The Long Goodbye -- Raymond Chandler -------------- 4 Stars

So, I am going to try to write this whole blog in the style of this book.  The key to that is short, choppy sentences.  It is not easy.  But it is a cool writing style. 

Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye was a very enjoyable book.  Looking through my blog you'll notice better reviews for newer books.  Like old movies, old books tend to be a bit slower and less exciting then newer books.  This book is from the 50's.  It's in the classic style of L.A. detective stories.  You know, the ones with 'private eyes' who drink a lot and fight a lot.  Chandler had a number of books that feature the main character of this book: Philip Marlowe.  He is cool and a bit of a bad ass.

I think what I truly liked about the book at the start was the shortness of the sentences.  It seems to make everything a bit more important.  It was like a watching a movie with every line being a quick back and forth between two characters.  Unfortunately, I found it got a bit annoying as the book went on (not sure if it's annoyed you yet in reading this blog... uh oh, sentence too long). 

There are still very redeeming elements of this book, which is why it got 4 stars.  First, it's just cool.  Like I said, cool prose, interesting main character, a total 'guys' book. Second, it's a pretty riveting story.  Although it does get slow form time to time, there is a lot of murder, violence, drinking, cops and 'bad guys'; overall good stuff.  Third, you knew that it was building up for some kind of surprise ending but I couldn't figure it out for sure until the end.  It was a good ending.

Overall, I had never heard of Chandler or this book but really enjoyed reading it.  I would suggest it for most readers.  Even if you don't like this type of subject (e.g. L.A. copy story like), it's a good story and a cool genre to at least read once.  Plus, you get to read, think, and maybe write in short sentences for a while.  Like this.  Or this.  

The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams -- Darcy Frey ------------ 4 Stars

After a while, I totally forget how I found the books that I have on my list to read.  This is a perfect example.  I just realized I wanted to read it a couple of weeks ago, checked the reviews, realized it sounded cool but have never heard of it and it's 20 years old.  Read it, really enjoyed it.

The Last Shot is a pretty cool book.  It's basically a mix of great sociological discovery mixed with the dreams and descriptions of inner city and high school level basketball.  Put together, it's a pretty incredible piece of journalism.   Frey, the author, basically spent a year living around 3 or 4 up and coming high school basketball players in Coney Island and reporting on all aspects of their lives.  In the same vein as the great documentary Hoop Dreams, the author does a great job of really allowing you to see the challenges and difficulties of the lives of these athletes. 

While this book is probably a better piece of writing, has more redeeming values and is a far better commentary about our society than many other books that have received higher ratings, it only earns 4 stars because it's not as captivating when read as some of the other books that have received higher ratings.  Nonetheless, this is still a very fun book to read.  Being a basketball junkie, I found parts of this book fascinating, others exhilarating, while there is also parts that are heartbreaking.  As you read this book, you know that many of these players (who are superstars in high school and put most of their futures on the anticipation of their basketball successes), don't make it.  But the book is so much more than about just basketball and trying to make it to the NBA.  As I said earlier, it's really an insight into a different lifestyle than what many of are used to.  In fact, the beauty of this book is to really learn to see and feel what the lives are like of these very gifted but troubled athletes. 

One of the really illuminating parts of the book is the commentary Frey makes about the influence of colleges, money, and sponsorship on the whole universes of high school athletics.  Through a detailed and frank explanation of how colleges and the NCAA behave, it becomes very clear that the current system of athletics is based nearly solely around money and money alone.  The importance of education is secondary to the success of the athletic programs, and the lives of the students athletes are probably of least concern.

Overall, this is a stimulating book and is highly recommended.  Obviously you would enjoy it much more if you enjoy the sport of basketball and have an interest in college recruiting.  However, even if you are just interested in a slice of life to learn what it's like to live in the poorest areas of Coney Island, this is would be a good book for you.  

Hellhound on His Trial: The Stalking of Marting Luther King Jr. -- Hampton Sides and A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown -- Julia Scheeres ----------------------------------- 4.5 Stars

For the first time ever, I thought it prudent to do a review of two books at once.  There a couple of reasons. 
1. Laziness. As it's summer, I'm reading books a bit more quickly than during the year and don't really have all that time to blog about them.  Doing two reviews at once is faster.  2.  They are very similar book (more about that later).  3.  I think it would be new and different to a double review... so here we go:

The first book I finished was an excellent true story by Hampton Sides titled Hellhound on His Trial, and it was basically the story of James Earl Ray's (nerdy looking dude to your right) stalking, assassination, and eventual escape of Martin Luther King, Jr.  The second book is called A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown by Julia Scheeres.  Before I go through a brief explanation of each book, I wanted to explain how they are similar.  First, both are true stories based exclusively on facts.  Second, both are based on a significant amount of research done in the past few years from thousands of pages that were released by the FBI that had to do with MLK being killed and the Jonestown massacre.  It was abundantly clear both authors spent significant time combing through huge amounts of information to put together very well written 300 page books that tell a fascinating story.  Third, both are tragic.  Although one book talks about the tragedy of one person dying, and the other nearly 1,000, they both show how bad people can alter the lives of others significantly.

