The Round House by Louise Erdrich: 2012 NBA Winner

Rating 3
The Round House
A Novel by Louise Erdrich
Winner the 2012 National Book Award for Fiction
2012 / 264 Pages (ebook) 
Goodreads Synopsis 

The 2012 National Book Award Winner, The Round House by Louise Erdrich, is a coming of age story of a 13 year old Native American boy.  The story takes place in 1988 and is told from the point of view of the now adult, Joe.   It takes place during Joe's summer break; although with all that was packed into those months, the time period seemed much longer.

A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers

Rating 3
A Hologram for the King
A Novel by Dave Eggers
Nominated for the 2012 National Book Award for Fiction
2012 / 217 Pages (ebook) 
Goodreads Synopsis

On the surface, A Hologram for the King is a book about a character that needs Viagra in the worst way. The main character was as limp and impotent as, well, I will just leave it at he was limp and impotent.  At first it surprised me that this book has been tossed about for a run at the Rooster and is a National Book Award Nominee.

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain

Rating: 5
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
A Novel by Ben Fountain
Nominated for the 2012 National Book Award for Fiction
2012 / 268 Pages (ebook)
Goodreads Synopsis

Thirteen of the last eighteen books I have read would be considered "British Literature".  So I was looking forward to reading some "American Literature" when the National Book Award nominees were released.  However, I cringed to see two "Iraq War" stories in the list of 5 fiction NBA nominees.  Blech!  I love WWI and WWII historical fiction, but just don't have a care in the world to read anything about current events - especially something as controversial as the dang Iraq War.  I chose to go ahead and get one of the two "Iraq" books out of the way by mimicking my friend Aaron and reading the NBAs in the same order he did.  As he chose Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk to read first, I did too.  And I was blown away! Billy Lynn... was one of the best books I have read all year!

Book Review: 2012 Long Listed: Alison Moore’s The Lighthouse

Rating: 3
The Lighthouse
A Novel by Alison Moore
2012 / 192 Pages

For my part of the Bookermarks Collaboration, I finished 6.5 books - all of the short list (except for the last half of Umbrella) and not counting the long listed Teleportation Accident in which I will finish sometime in the near future.  The fourth book I read was Alison Moore's The Lighthouse.  Finishing it over a month ago, I still have not written the review for it.  Why? Because I just don't know what to write about.  I liked it - but I just wasn't impressed enough with it to discuss it.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either.

Book Review: 2012 Long Listed: Jeet Thayil’s Narcopolis

Rating: 3.5 
Narcopolis
A Novel by Jeet Thayil
2012/292 Pages

When the Man Booker long list was released, I eagerly read the synopsis for each book and then listed them number one through twelve on a sheet of paper in the order in which I wanted to read them.  Bringing Up the Bodies and Garden of Evening Mists topped my list of books I could not wait to read.  Narcopolis was the very last book on my list.  From the cover art to the description of the book, nothing attracted me to this book.  I did not want to read it for any reason - ever; yet, it made the short list, so as part of the Bookermarks project, I would have to read it.

Book Review: 2012 Short Listed: Will Self’s Umbrella

Rating: 2
Umbrella
A Novel by Will Self
2012 / 416 Pages


How do you write a blog about a book that:
1.  You have not finished and don't want to finish?
2.  You did not like?

Well, that is what I am going to attempt to do in this blog.

Will Self has written a very difficult book for the reader.  In fact he states that he does not write for the reader and he does not care if he wins the Man Booker prize for his book Umbrella.

Book Review: 2012 Long Listed: Hilary Mantel’s Bring Up The Bodies (Review #2)

Rating 4.5
Bring Up The Bodies
A Novel by Hilary Mantel
2012 / 407 Pages
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel is the second novel in a trilogy about King Henry the VIII and Thomas Cromwell.  Mantel starts Bring Up the Bodies without missing a beat after the ending of Wolf Hall.  From the opening pages, we find the wonderful compassionate side of Thomas Cromwell as well as the tale tell signs of King Henry's disillusionment with Anne Boleyn and their marriage.  Most of us know before we start how this book is going to end.  The fact that we know how the book will end and we still read it as an exciting page turner is why this book has been nominated for the Man Booker long list.