19 posts tagged “2008 books”
Book #21 in 2008: Swallow the Ocean, by Laura M. Flynn
I have a hard time reading nonfiction books written by people I know, and although I don't know Laura Flynn *that* well, my mom did date her father very seriously when I was in 5th - 7th grade, so she and her 2 sisters, as well as her father, were clearly in my life to some degree or another which made reading this book about growing up with a schizophrenic mother that much more interesting... but also that much more voyeuristic.
Although, to be fair, there is nothing sensational about this book. It is just a well-written and lyric description about what it was like to live through an never-ending nightmare with a delusional and controlling mother who refused to acknowledge her illness. What's truly amazing is Laura's ability to remember minute details from when she was very, very young. In fact, most of the book takes place when she is 3 - 12.
A fast, moving read that will most likely bring you to tears. Definitely worth checking out.
Book #20 in 2008: I Was Told There'd Be Cake, by Sloane Crosley
Ok, this is going to sound egotistical and lame, but reading this author's first book of essays was sort of annoying because all I kept thinking was: I could write this. And I could write this better. That being said, it was super easy-to-read, pretty well-written, and funny. And Crosley does a good job of taking the ordinary every-day things that happen in life and turning them into self-deprecating, thoughtful essays about her childhood and her 20s. So read it if you want. Or just read my other blog: oopsie daisy. Omg, I have no shame. But you'd know that already if you read it.
A first-hand account of a disastrous attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest. A heart-breaking, well-researched, page-turner that will make you weep on muni two days in a row. If you haven't already: READ IT.
Book #18 in 2008: Perfect Match, by Jodi Picoult
Why do I waste my time (and yours) with crappy books like this? Well, Jodi Picoult is sort of a chick version of John Grisham, and I'm reading a non-fiction book of essays that isn't necessarily a page-turner right now, so I off-set that book with something mindless...
If you can call a book about a child who was anally raped by a priest mindless. Which apparently: I can!
And in case you're wondering, I am on track to make - if not exceed - my goal of 35 books this year. Though, to be honest, I sort of feel like Jodi Picoult books, though actually time consuming because of the sheer page number, should only count as half a book.
Book #17 in 2008: Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, by Ted Conover
An inside look at Sing Sing - one of New York's most notorious prisons - from the eyes of a Corrections Officer.
Conover tried to get inside the prison walls all the official ways, save for getting arrested, but after realizing there was no way they were going to let a journalist get a glimpse of what really happens on the inside, Conover became NY State Corrections Officer and got himself placed inside Sing Sing.
This book sat on my shelf for years... Clearly something compelled me to buy it, but I just couldn't force myself to read it. Well I don't know WHAT I was thinking, because it's a total page-turner , but also well-researched, balanced and completely honest. A bit dark, definitely disturbing, but a view inside a world that (hopefully) you'd never otherwise know much about.
A non-fiction read that is definitely worth your time.
Does a prequel to Anne of Green Gables meant for children actually count as book #16? Well I'm sick and feverish and obsessed with everything Anne, so I say yes.
If you read every Anne of Green Gables books 14 times growing up, then you'll probably want to pick up this book about her life from birth until she was adopted by Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. No, it wasn't written by L.M. Montgomery (obviously) and no, it is not perfect, but it is a fun read that you can choose to "believe" or dismiss in terms of what Anne's life was like before she arrived on Prince Edward Island.
This book follows the story of the owners of a fictional 36th Vermeer from modern-day back to... well, I don't want to give away too much. It reads as a collection of short stories and is super fast and easy to read. If you're into Vermeer, you'll enjoy it; if not, I'd say you could probably skip this one.
Rachel Sontag grew up with a father who controlled and abused her family in ways one couldn't even dream of making up. He tape-recorded Rachel's phone conversations, made her write apology letters to him for her very existence, told her he wished she'd never been born, and yet, somehow, because it was clear she was the center of his world - made her feel special and loved.
Sontag explains in her "thank yous" that she realizes this book is incredibly personal and that she is sharing family "secrets," but says - She couldn't live with herself unless she wrote it.
Maybe it's because, as a non-fiction writer, I can wholly relate to that sentiment - the idea that there's a story in you that absolutely must be told - or maybe it's just because Sontag lived through - and survived - one of the worst types of abuse - but I could not put this book down and I highly recommend you pick it up this riveting memoir by this first-time author.
Secret past lives, a magical healing stream, and an home for unwed mothers run by nuns. Sounds like a good book to me!
Told from the point of view of three different narrators, this novel is filled with the pain that exists in a human being when he/she avoids the past and lives only in the present. Well-written and compelling, I would have honestly kept reading had the story continued for another 500 pages. I was sad to see it end.
Who doesn't like a good Amish baby killer novel?
Exactly. It's 400 pages of page-turning material. Sure, it's not "literature," per sae, but, as I've mentioned before, Piccoult's novels are easy and fun to read. And sometimes that is just what I need when I can't sleep at 3 a.m. Mindless entertainment.
And - to be fair - though I really hate the way Piccoult constantly plays around with form and who is narrating the story - I did learn a lot about the Amish "plain" folks that I didn't know before - and I didn't guess the ending which is always a plus.
Good for the plane, the beach, or long sleepless nights. Not good for the book club, so to speak.
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