Overall, I enjoyed Hellhound more as a read.  It was a bit more exciting and fun to read about.  Although it's still about a fairly crazy guy in James Earl Ray, whose racist stupidity killed one of the great men of the 20th century, the story about Ray, which includes his initial interest in getting to King, actual assassination, and escape, are all very fascinating episodes.  Although the book starts a little slow detailing his adventures in Mexico and California before going to Memphis for the assassination, the book was nearly impossible to put down once the story turned to the carefully detailed and drawn explanation of the assassination outside of a Memphis motel to his amazing escape and runaway period.  In fact, the most startling thing I learned from the book was that it took almost two months to capture Ray and it was the most costly manhunt in U.S. history (over $2 million spent).  His escape also took him north into Canada, across the Atlantic to Portugal with his final arrest occurring as he was trying to leave London, England.  He then went back to prison and escaped again for a few days before finally being caught and kept in prison until he died about 20 years ago.  What a great story!

The second book about Jonestown was just as good as a page turner but seemed to me much more melancholy.  The book basically explains how Jim Jones created a very 'cult' like organization, led many of his followers to Guyana with him, became pretty crazy and eventually helped most people there complete the worst mass suicide in the history of the modern world.  Besides being an incredibly sad ending, most of what led up to it was not very peachy either and you could not help but became so upset and sad for the so many innocent people who either could not or would not leave Jonestown prior to the end.  Like Hellhound, this book does an incredible job using superb research to tell the very detailed story of 5 or 6 specific individuals that lived at Jonestown along with the life of Jim Jones himself.  Overall, it's a pretty tough story to get through but is a very exciting book to read.

Both of these stories are great reads, and I would recommend them to all readers, especially any that are interested in these subjects.  In both books I learned many new things that I was unaware of earlier and both stories were told in a fashion that they are a very easy read and hard to put down.  Realize that although both are depressing, they tell great stories about important events in the lives of Americans in the past 50 years. Enjoy!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo -- Stieg Larsson --------------------- 4 Stars

It was with much anticipation and excitement that I was able to finally read (the classic?...too early?) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Like the recently reviewed Hunger Games, you would have to be living under a rock for the past few years to not hear about these two books.  Written by the late Swedish author Steig Larsson, this book became an absolute huge best seller and major motion picture, but was it any good?  Short answer, yeah, it's really good.

Going into reading this book I had some awfully high expectations and was expecting a page turner; I was not disappointed.  The book is really exciting from start to finish.  It's got a couple of great characters and the book is mostly a classic mystery novel that includes this one guy and the girl with the tattoo trying to solve a very old murder.  The highlights of the book are definitely the fast action scenes, easy to follow plot, and fun dialogue.  I was a bit surprised how small the role of the the girl with tattoo is, considering she is the name of the title of the book, she was certainly most important character #2. 

So, with all this great stuff, why did this only garner 4 stars?  Well, it was going to be 4.5 stars until the last 50 pages.  Frankly, I wish the book would have ended earlier.  There was a very definite climax and exciting set of chapters about the finality to the mystery.  Had the book ended there, it was a for sure 4.5 stars; but it kept going.  While the last 50 pages were good and tied up some less than interesting loose ends, this extended denouement (take that English teachers) turned me off to the end of the novel and cost this book at least a .5 star.  In general, the book also is a bit choppy and you certainly should not be looking forward to reading this book because of Larsson's excellent writing style.  As I said earlier, you should be reading this book for great plot, great action, and cool creation of the girl with the tattoo character.  ((Note: there is a halfhearted attempt to make you think about whether criminals are born that way or society makes them that way.  I think the girl with the tattoo is the only one that is questioning the whole nature vs. nurture debate but it's in there and kind of a lame attempt of making 'more' of the themes of this book.) (Side note to note: there is a lot of violence and some pretty nasty stuff brought up in this book, beware)).

Overall, I would certainly recommend this book.  As I make my review mostly on entertainment value, this book is very exciting, a fun ready, and hard to put down.  I really found that I would keep reading even after I had planned to stop because it was so addicting.  Do be aware that it is a bit choppy, is placed exclusively in Sweden (and has a few cultural items that were lost on me), and sort of mulls on for a while at the end.  Nonetheless, it's a great read and completely worth the time.

Emipre Fallls -- Richard Russo ---------------- 2.5 Stars

Like many things in life, the more you take part in something or try something, the better you get at understanding your own likes and dislikes.  Whether it's t.v., music, art, food... the more you try something, the easier it is to decide what style of something you do and don't like.  This is also quite true with books (not sure why this took me so long to realize).  In the last few years as my numbers of books read has increased, I am beginning to get a much better feel for what I personally enjoy reading the most.  In general, any non-fiction on a topic I like will work.  Fiction is more difficult.  I have decided, however, I am a big fan of action/something happening.  This is, perhaps, the biggest reason I struggled with Richard Russo's Empire Falls.

Empire Falls has incredible reviews, has one the Pulitzer, and pretty much everyone I know loves it; so how is it possible I disliked it?  Well, like many things, it's just a mater of taste.  The book is well written, nicely told, has great characters, solid questions about how to live one's life...all the things I normally like in a book.  BUT, nothing really ever happens.  I mean, somethings do, and some exciting stuff happens in pages 450-480, but for the most part, there ain't much going on besides just telling about people's every day lives.  Which, is cool and all, but I don't really like reading books to read about every day life... I see that all around me. Something amazing, spectacular, different, needs to happen.  In this case the 'amazing', tended to be things like, someone gets a divorce or people are mad at one another.  Overall, I just couldn't get into the novel as nothing was ever happening.

While I bash it for the most part, I definitely can see why people like it and why it was made an HBO miniseries (which I'd like to see and perhaps, if seen being acted out, might improve it for me).  But again, it's taste.  It's not you, it's me.  If you are interested in reading it, quick synopsis: story of Miles, who owns a small restaurant in small town Maine.  The story is about his family, parents, daughter, and their relationship with others including rich patrician types in the small city.  I would say, that's all you need to know and a bunch of stuff happens but that's just not true.  Very little happens but it's told well and you get into the characters.

