The Bigness of the World
Lori Ostlund
The stories in this collection are all very similar but not redundant; reading each one is like being shown another facet of a diamond. Ostlund's two basic premises, a lesbian couple's relationship disintegrates as they travel in a developing country and a small child tries to understand the behavior of irresponsible adults, are presented with quiet humor and studded with small, sharp details such as sugared orange juice in Malaysia or minute rice with butter as an afterschool snack in Minnesota. Most of the characters are shy, fussy, middle-aged Midwesterners, lacking in social skills, lashing out in frustration at a world that has disappointed them, and strangled by their inability to express their emotions, although Ostlund lets us in their heads and describes beautifully what is there. Every story has at least one gay character, and the feeling of needing to keep this secret is part of what causes their separation from the rest of the world. I want to tell Ostlund that those people don't have to be tragic figures, that being that way doesn't doom you to a lifetime of unhappiness—many reserved Midwesterners go on to find love and live happy, fulfilled lives. The bigness of the world is frightening, the many ways that people can fail each other even more so, but Ostlund describes both with compassion and grace.
30 December 2009
The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance
Elna Baker
Elna Baker grew up in a warm, supportive, and very well-traveled Mormon family. She loves her religion and plans to stay a teetotaling virgin until she marries in the temple and to become a god after her death. But she's also a natural performer and dreams of being an actor, so when she leaves home for school she chooses New York City. When she loses eighty pounds and discovers that she enjoys flirting with and kissing cute non-Mormon men, of which there is an endless supply in New York, the tension of trying to live in two worlds that aren't at all compatible becomes overwhelming. Baker is engaging and funny, and this book would work as just a weight-loss memoir or a dating-misadventures-in-New-York story, but the religion component—she isn't leaving her upbringing behind, she (or at least part of her) wants a Mormon life—puts her in an impossible place, a more extreme version of a the choice that anyone torn between comfort and curiosity has faced. A security guard from her workplace sums her up: "You know what your problem is? You believe a buncha different things, you've lived in a buncha different places, and now, nobody's like you." "Thanks, Vinny, " she replies, "No one tells you what being unique actually means: that you'll die alone." So what should she do? A choice seems necessary, but also impossible. Baker is still in her twenties, so we can look forward to hearing many more of her adventures—and how she resolves her dilemma.
30 December 2009
The Murder of King Tut
James Patterson and Martin Dugan
This book is good because it tells what happened in Egypt a long time ago with the pharaohs who had a lot of gold and riches. Also it tells about Howard Carter. He is the guy from England who found the mummy and all the treasures. He made me think of Indiana Jones. One of the writers is a famous mystery writer and you can tell because he makes the story very exciting and like a mystery. There is lots of stuff about pharaohs killing people and robbers stealing from pyramids. Sometimes the authors use big words that are probably about sex or other grown-up things. But mostly it is a good book for kids to read and the chapters are only one page long or two pages long. The other guy who wrote the book is maybe the one who found out what all those people from a long time ago were really thinking, even though they are dead now. They are just like real people on TV even though they are from ancient Egypt and also England. I liked this book and everyone should read it.
20 December 2009
The New Yorkers
Cathleen Schine
On this block, whatever the weather
Dog walking brings strangers together.
The story's playful and light
With a bittersweet bite
For neither love nor dogs last forever.
30 September 2009
I'm Dying Up Here: Heartbreak and High Times in Stand-up Comedy's Golden Era
William Knoedelseder
For comics, the seventies were sunny
Until they realized they should be paid money.
The strike details get dull
But it's nice to recall
The days when Leno was funny.
2 July 2009
Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog
John Grogan
The cute little Lab in the pen
Becomes man's huge and destructive best friend.
Overbearing and gawky
Describe both the prose and the doggie
But you'll want tissues on hand at the end.
More limericks
20 December 2009
Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall Kazuo Ishiguro
The misty photograph of Venice on the jacket and the melancholy title don't match the tone of this book. The passive male narrators recall the timid butler from The Remains of the Day, but the contemporary and often absurd situations they are in are very different. Mostly musicians who haven't made it or never will, the main characters let themselves be manipulated by people who have personalities stronger than their own, and who are often at least a little bit crazy. Ishiguro is in quiet command of his storytelling, which makes the laugh-out-loud wacky moments even more surprising and pleasurable.
Revolutionary Road
Richard Yates
Is suburbia really entirely to blame?
This Boy's Life: A Memoir
Tobias Wolff
Tough childhood, failures provide lifelong material.
Mrs. Mike
Benedict Freedman and Nancy Freedman
Love a mountie, grow up fast.
Outliers:The Story of Success
Malcolm Gladwell
Being fortunate contributes to success—surprised?
