Friday Blog Hop

A weekly meme hosted by Jennifer @ Crazy For Books.

I haven't participated in the hop for a while, but this topic is getting me in the mood for Hallowe'en!

What is your favorite spooky book (i.e. mystery/suspense, thriller, ghost story, etc.)?

*OoOoOoh*...did you hear that?!  My favourite scary book is Carrie by Stephen King.  There is no other book I know that scared me more than the scene where Carrie leaves the prom to walk home.  I was reading it on a bus ride home.  Yikes!  Luckily it was daytime or I'd ever be able to walk home :D 

A close runner-up: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.  After all, what could be scarier than a world without books?

In book news, I've been eyeballs deep into The Stand and have reached the halfway mark already!  It's quite a trip and should knock off a large chunk of it this weekend with rainy weather in the forecast.  And I still have a few reviews to write...I haven't forgotten, just savouring my words until I get it just right.  *Yes, that will do* (to quote a classic Mr. Burns' line of excuse-mongering).

Have a great weekend everyone :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadian book bloggers & visitors!

I played catch-up this week and posted 4 backlog reviews with 4 more left to come.

Read This Week:  (2)
Teacher Man- Frank McCourt--I am always pleased to find an author I haven't read before but have heard so much about and end up enjoying.  This was a terrific read!  Review coming soon.

An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton--Witty, fascinating look at collective nouns (or venery) from the well-known (pride of lions, murder of crows) to the clever (wince of dentists, a mutter of mothers-in-law).  Review coming soon

Currently Reading:  (4)
(Well, not really.  One at the moment & 3 sitting idle)

The Stand- Stephen King--I'm hooked!  After reading Under the Dome, I can see a similar style with a truckload of characters and criss-crossing of plotlines.  Loving it!

The Taking of Pelham 123- John Godey
The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews This Week:  (4)
Night- Elie Wiesel (A+)
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen (A)--have added to My Top 25 Favourite Books (#24)
Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot (B)
Pet Sematary- Stephen King (A)

Pet Sematary- Stephen King

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1983
Pages:  562
ISBN:  9780743412278
Genre:  Horror

Started:  Aug. 28, 2011
Finished:  Sept. 2, 2011 (6 days)

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  On my TBR list; a Stephen King classic I hadn't devoured yet
Read For:  Stephen King challenge (5/6)

Summary:  Dr. Creed and his family move into an old relic with an ancient burial ground that has eerie powers soon perpetuating a series of morbid events that get even more tragic as they close in on the Creeds and their old neighbour with unsettling past experiences.

Review:

This turned out to be better than I expected.  Judging from the book's premise, I figured King had dug up his roots in horror writing with an homage of sorts to the B-movies and magazine serials of his youth with cornball storylines and unspeakable (due to fits of giggling) dialogue.  Yup, he did.  But it's still the intriguing pageturner that you wouldn't expect any less of from King.

The buildup is a tricky plot device in this novel: some people will be irritated by it; others (myself included) see the purpose in laying the plot out one brick at a time for nearly half the novel to give greater depth to the climax because from there on out, it's impossible to stop reading.  The distance between instigating action and climax is rather lengthy, but boy does it hit you once it comes.

I've always been a big fan of King's supporting characters, often the most fascinating and/or horrifying people that steal the main characters' thunder (some of my favourites are Mrs. White in Carrie, Eduard Delacroix in The Green Mile, Mrs. Carmody in The Mist).  In this book, it's Jud Crandall, who is a much more layered character than Louis Creed, with his age offering a plentitude of experiences that carry the weight of the novel.  Granted, Louis is also likeable and ends up taking on his share of weighty experiences, but when it comes to the hero of the story, Jud is it.

I was surprised to find that I like this book as much as I do.  King fans will recognize a different sense of the macabre than say Carrie or The Shining.  I came away with the feeling that King created a quality story from a B-movie idea and infused the characters with likeability to the point that the only villain that exists is an invisible threat and, as horror stories tend to prove, a terror that we can't sense is the scariest of them all.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2010
Pages:  313
ISBN:  9780470433638
Genre:  Biography

Started:  Sept. 2, 2011
Finished:  Sept. 7, 2011 (6 days)

Where Found:  Book Depot
Why Read:  I love his music and the classic tunes by Simon & Garfunkel.  This was a fortuitous find!

