#12 Breathless by Dean Koontz

337 pages, suggestion

I am really glad that this book was a recommendation, because I would have no idea how to classify it otherwise. It crosses multiple genres and is written as though it were four separate stories, which do eventually intertwine. The structure of the stories makes for short chapters and creates a constant page turner.A large part of the story focuses on Grady Adams, a solitary carpenter and Cammy Rivers, his friend and the vet in their small Colorado town. Also prominently featured is Grady's Irish wolfhound, Merlin. One day, while walking Merlin, Grady comes upon two mysterious yet miraculous creatures. He is both intrigued by and a little frightened of these creatures, although they seem to be simply curious about Grady and Merlin.

With the introduction of the creatures, later named Puzzle and Riddle, this book begins the threads of several different stories. The stories are all eventually joined by at least one primary similarity, and most of the characters do come together in the same central plot by the end.

I must say that I have never read anything by Dean Koontz, so I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I did get the impression that this wasn't his normal style of writing, but it was still enjoyable. There were many things that appealed to me in this story; the element of fantasy, the nature of the story itself, the descriptions of the beautiful Colorado quiet country. I liked the quality of having four separate plots, with each chapter essentially focused on another character. Telling the story in that manner certainly made it a page turner, and I wasn't surprised that it only took me two days to read it.

The characters were fairly complex, especially for this type of story. I was often wrong in my guesses of what the characters would do and what made them tick, and Koontz was able, in one book, to plumb the depths of the human spirit as well as the heights. Although there were certainly sad and appalling parts of this story, it was a relief to read a book that had a happy ending, especially after reading 1984. I would certainly recommend this book to a friend, and I would probably read something by Koontz again, but this was not a life-changing experience for me, so I will have to go with a 3 out of 5 stars.

#11 1984 by George Orwell

Classics, 245 pages


My desire to read 1984 has been growing for quite some time now, especially given the way it is bandied about in the media these days. I was glad to have a classic really draw me in for a change. And for the same classic to be under 300 pages.

1984 is a kind of political science fiction novel where the world is divided up in to thirds, with each third ruled by a war-mongering hegemon. It is unclear if all three societies have the same political and social climate, but life in Oceania is reduced to a bleak, gray, anti-Utopian caste system society with Big Brother always watching.

Winston Smith, the protagonist, lives in London - now a part of Oceania. He works as a middle bureaucrat in the Ministry of Truth, helping Big Brother censor everyone's behavior and rewrite the past so that it falls in line with Big Brother's desires and predictions. Winston begins to grow disgusted with the constant oppression and drudgery that is life in the totalitarian society of which he is a part. He longs for freedom, forged by an uprising of the proletariat or to join the fabled Brotherhood in its fight against Big Brother's tyranny.

At the Ministry of Truth, Winston encounters O'Brien - a member of the inner circle. Winston recognizes a kind of kinship with O'Brien. He begins keeping a journal, for O'Brien in his mind. When O'Brien finally offers Winston the chance to meet with him and the possibility to join with the Brotherhood, Winston jumps to take it. Because of his actions, Winston is ultimately captured by the Thought Police and incarcerated in the horrifying Ministry of Love, where he is 're-educated' and taught to once again love Big Brother.

The story of 1984 is really kind of miserable and depressing, but the prose is clear and the book itself is fairly easy to read. If ever I read a book that I could understand being deemed a 'classic', this is definitely it. The ideas Orwell puts forth are still relevant in today's society. Corey and I have had many thought provoking discussions about how 1984 has been and could be applied to society today, and isn't that enduring quality the real definition of a literary classic?

While I wouldn't go so far as to say that today's media is intentionally changing its past articles to fall into line with the current ideology of a particular political party, I would definitely assert that the media is moving farther and farther away from reporting just straight facts. Any source you use for your news and information always has some type of political slant, and I do get the impression that we are not nearly as well informed as we think sometimes.

Likewise, it also seems true that our personal liberty has been gradually eroded, although not to the degree that this has happened in 1984. Corey is currently reading this book, and I can't wait for the lively political discussions that will ensue in our household after he is finished. I rate this one a 5 out of 5. If you haven't read it, you definitely should!

#10 Julie & Julia by Julia Powell

Movie books, 307 pages

Well, I must be easy to read or something, because I received three (well, two gifts plus one from myself) copies of the movie Julie & Julia for Christmas this year (thank you Dad & Andy). Also from my dad, I received a copy of the books Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously and Mastering the Art of French Cooking, so I decided to use this as one of the books for my little book reading project.

First, let me say that the movie was actually quite nice (the parts about Julia Child were, at any rate). It was an interesting way to not make a biopic about Julia Child's life; comparing the life of Julie Powell to that of Julia Child -- even though I couldn't really understand why I would care that Juile Powell decided to undertake this project (maybe it was because Julia Child was someone I knew of while Julie Powell just as well may have been fictional to me?). I would definitely watch the movie again, if only for the delightful portions with Meryl Streep as Julia Child. I thought that Julie Powell, was whiny and irritating, and hoped that I would like her more in the book.

Well, if I hoped to like Julie Powell when I read the books, I was in for a shock. Julie Powell in the movie is actually less whiny than the Julie Powell in the book. Also, there are far fewer snatches of sanity by way of Julia Child vignettes in the book - I was really glad that they beefed that part up in the movie. In spite of Julie's negativity, I did enjoy the book, to a point. I love to cook and entertain, and I really got where Julie was coming from when she talked about the scandalous delight of making some delectable dish to seduce someone, or how food and cooking can be kind of sensuous in a way. I totally identify with the joy that a person gets when they can cook and serve really good food to people who are really important to them. To me, those parts of the book were the parts that really shone. I know that there has to be some kind of conflict that is resolved to make a story compelling, and I don't expect something I am reading to be without adversity or free of a main character reaching the breaking point. There just seemed to me to be too much in Julie Powell that I really didn't care about.

