Book Reviews by Emma

Sleep No More -Greg Iles

2007-12-07T09:00:00.001-08:00

Up next in my "easy reads" list, this book met expectations. While I disagree with Stephen King's review in the front cover ("By chapter 7, you'll be questioning who it is you're sleeping next to"), this book was, indeed, a page turner. Lots of lust, deception, and plot twists make you almost believe it could happen. Iles manages not to stray into openly corny territory with the characters, until the last chapter, when there's an all-too-obvious moral speech given by Lily.

In Progress:
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office -Lois P. Frankel
The Shining -Stephen King

The Firm - John Grisham

2007-11-21T16:15:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why I never read this before. I read The Runaway Jury and The King of Torts in the past and while easy to read, I didn't find them all that exciting. The Firm, however, is a true page-turner.

In Progress:
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office -Lois P. Frankel
Sleep No More -Greg Iles

Salem's Lot -Stephen King

2007-11-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

Something about Stephen King's earlier novels is so much more satisfying than recent works. Colorful, intriguing language. Simple, horrific tales. Not one of the most disturbing works, but definitely something to get you thinking next time you're visiting a small New England town.

The World Is Flat -Thomas Friedman

2007-10-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

Working in the world of technology and growing up in the era of the home computer (and having one of the first computers I knew of that was NOT an Apple IIGS), none of this book surprised me. It seems to me that Friedman is simply trying to coin a label for the phenomenon happening in today's global marketplace.

While this book draws attention to some things many people have never heard of, such as outsourcing, insourcing, third world poverty, the ability of seemingly random countries to produce and supply items more cheaply and send them to other countries, it seems more a work of stating the obvious than of coming up with revolutionary ideas.

I did follow and agree with some of the points from the first half of the book about outsourcing. His argument that the free trade theory will continue to hold is hope-inducing. I felt he was stretching for content, though, in several instances in the last few chapters of the book. For example:

1. He theorizes that because the world is flattening, more and more students are using text message code in their schoolwork. I hate to break it to him, but appreviations aren't exactly new. We didn't need cell phones or online chat to come up "w/ u r my bff 4E, B mine b/c i luv u" in note passing between classes in 7th grade. In my unqualified opinion, anyone who turns in a paper with that kind of jargon is careless.

2. He argues that those who are close enough to the flat world but are not in it have it the worst because they can see what they do not have. Hasn't this always been the case, "flat world" aside? Can you really feel like you're missing clean water if you don't know it exists? This is not "flat world" specific. Wasn't this the kind of anger that fueled the Nazi regime?

All in all, this was an easy read for a nonfiction book, but feel free to skip over sections about things you're already aware of.

Naked - David Sedaris

2007-09-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

The reviews call these stories hilarious. While they show blatant commentary about the average lunatics and are definitely outrageous, my mind tended toward the poignant sides of the stories - the bittersweet factor in the family's last gathering before his mother's death, the sadness in people's stupidity and cruelty. The humor lies in the outrageousness of the things Sedaris has purportedly done - from working as an assistant to an idiot clockmaker in Oregon, to riding with his sister to rescue a whore to stay with the family for a night, to spending a week in a nudist colony.

In Progress:
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office -Lois P. Frankel
The World Is Flat -Thomas L. Friedman

Four Past Midnight - Stephen King

2007-09-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

A collection of four short stories by the master of horror, I started reading this book about 10 years ago. The Langoliers by far was my favorite story of the four. Secret Window, Secret Garden was strong, and apparently strong enough to have been made into a movie - but I have to say, I hope the movie was better on that one. The final two stories, The Library Policeman and The Sun Dog, were creepy and gory, but weren't quite believable, an element that makes a horror story truly scary. As far as SK's short stories, I found Skeleton Crew much more enjoyable.

