Elizabeth Costello* - J.M. Coetzee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Costello - Luckily, this wasn't the first book I read by J.M. Coetzee. If it were, I probably would never have picked up another. This is a book about the fictional Australian novelist, Elizabeth Costello - who finds herself late in life, after receiving numerous awards for her writing, giving speeches on topics ranging from the modern novel to vegetarianism to the nature of evil. The novel unfolds in eight chapters - each chapter a different speech. Coetzee seemed to use the book as a vehicle for laying out his philosophies on various issues - or setting up debates that didn't seem to move forward any sort of story line. While each speech certainly provided a window into the character, I found them tedious, and the character narcissistic. The ideas are intriguing (though granted I didn't understand half of them), but I didn't find the book particularly enjoyable.

(* - listed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die)

Galileo's Daughter - Dava Sobel

http://www.powells.com/biblio/17-9780802713438-5: I'd been interested in reading this book since it was published in 1999, but I rarely buy non-fiction, so I didn't have the chance until I borrowed it from my mother a couple weeks ago. This is a biography of Galileo, told in part through letters written to him by his illegitimate daughter, a cloistered nun and Galileo's confidante. Over 125 letters written by her survive, though all of the letters from Galileo to his daughter have reportedly been lost or destroyed. While the familial relationship was interesting, I didn't feel as if the correspondence added much to the narrative, and it seemed as if most of the biographical information about Galileo came from other sources. As I am not particularly interested in astronomy, mathematics, or physics, I found most of the discussion of Galileo's findings and research a bit boring (I know it's all incredibly important and I respect that, I just don't care to read about it). I was interested in Galileo's treatment by the church, but at this point I feel like most of that information is common knowledge, and I almost felt as if Sobel's retelling of the story was like reading a high school textbook. I was unimpressed by her writing, and felt as if the use of the letters was too gimmicky - a way to appear to have a new angle on Galileo's life, but not really adding much overall. That being said, a very well-read friend of mine who reads biographies by the dozen loves this book - and feels that it was most certainly deserving of all the praise it has received. More science-minded individuals would probably enjoy it.

Absurdistan - Gary Shteyngart

http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780812971675-0: Picked as one of the NY Times's top books of 2006, this is the story of Misha, a 325 pound Russian Jew, who wants nothing more than to return to America. After Misha's mafia father murders an American, Misha's chances of legally obtaining a visa are dashed - so he ventures to the country of Absurdistan, where he hopes to buy one on the black market. Civil war erupts - the local government, backed by Halliburton, is mired in corruption - and Misha finds himself stuck in the middle. I was interested in Misha's back story, his interactions with his family, and his quest for love. I was not as interested in the political commentary about the US's love for oil and questionable dictators. This book was at times clever, but I got bored quickly and wasn't that excited about reading it after about 150 pages in. Well-written, but overhyped.

Kokoro* - Natsume Soseki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natsume_Soseki - This novel, centered around the friendship of a young student and an elder "Sensei", deals with the transition from Japan's Meiji society to the modern era. The young student develops a strange fascination with the misanthrope Sensei and through vague conversations, and ultimately a tell-all epistle, discovers the truth behind the Sensei's ennui and malaise. The book moves slowly, and the reluctance of the characters to just say what they are thinking is a bit tedious, but it is well written and unfolds as a depressing, yet compelling, illlustration of a society steeped in guilt and obligation. Published in 1914, Natsume's Kokoro is credited with establishing the form of the first-person novel.

(* - listed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die)

Rashomon and Other Stories* - Akutagawa Ryūnosuke

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashomon_%28short_story%29 - Akutagawa is known as "the father of the Japanese short story." This collection, first published in 1915, included about eight different stories, all exploring the darker side of life and the difficult choices people are often forced to make. Akira Kurosawa made the film "Rashomon" based on a number of Akutagawa's over 150 short stories. I've been shocked in this month's exploration of Japanese writers to encounter so many stories with haunting and disturbing themes. I'm not sure what I expected, but everything has left me feeling depressed and contemplating the meaning of life and the good/evil of human nature. Akutagawa's stories are short and the entire collection could easily be read in one sitting - but I think it would be a mistake to do this. It's simply too much to take in all at once.

(* - listed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die)

The Talented Mr. Ripley* - Patricia Highsmith

http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780679742296-18 - By now most people have probably seen the movie based on this book, which I myself enjoyed. When I was looking for mystery recommendations last month, KJM's husband recommended it. I'd basically forgotten the story, but the basics are Tom Ripley is approached by the father of Dickie Greenwood who has been gallavanting around Europe for far too long. Mr. Greenwood pays Ripley's way to Italy to find Dickie and bring him home. Upon finding Dickie, however, Ripley becomes infactuated with him - and not only wants to become his best friend, but actually wants to become HIM. Murders and investigations ensue, while Ripley overcome with paranoia goes to strange and inexplicable lengths to maintain his secret life. There is nothing likeable about Ripley's character, but I still found myself worried he would get caught and relieved when the detectives overlooked the obvious. This isn't the most brilliantly written book, but I found it exciting. Highsmith has written four other novels featuring Tom Ripley, and I definitely plan to read them.

(* - listed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die)

You Suck - Christopher Moore

http://www.powells.com/biblio/18-9780060590291-0: Vampires on the loose and in love in San Francisco, and goth-teenagers desperately seeking to be their minions - Moore's latest novel is a fast read bordering on the ridiculous - but really fun nonetheless. The book cover kept calling out to me at various stores, and finally I decided to borrow it from the library. Sections of the book are written as the Diary of Abby Normal - a perky loser who just wants everyone to take her thirst for an immortal soul seriously. Her description and reenactments of conversations are hilarious. This is definitely not the most literary novel I've read, but for a frivolous good time, I highly recommend it.