A donkey, a howler monkey, a taxidermist, and an author

Several years ago, a friend ordered me to read The Life of Pi, recipient of the 2002 Man Booker Prize.  Obediently, I did, and was, at turns, amused, confused, pensive, shocked, and horrified while reading the book.  I was thoroughly impressed with author Yann Martel's writing, so when another friend recently alerted me to the release of Beatrice and Virgil, Martel's new book, I immediately reserved a copy.

Brevity has never been my strong suit, but trying to write a pithy summary of anything Martel writes is even more challenging than usual.  Still, I'll try:  Beatrice and Virgil is about Henry, an author who bears a striking similarity to Martel himself, from the subject and style of his last book to son of the character having the same name as Martel's son.  Henry meets a reclusive taxidermist, who has written a play about a donkey (Beatrice) and a howler monkey (Virgil) named after the guides to heaven and hell, respectively, in Dante's Inferno.  Henry finds himself fascinated both by the taxidermist and his play, even when everyone around him, including and especially his wife, is terrified of the the man. 

At times, the book pulled me in simply through the lines of the play (although Beatrice and Virgil often sounded -- unintentionally, no doubt -- like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, but what can you expect from a donkey and a monkey?).  I didn't find it as compelling as The Life of Pi, nor was its conclusion as shocking or thought-provoking as the earlier book.  Unfortunately, it read, to me, as if the author was slyly winking at his audience through much of the book with an implied, "Did you catch it?  Pretty clever, huh?"  It's worth reading for fans of Martel, but if you're looking to an introduction to his writing, stick with The Life of Pi.

Social Satire, Comic Relief or a Call to Action

This insanely clever novel from the author of the best-selling "Thursday Next" series sounds like a cult classic. It's perfect for people who love dystopic fantasy and a hint of the ridiculous.  Shades Of Grey is part social satire, part revolutionary thriller and even has a smidge of romance. If you or anyone you know enjoys Monty Python, than this series is perfect for you.

In Fforde's wonderful new world you learn about the peril of giant swans, the mildew and the danger of standing near a Yateova Tree. Regretfully, Shades of Grey starts off slowly. Fforde's new world is complex and confusing and takes a good 100 pages to establish an understanding of this world and how it works. These initial pages set up the entire book. Hang in there, once you understand Fforde's world you'll be hooked. It is unquestionably one of the most deeply original books I have ever read.

As the novel opens, Eddie doesn't want much from life.  He wants to fulfill his Civil Obligations and marry into the prestigious Oxblood family.  He has a radical idea about improved line queing, which gets him sent to the Outer Fringes. There he meets an intriguing and rebellious Grey named Jane.  He's smitten immediately, and remains that way even after she threatens to kill him. Jane is rude in a world without rudeness and violent in a world without violence. She leads Eddie gradually down a path that has him questioning everything he thought he knew about the Colortocracy--in a world that most assuredly does not appreciate questions or those that ask them.

Edward Russett's journey across the Outer Fringes is at one time a delightful trip, a cautionary tale about rocking the boat, and also a call to action (or at least a well voiced complaint against inaction). I can't wait for Shades of Grey 2: Painting by Numbers to learn what happens next.

In need of a laugh?

Sometime last week, I hit my breaking point.  Occasionally, I get so immersed in the books I'm reading that it takes me a while to realize the impact it has on my mood.  Apparently (according to certain members of my household who shall remain nameless) reading a slew of bleak, melancholy, somewhat depressing books can make me a bit moody.  (Incidentally, if you happen to check out Weeping Underwater Looks a Lot Like Laughter do not believe the hype on the back when a reviewer claims you'll laugh out loud.  Aside from characters that are hard to connect with, a story about a tortured first love in the midst of both murder and the accidental death of a sibling isn't really, you know...funny.  Also, Happy Now?, a really good book about a woman coming to terms with her husband's Valentine's Day suicide, while classified as "humorous fiction" wasn't really so much of a laugh riot, either.  Just FYI.)

So, in my own personal time-honored tradition of pulling out of a funk, I've turned in the past week to books on the lighter side.  I started with Love: A User's Guide, a very (very) fluffy bit of chick lit about a fashion assistant at Vogue who is romantically involved with an up-and-coming movie star.  Still, it wasn't quite substantive enough to pull me out of my funk, so I turned to a new release, The Two Lives of Miss Charlotte Merryweather.  Like author Alexandra Potter's last book, Me and Mr. Darcy, The Two Lives... was a well-written story with interesting, well-developed characters, told with humor and insight.  I really enjoyed it, but, still, it wasn't quite what I needed.

