September Booklist

[eleneariel]

 

1. D. Gray-Man vol. 6, Katsura Hoshino

2. D. Gray-Man vol. 7, Katsura Hoshino

3. D. Gray-Man vol. 8, Katsura Hoshino

 

I started the month out by finishing up the D. Gray-Man manga on loan from ransomedsea . ...Wait, I thought there were nine of them? I must be delusional. Or I forgot to write one down. Eight or nine? This will now prey on my mind until I figure it out.

 

4. Wicked, Gregory McGuire

  

Have I ever mentioned how much I like retellings of fairy tales? I guess The Wizard of Oz isn't exactly a fairy tale, but you know what I mean. There were a few things I wish had been more explained, and a few things that could have stood with less explaining (this one isn't for the younger crowd), but all in all, facinating. Except that I never could make myself care very much about the religious and political climate in Oz.

 

5. The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz

 

I thought this book was very important at the time, but now I can hardly remember anything about it. I do have notes somewhere that I plan to turn into a post, so watch for that. Oh wait. Did I already write it? Now I really am delusional. You either already have read what I thought about this book or should shortly (when I unearth said notes, which are hopefully not delusional).

 

Anyway. It's about choice, and whether more choices = more freedom, or just more stress and anxiety.

 

6. The Chosen, Chaim Potok

7. The Promise, Chaim Potok

 

These books are so good, but something in Potok's writing makes me sad. So I'm never sure if I really enjoyed them or not.

 

8. The White Stag, Kate Seredy

 

I liked this one! Except that I could read about the Twin Eagles of Hadur without thinking it was a story about Haldir. *facepalm* You should read this: everybody needs a little Hungarian myth now and then.

 

9. Assassin's Apprentice, Robin Hobb

 

Here's where you learn something potentially new about me: I love reading fantasy, and I do not like most fantasy books. By this I mean that I like Narnia, and I love Lord of the Rings, and I get really, really into those worlds and want to learn everything about them. So adjusting to a whole new fantasy world is overwhelming and not very appealing, and anyway, so much of fantasy is just STUPID and so I almost never pick up a fantasy book.

 

Unless a friend like ransomedsea  loves it, and then I order it from paperbackswap.com immediately and read it in two days and say PLZ TO TELL ME MORE, KTHX.

 

10. Serving Teens Through Reader's Advisory, Heather Booth

 

For work, obviously. I love doing RA. :)

 

11. The Big Sort, Bill Bishop

 

I couldn't think of a way to explain this book, so I copied from the description at GoodReads: "The untold story of why America is so culturally and politically divided. America may be more diverse than ever coast to coast, but the places where we live are becoming increasingly crowded with people who live, think, and vote as we do.We've built a country where we can all choose the neighborhood and church and news show most compatible with our lifestyle and beliefs. And we are living with the consequences of this way-of-life segregation. Our country has become so polarized, so ideologically inbred, that people don't know and can't understand those who live just a few miles away."

 

I wished it had focused a little more on other areas of culture

 

12. Waiter Rant, by The Waiter 

 
An anonymously written resturant tell-all, only about as soon as it was published it became common knowledge that Steve Deblanica was the author, so ... what was the point? But whatever. I've read a lot about the resturant industry, but I think this was the first written by a member of the floor staff. There were some sweet stories, a lot of not-so-nice ones, and (reader be warned) plenty of language.

 

The author himself, in an interview, unwittingly sums his book up well: "Nonrestaurant people [...:] are usually shocked to discover that their polite and friendly waiter probably disses them behind their backs, drinks a lot and swears like a sailor on crack."

I'm not shocked, having read many other resturant memoirs. I found this less well written than some, more depressing that most, but, like the rest, full of interesting resturant tidbits (kitchen staff playing hockey with your burger? Ewww!), and with its fair share of touching moments.

13. The Luxe, Anna Godbersen

 

I heard this hyped as Gossip Girls crossed with Edith Wharton. It had the potential for a true Wharton-style ending, which would have made it something fairly unique and special. But alas, sumptious as the setting is, the characters are 21st century minds in 19th century clothing, and the ending that held such promise turns into just another predictable "twist".

 

14. Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are, Rob Walker

 

All about branding and marketing - absolutely facinating.

 

15. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

 

All the sudden I was sitting on the floor eyelevel with my Pratchett shelf and I thought to myself, "Marie, it's high time you read Good Omens again." So I did, but just like always, I find my interest waning by the last quarter of the book. I don't know why, and it annoys me.

