Your Neighborhood Gives Me the Creeps by Adam Selzer

Your Neighborhood Gives Me The Creeps tells about the wayward adventures of Adam Selzer, self proclaimed nerd, Ghost Hunter, Paranormal investigator, and skeptic. Adam’s scientific approach and healthy skepticism, along with his good hearted ability to keep quiet and not spoil anyone’s fun (Dude. That picture you just took that you think is a ghost? That’s actually a reflection of your ear) make this an interesting read. If you are at all worried about ghosts, reading this book will make you feel a thousand times better.

Original Spooky Amusing Historical schadenfreude.

Perfume by Daniel Suskind

We experience our world through our senses – be it a noisy evening rush hour, or a serene walk in the forest. Watching a movie (say, Last of the Mohicans) is a visual and phonic delight; while exploring a yarn store is a tactile & optical adventure that never ceases to amaze me. Tasting chocolate always stops me in my tracks, and the light, sweet decadence of tiramisu pushes me right over into a PG-13 rating.

But scent. Smell is one of those senses that we just take for granted. Sure, it’s great to walk by a bakery in the morning, or wince at those unfortunate elevator smells you come across occasionally. But to actually think about smell, and how you are inundated with scents throughout the day…and most of the time, you never even notice it.

German author Patrick Suskind wrote Das Perfume (Perfume) in 1985; an exploration of scent and how it connects to our emotions and ultimately, our humanity. But, in spite of the potential murkiness of deep thought – Perfume is an engaging read. Learning about making perfume was fascinating – the various methods of capturing and preserving the scents and the science behind building harmonic essences was eye opening to say the least. And, it’s a ripping good, although disquieting, tale of a murderer. (Think Dexter, but without the redeeming qualities.)

This book has also been incorporated into American mainstream – most recently in the form of a movie starring Alan Rickman & Dustin Hoffman (Don’t go there…that way lies disaster. At least read the book first!) I’ve recommended this book to many friends, and I have to say, it’s a love-hate thing. But even those who didn’t care for Suskind’s Perfume, all agree that the imagery and writing is phenomenal.

A delight to the senses, disturbing serial killer, must read!

Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon

Elizabeth Moon is one of my all time favorite authors – her Deed of Paksenarrion is one of the best high fantasy novels out there (I’ve read it at least 15 times, and love it more each time I crack it open).  She’s also written a couple of great space-opera series, and a marvelous stand alone novel entitled Remnant Population.  I love her details & plotlines; I adore how her characters grow, suffer, learn, & triumph.  Moon just writes a golly-gosh-darn good story!

The Speed of Dark is a bit of a departure from Moon’s usual Science Fiction/Fantasy fare.  Although it is most definitely in the Science Fiction genre, it is more introspective & thoughtful than her other works – less adventure, more character depth.

Lou, the main character, is a high functioning autistic man who works in a sophisticated technical job with other autistic employees.  There’s something about the way the autistic mind sees patterns & solutions that makes Lou & his colleagues ideal for this job.  Lou is happy with his job, happy with his schedule, content to be who he is.

Then a new manager arrives on the scene and begins questioning the purpose of the autistic staff.  In an effort to cut costs and “cure” their autism, the workers are STRONGLY encouraged to undergo an experimental treatment; with their jobs and housing at risk should they decline treatment. 

Moon does an amazing job of putting herself in the autistic mind – painting a perspective of life that is so hard for us “normals” (to quote the book) to conceive.  Ultimately, Lou has to decide what makes him him.  Is he defined by his autism?  Were his autism to be cured, would he be a different person?  Would he love the same woman after the treatment as before?  Will he be able to see & create the patterns that are so important to his career after the surgery?

Winner of the 2003 Nebula Award and the 2003 Arthur C. Clarke Award, The Speed of Dark merits at least a second, if not a third read!

Great, page-turning read, even if you don’t like SciFi!

