Sunday, February 28, 2016

The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde

Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Author: Oscar Wilde
Borrowed from DC public library (audiobook)
Started: 2/25/2016
Finished: 2/28/2016

Had not read this one since high school. Very enjoyable.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Train Dreams, by Denis Johnson

Title: Train Dreams
Author: Denis Johnson
Borrowed from DC public library
Started: 2/23/2016
Finished: 2/25/2016

The book that turned me onto Denis Johnson. Yes I just read it last year, but I needed a Johnson fix and wanted to revisit this one. Just a beautiful book. I know I said this about Haruki Murakami in my last review but is is true of Johnson as well -- Johnson's books make me want to write. What an amazing gift he has.

I've said this before as well: Will Patton's narration really is fantastic.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, by Haruki Murakami

The second Murakami book I've read, the first was The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (which I loved).  This book is a collection of short stories, some more memorable than others, but overall enjoyable.  Murakami's books always make me want to start writing, there is just something about them.  Not to write like him, but for whatever reason I find them inspiring to me to want to write.

Instead I usually boot up the PS4 and play video games...

Also, my public library added a bunch of Murakami audiobooks to their collection, so it is likely I'll go through a few more of these this year.

Monday, February 22, 2016

The Guest Room, by Chris Bohjalian

  • Title:  The Guest Room
  • Author:  Chris Bohjalian
  • Purchased from Amazon (Kindle Edition)
  • Started 2/11/2016
  • Finished: 2/22/2016
Another book club book, I'm not sure how I feel about this one.  The subject matter was so horrific, and many of the characters were unlikable.  Still it was a fast-paced and exciting (if that's the right word) novel.  

I thought the plot fell apart near the end.  Just could not believe the actions by the main character (Richard) once the woman returned to his home.  


Thursday, February 11, 2016

Sad Cypress, by Agatha Christie

Title: Sad Cypress
Author:  Agatha Christie 
Obtained from the small free library in Ocean City, MD, Northside Park
Started:  1/19/2016
Finished: 2/11/2016

This is a pretty slight novel to have been reading for almost a month. The reality is I started it a while ago and then put it down for a while. 

At any rate, I enjoyed this one. I would have liked more Poirot, he isn't in much of this one, but it is still very enjoyable. 

Friday, February 5, 2016

Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides

  • Title:  Middlesex
  • Author:  Jeffrey Eugenides
  • Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
  • Started:  1/18/2016
  • Finished:  2/5/2016
A recommendation from a book-club member (not one of our book club books), I LOVED this one.  Wanted to take days off to continue this book.  I won't lie, I though the book sort of fell apart after Cal ran away from his folks in NY and ended up at the club in San Fran.  But that's a small issue in an overall wonderful read.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

The Columbo Phile: A Casebook, by Mark Dawidziak

Almost two years I've been reading this!  Well that's not quite fair, it has been sitting on my night stand for almost two years and every so often I would read a section on an episode, slowly (very slowly) making my way through the series.

Overall I enjoyed this, having first come upon it in the library at USF (the real one in Tampa, not the fake one in San Fran) when I was an undergrad there.  I had always wanted to pick up a copy but could never justify the expense for used versions.

I got lucky in August of 2014 when I found a copy for a more reasonable $29 (right now the cheapest is $89, and some go for over $300!), and a gift card to Amazon as well.  

Dawidziak and I don't always agree on the caliber of the episodes (I can't understand how he didn't love "An Exercise in Fatality", one of my favorites), but overall we were on the same page.