Books I've Read This Month
Miniature book reviews start Now:
1.WORLD WAR Z by Max Brooks
My brother gave me this for my birthday in mid-April. I hadn't finished (or even started, I think) a book in over a year. I finished this one in four (4) days and have since been eating up a book a week. Thank you, Brother.
2. Thirteen by Richard K. Morgan
This was a lot like other books of his that I've read (e.g. Altered Carbon, Market Forces, Woken Furies), i.e. ultra violent, very fun, and the protagonist slept (very graphically) with exactly two (2) babes.
3. The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan
This was also like other RKM books that I've read, insofar as the ultraviolence and fun-ness went--but it was extremely UNlike his other books in two major ways: 1) it was Fantasy, not Futuristic/Cyberpunk Sci-Fi, and 2) more surprisingly, the protagonist was Gay. I've never read a Fantasy book that had, mixed in with swordfights in taverns and horse-riding through misty mountains, episodes where the protagonist performed oral and anal sex acts on/with other men and in at least one case an Alien-type creature with a magical alien-type penis. I liked this book, but I will not recommend it to any of my homophobic macho friends (not that I have many of these).
4. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
This was what I think they call a "real page-turner". Struck me as standard mystery/thriller stuff, except it all happened in Sweden, with/to Swedish people (makes sense). Interestingly, the main thing I will remember is the "liver pate and cucumber sandwiches," which it seemed like the characters were always fixing up for themselves. I plan to make myself one soon. I think it will be a comforting act. One final comment: I learned (via the interwebs) that the actual/original title was "Men Who Hate Women." This makes a lot more sense than the Dragon Tattoo bit. But I guess when it was translated the American publishers thought that we Yankees would be more interested in a book about babes with tattoos than a book about Misogynist Pigs.
5. For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
This book was awesome. I can't believe I waited this long to read it. When I die, I hope my last words are as worthy as, "Viva my husband! Who was Mayor of this town!!" Also, I plan on calling my next girlfriend (yes, I'm being Optimistic and assuming that there will be one) "Little Rabbit".
6. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
The awesomeness of Hemingway's novel made me look for some non-fiction about the Spanish Civil War. I found this--hadn't known that Orwell went and signed up and fought in the trenches with a ragtag militia of Socialists (the P.O.U.M., to be exact). This book was short and also awesome. Especially hilarious because he's so matter-of-fact about everything, and almost apologetic about it at times. For example, at one point prefaces his description of what it was like to be shot through the neck and very nearly killed: "The whole experience of being hit by a bullet is very interesting and I think it is worth describing it in detail." Um, by all means, George--please do....
7. Neuromancer by William Gibson
This book was also awesome. About two years ago I read Mona Lisa Overdrive. Towards the end of it I realized that I was reading the third book in a trilogy (yes, I'm an Idiot). So now, two (2) years later, I went back and read the first book of that trilogy. Mona Lisa Overdrive was Excellent, but this one was Awesome, which is better than Excellent. It's really violent and full of (weird futuristic) drugs and (weird futuristic) sex and (weird futuristic) computers.
1.WORLD WAR Z by Max Brooks
My brother gave me this for my birthday in mid-April. I hadn't finished (or even started, I think) a book in over a year. I finished this one in four (4) days and have since been eating up a book a week. Thank you, Brother.
This was a lot like other books of his that I've read (e.g. Altered Carbon, Market Forces, Woken Furies), i.e. ultra violent, very fun, and the protagonist slept (very graphically) with exactly two (2) babes.
3. The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan
This was what I think they call a "real page-turner". Struck me as standard mystery/thriller stuff, except it all happened in Sweden, with/to Swedish people (makes sense). Interestingly, the main thing I will remember is the "liver pate and cucumber sandwiches," which it seemed like the characters were always fixing up for themselves. I plan to make myself one soon. I think it will be a comforting act. One final comment: I learned (via the interwebs) that the actual/original title was "Men Who Hate Women." This makes a lot more sense than the Dragon Tattoo bit. But I guess when it was translated the American publishers thought that we Yankees would be more interested in a book about babes with tattoos than a book about Misogynist Pigs.
5. For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
6. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
The awesomeness of Hemingway's novel made me look for some non-fiction about the Spanish Civil War. I found this--hadn't known that Orwell went and signed up and fought in the trenches with a ragtag militia of Socialists (the P.O.U.M., to be exact). This book was short and also awesome. Especially hilarious because he's so matter-of-fact about everything, and almost apologetic about it at times. For example, at one point prefaces his description of what it was like to be shot through the neck and very nearly killed: "The whole experience of being hit by a bullet is very interesting and I think it is worth describing it in detail." Um, by all means, George--please do....
This book was also awesome. About two years ago I read Mona Lisa Overdrive. Towards the end of it I realized that I was reading the third book in a trilogy (yes, I'm an Idiot). So now, two (2) years later, I went back and read the first book of that trilogy. Mona Lisa Overdrive was Excellent, but this one was Awesome, which is better than Excellent. It's really violent and full of (weird futuristic) drugs and (weird futuristic) sex and (weird futuristic) computers.