastic. I finished the whole thing in one day because I could not put it down. And then there is a sequel (Catching Fire, in case you were wondering) and although I highly recommend you read both you will be supremely frustrated when you finish the second book because the third one isn't out yet!

Another note: How to trick your husband/significant other into reading this book, don't tell him the narrator is a girl. That's right. I got Brian to read it and he liked it. Ha!