TN 52 Books in 52 Weeks

2006 - 2007 List

2007-06-21T09:23:00.000+10:00

Here is the list for July 2006 - July 2007:

Alas, Babylon Pat Frank
The Swarm Frank Schatzing
The Children of Men P.D. James
The Little Friend Donna Tartt
Selected Stories H.G. Wells
All the Sounds of Fear Harlan Ellison
The Feminists Parley Cooper
Conditionally Human + Walter M. Miller
The Eigth Day John Case
A Wrinkle in the Skin John Christopher
World War Z Max Brooks
Skeleton Crew Stephen King
A Canticle for Leibowitz Walter M. Miller Jr
Monster Nation David Wellington
Peeps Scott Westerfeld
The Road Cormac McCarthy
Penguin Science Fiction Brian Aldiss
Yet More Science Fiction Brian Aldiss
Fields of Grief Giles Blunt
The Fifth Season David Docherty
The Death of Grass John Christopher
The Empty Bed Paul Thomas
The Mephisto Club Tess Gerritsen
The Night Watch Sergei Lukyanenko
The Midwich Cuckoos John Wyndham
The Chrysalids John Wyndham
The Day of the Triffids John Wyndham
Hiroshima John Hersey
The World in Winter John Christopher
Monster Nation David Wellington
Galapagos Kurt Vonnegut
Helloland Nick Walker
Dragon Tears Dean Koontz
Selected Stories Anton Checkov
Farenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
Modern Pluralism Andreas Papadakis
Kafka on the Shore Haruki Murakami
Releasing Fat Ray D. Strand
The Prodigal Project Book II Ken Abraham & Daniel Hart
The Prodigal Project Book I Ken Abraham & Daniel Hart
Dandelion Wine Ray Bradbury
Black Rain Masuji Ibiuse
Forever Odd Dean Koontz
Cell Stephen King
The Face Dean Koontz
The Quiet Game Greg Iles
Blood Memory Greg Iles
Player Piano Kurt Vonnegut
Stark Ben Elton
This Other Eden Ben Elton
Lunar Park Bret Easton Ellis
Dark Rivers of the Heart Dean Koontz

Nearing The End

2007-06-13T11:18:00.000+10:00

I have a bunch of reviews written about the six books that I have read over the last week and a half, but with no computer it is kind of hard to, you know, post. Not that anyone cares. Ha!
Anyway, I've got a little over two weeks to go and only four books left to read. I think that I averaged it out to one book every four days (and I am going a book every one or two the last couple of weeks). Yes, I actually did the maths (but I also did the maths for something else that ended up with the result of six squillion or so, so doing the maths is something I just do for the hell of it.)

I have decided that for next year's 52 (which starts in two weeks, obviously) I will be endevouring to read at least 50% of them as non-fiction. Maybe learn something other than the fact that I am a sci-fi geek.

So, that being said, I'll do reviews when I get my computer back. Out of the books that I have read in the last few weeks, this is the concise version:

A Wrinkle in the Skin: Christopher is a genius.
The Eighth Day: It just was. Nothing interesting and the stupidest protagonist ever.
Conditionally Human: I love Miller. I really, really love him.
The Feminists: I think the name alone says it all, but it doesn't. Still not good though.
All the Sounds of Fear: I liked the title story, the rest were kind of okay.
H.G. Wells: How did I put this guy off for so damn long?

Have fun.

World War Z (Max Brooks)

2007-05-20T20:07:00.000+10:00

World War Z. I wanted to love this story, I really did.
Zombie stories aren’t so much about the reanimated corpses as they are about politics and people. That is what makes them so good. Unfortunately you only have one of the two elements here.
A good political bent will make the relationships between the villain and the hero states vague- you can never be absolutely certain which countries they are talking about and can transcend the generations to fit the current political climate at the time of reading.
That is definitely not what you get here. What you get is a blow by blow of political relationships across the world, the enemies that are the enemies now. This means that, apart from feeling a lot like you are being hit over the head with a hefty high school text, it is soon quickly going to go out of date. In ten years it will be a period novel.
It also fails to pull you in with its characters. Sure, the idea that it is a political report is a good one, only it fails to give you a relationship with any of the characters. There is no one to care about, no actual storyline to follow. Every voice is the same, the whiney voice of the author. If this was in fact an investigation then the interview somehow managed to find people who all sounded exactly the same.
There is nothing new or original here. Even the human plight is so drearily drawn that it’s hard to really care or even picture it outside of the many zombie films or books that have come before.
And it moves terribly slowly. Slowly. So much for the human factor. Not that he has anything nice to say about people anyway. It is simple enough to skip entire chapters in order to speed up the reading without actually missing out on anything important.

