It's been 2 months since my last...
book purchase. Since realizing I have a book-buying problem, I have resolved to read what I buy rather than simply collect. Progress on my reading list has been kinda slow (see Stacks section on the right) . Partially because of rowing season, partially because of the first book...Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
A couple of people highly recommended this book. It is one of the shorter in my list at about 200 pages so I thought it would be good to start with. Actually, I had a hard time getting into it. I've read Catcher In the Rye so I knew it would be uh, Salingeresqe - kinda not to the point and rambling about, but likely worthwhile. To be honest, I thought this one sucked until the end. I found the beginning scenes with Franny and her boyfriend boring. The bathroom scene with Zooey and his mom was a touch long (read sarcasm here). I'd be surprised if Zooey didn't get beat up on a regular basis for his extremely lengthy rants.
It took me six weeks to read this tiny book. However, the end was worth it. I finally got into it toward the end and J.D. redeemed himself. I can see how someone's perspective on life could be affected by this book. I would just skip the first 150 pages.
Shampoo Planet by Douglas Coupland
Yeah, this book wasn't actually on the list. BUT I DIDN'T BUY IT, I borrowed it so it doesn't really mean I fell of the wagon or anything.
Douglas Coupland is wonderful (Thanks, Liz). He creates real characters in a heightened world of Now... or then if you will. This book is written from the perspective of the late 80's early 90's and the culture of the time is treated almost as a character. This is representative of Coupland's work, or at least of the two books I've read.
This one only took me two weeks (I mostly read just before bed). If you are looking for inspirational quotes, this book is full of them, but it isn't by any means preachy or the characters self-important. On the contrary, this book is generally about the required growth a person must go through in their 20s. Since I'm now in my 30s, it was a nice piece of reflection on some of the harder lessons learned. I recommend it.
Last night I started reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Anyone else want to read it? Consider this an invitation to a book club. Feel free to comment/lambast my conclusions.
Related post: my name is shelly...
posted by shelly @ 9:36 AM
1 Comments:
the first time i read "the lovely bones" i started at 12:20 one winter night and finished at 5:40 that morning....sobbing at points, crying at others....but it was amazing. i even went back and read it again about 10 months later...and i NEVER read books twice....
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