One Second After by William R. Forstchen
This novel offers a unique blend of extreme arrogance and near-batshit levels of conspiracy theory insanity (although, it did have a foreword by one Newt Gingrich, so maybe I was more surprised than I should have been), and a complete lack of mastery in prose writing to boot. One Second After landed on my list because its premise sounded intriguing (and hey, joking aside, I do appreciate a good conspiracy theory every now and again), but it absolutely fails to deliver the epic, thought-provoking tale it promises. Not only does Forstchen need to take remedial fiction (and basic English) classes, he's also (painfully obviously) cast himself as the hero and protagonist, a professor who happens to be an ex-military specialist upon whom the burden of heroism falls. I'll let you check this one out yourself if you're still interested after this less than encouraging review, but if you're looking for my honest advice (and I know you always are), I'd say pass it up in favor of a different post-apocalyptic tale, of which there are many superior options.
The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen
This is an odd book that tells an almost touching story through the eyes of almost likable characters. The family in the novel is meant to represent the average American middle class nuclear unit, although by the end of the book it emerges as more of an unwitting caricature than anything else. Also, also, there is a character named Biscuit. No, I'm not joking. Biscuit. All the names in the wide universe and that is the name Cohen has chosen for this family's daughter. That should tell you something about the kind of book this is.
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
This is the book that makes slogging through Martin's first tome worth every minute. A Clash of Kings is much, much easier to dive into headfirst now that most of the characters and story lines have been established, and on the whole it moves at a much faster pace than its predecessor. There is no shortage of shocking, hilarious, and downright epic events within this volume's pages, the television adaptation of which is currently airing on HBO, but the characters who truly stand out in this installment are the fiercely brave Arya Stark (my favorite character of all), the too-witty-for-everyone Tyrion Lannister, and the utterly corruptible Theon Greyjoy. This one leaves you absolutely itching for the next book while still managing to tell a fully-realized story of its own, which as one book in a lengthy saga can often be a difficult task.
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
Good vs. Evil? Check. Stories within stories? Check. Tales of struggles, difficult choices, and innumerable regrets? Check. This one's a classic for a reason, people, and though it can be tricky to follow and downright slow at times, it is worth the slog.
The Social Animal by David Brooks
This is an immensely interesting, if vaguely self-important, study of how humans interact with one another and with the world. Brooks frames his multitude of studies and stats in an interesting way, with fictional characters and a detailed account of their lives, love, and careers, and the hypotheses put forth are certainly thought-provoking, though the reader ought to take them with a grain of salt, lest the burden of responsibility for our own actions and behaviors be too much relieved.
The Alchemist by Paolo Cuehlo
This book is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. It's a simple story and doesn't take long at all to read, so really there's no excuse to pass it up. It reminds you what it means to truly follow your heart, and will revive that spark of hope inside you, the one that our busy lives often tamps down to the point of no return. If it doesn't accomplish this, well then I hate to break it to you, but you might be dead inside.
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
If I had to categorize this book in a way that suits it best, I'd say it's almost Young Adult for Adults. Why We Broke Up is the exploration of a high-school relationship and it's inevitable dissolution, but Handler writes it in a way that better befits one looking back on the innocence and erstwhile novelty of such experiences rather than teenagers who are living it now. That said, it is perhaps a bit unrealistic for the characters, particularly narrator Min, to possess the self-understanding and insight that they do, but it does add a dimension to the story that sets it apart from the onslaught of woebegone adolescent love stories (most of them involving vampires, werewolves, and all other manner of mystical creature) currently flooding the market. Oh, and there are illustrations, which is awesome.
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
When you're reading a book and your predominant thought in the first few chapters is, "yup, I can see how this is a Julia Roberts movie," it doesn't really bode well for the narrative or intellectual integrity of the book. Gilbert has an admirable mission, but it's difficult to take many of her insights completely seriously, drowned out as they are by her nearly endless whining about the woes which drove her to this year of self discovery in the first place (primarily relationship troubles). Forgive me my lack of sympathy for wealthy, liberated, WASP women, but I just can't shake the feeling that a journey like this would have far more depth coming from a different storyteller.
Best Book: Tie, The Alchemist and A Clash of Kings
Worst Book: Tie, Eat Pray Love and One Second After
Fastest Read: Why We Broke Up
Slowest Read: The Satanic Verses
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