And as a side note, because I can’t pull any actual evidence to support my argument, or can’t be bothered, I just wanted to say that I’m feeling some deep rooted racism coming from Brooks.
If I had to say one good thing about this book, other than the fact that the concept is interesting (even if poorly executed) I would say this- the Afrikaner plan, though abhorrent, was a clever touch. A truly horrible solution meant, I assume, to show you who you are by how you react to it.
My absolute favourite bit? The very last four words, dedication at the end- I love you, Mom.
I preferred Cell to this.

42 Down, 10 to Go

Skeleton Crew (Stephen King)

2007-05-12T20:06:00.000+10:00

It took me a few weeks to get through the 600-odd pages of this collection of short stories, giving me the time to chew on some of the stories. I usually have two books on the go at the same time- the one that I carry around in my bag for when I have to wait for class to start or a bus or any time that I am outside of the house and am alone. Then there is the book at home. The book in my bag can take weeks to finish reading, depending on how much time I have to fill outside of the house. This is what happened with Skeleton Crew.

I have an odd relationship with Stephen King. While I love his earlier work, The Long Walk, The Stand, Insomnia, Misery, etc., I am not all that much on love with his newer works. I find his arrogance distasteful. It isn't the same sort of self importance that you will find in Kurt Vonnegut's work or even Alfred Hitchcock's films. It's a self righteousness that has only gotten worse over time. Of course, every author has to have a little of this in them.
It is clearly evident in this collection. King has something against fat people, lazy people and stupid people. Mostly fat people. You can pity them and even forgive them if you really want to, but he seems to find it impossible to move past it. He has an opinion and isn't afraid to say it. Over and over again.
That doesn't mean that his stories aren't good. He can paint a pretty picture (or pretty gruesome). He has some pretty damn good stories in there. And it is all horror all the time.
The Mist was one of my favourites for its ambiguity and it physical strength. It was 80's horror at its best, which includes ridiculous monsters that wouldn't seem out of place in a John Carpenter film. The Monkey almost terrified me. Mrs. Todd's Shortcut entertained me (I however, am one of those people who likes to know the quickest way, but will however take a different route each time to enjoy the scenery and literally smell the roses). The protagonist in The Raft pissed me off (which generally boils down to good writing). Morning Deliveries was confusing. Survivor type was though provoking. The Reach was predictable.
All in all it was a fun trip to take over a few weeks. Some of it is King at his best and some of it is King at his corniest. He wasn't always a self righteous twat. And despite my gripe that he should get out of the horror rut once in a while, he is adept at it. Unfortunately most of it is forgettable.

41 Down, 11 to Go

Peeps (Scott Westerfeld)

2007-04-28T14:34:00.000+10:00

Yet another vampire book I am afraid. Peeps isn't normally the sort of thing that I would pick up and read- not only is it about vampires but it has also been slotted into the Young Adult genre (which I no longer belong in, unfortunately). It was one of those books that someone else suggested, giving me enough reason to buy it.
But these aren’t regular vampires we’ve got here and this can be interesting to people who are no longer considered ‘young adults’. The writing is at times a little too simplistic for the older generation and the language the characters use can be grating- but that is the way that the kids speak these days. Westerfeld’s vampires, or Peeps (parasite-positives), are cannibalistic monsters who hate the day light and some of them even hate crucifixes, but that’s all because the parasite that they have contracted has evolved to make them hate the things that they once loved. The vampirism as a disease things isn’t new, yet coupled with the even numbered chapters of parasitic descriptions that curdle the stomach, it makes for an interesting read. It can even be an interesting learning experience.
This is Cal’s story. He’s a recently infected carrier, someone who does not display the side effects but enjoys the benefits. He works for the Night Watch (a name that unfortunately was used without any hint of cynicism or sarcasm) and is searching for the few people that he had infected without knowing it. Along the way he meets a girl that he adores, but whom he cannot even kiss without passing along the disease and turning her into a Peep. He’s destined to live a life of celibacy because only 1% of the population is immune like him. Of course something has got to go wrong, and that is where we step in.
It was a fun ride while it lasted, good for a rainy afternoon. If you do read it though, you may never want to eat a steak again.

40 Down, 12 to Go

Update

2007-04-28T11:52:00.000+10:00

I've been a bit lax when it comes to blogging. Not that anyone cares because no one reads this, but just in case...
I have still been reading- will I make my 52 books this year? I think so. I have a random collection of books waiting to be read, one that I have almost finished and a yearn to read. I go through stages where I won't read a book all week because there are things standing in my way (ie. assignments) and there are weeks where I will devour up to four books (then the head ache kicks in).
I find it a little depressing that I will only just make the 52 books. I really ought to read more. And more and more and more. It feels lazy. If I lived to 50 and only read 52 books a year I would only be able to read 1192 more books, and I am sure there are a lot more than that that I want to read. Not including non-fiction.
I have a bunch of books on order (most importantly Is the Belief in God Good, Bad or Irrelevant) and I want to read more. Feed me, Seymore.
Okay, off topic. I'll start updating more now. Cheers.