If you are interested in this story, just see the excellent movie adaptation of the book. It has far more to offer. I give the book 2 out of 5 stars.

# 9 – Peril at End House by Agatha Christie

Mystery , 249 pages

I have always wanted to read a book by Agatha Christie, and choosing one to start with was kind of daunting – there were many in the mystery section at my local library. I chose Peril at End House for what you may think is a ridiculous reason, and maybe it is. I just really like to say the word ‘peril’. Seriously.

Peril at End House starts with Hercule Poirot and his Watson-like friend, Hastings dining on a patio while Poirot vacations in Southern England. Poirot is delighting in his recent retirement from his life of solving crimes and how he is unlikely to return when the fetching Nick Buckley has a narrow brush with death, right in front of their table. Poirot is intrigued when he finds that this is the fourth such incident, and decides to take upon himself the task of solving this crime before Ms. Buckley is killed.

I know that is a painfully short review, but I found this to be such a delightful book that I don’t want to spoil any of the mystery for any of my readers. I really enjoyed Christie’s writing style, and I could picture Hercule Poirot as though he were actually in the room with me (in my head, he is a French version of Adrian Monk). The ending was a surprise to me, although I had my suspicions about at least one of the characters.

Particularly after dragging my feet through Catch-22 , Peril at End House was like a breath of fresh air. This was quite an enjoyable read, and if you are new to reading mysteries or an old pro, I highly recommend it. 4 out of 5 stars from me.

Various Books to add

Well, it appears that I got a little behind on my little reading project, thanks to both the holidays and Catch-22 (see below). I do have several books to add to my list that I finished over the long weekends from work for the past two weeks. In the next few days, you can expect to see reviews of Peril at End House by Agatha Christie, Julie & Julia by Julie Powell and Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay. Additionally, I seem to be breezing through 1984 by George Orwell, so hopefully the whole book will go as quickly as the first part has.

Also on my list: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme, Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin and a Star Wars book lent to me by my father in law.

In spite of my minor setback, I am optimistic that I will still be able to read 100 books by October, but I will have to get back in the saddle, and quick! My fingers are crossed, and my schedule is cleared!

#8 - Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Classic, 561 pages

So, I finally finished Catch-22. I swear it was one of those books that just seem to get longer as you are reading it. I actually finished it several weeks ago, but I am just now getting around to sharing my thoughts on the experience.

Catch-22 has an extensive cast of characters, and, rather than proceeding in a linear fashion, the plot is more like a series of vignettes recounting some of each characters back story and then highlighting their association with the protagonist, Yossarian. Although the plot is so non-linear, the book does have a definite end, and Yossarian does go through some degree of development throughout the book. I think.

When you read Catch-22, you are plunged into a black comedy set in World War II Italy. Yossarian is a bombardier, currently in the hospital at the start of the book. There is really nothing physically wrong with Yossarian, he just feigns illness as much as possible because being in the hospital is the only way to ensure that he is grounded.

After his release from the hospital, and upon discovery that the required number of combat missions for each man in his unit has been increased (just when he had almost met the first required number of flights), Yossarian, sometimes aided by his cohorts, sometimes not, decides to go on the offensive about being permanently grounded or shipped back home.

He tries various avenues to accomplish his goal: Telling the doctor that he was ill or crazy, who tells him that, according to “catch-22”: if Yossarian were crazy, he would not object to flying the missions. But if he is not crazy and does not want to fly the missions, then he is capable of flying them and must do so. Yossarian sabotages information in the intelligence tent to end the need for a mission. He turns back during one flight, pretending that his equipment is defective. He appeals to Major Major Major, who tells him that he ultimately cannot do anything to help, and then he appeals to the Chaplain, who is too spineless to do anything. Finally, following the death of Nately, one of his dearest friends, Yossarian flat out refuses to fly any more missions.

When the Air Force realizes that Yossarian cannot be dissuaded, the officers try to make a deal with Yossarian. The only catch is that the deal is ethically repulsive to him; they will send him home as long as he likes them. If he does not give in, he will be court-martialed for being involved in black market practices. Yossarian protests but the officers claim they are justified in jailing an innocent man to keep the war effort going. Seemingly left without any other choices, Yossarian runs away to avoid a court-martial. The story ends with this act, but there is really no resolution.

It isn't that I didn't like Catch-22, but the discussion of missions and the military men whoring around really started wearing on me after a while. The story was really fairly interesting, and the narrative style chosen by Heller (vignettes rather than a linear plot) was certainly an intriguing choice. If only it had been 200 pages shorter, I think I would have enjoyed it much, much more. There are some really poignant sections of prose, and some quite funny sections as well - it is a black comedy, after all - but this book was quite the trial for me.

I could certainly see the value of reading this book in a high school class - it seems well suited to group discussion. Likewise, I can see many chapters, parallels between characters and real-life figures and differences between characters within the story that would make great questions/topics for papers for an English class. Also, the book isn't awful, and if you are the type of person who enjoys military stories, you would probably enjoy it much, much more than I did. Personally, I will never read this book again, and it is a relief to be through with it. I would have to give it a 3 out of 5.