 

16. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Lisa See

 

See writes much like Amy Tan, and not just because they both write about China. See's writing is, like Tan's, beautiful and fluid and distinctively Chinese. The idea of "old sames" - friends who vow to love and care for each other for their entire lives in a relationship usually closer than they would have with their husbands - is foreign to us, but the tragedy of misunderstanding that ends up costing these old sames their relationship, sadly, isn't.

 

17. Rumors, Anna Godbersen

 

Not even as good as the first one. But the dress on the cover is beautiful.

 

Comments

[ransomedsea.livejournal.com]

Eight. There are nine out, but the ninth didn't come out till I had already sent those. Ease your mind.

[ransomedsea.livejournal.com]

Also, if you're inclined (and I finish the dang Farseer book), I'll send it when I send Royal Assassin.

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Sure, that would be great! No hurry, though.

And anything I've got that you want to read, remember I'm happy to return the favor. :)

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Whew. I feel better now.

[main-hoon-emily.livejournal.com]

I'm the same way with fantasy. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Narnia, yes. I could get lost in those worlds for months on end. But most lesser-known books are lesser known for a reason, and read like thinly disguised copies of the big famous books.

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Harry Potter, I forgot Harry Potter! Since it's not "high fantasy" I tend to forget about it when I'm thinking about fantasy worlds.

But most lesser-known books are lesser known for a reason, and read like thinly disguised copies of the big famous books.

Sooo true. Also? Eragon is in so many ways a total rip-off of LotR.

[lost-romanov.livejournal.com]

Re #12: I work at a bookstore and had a customer come in looking for that book, but he couldn't remember the title. Unfortunately, he also had an INTENSE drawl (and we're in Texas, so I'm used to it!) and kept saying it was about way-ders. I thought (because he was in cammo and wearing a fishing hat) that he wanted a book about waders, like the boots you wear while stream fishing.
...I finally figured it out and saId, "Ohhh. Waiters. Like in a restaurant."
He gave me a blank look and responded, "Yeah, that's what I said. Way-ders."
So I finally pointed him toward Waiter Rant, since it's the restaurant/waiter book that's been really popular lately...

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Bwahahaha. That's a great story. :D

[bellablu.livejournal.com]

I throughly enjoyed Wicked, however the sequel, Son of a Witch, left something to be desired. I have had the book for two years and have never been able to finish it. I just don't care...

After how much I loved the original, it was a disappointment.

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you said that; I'd been thinking about reading the sequel but I wasn't sure if it would be worth it. Thanks for saving me the time. :)

[kiwiria.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear you liked Assassin's Apprentice - it's standing on my shelf, waiting to be read.

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

I hope you like it as much as ransomedsea and I did!

[ruthette.livejournal.com]

I'm going to keep my eye out for it and give it an ogle.

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Ogle away. I own the first one - I'll send it to you in the next box, how's that?

[ruthette.livejournal.com]

Perfecto!

[my-everafter.livejournal.com]

Just reading your review of 12 will make me rethink eating at a restaurant ever again… :P

[radiantlove.livejournal.com]

Part of me wants to stay in ignorance, but part of me really wants to know these things too..

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

And this was a high-end, expensive restaurant! *scared*

[my-everafter.livejournal.com]

Oh dear...

[radiantlove.livejournal.com]

I picked up The Paradox of Choice after seeing it referenced in another book. I know it sounded like a good read, but I cannot remember why. So, um, I'll be curious to read your thoughts if you discover you have notes jotted somewhere ;)

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

I think you would really like it! I found my notes (carefully saved in Google Notebook, yay), so look for a post soon. :)

[bonaparte-tnt.livejournal.com]

I have the same problem with fantasy. Love it, but most of it's stupid. I'm really enjoying Wee Free Men because it has a fascinating plot.

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Wee Free Men is one of my favorites!

[everydayjoy.livejournal.com]

Voracious is the word to describe you!!

And I just started reading The Chosen last night; how very random to see you listed it! I wanted something new, and this one was on my bookshelf, previously unread. I know what you mean about Potok's style making you feel vaguely sad -- I got that feeling, too, when I read a collection of his short stories.

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

I'm eager to see what you think of it. :)

[ruthette.livejournal.com]

Potok makes me sad too, but the good kind of sad. Like when your muscles are sore from a good run or something.

And Lisa See feels like a knock-off of Amy Tan to me! I didn't ever finish Snow Flower and had to drag myself through Peony in Love. But that's just me.

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

I think almost anyone writing Chinese fiction would feel like a knock-off of Amy Tan - Tan does it so wonderfully! But I did enjoy See's book and the story kept me interested. But not interested enough to bother with looking up any of her other books, go figure.