For the most part, I usually do not recommend any books with less than 3 stars but as I said earlier, this book is adored by many and people's tastes are all different.  If you do like it though, you are going to have to explain to me how a book where nothing happens is entertaining to read.  Thanks.

Underworld -- Don DeLillo ----------------------------- 4 Stars

If you are like me, you have probably not heard of Don DeLillo's Underworld. Nonetheless, it is regarded by many as one of the best novels in the past 25 years.  Thus, I put it on my list of books to read, and, for the most part, I was not disappointed.

It's been kind of hard for me to get into modern or, as many call it, 'postmodern' novels.  Normally, the fiction I read is based on older ideas, issues, or themes so getting into modern fiction is kind of hard.  You know, current, real world stuff.  I struggled through Philip's Roth American Pastoral and this book reminded me of that in many ways, but, this was much better.

A little background:  This book is absolutely SPRAWLING.  Coming in at over 800 pages, this book features many characters, many places, and more importantly, many time periods.    The time period thing is what is really fascinating about the book.  The book starts in the 50's, speeds up to the 90's that jumps back through the 70s and 80s and finishes again with the 50s.   It's pretty crazy.  What's even harder to keep up with about it is that there is random focuses on different characters, often in non-sequential order throughout the novel.

I consider the novel 'modern', as the book is really about just about people and their lives.  A lot if it is about how little things and decisions changes other big things (sort of butterfly effect).  It's also a lot about circumstance, environment, and location of upbringing and how that changes people.  It's also a little bit about baseball.

The book is great because it creates interesting, though not very deep, characters.  It's most great though because of the asynchronous order of the chapters.  It is written very well and DeLillo has a real talent for painting pictures of each scene.  While you don't really fall in love with any characters (I'd have to think more about it, but I think each is flawed), the story and the circumstances around their lives is fascinating.  It's also great because it is about current life.  Whether it be Cold War references, racism issues, adultery, or other items, the book is expressly set in the past half century.

The book's biggest drawback is it's length. Some, or alot, could have been cut, and some additions of chapters about less than important characters could have been skipped.   Had it been edited down to a crisper novel, it would have not taken away much from the story and made it a tighter and easier read.

Overall, it's a very good book.  The Prologue is a wonderfully crafted short story that relates Bobby Thompson's 'Shot heard round the world' that will pull you right into the middle of one of the critical pieces of the entire story.  If you don't mind reading through the superfluous narratives, you'll get a real treat by sticking it through to the end of the story.

The Hunger Games -- Suzanne Collins ------------------------------ 4.5 Stars

So, like pretty much everyone else, I decided to buy into The Hunger Games phenomenon and give it a shot. Although written at an adolescent level (and I believe for that age group), I had heard such strong support of the book from the adult crowd that I though I should at least give it a chance. I was not disappointed.

I wrote a blog along time ago (I was too lazy to find it and provide the link) about how when something becomes a cultural phenomenon (i.e. music, tv show, movies), it's worth buying in to...usually, that many people can't be wrong. Quick examples that prove the point for me: Kanye West, The Sopranos, and now The Hunger Games.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year, The Hunger Games (and it's additional two books in the trilogy) have been huge fan favorites and the recent release of the movie have made it even bigger. In case you know nothing about it, I will provide a one sentence synopsis of the book: In a future world, 24 kids have to fight to death and only one is left as a survivor. Doesn't that sound awesome? Now, throw in some evil people, some good people, imaginative futuristic stuff, and a awesome female, teenage protagonist and you got a hit.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Although it's a fairly long book, it is at such a low reading level and is so interesting, that I couldn't help but finish it in about a week (though it took me 3 weeks to blog about). After a fairly slow start that puts all the pieces in place, it's very fast paced and once you get to the actual competition, it is very difficult to put down at all.

I definitely want to see the movie though I am not sure about whether I'm up for two more books. First, I have not heard such raving reviews about those two. Second, I really feel like I don't want to know more about what happens to the characters and places after what I've already read. I liked how this book ended though I was a bit perturbed that there was sort of an expectation that you continue into the other books. That ending, along with the fact that it really is kind of a kid's book, are what prevented it from getting a full 5 stars. Nonetheless, it was a very entertaining book and received a fairly rare 4.5 star review.

All -- don't be fooled by this being a 'pre-teen' novel, this phenomenon is for real and I would bet that you would enjoy this read as much as I (and millions of others) did.

One on One: Behind the Scenes with the Greats of the Game - John Feinstein -------------------- 3 Stars

Not long ago I heard an awesome radio interview with John Feinstein telling some great stories while promoting his book One on One. They were real great stories that included tales about Mike Kryzerwefski (sp?) and John McEnroe. They were very entertaining and made me super interested in reading his book. Unfortunately, listening to those stories over the radio proved far more entertaining than reading the book itself.

Quick background: Feinstein has written a bunch of books about sports. I have never read any. Supposedly they are very good and his first, about Indiana and Bobby Knight, sort of put him on the map. I see him on TV sometimes in the D.C. area and find him interesting and super arrogant. Anyway, the book is basically an autobiography about his first book about Knight and his books afterwards. In it, it includes a lot of back stories about many different individuals in athletics.