In Progress:
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office -Lois P. Frankel

Wicked - Gregory Maguire

2007-09-07T02:04:00.000-07:00

::Spoiler Warning::

You've just got to feel bad for the Wicked Witch of the West (who, as it turns out, wasn't so wicked as misunderstood). From birth, she has been an outcast for her skin color, teeth, and allergy to water, and is always second fiddle to her parents' missionary career, her younger sister, her classmates and friends. She suffers a string of failures from her life's work for the fair treatment of Animals (animals with souls), her affair ending in her lover's murder, parenting, obtaining forgiveness from her lover's widow, and achieving her father and sister's respect. (and shoes!) Maguire ties larger issues into the story, from racism to education reform to nazi-ism to animal rights, giving a polotically-minded reader much food for thought.

In Progress:
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office -Lois P. Frankel
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King
Naked -David Sedaris

Baby Proof - Emily Giffin

2007-09-07T01:54:00.000-07:00

Giffin again crafts a story that is impossible to put down. Claudia and Ben are soul mates who decided long before their marriage that they never wanted children. Then their world is flipped upside down when one of them decides differently. Children are a so-called "deal breaker" in marriage - the commitment won't work if one spouse wants and the other does not, and this story explores a possible path taken in this scenario.

While not as comical as her previous two novels, Giffin's story shows interesting parallels and comparisons between Claudia's relationship and the marriages of her two sisters, one of whom has a cheating husband, and the other struggles to have a child of her own, and their mother, who left their father for a rich man who can support her in an extravagant, "showy" lifestyle.

The plot is sugar-coated - not all endings are as happy as the ones we see for the characters here - but it is, ultimately, a satisfying and uplifting story and a great summer read.

In Progress:
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office -Lois P. Frankel
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King
Wicked -Gregory Maguire

Something Blue - Emily Giffin

2007-09-07T01:29:00.000-07:00

This follow up to Something Borrowed follows the life of Darcy, the girl who (spoiler alert) cheated on her fiance and gets pregnant while her best friend Rachel and her fiance fall in love. Giffin is a genius to tell the story from both sides, and Darcy's ultimate growth is unexpectedly fun to watch if a bit unbelievable.

In Progress:
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office -Lois P. Frankel
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King
Baby Proof -Emily Giffin

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling

2007-07-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

The series has ended! Having accidentally read some articles that "hinted" at what happened, and having had my own thoughts on the matter, I have to say I wasn't terribly surprised with the outcome. The first few hundred pages were a slow go, a similar experience to the previous books in the series (especially the longer ones) but the end moved quickly, and the end was satisfactory. Justice was done to the characters that needed it, and loose ends have been tied. I hope Rowling sticks to her word and puts the Harry Potter series to rest, though it has been a fun ride.

In Progress:
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office -Lois P. Frankel
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

Something Borrowed - Emily Giffin

2007-07-30T12:55:00.001-07:00

This was an amazingly fun read. Rachel, our "second fiddle" heroine, is 100% identifiable. Even though you know that stealing her best friend's fiance is wrong, you're brought through her logic, and even cheer her on as she starts to make amends with herself for the years playing her best friend Darcy's doormat. Anyone with a close friend so selfish is in complete empathy with her situation!

I am excited to read Something Blue, the next book in the series written in Darcy's voice.

In Progress:
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office -Lois P. Frankel
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

2007-07-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

After 10 years and restarting about 4 times, I finally made my way through Great Expectations. One of my favorite movies from the 90s is the screen adaptation with Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow (probably one of her two best roles), so my brain primarily tied the scenes together by envisioning the movie. Pip falls in love with Estella at a young age, and when he suddenly comes into inheritance, he believes it is from Estella's guardian, Miss Havisham, and subsequently disowns his only family. It isn't until years later that he discovers the money comes from a much "dirtier" source, and his life is turned upside down as he tries to save his benefactor and make amends with his own previous decisions. Dickens pulls you along by emotion for the characters and what happens to them, and the plot moves slowly as a result, describing Pip's internal anguish.

In Progress:
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office -Lois P. Frankel
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

Confederacy of Dunces -John Kennedy Toole

2007-04-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

This is the worst novel I have ever picked up. The main character, Ignatius, is the most annoying individual ever described. This is apparently why many people find the book comedic, but he made me so angry that I could not waste any more time attempting to read it. Stories without a point do not deserve the effort.

