Well, another year's nearly in the bag, and as usual, I've read a ton of books. Some were new releases, some were titles I had meant to get around to and just hadn't until this year. I thought I'd give my opinions, in brief, on some books I read this year, and what I thought of them.
This list includes only titles that I read for the very first time this year, (I do re-read books often), and that I began and finished in the 2008 calendar year. I'll list the books in the order i read them, and give a star rating to each title, and some commentary.
One final note before we begin: I read a wide variety of stuff, so even if you don't like the first few, read through the list. THere might be a good recommendation for you in here somewhere.
Duma Key -- by Stephen King -- 5 Stars
As usual, Stephen King delivers a gripping and spooky tale full of ghosts and utterly believable characters. This time, the story takes place in the warmer climes of Florida, instead of the Maine and New England backdrops we're used to seeing in most of King's works. From its tragic opening to its heart-pounding climax, you will find it impossible to put this baby down. It's a must-read, muchacho.
The Journals of Eleanor Druse -- by Stephen King -- 4 Stars
This short book, also available on Audible.com, is a companion work for the short lived television series Kingdom Hospital. It recounts the strange and ghostly happenings at a hospital in rural Maine from the perspective of an elderly woman who possesses psychic abilities of her own. While not entirely a complete or satisfying tale, it nonetheless is a great read that does not require familiarity with the series.
The Callahan Chronicals -- by Spider Robinson -- 5 Stars
What can you say? These quirky tales of the mythical bar "Callahan's" somewhere in New York are a sheer joy to read. The unlikely gathering of average Joes, time-travelers, aliens, and talking animals, coupled with delightfully horrifying puns and the heartwarming atmosphere is a mix that has seldom, if ever, been matched. If you want an uplifting book to get you through a week or two, and rekindle your faith in the human species, make yourself an Irish coffee and pick up a copy of The Callahan Chronicles<.
Variable Star -- by Robert A. Heinlein and Spider Robinson -- 4 Stars
This novel was begun in the 1950's by the legendary Robert Heinlein, but never completed. A few years ago, the equally legendary Spider Robinson got the job of a lifetime to complete the book that Heinlein had hardly even started. It's an interstellar tale of romance, treachery, and tragedy. It's the kind of science-fiction novel that puts characters first, and makes them every bit as human as us primitives of the early twenty-first century. LIke all of Robinson's work, it's both thought provoking and imaginative. An excellent book.
Callahan's Key -- by Spider Robinson -- 3 Stars
This is a fun book than continues the adventures of the patrons of the bar known as "Callahan's". Like the Chronicles, these stories include outrageous events and characters that will push hard against the boundaries of believability, and you won't care one bit. While not quite as compelling as some of the shorter Callahan What Would MacGyver Do? -- by Brendan Vaughan (and others) -- 3 Stars Yes, that's right. MacGyver. The guy from the 1980's classic action/adventure series who could disarm bombs with little more than nerve, patience, bubble gum and a paperclip. This book takes the MacGyver spirit to knew and frequently bizarre heights, as real people recount real-life situations when they had to use quick thinking and ingenuity to get themselves out of sticky situations. It's a fun book, but it didn't quite live up to the hype. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West -- by Gregory Maguire -- 4.5 Stars Maguire takes the creepier elements of the classic Oz tales by L. Frank Baum, amplifies them, and then takes Oz's most memorable villainess and turns her into a sympathetic and misunderstood soul, whose deviltry is the veil behind which she hides. It's a marvelous reworking, and an utterly riveting story. Forget the musical. It can't do this book justice in any way. Son of a Witch -- by Gregory Maguire -- 1 Star You know everything you just read about about Maguire's Wicked above? Yeah, well, you can forget all of that when it comes to Wicked's sequel. This dismal follow up to the brilliance of the previous title is slow, boring, and utterly uninteresting. The book's problems are compounded by the fact that, in the audio version, the book is read by Gregory Maguire himself. He's an excellent writer, but not a very good narrator for audio books. His characters sound alternately constipated or ready to fall asleep, and this only enhances the books poorer qualities. The Audacity of Hope -- by Barack Obama -- 4 Stars Whether you like Mr. Obama's views or not, you can't help but admire his honesty and unwillingness to be subverted by the corruption that plagues America's politics today. In this book, Mr. Obama chronicles his journey into the realm of political America, his political opinions, and many personal experiences he had along the way. Twilight -- by Stephenie Meyer -- 3.5 Stars Twilight opens the vampire romance saga that has captivated both men and women of all ages around the world in recent years. Seventeen-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix Arizona, and her mother, to start fresh in Forks Washington, the rainiest little town in America. She soon discovers that not all of her fellow classmates at Forks High School are entirely human. While not a work of genius on its own, you have to love it for paving the way for the titles to follow, much in the way that Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone did for that series. New Moon -- by Stephenie Meyer -- 4.5 Stars In the follow-up to Twilight, Stephenie Meyer takes us deeper into the world of mythical creatures she has created around the little community of