The End

It’s now 2012, and my New Year’s resolution for 2011 has drawn to a close. Unfortunately, I completely dropped the ball this winter! To my surprise, the holiday season proved to be the most difficult time of year to be consistently reading. I had predicted that it would be the summertime – but I suppose days lazing in the sun provide perfect reading opportunities!

Since my last entry, I have completed two more books (that I enjoyed very much):

Assorted Fire Events, by David Means

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, by Stieg Larsson

Additionally, I am currently reading the following books, all at the same time (which I’m finding rather fun!):

Providence of a Sparrow: Lessons from a Life Gone to the Birds, by Chris Chester

Unaccustomed Earth, by Jhumpa Lahiri

Three Junes, by Julia Glass

Living Dead in Dallas, by Charlaine Harris

I’m so pleased that I made this resolution last year. Although I came up a few books short, I still read 48 books over twelve months, which is way more than I read last year! Or any other year of my life, for that matter. This challenge has reiterated to me the joys of reading, and it has taught me that it’s not so hard to make time to read. It’s well-worth it to make the effort to incorporate more books into your life!

A few friends have asked for my favorite and least favorite books from the year.

Here are the best, in my opinion (in no particular order):

Week 3: 2666, by Roberto Bolaño

Week 7: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami

Week 31: The Hakawati, by Rabih Alameddine

Week 34: The World According to Garp, by John Irving

Week 10: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith

Here are the worst:

Week 6: Words, by Jean-Paul Sartre

Week 17: Henry’s Demons, by Patrick Cockburn and Henry Cockburn

Week 29: Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach

Week 37: Talkative Man, by R.K. Narayan

Week 45: Falling Man, by Don DeLillo

And with that, I say goodbye and wish everyone a wonderful 2012! Happy reading!

Love, Nikki

Week 46: Pride of Baghdad, by Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon

This graphic novel was loaned to me by a friend and fellow cat-lover. The book tells the story of a group of lions who escape from their zoo in Baghdad after it is shelled during an attack.  It is apparently based on a true story, as the end of the book informs the reader that in 2003, a group of Americans soldiers encountered a group of starving lions wandering around the city. The story is heartbreaking on many different levels. It asks us to consider a constituency of a city (zoo animals) that most people would never think of during a time of war. As the city is bombed and the zoo is destroyed, one feels happy for the lions that have unexpectedly stumbled upon freedom, but the lions are about to experience a life they have never really known. The lion cub, especially, is confused by the outside world. They have all become accustomed to their captivity. Their lack of understanding as to what war is, and why their city is being attacked, echoes the sentiment of many humans. It’s particularly moving to see the illustrations of the wrecked streets of Baghdad.  Seeing the awful landscapes of war reminds the reader of the gravity of what has happened in Iraq. There is no happy ending, and in fact, the book is quite sad, but I enjoyed it very much.

Week 45: Falling Man, by Don DeLillo

Let me tell you – I loathed this book. Every page of it was torture. I know that Don DeLillo is supposed to be awesome, but this book was terrible. The only reason I chose to read this book of his and not one of his two more famous works (Underworld or White Noise) is because this book was in our library at work. I’m sure there are people out there who loved it. It’s about 9/11, which is fine. I’m not one of those people who hates 9/11 stuff; in fact, I find art or literature on that subject to be quite cathartic. But this book was terrible. It’s so pretentiously poetic and obtuse, but not in a clever way at all. In a MISERABLE way. Here is an excerpt that I shall leave you with, and then I shall never speak of this book again:

“Do you have to leave?”

He would stand naked by the bed.

“I’ll always have to leave.”

“And I’ll always have to make your leaving mean something else. Make it mean something romantic or sexy. But not empty, not lonely. Do I know how to do this?”

But she was not a contradiction, was she? She was not someone to be snatched at, not a denial of some truth he may have come upon in these long strange days and still nights, these after-days.

These are the days after. Everything is now measured by after.

She said, “Do I know how to make one thing out of another, without pretending? Can I stay who I am, or do I have to become all those other people who watch someone walk out of the door? We’re not other people, are we?”