In Progress:
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office -Lois P. Frankel
The Oxford History of Greece and the Hellenistic World -Boardman, Griffin & Murray
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

The Cider House Rules -John Irving

2007-04-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

John Irving has delivered yet again. This is the story of Homer Wells, an orphan born in a tiny abandoned logging town in Maine. Almost adopted three times to ill results, he becomes a permanent resident of the St. Cloud's orphanage, where a woman's right to choose holds center stage. In a place where it seems no one belongs, it is as though the orphanage itself has adopted Homer. Love, loss, family, and a full range of emotions and controversial topics. What a great, great story.

In Progress:
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office -Lois P. Frankel
The Oxford History of Greece and the Hellenistic World -Boardman, Griffin & Murray
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

American Fascists -Chris Hedges

2007-04-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

I had high hopes for this book despite the bad to mediocre reviews I read. Hedges has a way of making a broad statements and lacking concrete facts or examples to back up his theories. Even where examples are present, they seem weakly argued or only loosely correlated to the generalizations made. Definitely do not recommend.

In Progress:
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office -Lois P. Frankel
The Oxford History of Greece and the Hellenistic World -Boardman, Griffin & Murray
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

Time and Again - Jack Finney

2007-02-01T07:38:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't it be fascinating to open the door one morning and step out into 1880s Manhattan, a time before pollution and skyscrapers, when walking through Central Park at night was safe, the upper west side was farm land, and there were no telephones, much less cell phones? This is the story weaved by Jack Finney, around a government project designed to send qualified individuals back in time to fill in gaps in the history books, and conveniently change events the government would like to see changed. Si Morley is one such individual. He's out of place in his own time, and wishes more of the 1880s still existed today. The descriptions of old New York are wonderful and well researched. I wish I had discovered this book in college while taking an "Architecture in NY" course that traced the history of this powerful city through its origin as a Dutch colony. Part of the fascination of this book is being familiar with the city as it is today, and being able to mentally compare what's here to what once was. This part of the book's "magic" would be lost on anyone who has never been here, or otherwise traveled beyond Times Square. The story line is only a glue that holds together the historical view, and contains a few ignorable gaps. I disagree with the points stated that the 1880s were a better time in the city as a whole (before pollution, vaccines and air conditioning), but otherwise this transplanted NY-er found it a fascinating read.

In Progress:
American Fascists -Chris Hedges
Confederacy of Dunces -John Kennedy Toole
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

The Confessions of Max Tivoli - Andrew Sean Greer

2006-12-19T11:25:00.000-08:00

After seeing this book several times on the "We Recommend" table at B&N, I finally picked up a hardcover edition for $6.99 at Strand. I can honestly say, I wish I hadn't waited so long.

The book begins with a powerful first line: "We are each the love of someone's life", a statement which resonates throughout the book and underscores the tragedy of our hero's situation. Max is born at the turn of the 20th century with the appearance of an old man, gradually de-aging to a youth. Early on he befriends a young boy who takes him for what he is. Unfortunately, Max's parents advise him to always keep his condition a secret, thus driving the events that define the rest of his life. You can't help but imagine how different his life would be if he could have shared his secret with those closest to him, and wonder if they would have believed him if he had.

In Progress:
Time and Again -Jack Finney
Confederacy of Dunces -John Kennedy Toole
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

Emma -Jane Austen

2006-10-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

Finally. After such a long book I'm surprised I have not much more to say than that one word: finally. I think that one word says it all.

In Progress:
Confederacy of Dunces -John Kennedy Toole
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

UML DeMystified -Paul Kimmel

2006-09-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

Nothing elaborate to write on this one. The book itself can use some editing - it contained more typos than I've seen in any other book, including incorrect diagrams. Overall, though, this is an interesting and quick read for a technical book. I recommend for an intro to UML or a brief review of terminology before heading into an interview.

