Category Archive for ‘Book Review’ at The Black Nail

I rather enjoyed posting a review of the books I had recently finished, and those I was currently reading, last month. So much so that I am happy to do it again. A few of you thanked me for this as you had been looking for a summer read; I appreciate your response.

I’ll begin with the books that I have freshly finished. If you read last months review you’ll notice that there are a few that were not in the pile of current reads. This happens often. If I’m drawn to something more enticing the less enchanting ones get pushed to the shelf for the time being. Let’s commence, shall we?

Under the Dome – Stephen King

Everything was business as usual that day until I tripped and fell into the world of Stephen King. Having never read Mr. King before this was my first. Let’s rewind. I was visiting the Sci-Fi channel one night and happened to catch a new series, Haven. I saw that it was based upon a story by Stephen King titled The Colorado Kid. It was the pilot episode and I was intrigued by the style of the story and the supernatural elements; more so than the cheesy acting and mediocre CGI. I have to read this book, I thought. The next day I made my rounds to the local used booksellers and had no luck finding it (I did, however, pick up King’s The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger, more on that in a bit) - so to the full price store I went. No luck there either. I was able to find a copy on Amazon.com that evening and before placing my order I was clicking around taking in all of the Stephen King selections; seeing which ones I had recognized from films and which ones looked compelling and not overly blood-soaked. His latest release Under the Dome caught my wandering eye. Both purchases arrived by mail on the same day. The Colorado Kid was a thin mystery book and was quite dwarfed by the other, an 1100 page behemoth. “Challenge!” I said, with a smile. I dove in headfirst; ignoring the warning to always test the water – feet first, first time.

Late doesn’t even do justice as to just how late to the Stephen King party I am. I blame it mostly on my restricted religious upbringing, which said – if it isn’t in the Christian bookstore you’re not reading it. When I was a child I thought like a child, I spoke like a child, I reasoned like a child; but when I became a man – I read Stephen King. Before the two online purchases arrived I read the introduction to The Gunslinger. I was quite taken by how personable and honest Mr. King spoke with his readers. I thought, This guy is completely normal, has a real heart for people and is passionate about what he does. He isn’t at all the monster Christians have made him out to be for all of these years.

Fast-forward with me back to where I was sitting in my brown leather chair in a well lit corner of the living room. Here is where I love to do my reading. The first few pages of Under the Dome turned with ease and before I could stop myself I was living among the residents of Chester’s Mill, Maine. King’s pacing is phenomenal. In an internet driven society the word genius is used far too flippantly – so remove all of that artery clogging usage and return to the good ol’ days of ink on paper - Stephen King is an out right genius. So good at his craft of keeping the car running page after page – reaching breakneck speeds when necessary, slowing in corners when needed but never stalling out. I finished Under the Dome in just 4 days. There is a theme to the story, a great one – but it is left for reader to search within his/her self to find it. And that’s exactly how I prefer it.

The Screwtape Letters – C.S. Lewis

This is a must for the doubter in all of us. As a man who puts his faith in God I am now at a place where I seem to be questioning most everything that has been shaped by man in the name of God. I question just how important am I, if at all, in the grand scheme of things. This writing places a bit of perspective on the subject.

In this book Lewis creates dialogue betwixt two demons – one higher up on the food chain, Screwtape, and the other – his nephew, Wormwood. The part of you and I is played by a man simply called “The Patient.” In this confabulation, shaped by written letters, the two demons discuss the securing of the Patient’s damnation to hell. Simply put, it’s the devil’s view of humankind – and his plan to steer one away from his enemy (God) and pull him/her toward “Our Father Below” (Satan) as Screwtape puts it.

Person of faith or not I recommend this for the interesting banter of what would be the devil on your shoulder. The depths these two take in attempt to secure one man’s damnation is intense. At the end of the day (end of the read) I still sometimes question if each and every soul is so valuable to Satan that he would mark each and send vehicles of evil in an effort to slay and keep them away from salvation, or if he even has the resources (Yes, Christians – I know all about his many resources to sway).

I know this topic opens up the barrel in the Christian community – but anymore I like to sit up on the hill, alone, and figure it out for myself.