But she would look at him in a way that made him feel he must be someone else, standing there by the bed, ready to say what someone always says.

Week 44: The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

I had wanted to read this book for a while, even though I had heard mixed reviews about it, with some calling it romantic and others, maudlin.  The truth is that it’s both.  But, it works. A book like this cannot succeed, in my opinion, without being a tiny bit sentimental – it’s a love story. But it is far more sad than it is romantic. It’s a deeply melancholy tale that is more about loss than love. This is the story of Henry and Clare, whose relationship spans nearly their entire lives due to Henry’s ability to time travel. He is unable to control it, and it is a burden in many ways for him. There is no rhyme or reason as to where or when he will end up. He simply disappears. This puts Clare in the position of being the one (as she puts it) “left behind”. She has to simply resume her life alone when Henry disappears, and try not to worry about him while he’s off in another time. This may sound like science fiction, and it is, but the essence of their relationship is something that many couples can relate to. Any couple that has to be apart for reasons such as long distance, or a job, or the military, will find that this book strikes a chord. On top of the very human element of Henry and Clare’s relationship, the time traveling layer is extremely interesting. At several points while reading this book, I marveled over the author’s ability to spin this tale. It’s complex in that it takes place in so many different times, yet it reads realistically because it is consistent in its portrayal of its characters, despite their multiple different ages in the story. Certain scenes foreshadow points in the book, but the reader is not aware of this until finishing it and reflecting on the story as a whole. It’s a lot to think about. I enjoyed this a great deal and find myself thinking about it often since I closed its pages.

Week 43: Gossip Girl: I Like It Like That, by Cecily von Ziegesar

I really enjoy the TV show Gossip Girl. It’s so snarky and brutal and just plain clever. It’s also chock full of couture fashion, which makes it fun to look at as well. Jamie is also a fan of the show, which prompted our friends to purchase this book for him while at a yard sale. I read it, thinking that it would make a nice, lighthearted book of the week. The book series preceded the show, and it was funny to read this particular volume and see how much is different. Many of the characters have been changed pretty dramatically (for example, Serena’s little gay brother on the show is her older, meathead jock brother in the book). What is not different is the ribald scandal that is woven throughout. It’s total smut and it is not apologetic in the least. It’s shallow, it name-drops constantly, and it’s not even written all that well, but it’s totally juicy and addictive. There is really not that much to say about the plot. It involves sex and parties with lots of booze and drugs. That’s all you need to know. It’s not a bad thing, though. I could possibly be convinced to read the other books in the series...perhaps!

Week 42: Last Night at the Lobster, by Stewart O'Nan

This was my book club’s latest pick. I read it in one sitting. It’s a quick read – it feels almost like a music video that was shot in one continuous take. It’s a fun book, yet it’s steeped in a bleak mood. The story revolves around Manny DeLeon, who is a manager at a New England Red Lobster that is about to close its doors permanently. Manny, and a few other of his staff, are headed the next day to The Olive Garden. On this last night at the “Lobster”, Manny tries to keep the restaurant’s final shift running smoothly, despite a blizzard and some complex feelings that are haunting him. Manny is expecting a child with his girlfriend Deena, but we learn that he was once seriously involved with another employee, Jacquie, who he cannot get over. He wrestles with his dwindling time with Jacquie, wondering what to say to her to convey his feelings. Meanwhile, there is a varying degree of drama emanating from every aspect of the restaurant: people getting stuck in the parking lot because it hasn’t been plowed, bratty children trashing the place, an angry employee taking off early but only after he has slashed the other employees’ coats. Manny weathers all of this beautifully, and it quickly becomes apparent that he is a great manager. More than that, he’s just a good guy. It’s impossible not to like him. The characters in the book are so realistically depicted, that they are truly entertaining. The appeal of the characters coupled with the frantic stress that comes with the holiday season creates a great read. Perfect book for this time of year.

