Bart Yates: Leave Myself Behind (Alex Awards (Awards))
Holden Caulfield comes out. At least that's the intention. But the kid doesn't speak like a 17-year-old. Despite that, this is a great book: funny, tender, absorbing mystery. I laughed, I cried.
Greg Lilly: Fingering The Family Jewels
A cute, light read.
Colm Toibin: The Master : A Novel
Have to think about this. It's much more of an extended character study than a novel. It has a beginning, a middle, and not really much of an end. I guess you have to admire the way he gts inside James's skin. But I left dissatisfied, not feeling that a conclusion had been reached. And novels need conclusions.
Margaret Atwood: Life Before Man
That was very heavy going. Mainly because I hated all the characters. A bit of a duty read.
James Baldwin: Giovanni's Room
Very short; barely more than a novella. It's a fascinating read (only a couple of hours). What's interesting is to observe how much has changed since the mid-1950s. It is hard for me now to fully comprehend and sympathize with the shame felt by the characters.
Saul Bellow: Adventures of Augie March, The (50th Anniv. Edition)
Couldn't finish it!
Yann Martel: Life of Pi
Brilliant story-telling. And I love the narrative device - reminds me of James Hilton.
Anthony Bourdain: Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
I so don't want to be a chef anymore!
Augusten Burroughs: Dry : A Memoir
meh. Don't much care for alcoholics' memoirs.
Mark Merlis: An Arrow's Flight : A Novel
I do like Mark Merlis' writing. The concept of this is intriguing and the whole is very well executed. I'm not entirely sure about the end, however.
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