Monday, August 29, 2011

27 of 30- Under the Dome by Stephen King



Under the Dome by Stephen King

I'm a huge fan of Stephen King's work. That being said, I was slightly hesitant to read Under the Dome partly because it's 1,088 pages long and partly because I wasn't sure it would be able to hold my interest. I couldn't have been more wrong and was surprised by how emotionally involved I was in the book. The basic story is that a town is cut off from the rest of the world by an invisible barrier that completely surrounds them and cuts off all but the smallest amount of air or water filtering through the dome. A power hungry politician Big Jim tries to take total control and there is a band of good guys trying to resist. I loathed Big Jim and was genuinely angry every time he succeeded in any of his goals to gain more power. On the flip side of the coin I have rarely routed for the underdogs more than in this book. The band of resistance were a great group of characters led by Barbie a retired Army officer trying to live a peaceful life after serving time in Iraq. Emphasis on trying. The ending and cause of the barrier will most likely polarize readers to either love or hate it. I personally thought it was just ok but the build up was fantastic and at that point it wouldn't have mattered much to me if it was terrible as the rest of the book was so good. The characters were so well thought out and the dynamics so good that to me it eclipsed the need to know what the dome was and how/if they would escape it. I figured that part would work itself out while the main show was going on. As long as Big Jim got his come-uppance I would be a happy camper.

On a side note Big Jim was a terrible human being but extremely religious. The play between religion and bad deeds was well done here but the thing I thought was funny is that Mr. King decided to have him swear constantly but because he's religious change the swears to non offensive language. It's always something that's made me laugh in real life as it just seems so stupid. I'm not saying it's a good thing to drop f bombs like you're going out of style but if you're going to do it then do it



I pulled a few quotes out of the book as I read. These two stood out as being classic Stephen King;

"It begins right now, Barbie thought. He knew that wasn't true-it had begun yesterday, when the Dome came down-but at the same time he felt sure it was true."

"In the middle of the night it was hard to be an optimist. When dawn was still long hours away, bad thoughts took on flesh and began to walk."


This one I liked because he's showing off his catchy Maine way of speaking;

"There was no generator and it was darker than a raccoon's asshole, but there was a box of wooden matches on the kitchen stove, and the first one she lit showed her a flashlight on the kitchen table."


A character Rommie Burpie is responding to a question about where a particularly nasty character who just got killed is and I like the response. He was typical of a lot of Mainers with French Canadian roots, he tends to overemphasize the accent cause he likes how it sounds;

"Shoveling coal down in hell would be my guess, Rommie said. Dat's where they put the new help."


These I just liked;

"Clever and stupid is a terrible combination."

"America's two great specialities are demagogues and rock and roll, and we've all heard plenty of both in our time."

Thursday, August 11, 2011

26 of 30- The Best American Mystery Stories 2010





The Best American Mystery Stories 2010 Edited by Lee Child and Otto Penzler. Overall a bit of a disappointment as compared to the other books in this series. That being said there were some great stories mixed in.



My favorites;

Ed Luby's Key Club by Kurt Vonnegut
He was amazing, truly one of the best American novelists of all time. His dark social commentary shows up in this one and adds another layer to the story.

Animal Rescue by Dennis Lehane
I love his work. Best opening line I've read in a while "Bob found the dog in the trash." Simple, concise and makes it impossible not to want to keep reading. The story ended up being about an awkward, lower iq'd criminal with a heart of gold. And the dog ended up being fine :)

The Case of Colonel Warburton's Madness by Lyndsay Faye
A Sherlock Holmes mystery that could have been written by Sir Author Conan Doyle himself. A story from Watson's days in America about an old crime that still remains unsolved. Holmes is challenged to solve it from his chair.

A Jury of His Peers by Jay Brandon
This story was about a Texas lawyer in the 1840's who returns to San Antonio after a year in a Mexican prison. The story was inspired by real events when in 1842 Mexico decided that an effective way to deal with those pesky Texan deserters was to capture every lawyer in San Antonio effectively creating a lawless community. They forgot about the cops and people's ability to move on.

