I Am Number Four

#619

Title: I Am Number Four

Author: Pittacus Lore [James Frey & Jobie Hughes]

Publisher: HarperCollins

Year: 2010

440 pages

Audiobook

A poorly constructed and internally inconsistent bit of schlock brought to you by James Frey and his indentured writing lackey, in Frey's writing factory. I read the book before knowing this, and thought that it had a good idea with almost cynical execution--the undertone is that you're a fool for paying for it, ca-CHING.  Now I understand that I read it correctly. See "James Frey’s Fiction Factory" and the New York Times review "Teenage Wastelands."

The audiobook narrator is overly and soppily dramatic and the voice characterizations are annoying--the nasal nerd, e.g.

The Anthologist

#618

Title: The Anthologist

Author: Nicholson Baker

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Year: 2008/2009

250 pages

A lovely novel consisting entirely of ruminations about writer's block, from which the protagonist/narrator suffers, with many forays into stories of regret and inadequacy in his romantic and professional lives, plus a great deal about his opinions on rhyme and scansion in English language poetry. If that doesn't sound appealing, go read something with car chases and explosions, but from my perspective this was an admirable novel. Excellent internal monologue, excellent character development, and an emotionally believable and satisfying conclusion.

Bossypants

#617

Title: Bossypants

Author: Tina Fey

Publisher: Reagan Arthur Book

Year: 2011

277 pages

Audiobook

Mostly but not entirely funny, the audiobook is read by Fey, which contributes to a higher rating. It's collection of independent autobiographical and comedic essays, many very funny and some flat. At times I was laughing so hard that people who didn't see that I had earbuds in asked me anxiously if I was okay.

This World We Live In

#616 

Title: This World We Live In

Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer

Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

Year: 2010

252 pages

In this third of three, the two families from the previous books unite. There was more structural parallelism than in the first two books, which made it more enjoyable from a technical and literary perspective. However, some of the story's snags are resolved by killing off characters, which here had a deus ex machina sort of convenience. Overall assessment: The second book is the best, both in tone and stand-alone content.

For All the Tea in China: Espionage, Empire and the Secret Formula of the World's Favourite Drink

#615

Title: For All the Tea in China: Espionage, Empire and the Secret Formula of the World's Favourite Drink

Author: Sarah Rose

Publisher:Penguin

Year:2008/2011

272 pages

Audiobook

This history seemed scant compared to what I was expecting as the norm in the history/natural history/biography genre, though it had its moments. Overall, it was more biographical and much less informational than I hoped for. I would have been reasonably happy changing my expectations, but I'm surprised and annoyed that so little of the book was devoted to the legal and philosophical context that made it seem legitimate to steal another country's proprietary secrets, particularly those on which a great portion of its livelihood depended, or on the implications of such policies. Since this behavior persists, it seems useful and topical to deliberate more, and I was disappointed at what short shrift it received.

The Underland Chronicles (Books 1-5)

#614
Title: Gregor the Overlander (Underland Chronicles #1)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
Year: 2005
315 pages

#620

Title: Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Underland Chronicles #2)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic

Year: 2005 

317 pages

 

#623

Title: Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Underland Chronicles #3)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic

Year: 2006

358 pages

#624
Title: Gregor and the Marks of Secret (Underland Chronicles #4)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic

Year: 2007

343 pages

#625

Title: Gregor and the Code of Claw (Underland Chronicles #5)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic

Year: 2007

416 pages

I read these in such quick succession that it makes sense to review them as a group. This is an easy to read, enjoyable series for middle readers. There are strong and somewhat gender-bent male and female protagonists (girls who fight and boys who nurture, for example). As will later be the case in the Hunger Games trilogy, Collins engages in successful world building, with elements of the story that would otherwise be horror catalyzed by humor to become a more benign fantasy. It's fruitful to compare this series to the Hunger Games books. Both feature missing fathers, younger sisters who need to be protected, and a hero caught in a cultural tangle with rules s/he doesn't understand and bigger forces at play. If I had them to read again, I'd read this series first to better appreciate Collins's more mature voice and more adult themes in her young adult dystopia.

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

#613
Title: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Author: Siddhartha Mukherjee
Publisher: Scribner
Year: 2010
592 pages

Audiobook

A good mix of history, research, descriptive material, and anecdote about cancer. Mukherjee illustrates the move toward naming and talking about cancer over time in U.S. culture (as did Sontag). The sections on the discrepancies between the states of research and practice were particularly interesting and thought-provoking. As in any discussion about medical treatment in the era of AIDS, issues of access to treatment, and the balance between providing experimental treatments and safeguarding vulnerable people is an important consideration. There is some repetitive phrasing, but overall it's a pretty solid read.