Forks, Washington. It takes up where Twilight left off, and really begins to show case what a talented writer Meyer really is. It's Superman -- by Tom de Haven -- 4 Stars Despite it's campy title, this novel is a dark, serious, and incredibly realistic retelling of the Kansas farm boy's transformation into the man of steel. I've never been a Superman fan. I've always found the character to be silly, boring, and a completely generic comic hero. This book, however, places a whole new spin on the character and his life, placing the story in the 1930's, (when the first Superman comics were printed), and shows the conflicts and triumphs of the young Clark Kent, as well as the early days of Lois Lane and Lex Luther. It's an incredible read. Eclipse -- by Stephenie Meyer -- 4 Stars After a short break to visit the man of steel, I returned to Meyer's world of vampires and werewolves. In Eclipse, she continues to develop her talents, producing a compelling and nail-biting narrative that is significantly more action packed than her first two outings. If you weren't entirely sold on Bella, the Cullens, and the Blacks after the first two installments, you will be by the time you're a hundred pages into Eclipse. Breaking Dawn -- by Stephenie Meyer -- 5 Stars In the final installment of the Twilight Saga, Stephenie Meyer entirely outdoes herself. This last suspenseful journey through the life of Bella Swan is the best of the lot. It's the perfect finality to the series, and it's full of surprises that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. I really can't say more without giving too much away. Just read it. Read them all. The Gypsy Morph -- by Terry Brooks -- 3.5 Stars In the final volume of Brooks's Genesis of Shannara trilogy, we resume the tale of the Knights of the Word, the street kids who call themselves the Ghosts, the Gypsy Morph, and the demons who wish to destroy them all. It's a satisfying finale to a narrative whose primary purpose was to bridge the divide between Brooks's Word/Void and Shannara series. While quite enjoyable, the book does not capture either the magic of Shannara or the gritty realism of Word/Void. Still, it's a fun read. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland -- by Lewis Carroll -- 3 Stars I'm quite sure I'm not the first to note with solemnity, that this is quite possibly one of the most bizarre books ever written. What was Mr. Carroll smoking? In any case, it's a fun, if utterly nonsensical, story, aspects of which have become part of popular culture. The best part of this novel was hearing the audio book performance by Mr. jim Dale, (best known for his brilliant narration of the US Harry Potter audio books). If you're going to read this one, get the audio. The Host -- by Stephenie Meyer -- 5 Stars In The Host, Stephenie Meyer tries her hand at science-fiction, and succeeds brilliantly. We watch as a member of an invading alien race fights for control over a human host body, and in the process begins to understand the "savage humans" her people have come to possess. It's a fantastic story, and a well-written work that could have gone horribly afoul. Let's face it, it sounds like the premise for a bad '50's sci-fi B movie. Instead, we are left with a beautifully told novel that you will never want to end. The Graveyard Book -- by Neil Gaiman -- 5 Stars When I heard that Neil Gaiman had written a novel that was a sort of retelling of the classic story The Jungle Book, where an orphaned boy is raised by the ghostly inhabitants of a derelict graveyard, I knew I had to read it. This book was written specifically for me personally. Seriously! It's the sort of story I feel that I should have written. It's funny, and scary, and thrilling all at once. It was the first book by Mr. Gaiman I'd ever read, and now I'm a huge fan. It's one of the absolute best books of the year. American Gods -- by Neil Gaiman -- 4 Stars American Gods is a surreal trip through past and present-day America, which has become the ultimate battleground for the gods of the old world and the gods of the new. The novel's protagonist, a likable ex-con named Shadow, finds himself caught between the two sides when he's hired by the "Old Father" to be his messenger boy. It's one of the most imaginative stories I've read in years. If you liked Stephen King's The Dark Tower saga, then American Gods will be your cup of tea. I loved it. The Jesus Family Tomb -- by Simcha Jacobovici -- 4 Stars In this nonfiction account of a mysterious tomb found in Israel in the early 1980's and the subsequent investigation around it, we are presented with what may be the greatest archaeological discovery of the age. Unfortunately, that discovery is so controversial that many have tried to discredit it, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. Whichever perspective you come from, this is a fascinating book that well worth a read. Anansi Boys -- by Neil Gaiman -- 5 Stars What can I say? Neil Gaiman's got me hooked. In this semi-sequel to American Gods, we're treated to a much lighter and fun adventure involving the sons of the African spider god Anansi, king of all the stories there ever were or ever will be. It's told with Gaiman's trademark intellectuality, wit, and style. At times, it seemed like he was channeling the late and very great Douglas Adams, as much of the humor is of a very similar stripe. This book is destined to be a classic, if it isn't already. If you haven't read it, you absolutely must do so. American Gods is not required reading before this title, though there are a couple of references to that novel, and Anansi Boys clearly takes place after the events recounted therein. American Gods is also a much darker sort of story, and the tone of the two books is so varied that it is nearly impossible to compare them. Read it! Thanks for reading. Again, I only included books that I both began and finished in the 2008 calendar year. I hope this list may have given you something new to read. See ya!