The Night Watch (Sergei Lukyanenko)

2006-08-10T10:06:00.000+10:00

I'm not all that sure what it was that made me decide to read The Night Watch. I saw the movie at the store once and thought 'gee, that'll probably be absolutely ridiculous' and never bothered watching it. And to be perfectly honest I am not one to read fantasy or vampire novels all that often. Sure, I watched Buffy and Angel, but that could have more because of Whedon's skill. It is just that I am more of a sci-fi/horror person, if you want to get down to semantics.

So I basically went into this with a rather cynical mind, and when I finished it the next day I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Day Watch. I was an enthralling novel with engaging characters and thought provoking ideas.

Sometimes it became a little convoluted and the writing was a little stilted (though I blame that on the translator, not the writer). What I really enjoyed was the cultural differences- in this case there was no generational gap- the stereotypical view of a drunken Russian as portrayed by a Russian!

I had one major problem with this book- the ending. I hated the ending. It wasn't completely out of the blue, predictable even, but I just didn't like it. At all. But the book is still worth the read.

29 Down, 23 to Go

Day of the Triffids (John Wyndham)

2006-07-23T21:26:00.000+10:00

Day of the Triffids had been on my must read list for an exceptionally long time because I remembered watching the film as a child and being utterly terrified (keep in mind that I was one of the only children not to freak out at The Dark Crystal). When I found out that it was based on a book I just had to read it- so when I discovered it at the second hand bookstore a few weeks ago I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
I think to anyone who has read anything that I have written, especially about the subjects of books, should know that I have a thing for post apocalyptic novels written in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and on the rare occasion the 80’s. I always thought that it was just because of my obsession with the end of the world, the desolation of humanity and my fear that even though at present we are the dominant species we will one day become obsolete. And in part it may be that- but following on the heels of The World in Winter it has become clear to me that the thing that I like about these stories is that they are character driven. It isn’t about the story, it isn’t about how the world ends. It is about how people survive and act when all governing bodies are removed and people are left to their own devices. Whether they sink or swim. Whether they become savages or try and remain civilized. It is about how the author thinks people will cope when the only people they have to rely on is themselves.
I fully understand how the triffids terrified me so much- they are barbarous plants- but they are merely plot devices and secondary to the characters.
Wyndham makes some fabulous points about science (especially about satellites, which I have always found a little creepy and invasive) and the human condition. I especially liked his attack on people thinking that the US was going to come and save the day- fifty years later people are still holding onto that same ineffectual thread.
When I got to the end I wanted to read me, I wanted Elspeth’s History of the Colony to be a sequel.
Of course parts of it are outmoded, such as gender perceptions (though Coker’s soliloquy about feminism was pretty close on the mark) but Wyndham manages to squeak through cleanly by pointing out the stupidity in such modesty or habits and foreseeing much of what would happen to certain movements.
And his references to a specific war could have been more general to allow people to relate better to it later on, allowing for a change in the enemy of future generations.
Still, it was thoroughly enjoyable.

The World in Winter (John Christopher)

2006-07-12T14:37:00.000+10:00

I don’t know where to start with this novel- it is exactly the sort of thing that I thoroughly enjoy reading. The basic premise is to due to natural solar fluctuations a new ice age has dawned on the northern hemisphere (keep in mind this was released in 1962, many, many, many years prior to the conception of that piece of tripe that you are comparing it to). This isn’t so much about the disaster that it wreaks on the world, but more about the people and how they react to it and one another. This is the sort of book that I would have loved to have studied when I was at university (and even now if I could think of a viable reason other than desire). It is rich in meaning, exploring gender roles, racism, politics, colonization, loyalty, customs, social status and a variety of other themes.
I should think that I would ceased to be amazed at the generational gap that is clear and present in novels of this era and the ones that precede it, but I cannot help it. When confronted with a man who is distant and little more than fond of his children I can’t help but be amazed at how far feminism has progressed (and I say feminism because allowing men to tap into their emotions is part of my egalitarian ideals). But it is so common that it becomes less of a problem the more you encounter it.
It is well written and frustrating, the characters acting in ways that makes you want to beat them over the head with the book itself, which itself means that they are fleshed out enough to make them believable, even if a little old fashioned (well, I was born eighteen years after this was written).
Though racism towards Blacks (I am not sure what is politically correct) is not as pronounced these days (I acknowledge that it still exists) it was interesting to see the way in which Christopher portrayed the reversal of fortunes. Racism did present itself but not to the extent in which it perpetuated through the ranks of the Whites.
It wasn’t even the fact that it was a post-apocalyptic novel that made this enjoyable- it was his portrayal of the world from a liberal point of view way back when. I will be tracking down more of his books.

