The Eyre Affair

By Jasper Fforde

Welcome to world of Thursday Next. At home cloning kits make decanting your own pet dodo easy but as the jet engine hasn't been invented, most long distance travel is done by zeppelin. People are so obsessed with all things literary that the street gangs are Montagues and Capulets and door-to-door Baconians are out spreading the word that Shakespeare didn't write Shakespeare. The Crimean War is still going on and additional branches of law enforcement had to be created to deal with things too dangerous or weird for the regular police to deal with. Thursday is a Literary Detective and the original manuscript of "Martin Chuzzlewit " by Dickens has been stolen by the 3rd most wanted man in the world, Acheron Hades. The twists and turns lead her, amongst other places, onto the pages of Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre". Long story how that happens, but it's possible in Thursday's world.
I wont say much more about the plot, you really need to read this book for yourself. It's a fabulous read for anyone, but it's especially delightful for those among us who read a lot. It's wildly clever and fresh. There is nothing else like it out there. It's also the door in the Thursday Next novels. Some novel series can be read in any particular order and enjoyed. This is not really one of those series. Each book builds on the next although they are all enjoyable in their own right. Where other books can become slow in their down time, as if nothing exists in the main characters world other than the plot, Fforde uses that time to further present the world Thursday lives in. There are no dull moments, not even in the footnotes, which the author uses in a truly unique manner. Fforde's writing is brilliant, intelligent and oh so enjoyable. There are more novels coming, check it out at Fforde's interactive site jasperfforde.com.

Drop City

By T.C. Boyle

It's 1970 and a Californian hippie commune is being shut down by the state. In a burst of outrageous optimism, they decide to relocate to the wilderness of Alaska to experience total freedom and live off the land. Their story runs parallel to that of a young couple who just starting out in their life together in the Alaskan wild and happen to live in a cabin built not far from where the hippies have decided to set up their new commune. It's a tale full of questions about what it means to live truly free and truly with nature.
"Drop City" is not necessarily a fast read but it is colorful and entertaining. It paints an accurate portrait of the time of the flower child. Though realistic, the book has fun Peter Pan quality for readers but instead of the lost boys, you get to run off with the hippies and drop out of society, at least for 497 pages. To check out Boyle's official website, go to www.tcboyle.com.

Complete Stories

Of Dorothy Parker

I have been quite surprised to discover most of my avid reading friends are completely unfamiliar with Dorothy Parker. Sure, they've heard of her, but few can offer much in the way of anything about her or her writings. Somehow they had missed out on her wonderfully sarcastic wit, her scathing remarks and her tireless timeless humor. (For my tirade on why I think she has been somewhat ignored see * below, otherwise read on) Parker was a master of word play. Once, when dining with friends, she was challenged to make a pun out of the work "horticulture", without missing a beat she replied, "You can lead a 'whore to culture' but you can't make her think." Parker stories are scathing and are peppered with characters you'll recognize as people you've come into contact in your own life. She mocks the small of mind, the racist, the vapid and the self-absorbed. I stretched out her short stories reading a few here and there. I thoroughly enjoyed the bite of her wit and while I didn't laugh out loud, I definitely smirked almost constantly.



*Now for my tirade. When reading about Dorothy Parker's life, it seemed oddly reminiscent of Helen Keller's. Keller was big fighter for women's suffrage, worker's rights and the rights of the poor. She was also a radical Socialist. The same people who praised her for surmounting being deaf, mute and blind later claimed she was at the mercy of her disabilities. She was no longer an amazing intelligent little girl they could write perky little pieces about, she had explored her world and had definite opinions about it. Keller continued her powerful writing and fighting for women's right to vote, but she now held opinions the conservative majority did not. Enter modern day, all that seems left of Keller's legacy is a sappy play mostly performed by high schools and a handful of nasty little Helen Keller jokes. So, I come to Dorothy Parker, another outspoken female. In addition to being a critic, a writer and a humorist, Parker was an outspoken civil libertarian, civil rights advocate and she helped found the Anti-Nazi League in Hollywood. That's quite impressive, especially for a woman during the 1930's. Upon her death in 1967, she bequeathed her estate to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Foundation. For brevity, I'm only mentioning a few bits of this amazing woman's life. To sum up, amazing women with strong opinions tend to slip out of our country's historical social consciousness. To quote Parker, "What fresh hell is this?"

