Anomalous Lit.

Digression #2: Fiction vs Non-Fiction

2010-04-05T12:34:00.012-04:00

There's a divide there. Often when you talk to people who read, they're in one camp or the other. Even within those categories, there's more segregation. Some only read historical works, some will devour anything on sports. Some will only read fantasy, or crime novels, or *shudder* bodice-rippers with gold-embossed covers and characters named Felicity or Ruby.

While I'm not entirely innocent of this (read my disdain of romance novels, above) I like to think that I will read anything once. And in the past few years, I've made some tentative forays into the world of non-fiction. Long considered to be nothing more than textbooks, non-fiction was like some big, boring, brown edifice that I would only step into when forced (which sounds kind of like college, come to think of it). I dallied with the idea of doing proper research for my random writings, then walked away from the history section of the bookstore completely unmotivated. What finally happened was that my need for research outweighed my distaste. Throwing myself upon the wisdom of my forefathers (actually, of my father) I asked for a pile of books on various subjects for one past birthday and got... something that was absolutely fascinating and riveting.

Surprised? Me too. I suppose I could be excused, since most of the history I had read came from big dreary textbooks. Since non-fiction is meant to be informative, it's usually written in the driest fashion: A exists. B happened. Together we get C. Now, let's also take into account that I was learning American and Canadian History. Some pilgrims, a couple battles and a whole lot of beaver pelts is all I can remember. Did anything else happen? Oh yeah, how about the wholesale extermination of Native Americans? The repeated broken contracts with the governments and massacres of innocent villages? Call me a sensationalist, but that's a bit more interesting than who founded Montreal (Don't ask me. I can't tell you).

Other subjects I've read on, at this point: mythology, the entire slave triangle, from the African forts, to the ships, to the plantations, the native American trail of tears and all that surrounded it. I have a book on colonial India that's just waiting for me. Turns out I have this thing for the colonization era, from the point of view of those who got screwed over. Who would have known? certainly not me, but once I started reading, I kept digging into it. And really, that's the kind of research I really needed: strong themes and actual knowledge. And even if I don't use it, I have it now, and it will only enrich whatever I do.

Of course, it's easier to sell non-fiction as a creative tool, whether for art or writing, but there is actual enjoyment to be found in it, and I wouldn't knock it until you've tried it again, you Fiction people. Non-fiction isn't dull. You just haven't found the right kind yet. And for the Non-Fiction folks acting all smug right now... pick up a novel. Pick it up on a theme you like, and you just might be surprised. I don't know how to sell you on it, really, since I come from the other camp, but I've put in a good word for you, so you kind of owe me, don't you think? Let's all be friends.
Except maybe for those romance people...
...
Oh alright.

#9 The Hero with a Thousand faces

2010-04-05T12:16:00.010-04:00

Author: Joseph Campbell

Genre: Non-Fiction--Comparative Mythology

Published: 1949

Pages:391

Rating:

Difficulty: 8

Maturity: 3

Weirdness: 1

Rant:

First off, The Rating System I've instituted has a hard time with this one, since we're dealing with non-fiction. For the record, university folks would most likely fly through this sucker with ease. As for myself, I'm a college art grad. I understand all the big words, but since I generally read for pleasure, I find myself having to read each sentence carefully and take my time. Is that a bad thing? Heck no! I just have to focus my hummingbird brain in one place long enough to get the point; hence the difficulty rating.

Don't be put off by that. This book is definitely worthwhile, using psycho-analysis (Freud, Jung and all those good folk) to make links between the mythologies of the world, and show how each story is essentially about the voyage of human developement, no matter its origins. And that's the interesting part, really. No matter where the story is from, we find the same elements, the same triggers, guides, father-figures and childhood growth issues. We just need the tools to decipher and interpret these tales. Once done, we realize how any modern story has the same structure (well, any good one), and how our heroes have never changed.

Recommended For: Anyone who writes. Mythology buffs. Anyone who wants to know how a story is put together.