Dredge by Matt Bell
The main character finds a dead girl floating in a lake, decides to keep her and find the killer himself. He's clearly disturbed and not bright. Fantastic story.

The First Rule Is by Gar Anthony Haywood
This story is about about two former high school basketball stars, one makes it to the NBA and the other gets hurt and turns to a life of crime. Another one that was hard to decide if I liked it and ultimately it just made the cut.

The Emerald Coast by R.A. Allen
This one was awesome and dealt with an lot in a short story. This is about a couple of buddies who grow up on the wrong side of the law and about a serial rapist & killer.

Tell Me by Lynda Leidiger
I liked this one about a woman who is recovering from a brutal rape and attempted murder. Great family dynamics and really interesting.



My could have been really good but's;

The Shipbreaker by Mike Wiecek
Lot of potential in the idea of this one. Set in India with a crew of poor laborer breaking up huge ships for scrap metal. Murder of a powerful worker and theft of a lot of cash. All the elements were there but it just missed for me.

The Cross-Eyed Bear by John Dufresne
This one also just missed. It was about a catholic priest who is accused of molesting an altar boy and the bad men who are in charge of cleaning up the mess.

Maynard by Mary Stewart Atwell
A story about a pregnant woman who runs away from her boyfriend and his sister. This one was borderline for me, it was good and well written but just missed my favorites.

The House on Pine Terrace by Phillip Margolin
So close to being amazing. Crooked copy, sting operations, drug dealers. Just fell a little flat.



My I don't agree with the editor's selection's;

Charlie and the Pirates by Gary Alexander
It's annoying when a story that has someone shot in the neck with a crossbow isn't good.

An Early Christmas by Doug Allyn
And I quote "Argh, more lawers, Zina groaned. I'd rather floss with freakin' barbed wire." Need I say more?

Designer Justice by Phyllis Cohen
This story started off the same way as batman with the murder & robbery of a rich couple, well only the woman got shot but besides from that it's the same. Then he goes though trial and has a twist at the end. Unfortunately it was boring.

Killing Time by Jon Land
The main character should have been bad ass and the plot a good foundation for a movie but it didn't come together for me.

Bias by Chris Muessig
Kind of boring detective story investigating a murder.

Bismarck Rules by Albert Tucher
I normally love stories about hookers and murder.

Custom Sets by Joseph Wallace
Court story about guys who were members of a website of an exploited teen. Terrible exploitation and nothing else of interest.

Blood and Dirt by Ryan Zimmerman
Blah story of hillbilly brothers. One good and one not good. Boring story.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

25 of 30- Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbott




Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul by Karen Abbott.

I downloaded this book onto my Kindle last winter and can't believe I've read 24 other books prior to getting to this one. I'm not totally surprised as I have a hard time getting into most non fictions books as they often read more like text books stating strings of facts rather than tying them together into a cohesive story. My largest exception to that has been Erik Larson with his book Devil in the White City. This book has the same great way of keeping focus on the large story and telling the events in a way that have a flowing narrative. Maybe I'm just a sucker for Chicago around the turn of the 20th century but I don't think so. I honestly think Karen Abbott is an amazing author and was stunned to find out this was her first book. The book itself is about the sex industry in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century. The city took the stance that brothels, gambling houses & saloons were a necessary evil and the best way to deal with it was segregation to 1 part of town they called the Levee. The best brothel at the time was The Everleigh Club run by Minna and Ada Everleigh. Ada is on the left and Minna on the right;



The sisters goal was to run the best high end brothel in the city and from all accounts they did. The story tells about the religious reformers who sought to close the clubs, crooked politicians on the take, competing madams & white slavery that other brothels exploited to get their prostitutes. As I've said the book is fantastic and I can't say enough good things. I found myself highlighting a lot of quotes throughout the book that I'd like to share;

"If it weren't for the married med we couldn't have carried on at all, and if it weren't for the cheating married women we would have earned another million." -The Everleigh Sisters

"The sisters knew, from their own history, that those who subverted the official rules often created better ones, that the right sort of lies could become the bones of truth."