The Rum Diary – Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter, you’re a crazy man. Yet, I still rather enjoy the bedlam of the world you built around yourself and the bizarre legacy you left. End-capped by the way you departed the earth.

Aside from a few articles and a brief visit into the book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas this is my first full read of Hunter. Not to compare writing styles – however, this book did for me anew what The Catcher in the Rye did all those years ago. And that is – instilled, once again, a simple love for reading.

I took pure enjoyment in riding alongside Paul Kemp as he relocated from New York to Puerto Rico, taking his skill-set as a writer with him. The struggles, the chaos, and the debauchery flowed together giving the reader a birds-eye view and avoiding full immersion.

This is a quick read, and a great one.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft – Stephen King

Being one who dabbles in writing and is on a mission to complete something of greater length than a short story – this was like striking gold in California, circa 1849. As stated above, I am somewhat fascinated by the writing style and pacing of one Stephen King. So who better to receive advice on writing from? I implore you to grab a copy of this and let it soak in your brain if you are someone who loves to write. A good amount of what he says I was already doing subconsciously – however, to read it from King himself solidified and gave me a boost of confidence to boldly go… in the direction I was already headed. And, of course, there were so many morsels of advice in this book that I had not thought of.

Aside from being a writer, another perfectly good reason to read this book is that it is a form of memoir. King takes the reader through his life giving glimpses and tales from birth to date – and most importantly sharing how he got to where he sits now (ready for a horrible pun?), on the throne – as the King of his domain.

King reiterates the words of those who have gone before (Twain, Hemingway) when he states the importance of killing adjectives and adverbs. He concludes with the adage, “Do as I say and not as I do” – as he clearly uses a decent amount of adverbs – making light of the matter and poking fun at himself.

Shakespeare: The World as Stage – Bill Bryson

Shakespeare, perhaps the most known unknown author of them all. This book gave me more history of the age of Shakespeare than actual history of Shakespeare. Which is somewhat frustrating – but the truth is, we don’t know that much about this man.

If you hold a great deal of curiosity about this famed author look no further than this book. There are hundreds of books on the subject – you could read till you are blue in the face – but this one is simple and short, containing all of the history that we know about the man, the legend.

As I have found in other Bryson books he has a humorous and light-hearted approach to his subject matter; be it historical or of the memoir genre. So you will not be bored or lulled to sleep (unless you are really tired, then I wouldn’t blame Bryson).

The photo on your left displays the books I am currently reading. I will list them below for you and, hopefully, I will have the time to write a review as I finish reading each one.

The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger – Stephen King

The Colorado Kid – Stephen King

Lord of the Flies – William Golding

George MacDonald – C.S. Lewis

The Elegance of the Hedgehog – Muriel Barbery

The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats – W.B. Yeats

The Magicians – Lev Grossman

A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson

Burton on Burton – Tim Burton

*Here’s a tip from me to you, utilize the used bookstores in your area. They will do wonders for your wallet if you are an avid reader. Example: Stephen King’s The Gunslinger was only 3 bucks. Outstanding.

*If you live in Nashville try Rhino Booksellers, Bookman, and McKay’s. If all else fails, use Amazon.com.

In a perfect world I would have the time and wherewithal to write
a review of every book I’ve read.

This is not a perfect world.
I lack time.
I lack wherewithal.

What I can do is post from time to time a list of books I’ve recently read
and books I’m currently reading.

I have the ability to be into 4 or 5 books at a time. I liken it to how people
can follow 4 or 5 different TV shows per week. Putting aside the fact that
it takes longer to get through and is much more satisfying.

It irks me to no end when I hear comedians or lay-folk go on about how
funny they think it is that they haven’t cracked a book since high-school,
and even then how it was only the cliff notes the day before the paper was due.
Continuing on with comments like,
“If the book is any good they’ll make a movie, and I’ll just see that.”

I would like to bite my thumb at them and call them a bafoon.
But I remain silent because after all – the loudest in the room is the weakest.

Enough about that.
More about this.

Here are the last 5 books that I have read with a brief descripto.