# 8. Mulengro

2010-04-05T11:40:00.007-04:00

Author: Charles deLint
Genre: modern fantasy
Published: 1985
Pages: over 200
Times read: 3
Other Books I've read: Most of them...

Rating:

Difficulty: 3
Maturity: 4
Weirdness: 3

Rant:

While I have a healthy respect for this author, it's been a few years since I picked up one of his books, and I was a little disappointed to find that they held less fascination than they once did.

To start, deLint is excellent at bringing out the life and detail of the mythologies of various cultures (in this instance it's Gypsies) and reinterpreting their magic into modern times. He creates a world that you would love to step into, filled with all the old gods and spirits, but still modern and familiar.

In Mulengro, we find ourselves in Ottawa and the surrounding countrysides, amidst gypsies and other more familiar characters (the typical detective haunted by all the victims). The story starts with the murders of gypsies, and a mysterious sign left behind declaring them marhime, or unclean. One of their own has decided to cleanse their race, a magician of great power, who uses the spirits of the dead to do his work. Or protagonists are a gypsy fiddler, a solitary gypsy witch and her talking cat, and various people who are drawn into this struggle accidentally, like an aging hippy called Dr. Rainbow, and two local goons out to pick a fight.

I think what left me dissatisfied is that this has all the elements to make a riveting story, and yet I could never quite get close enough to any of the characters to really care. Add to that a stereotypical lunatic villain, who thinks only of 'cleansing' and it becomes a little difficult to take seriously. Maybe it's always been there in the story, maybe I've just started expecting something more. I would still say that the author stacks more points in his favor than against, but I think what I enjoy from him now is the creativity of his themes and his depth of research.
I'm very possibly wrong, and most certainly opinionated, so as always, I leave up to you to judge for yourself...

Recommended For: People who want a different kind of magic.

7. The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon

2010-03-18T13:56:00.017-04:00

Author: Stephen King

Genre: Fiction

Published: 1999

Pages: 200-ish

Other books I've read: Pretty close to all of them.

Times I've read: 3

Rating:

Difficulty: 2

Maturity: 3

Weirdness: 2

Rant:

Okay, forget for a moment that this is Stephen King, for those of you who have a serious dislike for popular fiction. As far as I'm concerned, his books sort of fall into two types: character-based stories and plot-based stories. Because his plots generally revolve around cheesy horror elements (nothing wrong in that, really. We all write about what we love), it's sometimes difficult to notice how well-rounded and human his characters really are. It's easier in the character-based stories (the Green Mile, Shawshank Redemption), so if you can't take vampires or possessed cars, then I'd suggest you stick to those.

This particular story isn't anything remarkable on the surface. A nine-year-old girl steps away from the path during a hike with her mother and brother, tries to take a shortcut and is lost. What follows is a desperate tumble through denial, panic and finally determined acceptance. Her fear is palpable, her reasoning sensible and her calm sustained by baseball. Yes, I said baseball (Tom Gordon being a Red Sox closer).

Like anyone trapped in a hostile situation, she finds reassurance in what is familiar and what she loves. As her journey starts out, and her food runs out, it is easier to follow reason and logic: there will be search parties. She will be found. She listens to her Walkman radio, catches the familiar voices announcing the games, and she is comforted. As time wears on, and she trudges through each obstacle, eating what she can forage, growing ill from unclean water, bitten by midges and mosquitoes, her sense of reality is worn away, and she begins to make her own entertainment, to pass the time. Soon enough, she has trouble telling real from unreal, and while she walks beside Tom in the forest, there is also a darker side, a God of the Lost that stalks her and watches her progress, waiting for her desperation to make her ripe with fear. Because there is always a monster, isn't there?

Perhaps this kind of story holds more of a fascination for me than it would for others. I had an overactive imagination as a child. I listened to baseball on the radio with my father on stifling summer nights, when the mosquitoes were thick in the air (yes, it was the Red Sox). I lived in New Hampshire (yes, that's where the story takes place) and if you're wondering if I ever got lost in the woods, well, not to that extent, but I know them. I know how easy it would be to disappear there and never be found, to step off the path, off the map, and be lost.