24 Down, 28 To Go

Monster Island (David Wellington)

2006-07-09T14:25:00.000+10:00

I ordered a copy of Monster Island based on two factors: this review and the fact that I love zombie movies and fiction.
The thing about this novel is that it drew me in right away, the narrators wit prevalent from the get go and at one point it even made me tear up!
The story is mainly a first person narrative by Dekalb (a UN Weapons Inspector) and his search through Manhattan for the AIDS medication needed by the warlord who has his daughter at that very moment in Somalia. He is accompanied by a group of young Somali girls who are heavily armed to Manhattan to retrieve the only available stash of drugs that combat HIV where he encounters not only the usual hoard of zombie but also Gary, who found a way to become one of the living dead but keep his faculties intact.
The first person narration made it easier to understand, the character voicing all the things you are wondering, from why the dead don't just eat themselves to why they were walking down a dark tunnel in a city full of the undead, an element of hilarity in the tone that he uses. However I didn't feel much empathy (or sympathy) for Dekalb and his plight, he wasn't a very likeable character.
Gary, the smartest dead man, however, is one of the vilest characters that I have ever had the pleasure to read.
Its biggest failing, in my eyes, is that it wasn't one of those books that I just had to sit up until three in the morning to finish. This could have something to do with the fact that I know it is the first part of a trilogy and I can't get the second installmentnt until September (unless I read it online, which I don't want to do) Or it could be that parts of it seemed disturbingly reminiscent of Stephen King's latest, Cell. I am not sure which came first, Monster Island or Cell (I think it was Monster Island, published in blog format), nor do I expect them to be completely independent of each other because zombie ideas can only go so far, but much of it felt too similar to one another. If I did have to say which was the better of the two, Monster Island wins hands down.
I did feel a little cheated by the ending, but when you think about it, it makes. I can't wait to get my hands on Monster Nation.

23 Down, 29 To Go

Galapagos (Kurt Vonnegut)

2006-07-07T20:11:00.000+10:00

"And people still laugh about as much as they ever did, despite their shrunken brains. If a bunch of them are lying around on a beach, and one of them farts, everybody else around laughs and laughs, just as people would have done a million years ago."

Galapagos was the very first Kurt Vonnegut book that I ever read- serendipity saw me come across it at the school library when I was thirteen years old. Thirteen years later I don't think a more glorious introduction could have been made.
You know what is going to happen right from the beginning, the ghost of Leon Trout (son of fictitious sci-fi author Kilgore Trout) has no qualms about informing you of how, a million years in the future (well, 999,980 if you consider that most of the events were meant to have taken place in 1986), the Laws of Natural Section have seen human beings evolve, their Big Brains shrinking and their bodies adapting to a life of fishing and copulation on the Galapagos Archipelago. The tale that follows then is the story of how 'modern' humans came to be, the chronicle of the few passengers who stole away from a dying planet on the Bahia de Darwin and found themselves stranded on a volcanic rock for the remainder of their lives and thus making them the Adam and Eves of a new world where children are furry and have flippers.
It isn't just about Natural Selection, but an array of other subjects that are too far reaching to go into now, but would make it an enjoyable book to study further. He does make it clear that we don't fit into this world and we are destroying it, that our big brains cause most of the problems in the world and it would be much easier if we evolved to the same level as the animals that surround us.
I have very little knowledge about the life that Vonnegut has lead which makes me uncomfortable trying to establish what he was trying to say about incestuous relationships but what I do know now after rereading it is that this was one of those dark, poignant books that has had an obvious impact on my thought processes. He makes some brilliant points about war, money, fame, religion, sex, politics and the meaning of life. Which he succeeds in not giving an answer to.
Darkly comic, a little sad and thought provoking- I'd read it again, in another thirteen years.
Not to mention that every time for the past thirteen years when someone farts in public I can't but think of the passage quoted above.

