I am Not a Serial Killer

Additionally (spoiler alert), this was not a good book. 

I should have been tipped off by two things: 1. The book is published by TOR, the publishing company known for publishing my husband's brand of fantasy novel (not that there is anything wrong with that) and 2. The acknowledgments inside thank first and foremost, Brandon Sanderson, author extraordinaire of my husband's brand of fantasy novels.   I discovered both of these things quickly after opening the box in which the book was shipped to me.  What inspired me to go on is a novel of a completely different brand, so boring, I was desperate to read anything else (see previous post on Vanity Fair). 

Thus, I have learned a life lesson.  Do not get desperate to read anything else.  Avoid this with all your being.  The results will not surprise you. 

To be fair, the book might be good for the fantasy loving, teen market (however, I do have strong objections to some of the content for teenagers).  In fact, the more I think about I am not a Serial Killer, the more I wonder if I somehow got suckered into reading the unthinkable...YA!  Ohh the horror that definitely overshadows any of the suspense in this novel.  It wouldn't have been all bad, but then...he whipped out the fantasy elements.  Oh well, not my taste. 

I would like to say that the novel was well written despite my aversion to the subject matter.  I would also like to say that I am glad I spent the time out of my comfort zone.  Too bad I can't say either of those with a straight face. 

Given the fact that this book is the first in a series, I would like to note to the readers of this blog, you will not find further reviews of future incarnations of this series.  I have had enough, thank you!

Rating: 1 out of 7

-L

The Awakening

Reading a seminal work often has drawbacks.  I might not "get it," just might not see the beauty and the purpose behind the work of supposed genius.  I might not feel the same passions as others.  I kind of feel that way about The Awakening by Kate Chopin.  I think I "got it" for the most part - feminism, freedom, blah, blah, blah.  And I think some of the paragraphs are quite captivating.  But there is just not that wow factor I was expecting.   Instead, I found myself attached to the mostly inanimate objects in this short novel.   I ended up noticing the "period-ness" (my word) of the piece instead of the emotional weight.  I enjoyed the discussions of fashions, food, culture, and living arrangments much more than the breaking free of a "repressed" woman. 


I am told The Awakening did wonders for the women's movement.  But swept away with that free-love, I-have-rights- too, I-am-not-anybody's-property, it's-my-body, my-choice-crusade were some of the things that made womanhood great back then. 

So what to do when the emotional interior (read: overt feminist tendencies) doesn't do anything for you, but the exterior catches your eye? Make a list of the things which we ought to have and don't because of this stinkin' book. Here's my list of the things we should have kept around:


1. Hot chocolate prepared on a stove.  My mom used to make this for me on cold winter mornings and it is nothing like the packet kind.   There is a scene imprinted upon my mind of our main character and another extraneous woman having hot chocolate that bubbled up on the stove.  That sounds so good!  If only it weren't 100 degrees outside.

2. Referring to a meteorologist as a "weather prophet."  I know, I know, the science of meteorology has come a long way in the 100+ years since this book was written, but wouldn't it be a much more popular profession if it was called "prophecy?"

3.  Having a reputation for actual accomplishments.  Sadly, this is not true of the protaganist unless you count painting and swimming.  She is like yesteryear's Paris Hilton, if Paris had children she ignored.  It is more true of her husband Mr. Pontellier.  He actually went out and made money in that evil stock market and he put up with lack-luster attention on the home front.  New hero of the novel, anyone?

4. Sun hats with long white gloves and wearing all white in the summer.  I love the picture from the front of my edition.  It just speaks to that era so well.  I was going to say we should keep around veils, but those are more closely associated with Sharia law lately and that is not a thing we should keep around (Kate Chopin taught me that).

5. Throwing dinner parties without lifting a finger.  Now this is something I can really get behind!  As one who likes a good party as much as the next gal, I also realize all the planning and preparation that goes into one.  Not so for Edna, she has help for just that sort of thing and she sits, laughing and smiling with her guests while the courses are brought out.  Then, she gets all the credit for being the perfect hostess. 


There you  have it, the reason the women's lib movement has destroyed the fabric of society in 5 short points.  Any questions?

Note: I am not usually as sarcastic and snarky as I was in this post, please excuse the flippant tone.

Rating: 3.5 out of 7

-L

 

It counts when it's during this year!

Leah thought I might be cheating because I read a book that I read last year. I think that if I've read it during this year then it should count. When you're reading epics it's going to take a few times of reading through the books to capture everything. Robert Jordan, Tad Williams, and Glen Cook are all exhaustive. However, the Glen Cook books that were read this year were new, but that doesn't mean that I won't go back and re-read the first few this year. I guess that I really like reading the books that I've read 10,000 times.

That brings me to this latest book. I just finished reading I Am Legend by Richard Matheson which I read a couple years ago after the movie came out. It's a short book about the end of civilization as we know it. Fancy that, I've been reading a lot of post-apocalyptic books. ;-) Robert Neville is the last man alive, but he's not alone.....

The book is a great little read. It's to the point. And nothing like the movie. This isn't a movie review site, but I cannot believe that a director/producer cannot figure out how to do a movie based strictly off of this book! I guess there's a fear that it's going to be too bleak, or too quiet, but viewers have shown that they can enjoy movies like that(see that crazy Tom Hanks movie where he's on an island). The book keeps you interested from beginning to end even when Robert is out doing simple scavenging. Matheson did a good job of bring your attention to the book, and then not allowing the book to get drawn out.

Rating: 7 CB's - The Boogey Man, Wolfman, and Dracula all have the same thing in common with Robert Neville. Thank you Matheson for naming aptly.

I am Drew's Confused Cerebrum

The first rule of reading Fight Club is you don't talk about reading Fight Club......

It was interesting having to purchase a book that the bookstores will not keep on the bookshelves. It's tucked away behind the counter that you have to request from the employee ringing up the rest of your order. It's very covert... you almost feel like you're buying something off the black market. Now, it's not because it's mature(which it is), but because Palahniuk books are often stolen. I guess that would make sense if you've read Fight Club.

That brings me to reviewing the book. I'm not sure how to go about that now that I fear that one of those spacemonkey's might come after me for saying something to the contrary about Fight Club. But, if one would be unhappy that I am critical of Palahniuk's popular novel would defeat the purpose of the anarchist care-not attitude of a "believer". But we only have one follower, and one follower that I know personally. I doubt they'll come after me even though they love knives.

In the years that I've been reading novels that have movies based on them, I have not come across a book that's worse than the movie. I don't think that I should say that Fight Club isn't a good book, but the movie was able to twist and change the book into something with a different outlook. The plot is intact, but the climax is different. The movie puts the action out there and takes away a bit of the grittiness that is Fight Club. It's not a happy ending, feel-good book. The movie brought some of that to the table. That makes me very confused, b/c I still feel like I like the movie better, but the book is worth the read.

This quote sums it up for me:

Watching white moon face

The stars never feel anger

Blah, blah, blah, the end

Less than halfway through the book that quote stuck out. At the end of the book I still felt that way. But, at the end of the book came the best part of the book; the afterward. It clued me in to what Palahniuk was attempting to do with Fight Club. Something that this first read didn't leave me with.. and that was Palahniuk's ability to write!

Let me say this.

I don't think I like Palahniuk's books.

But I'll read another one.

-D