Week 41: The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild, by Craig Childs

Sometimes it is impossible not to judge a book by its cover. I saw this book in the store and its beautiful cover sucked me in. Plus, what was not to like? A book about chance encounters with wildlife, segmented by the type of animal? Sign me up. I had returned from a camping trip out West and was longing to be in nature again. Unfortunately, I felt somewhat disappointed by this book. I am not sure why, but I think it has to do with the author himself. He’s not wholly appealing, and at times comes across as a bit pompous. The book’s chapters are each named after a specific animal, and in that chapter, Childs tells a story of his real-life encounter with that animal. I learned a few interesting tidbits (porcupines’ quills contain a natural antibiotic, because porcupines are apparently very clumsy and stick themselves a lot) and found certain parts of the book thrilling (Childs finds himself stalked by a mountain lion). Childs constructed and lived in a tipi in Colorado for a while, something I can dig. But when he tells his incredulous grandfather that it is “simply something he must do”, it’s like, OK guy. Take it down a notch. You want to live in a tipi, and that’s cool, but don’t proclaim yourself to be some sort of earth prophet. That tone persists and kind of ruined the book in places, but overall, it’s still an engaging read. Childs’ arrogance is something to learn from in the sense that he does not panic when confronted with a wild animal, but rather handles the situation sensibly. If one can take that perspective, as opposed to being annoyed, then I would recommend this book to any nature lover.

Week 40: Tinkers, by Paul Harding

I was drawn to Tinkers, frankly, because it had won the Pulitzer Prize in 2010. When I picked up the book, it did not strike me as a Pulitzer winner. It’s a small book, a fairly short book, looking more like a young adult novel as opposed to a serious novel. These attributes, however, segue into what makes Tinkers appealing. It is a different sort of book. It’s somewhat abstract and single-minded in its subject matter. After reading a bit about the author and his Pulitzer win, I learned that Tinkers seemingly came out of nowhere to swoop up the prize, creating two camps of opinions: one, that Tinkers was a book about nothing; and the other, that Tinkers was a breath of fresh air. The book has to do with an old man on his deathbed. As he dies over the course of several days, surrounded by family, he reconnects with the memories of his family (particularly his father).  We don’t really get to know the old man all that well. We are only privy to certain aspects of his personality that play out as his mind deteriorates. Still, the reader feels a fondness for him as he mentally recounts parts of his childhood. There is a feeling of a passing of a torch, almost. The cycles of life and death are on full display here, as the old man’s family members tend to him. There is a melancholy emphasis on death’s inevitability. I suppose I’m making it all sound pretty dreadful, but in fact, I really enjoyed this read. Its poetic artfulness is what makes it transcend ordinary stories.

Week 39: Between a Rock and a Hard Place, by Aron Ralston

A coworker lent me this book right before my recent camping trip to the Grand Canyon and the Utah National Parks. Aron Ralston, the author (whose story was adapted into the movie 127 Hours) , went through his ordeal in Canyonlands National Park, and I was headed there on my trip, so it seemed appropriate to read this book while I was in the actual setting of the story. Let me tell you, I looked forward to reading this every night in my tent by headlight. It is an AMAZING story. For those who are not familiar with Aron, he was a 27 year-old outdoorsman when he was canyoneering and accidentally pinned his right arm beneath a boulder in a remote section of Canyonlands. He was trapped for six days before desperation led him to amputate his arm using a common multi-tool with a three-inch blade. The story is just unbelievable. The idea of being in Aron’s situation is utterly chilling. No one knows where he is. He is in a dark canyon (seven miles from the nearest trail) that can only be accessed by rappelling. Isolated in the slot canyon, he documents his struggle to survive. He only has a small amount of food and water and is unable to even sit down because of the position of his arm. As his situation becomes increasingly dire, Aron’s description of his physical and mental symptoms describe, in essence, what dying is like. It’s gripping. Despite the fact that it’s known that Aron will amputate his arm, it’s still thrilling and horrifying when it happens. (And he describes it in GREAT detail.) What’s more, Aron is an excellent writer. His wonderful, reflective prose is the icing on the cake. His insights on life, and what his purpose is, are truly moving.  I found myself rooting for Aron as if I knew him – that is how likable and sweet he comes across as. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an uplifting, inspiring read. You will feel great after reading it, and you will be reminded of all you take for granted in life.