22 Down, 30 To Go

Dark Rivers of the Heart (Dean Koontz)

2006-06-28T12:00:00.000+10:00

The story begins at a bar, a man with a secret falling instantly in love with a woman he has never met before. You would think that this would be a turn off for me, as you know that I lack the romantic soul that believes in love at first site (you know what, that is the first time that I have admitted that. I guess a part of me wanted to believe because of Mr. Misty, but I never really did love him). Despite this affliction I kept reading- it is Dean Koontz after all. This infatuation leads him into a world of political subterfuge, a race for his life, and the revelation of his secrets. Amazingly it takes about half of the book for him to meet up with the woman again, after an amazingly dull car chase.
For me the most interesting parts came when following the mindset of Roy, the books crazy man. It becomes deeply disturbing because even though you know that he is made up, that this man is totally nuts, there probably is someone out there like that. Not to mention the fact that though his ideas were completely out of this world crazy, some of his ideas struck a cord- I quite like the idea of a future where everyone wears the same clothes.
Once again Koontz masterfully describes his scenes, the catacombs are easy, and disturbing, to picture- I’m just not a fan of car chases. And I can’t imagine masturbating more over three hours; five minutes will do me.
I enjoyed the book; I enjoyed the Ira Levin type ending. I could have done without the love story- but that is just me.

21 Read, 31 To Go

Blood Memory (Greg Iles)

2006-06-28T11:56:00.000+10:00

This is one of those books where I guessed the ending within the first few moments of reading but was compelled to read on, hoping against hope that the author would surprise me. But he didn't.
That doesn't make Blood Memory and less interesting. Cat Ferry is a 31-year-old odontologist who was born into a rich Mississipian family, but that hasn't stopped her from growing up troubled. She works her speciality on some cases for the New Orleans Police Department and on occasion, with the knowledge she gained during med school before she was expelled, solves other murder cases with her married lover, Sean. She's drunk and has been since she was a teenager, tormented not only by the unexplained murder of her father but also by something she doesn't know; her memories have been repressed. Her sexual proclivities would have given Freud a headache. Now she's pregnant and working on a serial case, but she suffers panic attacks at some of the scenes, recurring nightmares and a desperate need to find out what happened to her as a child.
It takes you for a ride through the discovery of Cat's lost memories of childhood sexual abuse and the heartache that comes with it. Greg Iles takes this topic which could have turned into a modern day cliche that you wanted to bang you head against, but he somehow manages to make it worth the read, even if for the predictable ending.
I at times felt let down by how half hearted her emotions were- I'm sure most people would be a lot more emotional when trying to quit drinking while wondering if your lover is going to leave his wife to be with you. But her emotions were clinical and flat, not heart wrenching or thought provoking as they should be.
It's one of those books that doesn't really stick around after it had been read, which is a shame because Iles has some good ideas.

Cell (Stephen King)

2006-06-28T11:53:00.000+10:00

There is much I like about this novel, and much I dislike, but in the end it left me feeling satisfied. It could be the Cube-like vagueness or the Levin-esque ending. It could be the predictability mixed with a few surprises. It could be that this in a way a return to form since he went bonkers and thought that the world owed him something.
The one thing that really bothered me was that Mr. King has over the years written himself into a pigeonhole. When I say this I point you to Rose Madder, a story that began as a brilliant portrayal of spousal abuse but was cheapened by his diversion into the supernatural. In fact my favourite stories of his are those that he did as Richard Bachman. That isn't to say that all the 'supernatural' elements in Cell are unwarranted- I, for example, believe in telepathy as science. It was the levitating that I thought depreciated the value of his vision.
It has an amazing start that draws you in immediately, never letting you stop (a scene that I think would transcribe well to the screen) to think about what has happened, how it happened.
It begins with the Pulse, a 'virus carried by every cell phone' in the world, a virus that sends anyone listening to it into a blind rage with no focus. Clayton Riddell does not own a 'cell' phone, but his son does.
But Clay has hope. His son's phone is often left unattended and with a flat battery and all Clay wants to do is reach him or his estranged wife to make sure they are safe. So he sets out on a road trip on foot (a common theme in King's novels that resonates deeply in me) with Tom, who has no one to lose but his cat, and Alice, a teenage girl who has lost her entire family.
This novel will lose something over time, many of the references are so contemporary and US-centric that in the future people reading it will fail to completely understand some of the references (even some people living outside of the USA today who did not follow the New Orleans aftermath will have issues with some of it). And personally the middle eastern bashing infuriated me. To me terrorism has always been around and always will be, and it isn't a middle eastern phenomenon. However it could be said that he was taking the mickey out of US paranoia.
But it won't lose the terror that people have over modern technology or the emotions that many people don't want to admit to when faced with a challenging situation. His characters aren't always perfect and sometimes a little superficial. The story never lets up and is easy to read. It is definitely a worthwhile read. Who doesn't have a 'cell' phone?
7/10

Stark (Ben Elton)

