Title: The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece
Author: Jonathon Harry
Genre: Art History
Format: Quality Paperback
Publishing Info: Random House Trade Paperbacks; Reprint edition (November 7, 2006)
List Price: $13.95
ISBN: 0375759867
BINC:
Page Count: 320
Summary: Prizewinning author Jonathan Harr embarks on an spellbinding journey to discover the long-lost painting known as The Taking of Christ–its mysterious fate and the circumstances of its disappearance have captivated Caravaggio devotees for years. After Francesca Cappelletti stumbles across a clue in that dusty archive, she tracks the painting across a continent and hundreds of years of history. But it is not until she meets Sergio Benedetti, an art restorer working in Ireland, that she finally manages to assemble all the pieces of the puzzle. (From amazon.com)
Best Bit: Harr doesn't really shy away from going into the personal politics in the art community. People are petty, back-scratchers, and obviously invested in getting credit for one of the most important Caravaggio discoveries in recent history.
Quick Review: When Harr switches gears from his overly descriptive prose and finally really digs into the events surrounding the discovery of The Taking of Christ, the book really starts picking up. Also, I love Caravaggio.
Final Grade: A
Author: Jonathon Harry
Genre: Art History
Format: Quality Paperback
Publishing Info: Random House Trade Paperbacks; Reprint edition (November 7, 2006)
List Price: $13.95
ISBN: 0375759867
BINC:
Page Count: 320
Summary: Prizewinning author Jonathan Harr embarks on an spellbinding journey to discover the long-lost painting known as The Taking of Christ–its mysterious fate and the circumstances of its disappearance have captivated Caravaggio devotees for years. After Francesca Cappelletti stumbles across a clue in that dusty archive, she tracks the painting across a continent and hundreds of years of history. But it is not until she meets Sergio Benedetti, an art restorer working in Ireland, that she finally manages to assemble all the pieces of the puzzle. (From amazon.com)
Best Bit: Harr doesn't really shy away from going into the personal politics in the art community. People are petty, back-scratchers, and obviously invested in getting credit for one of the most important Caravaggio discoveries in recent history.
Quick Review: When Harr switches gears from his overly descriptive prose and finally really digs into the events surrounding the discovery of The Taking of Christ, the book really starts picking up. Also, I love Caravaggio.
Final Grade: A
Title: Endymion Spring
Author: Matthew Skelton
Genre: Fiction (Independent Reader)
Format: Hardcover
Publishing Info: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (August 22, 2006)
List Price: $17.95
ISBN: 0385733801
BINC:
Page Count: 400
Summary:
From a review on amazon: He didn't find the book. The book found him. When American expatriate and teenager Blake moved to Oxford, England with his annoying little sister and scholar mother he expected to be bored. What he did not expect was to be bitten by an ancient crumbling novel with the words, "Endymion Spring" on the cover. Intrigued by his find, Blake suddenly finds increasingly strange things happening to him. He receives a little paper dragon that seems to have a mind of its own. His sister is acting quieter and more withdrawn than usual. By the time he understands what he's gotten into, it's far too late. Blake's fate is tied in with that of the original Endymion Spring, a boy apprentice to the great printer Gutenberg himself. Leaping between the past and the present, this tale draws together scholars of every age, the lure of power, and how one book can change the entire world. Magic and research combine in a terrifying mix.
Best Bit:
The big ending scene in the basement of the Oxford library. This book makes libraries cool. Sweet!
Quick Review:
Um, it's like the Da Vinci Code for kids. Which isn't necessarily bad, and it's engaging enough, but it's definitely not the best thing ever. Although hey, yey Oxford.
Final Grade: C
Author: Matthew Skelton
Genre: Fiction (Independent Reader)
Format: Hardcover
Publishing Info: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (August 22, 2006)
List Price: $17.95
ISBN: 0385733801
BINC:
Page Count: 400
Summary:
From a review on amazon: He didn't find the book. The book found him. When American expatriate and teenager Blake moved to Oxford, England with his annoying little sister and scholar mother he expected to be bored. What he did not expect was to be bitten by an ancient crumbling novel with the words, "Endymion Spring" on the cover. Intrigued by his find, Blake suddenly finds increasingly strange things happening to him. He receives a little paper dragon that seems to have a mind of its own. His sister is acting quieter and more withdrawn than usual. By the time he understands what he's gotten into, it's far too late. Blake's fate is tied in with that of the original Endymion Spring, a boy apprentice to the great printer Gutenberg himself. Leaping between the past and the present, this tale draws together scholars of every age, the lure of power, and how one book can change the entire world. Magic and research combine in a terrifying mix.
