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Sep. 16th, 2004 05:43 amHappy birthday ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
majea! I wish you presents, and love, and laughter, and cake.
majea! I wish you presents, and love, and laughter, and cake.Sep. 16th, 2004
Christopher Brookmyre Be My Enemy
I love Brookmyre. I really do. And this book, starring everyone's favourite target reporter Jack Parlabane and set at one of those crazy corporate bonding retreats, was brilliant stuff.
Donna Cross Pope Joan
The story of the 8th century woman (and I probably have the date wrong, but it was early) who lived as a man, rising through the ranks of the Catholic church to become pope, is a fascinating one, as is the discussion at the end about the veracity of the historical record. The book, a fictionalized account of her life, was good, but not particularly inspired, writing-wise. Still, fascinating stuff.
Helene Hanff 84, Charing Cross Road
First of all, why did no-one warn me what a quick read this was? I read the entire thing on the subway on the way to work, and then I had nothing to read at lunch! The horror. It was a wonderful subway ride, though, reading this collection of letters between author Hanff and a clerk at a rare book store in London. Watching the friendship develop over the years was very touching. But too short.
Sarah Mlynowski Fishbowl
People, if you're going to set a book in a specific city (Toronto, in this case), and mention lots of real locations, it will be very jarring when you then make up an entire university! There was absolutely no reason why it had to be Ontario University instead of University of Toronto (or any of the others here). Seriously jarring. But a mostly fun book, told from the varying points of view of three very different women who end up as roommates, and have to work together to raise money after a fire destroys their apartment. The idea was cute, if a little preposterous at times, and I enjoyed the shifting viewpoints, but the chapters written by the omniscient narrator were weird, and didn't work.
Garth Nix Abhorsen
The sequel to Lirael, following the same characters, and it made me very happy. Plus I got the impression there might be more coming in this same world, which would make me even happier.
Kit Reed Thinner Than Thou
This was a very odd book. It takes place in a future where thinness and beauty are religion, and girls who are too fat or too thin are sent to the nuns, much like girls who got "in trouble" used to be. After Annie is sent off without warning, her twin siblings and her boyfriend run away in search of her, finding out the secrets of this new religion (slogan: Thinner Than Thou) along the way. Interesting, but it straddled the line between polemic and satire, and couldn't quite decide where to settle.
Zadie Smith The Autograph Man
I mentioned a couple of times at Chicklit what a hard time I was having finishing this book, and I'm still not sure why. Because I was actually enjoying it quite a lot for the first half, but then I hit a certain spot, put the book down, and couldn't get through more than a couple of lines at a time for the next month or so. The book tells the story of four friends, an accountant, a rabbi, a video store owner and a man who collects autographs for a living. Alex, the autograph man, is obsessed with Kitty Alexander, an actress from the 40's (I think), and that was the part of the story that bored me. The interaction between the friends was great, though.
I love Brookmyre. I really do. And this book, starring everyone's favourite target reporter Jack Parlabane and set at one of those crazy corporate bonding retreats, was brilliant stuff.
Donna Cross Pope Joan
The story of the 8th century woman (and I probably have the date wrong, but it was early) who lived as a man, rising through the ranks of the Catholic church to become pope, is a fascinating one, as is the discussion at the end about the veracity of the historical record. The book, a fictionalized account of her life, was good, but not particularly inspired, writing-wise. Still, fascinating stuff.
Helene Hanff 84, Charing Cross Road
First of all, why did no-one warn me what a quick read this was? I read the entire thing on the subway on the way to work, and then I had nothing to read at lunch! The horror. It was a wonderful subway ride, though, reading this collection of letters between author Hanff and a clerk at a rare book store in London. Watching the friendship develop over the years was very touching. But too short.
Sarah Mlynowski Fishbowl
People, if you're going to set a book in a specific city (Toronto, in this case), and mention lots of real locations, it will be very jarring when you then make up an entire university! There was absolutely no reason why it had to be Ontario University instead of University of Toronto (or any of the others here). Seriously jarring. But a mostly fun book, told from the varying points of view of three very different women who end up as roommates, and have to work together to raise money after a fire destroys their apartment. The idea was cute, if a little preposterous at times, and I enjoyed the shifting viewpoints, but the chapters written by the omniscient narrator were weird, and didn't work.
Garth Nix Abhorsen
The sequel to Lirael, following the same characters, and it made me very happy. Plus I got the impression there might be more coming in this same world, which would make me even happier.
Kit Reed Thinner Than Thou
This was a very odd book. It takes place in a future where thinness and beauty are religion, and girls who are too fat or too thin are sent to the nuns, much like girls who got "in trouble" used to be. After Annie is sent off without warning, her twin siblings and her boyfriend run away in search of her, finding out the secrets of this new religion (slogan: Thinner Than Thou) along the way. Interesting, but it straddled the line between polemic and satire, and couldn't quite decide where to settle.
Zadie Smith The Autograph Man
I mentioned a couple of times at Chicklit what a hard time I was having finishing this book, and I'm still not sure why. Because I was actually enjoying it quite a lot for the first half, but then I hit a certain spot, put the book down, and couldn't get through more than a couple of lines at a time for the next month or so. The book tells the story of four friends, an accountant, a rabbi, a video store owner and a man who collects autographs for a living. Alex, the autograph man, is obsessed with Kitty Alexander, an actress from the 40's (I think), and that was the part of the story that bored me. The interaction between the friends was great, though.