Book Review

Review: From what I can remember about the audio, I’m confident that Proust and the Squid by Maryanne Wolf would be a well written, informative, and interesting book. But it just didn’t work well for me as an audio book, despite really lovely narration by Kirsten Potter.

Part of that is my problem – I listened to the book in two separate long drives and definitely forgot most of the first part by the time I got to the second drive. Since the book is a continually building argument about the evolution of the reading brain, not being able to remember the early parts of the book was a disadvantage.

Last week I posted a Narrative Nonfiction 5 list of Spooky Stories, picking some nonfiction that reminded me of Halloween. The third book on the list, and the one that got the most responses in the comments, was Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, which I just finished reading this weekend.

The book is sort of a conglomeration of types of narrative nonfiction – part travelogue, part profile, and part true crime – but manages to pull off every part successfully, resulting in a book that’s lush in scenery, broad in characters, and tinged with mystery and intrigue.

In honor of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, I decide today would be a good day to put up my review of America (The Audiobook): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart and the Daily Show Cast.

If you like Jon Stewart and the Daily Show, you’re going to like America (The Audiobook), which is a performance version of their book. I don’t think the book delivers up anything especially different from what the show usually does, but that’s not a critique since I’m a fan of the show and Jon Stewart more generally. While I don’t always agree with his politics, I appreciate that he’s willing to point out the hypocrisy in the system, regardless of political party.

One Sentence Summary: In Candyfreak, Steve Almond goes on an exploration of how the world of candy in the United States in changing and what that might mean.

One Sentence Review: Candyfreak has lots of mature themes about corporate takeover and the role of food with memory, but it’s best feature is the fact that it’s a book that loves and glorifies candy – yum.

Why I Read It: Candy is my favorite part of Halloween, so this seemed like a perfect sort of read to pick up around this time of year.

One Sentence Summary: A community college writing seminar is terrorized by a prankster with nefarious intentions.

One Sentence Review: Willitt’s book mixes genres and structure to deliver a well-written mystery novel and fun example of metafiction without being too thinky.

Why I Read It: I read a lot of good reviews and finally decided this would be a book to read during the Halloween season.

Review: I think anyone who really loves books should take the time to read 84 Charing Cross Road. That’s why I’m even bothering to review it, since I sort of feel like everyone has already read it. But, if you happen to be a person who hasn’t yet, go out and find this book pronto.

One Sentence Summary: A “frenemy” seems to come back from the dead, taunting the three women who’s lives she already tore apart once.

One Sentence Review: I love everything I’ve read by Margaret Atwood, and this book is no exception.

Why I Read It: Just because I really wanted to.

Because I’m woefully behind on writing reviews, I’m combining a few of them to try and get caught up. These are three nonfiction books that I enjoyed, for the most part, but ended up not having a ton of stuff to say about. Click the photos to head to the reviews! Better Off Title: Better [...]

One Sentence Summary: After getting a nonpaying, nonspeaking role in a play touring Europe, Shukert sneaks off grid to find herself in Europe.

One Sentence Review: If you can handle the crude humor, Shukert’s memoir is a fun and innovative addition to the whole “coming of age” genre.