What finally worked for me?  Well, it was, believe it or not, a non-fiction book.  About science.  And animals.  These are usually not subjects that inspire me to read, let alone laugh.  However, when a fellow staff member pointed out a book title, Fish that Fake Orgasms: and other zoological curiousities, the title alone made me laugh, so I knew I had to give it a try.  Because of this book, not only did I break out of my literary funk, I have also gathered a bevy of new nuggets to start (or end) conversation at my next dinner party.  Want to know how geckos behave in zero-gravity? Or which animal has a heart that glows green?  Check it out...you'll get a laugh and become smarter in one fell swoop.

SFWA announces latest Nebula Awards winners

Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America has announced the Nebula Awards® winners for 2009.

The Nebula Awards® are voted on, and presented by, active members of SFWA. The awards were announced at the Nebula Awards® Banquet held at the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront the evening of May 15. The 2009 Nebula Award Winners are:

Novel - The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (Night Shade Books, Sept. 2009)

Novella – The Women of Nell Gwynne’s by Kage Baker (Subterranean Press, June 2009)

Novelette – “Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast,” by Eugie Foster (Interzone, Feb. 2009)

Short Story – “Spar,” Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld, Oct. 2009)

Ray Bradbury Award – District 9 by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell (Tri-Star, Aug. 2009)

Andre Norton Award – The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (Catherynne M. Valente, June 2009)

Founded in 1965 by the late Damon Knight, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America brings together the most successful and daring writers of speculative fiction throughout the world.

Since its inception, SFWA® has grown in numbers and influence until it is now widely recognized as one of the most effective non-profit writers’ organizations in existence, boasting a membership of approximately 1,500 science fiction and fantasy writers as well as artists, editors and allied professionals. Each year the organization presents the prestigious Nebula Awards® for the year’s best literary and dramatic works of speculative fiction.

In the Queue

An Unfinished Score by Elise Blackwell
Talk about an awkward situation!  While playing a board game with her husband and best friend, Suzanne hears a broadcast announcing a plane crash where 271 people are killed--including her lover.

Husband & Wife by Leah Stewart
Sarah gives up her dream of becoming a poet and goes to work to support her husband while he finishes his novel.  Her world is turned upside down when she learns his book, titled Infidelity, is based on his own experiences.

Mom Still Likes You Best: The Unfinished Business Between Siblings by Jane Isay
Sibling rivalry can tear a family apart.  Isay offers real-life wisdom on how to stay close with the people who have known and loved you for years.

The Solitude of Prime Numbers

Sometimes I want to dislike a book.  I'm not particularly proud of that, because it's never for a noble reason.  Take The Solitude of Prime Numbers.  The title immediately and completely drew me in.  I knew that I absolutely needed to read the book.  Then I read several reviews that mentioned its excellence.  I saw that it had won the Premio Strega, Italy's premier literary award.  These only made me want to read it more.  But then... then I read the author bio, and decided that I had to hate the book.  The author is a 27-year-old particle physicist.  And the book has nothing to do with particle physics.  What's next, curing cancer while running a marathon?   

Still, I overcame my blinding insecurities about my inability to either a) understand the Hadron Collider beyond the basic idea that if you steal anti-matter, it makes the Illuminati angry or b) tell a compelling story that doesn't begin with "Once upon a time..." and I read the book.   I have to tell you, I couldn't hate the book. It was beautiful. 

Giordino crafted (and he didn't just write, he crafted) a book about two characters who were together in their solitude, and whose solitary natures kept them from being together.  As the New York Times review of the book said, "For once a title is more than a suggestion; here it conveys not only the novel’s gist but also its style and heart. "  Mattia, one of the main characters, becomes a mathemetician who studies prime numbers, specifically twin prime numbers, the phenomenon when two prime numbers are remarkably close, but never quite connect (11 and 13, 17 and 19, and so on, but increasingly rarely as the numbers get bigger).  Mattia and Alice, like the twin primes they are, are two deeply wounded people who recognize their separation from the rest of the world, but don't really understand how to move beyond it.