2006-06-28T11:47:00.000+10:00

I had a little bit of difficulty getting into this novel, despite the story being about environmental issues- and despite most of the main characters being Australian. In one way that was the problem, they were Australian and they were stereotypical pie chowing Australians, except the hippies of course, who fell into their own clichs. I think the clincher came when he used the term 'saussies' as slang for sausages. Given, I was only an itty-bitty nine-year-old when this book was published, but I have never heard anyone use this colloquialism. The collectively agreed upon slang for sausage is 'snag' and even then any user would elicit an inordinate amount of inward groans. Unfortunately the entire book is riddled with this sort of banter, though on several occasions he does ridicule it himself. And this is his first novel after all, and for a first novel you have to give him props.
Like every other Ben Elton novel that I own you can see a dozen or so cat's ears defiling the pages because he has said something so poignant or witty or that I completely agree with that I don't want to forget where it is- so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I loved The Young Ones (but never watched Black Adder). This story begins in with two complete opposites in Western Australia- CD the poor, self centred wanker who thinks he is the greatest, and Sly, self made billionaire who doesn't even know where half his money is. Neither of them is likeable. None of them are except the psychotic war vet who rants and raves when looking at cherry tomatoes.
Sly is part of the Stark consortium, a group of mega-rich nut jobs who know the world is coming to an end and they have a nasty plan. CD, the girl that he is trying to seduce, a journalist, Aboriginals who lost their homes and a few crazy hippies are suspicious- what are they to do?
This is basically a precursor to This Other Eden, following the same topics and in a manner the same conclusions, but earlier and with different people- this is supposed to be the present after all and This Other Eden is some time in the future.
It's still worth reading, even if only for the times that you burst out laughing in public.

This Other Eden (Ben Elton)

2006-06-28T11:43:00.000+10:00

This is without a doubt one of the best books that I have read in a long time- even I enjoyed the ending. The story takes place in the foreseeable future, sometime during our lifetime. The world is finally coming to an end through human stupidity, and people are bored with hearing of it, waiting impatiently for it to take its final breath so they can begin the Rat Run. Plastic Tolstoy is running eighty percent of the world media; Nathan has a dangerous script that preaches the truth; Max is a super celebrity who gets and erection at the thought of his own performances; Thor is the 'last sane man' on the planet; Rosalie is a greenie on a mission to save the world. Claustropheres (self contained geodesic domes) are popping up all over the world, perhaps the only answer to the survival of an eco-Armageddon- or perhaps it is traitorous to the earth, accepting the world is dying and not doing anything about it. On one hand they present a survival of the species, self-preservation; on the other their creation is destructive. Would you buy one? Or after much debating would you forego this luxury? And what could you afford?
I had to admit, sadly, right at the beginning that I would have been one of the first to purchase a Claustrophere had I the money, because I am a dooms-sayer, the end of the world is always nigh.
Ben Elton is entertaining, often eliciting random giggles from me at the most inappropriate moments- you wouldn't believe the looks that you get when you are sitting quietly at the bus stop reading then sudden burst into spontaneous laughter. He expresses things that I have often thought in such a poignant way that I don't feel so crazy.
His style is a little haphazard, and British. I found the chapters within chapters easy to read, enticing even.
We should all know that I can't read a book without guessing the ending a few pages into the book, sometimes even before I start reading, and this was no different- but I wasn't at all disappointed. I ENJOYED THE ENDING. It made sense; it was all so logical, right and amusing. He made his point.
Disappointingly I would probably still build a fall out shelter or buy my own Claustrophere, all the while attempting to better the environment, but that is just because I am crazy.

Forever Odd (Dean Koontz)

2006-06-28T11:37:00.000+10:00

I don't want to compare this to Odd Thomas, but it must- not just because it is a sequel, but because there are times that you need to refer to the original to understand what Odd is talking about. Actually I am having difficulty writing a review for this novel because it really had no effect on me other than a slight sense of disappointment. I like Odd Thomas, he is an affable character who can see ghosts, is haunted by Elvis and is trying to cope with the loss of the love of his life in the book's predecessor. Forever Odd's bad guy (or in this case woman) is fascinatingly insane, but she is introduced and disposed of too quickly without having earned her full potential as a character.
I think what really disappointed me was that this was nothing more than a three hundred and thirty three page chase scene that ends abruptly and all the titbits tied up in the last two pages as though Koontz had run out of time and realized that he had to explaining to do.