Best Bit:
The big ending scene in the basement of the Oxford library. This book makes libraries cool. Sweet!
Quick Review:
Um, it's like the Da Vinci Code for kids. Which isn't necessarily bad, and it's engaging enough, but it's definitely not the best thing ever. Although hey, yey Oxford.
Final Grade: C
Title: My Secret: A PostSecret Book
Author: Frank Warren
Genre: Art Monographies
Format: Hardcover
Publishing Info: Regan Books (October 24, 2006)
List Price: $19.95
ISBN: 0061196681
BINC: 1125333
Page Count: 144
Summary:
A PostSecret book consisting entirely of secrets from teens and college students. (How he knows the age of the secret writer is sort of a mystery... but whatever.)
Best Bit:
PostSecret is a lovely and interesting phenomenon. Warren places some random quotes amongst all the images, and I feel like this one sums up the social aspect of it best: "I don't feel entirely alone when I go through the postcards on your website, or rather, I still feel alone, but I feel like there are a lot more people alone with me."
Quick Review:
I enjoyed it, and while it's not a typical book like of the rest on this list, I still felt it merited inclusion. I'm especially excited about my copy, as Frank Warren came into our store and signed our copies, but I was able to quickly meet him as well. The idea is just so so so awesome.
Final Grade: A
Author: Frank Warren
Genre: Art Monographies
Format: Hardcover
Publishing Info: Regan Books (October 24, 2006)
List Price: $19.95
ISBN: 0061196681
BINC: 1125333
Page Count: 144
Summary:
A PostSecret book consisting entirely of secrets from teens and college students. (How he knows the age of the secret writer is sort of a mystery... but whatever.)
Best Bit:
PostSecret is a lovely and interesting phenomenon. Warren places some random quotes amongst all the images, and I feel like this one sums up the social aspect of it best: "I don't feel entirely alone when I go through the postcards on your website, or rather, I still feel alone, but I feel like there are a lot more people alone with me."
Quick Review:
I enjoyed it, and while it's not a typical book like of the rest on this list, I still felt it merited inclusion. I'm especially excited about my copy, as Frank Warren came into our store and signed our copies, but I was able to quickly meet him as well. The idea is just so so so awesome.
Final Grade: A
Title: The Dead Zone
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Horror
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Publishing Info: Signet; Reissue edition (January 6, 2004)
List Price: $7.99
ISBN: 0451155750
BINC: 123319
Page Count: 402
Summary:
Johnny Smith has a gift, and one that he never really wanted. If you were granted the ability to see flashes of the future, what would you use that power for? Smith must face these questions on a daily basis after he is almost killed in a car crash, but his ultimate test will change the course of history.
Best Bit:
This was probably one of King's best plots that I have read so far. His strongest stories come from character work, especially when the monsters are human, like Greg Stillson.
Quick Review:
I pretty much devoured this book in 2 days in the start of November. While King's books are almost always fast reads, sometimes I will wander away from one in the middle, and pick it up a few days later. Not the case with this one. I wanted to read it especially after reading his comments on it in On Writing, and I was not let down. Johnny Smith is a great every-man hero, much like Stu Redman or Larry Underwood of The Stand.
Final Grade: A
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Horror
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Publishing Info: Signet; Reissue edition (January 6, 2004)
List Price: $7.99
ISBN: 0451155750
BINC: 123319
Page Count: 402
Summary:
Johnny Smith has a gift, and one that he never really wanted. If you were granted the ability to see flashes of the future, what would you use that power for? Smith must face these questions on a daily basis after he is almost killed in a car crash, but his ultimate test will change the course of history.
Best Bit:
This was probably one of King's best plots that I have read so far. His strongest stories come from character work, especially when the monsters are human, like Greg Stillson.
Quick Review:
I pretty much devoured this book in 2 days in the start of November. While King's books are almost always fast reads, sometimes I will wander away from one in the middle, and pick it up a few days later. Not the case with this one. I wanted to read it especially after reading his comments on it in On Writing, and I was not let down. Johnny Smith is a great every-man hero, much like Stu Redman or Larry Underwood of The Stand.
Final Grade: A
Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Genre: Fiction/Literature
Format: Quality Paperback
Publishing Info: Harper Perennial Modern Classics (May 23, 2006)
List Price: $15.95
ISBN: 0061120081
BINC: 8258291
Page Count: 336
Summary:
According to Amazon: A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father -- a crusading local lawyer -- risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.