Summary:  A tributary biography of singer/musician Paul Simon and his impressive catalogue of hit songs, from his start as half of the duos Tom & Jerry and the legendary Simon and Garfunkel, and his solo career to date.

Review:

Paul Simon is the subject of Marc Eliot's fan-pleasing biography: the "Jerry" to Art Garfunkel's "Tom" in the 1950s teenybopper pop genre, later forming the duo Simon and Garfunkel that recorded 5 original albums in just six years, contributed to one of the most beloved movie soundtracks ever (The Graduate), and boasts a catalogue that rivals the Beatles.  After their magnum opus, Bridge Over Troubled Water, they went their separate ways, Simon releasing his 10th solo album this past year with groundbreaking tunes that introduced world beats into mainstream American pop music and Garfunkel dabbling in movies with supporting roles in Catch-22 and Carnal Knowledge and also releasing his 10th solo album in 2007.

The chronology of Simon's life is presented in a hefty, often breathless timeline with only small bursts of in-depth author commentary, which perhaps would have been more welcome than squeezing a copious amount of subject matter into a limited 300 pages.  Points that matter most to readers--the recording of major albums, the inspiration and meaning of hit songs, details of his personal life--represent the meat of the biography and Eliot's strongest writing.  The result is satisfying but what seems missing is a bigger picture: Simon (with and without Garfunkel)'s place in the history of American pop music.  I also kept wondering what Eliot's interest was in his subject, which is rendered in a touching afterword but not threaded throughout the book.  While a biographer should (and Eliot does) spotlight his subject and not himself, the connections between author and subject are somewhat removed until the end.

I recently watched the documentary The Harmony Game that explores the recording and events leading to and following the release of Bridge Over Troubled Water not long after finishing the biography and it was a fantastic companion, providing interesting insights into the album's composition, the making of an effective yet sadly controversial TV special, and a balance of both funny and touching anecdotes about the final compilation of one of the most iconic duos in American music.

As I state in my summary of the book, Eliot's biography is tributary in style and not very critical, though that doesn't mean that the author ignores or sugarcoats any bitter moments in Simon's life but definitely holds true as a fan and keeps an optimistic, if not readily enthusiastic, front, especially after Simon and Garfunkel go their separate ways.  It's a pleasant read for fans of Simon and is an effective lesson in music history for the iPod generation who has yet to discover his magic.

Rank:  (B)- Very Good, Recommend

Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1811
Pages:  336 (excluding appendices)
ISBN:  9781593080495
Genre:  Classic

Started:  Sept. 14, 2011
Finished:  Sept. 27, 2011 (14 days)

Where Found:  Book Depot (I have the edition pictured here, but I really love the Penguin Classic hardcover edition I've linked to at Amazon--they've been on sale at Chapters lately and it would match my edition of Emma and close enough to Pride & Prejudice.  *Thus ends the rant*)

Why Read:  I enjoyed P&P and was in the mood for a proper civilized romance novel.

Summary:  In the English countryside, sisters Elinor and Marianne struggle to solidify their relationships with the men they love...but first they must understand who it is they actually do love.

Review:

This book surprised me in so many ways.  For starters, it's the most suspenseful romance story of its time or even among contemporary books not of the thriller genre.  Just when things are looking clear-cut, a new twist occurs, turning the whole story around several times before reaching a pleasant, though tidy conclusion.

Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are sweet, lovable characters that you want every happiness for, except neither truly knows what will make them happy, or rather who will make them happiest.  Col. Brandon is by far the most likable character--loyal, sincere, and genteel, regardless of misguided rumours surrounding his personal life.  Mr. and Mrs. Palmer are a hoot to read about, being such complete opposites you wonder what the mutual attraction is.  Unfortunately the two main male love interests, Edward and Willoughby, are not so enjoyable--I found Edward to be just plain uninteresting, (though I thought his reaction to Elinor's question near the end was one of the best reactions and lines of dialogue in the novel) and Willoughby, you will learn soon enough, is far from sympathetic and comes across as an immature rat.