The Devil in the White City – Erik Larson:

I received this as a gift from Cameron’s family this past Christmas.
Great read stocked with plenty of history. I recently viewed a
documentary detailing the same killer, H.H. Holmes.
The book interestingly pairs that story with the architect who
designed the World’s Fair in Chicago, 1893.
Genius on the part of both men; one used for good – the other bad.
It’s incredibly hard to understand how one person can be so evil.

Intriguing read.

The History of Love – Nicole Krauss:

Also a gift, from my friend Allie – for my birthday, this is a book
to remember and revisit. I had forgotten that it was on my bookshelf
until another friend of mine, Michelle, had asked if I had read it.
I recently read it in about 4 sittings. In the later sitting I tore through about
150 pages. For me, the pacing seemed a bit sporadic, at first, but once
I established the rhythm it was beautiful.

To find love and have it stick so deep for so long without anything
to fuel it and no fruit bearing from it shakes you to the core.

Incredible story, incredible.

The Year I Got Everything I Wanted – Cameron Conant:

Yet again, a gift. This one from the author himself.
I have been friends with Cameron for the last 2 years and had never
read his books (of which there are two). Upon his leaving for Africa
he gave me them to read. I finally picked this one up and read it in
one sitting on a Sunday afternoon. Knowing him made it that much
better of a read. Cam’s crafting of a story has grown to be a favourite
of mine and I can’t wait to see what he has to offer the world post
Peace Corps. Ignore the ridiculous review on Amazon by an obvious
juvenile drinking hater-ade.

This is the story of one mans journey through his post-divorce life
as he attempts to re-establish himself and once again discover purpose.

You will enjoy this read.

Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis:

This is probably my 4th time all the way through this book. I find
comfort in Clive’s perspective of how the faith of Christianity was designed.
I felt the need to re-read this as I am currently so fed up with the way the
Christian movement has headed in the last few decades. Trying not to
“lose my religion” entirely, yet redefine it personally. Some might say that
his approach is a bit “over-the-head”, as a ‘King James Bible’ or a writing of
Shakespeare; I tend to disagree. My 12 year-old nephew sat with me
listening to the audio version on a four hour road trip last month and said
to me (completely unprovoked), “He actually makes a lot of sense.
It seems like that’s the way life should be.”

12 years old.

Then again, the kid has a collection of Shakespeare books because he
wanted it and loves to read them.

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter – Seth Grahame-Smith:

Ah, vampires.

This is a beautiful book to read as a rebellion against the pop culture
vampire sap phenom. I was with my friend Nat in New York City this past
March, we saw the book and were laughing at how clever it was.
I couldn’t resist picking it up on a layover in DC on my way back to Nashville.
I read it in a few sittings and loved it so much that I started it again.

Seth is the same author that cleverly mashed ‘Pride & Prejudice’ with zombies.
That one I have not read, for fear of losing my head, yet this story was irresistible.
He takes the life and times of Abe Lincoln and adds a beneath-the-surface story line
which tells us that Abe was actually hunting down and killing vampires to protect
the innocent; much like his Mother whom he lost (death by vampire, of course).
The writing is so well crafted that if you didn’t know any better you would think that
this was truly a historic account.

I explained it all to my Father who rarely reads. He then went out, picked up the book
and loved it.

Now I wait with fanged breath for the film adaptation by none other than Tim Burton.
Giggity.

______________________________________________________________

There are 5 books that I am currently in the middle of reading.
They are as follows:

Shakespeare The World As Stage – Bill Bryson
The Rum Diary – Hunter S. Thompson
The Magicians – Lev Grossman
Burton on Burton – Tim Burton
A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson

Reading furnishes the mind only with materials for knowledge;
it is thinking that makes what we read ours.
~ John Locke

A man ought to read just as inclination leads him,
for what he reads as a task will do him little good.
~ Samuel Johnson

What I like best is a book that’s at least funny once in a while…
What really knocks me out is a book that,
when you’re all done reading it,
you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours
and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.
That doesn’t happen much, though.
~ J. D. Salinger

Wear the old coat and buy the new book.
~ Austin Phelps

Outside a dog, a book is man’s best friend.
Inside a dog, it’s too dark to read.
~ Groucho Marx

Readers are plentiful: thinkers are rare.
~ Harriet Martineau

If you believe everything you read, better not read.
~ Japanese proverb