I’ve felt I’ve been getting behind in some things, what with all that’s been going on, but I didn’t really grasp the stupidness of the getting behindness until I thought about posting one of my lame book reviews and realized I had five (5?) books I’ve read recently to choose from.
What a posting treasure trove, I thought. I can drag this shit out for weeks, I thought.
But then I remembered I’m not getting any younger so here you go in no particular order:
I love Stephen King. Anybody who shudders and says he’s horror writer is only about half right. Read the Dark Tower series if you need convincing.
That said, I wasn’t really crazy about reading 11/22/63. Yeah it’s Stephen King but yeah it’s about the Kennedy assassination which is something that, I don’t know, I just don’t care that much about. Or maybe I’m just over it.
Whichever.
Classic Stephen King, great story, grrrreat look into time travel and its repercussions and a WHOLE LOT about the Kennedy assassination and Lee Harvey Oswald.
It’s good but, I hate to say it, ever since Stephen gave up drugs and alcohol?
I admit I’ve never actually read a Lee Childs/Jack Reacher book. I’ve listened to a bunch on CD while I’m driving and Dick Hill’s narration has always been riveting so I was totally primed to finally actually READ one.
I was disappointed.
The story sucked and I missed Dick Hill telling it to me.
We The Animals is Justin Torres first book and I wish I could write half as beautifully as he does. Even though my rampant cynicism kicked in at the beginning of the story ’cause it just seemed a little TOO contrived, it’s an amazing little book.
Read it.
In Lost Memory of Skin, Russell Banks tackles the prickly pear of child molestation in a way that, I don’t know, makes you wonder.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m no advocate and neither is Russell Banks. But in his novel his characters and their stories tug you both ways.
It’s interesting and well worth the time. Go ahead, do it.
Elmore Leonard is the hip, cool, king of narrative writing. Over the years I’ve read his books and I’ve listened to his books and I’ve always been drawn to one character- Raylan Givens, federal marshal.
So you can imagine my tingly excitement when I ordered his new book Raylan. I couldn’t wait to get it and I couldn’t wait to read it. Raylan, baby.
And it sucked.
I don’t know what Elmore was doing but even though the narrative is cool the story is so scrambled and disjointed that I just kinda gave up.
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