Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz

This is the second Spellman book. Because I just wrote the review on the first one, I don't have much to add.

"Curse" starts a bit after the first one left off, and again Izzy is embroiled in some madcap capers. This time she's following several suspicious people - including her dad, mom, brother, and neighbor, who ends up getting a restraining order on her.

This book does have a non-traditional timeline as did the first. It goes back and forth, but it isn't hard to follow. Lutz does a good job through fonts and chapter titles of making sure you know where in the chronology. This is still more of a "popcorn" or "potato chip" read, but it isn't low brow or idiotic. Lutz does a good job of weaving in comedy and stays true to all those lovely family issues that pop up (even though these are a little more out there than most of us have experienced most likely).

So, all in all: easy read, fun, light, and yet will still hold your attention.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

PSA: I'm quite a bit behind in these posts, so expect several in the next few days so I can try to get caught up.

I absolutely loved Niffenegger's first book, The Time-Traveler's Wife. I rarely cry at books, but I absolutely bawled at the end of that one. It was just so beautiful and a great love story. However, I am typically let down by an author's second novel after their first one is so acclaimed. I have to admit that I was a little hesitant going into this book because of this (I also think I remember someone telling me they didn't like it.)

This, however, was another great woven story in my mind - at least for the first two thirds of the book. The story centers around two sisters (twins) whose aunt (their mother's twin) dies and leaves them her flat in London and requires them to live there for a year (and that their parents cannot step foot into the flat). Throughout the entire story, there are hints of something horrible that has happened to separate the aunt and mother before the twins were born. During this time, we're also introduced to the aunt's lover (Robert), the other tenant in the building, Martin who has a severe case of OCD, and the aunt's (Elspeth) ghost, who plays a major role in the story.

I have to admit that the twins, Julie and Valentina, creeped me out a bit. I found it odd that women in their early 20s still dressed exactly alike - but we're allowed to see that that is more of Julie's doing than Valentina's.

Then you hit the last third of the book and there are some twists I didn't really expect. They're a little creepy and disturbing. These twists made me like the book a little less.

It is still wonderfully written despite the creepiness and oddness. Just be forewarned before you start it!

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz

This book had been hanging around in my collection for quite a while. Last week, a friend told me that it was hilarious and that another friend loved this series (this is the first; by some miracle - meaning the B&N bargain table - I have the second one, too). So, I needed a quick, brainless read again, so I picked it up.

I'm so glad I did. It's a lot like the Stephanie Plum series started off as. It's funny and quirky. The book revolves around a dysfunctional family (the Spellmans) who run a PI firm out of their house. The story centers around Isabelle who wants out of the business because it is messing with her personal life too much. Her parents force her to take on one last case - a cold one from 10 years ago.

While not hard hitting, it's still a good read. There's some Lucille Ballesque moments, and it kinda makes you think about how nutty your own family really is. This book really filled my need for some "stupid funny."

How to Make Yourself Feel Less Weird

I first read Augusten Burroughs right before the movie Running with Scissors came out (I have the movie printing of that book). I immediately loved his style and honesty. It's insane, off the wall, frightening, disturbing and uplifting all at once. Burroughs had a topsy-turvy childhood to say the least, and he is a recovering alcoholic.

In Magical Thinking (his third and the one I most recently read), Burroughs is sober, and he finally finds a guy he can truly get serious with. All of his memoirs are really short essays compiled together, so it's a quick read. Most of them are no longer than 10 pages, so it's a good book to pick up for a few minutes and put down if needed.

I will admit he's not always easy to read. He's brutally honest about his flaws, which is probably good for his recovery, but it's not easy to see those flaws in someone else. This one, however, gives hope that he's finally on the right track - and chances are will make you feel like you are REALLY normal.

A New Take on an Old Classic

We all know about Big Brother from 1984, but in Little Brother, Cory Doctorow gives us a new twist on this classic.

This book is technically young adult, but it's one that can really hit home for adults, too.

Basically, the premise is the same as Big Brother. Just take it and put it in San Francisco in a post-9/11 era. The plot quickly starts off with an attack on the city's bay bridge, and then the DHS comes in and basically takes away all the freedoms of the residents. Marcus, a 17-year-old geek, hacker, gamer, takes it upon himself to try to show the government what's what and take back his city. He feels he's got more  of a stake in the matter because he, along with three of his friends, were arrested and interrogated for days right after the attack. The DHS tightens their hold on the city as the story progresses - traffic patterns are monitored, Internet usage is watched, etc. All of this eggs Marcus on as he continues to undermine the government on his X-net.

This was a very thought provoking book, and one that's very fitting for our times. I thought the writing drug on at times (I didn't need a lot of details on how Marcus programmed/worked his hacking magic), but that doesn't detract from the message Doctorow is trying to get across. Plus, there's the added bonus of him being cool enough that he's released a lot of his writing under Creative Commons - so it's free. All because he thinks  words/books should be easy to access!

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

This was an excellent book. It could be a little daunting at almost 600 pages, but it really is a quick read. Gaiman does a great job of weaving an intriguing, interesting, and amazing tale.

I don't want to describe too much of the book, because you are given very little from the beginning and part of the magic of the book is that Gaiman very deftly weaves in details as the story progresses. You start out with your main character, Shadow, who is just getting out of prison. On his trip home, he meets Mr. Wednesday, a very mysterious character, who gives Shadow a job. The two then embark on a very odd trip throughout America, although the main part of the story really does take place in the Midwest.

I really can't say enough about this book. It's only the second book I've read by Gaiman. The first was Stardust, which is also fantastically written and is more fairy tale than science fiction (think along the lines of The Princess Bride). I think some people may be automatically turned off by Gaiman because he's considered science fiction, but you really owe it to yourself to try at least one of his books. While some of the things in American Gods are definitely science fictiony, it really doesn't read like that. It truly is just a great story. If you love words and how they work together, then you really need to read Gaiman. You won't regret it.

Counted high enough?

A few years ago, I started reading Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. All of these books have a number in them (One for the Money, Sizzlin' Sixteen, etc.). She's up to No. 17 now (Smokin' Seventeen), and all I can say is meh.

Honestly, these books have been kinda meh for a while now. They're very formulaic, and the hilarity that used to keep me entertained for a few hours has diminished greatly. I read these for pure entertainment value and for a brain break (and after Game of Thrones, that was desperately needed).

I'm beginning to wonder if they're worth it anymore. Number 18 comes out in 6 months instead of a year, so I'm wondering if she's wrapping it up. I think it may be time for Lulu (the fat lady of the series) to sing.

Epically fantastic

I know the title sounds like something out of Bill and Ted's, but it is very fitting for this book.

I just finished George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones, Book One in the Fire and Ice series. It's long; it's intimidating; it's dense; but it's all worth it.

I read it on my Kindle so I didn't have to deal with the insanely huge tome. The other thing I did to make it easier was watch the HBO series as I read it. There's a lot of characters in this book, and each chapter follows one of them (all of the book is done in 3rd person, though). And, not all of the characters are the focus of the chapters, so you have ancillary ones in each chapter that still play a large role in the story. It's a lot to keep track of. Watching the series gave me a mental picture of each of the characters, which was very helpful for me.

A sidenote on the TV series - it's also fantastic. They follow the book very closely. I recognized quite a few direct quotes from the book while watching it. It's a must see.

Ok, back to the book.

A lot of the characters are a little crazy and definitely power hungry. But many of them are still intriguing. Chances are you'll either hate them or like them. But you won't be ambivalent toward any of them.

So, pick it up. Block out some time because chances are, it will quickly suck you in.