"This Is Where I Leave You," Jonathan Tropper
This book was pretty cliche for the most part, but I still liked it. I didn't LOVE it, but I liked it. There were some moments that made me cry because they hit far too close to home, and I think that's what keeps this book from being so cliche that it is obsolete. The story focuses on the Foxman family, who gather together to sit shiva to mourn the loss of their patriarch, Mort. The ending is by far too rushed and the most cliche part of all, but other than that, I found Tropper made some pretty true and poignant statements about life, family, and love.
"Diary"
Rant being the only other Palahniuk book I've read, I can't say that I'm an expert, but I was unsure of his handling of the ending. I expected a new design to present the story and he definitely did that. He used storytelling in a fresh way, which always takes some getting used to, but I always appreciate. I would rather adjust myself as the reader than the writer always take me to the same place. I found it hard to stop reading this short book once I was on a roll, but the build-up lead to a kind of lackluster end - I didn't really get the huge ending from him that seemed appropriate for such suspense. I suppose that's how he is - anyone who has ever watched and consequently loved "Fight Club" loves it for its jarring ending. However, just because this ending wasn't what I expected didn't mean that it was automatically fantastic because of its unpredictability. I didn't dislike the whole novel because of it, but I found myself wanting more, and not in the good way of "author knows best..."
"Lullaby"
I loved this one. It was still crazy, yet much easier to follow than the other Palahniuk books I've read. It centered around a journalist and culling songs (use your Google skills, lazy ass). My only complaint is that while the first 3/4's of the book were good, the twist for the last 1/4 should have been expanded on. The book was short enough that he could have added a solid 100 more pages on the "wham, bam, thank you, ma'am" Palahniuk twist that is ALWAYS, always present.... except maybe in Diary. On to FIGHT CLUB!!!!
[both by Chuck Palahniuk]
"How to Buy a Love of Reading," Tanya Egan Gibson
I think I might have loved this book. The only reason I can't figure it out is not because of lack of characterization, or the characters themselves, or the story, or the point of view, or the bittersweet ending, or any other device used in this book. It was the overload of SAT words. In some instances it made sense (Carley, the main character, is constantly studying for her SAT's and being bombarded with the importance of language/reading/etc.), but in others, I was pretty sure the writer just wanted to boast her knowledge of the English language. I can't hold the author against the novel though, as the story was compelling and made me cry, once I got used to the maze of language. If you read my copy, you won't get through more than 2 pages without marks on it for words I either didn't know or thought excessive. The different ways Gibson told the story, however, were inventive and fun to read. They made me interested in the characters, especially in Hunter and Carley's friendship, so much so that the ending had me crying on my couch in tears for the final 20 pages. As the famous & oft quote Gatsby in this novel, "And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." This book did force me back into the past, to reevaluate my own life, love, and specifically, my love of reading. That Fitzgerald line always whispered beautiful to me, but today, it made me cry as I realized how much I loved it, loved reading, and how much I needed to change. Love of Reading re-sparked my own.
"The Road," Cormac McCarthy
Not to sound like I didn't enjoy this novel, but I was a little surprised at how much credit it received. I thought it had some wildly beautiful language and imagery, and a moving father/son relationship at the core of it all, but not much happened. I guess I was just expecting more out of a novel set in a post-apocalyptic world. I felt the character growth through the characters, but not really through the events. I felt emotions through the characters, but not really because of what had happened to them. I felt disgust and fear through the characters, but not through the should-have-been-grossly-detailed-but-were-vague descriptions of the cannibalistic and violent activities of human race. Of course, this kind of counteracts my statement about great imagery, but I assure you: the imagery of place was dire and deep. However, the imagery of the off-stage humans, the ones who were responsible for every move the main characters made, was lacking. I needed McCarthy to prove how evil they were, even though my imagination ran wild, and there was one (**SPOILER**) instance of a barbecued baby that finally pushed into the level of description I wanted.
"Mommywood," Tori Spelling
There's nothing critical I can say here. Tori Spelling is who she is, and her books are that way as well. Maybe that's why I have such an obsession with her and her life. She's funny, normal, clumsy, OCD, anxious, weird, and seems like she could be my best friend. Every book I read of hers feels like I'm reading the diary of a close friend to catch up on what's been going on in her life. The light-hearted, sweet (and often laugh-out-loud funny) tone of her books is refreshing from the rest of what we think we're supposed to read, the books that get you a respectful stare instead of one with laughter brimming from behind it. Loved it! (Thanks for the birthday present, Ma!)
"My Horizontal Life," Chelsea Handler
This book was really funny. It was actually more tame than I thought it would be, but entertaining nonetheless. Quick read if you enjoy reading things that are funny, racy, and/or awesome.
"Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West," Gregory Maguire
Not even done with this, but there is absolutely nothing that could happen to prevent me from adding this book to my list of favorites. Fucking BRILLIANT. (After finishing this book, though it didn't ever fizzle, it did slow down significantly. If the detail of the first half of the novel were applied to the last half, this book would be perfect. However, I still loved it! Definitely a favorite and I look forward to reading more of his books.)
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