Some of My Favorite Books

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby

I stayed up till almost 3 last night (this morning?) and finished reading Juliet, Naked. I tried going to sleep around 1:30 but the dry Arizona air was hot, I was itchy, and I knew that book was sitting a few feet away. So, I turned on the light again.
 
This book title lends itself so well to a nice play on words. I posted in my Facebook status earlier this week that I was:

Off to bed to read Juliet, Naked. Nick Hornby is such a good writer!


One friend "liked" it, and I had the following comments:
  • Virginia asked:  Wasn't sure if that was the book title or if you like to read in the buff. :-)
  • Mary commented:  LOL -- I thought the same thing. TMI!!
Mums the word on that comment. Yikes! But thank goodness for punctuation and capitalization. The book is SO GOOD! Read it. If you've never read any of Nick Horby's books, this is a great one to start with. It has a universal theme (fan obsession). In this case, it's a washed up music group. Who among us hasn't wished for a return from a band, an actor, an author?

And again, Hornby's writing is so good. You just have to read it to know what I mean. Here's one instance where his insight and attention to detail is amazing. Duncan, the number one obsessed fan is musing about Tucker Crowe, the reclusive singer Duncan idolizes:

Tucker Crowe was his life partner. If Crowe were to die--to die in real life, as it were rather than creatively--Duncan would lead the mourning. (He'd already written the obituary. Every now and again he'd worry out loud about whether he should show it to a reputable newspaper now, or wait until it was needed.)

To me, Hornby almost writes like a woman, in his details, thought process, and the way his mind circles around something picking it apart like I know I do from time to time. Guess that's not a female thing, just a thing.

Hornby has written five other novels (About a Boy and High Fidelity to name two) and a small boatload of nonfiction books, which I'm going to have to turn to next. I haven't read Slam, a novel for teens, so I'll give it a go as well. Try him, you'll like him!

Book Read:  Juliet, Naked
Author:  Nick Hornby
ISBN:  978-1-59448-887-0

Saturday, July 17, 2010

I Write Like...

Stephen King. That's what the Website "I Write Like" says any way. I wish!

I saw information about "I Write Like" on Facebook and pasted in my last blog entry. And stranger things have happened but I can't think of too many right now, but I'm not reading a book right now so won't have a blog update for at least a few days so decided to post this instead. Two of my sisters and one crazy little nephew were here visiting last week so we had other fun (than reading).

Find out who you write like and post the author's name in the comments below. It'll be fun to see!


I write like
Stephen King
I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg

I just finished reading Elizabeth Berg's lastest book, The Last Time I Saw You. This one is about a group of people debating going to their fortieth high school reunion, their last reunion. For some reason it's their last, like why bother having a fiftieth--everyone will be dead by then or something.

Anyhoo, as someone who's never attended a high school reunion and has no plans to, I read The Last Time I Saw You with mixed feelings:  "why would anyone go to one of those" to "it would be interesting to see some people" to "I wonder who would recognize me with my teeth straightened?" But Berg does a good job of featuring most of the key players from high school, you know the ones; they were in every class:  the popular jock, the cheerleaders, the nerds and dweebs (raising my hand), the people who died in car wrecks, wars, and illnesses, and some truly forgettable people that no one remembers at all.

But near the end of the book, what Berg is famous for, drawing the reader in, the story gels and the feeling of being wrapped in a cozy blanket emerges without any fluff.


Book Read:  The Last Time I Saw You
Author:  Elizabeth Berg
ISBN:  978-1-4000-686-7

Saturday, July 3, 2010

I, Alex Cross by James Patterson

Like all of James Patterson's books, I enjoyed reading the 3- or 4-page chapters (feels like you're really accomplishing something!) in I, Alex Cross, but this book was especially gory (a wood chipper? really?) and just sick and wrong. And the storyline was unbelievable to me, not that some of the strangest stories can't really happen. Maybe they really do. But this one just didn't grab me like some of his books have. I think I, Alex Cross is a good summer read though. Except be warned:  It's not nice nor light.

Book Read:  I, Alex Cross
Author:  James Patterson
ISBN:  978-0-316-01878-4

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