That's what this story is about, in the end, that and the determination to survive in the face of the monster and how you change after you face it.

Recommended for: People who love the woods. People who hate the woods.

Digression #1: Judging a Book by its Cover

2010-03-17T16:52:00.008-04:00

That old adage certainly has some value when referring to people and such, but as for judging a book... well, yes. You should judge a book by its cover. The only specification being that you should know by which criteria to judge.

For instance, as a teenager heavily into fantasy, I knew what to look for when shopping for a new book: something with cloaks and horses and preferably some kind of dragon. The very things, in short, that I avoid like the plague now (no slight to those books, but I've moved on, is all). The theme of the cover art is a good first way to judge whether it might interest you, but it certainly doesn't stop there.

Art quality is, I'd have to say, the big one for me, since I'm an artist. If the publisher didn't care enough to put a good artist to work on the cover, then that says something about the book (or the publisher). It might be mediocre, it might be a regurgitated version of other books in that genre, or it might just be a long shot that they're giving a try. I've also seen book series where the artist changed halfway through the series, and the illustrations kept getting worse. Ironically it was also when the series started dragging on and on... and on... which makes me suspect that the publisher was trying to make a point.

Lastly, a well-designed cover should be like the packaging of any product: simple, legible and enticing. You should be able to get a vibe from it that will either draw or repel you (which might end up drawing you, too, if you like that kind of thing), and a closer inspection should make you want to open to that front flap, or turn it over in your hands to read the blurb. Once it's in your hands, it's up to the writing style to do the rest...

It's not a failsafe, and it's certainly not the most intellectual way to choose a new book, but I'm one of those people that runs on instinct, and I have to say that I've discovered so many new authors this way that I might have otherwise missed. Authors large and small, popular and unknown, everything from Zed (Elizabeth McClung; see below) to Gormenghast (Mervyn Peake). Sure, you can look at book clubs and follow the trail of 'Books Everyone Should Read', but I like this way better. Even if it's something that I would have happened upon eventually, this way, it's my discovery, and every book I find feels like it exists for me alone...

6. Baudolino

2010-03-09T18:13:00.016-05:00

Author: Umberto Eco

Genre: historical fiction

Published: 2002

Pages: 521

Other Books I've Read: The Name of the Rose, Foucault's Pendulum

Times I've Read: 2

Rating

Difficulty: 5

Maturity: 6

Weirdness: 6

Rant

For anyone who has read The Name of the Rose and not enjoyed it (which I promise not to judge you for), Baudolino offers something very different from brooding monks and religious murders.

Set in 1204, during the sack of Constantinople, our protagonist, Baudolino, recounts his life story to a court historian that he has rescued. A liar by trade, Baudolino started his career at a young age by charming the Roman Emperor Frederick, or Barbarossa, recounting to him his visions of saints. As he grew older, and under the protection of his powerful new adoptive father, he learns of the near-mythical kingdom of Prester John, a priest king that lived far to the east, in a land inhabited by monsters, across a river that coursed with stone. He makes it his life's goal to reach this kingdom in the name of his father and further the emperor's glory.

Of course, as noble as all this sounds, what makes this book fantastic is the means through which Baudolino convinces his father to seek out this kingdom. With friends from his Parisian academy, he forges a letter sent to the emperor from Prester John, detailing the vast wealth of his kingdom and his desire to grant him great gifts. It even goes so far to hint that the ultimate gift that he is sending is in fact the Grasal, or holy grail. This is only the least of Baudolino's deceptions throughout the story, but what is important to understand is though he lies with every breath, his intentions are always for the best.

In creating a false vision of Saint Peter within a city they are besieging, he is trying to give Frederick a reason to withdraw honorably, rather than prolong a dreadful siege. When he gives him the forged Priest King's letter, it is with the logic that if the Priest knew about Frederick's glory, surely he would have sent that very same letter. Hence, the letter was from the Priest King. When he takes a simple wooden bowl and finally presents it to Frederick as the Grasal, for him, it truly has become the real relic, since all wooden bowls could be the wooden bowl of Jesus and therefor, this one is it. Did you follow all that?

