Bossypants - Tiny Fey (audiobook)

Bossypants started off great with some very funny stories from early life. Tina has a funny, self-deprecating style akin to her 30 Rock character that shone through during this reading. There were some real great one-liners that I found myself texting off, and more than a few grins were spread broadly across the GO train despite myself. However nearing the latter half of the book it started to wane slightly. The reliving of the Sarah Palin impersonations was quite interesting however. Also that "Prayer for a Daughter" is brilliant.

Audiobook aspect: My first true attempt at an audiobook I found it difficult to always be paying attention. The ticket taker comes to check you and "what was the last part about?" It's not that easy to scroll back. Or to take note of exact quotes for your friends, you have to relisten. Also it isn't quite so easy to mark your page and come back exactly to it (if you go off and listen to something else on your ipod in the interim). If it weren't for Tina reading this herself - and putting some hilarious expression into it - I wouldn't have bothered.

6.5
(Oct/Nov 2011)

Headhunters - Jo Nesbo

The third in a line of stealthily devoured novels following the extended read of It, this was a seven day rental that I returned in five. Interesting in that the narrator/lead character was a self professed ass that you disliked but wanted him to get through anyway. Action packed in a linear fashion it was quite entertaining, if a little simplistic, like an action movie. No wonder it is being made into a film. The ending of him returning to his wife is a tiny bit hard to take, as well as a few other slightly unbelievable plot devices.
7.5
(October 2011)

Ape House - Sarah Gruen

A book that flew by in a weekend and kept twists and turns coming. Not that it was fantastically written, in fact, in ways it felt more like an amateur novel than Water for Elephants. I can't deny how I lapped itI up though and was intrigued by the science behind the animals communication. It also knocked reality television which I can appreciate.
7
(Thanksgiving, October, 2011)

Between The Assassinations - Aravind Adiga

For a collection of separate stories a majority of them really drew me in in short time. His writing style pulls you along even if the endings of many were disappointments in that there was often little resolution. However with another story coming it wasn't all that upsetting. Vivid pictures of India are drawn and brings up all the colourful memories of travels there, not to mention summoning yearning to return.
7
(Fall 2011)

It - Stephen King

This whopper of a horror story, both in size, breadth, and scariness took me for a ride. After turning off the film one scene in (alone, during a storm, in a new house, at night) I started into the book against the bookkeeper's advice. The character development is quite an accomplishment and the stories within stories are some of the best parts. For example the domineering and controlling relationship that Bev is in with her asshole husband Tom is utterly appalling and sickening, yet seems so possibly real. In the middle I did find things waning as they came together in their grown up state but when the reminiscing about childhood began in earnest, and started flipping back and forth from present-day the pages too began to flip again. The last quarter made it worthwhile, though the conclusion was slightly mediocre after all of that buildup. With so many very common horror scenes and themes in films to this day, it makes me wonder whether King drew on tried-and-true elements for this, or whether this set the bar and was borrowed from for years to come. All in all it was worth it.

Film: The film watched a couple months after completion of the book was mostly a disappointment. Yes there were scary elements but so many of the more interesting aspects were left out, and the development just didn't quite seem to be there (even in 2.5 hours of film). The younger kids were much more interesting as I didn't enjoy the casting of the adults.

7

(Summer, most of it, 2011)

Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux

Absolutely adored every moment of the theatrical version. The written account was intriguing, and it was cool to hear the explanations behind all the 'supernatural'. It made the ghost out to be more of a monster, but I still did have empathy for him. After the play I actually was torn and thought that I may have preferred if the Phantom had ended up with the girl. 

Found it odd at times that certain things were mentioned repeatedly with no real explanation afterward. The unnamed man, more horrible than Erik himself, is also intriguing.

Took me a long time to get through during a busy month or two but did draw me in.

-Translation by Lowell Bair

6

(Spring 2011)

Anansi's Boys - Neil Gaiman

Odd that I'd choose a sci-fi book, and that was only as a mistake. However the parts grounded in real life were quite enjoyable and actually rather amusing, whereas I got stuck repeatedly on the mumbo-jumbo fantasy parts. Hence why I spent 6 weeks completing it. However in the end I would say that it was enjoyable, but I'd much prefer his writing if it were regular fiction.

5

(Early 2011)