Wednesday, March 26, 2008

February Book Report (late again)

1. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwen. Beautifully written, but sad and haunting.

2. True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa Michael Finkel was a reporter working for the New York Times Magazine when it was revealed that a story he wrote about the African chocolate trade contained misrepresentations (he combined multiple interviews and details to create a fictional boy that he "profiled", including providing fake photos). He was sacked. Right around this time, he was contacted by an Oregon reporter who told him that a man accused of murdering his wife and three kids had been hiding out in Mexico using Finkel's name. Finkel draws parallels between his own journalistic deception and the lies spun out by the defendant (who by then was facing capital murder charges). Finkel befriended the defendant, and so there are shades of the Joe McGinniss-style dilemma of a writer getting too close to the story. To Finkel's credit, he doesn't spare himself, and he used the experience to help figure out traits of his own personality.

3. My Father's War by Julia Collins. I stumbled over this book while looking for a completely differene one. We hear a lot of grandiose stuff about the Greatest Generations -- and it's true: that generation suffered and triumphed over World War II, changing America (and the world) forever. But what makes this book so interesting is that it gives us a glimpse of the toll that those achievements took on the ordinary men and women who were part of the Great Generation -- and the price paid by their children. Collins' father was drafted while a student at Yale. He fought in the Japanese theater, including the brutal fighting on Okinawa. His wartime experiences affected him profoundly, and Collins weaves together his memories of the war with her memories of growing up as the daughter of two deeply-troubled parents. Her father suffered from what would now be diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder, but forty years ago, no one had ever heard of that or knew what to do. Especially compelling when you relate it to all of the Iraq veterans out there.

4. Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach. I enjoyed Roach's earlier book but for some reason, didn't finish this one. The topic was interesting -- an examination of a random assortment of phenomena pertaining to life after death, including the doctor who weighed terminal patients at the moment of death to determine if a sudden drop of weight indicated the departure of a soul. For some reason, I found it too bogged down in detail to get sucked in.

As always, feel free to recommend some recent good books you've read in the comments -- I'm always looking for new stuff to read.

12 comments:

Big Alice said...

Thanks for the book information. I think I might check out some of them.

Have you ever read any Iain Banks? I think he's an excellent author. He's British but becoming more well known in the States. I really enjoyed _The Crow Road_ and _Whit_. He also writes very intelligent, character-driven science fiction as Iain M. Banks - his latest science fiction books are _The Algebraist_ and _Matter_.

Lee said...

"Amsterdam' by Ian McEwen is also very good, very very dark humor. And I *loved* "Atonement" (the book, haven't seen the movie).

Liz K. said...

I am reading a funny memoir sort of book called Helping Me Help Myself by Beth Lisick. Basically, she spends a year trying to follow the advice of the top self-help gurus (Covey, Canfield, etc) in various categories, but she is so snarky and ironic and resistant to change, it's really hilarious.

After suffering through the utterly excerable Friday Night Knitting Club, it is a welcome change to sit down to some really funny snark.

Marin (AntiM) said...

If you haven't read, "Devil in the White City," I think you'd enjoy it.

Actually, even if you have read it, I still think you probably enjoyed it.

But, to the point, if you haven't read it, I recommend it.

Carol said...

Ooh, Liz, that sounds hilarious. Marin -- I did read it! And I did enjoy it! So, now that you know me so well, what ELSE do you recommend???

Loren T said...

Loved "On Chesil Beach," but it made me sad for days. Another very good book I read recently is "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox," by Maggie O'Farrell. On the much lighter side are Lisa Lutz's "Spellman Files" books, which are a hoot.

Bridget said...

I just finished "March" by Geraldine Brooks and really liked it. "Little Women" is one of my all time favorite books, so I was prepared not to like "March" (I don't like people fooling with my classics, you know), but it surprised me with how well done it was.

I still think you need to read the Adrian Mole books. They are hilarious!

Carol said...

Just read The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond. Hard to read sometimes because it's about a child's disappearance but worth it.

Rooie said...

I'll second The Year of Fog recommendation, though the ending might be a little hard to swallow.

If you just want a great glorious romp of a book, let me suggest The Lies of Locke Lamora. Full of swashbuckling and flim-flammery and some magic...it's just really fun. I'm almost finished the sequel, Red Seas Under Red Skies, and it's another wild ride.

Marin (AntiM) said...

Ummm... have you read "Stiff" (interesting and/or funny stuff about dead bodies)? Or "Lolita" (gorgeous, gorgeous writing, though the characters are both reprehensible)? Or "The Last Days of Dogtown" (by Anita Diamant, the author of "The Red Tent")? Or "The Mists of Avalon" (you've probably read it, but if not... the Arthurian legend from the women's perspective with great attention to British history)?

Zardra said...

I've apparently been reading about food recently...

I really enjoyed both Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Her and her family go for a year trying to eat locally. Almost made me wish I had the space to raise chickens.

I also really liked The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. I think him hunting for wild boar was the best part of the book.

If you like sci-fi/fantasy, I have been slowly working my way through The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. The only reason it's been taking me awhile to get through is because the story is so rich and involved I can only take it in measured doses.

Sherry W said...

The 'Thirteenth chapter' is very interesting so far.