It's fascinating to see, throughout the book, examples of how Baudolino is at once valiant, devout and caring, and also how he unashamedly bends the truth for his own benefit. It is, I think, a reflection of the time period, when the same Knights who were questing to liberate the Holy City, were raping and pillaging on their way. The era was a mix of barbarism and philosophy, as we see in the descriptions of tortures, the attacks on cities perpetrated by the very same emperor Frederick that Baudolino so adores--and the numerous discussions of religious theory, existence of the vacuum and other issues of logic.

And here's the fun part: While all this may make it sound like a tedious sort of book, it's anything but. Baudolino and his cronies are like any band of college students, rowdy and rambunctious, cussing and carousing one minute and arguing about their studies the next. As he goes through life he is followed by this same group of friends, diverse and each with their own goals, and they are all enraptured by the quest for the magical kingdom of Prester John. And you know what? They get there.

I could go on and on about everything that Baudolino encounters there, and about how much we can and should believe from what he says, but this posting is already too long, and really, at that point, you might as well just read the book. As a last word though, I'll just say that this is a great blend of myth and reality, belief and disbelief, told with humor and compassion, but also with a crude honesty that makes us forget that this is a story about a time and place most of us have never bothered to think about. Forget medieval England, feudal japan, and all those Arabian nights. Trust me. This is much better.

5. Zed

2010-03-09T18:01:00.014-05:00

Author: Elizabeth McClung
Genre: Fiction
Published: 2005
Pages: 280
Times I've read: 2

Rating:

Difficulty: 3
Maturity: 9
Weirdness: 7

Rant:

Zed is not for the faint at heart. I picked this book up, as I generally do, out of the blue. I didn't know the author, and had never heard of it before. I think it was the starkness of the cover that attracted me, and the description of the main character, Zed, who seemed the kind of person that could undergo any kind of hardship and spit in your eye.

Boy I had no idea what was about to hit me.

Zed is, in case you weren't sure, a 12-year-old girl, a kind of trader of necessities within the slummy, broken-down apartment complex known as the Tower. It's a place that has its own rules, its own sub-cultures and entertainments, completely forgotten by the rest of the city. Only occasionally do we see people from outside, and so completely are we enmeshed by the Tower's sense of logic, that they are the ones who begin to seem strange.

Zed is the main character, but by no means does the plot wind solely around her. She is essentially a force of complete equanimity, since she does no good, or evil, without cause. What she ultimately believes in is a fair trade, and she trades in everything. For a good portion of the book she is in the company of the Tower's drug dealer, bookie, and resident force of evil, Luc. The population of the Tower is ghoulish and delightful: neglectful drunken mothers, a mysterious fortune teller, an unwashed dump-diver named Rat, a mad professor who speaks only in quotes from his many books, pedophiles known as panters who lurk in dark stairwells, a brutish and silent security guard, extreme drug addicts called Zombies that are used in hallway-racing as steeds, a well-meaning fanatical preacher, a gearhead and a welsh grandmother.

Yes. A welsh grandmother.

Each of these characters has a price, and Zed knows them all. Amidst the murders and the mysteries that she unravels, it's almost more interesting to watch her trades: information for goods, drugs for food, and books for more information. Even in the midst of her own intense personal struggles, it's always about the trade, about the deal, and it's fascinating to watch the economy of desperation at work.

Of course, there's also the not-very-subtle battle between good and evil (the drug-dealer's name is Luc, after all) and the fight for the Tower's souls, which, if you don't pick up on the nuances, might make some of the book puzzling. But since I've just pointed it out, you should be fine, right?

Zed isn't a book for everyone, but that's not to say the moments of depradation and horror aren't worth the payback, all it means is that this isn't a nice cozy feel-good story. And sometimes that's okay. More than okay.

Recommended for: Those who think they have it tough.

4. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

2010-03-01T09:18:00.019-05:00

Author: Susanna Clarke
Published: 2004
Genre: historical fiction/fantasy
Pages: 782
Other Books I've Read: The Ladies of Grace Adieu
Times Read: 3

Rating

Difficulty: 4
Maturity: 4
Weirdness: 4

Rant:

I think I picked this book up simply for the sheer size, and the simplicity of its cover (yes, I judge a book by its cover, and so should you. More on that at a later date). It looked a little dry, and maybe a little boring, and I have to say I didn't expect much of it. What I couldn't have anticipated was how well-written and downright incredible it was going to be. While the first read-through left me wondering where the action started, I was well-rewarded for my patience when the multiple threads of the storyline started to converge.

The story is about two magicians in 1800's England, a period of time where magic has mostly vanished. The first magician we are introduced to is Mr Norrell, a dried-up little man who has taught himself magic through long years of study. He is an odd hero, and really, there is very little to like about him as we follow him to London to gain favor with the government and assist them in their war against the French. He is vain, pedantic and avaricious with his knowledge. Even his publications reveal little of what the public craves in magic--no summoning of fairies, no mention of the near-mythical raven King, who brought magic to England. Norrell is keen on keeping modern magic a proper thing, and entirely under his jurisdiction. And yet, we soon feel sorry for him, and through pity, begin to like him, just a little.

In comes Jonathan Strange, a character of a different sort. We're introduced to a young, rakish, wealthy aristocrat, who happens onto magic accidentally, and we think-- this is a character I can like! Of course, like any real person, he too has his flaws. He's arrogant, tends to forget about his wife in favor of his studies and is temperamental and impetuous. As you can imagine the initial meeting of these two is hardly friendly, but what occurs, rather than enmity is a collaboration of the oddest sort, with Norrell as teacher and Strange as pupil.

This is a massive book, and rather than explain all the ins and outs of it, I would prefer to make a few mentions of what makes it really great, since I've failed to get that across so far. It was only after my last read-through that I realized what I was reading was similar to Dickens, with the most commonplace of domestic and social scenes made enthralling by the clarity of the writing and the very concrete realness of the characters. Neither are perfect, or entirely likable. There is a whole cast of characters that move in and out of the story, but that we feel we know most intimately: Sir Walter Pole, a prominent politician, and his wife, Lady pole, brought back from the dead by Norrell using forbidden magic, and trapped under and enchantment. Stephen Black, Pole's butler, a liberated slave who is befriended and enchanted by the same fairy that holds Lady Pole in thrall. Vinculus, a street magician and cheat, who has the only copy of a book written by the Raven King. Lascelles and Drawlight, socialites and parasites in the service of Norrell. Arabella Strange, charming, sweet and ignored by her husband. The man with the Thistle-Down hair, who is the insane fairy lord of Lost-Hope, malicious and powerful.

The entire book is a setting up of all these threads, accomplished so subtly that you barely notice until they start to tighten around you. As many times as I've read this, I'm still pleased and amazed with the cleverness of the resolution, which doesn't give in to the easy way out: making everyone happy at the end. With the amount of odd and fantastic books I've read, this has to be one of the best, for the simple reason that it renders real and completely believable that which is clear fantasy.

Recommended For: Lovers of Charles Dickens looking for something modern. Anyone who is tired of all the Tolkien clones out these days.

3. Around the World in 80 Days

2010-02-21T14:24:00.007-05:00

Author: Jules Verne
Published:1873
Genre: Adventure
Pages: 270
Other books I've read: 20, 000 Leagues Under the Sea, From the Earth to the Moon
Times I've read this book: 5

Rating

Difficulty: 2
Maturity: 1
Weirdness: 1

Rant

So at about this point, you may be thinking-- why, that's not a strange or obscure book at all! To which I would reply: and? As much as I love the bizarre, it's nice to dip back into the classics every once in a while. When you do, you usually find things you didn't notice when such books were forced upon you in school.