Week 38: Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall

Born to Run has received a lot of buzz since it came out and has a bit of a cult following. Its primary claim to fame is its role in publicizing the barefoot running movement. You may have heard of this phenomenon – the idea is that wearing minimalist footwear while running (hello, Vibram Five Fingers) or even running barefoot (hello, calluses) improves running performance. This is because modern running shoes are overly cushioned and allow our feet to simply exist within the shoe, as opposed to actively participating in each step. The idea is that if you wear more minimal shoes, the muscles and bones in your feet will become stronger, your ankles will become more stable, and you will naturally adopt a more efficient gait. If you are a runner, or read any sort of fitness magazine, you have probably heard these theories before. At first they seem like anathema, but this book will soon have you wondering, “Should I be spending more time barefoot?” Its arguments, while mostly anecdotal, are compelling. This is only one component of Born to Run, however. The book largely centers on a tribe of people known as the Tarahumara in Mexico. These people are known for their superior athletic skills (think running 150 mile races), their lack of injuries and their overall excellent health. The Tarahumara subsist on a typical diet of just corn, seeds, and grain alcohol, and they wear primitive sandals to run in. With this in mind, one might wonder how they are able to maintain such incredible health. Born to Run examines the Tarahumara, and more broadly, the running industry. It takes a close look at modern, Western medicine and makes some provocative suggestions surrounding running. The overriding theme of the book is instilling faith in one’s own body, to trust oneself’s natural form and movement. The book also follows an epic race between the Tarahumara people, and some American ultramarathoners who come to Mexico for a 100 mile race. Their battle is humorous and engaging, and it also sheds some light onto those crazy people who run 50 or 100 mile races. They don’t seem quite so daft after reading this book; they just seem like people who genuinely enjoy running. I came away from this book with an appreciation for a simple, no-nonsense approach to exercise, free of sponsored athletes and expensive equipment. This book will get you excited about running.

Week 37: Talkative Man, by R.K. Narayan

Microblogging aka Lazyblogging review:

This book is mad boring. Snoozefest. 

Week 36: All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy

Microblogging aka Lazyblogging review:

Another amazing book. Perhaps the abbreviated review is appropriate for McCarthy's spare, minimalist writing style. I'm a huge fan of McCarthy. Every time I read one of his works, I'm always struck by how much content and underlying themes are embedded in his simple sentences. It's haunting, and a thick fog of dread fills the pages. I loved this book.

Week 35: The Walking Dead, Volume 2: Miles Behind Us, by Robert Kirkman

Microblogging aka Lazyblogging review:

I really enjoy this series. I can see why it took off so well. It's a blast to read. It's exciting, but has great human elements to it as well. I will definitely read more volumes!

Week 34: The World According to Garp, by John Irving

Microblogging aka Lazyblogging review:

It's a shame I'm summing this one up so quickly, because this book is tremendous. One of my all-time favorites. It's hilarious and moving, filled with wonderful characters. I fell in love with this book, and when I finished it, I clutched it to my heart, closed my eyes, and smiled. Not kidding!

Week 33: Afrodisiac, by Brian Maruca and Jim Rugg

So, I've been pretty remiss in updating the blog. Really remiss.

To make up for some lost time, I'm going to write some super quick reviews here. Maybe a sentence or two. We can call it "microblogging" to make it sound fancy!

That being said, here goes:

This book was beautifully drawn, rather ribald, and filled with inappropriate puns. What's not to like? Thumbs up.

(Real reviews will be resuming soon!)