Skinny Dip

By Carl Hiaasen

Joey Perrone didn't expect much from her philandering marine biologist husband, Chaz, and certainly not attempted murder. On a cruise to celebrate their second anniversary, during a nighttime stroll on the deck, he unceremoniously grabbed her ankles and flipped her over the railing. But Chaz is not a very good biologist; he was even confused as to which direction the Gulf Stream flowed which is a major if you're planning to throw a strong swimmer off a boat. The ocean current carried Joey towards land rather than out to sea and she also had the luck of stumbling across a floating bale of pot. When she neared land she was plucked from the water by an ex-cop named Mick Stanahan. Joey chooses to remain missing presumed dead and with the help of Mick seriously messes with her husband's mind.
"Skinny Dip" is a highly entertaining tale of revenge. It's a rare book where the protagonists hold all the cards yet the storyline remains interesting. This is a fun book to just sit back and see what happens. It's always nice when the bad guy gets what he deserves in the end, but it adds a little something when the entire story is nothing but the bag guy getting his comeuppance slowly and creatively stretched out.
If you'de like to ckeck out his other novels go to www.carlhiaasen.com.

Brave New World

By Aldous Huxley

What's thought of a Huxley's masterwork paints a future where humans are created on assembly lines, the family unit no longer exists, rampant promiscuity is considered moral, and everyone's life from start to finish are crafted by the government. Children are decanted rather than born and raised in giant facilities where they are more or less brainwashed into perfectly passive but happy consumers. Even their intelligence is dictated by the government. Certain fetuses are deprived of vital nutrients and others are nurtured, their future careers already decided when they are still only a few cells. Day not going well? Just pop a few Soma pills and relax.
The book is fast easy read. I read "Brave New World" ever few years. I am forever stunned by the fact that this book was published in 1932. It's not that he accurately predicted the future that astounds me. The science he describes, i.e. the cloning, while has not occurred on the scale he describes is eerie in its somewhat technical accuracy. As for people drifting about their lives on anti-depressants being mindlessly entertained when not at work and perfectly happy to not think for themselves, well….. I have my own opinion on whether I think that Huxley accurately predicted that.

The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

By Michael Chabon

It's 1939 in New York. Two Jewish cousins in their late teens, Joe Kavalier a gifted artist who has recently escaped a Nazi controlled Prague and Sammy Clayman, later shortened to Clay, a Brooklyn native who can put together a great story, team up to break into the comic book industry. It's the golden age of the comic book hero. Although initially taken advantage of by their publisher, they make their way to fame and fortune. Their most notable creation is "The Escapist" whose villain is a loosely veiled parody of Hitler.
This is big book (636 pages to be exact), and it is a great work of literature (took the Pulitzer in 2001), but fear not faint of heart, it is in no way a heavy or difficult read. In fact, it almost dances. It's colorful and engaging with plenty of historical tags. Chabon paints a picture of mid-century New York that's easy to slip into and the characters are both three dimensional and likeable. The themes of escape and good vs evil occur in multiple levels. And I can't figure out how he managed this little piece of magic, but Chabon made an epoch novel read like a comic book. Check out what he has coming next at www.michaelchabon.com. Biff! Zang! Pow!

The Stupidest Angel

By Christopher Moore

Christmas is coming to the sleepy seacoast town of Pine Cove and with it comes an angel to grant the Christmas wish of one child. Unfortunately, being so breathtakingly stupid, the angel gets it wrong and sets brain-sucking zombies on the Christmas revelers.
Some books make me laugh out loud. This book made me snort. I don't snort often. Christopher Moore has been making laugh for almost a decade, ever since I saw a book titled "Island of the Sequined Love Nun" and had to read it due to its title alone. After reading it I went out and bought his first three books. I've snatched up each of his other books as soon as they've come out. Part of the joy of Moore's books is the returning characters. You don't have to have read all his other books to enjoy them, but it adds something special, a little like bumping into old friends. "The Stupidest Angel" is one of my favorites. You can check out his others books and his blog at www.chrismoore.com.

