Defame You

Adapted from the Weebly site of the same name, because the admin is a lazy person. Book reviews every Wednesday at 1900 PST.

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Misery, by Stephen King

Also a movie from the 90's, Misery is a masterpiece novel from Stephen King. The story is psychologically thrilling, and scarily real. It's full of the "gotta", and is hard to put down. Not advised to be read before bedtime. The intertwining of the two stories, that of Misery and that of the plight of Paul Sheldon, blend in a way that truly reflects Paul's mind. The execution is brilliant, although then end, like lay other King novels, feels somewhat sloppy. That aside, this book is a good read… on a bright day outside far away from Corrosable Bond. ISBN: 0-451-16952-2

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Genre Intro: Urban Fantasy

Urban Fantasy is a genre that takes place in the contemporary world of today, but adds in magic as a central theme. An example would be a magic wielding computer programmer living in NYC who has to take the occasional day off for banishing a demon. It's easy to relate to the characters, as they share a setting and time period with the reader. To find good urban fantasy titles, try goodreads.com or your local library.

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Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

Faced with crushing poverty and a life of hardships and ill health, Frank McCourt was lucky to make it out of his childhood alive. Angela's Ashes is the 1996 memoir of McCourt's childhood in Limerick, Ireland. His tale is tragic, yet filled with the mistakes of youth and the awkwardness of sexual awakening in an Irish Catholic community. This book, a Pulitzer Prize winner, is fraught with emotion-- even those who have lived a life of privilege will understand on some level the pain of an impoverished family and the things they do to survive when their father drinks all the money. The story is told in a style appropriate to memory- nobody can be quoted exactly, not when you write about the 1930s to 1940s or 50s in the 1990s, and nobody is. The writing is smooth, flawlessly transitioning from one adventure to the next. ISBN: 0-684-87435-0

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THE RULES: Time-Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr Right by Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider

First of all, if you are reading this book you are a passive woman (or curious man) who probably doesn't know how to stand up for themselves in the dating scene. You're desperate. You find this book, small enough to fit in a purse, and it looks like the help you've been asking for. You've never been so wrong before in your life. This book, allegedly a self help book, contains 35 "Rules" that are supposed to help a lonely woman catch a man. It is full of anti-feminist sentiment and provides guidelines on how to be what is basically the most annoying person possible. Never returning phone calls and forcing the man to pay for everything on a date is pretty lame. "The Rules" are obsolete. Almost none of the advice applies to the modern day world of Tinder, Grindr, and other services (like OKCupid, which I must warn you uses stolen data-- like mine). While some of the advice (don't meet a stranger at your place or take him home) is actually useful, most of it is basic common sense. The clincher? Ellen Fein, one of the co-authors, got a divorce. Yes, a DIVORCE. The VERY THING these rules claim you'll never have. If that doesn't tell you all you need to know about this book, then I don't know what will. ISBN: 0-446-60274-4

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Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

Gripping and captivating, this fantasy novel plays with two of the most loved ne'er-do-well character types there can be: pirates and thieves. The best part is, one becomes the other. The second novel in the world of the "Gentlemen Bastards", RSURS (abbrv.) focuses on two richly developed characters and features some of the best banter this side of Tal Verrar. The detail that Lynch puts into description of the characters and the places they go is both visual and humourous. If you're a fan of master thieves, open seas, and devilish schemes, then you'll find this a good read. Due to heavy language and some adult themes, as well as complexity of narrative, I'd recommend this book for high school seniors or older. ISBN: 978-0-553-58895-8

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How To Survive a Garden Gnome Attack by Chuck Sambuchino

This slim volume is a good read if you're bored or if you want to laugh once. If you're really afraid of lawn gnomes, then you're probably going to want professional help instead of a humour book intended to drive you into a deeper paranoia. While well-formatted and full of colorful pictures, this book is one of those editions you'd want sitting on your coffee table to convince your friends you're a funny person. On the upside, it's entirely appropriate for all ages. ISBN: 978-1-58008-463-5

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Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

Most people have seen the movie. Most people also do not talk about the movie. I’m not even supposed to talk about the book. I’m really not supposed to talk about it, in fact. But here I am. 
Fight Club (1995) is about a postmodern social apocalypse. It’s provoking, yet bland. It’s pretty hard to understand what’s going on, and the people in the book are more than just the normal kind of suicidally crazy. The main reason you might read it is to have a concrete handbook for how to make napalm from scratch and to not have to look up the rules on your phone. First thing- the recipes for napalm are false. Don’t set things on fire. The next is that this book can be pretty depressing. While the fights aren’t as graphic as one might hope, the real focus of the book is the psychological downward spiral that the main character faces. This book is not recommended unless you want to start a cult following of violent people dissatisfied with today’s society. ISBN: 0-8050-6297-1

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Friday by Robert A. Heinlein

Friday (1982) is the pinball adventure of a genetically engineered woman who, like many of Heinlein's other heroines, is delightfully saucy and resourceful. Friday, our heroine, is a well-rounded character whose very existence in Heinlein's future is controversial, and many of the social issues mentioned or discussed in this science fiction novel are very relevant today. While the novel takes on some of the hedonistic traits of Heinlein's other works, the fact that this heroine enjoys good company doesn't dominate the book nor make it a read intended only for an older audience. This novel, in my opinion, is appropriate for (at the youngest) high school seniors (I assume they will have taken a health class by then) and for audiences older and older. Take a step into the future with Friday, and evaluate the present. ISBN: 0-345-30988-X

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Travels With Herodotus by Ryszard Kapuściński

Travels With Herodotus (2008) is a nonfiction book written by a Polish man who grew up in WWII Warsaw. The book is an account of his travels through Asia, Africa, and the Middle East with a copy of the Polish translation of Herodotus' Histories. The book is a combination of Kapuściński's travels and of his contemplation of Herodotus. The book is a relatively difficult read, one I would recommend for high school juniors or seniors (or college level students) and history buffs. ISBN: 978-1-4000-7878-3