(Or the April, May, June, July of 2008 list, to be more correct.)
Here are the books I’ve been reading towards the end of school and during work:
The Diamond Age or, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson. This is a cyberpunk themed novel that follows the story of a girl named Nell and her “magic” book. There are other side plots which take place and eventually intertwine with Nell’s life. Another Stephenson novel, the writing is filled with small details that never seem to lead anywhere. While I found the end to be anti-climactic and the lack of resolution for certain points to be annoying, I enjoyed this read. Far better than Snow Crash.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Takes place in an alternate future, where the human species has been genetically split into multiple varieties, where “lower” humans labor and serve and maintain the “upper” humans lives and luxuries. I didn’t actually know if there was a real plot to the story or not. While the ideas are ones worth reading, I found the narrative rather lacking. The copy I had also included Brave New World Revisited, where Huxley goes back over his story to explain whether the future he wrote about could apply to us or not. While I wouldn’t say it’s a bad book, I’m sure it’s of no great folly if you miss out on reading this book.
Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. A pretty funny religious parody (or at least I think it’s a parody) book, I think it’s definitely worth reading. Especially if you are aware of the Jewish or Christian religions. This book fills in the blank between Christ’s childhood and adulthood that is left blank in the Bible in a rather amusing way. Even though it is a religious parody, I’m sure everyone can enjoy the humor found in the story.
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. The first set of pages were hard to get into, and I had a problem staying enthused. Once the story settled in, I found this book to be one of the better reads I’ve done. Follows the story of the narrator and his interactions with his best friend, Owen Meany. The text flops back and forth between the past and the present, as the narrator deals with his life. This is a solid work of fiction, and worth reading to anyone.
The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem’s Eye, and Ptolemy’s Gate all follow the story of Nathaniel, an aspiring magician, and the sharp tongued djinni, Bartimaeus. I liked them. They aren’t short or anything, but they read very quick.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. A novel more on the serious side, but still fun to read. The story is fresh to me, and at same time very engaging. Apparently, there’s a movie out as well. Definitely a book to add to your own reading lists.
Service Included – Four-star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter by Phoebe Damrosch. Book follows the narrator’s experiences working as a waitress in a up and coming restaurant in New York City. I enjoyed reading about her experiences behind the scenes, and the sort of prep that takes place. On the other hand, as a non-fiction, I found myself wanting a bit less of her personal life, and wanting more restaurant info. Nevertheless, an interesting read.
In other news, I finally posted another comic after more than a year of dawdling.