Best Bit:
Calpurnia. I love her. Also, Atticus, in general, because he is so clueless sometimes about raising Jem and Scout, but he really does everything right.
Quick Review:
Uh, it's pretty much a classic. I reread because I haven't read it in ages, and had pretty much forgotten most of the major plot points. But how can you "review" a book like To Kill a Mockingbird?
Final Grade: A
Author: Harper Lee
Genre: Fiction/Literature
Format: Quality Paperback
Publishing Info: Harper Perennial Modern Classics (May 23, 2006)
List Price: $15.95
ISBN: 0061120081
BINC: 8258291
Page Count: 336
Summary:
According to Amazon: A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father -- a crusading local lawyer -- risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.
Best Bit:
Calpurnia. I love her. Also, Atticus, in general, because he is so clueless sometimes about raising Jem and Scout, but he really does everything right.
Quick Review:
Uh, it's pretty much a classic. I reread because I haven't read it in ages, and had pretty much forgotten most of the major plot points. But how can you "review" a book like To Kill a Mockingbird?
Final Grade: A
Halfway through October, and ahead of schedule... which is a good thing, as I will be participating in National Novel Writing Month in November.
Books read: 7
Pages read: 1973
Favorite so far: Stephen King's On Writing
Least favorite so far: Cormac McCarthy's The Road (although I want so badly to like it! It will be a book that I will struggle with for awhile, I think.)
I have some more books on my list, and this time it's a little more fiction heavy than the first batch, although there's a least one more writing book on there before November rolls around.
Title: The Road
Author: Cormac McCarthy
Genre: Fiction/Literature
Format: Hardcover
Publishing Info: Knopf (September 26, 2006)
List Price: $24.00
ISBN: 0307265439
BINC: 8451754
Page Count: 241
Summary:
A father and son, post-apocalyptic America, on the road.
Best Bit:
I don't want to give too much away (with new fiction especially, there's a lot to spoil for potential readers), but I do enjoy the fact that this adventure takes place many years after the destruction of society, that food really is that scarce. Most of these kinds of stories start with the actual end event, then go from there, but the two main characters have been on the road for years before we meet them.
Quick Review:
I am going to go out on a limb here. A lot of people are saying that this is McCarthy's finest work, and honestly, I feel like the fact that I haven't read anything else by him impacts how I read this book. That said, this book is highly stylized, and much more about the ideas of a post-apocalyptic world than the story he could be telling. So for most of the book, I was thinking, Stephen King could (and has) told this story so much better. This is from a purely story-telling point of view. It was hard not to compare the book to The Stand, or even Cell, and in some cases, I saw parallels between this and Joss Whedon's Firefly series (between the Reavers and the cannibals in McCarthy's ash-filled America). The problem is, these three works that I have in the back of my head all have characters that I love, whereas that was sorely lacking in this book.
The blank slate that the ash and burnt out cities and woods full of dead trees provide a place for McCarthy to work lingustic wonders, but little else. He is focused on THE IDEAS, and while that isn't a bad thing, sometimes the ideas don't need to be the focus. A good story with characters that you root for in such a setting like this still leads you to the ideas on your own, and it is just, if not more, satisfying to read.
I'm not saying I didn't like the book, because I did. I read it tonight in about four or five hours in pretty much a straight shot (with some time taken for dinner). But I feel like this book is just an excuse for people who are fans of literature instead of fans of a story to finally get to play around in a setting that is usually reserved for genres such as horror, science ficition, or fantasy (the lesser pursuits, so to speak). It just isn't sitting well with me.
Final Grade: C
Author: Cormac McCarthy
Genre: Fiction/Literature
Format: Hardcover
Publishing Info: Knopf (September 26, 2006)
List Price: $24.00
ISBN: 0307265439
BINC: 8451754
Page Count: 241
Summary:
A father and son, post-apocalyptic America, on the road.
Best Bit:
I don't want to give too much away (with new fiction especially, there's a lot to spoil for potential readers), but I do enjoy the fact that this adventure takes place many years after the destruction of society, that food really is that scarce. Most of these kinds of stories start with the actual end event, then go from there, but the two main characters have been on the road for years before we meet them.
