Reading List Round-Up 2012: Books 78-88

Henry and June by Anais Nin
This is the forerunner of Fifty Shades of Grey, except Nin injects a lot more pseudo-intellectual discussion into her long-winded accounts of various sexual encounters (unlike EL James, who wouldn't know even pseudo-intellectualism if it smacked her in the face with a whip).  Basically, it becomes clear in reading this book why Nin's most important contribution to society was being that girl Henry Miller was sleeping with whilst he penned his novels.

The Hypnotist by M.J. Rose
Full disclosure:  I think this may have been the wrong The Hypnotist, because I did not include the author on my initial reading list, and there are many books which share this title.  However, it all worked out pretty well, Rose's novel is a very formulaic yet still mildly intriguing thriller featuring a plot which focuses primarily on the idea of reincarnation and our own past lives.  It's a fast read and though it is fairly predictable, there are a few moments of genuine emotion that make spending those few hours worth it.

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
Of all the books I read this past month, this certainly wins the award for best premise before I'd even read a page.  Roth imagines a world in which the events surrounding the United States and its role in World War II take a drastically different turn.  It is told from the perspective of a Jewish boy growing up in New York as America slowly but surely allies itself with Hitler, and the ensuing chaos as well as the nuanced ripples taking place within the narrator's family are bot gut-wrenching and downright terrifying to envision.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen and David Oliver Relin
 This book details the crusade of Mortensen to build schools in Pakistan during the late 1990's and early 2000's, and it is certainly recommended reading on a social awareness level (although I've since read rumors of various exaggerations and inaccuracies in the book, which may put a damper on its inspirational spirit).  The co-authors paint Mortensen as a bit more heroic and dreamy than he likely was, and the portions of the book detailing his personal life (and particularly his romance with his wife) are at times downright gag-worthy, but I did my best to forgive him that, and recommend you do the same.

A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt
I will never not be intrigued by fictionalizations of British history, and so this play dramatizing the last few months of the life of Sir Thomas More was right up my alley.  More is painted as a heroic victim of King Henry VIII's crusade to well, pretty much to do whatever the hell he wanted at all times; and by the end both More and the reader are left with a fresh tragic yet resigned understanding of the injustice and inevitability of More's execution.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Surprisingly dry and slow-moving for a story so well-loved for the fear it inspires.  I was underwhelmed by this one, though I think that may be more a case of too much pre-emptive hype than any other factor.

Zoe Letting Go by Nora Price
This is one of those YA books that boasts a considerably higher level of sophistication in its prose as well as an acutely accurate adolescent voice.  The novel details a young girl's stint in a recovery facility for teens with eating disorders, but the somewhat choppy unreliable narration lends mystery to the tale, making us wonder what, exactly, led to a seemingly healthy girl's life being turned upside down in such a way.  Sure, the intended game-changing twist at the novel's end is a bit predictable for anyone not in the book's intended demographic, but the punch it delivers straight to the gut is no less potent for that.

Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama
I read and enjoyed Obama's later work, The Audacity of Hope, when I was in high school, and I think it played no small part in my decision to vote for him in 2008.  As someone who, like many, became just a little bit disillusioned with our President during his first term, I needed my faith restored, and it turns out this book, written well before Obama aspired to the White House, may just have been the thing to do it.  I trust him as a leader now more than ever having read about his struggles to understand himself, his ancestry, and his place in the world.  I recommend Dreams From My Father to any who feel that Obama has lost sight of what the common man (or woman) needs, or who just wants to understand the man himself a little bit better.

Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise
A charming little children's book fervently recommended to me by my younger sister, this book is a quick and easy read that shows that even a story intended for kids which consists more predominantly of pictures than words can have subplots, intrigue, and a fantastic take-away message for readers of any age.

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Simple, existential, and strangely poignant in its own way, this play is everything my philosophy professors always promised it would be, if I could just manage to get around to reading the damned thing.  Well, mission accomplished.

Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk
This is I think my third attempt to read this one, out of a strong sense of loyalty to Chuck P and his fantastically strange style, but I just couldn't find it enjoyable at all.  Not only was the narrator's "dialect" incredibly distracting, the events of the novel themselves were disturbing without that usual glimmer of redemption or at least logic that we usually get in a Palahniuk story.  Oh well-- every batch has to have one bad apple, right?


Best Book:  The Plot Against America
Worst Book:  Pygmy
Fastest Read:  Regarding the Fountain
Slowest Read: Three Cups of Tea