Austen's humour and criticism of social dynamics is much more explicit in Sense & Sensibility, whereas Pride & Prejudice makes us read between the lines to find subtle hints of the same nature.  The styles are similar and even the storyline is familiar, if a bit more risque with a small but more complex set of characters.  You may disagree, but I actually found myself more taken with Sense & Sensibility than Pride & Prejudice.  Some day, I would love to re-read P&P, especially now that I'm more familiar with Austen's style.

What stops the novel shy of an A+ for me is the slim details of the ending.  I'm not aware of the history behind the novel's publication, but it ended so abruptly it was as if Austen was under pressure to submit it or was under a page count restriction.  I definitely could have done without Willoughby's exasperating speech near the end and seen more of the Dashwood sisters' romantic couplings which are held in suspense for a great majority of the novel, only to come together within the last ten or so pages!

Emma Thompson adapted the novel into an Oscar-winning screenplay for the 1995 film adaptation, also starring as Elinor with Kate Winslet as Marianne, Alan Rickman as Col. Brandon, Hugh Grant as Edward Ferrars, and Greg Wise as Willoughby.  I haven't seen it yet but it looks fantastic :)

Update:  I have seen the movie now and absolutely loved it.  The script is loyal to the book but Emma Thompson's own touches and the purposeful, gentle direction of Ang Lee makes it a wonderful viewing experience.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Night- Elie Wiesel

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1958 (translated: 2006)
Pages:  120
ISBN:  139780374500016
Genre:  Memoir

Start Date:  Aug. 16, 2011
Finished Date:  Aug. 21, 2011 (6 days)

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  On my TBR list

Read For:  Back to the Classics Challenge (7/8)

Summary:  A Holocaust survivor gives a detailed account of the escalating horror he endured as a teenager shifting through several concentration camps during WWII.

Review:

I began reading Night immediately after finishing the historical fiction novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, a bold move that I was afraid would be depressing, but turned out to be one of the most important reading experiences I've ever had.

For such a gargantuan scope as the Holocaust, Wiesel has been quoted as a minimalist writer.  But that is not the right word to use.  He writes as much as needs to be said.  His account is a slim volume without a single embellishment or unnecessary thread--every word suggests a cautious but deliberate style that gives readers room to pause and reflect in thought if not discussion.

Wiesel guides with a firm hand, sequencing his time in concentration camps with (at first) a subtle escalation from the beginnings of encampment at Sighet with the barbed wire and wearing a star of David, rising intensely as he transfers to Auschwitz, the crematoriums ever closer and the starvation, enforced labour, beatings, and deaths magnified, until he is sent to Buchenwald where on the evening of April 11, 1945, the prisoners are liberated.

I found it interesting that both Night and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas were written from the first-person perspectives of children.  It sheds fresh light on a period of time that no matter how many renderings are printed cannot be exhausted, otherwise its memorial is forgotten.

Count this amongst the most important books you should read in your lifetime.

Rank:  (A+)- Necessary Reading

September Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

Yikes, that was a fast month!  You can still see my August wrap-up post on my blog's main page :D  I'll make this a quick post and get caught up on those reviews.

Read This Month:  (4)
Pet Sematary- Stephen King
Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot
Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen

Reviews This Month:  (3)
American on Purpose- Craig Ferguson
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas- John Boyne
Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll
Year-to-Date:  (44)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

I'm alive!  It's been a busy couple of work weeks but I read the superb Sense & Sensibility which makes me want to read Pride & Prejudice again just to discover what I missed!  The nighstand book pile is a bit tall now (see my cramped-looking Goodreads widget).  I blame fluctuating reading moods :)

Read This & Last Week:  (1)
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen--loved it!  I can't wait to get to the review...oh yeah, and all those backlogged ones, too ;)

Reviews:
Behind again...

Currently Reading: (5)
Aaacckkk!

Teacher Man- Frank McCourt--funny, bitterly true hurrah for teachers in tough situations

An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton--whip-smart history of collective nouns (e.g. a pride of lions)

The Taking of Pelham 123- John Godey--love the movie (the original one) and dipped into this; not sure about it yet.  There's a number of racial slurs that make me wince.

The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith--not sure when/if I'll ever finish this

My Life- Bill Clinton--I'm taking this very slow...can you tell?! :)

Next to Read:
I think I'm set for the rest of this week and maybe next week.  I'll put my nose to the grindstone and start The Stand by Stephen King next.  Maybe I'll finish it by New Year's :D

Have a great reading week!