Dune

I've been wanting to re-read Dune for a long time. I finally grabbed it and started reading it when I returned from N.O. for Thanksgiving. It really is a grand story and a wonderful read. Because I tire of the stories that warn us of a desolate future after we rape the planet, I now read these as the assurance that the destruction of humanity will in fact come and the planet will have an opportunity to repair itself without our presence--even if it is giant worms. Yay Frank Herbert.

China Mieville The City & The City

My love for China only grows with each book. This is a great classic noir detective story wrapped around a parable for our culture of insulated lives. He really did a great job with character development, creating a fantastical world struggling with physical limitations that is completely understandable and believable. I enjoyed the story front start to finish. Yay.

The Business

I'm continuing my Iain Banks reading with The Business. I disliked this more than the previous. I'm interested in reading The Wasp and will hit MLK when I return from holidays to check that out. His Sci-Fi interests me much more than his dystopian fiction or whatever one calls these books. This novel contained way too much non-essential descriptive prose ("I listened to Alanis Morisette's Jagged Pill while on the plane.") Lots and lots of it. I also found the story somewhat irrelevant and the conclusion uninspired and unsatisfying. Sorry.

David Plante's loss

David Plante's The Pure Lover: A memoir of Grief was an elegant small volume of remembrances of love past. I liked how strongly he recalled his love for his partner and how vividly he wrote about intimacies and small moments. I think the sum of a life together is really the small moments; that is when a couple creates a thing, a oneness. Over time these shared moments become a thing to cherish or a pain in the ass. It's nice to read about this couple who really did love each other, or at least that is how Plante remembers it. Either way, it's a nice read.

Transitions

Iain M Banks' newest sci-fi is a "fable for the future"--hardly. It is actually a tale of modern mans' hatred and fear of intelligence. I stumbled on the incidental homophobia in the first 50 pages ("I'm not gay or anything; I'm totally normal.") but stayed with him to the thrilling conclusion. I really enjoyed the book. I am a huge fan of structure and enjoyed how he put the story together through various first person narrations. While I figure out fairly quickly who was who in the story it didn't diminish the pacing or the ultimate battle. While Iain Banks may consider homosexuality to be abnormal, I still enjoyed the book.

Stitches

Loved it. Great art. Great narrative. Great art. This is one of those stories that lends itself to graphic novel. The drawing style was really classy. It had a great flowing quality that was anti-comic strip, helping to make the story unique. I love the idea of the family having a unique ability to communicate--mom uses slamming cupboard doors and throwing dishes; dad is the sound of his car leaving as fast as possible; brother percussion; and author his artwork.

Ode to Kirihito

After an embarrassment and confusion trying to decipher the Dewey Decimal System I used to know and love, I finally found Ode to Kirihito in the Graphic Novel section (not the non-fiction aisle). Quite an awesome read. I love the story--always enjoy the conspiracy and the medical story--and the graphics were cool as well. I loved some of the drawings of the characters, especially Dr. Urabe (aka Mr. Hot). Plus the hilarious big-breasted women who always took their tops off. Greed, humanity, pride, age discrimination, we had it all.