Quick Review:
I am going to go out on a limb here. A lot of people are saying that this is McCarthy's finest work, and honestly, I feel like the fact that I haven't read anything else by him impacts how I read this book. That said, this book is highly stylized, and much more about the ideas of a post-apocalyptic world than the story he could be telling. So for most of the book, I was thinking, Stephen King could (and has) told this story so much better. This is from a purely story-telling point of view. It was hard not to compare the book to The Stand, or even Cell, and in some cases, I saw parallels between this and Joss Whedon's Firefly series (between the Reavers and the cannibals in McCarthy's ash-filled America). The problem is, these three works that I have in the back of my head all have characters that I love, whereas that was sorely lacking in this book.
The blank slate that the ash and burnt out cities and woods full of dead trees provide a place for McCarthy to work lingustic wonders, but little else. He is focused on THE IDEAS, and while that isn't a bad thing, sometimes the ideas don't need to be the focus. A good story with characters that you root for in such a setting like this still leads you to the ideas on your own, and it is just, if not more, satisfying to read.
I'm not saying I didn't like the book, because I did. I read it tonight in about four or five hours in pretty much a straight shot (with some time taken for dinner). But I feel like this book is just an excuse for people who are fans of literature instead of fans of a story to finally get to play around in a setting that is usually reserved for genres such as horror, science ficition, or fantasy (the lesser pursuits, so to speak). It just isn't sitting well with me.
Final Grade: C
Title: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Writing for Publication
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Publishing Info: Pocket (July 1, 2002)
List Price: $7.99
ISBN: 0743455967
BINC: 6871921
Page Count: 291
*Note: When looking for this book in a bookstore, you will most likely find it in horror or fiction with King's other books, not in the writing section where it belongs.
Summary:
About half autobiography, half writing guide, the whole thing adds up into a neat look into one of my favorite writers (and I won't say guilty pleasure either, because I grew up on Stephen King books, just like he grew up on monster movies).
Best Bit:
While I enjoyed the look into his childhood and family life, his blunt but humorous advice on writing ("The adverb is not your friend," he says with great meaning) is spectacular. Surpassing even that is his frequent plea to stick to your guns, especially when it comes to something that, if published, could cause a stir: "If you substitute 'Oh sugar!' for 'Oh shit!' because you're thinking about the Legion of Decency, you are breaking the unspoken contract that exists between writer and reader -- your promise to express the truth of how people act and talk through the medium of a made up story."
Quick Review:
It's really a quick read (I picked it up while I was waiting for my new eyeglasses to come out from the back of my local Lenscrafters), but King's sense of humor shines through the whole book. He's made it quick because, in his words, the amount of time you spend reading this book about writing takes away from the time you could be writing. For someone who is accused of being a "popular fiction" writer (said with all the disdain of a literary critic), he knows what works, what sells, but above all, what people want to read. It's also fascinating to read his thoughts on individual novels (The Stand being of particular interest to me... and I have to admit what he says about that book surprised me quite a bit).
Final Grade: A
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Writing for Publication
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Publishing Info: Pocket (July 1, 2002)
List Price: $7.99
ISBN: 0743455967
BINC: 6871921
Page Count: 291
*Note: When looking for this book in a bookstore, you will most likely find it in horror or fiction with King's other books, not in the writing section where it belongs.
Summary:
About half autobiography, half writing guide, the whole thing adds up into a neat look into one of my favorite writers (and I won't say guilty pleasure either, because I grew up on Stephen King books, just like he grew up on monster movies).
Best Bit:
While I enjoyed the look into his childhood and family life, his blunt but humorous advice on writing ("The adverb is not your friend," he says with great meaning) is spectacular. Surpassing even that is his frequent plea to stick to your guns, especially when it comes to something that, if published, could cause a stir: "If you substitute 'Oh sugar!' for 'Oh shit!' because you're thinking about the Legion of Decency, you are breaking the unspoken contract that exists between writer and reader -- your promise to express the truth of how people act and talk through the medium of a made up story."
Quick Review:
It's really a quick read (I picked it up while I was waiting for my new eyeglasses to come out from the back of my local Lenscrafters), but King's sense of humor shines through the whole book. He's made it quick because, in his words, the amount of time you spend reading this book about writing takes away from the time you could be writing. For someone who is accused of being a "popular fiction" writer (said with all the disdain of a literary critic), he knows what works, what sells, but above all, what people want to read. It's also fascinating to read his thoughts on individual novels (The Stand being of particular interest to me... and I have to admit what he says about that book surprised me quite a bit).