Black Rain (Masuji Ibuse)

2006-06-28T11:13:00.000+10:00

I waited six months to get my hands on a copy of this book, eager to read it because it is supposed to be one of the best in the genre. The anticipation made me a little hesitant when beginning it, putting it off for another few weeks because I had high hopes- hopes that were fulfilled.
Ibuse bases his story on interviews and diaries of survivors, using real many authentic incidents. But this is also the partially fictional tale of Yasuko and her family as they struggle with life and acceptance following the bombing of Hiroshima. Though not in the direct line of the bomb and suffering no noticeable injury or illness but having been caught in the 'black rain' that fell after, Yasuko has to worry about the future of not only herself but any children that she may have. This is one of the reasons that though of marrying age she has as of yet succeeded in securing a husband and the cause for both her and her Uncle Shizuma to begin copying their diaries from the day of the bombing and the days following. The novel goes backwards and forwards in time, giving the reader a sense of what it is like for the people who lived through the atrocity, as well as horror that was the bombing itself and the aftermath.
It's all matter of fact, never shying away from the gory detail to appease the reader, never adding drama where it isn't needed but still manages to convey the suffering.
As an Australian reading this some fifty years plus after Hiroshima you could assume that it would be difficult to understand many of the emotions and customs that come up in the book (as I did with On The Beach, feeling as though the characters were cold and lacking certain emotions or attachments, but realizing that this was because of the generational gap), but Ibuse still managed to convey an image that crosses generations and cultures.
You become involved with Shizuma's and any other's plight, the predicament that Yasuko finds herself and the desperate fight for survival during wartime. You want it to turn out to the best for them, knowing full well the horror that is nuclear warfare. It's impossible not to see how indiscriminate it is and wonder why anyone would ever use such horrific force then, and especially now when we know how awful the truth is.
It is such a superb book that should be on anyone's must read list (and sent to every leader who has nuclear capabilities).

The Prodigal Project Book II: Exodus (Ken Abraham & Daniel Hart)

2006-06-28T11:12:00.000+10:00

Let's get it out of the way- I have to force myself to read this novel, the second instalment of Abraham and Hart's Prodigal Project series and I held very little hope that it would improve at all. Not to mention that if his style of writing continues into the remaining five books then this entire series could have been condensed into one single two hundred or so volume.
The beginning didn't bode well for the rest of the book, nothing more than a rehash of previous events and sermon, which had been repeated unnecessarily more times than I'd like to count in the first two hundred pages of Book One. Every fifty pages could be turned into one and his point would still be pushed sufficiently to proceed. The question is, what is the point?
I stick firmly by my opinion that Abraham and Hart are crazy, Bush loving Republicans- the sort that would have changed 'French' fries into 'freedom' fries because of their objection to an entire nation (yet I have to wonder, if they hated the French that much then why not just remove the object of objection (the 'fry') rather than rename it?). They even have some more than obvious PC attacks on homosexuals, pushing the notion that this is a 'two sex world' and one goes with the other- even adding the obligatory new romance which is enough to bug me further.
The only thing of consequence to happen in the beginning was Thomas Church's miraculous (and thoroughly ridiculous) discovery of his son. This is the only incidence in when I think it would have been appropriate to add a few more pages to a scene.
Around ninety percent of this book is a reiteration of everything that is said in the first instalment, and other than the confirmation that no, Noir cannot be killed, the fiery hail and one hint towards something sinister in Azul (which we already knew), nothing- and I mean nothing- of any consequence happens and this entire book could have been edited out.
I doubt that I will read the next instalments- even though I could probably skip three and five without missing anything, because this is nothing more than a repetitive, Republican piece of propaganda. I do not recommend it.

The Prodigal Project Book I: Genesis (Ken Abraham & Daniel Hart)

2006-06-28T11:07:00.000+10:00

It is obvious what it was that inspired me to buy this book- it is religious in nature and about the end of the world, two of my favourite subjects (along with World War Two and nuclear warfare). This is part one of seven, as you can tell by the subtitle, and I am still unsure whether I will read all of the instalments even though I am curious. I am curious as to how of if Abraham is going to pull himself out of the reliance on time worn stereotypes, leading into racism and a clearly misogynistic point of view.
It is a story about the Rapture, the time when all the good-hearted Christians are taken from the world to be with God. Millions are left behind but this story focuses on seven people, from a covert government worker to a mother with a disabled child. Most of them are non-believers, or rather not the devout going-to-church-every-Sunday-and-reading-the-bible-every-day Christians, unlike their families; they are the ones who couldn't fully accept what God, Jesus and the bible are all about.
Then there is Dante and Noir, the faces of good and evil, respectively. Azul Dante is attempting to establish the Prodigal Project, a corporation of sort that will try to reunite the world following the Rapture, the project to which all the characters are drawn to or will be drawn into at some point (as you could have discerned by the title).
This was novel published in 2003, which was after the planes hit the World Trade Centre and written, I assume, before the invasion of Iraq. It is riddled with thinly veiled attacks on Muslims, lumping them all into one category and trying it's hardest to not look racist, sort of in the same manner that someone say "I'm not homophobic, I just don't think its right." It infuriates me that he tries to justify it but continues to push the stereotypes, not least of all by having them as the enemy to the Western world, run by the devil himself. Abraham is clearly a Republican; his disappearing President is a barely concealed Bush, which pushes the idea that he is infallible.
You get glimpses of intelligence shining through at times, Abraham having strong female protagonists who are destined to do something worthy (but it is yet to be seen what it is that they do, I see a whore of Babylon shining through in one of them), but he brings that crashing down by insinuating that the only way that a woman could be perfect was to stay at home and succumb to her husband's every whim.
I will read the following book in the (desperate) hope that Abraham is just a good writer who is toying with the reader, leading them down a path that will lead to a completely different conclusion (and hopefully stop being so racist), but that is yet to be seen.
This instalment is basically the opening chapter to the following books, setting the scene and character development- it is very little other than a couple of hundred pages of evangelism. It's almost like trying to review a book after reading the first chapter (then again, we all know that I have probably predicted the outcome already). I'll read the next one before I decide to recommend it or not.

