Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

Fluffy, cute chick-lit

Chick-Lit/Romance

Synopsis: Chick wakes from a brief coma, and can’t remember the past three years of her life, including her husband, her high-powered job, or her lover.

Review: All I can say is, “meh.” I didn’t even read the whole thing, just read the first couple of chapters, then a couple of pages in the middle, then the last 20 pages. About 50 pages in all, from a 300+ page book, which was plenty to get the plot and the characters. The story is cute, the main chick is sympathetic and amusing (if a little whiny, but it’s no big) and the villains are appropriately bitchy. A cute little read, perfect for a mindless day in the sun or a carefree afternoon indoors when raining. Nothing exceptional, either good or bad; pretty much a standard chick-lit story for those who are into this kind of thing.

Readalikes: Helen Fielding, Jennifer Weiner, Anna Maxted


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Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

A sub-standard work from a contemporary master

Fantasy/Urban

Synopsis: After his father dies, Fat Charlie discovers a) he has a brother and b) he is the son of a god. And then his life falls apart.

Review: While I rank Gaiman as one of my all-time favorite authors, I really wasn’t feeling as though this was his best work. Sure, the plot was fairly swift, the dialogue was snappy and full of wit, and the characters were mostly sympathetic and sufficiently complicated in their own ways, but it felt like Gaiman was trying to do too much and link together too many disparate plots, which really required far too much coincidental resolution to be satisfactory. A nice read, but DO NOT select this is you’ve never read Gaiman; go with Neverwhere or American Gods instead.

Readalikes: Terry Pratchett, Jasper Fforde, Christopher Moore, Inkheart Trilogy

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The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

A cool, no-nonsense noir classic

Classic: Detective/Noir

Synopsis: Hardened PI Philip Marlowe is hired to uncover a blackmail plot and ventures into the seedy underside of sunny LA, leaving a wake of corpses and half-naked women in his wake.

Review: A forerunner to some of my favorite contemporary authors (especially James Ellroy), this initiation into the Philip Marlowe series (and Chandler’s first book publication) is like watching the first developments of Victorian moving pictures and knowing that, as amazing as it is, it will soon become something much, much more. While I love the story, the tone and the general grittiness of Marlowe’s ventures around the underbelly of LA, the writing and plot elements could use some fine-tuning to raise it to the intricately woven output Chandler was known for later in his career. This book does set a high-bar for the genre with panache and real determination, and provides a perfect starting point for discovering one of the greatest noir writers in American literature.

Readalikes: Watchmen, Philip K Dick, James Ellroy, Mary Roberts Rinehart

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The Invisibles (full series) created by Grant Morrison

Bold, philosophical, po-mo superheroes

Graphic Novel/Comic: Science Fiction/Conspiracy

Synopsis: A merry band of supernatural misfits battle against a power-hungry other power attempting to take over the world (I think).

Review: I don’t generally go in for the hyper-contemplative, tripped-out sci-fi genre, and this is no exception. While the overall storyline is, for the most part, engrossing and complex, it often spins off in too many directions with not enough resolutions. The constantly shifting art was engaging, but the bizarre and random monologues served to bore me and allowed my mind to drift along until the action picked back up. Not for the easily distracted. And Ragged Robin is genuinely kick-ass. I wanna be that chick when I grow up.

Readalikes: Watchmen, Tank Girl, Philip K Dick, Transmetropolitan (series)


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Captain Freedom by G. Xavier Robillard

Satirizing superheroes and memoirs

Fantasy/Satire

Synopsis: Captain Freedom’s memoir, from his Montana ranch upbringing to cheating through superhero high school to governorship of CA.

Review: Hilarious and biting, I can’t help but wonder at the absolute inanity of the title character and narrator, and how apt he is to comment on our current celebrity-obsessed, gossip-addicted and hyperstimulated culture. Astute and intelligent without being brutal or insulting,

Readalikes: Christopher Moore, Watchmen, Beth Lisick, Sarah Vowell


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The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

Imaginative and intricate entree to Discworld

Fantasy/Satire

Synopsis: A naïve and adventurous tourist conscripts a cowardly and worldly failed wizard to undertake all sorts of misadventures and discovery.

Review: Such a masterful beginning to a highly-developed, fully-evolved universe. Considering the complicated interaction among the characters, this entrée into Discworld gives proper glimpses and hints at future insights that don’t muddle the plot or confuse the reader with unnecessary tangents.

Readalikes: Christopher Moore, Douglas Adams, Neil Gaiman, Neal Stephenson

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People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

Beautifully and sensitively fictionalized history of a divisive artifact

Historical/Religious

Synopsis: A fictionalized history of the elusive Sarajevo Haggadah, the Jewish book of Passover, spanning over 500 years and three continents.

Review: This is one of those special books that proves to be applicable to many people for each a different reason. For me, it reaffirmed the ridiculousness of organized religion and how religions only serve to create artificial divides between people; the only true religion is in faith in humanity to do the right thing and to live without harming others. For someone else, this book might attest to the strength and necessity of faith in times of trial. To a third person, this book may affirm the belief that the cultures of the world are an ever evolving species and should be preserved, flaws and all, in order to attest to humanity’s struggle with itself. In any case, it’s a beautifully written and inspiring story of strength and redemption.

Readalikes: The Book Thief, The White Tiger, The Thirteenth Tale, The Lace Reader, James Michener


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