Bookshop Bumblings

For the first time in years, I decided to take a gander at the literary list I compiled three years ago. At the time, I was more or less bed-ridden and was completely bored. So, I asked people to recommend me their favorite life changing book. Then, I compiled them to a list with every intention of reading as many as I could. And I did, but somewhere along the way I got sidetracked and stopped before reaching my goal.

Lately, I’ve been wishing I had a friend with similar taste who would suggest some books for me. I used to have an over abundance of them, but they’re no longer around. This list seems to be a very handy replacement for such. Thus, “To Each His Own” marks my return to The List.

And, I LOVED it. It was this unconventional (at least to me – perhaps it’s old hat to Sicilians) detective novel which subtly dissected how the Mafia works without glamming it up Hollywood style. There was no Sharon Stone. There was no, “Meet My Little Friend.” There probably were characters who talked as if their jaws had been wired shut, but I couldn’t hear it so it was okay. And I thoroughly loved it.

Oh, and with all of the New York Review Of Books editions, save that introduction for after you read the actual novel. As usual, they RUIN the plot for you.

When I ended up having my car at the mechanics for eight hours, I was quite devastated to discover that the only book I had in my car and on me was a damaged copy of “Why Men Have Nipples” which I was taking to someone else. I never had any intention of reading this one, but it was that or learning about pistons through an auto mechanic magazine. I have standards, kind-of.

Thus, I read this book. It was pretty interesting, although it was completely over the top when it came to the authors trying to be funny. I had a friend who had read it (or at least flipped through it) and had reported it was disappointingly un-sexy in the topics it covered. Although there was not loads of risque questions and answers it did serve up to it’s subtitle (which I love) of “Hundreds of Questions You’d Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini.” There were a lot of random things ones wonder, but more the kind of thing you don’t care enough to ask rather than being too embarassed to. It was fun though. Well, at least when compared to pistons.

Although I have all of Mitchell’s other books on my night side table waiting to topple over and smother me in my sleep, this is the first one of his I’ve actually read. Black Swan Green is a coming of age story of a boy in England at the tail end of the Cold War. It was good, but didn’t blow me away.

Are his others better? I’ll get to them soon – I have to. No telling when they’ll attack, and I have found that I’m quite attached to my ribs.

Several of weeks ago, John Green requested to be my friend on My Space. I was quite excited because I loved his, “Looking For Alaska.” I was even more excited when I looked at his profile and discovered that:

1. He is my age. There’s nothing worse than someone being successful and much younger than me. It just makes me hate those talented bastards.

2. He isn’t an uggo. I can’t have an author-crush who makes me want to gouge out my eyes now can I?

3. He has a new book coming out in October!

The next day at work I called to get an Advance Reader’s Copy which I had finished reading the same day I received it in the mail. At first, I was really worried that it wouldn’t compare to his first. It starts with a recent high school graduate who has just been dumped by his girlfriend of about a year. She was also the nineteenth girl named Katherine who he had dated, all who had ended things with him. To distract him from his nauseating pining his best friend, the standard hilarious overweight foreign kid, decides they should go on a roadtrip which eventually leads them to Gutshot, Tennessee.

Overall, it’s a highly amusing teen book and had me in stitches. It’s no great work of literature, nor is it as emotionally strong as “Looking For Alaska.” But it’s no disappointment as far as being a good light hearted young adult read either.

Burroughs’ last two books have read more like a blog than actual novels or even humorous essays. However, it’s an incredibly hilarious blog which I would have at the top of my bookmarks and would check more than once a day so they’re still so great that I spend the next several days relating the stories to friends as if Burroughs is a dear one himself.

And, really, anyone who has ever shown poster sized images of disturbing hardcore porn to fellow motorists because the other drivers were breaking common courtsey traffic laws can consider themselves my friend.

Dear Soccer Mom in The Dodge Minivan, You saw my blinker bitch! Love, Laura

This was the first Turkish novel I believe I have ever read, and it was simply intriguing. It made me want to move to a Cappadocian cave house. Well, spending a thousand dollars on my car and having the “service engine soon” light come on the very next day makes me want to move a cave house. The book just pointed out Turkey as a general destination of interest.

I’ll just have to be sure not to fanatically support any foreign team playing a Turkish one in any sport and not refuse to remove a head scarf. Nor can I fall in love with a beautiful Turkish woman who is the former lover of a militant Islamist idealist who promises to run away to Frankfurt with me until she discovers I just had him killed by giving away his secret hiding place to the police. Other than that it should be a lovely vaction!

As I stated on The Librarian’s Revenge site – who knew having three jobs, one involving working at a CPA firm during tax season, would be such an impediment to my To Do list? And just forget about reading. However, I’m just back to two now and am hopeful that I will be able to return to my beloved books now.

I’ve had this one for a while, and have been quite excited about it. However, I only just now got around to it. I absolutely loved it. It’s one of the most fascinating books, and I completely want to have urban adventures of my own now. Well, the tunnel exploring kind anyway .. I don’t think I’m up to the ones involving a Tijuana donkey and naming a part of my body “The Liberty Bell”.

Every since “Stitch & Bitch” came out for knitters, I have been jonesing for a like book for crochet patterns. FINALLY my dreams have come true. There’s some fantastic scarves and a handbag pattern which I simply can’t wait to sink my teeth into. Plus, an ipod cozy idea! Huzzah.

I think I’ll be staying away from the crochet bikinis though. Color me crazy, but – uhhhh – no thanks.

Not as recommendable as her “The Birth Of Venus”, but the main character is a dwarf who is a pimp.

How can you even touch that?

After being so enchanted with Robinson’s “Gilead”, I decided to read her other fictional work. It doesn’t compare to such an extent that it took me months to finish reading it even though it’s quite a slim novel. However, it then picked up at the end with such a lovely weave of words that it made me like the book more than I would have ever guessed from the first half.

Also, I adore the cover art. I don’t know who you are Nina Laricchia, but I’m blowing you kisses.