The good parts of the book are also what makes it sort of annoying. I guess Feinstein's deal is that he is like super honest about people. So, the ones he thinks are good people, he shows why over and over and those he thinks are jerks, he explains that over and over. Unfortunately, this ends up just coming off as super petty and really vindictive. I mean, honestly, how many times can he go after Bobby Knight and Tiger Woods and say they are jerks. I get it already; move on.

The book is about 400 pages and gets 3 stars because, while I did enjoy reading it and it was entertaining, the stories got pretty boring by the end and I couldn't stand Feinstein's deal of having to show all the ways he was better or smarter than people along the way. He became incredibly annoying by the end but some of the inside sports stories about athletes was illuminating.

I suppose if you have liked Feinstein's book in the past, this would be a great book for you. If not, perhaps not so much. Like I said, the best part of the book was actually hearing Feinstein tell a couple of the stories over the radio.

Taft 2012 -- Jason Heller ---------------------- 2.5 Stars

Taft 2012 is a fun read. It's a relatively new book by a first time author, and it is the fictional tale about William Howard Taft coming back from the dead to modern times. It's a very fast read, was decently entertaining, but it didn't have a lot to it.

The book is basically a look at the current state of American politics and the author, through Taft, explains his point that our current system is very negative and the two parties lack of bipartisanship is significant. Taft, who you can't help but love as a character, is the center of the novel.

While I enjoyed the silliness of the book, it was a bit slow in portions and the ending, to me, was a bit lame. Though the author did a really good job of relating the modern media environment, by interspersing Twitter updates and talk show interviews between chapters, the book just wasn't a great story after you got past the coolness of Taft trying to figure out modern day life.

The book is certainly not a bad read, and as I said, is a very quick read; but, I would not recommend it one of the better novels. Though it's a fun story and good critique about modern politics, the story struggles to move along and end successfully.

11/22/63 -- Stephen King ------------------------ 4.5 Stars

As I was reading Stephen King's amazing new novel 11/22/63, I knew from about 50 pages in that this would be approaching a 5 star book. As I continued reading, I kept going back in my head about whether it was truly a 5 star novel. I really wanted it to be one (they are pretty rare on this blog), but in the end, I just couldn't do it.

There have only been three 5 star books I have blogged about. All are amazing and they include Steinbeck's East of Eden, Puzo's The Godfather, and Follett's Pillars of the Earth. This book was definitely in their league, and I would argue, was perhaps a more enjoyable and addicting read than those books but to get 5 stars it has to be epic. Alas, that is where this fell a little short.

Quick synopsis about the book that gives nothing a way: it's about this guy who finds a way to time travel, thinks best to help the country by going back to 1963 and stopping the Kennedy assassination. That's about all you need to know to get started. Perhaps what's most exciting about the book is how quickly it does begin. So many novels slowly set up the setting or describe characters but about 20 pages into this novel the time traveling already starts. I absolutely loved the start of this book.

That was one of the reasons I new quickly that I would be debating whether this was a 4.5 or 5 star novel... it was such a page turner. After a dynamite start, I had trouble putting it down for the three weeks it took for me to plow through the 850 pages. Like other Stephen King books, it could have used some trimming. The middle had some parts that got a bit long and did not contribute a great deal to the plot. The book also was a bit simplistic in writing style and at no point did I find myself impressed with any of King's language or intricate writing elements. One of the concerns that I had early was that the idea of time travel can be so 'cheesy' sometimes, but the way King presents is so matter of fact and with so little fluff, that you can't help but go with and say to yourself 'okay, I'll just suspend some disbelief for a while'.

What was impressive was just the unbelievable storytelling power King possesses. As I give ratings mostly on entertainment value, this book knocked it out. As I said earlier, you get hooked in the first few pages and are with the main character throughout. I also love dialogue when I read, and this was chock full of conversations and fun back and forth. It's also written so simply that it's an incredibly easy novel to get through and one that does not take a lot of work to read.

As I mentioned earlier, the only real weakness of the novel is a slow middle section but due to such a strong start you find yourself happily reading through some duller parts waiting for the action to start again...and there is plenty of action too. I would like to write more about the actual plot because I loved the actual elements of the story, the characters, the description and time spent in the 1950s and 1960s and the wonderful ending. However, I don't want to give anything away. I knew just what I gave as a synopsis earlier and that left plenty for my imagination to go wild as I went through the story. As it was, there were so many ways that it could have worked out and part of the fun was trying to guess what might happen.

I strongly recommend this book to all readers and would argue that it's as close as can be to getting a 5. I really would pick it up as soon as possible though I warn you it's going to be hard to do other things once you get started, you are not going to want to put it down.

Scorecasting -- Tobias Moskowitz and L. Jon Wertheim --------------- 3 Stars

In the vein of other 'huh, I never realized that was the reason why that happened' books like Freakonomics, Blink, and Tipping Points, comes Scorecasting, which is the same type of book but for sports. It's written by two economists who are avid fans that take a look at about a dozen common assumptions about sports and dispel them using a bunch of stats. It's a good read.

Some of the most enjoyable chapters included answers to the real reasons home teams have such a huge advantage, why football coaches should go for it more on 4th down, how to measure to the true value of a blocked shot, do players really get 'hot', and, of course, are the Cubs really cursed? The whole book is an easy read and the authors do a nice job of clearly boiling down some very boring statistics to a couple of easy to understand chapters on each subject. Not in the same league as Freakonomics or Tipping Point for reader enjoyment or useful anecdotes, the book still keeps you interested by moving from question to question quickly and easily explaining the materials to keep maximum interest.