Jules Verne is especially good, since at the time these were written they were considered much in the same vein as our current sci-fi. Submarines and travels to the moon were ridiculous affectations, and his books were considered light and fanciful entertainment. As for what it can offer you now, I'll admit that my first few runs through the book were moderately brainless. I was always annoyed at how cold and rather Boring Phileas Fogg was as a hero, and annoyed that he wasn't enjoying a journey that anyone should be thrilled to be on.

This time around, though, I picked up a few more things (possibly because I've read some non-fiction that puts some of that period into focus). While the writing style can be deceptive, if you think of the themes--storms at sea, opium dens, human sacrifice--it starts to feel like another book. While the emotion and extravagance that we've become accustomed to in modern writing styles is not there, that doesn't mean it wasn't implied in the action of the book.

Recommended For: People who hated it the first time.

2. The Illuminatus Trilogy

2010-02-21T08:52:00.007-05:00

Author: Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson

Published:1975
Genre: Science Fiction/Satire
Pages: 800-odd

Rating

Difficulty: 5
Maturity: 7
Weirdness: 7

Rant

I went into this one not knowing quite what to expect (other than that others had tried, and failed to get through it; which is, for me, more in the nature of a challenge than a deterrent). Within a few pages, I still didn't know. Within a hefty 400 pages either, for that matter, and while that might cause some people to panic, rest assured: that's the point.

What might throw most people off is the narration, which jumps from some mysterious omniscient view to 3rd person to 1st person indiscriminately and with only the faintest logic at times. There are also occasional overlaps of thought processes, conversations and ramblings from the various characters which makes any concentrated reading of this book rather tricky. So how do you read it? Don't concentrate, don't ask too many questions, and just ride it like a wave. It'll answer most of your questions in time.

If you're like me, and you like to try and puzzle things out before their conclusion, then you'll have a tough time. Most of the characters are just as lost as you are, and discovering the answers along the way. The answers to what, you ask? Well, the story is about an ancient, pre-human conspiracy to control the world. Or destroy it. Or bring a select few into transcendental illumination. Or... No, I'm not going to specify, since that sort of destroys the point of the book.

Let's just say there are various factions, with various aims, and several different opinions on each. So who is right and who is the bad guy? I'm not telling. That's the fun part.

If all this sounds confusing, then let me just throw in a few things from the book that marked me: talking dolphins, a giant golden submarine belonging to a captain who is a cross between Nemo and Ahab, John Dillinger, A european rock festival, A super-virus, a midget, a goddess of love, a jewish detective, cthulhu, Atlantis and undead nazis.

Yes. Undead Nazis.

Is it any clearer now? Does it help if I mention that most of the characters are, at one point or another, stoned?

I Recommend this book for: In all honesty, this book is not for everyone. If you have an open mind, open it further, and if you disapprove of drugs (even fictional ones) and racy content (plenty of that, but all in good fun) then skip this one and drop in on a nice wholesome Harry Potter for a bit...

1.The Kraken Wakes

2010-02-18T20:11:00.011-05:00

Author: John Wyndham

Published:1953

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 239

Other books I've read: The Chrysalids, Day of the Triffids

Rating

Difficulty: 3

Maturity: 3

Weirdness: 3

Rant

Considering that when I first learned of this author, this was the book I was told to procure, it's quite possible that I got my hopes up a little. Having thoroughly enjoyed the other two books noted above, I was anticipating off-knockage of the socks...

One thing I love is how plausible he makes his apocalyptic scenarios. While other authors (and Hollywood) dwell on scenes of disaster, with here and there a heart-wrenching human story, Wyndham actually captures the truth of these situations: Faced with impending doom, humanity would go on in much the same way as before. Its goverments would dawdle and play down the problem, peering suspiciouly at their neighbors. People would alternate between panic and scorn as each new disaster and dilemma was announced. While hardly dramatic, I think it makes for a very believable kind of descent into destruction.

