Tuesday, January 06, 2009

A Couple of Books and a Shuffle

Why We Suck: Denis Leary: I love Denis Leary and so does my husband. I got this book for him for Christmas and he read it very quickly, laughing out loud the entire time. So I was expecting to do the same thing. I didn't. I think I would have found a lot of the things he talks about funnier if I'd been watching him or listening to him. As it was, I really only laughed out loud a few times. A lot of the time I felt that he truly believed that mothers with children should stay home -- which is fine if you are him and can afford it, and he did say something about mothers who HAD to work weren't included in this group, but still, I felt attacked for choosing to work and choosing to have children as well. I understand his humor -- I truly do -- and most Denis Leary fans will probably love this book. I was just probably a little "tetchy" about that subject.

Birmingham, 35 Miles: James Braziel: I read this as part of my apocalypse-themed reading, plus it's set in Alabama. In this future, the holes in the ozone layer have become so big that now most of the South is a desert, where the people dig for clay rocks to get money from the government -- it's "make work" and they know it, but it's work. The book goes back and forth in time, but I wasn't bothered by that. What did annoy me was the inertia of the main character, Matthew. In the novel, it's difficult to get to the "Saved World" (the world that's not been destroyed by the opening of the ozone layer) but Matthew has a visa that will allow him to go there. He spends most of the book avoiding leaving. Overall, I did like this book, but Cormac MacCarthy's The Road is a better apocalyptic novel, although I'm not sure the comparison is fair.

Friday Shuffle on Tuesday
  1. The Ice is Getting Thinner: Death Cab for Cutie from Narrow Stairs
  2. Washed Ashore: The Platters from Enchanted
  3. Doginabag: The Fratellis from Costello Music
  4. The Great Beyond: R.E.M. from In Time
  5. Honey Bee: Lucinda Williams from Little Honey
  6. Traveling Miles: Cassandra Wilson from Traveling Miles
  7. Black Hole: She & Him from Volume One
  8. Death and All His Friends: Coldplay from Viva La Vida
  9. Harbor Lights: Boz Scaggs from Silk Degrees
  10. Cry Baby/Piece of My Heart: Melissa Etheridge and Joss Stone

4 comments:

Marshamlow said...

I like the road too. I didn't think I would but I really did.

Kathy said...

I didn't think I would like The Road either -- I put off reading it for a long time. But I really enjoyed it.

Anonymous said...

Haven't read either, but you should try The Last Gasp by Trevor Hoyle. Great read. I have had it in my own library since the early '80's. Been meaning to read it again. Similar story line: pollution, etc. has gotten out of hand, etc.

Anonymous said...

I didn't think I would but I really did. Great read.