January 2010 Reads

Every year, I track the books I read. This year, you too can enjoy a monthly review of my reading. Enjoy may be very subjective.


Andromeda Klein - Frank Portman (1/5/2010): In a word - strange. Andromeda Klein works through her grief in mysterious ways (at least I assume it's a working through of grief, but who knows). Her dad's a paranoid schizophrenic, her mom is just paranoid. Andromeda invests her entire soul into "weedgie", the occult, magick, etc. ad naseum. Except she has a "disorganization of collagen" in her ears, rendering her nearly deaf and prone to misunderstanding (discombobulation becomes action-population, which I approve). This is a strange book. Really strange. And I'm not sure what the point is, but someone surely does, I hope. The end.

Sea Change - Aimee Friedman (1/23/10): In a word - nostalgic. Tangentially, this book makes me want to watch The Secret of Roan Inish again. It's one of my favorite movies. The book isn't like the movie at all, except there are sea people and mystery. Sea Change is an acceptable YA read. There's the stereotypical budding romance between, in this case, the young teenage scientist and a mysterious boy who might just be a merman. You'll have to read to find our more. The end.

 A Thousand Days of Wonder - Charles Fernyhough (1/26/10) : In a word - meandering. Fernyhough takes us on a journey following his daughter's first 1,000 days of existence. The most memorable piece of information is that for the first six to seven months of our lives, we are all synesthetics, our senses intermingling such that we might see shapes as colors or hear sounds as tastes. The end.



Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins (1/28/10): In a word - engaging. This is the 2nd book in a series. The first, Hunger Games, is mandatory reading. While a typical 2nd series book, Collins is engaging, her characters so very human (both likable and "hateable") and the pace fast. Seventy-five years ago, rebellion led to the oppression of 12 districts, the destruction of the 13th and the creation of an ignorant, vapid Capitol. Every year, as a reminder of their loss, each district chooses through lottery two tribute children, male and female, to send to the Hunger Games held in an arena in the capitol. They kill each other until one victor remains. Katniss is a victor from that game and her winning has led to a possible revolution. But who is friend and who is enemy? Well, I guess I'll have to find THAT out in the 3rd book, damn you Collins, damn you! The end.