(Book #47) David Sedaris - Holidays On Ice

David Sedaris is a master of the snappy and amusing short story, and his usual wit and talent for storytelling once again shines through in this compilation of Christmas stories, 'Holidays On Ice'. Sedaris spins his personal and familial anecdotes in such a way that it's hard not to relate in some capacity. In addition to these essay-like tales, we get a couple more pieces that humorously go beyond the scope of human normalcy and pushes his characters over the top, or likewise to a new low. David Sedaris is always a great read any time of the year, but one particular story about his experiences working as an elf at Macy's was particularly effective at bracing me for the most stressful and craziest time of the year!

(Book #46) Robert Kirkman - The Walking Dead - Vol.1

I've had this graphic novel of 'The Walking Dead' in the reading queue for a few weeks now, but have been waiting for the end of the first season of the recent AMC show (based on these comics), to avoid being spoiled. I'll admit, after seeing that first episode of the show, I have been a little obsessed with the zombies lately, so the next logical step was pick up the books. The two are different enough and both good in their own ways. I actually hadn’t realized when I bought it that these are pretty extensive and started back in 2003, and in fact this was the first of many volumes that are out there right now. The gore and shock factor in the book translated well to the show and they both seem to be going in their own directions story-wise for now. The whole notion of a zombie apocalypse is both a frightening and conceivable scenario to think about, which is why these stories are so entertaining. Zombie stories also allow for a lot of interesting character development as well as exploration of moral and ethical questions. I look forward to checking out some more of these and I cannot wait for the next season of the show to come back.

(Book #45) Michael Chabon - The Final Solution

'The Final Solution' was the first story of Michael Chabon's that I have read, and is probably his shortest. The story followed an unnamed aging detective in the 40's as he is pulled out of retirement to help solve a murder and find a missing German-code-speaking parrot. Shortly into the book, a thought came to me that perhaps this old detective fits the description of one Sherlock Holmes, and this added an interesting layer to what could have been a simple story; however I concede that the fact that I watched a Sherlock Holmes movie the night before and read a Holmes story a few months ago. We never really get a name for this "old man". I had a little trouble following the plot in some parts, which could have been due to Chabon's writing style or the choice to have a lot of similar characters in such a small story. Regardless the story was intriguing and had a nice little reveal at the end, like any good mystery should.

(Book #44) Larry Brown - Dirty Work

On a recommendation from a friend, I have been trolling the used book stores for "anything" by Larry Brown for several months now. Finally found a book called 'Dirty Work' nestled in a stack of paperbacks, and I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by what I read.

This particular story was about two Vietnam veterans, one white with an extremely deformed face and the other a black quadriplegic. Over the course of an evening, the two characters, told through alternating perspectives, relate their harsh personal stories and express their unique perspectives of life. The end of the story can be guessed fairly early on, but the tension and build up surrounding the narrative was poignant and genuine.

It's really hard to say much more than that, as the story really has to tell itself without being boiled down to a few sentences. Needless to say it was a great author recommendation and I look forward to picking up some of Brown's other works in the future.

(Books #42 & 43) Douglas Adams - 'The Restaurant at the End of the Universe' & 'Life, The Universe and Everything'

For books #42 (oh the irony) and #43, I read the second and third books in the 'Hitchhiker' series. I picked up 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' a few years ago and actually rather enjoyed it, so when looking for things to read and finding a few more of his books, they seemed to be the perfect books to read for my little project.

'The Restaurant at the End of the Universe', the first sequel, picked up right where the first book left off, and continued the wacky quasi-sci-fi adventures of a motley crew of characters and one depressed robot. There was less direction and overall story than I expected in this book, but the sheer randomness was humorous and kept me engaged in the traveling throughout the universe. Despite this story's eccentricities, I still liked it and was intrigued enough to keep going and read the following book.

The next book in the series, 'Life, The Universe and Everything', was far more difficult for me to read. The further I got into the book, the more irritated with the story, the characters and Douglas Adams himself I got. It was almost like the author stopped taking his medication and every crazy thing that came out of his head was slapped into the story. There was still a vague semblance of structure amidst a sea of absurdities, but a person can only handle so much nonsense. I really wanted to just quit this one and move on, but decided to just plow through and read the last third of the book before bed one night.

I really was expecting to like these more than I did. I still enjoyed the first Hitchhiker book, but after reading these, I think it's safe to say I won't be reading Douglas Adams again anytime soon.

(Book #41) Sir Thomas More - Utopia

I previously read some of Sir Thomas More's 'Utopia' in a humanities class a few years ago, and I have been wanting to read the whole thing at some point. While it seemed like a fairly small piece, this book, a description of a fictional ideal society, dragged on for more than its week allotment. The book was split up into two "books", the first section being a confusing and droning on current (16th Century) social woes and concerns. Perhaps this was to juxtapose with the easier to read and far more relevant second book which attempts to give full descriptions of the many facets of the titular society. It was interesting to read this portion again, with more experienced eyes. While the notions and sweeping ideas that are established in the earlier pages seem pleasant enough, it is still an ideal fabrication. Some aspects of this perfect civilization, surprisingly not in comparison to existing and long-established systems of economy and government, but to human nature as a whole. More would have us believe that it is possible for man to be incorruptible and sustain it. Overall this attempt at structuring a perfect society is certainly a notable attempt and probably worthy of the recognition, even though personally I found some parts shallow and a little hard to swallow.

If I were still in school, I would be obliged to write a much more lengthy and in depth analysis of this book, however I am not, and can thus move on to the my next book and put this one back on the philosophy shelf where it belongs.

(Book #40) Beowulf

'Beowulf' is a great example of archetypal hero mythology ,written by an unknown hand sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries. While not as lengthy as the works of Homer or Virgil, I still place this epic poem in the same category as these ancient classics. The story of Beowulf, while dealing with some "evil", antagonistic creatures and larger than life embellishments, still feels real enough that one could believe that the story may be rooted in actual events (I'll leave that to actual historians to determine). It was a surprisingly quick read with this particular translation and since I hadn't read it before (or seen that recent movie) it was interesting and held my attention. When undertaking this piece of writing, I discovered it was important to read the words as poetry, and not as a straight story or novel. This added another level of drama and richness to the story, and helped me understand why Beowulf is held in such high regard and how it has influenced countless other stories and variations that have been written since.