A former prostitute who had harmed the Everleigh sisters wrote in her suicide note "I've made mistakes all my life, and the only persons to forgive me were two sisters in a sporting house. Kindly tell, for me, all the psalm-singers to go to hell and stick the clergymen in an ash-can. That goes double for all the parasites who talk a lot but don't do a damn thing to help a girl in trouble."

"The Tribune has come out against syphilis. Bet you 8-5 syphilis'll win." - Anonymous

"I do not mind mankind's crimes, but I do mind it's hypocrisy." Minna Everleigh

"A Republican is a man who wants you to go t'church every Sunday. Bathhouse John pointed out. A Democrat says if a man wants to have a glass of beer, he can have it."

"You can get much farther with a smile, a kind word, and a gun than you can get with a smile and a kind word." -Al Capone




On a side note, as you can see from her picture below Karen Abbott is an absolute knock out. I assume the Everleigh sisters would be thrilled that such a smart, beautiful woman would chose to turn her considerable literary talent to telling their story over a century after it began. Personally I'm grateful to live in time and place where the women I love have the same opportunities and rights that I do. Equal pay, good old boy clubs, glass ceilings and Augusta National aside ;)


Monday, August 8, 2011

Movie Review- The Smurfs in 3D



Heather, Sky and I spent a rainy Sunday afternoon watching The Smurfs in 3D. While I remember watching and liking the smurfs as a kid they don't have the same nostalgia for me as say Transformers, Thundercats or Voltron. I was looking forward to it as the previews looked good and Neil Patrick Harris being in it was a great sign as he's been choosing great parts to play in the last few years. The movie was a good kids movie, funny with a lot of adult humor mixed in. Neil Patrick Harris & his on screen wife played by Jayma Mays were both just ok despite high expectations. Hank Azaria played Gargamel and was amazing. I'm a huge Hank Azaria fan from back in the day with his roles in The Bird Cage, The Simpsons, Along Came Polly, etc, etc. He was hilarious as Gargamel, doing a lot of small things that added up to him stealing the show. As you can see he really looked the part;



The voice actors were all good and while I could tell George Lopez played Grouchy & Katy Perry played Smurfette a lot of the others came as a complete surprise. Alan Cummings played Gutsy showing off his natural yet enhanced Scottish accent, Fred Armisen played Brainy, Jonathan Winters played Papa & Anton Yelchin played Clumsy although I'm still not sure I know who he is.

My only real disappointment with the movie was that Sofia Vergara wasn't in more scenes. She not only had the funniest line in the movie as she's genuinely hilarious but she's absolutely one of the most beautiful actresses out there.



Wednesday, August 3, 2011

24 of 30- The Best American Short Stories 2010





The Best American Short Stories 2010 edited by Richard Russo & Heidi Pitlor

I’ve loved this series ever since I started reading it in 2006. Around that time I was branching out and picked this series up in order to find new authors. In addition to finding some of my favorite authors it also exposed me to publications where the stories were originally printed. So between finding amazing authors and publications it’s probably had the greatest impact on my reading in the last 5 years. This year’s stories were chosen by Richard Russo with help from the series editor Heidi Pitlor and I don't envy the job. Well kind of, they've read some some amazing stories. Looking through the section of other distinguished authors at the end of the book gives a rough idea of how hard the choices must have been. Among many others Ann, Beattie, Amy Bloom, T.C. Boyle, Jonathan Franzen, A.M. Homes, Stephen King, Jonathan Lethem, Stephen Millhauser, Joyce Carol Oates & George Saunders all published stories that were passed over. Joshua Ferris, Tea Obreht, Lori Ostlund & Maggie Shipstead all had at least one other story that was considered with the one chosen. Maybe I'm naive but I have to assume that if the stories included in this addition were chosen over ones by some of the absolute best writers working today then these stories made it based on their merits and not those of their maker. The thought for some reason makes me very happy.


Steve Almond. Donkey Greedy, Donkey Gets Punched
Great story about an aging psychologist who gets the gambling bug for a bit of an escape. He treats a professional gambler and the tension goes from there.

Marlin Barton. Into Silence
This interesting story is about a middle aged deaf woman living with her mother in the heartland during the depression when a mysterious stranger comes to stay with them.