More six-word summaries
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Literary Limericks
Six-Word Summaries
Buy-Nothing Songs
Books Reviewed
Ten Little Indians Sherman Alexie
The...Mormon Singles Halloween Dance Elna Baker
A Box of Matches Nicholson Baker
Big Trouble Dave Barry
One! Hundred! Demons! Lynda Barry
Personals Thomas Beller, editor
Postville Stephen Bloom
Passionate Minds David Bodanis
Mystery Ride Robert Boswell
The Climb Anatoli Boukreev and G. Weston DeWalt
My Husband Betty Helen Boyd
Drop City T.C. Boyle
The Inner Circle T.C. Boyle
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid Bill Bryson
A Walk in the Woods Bill Bryson
Long For This World Michael Byers
In Cold Blood Truman Capote
The Skeptic's Dictionary Robert T. Carroll
Heart, You Bully, You Punk Leah Hager Cohen
Mrs. Bridge Evan S. Connell
Mr. Bridge Evan S. Connell
River Thieves Michael Crummey
My Misspent Youth Meghan Daum
The Quality of Life Report Meghan Daum
The Gift of Fear Gavin de Becker
Burnt Bread and Chutney Carmit Delman
Brother Iron, Sister Steel Dave Draper
Crunchy Cons Rod Dreher
Turbulent Souls Stephen Dubner
House of Sand and Fog Andre Dubus III
Bait and Switch Barbara Ehrenreich
Nickel and Dimed Barbara Ehrenreich
Travels with Lizbeth Lars Eighner
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Anne Fadiman
Kick Me Paul Feig
True Story Michael Finkel
Time and Again Jack Finney
Still Life With Husband Lauren Fox
Bad Times in Buenos Aires Miranda France
The Corrections Jonathan Franzen
Jew vs. Jew Samuel G. Freedman
Jews Without Judaism Daniel Friedman
Muscle Samuel Fussell
The Country of Marriage Anthony Giardina
White Guys Anthony Giardina
Baby Proof Emily Giffin
Love the One You're With Emily Giffin
Stumbling on Happiness Daniel Gilbert
The Last American Man Elizabeth Gilbert
Stern Men Elizabeth Gilbert
Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress Susan Jane Gilman
Blink Malcolm Gladwell
Bee Season Myla Goldberg
The Search for God at Harvard Ari Goldman
Awake Elizabeth Graver
The Curious Incident of the Dog... Mark Haddon
Holy Days Lis Harris
The Believers Zöe Heller
What Was She Thinking? Zöe Heller
Confederates in the Attic Tony Horwitz
Waltzing the Cat Pam Houston
Nocturnes Kazuo Ishiguro
The Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro
Le Divorce Diane Johnson
A Death in Belmont Sebastian Junger
John Stuart Mill in Love Josephine Kamm
Subwayland Randy Kennedy
The Pleasing Hour Lily King
Seven Blessings Ruchama King
Ultimate Fitness Gina Kolata
Into the Wild Jon Krakauer
Under the Banner of Heaven Jon Krakauer
The Namesake Jhumpa Lahiri
Close to the Bone Jake Lamar
The Girls Lori Lansens
The Devil in the White City Erik Larson
The Body of Jonah Boyd David Leavitt
Random Family Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
Mystic River Dennis Lehane
The Geography of Time Robert Levine
The Inn at Lake Devine Elinor Lipman
Absolutely American David Lipsky
Inconspicuous Consumption Paul Lukas
Lonesome Dove Larry McMurtry
The Early Arrival of Dreams Rosemary Mahoney
Shopgirl Steve Martin
The Family That Couldn’t Sleep D.T. Max
Home Comforts Cheryl Mendelson
The Trouble with Diversity Walter Benn Michaels
The Outside World Tova Mirvis
Starting Out in the Evening Brian Morton
Her Fearful Symmetry Audrey Niffenegger
The Time Traveler's Wife Audrey Niffenegger
The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Club Laurie Notaro
The Last of Her Kind Sigrid Nunez
The Orchid Thief Susan Orlean
The Bigness of the World Lori Ostlund
The Dive From Clausen’s Pier Ann Packer
Truth and Beauty Ann Patchett
The Murder of King Tut James Patterson, Martin Dugan
Little Children Tom Perrotta
The Botany of Desire Michael Pollan
Blue Clay People William Powers
Whispering in the Giant's Ear William Powers
The Wild Trees Richard Preston
Blue Angel Francine Prose
Music Through the Floor Eric Puchner
Don’t Get Too Comfortable David Rakoff
In the Little World John H. Richardson
Out of America Keith B. Richburg
Stiff Mary Roach
Them Jon Ronson
The Israelis Donna Rosenthal
Kissing in Manhattan David Schickler
Time of My Life Allison Winn Scotch
Me Talk Pretty One Day David Sedaris
A Return to Modesty Wendy Shalit
The Dangerous Husband Jane Shapiro
The Size of the World Joan Silber
American Wife Curtis Sittenfeld
The Man of My Dreams Curtis Sittenfeld
Prep Curtis Sittenfeld
Before the Knife Carolyn Slaughter
Name All the Animals Alison Smith
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith
A Ship Made of Paper Scott Spencer
The Man Who Ate Everything Jeffrey Steingarten
High-Tech Heretic Clifford Stoll
Evening News Marly Swick
The Mismeasure of Woman Carol Tavris
Blankets Craig Thompson
A Complicated Kindness Miriam Toews
Summer Blonde Adrian Tomine
The Men and the Girls Johanna Trollope
One-L Scott Turow
Working Fire Zac Unger
My Own Country Abraham Verghese
The Tennis Partner Abraham Verghese
The Glass Castle Jeannette Walls
Girls Like Us Sheila Weller
He Is...I Say David Wild
The Right Stuff Tom Wolfe
Old School Tobias Wolff
Marjorie Morningstar Herman Wouk
Youngblood Hawke Herman Wouk
Generation Kill Evan Wright