Kafka on the Shore (Haruki Murakami)

2006-06-28T11:00:00.000+10:00

Kafka on the Shore is what would happen if Franz Kafka and Chuck Palahniuk got together and had a baby.
I decided to read it upon reading the review written by This Person, which is very unusual considering that usually I read books without an inkling as to what the story is about. But this novel is about Kafka Tamura, a fifteen-year-old runaway, and the elderly Nakata, who never recovered from a mysterious coma when he was a child. It is hard to become taken immediately with Kafka (if at all) whom has no recollection of his mother or sister (but definitely has some sort of oedipal complex), however it is easy to fall instantly in love with Nakata. I rarely become involved with characters, I am merely an observer, but when confronted with the brilliant portrayal of Nakata I couldn't help but feel for him.
We are presented with both their stories on their journey to one another, or to themselves as the case may be. Kafka is nothing more than a boy who has suffered through the abandonment of his mother, he mental abuse from his father and his terrifying prophecy. He runs away from home and finds drawn to a private library and things begin to fall into place.
Nakata on the other hand is an illiterate elderly man living on a sub city, earning some extra money finding cats (because he can talk to them) and finding himself on a journey that he doesn't understand. Fish and leeches fall from the sky, Colonel Sanders is embodied and books are read.
The characters all seem a little too erudite, talking like they have all the knowledge in the world and as though the only way that Murakami could get his point across was having someone explain it directly. But that doesn't make it any easier to understand, the book is rife with existentialisms (a subject I will admit to not caring for), hidden meanings and some pretty strange themes that I wasn't all that comfortable with. At times it became a little convoluted.
The books starts off magnificently but starts to slide off into a tangent that is little more than predictable, trying to make sense of everything and tying it into a little bundle but in the end leaves many things inadequately explained. The novel has so much potential such as brilliantly written characters and an interesting scenario, but falters towards the end. This is my introduction to Murakami and certainly will not be the last.

Selected Stories (Anton Chekov)

2006-06-28T10:51:00.000+10:00

I have a selection of Stand-by Books, ones that sit on the shelf waiting for the day that I have nothing else to read. Mostly they are classics and authors that I consider must reads, or books that I have bought and just couldn't get into but intend on finishing. This is one of the classics that I thought was necessary. It would be impossible not to be able to get into the stories, because few of them are more than a few pages long and are over before you have the chance to really become engaged, or disinterested.
As far as I can tell, Chekov is an art for arts sake sort of man, writing the truth rather than trying to subtly add some sort of hidden meaning or moral into his word. But that doesn't stop you from stopping and thinking about the characters in the character driven stories, stories that are written almost entirely in conversation form.
There isn't really much to say, the stories were interesting but they didn't have the sort of depth that I love.

Helloland (Nick Walker)

2006-06-28T10:49:00.000+10:00

I bought this book for $2 at the cheap store because I liked the cover; I was however put off reading it for over a month because each time I opened it it smelt like vinegar (which is what you get for purchasing a book at a dollar store, I guess). I had no idea what this book was going to be about because the blurb made absolutely no sense and gave no indication about the plot what-so-ever. The general gist? Chip is a one armed man obsessed with shuttle launches, working on the phones at a cheap motel and organising a party. Doesn't sound to appealing, does it? Oddly enough after getting through the first few chapters it became enticing and a story began to develop.
I'm not much for comedy (to compare: the authors I find most amusing are Ben Elton and Graham Greene) but it was well done and did elicit a few giggles at times. Mostly written in conversational form between Chip, the other guests and his womanising boss it had the added flash backs that told the story of how it came to be and was astonishingly well written and with a clever director could translate well to film (it is a very visual novel). It was entertaining enough that I will be going in search of Nick Walkers other books.