A great deal of credit should also go to Shaun Whiteside, who took the beautiful elegance and imagery of Giordino's words and brought them to those of us who, in addition to not being able to write evocative, painfully beautiful novels or understand particle physics, also don't speak Italian.

The Best Novels of 2009--Part 3 Young Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy

The February issue of Locus Magazine features their 2009 Recommended Reading Lists. These lists include best science fiction novels, best fantasy novels, best young adult books, and best first time novels. I read a little science fiction, a lot of fantasy, and some young adult novels. So during the next few weeks I will highlight some of the Locus picks and some of my picks in each category. Here are some great books in the young adult category:

Locus Magazine Picks
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld--A steampunk adventure set during World War One.

Liar by Justine Larbalestier--Compulsive liar Micah promises to tell the truth after her boyfriend is murdered.

Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud--Halli Sveinsson leaves home and goes on a quest to find the truth about the legends, his family, and himself.

KO's Picks
Ash by Malinda Lo--A Cinderella re-telling with a twist.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray--A 16-year-old with Mad Cow Disease sets off on an adventure with a punk angel, a hypochondriac dwarf, and a Norse god in the body of a yard gnome.

Running with the Demon by Terry Brooks--In a sleepy Illinois town, the battle between Good and Evil is about to begin and the future of humanity depends upon a man haunted by his dreams and a gifted 14-year-old girl.  This is an adult fantasy book that I think teens will love.

The rest of the Locus list.

For more great teen books.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Have you ever lost at the expectations game?  Something that might be truly nice comes off a slightly...less when you go into it expecting something amazing.  I had heard really great things about Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Ohioan Beth Hoffman.  It's a perfectly nice book but it is, in many ways, a very, very familiar story of coming of age in the South in the 1960s.  Cecelia (CeeCee) is a lonely, awkward 12-year-old when her mentally ill mother dies and her father sends her from her home in Ohio to live with a wealthy great-aunt in Savannah.  As you can probably imagine, once she arrives in Georgia a fleet of strong, compassionate, slightly eccentric women surround her.  They help her come to terms with her mother's death, her father's abandonment, and her own insecurities.  While full of cliches the story is as warm and comforting as one of the cinnamon rolls baked up by Oletta (because, of course, there's an African American housekeeper who becomes a mother-substitute for CeeCee).  While Oletta herself never breaks out of the stereotype her role boxes her into, she is pivotal in introducing the issue of racial tension and awareness for CeeCee, one of the few parts of the book that really stood out to me. 

I'd recommend this book to fans of The Secret Lives of Bees and The Help.   With its cast of eccentric women, it's also a good choice for fans of the movie Steel Magnolias.  It's not that I didn't like the book.  It was perfectly fine.  It just didn't live up to my expectations.  Then again, now that I've lowered yours, perhaps you will win at the expectations game and be blown away by how good it is.

Great Books- The Immigrant Experience

The Great Books, Great Libraries theme for May is the Immigrant Experience.

The American Dream leads many people from all walks of life to immigrate to the United States. These books highlight the journey that these souls have taken in their quest for a better life. While most involve groups coming to these United States, a few involve people moving to other countries. The idea is the same; these immigrants are seeking better lives. Some of these titles show that the pursuit is not always easy. Many of these stories show that with perseverance and hard work, the dream of a better life can be achieved. Allow the people who have made the journey, or have created a story based on others' experiences, tell you what such a journey is like.

Which groups are represented?
The books in this list represent people from all walks of life. Many popular titles deal with the lives of Irish, African, Indian, Carribean, Japanese, and Chinese immigrants, but are certainly not limited to only these groups.

The experiences in these book vary by age group, too. Adult immigrants arrive with the expectation of more work opportunities and a better life for their families. Some arrive hoping to work so they can later send for their families to join them. Children experience immigration in many unique ways from learning a new language to starting at a new school in a strange land.

Here are a few terrific titles:

Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid
A girl from the West Indies immigrates to a city in the United States to work as an au pair for an American family.  She quickly finds that this "happy" family is falling apart at the seams.

Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
After moving from Haiti to New York to be with her mother, Sophie longs to return to her native land.

The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
Iranian immigrant Behrani has moved to California with his family and finds little luck finding work while his money is quickly running out.