If you are a sports fan, this book is definitely worth the read. If not, I am not sure this book would appeal at all. For those of us who do love sports, this book really is a fun read because so many of the questions that they answers are so applicable to the sports we watch and their answers are so insightful. Not surprising, behavioral and psychological reasons are at the forefront of many of these issues.

So, if you're a looking for a quick, easy read about sports that dispels many commonly held assumptions, this book is for you. It won't blow you out of the water, but you can take 10 minutes here or there to finish most chapters and would be left with much better insight about the games. I will spoil the last chapter about the Cubs though, they're not cursed. They are just cheap.

The Brothers Karamazov -- Fyodor Dostoyevsky ------------------------------ 4 Stars

This is my first ever read and review of one of those crazy/crazy long Russian novels. One of the few books that was on my 'to read' list that was a free download on the Kindle, The Brothers Karamazov ended up being a pretty amazing read. For a while I wanted to read it but I knew it was going to be super long, potentially very boring, and potentially hard to understand. It was all of those at different times, but it was also much more.

The first thing that's worth knowing about the book, is that you've got stick with it and be persistent. I think its about 900 pages, though pages seem much different when reading on a Kindle. What was a bit depressing about the book is while I read it on the Kindle, I would often take a look at my 'percentage bar' at the bottom of the screen that says how far you are in a book. Usually, it moves a percent after a few pages of reading (you know, clicks on the Kindle). It didn't really do that with this book. I would read... and read.... and read and it would still be the same percentage. Finally, I decided to count and I realized, with the standard font, it was 17 pages (or clicks), before a percent went up. Sometimes that's like 15 minutes. So, this is my long about way of saying that the book is really long.

To make this even more painful, the first quarter of the book was really hard to get into. A lot of set up, very slow story telling, etc... it was rough. Additionally, they introduce a ton of characters that you have to keep track of, all with crazy Russian names, and they really, laboriously describe each one.

So, you are probably now asking, why did it get 4 stars? Well, once it got going, it was really good. It was entertaining, fun to read, and a real page turner for many parts. Basic premise of the book is a story about the brothers in the Karamazov family and their dad. There are three brothers, a murder takes place, and there is a trial. That's pretty much the whole book. But, there was so much more.

The book is really about life, about the human experience. Are people good or bad? Can they change? Is it nature or nurture? Is life free will or destined? What is love and how is it defined? Dostoyevsky, in his incredibly informal and collegial writing tone, takes a look at all of these questions. The characters are incredibly real, very deeply created, and easy to relate to. Some are crazy, some religious, some alcoholic, some caring, some madly in love...they include the whole spectrum of the human persona. Indeed, once the book gets going, it's a great read. Between the fairly interesting plot, coupled with the incredible level of meaning of each characters thoughts and actions, the book is really quite good.

(side note admission: I used Sparknotes after many of the chapters. I've never used Sparknotes before but it really added a lot to the reading. I started about half way through as I was reading chapters, thinking there wasn't much too it/I was bored, checked out Sparknotes and realized there was another whole level of depth I completely missed. It made the reading of the rest of the text much more enjoyable and I would recommend it).

So, I didn't really spend a whole bunch of time explaining the greatness of the book, but trust me, it's quite good. If you can stick with it over the first couple hundred of boring (relative to the rest) pages, you'll be in for a treat. One last thing you should know, and this may not surprise many of you, the book is sad. I guess that's sort of classic of Russian literature (unknown to me prior to talking to some others and reading the book). I mean, you can hope for the best and stuff for people but don't hold your breath. Either way, it's still worth the read. Enjoy!

Winesburg, Ohio -- Sherwood Anderson ------------------------------ 2.5 Stars

Sometimes there is just not a lot to say about certain books. Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio falls into that category for me. It was a sort of a good book...yeah.

Let's see. I was reading something that included Winesburg, Ohio as a sort of unsung hero of not so famous but should be American novels. It's about 300 pages and includes 15 or so short stories all revolving around people, or 'grotesques' as Anderson calls them, living in Winesburg. It kind of reminded me of Canterbury Tales. Obviously much easier to read, but both were about characters that sort of stood out compared to others in life/the town.

The stories are all pretty good. They are told very simply and are very straight forward. Because they are just short stories, you don't get a whole bunch of character development and it's more of snapshots of their lives than anything else. The genius of the book, and I think why many critics loved it (and still do), is that so nicely illustrates and describes life in small town America around the turn of the twentieth century.

If you like period pieces, short story fiction, or tales about just 'real' life, this would be a good book for you. It's an easy read and you can get through the stories quickly. The drawback for me, and why it only earned 2.5 stars, was that it just was not entertaining. As most stories had nothing to do with others, it never drew me back into the book to keep reading. Being about 100 years old, the stories are also a bit old in topic and although risque at the time and pushed social norms, compared to modern day 'drama' it does not compare.

Consider the Lobster -- David Foster Wallace ------------------------------ 4 Stars

Very recently I became aware of a wonderful author, who up until a month ago, I absolutely had never heard of. (btw, he would have hated that I just ended this sentence with a preposition, though he would have loved this footnote like parenthetical note). It was through a cool website called grantland.com that posted a gigantic (5,ooo word?) essay Wallace wrote about Roger Federer. Needless to say, it was fantastic. I asked my sister about him and she had heard of him, had a book of his, and recommended a graduation speech he gave, which I ended up also enjoying (read here). She then passed on a book of essays from Wallace titled Consider the Lobster which has led to this review.

