This is one hell of a book. Saleem, the narrator, opens by telling us (in a stuttering, halting way—a stickler for perfect accuracy, that Saleem) when he was born, that he’s 31 now, and that he’s dying. This was the first Rushdie I’d read, so I can’t give you any firsthand information about how it […]
Some people have Bucket Lists with life goals and similarly big-deal stuff on them. I’m… still sorting out the whole life goals thing, but I do know my Book Bucket List (priorities. I have them). Now, don’t go gettin’ too excited. This isn’t a terribly sophisticated list. It’s a list of books that I personally […]
I’m not the biggest history buff in the world (not gonna lie, I rocked the heck out of AP Euro, but that was years ago, and didn’t, you know, cover the history of places that… weren’t Europe), but I deem this book pretty solidly executed. And what’s more, I enjoyed reading it/learning stuff about history/re-learning […]
I Love You, Beth Cooper is Larry Doyle’s first novel (he also wrote Go, Mutants!, the subject of my first review here at My Books). I Love You, Beth Cooper’s about a boy—Denis Cooverman, captain of the debate team and valedictorian of BGHS (Buffalo Grove High School), to be precise—and his ill-advised attempt to make […]
I picked up Joe Bruchac and Will Davis’s graphic novel Dawn Land because (I’m about to get real with you) the cover is frickin’ gorgeous. It’s sunset/sunrise hued watercolors (plus, it’s a graphic novel, so the cover can actually give you some hints about what’s inside/ don’tcallmeshallow/ I’mnotpremptivelydefensiveatall). I figure, it’s a library book—if the […]
The Story Within: New Insights and Inspiration for Writers, is Laura Oliver’s practical guide to writing. It deals with the act of writing, the business of being a writer, and the social/psychological agitation of being a writer (or being one of those people who is afraid to call themselves a writer, but writes all the […]
Americus is a YA graphic novel by MK Reed and Jonathan Hill, and IT’S FRIGGIN’ WONDERFUL. It has book wars, humorous depictions of various authority figures, unpretentious but nuanced characters, simple but expressive artwork, and a heck of a lot of heart. I love the crap out of this book. I just used all caps—you […]
Futureproof is a messy, utterly debauched ride into a 90’s drug-ridden hell. And we’re not talking Baz-Luhrmann-Moulin–Rouge-opulent debauchery. This is grunge flavored—everything is dirty, scummy, gray, wearing ripped black tee shirts and dirty flannel, and sort of feels like a cop-less episode of SVU. In a word: gritty. It’s fast paced, witty, and conversational—the narrator […]