Hoot

Carl Hiaasen

Roy is new to Florida but the local middle school bully has already started to torment him. On the bus, the resident bully is mashing Roy's face against the window when he sees a boy running shoeless down the street. Curious, Roy eventually tracks the shoeless kid down. His name is Mullet Fingers and he an ax to grind with an upcoming pancake house. They're planning to build the restaurant on land inhabited by endangered owls. With the help of Mullet Finger's stepsister, the trio moves to thwart the national pancake company's plan.
I'm a Hiaasen fan. I've been enjoying his dark humor for years. When I saw that he had written a book for young adults, I was intrigued. I was curious to see if his wit would translate into youth literature without losing its bite. I was pleasantly surprised. The story line was fun. The characters were amusing. I had a great time reading this book. Hiaasen's humor was present and intact. "Hoot" received the Newbury Honor. If you'de like to ckeck out his novels for adults go to www.carlhiaasen.com.

Lullaby

By Chuck Palahniuk

Helen Boyle is a real estate agent making a quiet fortune reselling the same haunted homes over and over again. She has very expensive tastes, few morals and the ability to kill people just by thinking a certain poem at them. Carl Streator is a reporter doing a series on crib death. After visiting these scenes of infant death and seeing the same book of nursery rhymes open to the page at multiple locations, he starts to put a few things together. He, like Helen, had discovered the culling song, a death lullaby from Africa meant to ease starving children during famines, mortally ill individuals and the elderly into a peaceful death. Soon he discovers he only needs to think the poem at someone and they drop dead. Helen and Carl team up with Mona, Helen's flaky wiccan assistant, and Oyster, Mona's boyfriend and eco-terrorist, to road trip across the county to destroy every remaining copy of the culling song.
There is a lot going on in this book. Symbolism is everywhere and there is a lot of questioning about the true nature of morality in the modern age. In an over populated, environmentally wounded world, do right and wrong alter? But all the big stuff aside, I really enjoyed the details. A real estate agent deliberately seeking out homes where the walls bleed, dead babies cry in walls and phantoms circle the dining room so she turn them over multiple times is a concept that will keep me giggling for a long time. At one point Carl kills a Dr. Laura-type just by listening to her morally judging on the radio. He then "accidentally" kills anyone who comes onto the radio to mourn her lose. The song just flies through his brain. True to Palahniuk, the book is bizarre from beginning to end and a great read. Go to www.chuckpalahniuk.net for the official Palahniuk site.

Haunted

By Chuck Palahniuk

Seventeen aspiring authors are brought together by the words, “Writer's Retreat: Abandon your life for three months." They’re rounded up and placed in an old theater where they are to perfect their writing. Though there is enough food and amenities to make their three month stay comfortable, in hopes of making a more dramatic and newsworthy entrance back into the world, they each, without the knowledge of one another, sabotage everything. Each person takes out what they feel they can live without, whether it’s their least favorite food or the washing machine. Eventually they have no food, no heat, no light, nothing to sustain life. As the characters waste away, they each tell an autobiographical tale. They eventually resort to cannibalism and as people start dying, each survivor gleefully reflects on how they will have one less person to share the fame and the money from the movie rights after they’re rescued.
If you get queasy easily or offend easily or are timid hearted in any manner, you should never read anything written by Palahniuk. The first tale, “Guts”, has caused people to faint at numerous readings. That being said, each chapter is divided into a poem, one of the characters stories and little more of the narrative in the theater. It seems more like a clever way to sting together a bunch of short stories than an actual novel. The poetry is quite bad, but the stories are funny and outrageously disgusting. It’s a little like Canterbury Tales on acid. There isn’t a single character that is not completely morally reprehensible. Most tales reveal that they jumped into the retreat to avoid the repercussions for their sins. I kept reading this book, as with most of what Palahniuk writes, out of grim fascination. Go to www.chuckpalahniuk.net for the official Palahniuk site.