This book includes about 10 different non-fictions essays from Wallace that were collected from a variety of magazines and on a variety of subjects. Some are only a few pages, while others go on (and on) into the 70 or 80 page range. I liked them all; well, I guess I should say I like they way they are written. First, Wallace is just plain cool. He understands things very well and his writing style is a joy to read and pleasure to digest. Second, he is unbelievably bright. The most confusing and frustrating essay is a review of a recent dictionary that was released that includes Wallace's views on literary criticism and correct writing techniques and terms. It was about 40 pages long, I was lost for about 37 pages of it yet I still found it enjoyable...that's David Foster Wallace. Third, he is incredibly funny. From being ironic to obvious with jokes to just plain crude, his essays can't help but make you laugh. Fourth, and probably what he is most famous for, he is the master, I say MASTER, of the footnote. He uses them all the time and his footnotes have footnotes. It's almost his claim to fame. They're awesome. Fifth, his insights and conclusions about ideas, events, things, are just so well thoughtful you can't help but keep on reading and smiling.

More about the stories. The title of the book is also the title of a 20 page essay about lobsters, and specifically, should we consider the ethical and moral standards of how lobsters are killed... it was good. Other essays included a biography of a late night radio host, musings about Updike and Kafka (I'm telling you, the guy is wicked smart), and Tracy Austin (fantastic tennis player from the 80's who won a US Open before 18, got hit with the injury bug and never made it back -- great story with great insights). Do be aware that the book starts with a 50 page essay on porn which takes some work to get through but the book is smooth sailing after that.

My favorite essay is called "Up, Simba" taken from a Rolling Stone piece Wallace did during the '00 election as he followed McCain around the campaign trail for 7 days. Being a political guy, I found this essay absolutely captivating and enjoyed reading the 70 pages (which must have included huge amounts that were cut for RS mag). Besides coming away with much more respect for McCain, I came away questioning the intents and reasons why politicians do what they do. It is an excellent, excellent essay.

Overall, the book is very good. Some essays go on too long and some, as I said earlier, are hard to understand. Some subjects are more interesting than others, and some words he uses I don't understand. But, for the most part, the essays are incredibly entertaining. They are smart, funny, clearly written, and incredibly informative.

After finishing the book, I looked to see what other non-fiction stuff he has written. Apparently, he has done a lot of very good fiction and many consider him one of the best writers in the past decade. There is not a lot of other non-fiction stuff he has done. And, perhaps most unfortunately, there will no more writings at all from Wallace; he committed suicide in 2008.

To Heal a Fractured World -- Rabbi Jonathan Sacks ------------------------ 4 Stars

As Thanksgiving begins tomorrow, I find no more fitting a time to reflect upon a very enjoyable book I recently finished titled To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility by Jonathan Sacks. My sister gave this book to me for my birthday and though it's some pretty heavy reading, it's well worth the venture.

The book is really 1 part philosophy, 1 part religious teachings, and 1 part self help. It's divided into three parts which were 'the call to responsibility', 'the theology or responsibility', and 'the responsible life'. The book is very well organized and Sacks has almost a lawyers ability to lay out his arguments in a very logical and straightforward way for the reader to understand.

The major questions this book addresses are what is a persons place in the world? What should we be doing in our lives and what responsibilities do we have as moral human beings? Needless to say, I really enjoyed the book. Although a bit challenging to get through, Sacks does an incredible job of breaking down somewhat archaic religious writings and Bible passages while also including wonderful real life examples to clarify his positions and points. I found the first half of the book, in which he sort of sets up his arguments for why people should be responsible, to be the most enjoyable part. As a Rabbi, he includes a litany of Bible verses and stories, which having not read in many, many years, I found particularly interesting and enjoyable. He even included many a midrash which reminds me of my high school Religion class with Mr. Dependahl. These interepretations and analysis were laid out so clearly and so beautifully thus painting a portrait of what he passionately believes the various passages are trying to say.

As I said, these early parts of the book were my favorite parts. As the text goes on, it turns from making the argument for 'why' we should be responsible and moral people to the specific 'how tos'. While I find that part just as important, I also found it personally less interesting and entertaining. Toward the end, the book gets very 'sefl-helpy' though not in a fake way. By that point in the text, I had been completely sold on his arguments that I definitely supported his suggestions on how to live responsibly.

Much of the book includes many of the suggestions that you would expect from a Rabbi and text on how to live properly. Ideas like giving to others, supporting those in need, believing in a higher power, giving second chances, providing charity and love for others, are prevalent and focused on significantly. Although I believed in these virtues prior to reading this, I found so much enjoyment in reading the Biblical reasoning why these ideas are important. Though I don't consider myself the most religious of people, this book can't help but make a reader reexamine their own belief in the world and faith in general.

I highly recommend this book to any reader looking for insight into their own life, looking to reconnect with the Bible, or would like to read a good book explaining what another person's viewpoint is about responsibility in one's life. Be aware, however, that this book is pretty heavy in the depth of thought/ideas per page. Although less than 300 pages, don't go in thinking you can fly through this text in a weekend. Please, take your time with it. The ideas, thoughts, and viewpoints will probably have you analyzing your own thoughts... which probably is a good thing. Enjoy!