Stitches: A Memoir by David Small

Stitches is a beautifully illustrated autobiographical graphic novel that tells the story of David Small’s illness and how his dysfunctional family dealt with it. As a child and teen growing up in the ’50s and ’60s, he lives in a silent, angry family that represses all emotions. From an early age he has “sinus problems” that his dad, a doctor, regularly X-rays to monitor. His mother is a pinched woman who takes her rage out on the pots and pans she washes. When he has an operation to remove a “cyst” growing on the side of his neck, one of his vocal cords is removed, leaving him mute. Only later does he find out that he had actually had throat cancer, and that nobody had thought to tell him about it.

Blending dream, imagination, and reality, this book is perfectly illustrated, with surreal excursions into his mind. Small has an innovative way of portraying what his younger self feels and thinks in stark, lovely black-and-white. One of my favorite panels is the one where David sees the stitches all along his throat for the first time. It is also a brilliant portrait of the ’60s. Truthful without being resentful, sad and slightly satirical, it’s a very quick and interesting read. The only thing is that I wish Small had gone more into his life after he left his family, as it seems to wrap things up quickly after age 16. That’s probably because the focus is on his life growing up with his family, but I feel it departs from the tone and style of the previous story a little.

Where The Wild Things Are by Dave Eggers

I was hesitant to pick up Where The Wild Things Are by Dave Eggers because I’m so in love with Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.  I was afraid that Eggers was going to ruin the beloved chidren’s book.

It was hard to think that any author – even Eggers – could capture that whimsy that accompanies the original picture book.  Maybe Eggers could get the whimsy, but could he also get the message of how powerless youth are, and how liberating their fantasies can be?

In short, yes he could.

Dave Eggers co-wrote the movie version with Spike Jonze, and then he penned this novel based on their screenplay.

The original Where The Wild Things Are is just a dozen pages with no more than 250 words.  Super short.  The longer Eggers version still has a wild boy named Max, and he still bites his mother and is told he’s too wild and is sent to his room.

Max still finds himself on an island with the Wild Things.

But there are differences too.  We see much more of Max’s home life in the Eggers version.  We learn that Max has an older sister that’s too cool for the baby games that Max wants to play.

One of my favorite differences is that Eggers pulls out a lot of the kid-with-behavioral-issues and puts them front and center.  Max isn’t just a wild boy…he’s got some serious fucking issues.  Perhaps he’s bipolar.

On the island of wild things, Max is king and he still leads the wild rumpus.  And in the Eggers version each of the wild things have their own distinct voice and personality.

Think of this book as it’s own thing…not just a quick adaptation.  I wouldn’t call this book brilliant, but for those young adults moving on to full novels, or just those adults out there that enjoy “kidslit” (or a flashback to the Sendak of their youth), this is a good read.

Just a longer version of that picture book you loved.

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1 edition (March 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307475468

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder is about Yelena who is thrown in jail for murder.  Her luck turns (or does it?) when she is given a second chance to be the King’s food taster before she is hanged.

Yelena’s murderous past makes it tough to make friends with the other servants.  Valek, the second in command, sees some promise in her, but his trust comes at a price.

Yelena figures out that she has some magical powers that aren’t the easiest to control.  And as her powers grow, almost everyone is out to destroy her.

This book sucked me in right away and didn’t let me go. There was a lot of battling and scheming going on between the characters.  As secrets unfold you learn to love the ones you hated and cast others to the side.

Snyder did a wonderful job of holding suspense and keeping your interest. I was able to pick up sometimes on what would happen next but the author throws you topsy turvy for most of the ride. I definitely recommend this book to people who live an adventurous life or wish to live one. This book is truly rich with surprise and set in a very colorful world. I borrowed this book but I want the whole series myself so I can recreate this adventure all over again.

So addicting you just might dream living it yourself.

