ABAW September Edition

I finished only three books in September, and I’ve already written about one of them, so this will go fast.  Yes, three books is less than A Book A Week, but if I go with my total number of books read this year (63), I’m still well ahead of the 52 book per year curve. Heck, I could quit now and still be good. But I’m not going to do that. I’d rather torture you with my opinion.  

Books I Read in September

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

You can read my reaction to this rather perplexing book here.

Artemis Fowl by Eoinn Colfer

I read this one out loud to the Sonars.  The elder Sonars had read this one on their own before, but for me and Sonar X5 it was the first time.  I enjoyed this book.  I won’t say that I adored it or loved it, but there were several things that I liked and in particular Respected about this book.  It already sounds like a lukewarm date, but I assure you, it’s more fun than that.  Artemis is a twelve-year-old criminal mastermind.  Other than stealing a copy of a very important book from a fairy through the use of threats, intimidation, bribery, and drugs, I wasn’t ever quite clear on the crimes that gave Artemis his reputation, but we are to believe that he is a genius, a hardened criminal, assisted by his faithful servant/bodyguard/thug Butler.  Artemis lives in a world where no one really believes in The People (fairies, trolls, gnomes, goblins, etc.), but they DO exist, living mostly underground and completely in secret.  

In this book Artemis steals gold from a leprechaun.  Except that the leprechaun isn’t a little dude in a green bowler hat, it’s the LEPrecon, “an elite branch of the Lower Elements Police.” And the gold is—oh, well, the gold is just gold. A lot of it.  And he accomplishes this by catching crack LEPrecon Captain Holly Short and holding her for ransom until her bosses pay.  Slightly gritty without being sinister or scary, there are just enough gross jokes to get a snorting giggle, just enough mild swearing to make it feel like you’re getting away with something, and just enough humanity in Artemis to remind you that he is a kid.  A kid with a lot of money and resources, but not a lot of friends.  I liked Holly Short and the struggle she faces as the first woman doing her job.  I liked Butler, who seems like brainless meat at first, but might really be the soul of the series.  I liked the mythology of the story.  I like and respect the honesty in the book and the lack of condescension.  I didn’t feel an instant connection to any of the characters in this book in the same way that I have in other series for kids, but I think that may come in time.  I look forward to the rest of the books in the series.   

Blood Rites (Book 6 of The Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher

This is my favorite Dresden so far.  Fans of the series will recognize the piles and piles of complications, some funny, some terrifying, as Dresden is hired to be the supernatural bodyguard for the taping of a porn movie (In spite of the setting, there is relatively little sex in this book compared to other Dresdens).  Meanwhile a pack of nasty vampires are trying to kill him.  He’s stuck with an abandoned puppy (that may have special powers).  Another, seemingly less nasty but no less dangerous, group of vampires have noticed Dresden and might want him out of the way.  And there’s flying flaming monkey poo.  All in a day’s work . My favorite bits: Orphan Dresden gets some family and the world seems a little less scary.  The door is opened for new romantic involvement for Dresden.  And while Dresden continually reminds himself that he can’t let their humanity distract him into trusting the monsters, it is equally important that he not let their monstrosity distract him from respecting their humanity.  Delicious fun. 

Now Reading

Reading Lolita in Tehran: a Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi :: A happy gift from my sister.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling :: Out loud to the Sonars. Again.

Want to Read

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Physics of the Impossible: a Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel by Michio Kaku

Sonars are Reading

The Wide Window, Book 3 of The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

One of the Maximum Ride books by James Patterson. I forget which one. Whoops, it’s actually Ark Angel (an Alex Rider book) by Anthony Horowitz. 

N.E.R.D.S.: M is for Mama’s Boy by Michael Buckley