In Progress:
Confederacy of Dunces -John Kennedy Toole
Emma -Jane Austen
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

The Devil Wears Prada -Lauren Weisberger

2006-09-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

The Devil Wears Prada wasn't initially a top choice read. A little more girly and I normally go for, and just that little bit too popular. But I have to admit, I was surprised. In the first few chapters, I was irritated that Andrea couldn't manage to figure out how to get around the numbered streets in the city, but then again, I didn't know what uptown/downtown on the subway meant when I first moved here. Once entrenched in the story, however, I could not put this book down. Andrea is identifiable - and anyone who has had a demanding job can identify with her. You identify with her stress, her desire to please, and her surprise when an attractive, successful writer takes notice of her at a stuffy fashion party. Surprised as I am, I highly recommend this read.

In Progress:
UML DeMystified -Paul Kimmel
Confederacy of Dunces -John Kennedy Toole
Emma -Jane Austen
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

The Hotel New Hampshire -John Irving

2006-08-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

John Irving is known for revisiting similar themes in each of his books: older woman with younger man, characters with fatal flaws, absent mother figure, dwarves, lust, desire, hotels, Vienna, New and some sexual perversion, just to keep things interesting. The Hotel New Hampshire is no exception. To be able to tie all of these themes together in a story in such a way as to bring you to both laughter and tears, makes this novel one of the great works of modern American fiction. Irving's way of telling you what happens before it happens and his manner of building the characters has you rooting for even the doomed characters until their end, and missing them once they are gone.

The story line itself is outside the realm of normalcy, but in a way, every family has such a story (while perhaps not as bizarre). The father in the story is a dreamer, who brings his family with him as he invests in a series of three Hotel New Hampshires. The whole family, including five children, one grandfather, and two parents, has encounters with strange but mostly good-hearted individuals.

This has been, thus far, my favorite John Irving novel. I recommend this to anyone looking for a unique story that can both tug on your heart strings and make you smile on every other page.

In Progress:
The Devil Wears Prada -Lauren Weisberger
UML DeMystified -Paul Kimmel
Confederacy of Dunces -John Kennedy Toole
Emma -Jane Austen
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

2006-07-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

It's easy to see how Capote was sucked into the story of the murder of a family in rural Kansas. His telling of the story winds you in - he recreates the suspense of the investigators and the townspeople. You don't find out the details of the murder until they do, chronologically. An excellent read - ready for the movie!

Incidentally, I never realized he wrote Breakfast at Tiffany's until I read the back flap of the book.

In Progress:
Confederacy of Dunces -John Kennedy Toole
The Hotel New Hampshire -John Irving
Emma -Jane Austen
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey

2006-07-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

You can't help rooting for the underdog.

Catch-22 - Joseph Heller

2006-05-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

At the halfway point of this book, I had serious doubts I would finish reading it within the decade. I can't say exactly what or when the turning point was, but for the last third of the book I couldn't put it down. Heller starts the book by giving tidbits of information about the characters and events. It's painfully suspenseful, so much so that you don't really care much about the characters. When you finally know enough about the characters to get into the story, and events are finally being described, the book becomes infinitely more readable. If you can stick it out through the vague first half, you'll really enjoy the rest of the book.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers

2006-05-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

Eggers had me captivated for the first half of the book. Over time, I felt his points being burned in and I found I couldn't wait to finish the book. The work was heartbreaking, staggering genius questionable.

A Widow for One Year - John Irving

2006-01-21T12:21:00.000-08:00

In following the life of Ruth Cole from age 4 into adulthood, the story portrays the shortcomings and ultimate positive character of her parents, her mother's younger lover, her best friend, and others who Ruth touches through her own novels. We see Ruth's growth from sadness, to anger, to acceptance of her life and those around her.

Overall, I most like John Irving's style of writing. He drops blunt statements that tell you the outcome you'll try to "peek ahead" for in a novel, before giving you the details on how you get there. His common themes preside over this novel as his others: the abandonment of a parent, character growth, and just a little bit of perversion (but with a European attitude about it).

It has been years since I was so intrigued and moved by a novel. The last chapter brought the story full circle and brought tears to my eyes. I highly recommend reading this book.

In Progress:
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest -Ken Kesey
Catch 22 -Joseph Heller
Emma -Jane Austen
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius -Dave Eggers

The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway

2005-09-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

When I read my first Hemingway in high school, it wasn't the most pleasant of experiences. I procrastinated against my summer reading until the last minute, and ended up reading A Farewell to Arms in about 7 hours before spending the night writing a paper about it. I thought maybe I was tying my miserable experience to the author, and gave Hemingway another shot. For the most part, I am glad I did.

