Summer is winding down but there is still plenty of time to enjoy a good book on the beach. This is what I read this month. This is Literary Lollapalooza, July 2010 Edition.
Books Read This Month:
Catching Fire—Suzanne Collins
The Audacity to Win—David Plouffe
The Magicians—Lev Grossman
Around the World in 80 Days—Jules Verne
Scott Pilgrim V. 1-6—Brian Lee O’Malley
Lost at Sea—Brian Lee O’Malley
Books Acquired:
Fiction: The Unnamed by Jonathan Ferris, All is Forgotten, Nothing is Lost by Lan Samantha Chang, What is the What by Dave Eggers, An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin, and Sunset Park by Paul Auster
Non-Fiction:
E-Books:
Books Borrowed: Scott Pilgrim V. 1-6 and Lost at Sea by Brian Lee O’Malley, and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Currently Reading: What is the What by Dave Eggers
Reviews of This Months’ Books:
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Okay, so if you haven’t heard of the Young Adult Sci-Fi novel The Hunger Games (see the ‘Palooza from last month) then you have got some catching up to do. The Hunger Games is by far one of the best, most intriguing, and thoughtful young adult titles of recent years and this, the second installment of a trilogy (the final installment, Mockingjay is due out the 25th of this month) is an excellent continuation of the story.
Spoilers follow, so if you haven’t read The Hunger Games stop reading here. And do me a favor and go read it! The characters are growing and adapting. The plot is building. The excitement is ramping up. As unrest in the colonies grows, Katniss, our young heroine, finds herself being hailed as a symbol of rebellion. People are using the mockingjay pin she wore during the games as a secret symbol of their devotion to bringing down the corrupt Capitol. And the Capitol isn’t through with Katniss yet, either. It seems they are none too happy with how she forced their hand in the games keeping Peeta alive. She’s given hope to the colonies, and the Capitol will do everything they can to squash that hope.
I love this book because the characters continue to develop and the action is even more hardcore than the first. There isn’t as much death and heartbreak in this volume, but that’s a good thing: the balance is shifting. People are starting to fight back and take charge of their destinies. But trust me, the Capitol won’t go down without a fight. This thrilling fantasy tale ends with this months’ Mockingjay, due to hit bookstores on the 25th.
The Audacity to Win by David Plouffe
David Plouffe isn’t the man behind the president. He’s the man behind the machine that made the president the president. Plouffe was Obama’s campaign manager during his run-up to his most historic of elections, winning the presidency in 2008.
The Audacity to Win is Plouffe’s recollection of the campaign from its humble, underdog beginnings through the tensions of a hard-fought Democratic primary to the elation and glory of an election night win.
This is a book that wallows in election tedium, but as a insider’s view of the campaign that changed the way America votes it is a fascinating account of how a handful of people with a shared belief in a candidate and his ability to operate outside of political norms did everything against the book and came up big winners, and ultimately reshaped the face of the American electorate.
As an Obama supporter (and first time political giver and volunteer, much like most givers and volunteers in this election) I found this account fascinating and intriguing. Seeing how the minds behind the campaign reached the decisions they did, and followed the tactics they did to build the largest grassroots political campaign in American history is rather edifying.
Plouffe isn’t a natural born writer, and this will most likely be his only contribution to the world of letters, but this is an important story to share and I’m glad he did. Just seeing the nuts and bolts of the campaign is worth the read. But seeing candidate Obama taking the same slow, thoughtful approach to every issue that arises as he does everyday as our president is glorious. It seems we got the right man for the job.
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
This has been described as a Harry Potter for adults. And it is; in a way. But it’s also so much more than that. It is a meditation on youth and dreams and always wanting what you can’t have.
Grossman creates a magical world right in the center of modern day New York. 17 year old Quentin Coldwater finds himself invited to attend a prestigious school for wizards and is whisked away from the dreary everyday life he dreaded and into a fantastical place where he is special and unique and exceptionally adept. Here he finds everything he always wanted and gets sucked into the heart of a childhood fantasy that is much darker and dangerous than he could have ever expected.
