I Love You, Beth Cooper - Larry Doyle

I chortled a number of times right off the top and was pleasantly surprised by a book I was hesitant about. No wonder this guy used to write for the Simpsons. Realising it was a one night romp I settled in for the ride and enjoyed all the bumps the protagonist took along the way. There were some truly great chaotic scenes that were easily imagined (I hear there's a movie) but the best parts for me were the geeky internal deliberations, especially when they took scientific detours. Pure enjoyment for what it was.

October 2013

7.5

The Juvie Three - Gordan Korman

Off the top it seemed to blister through all sorts of aspects which I thought were going to be the story and I remained curious as to why these ample opportunities were being passed up and what was coming up. Even once the premise was finally settled on it got turned on its head with yet another big turn. Mind you since this is a young adult novel all of this whizzed by in a handful of easy read, moderately sized font pages. It relied on a fairly shallow glimpse of the past to bring things in to play now but that's what you get for rushing the set up. The conclusion was explosive and fun, exactly what a teenager would enjoy and I'm not going to pretend I didn't get a kick from this throwback to my childhood.

Sept 2013
5.5

In the City of Bikes (Story of the Amsterdam Cyclist) - Pete Jordan

Despite essentially being a journal of a slightly OCD man obsessed with bicycling, the thoroughness of his research really shone through. Beside many of the observations were things that I would find myself interested in, although I wouldn't have the patience to count it all. Especially intriguing was the account of the German occupation during World War II as even focusing on just the cycling aspects of history the scene was still quite vividly drawn. Somehow it managed to captivate my attention from front to back which is an impressive feat especially when you consider the subject matter was simply cycling in Amsterdam.

Sept 2013

7.5

Big Fish - Daniel Wallace

Not the first time I've read the book after seeing the film but the first time it was a cherished film I've seen multiple times. For this reason it was near impossible not to picture the giant as cast by Tim Burton or have Jenny be inextricable from the old lady with the eye. My bias made some aspects of the novel less than they were as it seemed that the film took many of the scenes but reconfigured to make a story that was more linear and cohesive, especially when all brought together in the end in a more satisfactory conclusion. The writing was still as fantastic as the stories and it made the brief chapters easy to breeze through. It will not get the repeated plays that the DVD has but I can see why it would have lit Burton's imagination to make such an epically beautiful film as he did.

August/Sept 2013

7

Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Coupland

Not exactly a feel good subject written in the obvious wake of columbine Coupland exhibits his prowess yet again in putting relatable characters into odd situations and pulling it off. A touch of otherworldly and religion covered some interesting ground while the entire story stayed grounded. Mind you the mid novel twist certainly was and set up an odd second last section with desperation meeting voodoo and greed. Maybe not the favourite Coupland it was still a strong piece and a worthwhile, quick read.

6.5

August 2013

Ghost Rider - Neil Peart

Neil Peart's way with words extends beyond the lyric booklet of Rush albums and well into the literary world, as proven with the Ghost Rider. Although at times a difficult read for anyone who has lost anyone (essentially anyone), it is a very candid reveal of a man going through often excruciating grieving and yet persevering. As the miles and motels run together he continues to push the stages of what he is feeling in a respectable tell-all way. Perhaps not the most gripping tale it comes across as entirely authentic, with things to be realized and learned from the experiences of another. The epilogue is a short dose of damn near cheer following the hundreds of pages of gloom but remains respectful and grounded - I suppose as a ray of hope for anyone who has related throughout.

May-July 2013
6

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

As a genre inventing, or at least defining, work In Cold Blood is a triumph. The level of detail gone into researching, allowing for the story to be presented as a consistently fresh mix of background story, first hand accounts, and real evidence. The structure must have taken some real massaging to come off in the logical and entertaining sequence that flows from beginning to end. The case on its own is somewhat interesting but the details could easily be glossed over; it is the storyteller that really wove a tale. It was interesting, even odd, that he attempted to build pathos for one of the admittedly guilty cold blooded killers but alas he did and nearly succeeded.[Spoiler Alert] The death row section is a little drawn out but considering how drawn out that was in real life I suppose it was actually compact. Altogether it was a very impressive, highly enjoyable read, if not for the dour subject matter but the writing itself.

June 2013
9