Final Grade: A
Title: Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior
Author: Temple Grandin
Genre: General Animal Life/Zoology
Format: Quality Paperback
Publishing Info: Harvest Books; Reprint edition (January 2, 2006)
List Price: $15.00
ISBN: 0156031442
BINC: 7994679
Page Count: 372
Summary:
Temple Grandin has worked to institute humane conditions for farm animals across the nation. Her autism has helped her to understand the way animals see and understand things, as well as highlight why animals respond to certain stimuli the way they do.
Best Bit:
I read the book more for the autism bits than for the animal aspect, actually, and her brief story of building a "squeeze machine" after being inspired by animals was quite fascinating (and I verified with my aunt that my autistic cousin is very much the same in being calmed by pressure).
Quick Review:
It's an easy but informative read, and I have to admit that the way farms work has never really crossed my mind. In fact, I really had no clue how most farm animals (such as pigs and cattle) were "humanely" killed until it became a plot point on Bones earlier this season. I am pathetic, I know. Anyway, the strongest points of the book are where Grandin ties together how she interprets words, images, and other stimuli, then translates it into what animals see. These links between animal brains and human brains are explained simply but effectively. As some have noted on Amazon, the passages on cats and dogs are definitively weaker, because of her lack of experience.
Final Grade: B
Author: Temple Grandin
Genre: General Animal Life/Zoology
Format: Quality Paperback
Publishing Info: Harvest Books; Reprint edition (January 2, 2006)
List Price: $15.00
ISBN: 0156031442
BINC: 7994679
Page Count: 372
Summary:
Temple Grandin has worked to institute humane conditions for farm animals across the nation. Her autism has helped her to understand the way animals see and understand things, as well as highlight why animals respond to certain stimuli the way they do.
Best Bit:
I read the book more for the autism bits than for the animal aspect, actually, and her brief story of building a "squeeze machine" after being inspired by animals was quite fascinating (and I verified with my aunt that my autistic cousin is very much the same in being calmed by pressure).
Quick Review:
It's an easy but informative read, and I have to admit that the way farms work has never really crossed my mind. In fact, I really had no clue how most farm animals (such as pigs and cattle) were "humanely" killed until it became a plot point on Bones earlier this season. I am pathetic, I know. Anyway, the strongest points of the book are where Grandin ties together how she interprets words, images, and other stimuli, then translates it into what animals see. These links between animal brains and human brains are explained simply but effectively. As some have noted on Amazon, the passages on cats and dogs are definitively weaker, because of her lack of experience.
Final Grade: B
Title: The Archeology of Knowledge & The Discourse on Language
Author: Michel Foucault
Genre: Western Philosophy
Format: Quality Paperback
Publishing Info: Pantheon (September 12, 1982)
List Price: $10.36
ISBN: 0394711068
BINC: 167385
Page Count: 256
Summary:
Um, how to sum up anything by Foucault? This book is more an examination of how Foucault himself classifies things in his own work, but gets into some of the things that made History of Sexuality so fascinating for me: discourse and its relationship to power.
Best Bit:
I have to say, the short(er) lecture The Discourse on Language is not only a much faster read, but really interesting.
Quick Review:
Filled to the brink with terms I only quasi-understand, Foucault is still a bit of a challenge for me, but that's ok. When he gets into literature, grammar, and discourse, I feel like I'm on much safer ground than when he's name dropping people from the natural sciences field. In his intro, Foucault says that history is traditionally thought of as the study that "transforms documents into monuments." (7) That alone hooked me right there. I actually got a lot of neat ideas for my Nano project out of this book.
Final Grade: A
Author: Michel Foucault
Genre: Western Philosophy
Format: Quality Paperback
Publishing Info: Pantheon (September 12, 1982)
List Price: $10.36
ISBN: 0394711068
BINC: 167385
Page Count: 256
Summary:
Um, how to sum up anything by Foucault? This book is more an examination of how Foucault himself classifies things in his own work, but gets into some of the things that made History of Sexuality so fascinating for me: discourse and its relationship to power.
Best Bit:
I have to say, the short(er) lecture The Discourse on Language is not only a much faster read, but really interesting.
Quick Review:
Filled to the brink with terms I only quasi-understand, Foucault is still a bit of a challenge for me, but that's ok. When he gets into literature, grammar, and discourse, I feel like I'm on much safer ground than when he's name dropping people from the natural sciences field. In his intro, Foucault says that history is traditionally thought of as the study that "transforms documents into monuments." (7) That alone hooked me right there. I actually got a lot of neat ideas for my Nano project out of this book.
Final Grade: A
