M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman
Synopsis: This is a collection of short stories ranging from
the fantastical, magical, horrific, and some more.
My Thoughts: Gaiman is one of the modern popular fiction
masters. American Gods and Stardust left their mark in my mind despite being
very different in content and tone. This collection runs that same gambit,
jumping from serious to whimsical within a few pages from one story to another.
I’ve also read by Neil Gaiman: American Gods, Stardust
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Synopsis: An analysis of the dominos that have lined up and
fallen since the advent of the fast-food culture in America in the 1960. From
the frugal start to how the industry has changed American agricultural, meatpacking,
and marketing industries along with how American politics and economics have
folded around this industry.
My Thoughts: I think modern liberals would accept this book
without question and the modern conservatives would reject it without
consideration. If you are either, probably the best thing to do is read this
and consider many of the hot-button topics that continue to this day from
employee compensation, immigration, and health care. These issues didn’t sprout
with this administration or the last or even the one before that. They’ve grown
since the 1950s thanks in part to fast food and its power in our society.
Wild Thing by Josh Bazell
Synopsis: A fast-paced story of a group out investigating a
Loch-Ness style water monster in Minnesota. This is the second in a series based
on the main character, Dr. Peter Brown (AKA Pietro Brnwa).
My Thoughts: The strength of this book is the whimsical,
comical tone that includes footnotes where Bazell expands usually humorously on
facts or points within the narrative. The other interesting part is the
inclusion of a real person (Sarah Palin) in the fictitious environment. Not
sure it worked, and the entire plot sort of hit flat by the end.
The Pig Did It by Joseph Caldwell
Synopsis: An American professor and writer retreats to his
familial home and his aunt in Ireland after being spurned by a student. While
he wants to wallow in his pity, a pig digs up a corpse in his aunt’s garden and
chaos ensues.
My Thoughts: While this story has plenty of humor, I don't
think I quite connected with the intended homage to Irish storytelling to
completely get this one. It just came off a bit wordy and anticlimactic.
The Passage by Justin Cronin
Synopsis: This was a fast-paced story about a vampire
apocalypse even though it clocks in at 700-plus pages. A different take on the
Dracula story with the army creating the creatures as a possible weapon only to
be overrun by their creations. It certainly has a few nods to books like Stephen
King’s The Stand.
My Thoughts: I grew
up reading Stephen King and Dean Koontz, and this harkens back to that era.
While the story has themes and meaning, it’s mostly about being entertaining. I
somehow got an Advance Reader’s Copy, so I wonder if anything changed other
than fixing the plethora of typos. There were a few changes in perspective that
seemed rushed or awkward.
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