Week 32: Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris

I borrowed this book from a friend, not really knowing much about the television series, True Blood, that it spawned. I knew that it had to do with vampires, and because of that, I was a tiny bit apprehensive about reading this. But let me tell you, it did not take long for me to get over it, because I really enjoyed this book! It such a fun read. The gloriously-named main character, Sookie Stackhouse, is a young woman living in Northern Louisiana. She lives with her elderly grandmother and makes a living waiting tables at a local diner. The story takes place in a time in which vampires are acknowledged members of society. Nowadays, they feed on synthetic blood, as opposed to killing people, but they still struggle against the prejudices and disdain of humans (this could be an allegory for a few different sociological groups facing similar struggles in our society today). Sookie meets a vampire named Bill, and she soon saves his life when she finds him in the hands of malicious people who are trying to drain his blood. (Vampire blood is quite rejuvenating for humans, and therefore, in high demand on the black market.) Once Sookie saves him, Bill is indebted to her, and the two become friends. Sookie learns that vampires are not that different from humans, although through Bill, she does meet some other shady vampires. Their relationship blossoms and they begin a romantic affair, but it seems that simultaneously, a number of murders are breaking out in their small town. Sookie must defend Bill from the masses as the tries to get to the bottom of the crimes that are turning their lives upside down. Sookie is a great character. She’s funny, and she’s independent and tough, but also kindhearted. The whole novel is steeped in a Southern flavor that is a delight to read. The dialogue is peppered with regional slang. It’s entertaining to read how Sookie and Bill’s relationship progresses just like a “normal” relationship between a man and a woman. The author gets it and is able to convey it onto to the page. In other words, it’s not just a vampire story – it has engaging characters that will make you smile and want to keep reading.

Week 31: The Hakawati, by Rabih Alameddine

I picked up The Hakawati on a whim because it had gotten a lot of great reviews, but primarily, I wanted to read it because it is about a Lebanese family, and I am part Lebanese. As soon as I started reading it, I knew I loved it, and by the time I finished it, it had become my favorite book. Of all time. It’s that good! I suppose that some might find the “frame tale” structure too convoluted or too meandering, but I can’t imagine not being utterly consumed by this book. Hakawati means “storyteller” in Arabic, and the entire tale is a tribute to the art of storytelling. It sets the tone immediately with its opening lines: “Listen. Let me take you on a journey beyond imagining. Let me tell you a story.” The central story revolves around Osama al-Kharrat, a young Lebanese man who lives in Los Angeles, but has traveled back to Beirut to be at his dying father’s bedside. There, he reunites with his large family as they all keep vigil and help support each other. The family immediately charms the reader, as we meet various characters, from Osama’s father himself, to Osama’s sister and cousins and cantankerous aunts. Each family member is captured perfectly, has their own sparkling personality and their own story. On top of this, more stories are interwoven. We follow the story of Fatima, a slave girl who seduces a demon. We are introduced to Baybars, a boy who grew up to become a prince and war hero. We learn the history behind Osama’s parents’ origins and the diverse ethnic background that comprised his ancestry. It’s stories on top of stories on top of stories, but through it all, the common thread is the bond that brings families together. Did you ever have nights with your own family in which you stayed up late, recounting funny stories from your childhood? This book is like that. It employs a heavy dose of magic, as many of the stories would qualify as fables. The reader will come across imps and trolls, magic spells, and carpet rides. It’s a fairy tale in that it will transport you into a different world. However, it is tethered to the present, as other stories recount the wars that have devastated Lebanon, or Osama’s journey to the States to look at UCLA. It’s all a fantastic tapestry. It will make you ache for the days when people told stories and kept a verbal tradition, as opposed to being steeped in our culture of digital nonsense. There are so many characters who will make you laugh and make you cry.  There are so many bewitching elements of Middle Eastern culture, so many beautiful, poetic sentences, so many strong female characters, so much romance and honor. It’s timeless and it was a joy to read.

