Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Book Reviews

If anyone gives a shit, here are the last five books I've read, in order:

1. Idoru, by William Gibson: My affection for Gibson's writing is no secret around here, and this one didn't let me down whatsoever. The way the man can craft a sentence never ceases to amaze me.

2. All Tomorrow's Parties, by William Gibson: Same shit. I liked Idoru better, and read them in reverse order -- read Idoru first, if you're planning on taking my recommendations -- but this was worth the time nonetheless.

3. Distraction, by Bruce Sterling: This was one of those "if you like this, you'll like this" deals. I'm not a huge fan of the Cyberpunk genre per se, but the one thing that's constant throughout is that these guys -- Stephenson, Gibson et al -- can really write. I've heard good things about Sterling, but I didn't think this work was on the same level as either Gibson or my man Neal. I am, however, willing to give him another shot.

4. The Closers, by Michael Connelly: I have to read stuff like this once in a while, and when I do, it's best to go to a proven source. Connelly's Harry Bosch novels essentially read themselves. You've got a murder. You've got smart cops on the case. You're genuinely surprised at who actually commits the crime. What more could you ask from a mystery novel?

5. Haunted, by Chuck Palahniuk: I have no idea why I had such a hard time getting through this. Really. I like Palahniuk, I really do. I consider myself a fan, but this one took me about a month to read, off and on. That's never happened before with any of Chuck's books. I don't get it.