Charles Baxter. The Cousins
Great little story that includes one of my favorite quotes of the book especially because the story itself is kind of sad;

“Once, back then in my twenties, all I wanted to do was to throw my life away. But then, somehow, usually by accident, you experience joy. And the problem with joy is that it binds you to life ; it makes you greedy for more happiness. You experience avarice. You hope your life will go on forever.”

Jennifer Egan. Safari
The first of my top 3 literary crushes to appear in this series. I’d already read this story twice and enjoyed it just as much this time around. If you haven’t read A Visit From the Good Squad you really should, that Pulitzer was well deserved. This story is about a music producer bringing his family on a safari vacation and deals beautifully with a lot of family dynamics.

Danielle Evans. Someone Ought To Tell Her There’s Nowhere To Go
This story is about a soldier just returned from the dessert dealing with the horrors of war trying to reconnect with his ex girlfriend through babysitting her daughter.

Joshua Ferris. The Valetudinarian
Interesting story about a lonely old man in Florida in poor health. He’s miserable and drives everyone away from him by incessantly talking about his health. His last friend sends over a prostitute for a birthday present and things pick up from there.

Lauren Groff. Delicate Edible Birds
This memorable story is about a group of war reporters during WWII who end up in a bad place after coming across a house while out of gas that is occupied by Nazi. A powerful story that’s sure to resonate long after the book has been read.

Wayne Harrison. Least Resistance
Nice little story about a young mechanic who has an affair with the wife of his boss and mentor.

James Lasdun. The Hollow
James was another new author to me. He was easy to read and wrote about rural neighbors.

Rebecca Makkai. Painted Ocean, Painted Ship
This is the third story I’ve read from her and I’m convinced she’s one of the strongest authors of short stories working today. Fantastic story and one of my favorites this year.

Brendan Mathews. My Last Attempt to Explain to You What Happened with the Lion Tamer
A love triangle written from the perspective of a clown who’s in love with a trapeze artist who’s hooking up with the lion tamer. It made me think of the Big Cat Habitat and is another standout in this list.

Jill McCorkle. PS
Love the concept of this story, it’s a letter written to a psychologist by a former patient to give finality to the counseling.

Kevin Moffett. Further Interpretations of Real-Life Events
I’m familiar with some of Kevin’s works as a contributor to McSweeneys and I’ve always liked his stories. This is a writers story about an author whose dad picks up writing as a hobby and is much better than his son.

Tea Obreht. The Laugh
Tea is another one of my top 3 literary crushes right now and the primary reason I’ve lamented so much about my bet to read 30 of my own books. I fell in love with The Tigers Wife when I read it in the New Yorker and it’s the first book I’m checking out or buying after I’m done with the bet. I’m not going to lie, I was nervous reading this story because I was afraid it couldn't live up to my lofty expectations. Luckily, my fears were entirely unfounded.

Lori Ostlund. All Boy
This story is about a precocious boy who’s parents are going through marital issues. Really well done and will be one I remember.

Ron Rash. The Ascent
About a boy whose parents are junkies living in a rural mountain town. Makes me glad my parents are awesome.

Karen Russell. The Seagull Army Descends on Strong Beach
The third of my top literary crushes. I’ve read her book of short stories and plan on picking up Swamplandia in short order after the bet is over. Can't say enough good things about how imaginative and wonderful her stories are.

Jim Shepard. The Netherlands Lives with Water
The first of two stories from a McSweeney’s issue about a city 25 years into the future. This one deals with a city in the Netherlands being flooded due to global warming. It’s also about a marriage that’s not so good.

Maggie Shipstead. The Cowboy Tango
Another love triangle story. This one is about an older ranch owner who falls in love with a ranch hand who doesn’t love him back but falls in love with his nephew who briefly falls for her. It’s sad & powerful and makes me want to read a lot more of her work.

Wells Tower. Raw Water
This is the second story from the McSweeney’s about the future and is written about a town in the dessert that was created by flooding it with salt water to make a community in the dessert. Wells is also becoming one of my favorite short story authors and one I’m looking forward to reading whenever I can.