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Mira; Original edition (December 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778327116

Scary Fairy Tales by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya

There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor’s Baby: Scary Fairy Tales is a collection of short stories by Russian writer Ludmilla Petrushevskaya (whew, that’s a mouthful) that are bizarre, surreal, and often very beautiful. There are even a couple of stories towards the end that are downright funny in a black kind of way. Divided into four sections: “Songs of the Eastern Slavs,” “Allegories,” “Requiems,” and “Fairy Tales,” these stories are impossible to describe.

They are not really “fairy tales,” though some of them may be based on older, traditional ghost stories or folk tales; they take place in Soviet Russia within the last few  decades, or even more recently than that. They tell of family life and dysfunction, poverty, corruption, loss, loneliness, and despair – the hardships that people have to go through in a place very different from here, and the cruelty and darkness they are capable of. One of the recurring themes is the selfishness that people carry out in their will to survive in a desolate environment. A couple of the stories are vague post-apocalyptic narratives. All of them are very interesting, well-written, and surreal.

Though not fable-like, they are moral tales; however, they are so much more complex and strange than fairytale morality. There’s a lot of haunting symbolism and perhaps allegory. At the same time the stories are down-to-earth and rooted in the details of ordinary people’s lives. It’s one of those books where the line between reality and fantasy cannot be defined, because those two realms are constantly being mixed; and I feel no need to define it. It’s not all just “in their heads,” but it is very psychological and explores the dark places of the mind. If I had to sum it up in one theme, what I would put it down as being about is human nature. The characters’ experiences are touching and poignant at the same time as they are bizarre and brutal.

Though they are not really like anything else out there, sometimes the stories are  sort of Kafkaesque. It won’t just leave you feeling empty, but it is wicked dark and sad. On the contrary, it really serves to prove what strange things people will do and lengths they will go to for love. And it’s a testament to Petrushevskaya’s fascinating and unique storytelling.

Quirky and powerful, it’s a quick, enjoyable, and very interesting read.

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Original edition (September 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143114662

Postcards from No Man’s Land

In my past life (i.e. pre-munchkins) I was a children/teen librarian, and I spent my days happily reading picture books, manga, and fulfilling my incredibly embarrassing obsession with Wolverine.   But every once in a while I’d tear myself away and read a “real book.”  Reading Postcards from No Man’s Land by Aidan Chambers was the result of one of these fits of maturity, and it’s a book that I continue to remember & reflect on even 4 years later.

This tale has 2 storylines; one from the perspective of a young man, Jacob, in the 1990’s exploring Amsterdam, the other story follows his grandmother, Geertrui, and her experiences in WWII.  It is a beautiful melding of lives, cultures, and history, and presents compassionate and realistic discussions of euthanasia, adultery, and love.  I’m not a big war story fan, yet this book appealed to me through accessible characters, engaging writing, and an empathetic discussion of hot button issues – with no accusations or recriminations.  I also enjoyed the romantic aspect of the book.  Both Geertrui & Jacob discover love, and although love is just one of many themes explored, it struck me as the most rewarding.  Simply put, cliché or no, no matter how bad things get, where there’s love, there’s hope.

Postcards from No Man’s Land is the worthy recipient of the 1999 Carnegie Medal, and the 2003 Michael  L. Printz Award.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Great book to curl up with. Cocoa & blanket required.

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Speak (January 11, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142407887

Facts & Figures 2009

Publisher’s Weekly just (re)released the best-selling books from 2009.  Here’s is the list of the top 30 best-selling Adult Fiction novels from last year.

In the comments tell me how many of these titles you read.