Week 30: Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzucchelli

This book was my book club’s most recent selection. I was really looking forward to it, because it’s our club’s first graphic novel choice. We have a pretty relaxed book club, and I’m proud to say that we’ve read a lot of different types of books, from autobiographies to historical accounts to short stories. I’m not very well-read when it comes to graphic novels, but I enjoy them, and my intrigue peaked when I’d heard that this one had taken ten years to finish. Asterios Polyp is the main character of this story. He’s an architecture professor abruptly uproots his life when his apartment burns down. He gets on a Greyound bus and sets out for a small town called Apogee, where he meets a friendly car mechanic named Stiff. Stiff is kind enough to let Asterios stay with him and his wife and young son. As the story unfolds, we learn more about Asterios and his past. Through flashbacks of sorts, the reader is introduced to Asterios’ ex-wife, Hana, and we see the progression of their relationship. It is also revealed that Asterios had a twin brother who died at birth. Although Asterios is in a very different environment in this small town, his character is illuminated by these peeks into his earlier life. He isn’t all that likable – watching the decline of his marriage makes that clear. There’s a palpable sadness in observing how his initial love and happiness with Hana slowly dissolves. The author adeptly captures the feeling of watching a relationship slip away, something most people can understand. His lost twin figures heavily into the story, and one might wonder if Asterios can ever overcome his feeling of being incomplete. The book’s greatest strength is its illustration. It’s very clever. Unyielding, unemotional Asterios is portrayed in linear blue strokes, bringing to mind a blueprint. Hana, and artist, is often drawn with sketchy, cross-hatched lines. All of the characters have different fonts for their own dialogue, creating visual voices for each of them. It’s obvious that a lot of thought went into the rendering of these pages. The story dredges up themes from philosophy and Greek mythology, and there is a lot to chew on. I think it would take multiple readings to absorb most of the content of the book. I definitely enjoyed it.

Week 29: Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach

OK guys. This book is effing weird. Like, I think it might be propaganda for some weird cult that believes in some weird seagull god. It's trippy. I mean, I enjoyed it, it was sort of an epic mind journey. But I don't really get it, per se. It's about a seagull named Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Yeah, he's got three names. He lives in a flock of seagulls but feels as though he doesn't fit in with the others. He loves to fly, and wants to spend all of his time flying. The other seagulls fly, but only to catch food. They don't love flying the way Jonathan Livingston Seagull does. He continues to fly around all night, flouting all the seagull rules, and before he knows it he is in hot water. He's forced to stand before the seagull council who rules that he must be banished from the flock. Off he goes, into the sky, far away from his flock. He starts a new, solitary life. Then, some other seagulls from outer space come get him and bring him away from Earth to meet their seagull leader, Chiang. People, I am dead serious here. So Chiang basically extols Jonathan Livingston Seagull (I'll refer to him as JLS from now on, like one of those Hollywood celebrities) and tells him that he has a special gift, his love of flying and his flying skills. They teach him how to fly better. Then he returns to Earth and helps other seagulls who have been outcast by encouraging them to be themselves. It's an interesting story in the sense that I was not bored reading it. I was, at times, confused - is this a children's book? Was the author high? Is this an allegory for some bigger tale? Then I looked it up online and found out that not only was a movie made of this book, but it inspired an album. An album by NEIL DIAMOND. I feel like I'm missing something. I'm so confused! I welcome JLS's life lessons, but perhaps I'm not ready to receive them yet. Perhaps one day I will be.

Week 28: Tour De France for Dummies, by Phil Liggett, James Raia, and Sammarye Lewis

I got this book to complement my aforementioned annual Tour de France bender. Although my mania for the Tour puts my knowledge of the event way out of the league of "dummies", I purchased this book with the hope that it might acquaint me with some of the nitty-gritty rules and regulations that I wanted to become more familiar with. One of the authors, Phil Liggett, is the premier announcer for the Tour. He's charismatic, enthralling, and beloved by cycling fans. Also, the foreword of the book is written by Lance Armstrong. So, I figured that these all must be good signs, right? Well, kind of. The book, as its name implies, is indeed for dummies. Dummies who make spelling and grammatical errors (Editing for Dummies, anyone?). It's not especially consistent, and manages to be boring at times, yet never really gets into the minutiae and details that I was craving. It seems to glaze the entire event with a thick layer of mediocrity. It's not terrible, and it's certainly a good primer for someone who truly doesn't know anything about the Tour. Parts of it are interesting, such as the rundowns of the most dramatic Tour moments, or the best climbs. But there's just something goofy about it. I enjoyed reading this book and found it fun, but in terms of information, I think the Tour de France Wikipedia page has Tour de France for Dummies beat.