The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
This book is a gritty chronicle of the life of the titular character, a sad-sack who never really grows out of that role. Told primarily from the viewpoint of his erstwhile roommate, Oscar's story is a dismal one. He is extremely intelligent, 100% committed to uber-nerd pursuits, and a prolific writer. Unfortunately in his surroundings none of this really matters. Oscar is physically unattractive and somewhat anti-social, which leads pretty much everyone to treat him like crap. And then he dies. Oh, and there are some other story threads about his sister and mother and their Dominican heritage. Recommended if you don't mind a bummer of a story that never really gets more optimistic, written in a rhythmic, engaging style that almost makes up for the narrative.
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
I guess February turned out to be the month for downward spiral/depressing books, because this qualifies as both. If you've seen the film you remember a lot of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet screaming at each other and also having angry sex. The novel is largely the same, though it does provide a deeper explorations of the inner workings of Frank and Alice Wheeler's misery. Comprehending why they hate one another and their lives so much, however, only increases the burden of sadness this story provides. This is one of the quintessential reads if you're like me and you love stories about suburbanites who hate their lives.
Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter
If you're at all familiar with Ritter's work as a musician, the style of his prose and the folks-y world in which he has set this story seem like they would be right at home in one of his songs. While Bright's Passage does bear some of the markings of a first-time author and Ritter's transition from penning songs to the long haul of writing a novel is visible at times, the story has an impact nonetheless. The best part is the visual world it evokes, really painting a picture of a period and of people caught up in events much bigger than themselves. There are some other Ritter trademarks that crop up, and if you're a fan of his music it's fun to spot them: friendly and helpful animals crawl around everywhere, poking their noses in at opportune moments; romances are quick and based on mutual understandings formed of brief encounters; there's a bad man with a rifle in pursuit of the hero; and of course, a spoonful of spirituality sprinkling over the proceedings. This book doesn't take long to read, and it's an imaginative break from your day.
Reasons to Live by Amy Hempler
This is a collection of short stories that promises on its jacket to be moving and life-affirming and a whole bunch of other stuff. It is not. The stories are mediocre, many of them are poorly executed, and there's no consistent sense of voice. Skip this one (I wish I had).
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
I already knew Zusak had the ability to craft an intriguing, heartbreaking story because I read his more famous novel The Book Thief a few months ago (incidentally, that also falls on my 'highly recommended' list). I Am the Messenger is not quite as moving as TBT, mostly because the subject matter and themes are so different, but it is touching in its own way. It was especially poignant for me to read because it really captures the feeling I think many young adults have right now, not knowing quite how their lives are going to shape up and what their actions will mean. I Am the Messenger offers a bit of consolation by illustrating that sometimes a really small act of kindness or charity or just showing up can really make a difference in your life and in those of the people around you.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
This is a tough book to pass judgment on, especially immediately after finishing it. The value of this book lies, I think, in the fact that if you have no experience with or understanding of autism, it's a huge eye-opener. But if you've read other books like this before or have worked with autistic persons in your real life, The Curious Incident... is perhaps not the best representation. It certainly inspires a new facet of understanding these individuals (especially for readers who may not have considered how drastically differently they see the world), and it's a fairly interesting story primarily because of its narrator, but it tries a bit too hard to make its protagonist a kind of "face of autism" rather than a real character. Definitely worth a read by virtue of its being unlike most novels out there, but nothing astounding.
Griftopia byMatt Taibbi
Here's the thing, kids. If you think that you're the appropriate amount of angry over the financial malarky of the past few years (past few decades, really), then don't read this book. Because if you're like me and you have a usually-dormant social justice monster inside you, this book will renew its fervor and it WILL try to eat your insides (the monster, not the book). On the plus side, Taibbi does an incredible job explaining the factors which led to our financial implosion in a very accessible (if occasionally biased) way; so if you're one of those folks who pretended to comprehend more of the financial crisis than you actually did, this book can definitely provide some clarity. Also, he does some serious hatin' on Sarah Palin and the Tea Party crew, so there's that. Overall, for someone who usually groans at the prospect of non-fiction due to a desire to escape reality, this is a pretty intriguing and relevant read, particularly for those of us planning on voting in November's election (although some of the stuff in here may make you not want to cast a ballot for anyone at all, ever again).
Best Book: Tie, Griftopia and I Am the Messenger
Worst Book: Reasons to Live
Fastest Read: Bright's Passage
Slowest Read: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
There you have it. I may have fallen a bit behind in posting this, but all of these books were read and scrutinized by yours truly during the month of February. I've made a conscious effort to seek out a few more humorous and uplifting books for March; however, I am as always at the mercy of the library system and books' availability. I also didn't read as many as I wanted to this month; I'm going to blame that on February being short (even with a Leap Day), and shoot for better next time. Until then, thanks for reading with me!
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