1. The Lost Symbol: A Novel. Dan Brown. Doubleday (5,543,643).
2. The Associate: A Novel. John Grisham. Doubleday.
3. The Help. Kathryn Stockett. Putnam/Amy Einhorn (1,104,617).
4. I, Alex Cross. James Patterson. Little, Brown (1,040,976).
5. The Last Song. Nicholas Sparks. Grand Central (1,032,829).
6. Ford Country. John Grisham. Doubleday.
7. Finger Lickin’ Fifteen. Janet Evanovich. St. Martin’s (977,178).
8. The Host: A Novel. Stephenie Meyer. Little, Brown (912,165).
9. Under the Dome. Stephen King. Scribner
10. Pirate Latitudes. Michael Crichton. Harper (855,638).
11. Scarpetta. Patricia Cornwell. Putnam (800,000).
12. U Is for Undertow. Sue Grafton. Putnam (706,154).
13. The Scarpetta Factor. Patricia Cornwell. Putnam (705,000).
14. Shadowland. Alyson Noel. St. Martin’s (609,355).
15. The 8th Confession. James Patterson. Little, Brown (606,097).
16. Arctic Drift. Clive Cussler with Dirk Cussler. Putnam (588,247).
17. South of Broad: A Novel. Pat Conroy. Doubleday (565,156).
18. Run for Your Life. James Patterson. Little, Brown (557,356).
19.True Blue. David Baldacci. Grand Central. (555,296).
20. Swimsuit. James Patterson. Little, Brown (553,138).
21. Pursuit of Honor: A Novel. Vince Flynn. Atria.
22. Alex Cross’s Trial. James Patterson. Little, Brown (517,171).
23. Black Hills. Nora Roberts. Putnam (502,000).
24. Breathless: A Novel. Dean Koontz. Bantam (500,964).
25. Dead and Gone: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel. Charlaine Harris. Ace (500,135).
26. Southern Lights: A Novel. Danielle Steel. Delacorte (497,140).
27. First Family. David Baldacci. Grand Central 447,484).
28. The Gathering Storm: Book 12 of the Wheel of Time. Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. Tor (437, 474).
29. The Wrecker. Clive Cussler. Putnam (387,309).
30. Just Take My Heart. Mary Higgins Clark. S&S.

Gone ‘Till November by Wallace Stroby

I recently had a one-night stand.

I’ve been down-and-out.  Looking through the new releases and best sellers, it’s been really hard trying to find something new and current to read and review for iEATbooks.  It seems that there are plenty of serial killer books and vampire novels out there.  Many of the best sellers are throw-away-novels that you’ll forget an hour or two after reading them.

Then I came across Wallace Stroby’s Gone ‘Till November, a recently published crime novel.  Crime novel?  I know.  Crime novels are the champion throw-aways.  But I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book had memorable and believable characters who are facing real-life dangers.

I sat down on Friday afternoon with Gone ‘Till November and was done by Saturday morning breakfast.

Stroby has written to other novels, The Barbed-Wire Kiss and The Heartbreak Lounge.  Each of these two books feature a former New Jersey State Trooper.

In Gone ‘Till November, Stroby introduces a new protagonist – Florida sheriff deputy Sara Cross.  Cross is a single mom to a 6-year-old with leukemia.

Sara’s ex-boyfriend, also a sheriff deputy, kills a young black man from New Jersey on a deserted country road.  The shooting appears to be warranted…the guy had a truck full of guns and a gun in his hand.  But Sara suspects that the entire story isn’t being told.

The dead guy is a college student that accepted an assignment from a drug dealer in Neward named Mikey-Mike.  All he has to do is drive to Florida with $350,000 and hand it over to a local supplier.  But after his shooting, the money is missing.

Mikey-Mike sends one of his thugs – an older guy named Morgan.  Stroby does a great job of thoroughly developing Morgan’s character.  He drives an aged Monte Carlo, listens to Sam Cooke, and has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Being a hired goon doesn’t come with a health plan, so Morgan has no insurance to help him beat cancer.  He plans to retrieve and steal the money to get the treatment he needs.

Gone Till November is a quick-paced and totally captivating read that will grab you fast and not let go.

Full of deception and compelling characters.  Buy this book today.

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition, First Edition edition (January 19, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312560249