ESPN: These Guys Have All the Fun -- James Andrew MIller and Tom Shales --------------- 3.5 Stars

Well it's been a while since I blogged, but that's because I was working through the monstrous ESPN: These Guys Have all the Fun . If you are not familiar with this book, it's basically a massive biography about the total history of the ESPN corporation from it's inception in Connecticut in the late 70's through last week (no joke). Perhaps the most interesting part of the book is how it's told. Much like the previous collaboration between Miller and Shales, Live from New York (click here for that review), nearly the whole book is told through interviews. This can be both awesome and off -putting. For the most part it's very enjoyable and entertaining. The people speaking are very candid and their free opinions are very interesting. The only problem is that it goes on for 750 pages and can become a bit repetitive stylistically after a while.

Overall, the book is very good. It certainly has sections that are far more interesting than others but the details and insights about the background politics and the 'real' operation of a world wide corporation were illuminating. The beginning of the book was also great as I had no idea how ESPN truly started as a sort of 'mom and pop' operation trying to just show some local sports in the Northeast and growing into the behemoth that it is now.

Obviously, reading about the viewpoints of the various ESPN personalities is cool. More or less, everyone who has been or is on ESPN was interviewed. Some of the most interesting stories and opinions are about the TV people who caused the most controversy/issues. Keith Olbermann, for example, was famous for both his intellect and ego. Tony Kornheiser and Bill Simmons fall into a similar category.

There were some definite drawbacks that limited the book to 3.5 stars. Most significant is the fact that its soooooooooo long. Really, they needed a good editor. While I certainly get and appreciate that they are trying to be totally inclusive, there are many parts that I pretty much glossed over because it was like 10 interviews and 20 pages about the same idea/issue. I mean, I don't need to hear from 8 people from ESPN why getting the World Cup was such a big deal for the network.

The other annoying thing related to the length was their obsession with covering seemingly EVERYTHING. I mean the book was just released and it had things that were going on from like 2 months ago (i.e.30 for 30). They also seemed to feel the need to address and discuss every show (failed or otherwise) that was ever shown on ESPN and it's affiliated networks.

I would recommend this book to any sports fans however. It really is an awesome story, that is, for the most part, very well edited that gives you a real glimpse into the backroom of ESPN and all that they do. Some of the background on how things end up being on your TV is really cool. It's also a good read for anyone interested in hearing the business side of a billion dollar corporation. It makes you realize and appreciate how much decisions and items on TV are decided by people we don't even know.

Friday Night LIghts -- H.G. Bissinger ------------- 3.5 Stars

Well, this is a somewhat noteworthy blog. You see, it is my first book I have ever read on this new fangled device called a Kindle. On a side note, I enjoyed the Kindle, though, like many, I didn't think I would. It's so nice, easy, and simple, and as an added bonus, I have the Kindle app on my phone so I actually read much of this book on my phone...very cool.

Anyway, for those who don't know, Friday Night Lights is not just a movie and a TV show. In fact, most only know FNL from those two places, but well before the movie and show it was a pretty awesome book. As most already know, the story is about a year in the life in West Texas (Odeass specifically) and the story of high school football. I had been familiar with the movie and show (though I'm one of the few who apparently did not love the show).

Some things I learned:
1. They really, really, really love football in Texas. Like, to the point where people's priorities are significantly skewed in life (not to judge, but let's just say education is way, way behind football in importance).
2. The story took place in 1989...I had no idea it was this old.
3. The book is really a story about American culture and life. Sure, it's based around football but for much of the book I almost felt like I was reading an essay on sociology. This to me really was the most enjoyable part and interesting part of the book. Although I loved the football stories (it basically takes you through a whole season of a high school team) and biography's of the best players and coaches, the stories about life in Texas is what made this book great. Learning about the skewed priorities, the obsession with football in people's lives, the lack of time/interest put into education, the danger that is living in Odessa (one of highest murder rates in the country), and the waxing and waning of the economy based on oil prices.

So, you might be asking, how could this book get only 3.5 stars? It sounds awesome. Well, a few reasons. First, the author is a newspaper journalist and the books lacks some of the eloquence of prose that is usually found in other books that I read. It was told well, and straightforwardly, but it never really painted the great picture that you might hope in a book. Second, although I thoroughly enjoyed the non-football parts of the book, sometimes they would go on way too long. I'd be reading about a play in some big game, that flash forwarded to the stands, where the author than stars talking about some guy, and his life, and history, and some random stories about how his interest in football has affected his life. It just became a bit much after a while.

Overall, it was a very good story and a must read if you were into the FNL movie and TV show. For a casual sports/football fan, also a highly suggested read, but just be aware that you are getting a book about life in West Texas...and also, secondary to it, a book about football. Just be prepared that it occasionally drolls on, but it's still worth it, thanks to the great football stories.

The Corrections -- Jonathan Franzen ------------------------ 4 Stars

I think this is going to be a short blog. Yesterday was the wedding of my brother-in-law (which was great) and tomorrow is the first day of school, so I need some rest but first I had to share my thoughts on a very entertaining and enjoyable read The Corrections.

Recently I was looking for a good book to read and this came up in a few places as one of the best novels of the past decade; it did not disappoint. It's what I would call 'modern literature'. I say modern because this book is very much about the current world and all of it's bizarreness. The themes in the book are definitely grown up: sex, drugs, a little violence but this book is really about family. An incredibly dysfunctional, sad, and modern family. The other reason it's 'modern' is because of both the adult themes but also how it's written, which is very informal. It is still very much 'literature' though as the writing is wonderful and creative. The plot has a ton of conflict and there is a lot to it. By that I mean the themes and depictions of the family are superb and so real. You can't help but read this book and feel like you know these people and you know this family. And though the novel never overtly states what anyone is thinking, and dialogue is not hugely insightful, you can't help finishing this book and truly understanding the desires and issues that every person in the story is dealing with it.