A haunting, heartbreaking work of youthful excess, The Magicians draws from a myriad of popular children’s fantasies to create its magical landscape. As much a paean to The Chronicles of Narnia as it is to Harry Potter, mixed with the drunken ennui of Somerset Maugham, this one will make you nostalgic for simpler days and almost make you believe those worlds still exist.
I can’t say enough about this book. It is surprising and refreshing, and very much a fantasy world all its own. A great, propulsive read.
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
I downloaded this one on my eReader for free courtesy of Google books and following the emotional flaying I received from The Magicians, it sounded like simple good-hearted fun. I missed reading the Jules Vernes classics as a child, and as a Doc Brown enthusiast I always felt it my obligation to someday read them.
To say this is dated would be an understatement. But part of its charm is its provincial, British style. With clear, straight-forward prose Verne takes us on an around the world journey with British gentleman Phileas Fogg. Mr. Fogg has wagered the gentlemen in his social club that not only is it possible to travel the circumference of the globe in 80 days, but that he himself could do it at a moments’ notice. And when the gentlemen take his wager, he does so. At once. He hires French journeyman Passepartout as his assistant, and after quickly packing a bag or two the two men are off on an adventure spanning several continents and many countries. The adventure is constant as the travelers have to dodge the many predicaments that present themselves during their journey. To make matters worse, there is a London detective hot on Mr. Fogg’s trail, convinced he is a suspect in a recent bank robbery.
This is a fun fast read, but it can be stilted and hokey at times. If you can get past that this one is good for a lark.
Scott Pilgrim V. 1-6 by Brian Lee O’Malley
Scott Pilgrim (a.k.a Scotty Pils in my neck of the woods) is a bass-playing, bad-ass who is kind of clueless with girls and sucks at life in general. Oh yeah, and he’s Canadian. His gay roommate Wallace owns everything in the apartment they share. Scott doesn’t have a job, has no money, and he’s just started dating a high-schooler, 17 year old Knives Chou. She’s kind of obsessed and is the #1 fan of Scott’s band Sex Bob-omb. The other members of the band are Kim Pine on the drums (who Scott dated in high school) and Stephen Stills on guitar and vocals (the talent). Everything’s all well and good until a hot Amazon.com delivery girl, named Ramona with wicked style and roller blades, starts tearing through Scott’s dreams. And then he meets her. And falls in love with her. Only trouble is: In order to date Ramona, Scott has to fight and defeat her seven evil exes. Oh and he’s still technically dating Knives.
This is the most fun you can have while reading. I’m not kidding. Scott Pilgrim is the greatest graphic novel document of modern twenty-something culture probably in the ever. With frequent gamer nods and slacker mentality to spare, this is funny and fun and utterly charming. The cast of characters are instantly recognizable, and many will stay with you long after you’ve finished the last volume. But Scott Pilgrim himself is the best of the bunch: like a grown-up Charlie Brown he’s a blockhead and the guy that saves the day. He’s a clueless everyman just trying to get through the next 24 hours alive. Oh yeah, and get the girl as well.
Lost at Sea by Brian Lee O’Malley
I read this, O’Malley’s first published work, while in-between Scotty Pils 4 and 5.
Lost at Sea is a sweet coming of age graphic novel about shy 18-year-old Raleigh, a girl on a cross-country trip from San Francisco to her home in Vancouver. On this trip she is accompanied by three other teenagers she met accidentally after missing her train.
Raleigh is a sad quiet girl who believes she has no friends because her mother sold her soul to the devil when she was fourteen. She is saddened by her recent relationship with Stillman, which has left her hollow and empty. And she keeps seeing cats everywhere. Perhaps one of these cats has her soul?
At turns sad, funny, thoughtful and wise this is a great coming of age tale featuring some great drawings by O’Malley.
Lots of great stuff this month, and I’m already excited about next month and Summer’s end! Keep reading!