The Sun Also Rises follows the narrative, declarative style of Hemingway through the drunken vacation of Jake. The descriptions are excellent, and his knowledge of alcohol is quite good (as it should be, based on what we know of his lifestyle), but at the end I'm left unsatisfied. I'm not sure what I expected of the outcome, but I remember having a similar experience with A Farewell to Arms. Not being a literary critic or having studied the life of Hemingway or "the lost generation" in depth, perhaps this is the sentiment he hoped to leave upon the reader.

Short, and full of colorful creation of setting, this was worth the read.

In Progress:
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Emma - Jane Austen
Four Past Midnight - Stephen King

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2005-09-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

The days are getting darker for Harry and the gang, and the rumors are correct - truly nothing will ever be the same. While some have been turned away by the dark events of this book, I was thoroughly captivated. Rowling sets up the required suspense for the seventh and final installment. Will Harry kill Voldemort, leaving the world in peace until the rise of the next source of evil? Will Voldemort kill Harry and envelop the world in terror? Despite the moderately cheesy but expected "I have to go at it alone" speech towards the end, the flawless and captivating tale continues, and I am happy to say that I am caught up with this series and can dive into the seventh and final installment as soon as I can get my hands on it.

In progress:
Catch 22 -Joseph Heller
Emma -Jane Austen
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix

2005-08-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

I read the first Harry Potter after seeing the movie with some fanatical friends the day it was released (2001), and put aside any thoughts of reading the rest of the series. Now that the mania has calmed down (or I have successfully been ignoring it), I've read books 2-5 in the past year.

With all the reviews and attention these books get, there is little left to say that is of an original opinion. While book 5, like all the others, is a flawlessly crafted, entertaining story, I must say I was a little disappointed in the ending. Not that the outcome itself wasn't acceptable, but the overall feeling of satisfaction as a result of the outcome was missing. I have yet to determine if this is because of the story itself, or because you know nothing bad can happen to any of the main characters until the final installment.

Only book six holds clues...

In progress:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince -J.K. Rowling
Catch 22 -Joseph Heller
Emma -Jane Austen
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King

Ketchup (and Mustard)

2005-08-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

Recent Reads (** indicate books I particularly recommend):

2004
A Prayer for Owen Meany -John Irving
Desolation Angels -Jack Kerouac
Angela's Ashes -Frank McCourt
The Eyes of the Dragon -Stephen King
The Life of Pi -Yann Martel
A Painted House -John Grisham
**The World According to Garp -John Irving
The Bell Jar -Sylvia Plath
Pride and Prejudice -Jane Austen
The English Assassin -Daniel Silva
The Lovely Bones -Alice Sebold
The Shipping News -Annie Proulx
The DaVinci Code -Dan Brown
Lady Chatterly's Lover -D.H. Lawrence
Angels & Demons -Dan Brown
Brick Lane -Monica Ali
Sole Survivor -Dean Koontz
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah -Richard Bach
The Jungle -Upton Sinclair
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets -J.K. Rowling
The Mythical Man-Month -Frederick P. Brooks, Jr
Crossing the Chasm -Geoffrey A. Moore
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban -J.K. Rowling
He's Just Not That Into You -Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo

2005
**The Five People You Meet In Heaven -Mitch Albom
**Memoirs of a Geisha -Arthur Golden
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire -J.K. Rowling
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time -Mark Haddon
Holidays on Ice -David Sedaris
Unless -Carol Shields
The Red Tent -Anita Diamant
Catcher in the Rye -J.D. Salinger
The Fountainhead -Ayn Rand
**The Nanny Diaries -Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus
Ella Minnow Pea -Mark Dunn
Rescuing Patty Hearst -Virginia Holman
The Kitchen Boy -Robert Alexander
Fat Land -Greg Critser

In Progress
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King
Emma -Jane Austen
Catch 22 -Joseph Heller
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix -J.K. Rowling