In this particular case, disaster comes from the seas. Meteors from space carry some form of intelligence that takes over the Deeps, and interrupts shipping before attacking coastlines (considering that various governments decide to nuke the Deeps previous to this, I think the retaliation well-warranted). Soon after, the melting of the polar ice makes the water rise, pushing humanity away from its coasts to fight for higher ground, often against each other.

The protagonists are a pair of reporters, who become experts on all this early on. They observe and are reactionary, rather than active heroes, which sort of drives the point home that there is little to be done in the face of the end of the world. The conclusion of the story is hopeful, but a little too easy for my liking, and all in all the book left me feeling somewhat dissatisfied.

Wyndham's major point, I think, was to show that two rival intelligences (human and alien) will always compete, since an intelligent being can rarely suffer itself to have an equal. A hierarchy must be established, and so it is between the humans in the story and the invaders.

All that aside, the pace of this book is a little less exciting than the other two I've read (since polar melt can't happen overnight, it makes sense) but it still has some nice examples of the disintegration of society...

Recommended for: It's some classic sci-fi, so nice for those who want to see where some modern folks got their influences. Also, for anyone writing about the end of the world.

Ratings and Rantings

2010-02-18T16:27:00.001-05:00

So here's how we'll roll, people.
As the name of the blog implies, I look for things that are out of the ordinary, or things that can be seen in a unique light. As such, my ratings system has the following eccentricities:

Difficulty: being an estimation of how much 'work' it takes to get through the book.
0 = shut off your brain and enjoy the ride
10 = break out the thesaurus and concentrate

Maturity: being a measure of the vulgarity, violence and racy content
0 = pure as the freshly driven snow
10 = you'd better not be easily shaken

Weirdness: being, in my judgement, the relative novelty of the thematic elements
0 = regurgitation of traditional themes
10 = how the heck did they think that up?

You might notice that there is no good or bad. I make no claims of being qualified to assess a book's value, and really, even the worst book has something to recommend to it (if only that it indicates what to avoid in the future).

But if you really want to know what I think, you'll just have to look below the Ratings for the Rant. That's where I'll describe what I like and dislike, what revelations I may have had and what passages struck me as being exceedingly clever. In the case of a particularly long book (ex: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell), there might be a few Rant posts as I work my way through it.

And that's all. Simple as pie.
(which is, in reality, not as simple to make as one would hope...)

Opening up 2010...

2010-02-18T12:53:00.000-05:00

Well alright, I suppose I should open this up with some sort of mission statement, or at least a bit of an explanation...

Anyone who knows me, knows that I generally spend a substantial part of the day with my nose in a book. Long commutes to work, rather than being a hindrance, are a welcome break from that pesky thing known as 'reality'.

Now, I've been questioned in the past as to exactly how much I read, and how long it takes, and frankly, I haven't a clue (nor do I know why this intrigues people, or why they can't seem to get past page 15 in Lord of the Flies...). I recall digging through my elementary school papers, recently bequeathed to me by my mother, and finding one of those little awards that are handed out to young students when they complete a reading program. The goal was to read 30 books in the school year, and I think the actual amount I read was somewhere around 100.

Yes, 100.

If you're wondering if I was a quiet little friendless girl, well, I suppose so, but I don't think I ever minded. If you're wondering if I'm still that way, well, no, but I am a bit of a hermit, and I can't see why that surprises people, or why I am occasionally faced with polite disinterest as I expound on all the thrilling plots and characters and literary influences and...

Was that a snore?

Alright, so my motivations for this blog are two-fold. Firstly, to recreate that elementary school contest, and track just how much I do read in a year. Secondly, to blather on about my impressions of what I'm currently reading and perhaps even lure a few people into what I find fascinating, curious or simply entertaining.

Since my reading material tends to be, um, varied, I'll be coming up with some sort of rating system, which could help people decide whether it suits their tastes. Among the classifications there will definitely be a Wierdness meter, as well as some indication of the maturity level recommended for the book. Not everyone wants to read about death and dismemberment, after all, but not all strange books are incomprehensible to a younger audience.

But more on that later.

To whomever this appeals to, welcome, welcome and welcome, and make yourself at home.