I strongly suggest checking out the book. Although a bit long, it moves crisply and the dialogue throughout is incredibly entertaining. The story is told in about 6 month time period and it's basically about 2 older parents and their 3 siblings and then their issues. God almighty each person has their own issues. If your ever thinking "what is a typical dysfunctional Midwestern family like?", this book will answer it but it's great to be there along the way. I promise you'll be entertained.

Life of Pi -- Yann Martel ---------------------------- 1.5 Stars

So, I am not sure if this has ever happened to you reading a book or watching a movie, but it did for me with Life of Pi. What I am talking about is this rather odd phenomenon of expecting that you will like something, and by all reasonable expectations you should, but you just don't. To go ever further, after finishing reading/watching said book/movie, there is even more evidence to suggest that you should have immensely enjoyed what you just finished. However, it just did not happen. Well, that was my experience with Life of Pi.

By all indications, I should have really enjoyed this novel. Great reviews, wonderful word of mouth following, a well-written novel with an interesting plot that included numerous twists and turns, and ending that truly made me re-read various parts and have a conversation with others about it's meaning. Sounds pretty awesome, right? Well I suppose it is, but I just didn't get it. I mean, I really disliked the book. Often, it was a struggle to just pick it up and get through it. That's not what I am shooting for when reading a book.

Let's figure out why. First, in general, I like non-fiction books better. When I do read fiction, which I do almost 50% of my reading , it needs to be a book with some basis in reality. Thus, my first major issue with the book. As you might be able to tell from the picture on the cover, the book is about a teenage boy living on a life raft with a gigantic tiger. Yeah, there goes reality. I mean, I guess the book is possible (though he did live with a hyena and orangutan for a while too), but it was a bit too far for my realist mind to bend. Second, I love dialogue. Guess what, this book had little. I suppose this should not sound so surprising since, as I just said, the novel is about a teenage boy and tiger on a boat; I should have figured that pairing doesn't lead to much back and forth. Third, I didn't like the writing style/organization of the text. I felt like the writing didn't flow like other books I read, and it was more of a task to get through then other books. It was a bit too choppy for me. The organization was also a bit weird. The novel starts with an author explaining that this is a true story and sets the stage to show how 'real' it is, though the reader is fully aware that it's a novel. It then goes through the long sea story and fairly cool last part that takes about the aftermath. Again, no great flow. Fourth, the whole book is an allegory. It's all about god and spirituality. This too would be something that I would normally be in to (I like spiritual stuff...see this review), but when something is presented in an allegory, I don't buy in. It seems kind of hokey. Additionally, in the beginning of the book they say that this story will 'make you believe in god'. That was a pretty bold statement that I really feel was not backed up. The whole spiritual/god piece of the book especially turned me off.

Perhaps I was just not in the mood for this type of book as I read it or perhaps it really is just an awful book (though most disagree with me on that). I don't know what to say besides I give my ratings based on how exciting, entertaining, and captivating each book is, and this book failed miserably to hold my attention. I suppose if you don't mind giving up reality almost totally and want to read a fairly deep book, this would be the one for you. Just remember it's still a book about a kid on boat for 7 months with some animals... good luck with that.

Atonement -- Ian McEwan ------------------------ 4.5 Stars

It was incredibly strange to read a great novel with a twist for an ending after already having seen the movie, but, in an unexpected but certainly welcome surprise, it ended up making the book ever better.

I saw the movie Atonement a couple of years ago. I was going in not expecting much, I mean it didn't sound like my type of flavor: English, love story, set 60 years ago... sounds like a recipe for disaster but, alas, it was pretty good. I mean not bad. Then on a whim last week, I thought I should maybe read the book Atonement as I had heard it was a pretty good novel, and I was fairly familiar with the story. Well, I was absolutely shocked by how good it was and how much I enjoyed it.

I really couldn't put it down and read it in a week, which is the most critical element when I review a book...is it captivating?. It was a truly remarkable and probably a perfect novel. The only thing that took a way a .5 star was that I personally just didn't like the ending (bad reason to lose a .5 star, but I write the blog).

I don't feel like there is any need to go through the plot as most people have seen the movie or know in general what it's about so I'd rather just continue to gush about how much I liked the novel. First, I love the way McEwan writes. His prose is just phenomenal and a joy to read. It's almost like poetry how well it flows. He also has a knack for using some fairly obtuse vocabulary, but it seemed liked every word he used actually fit the sentence or paragraph and was never forced. Second, the characters he created seemed so real. Perhaps it was because I had seen the movie and could better picture them but they were so cleanly and fully developed it added so much to the novel to really feel like I 'knew' these people. Third, the story is so intricately and delicately developed that it really is quite genius... truly nothing is overlooked. Fourth, and though I hate to say it, it's a really nice love story. Normally not something I really find that exciting, this one was told so well that but you can't help but love it.

Overall, it really is a perfect novel and one I would recommend wholeheartedly to anyone who has not yet read it (I am a little behind as it came out like 10 years ago). For me, what added to it's enjoyability was the fact that I quasi-remembered parts of it from seeing the movie a few years ago. I remembered just enough to know who the characters were and the basic novel twists but not enough detail where I found it repetitive. Quite the opposite, because I remembered just enough of the story, I better appreciated and enjoyed seeing how it was developed through the written word.

So, if you have the choice, I would say definitely read the book right now if you saw the movie a while ago. Or you could go the route of watching the movie right now and then waiting like 3 years to read it but that takes some real patience.... the choice is yours.