Books read: 2007
Jan. 25th, 2007 10:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yendi4. Are You Really Going to Eat That?, by Robb Walsh. This collection of articles by Walsh (mostly from Houston and Austin papers, but also from some national magazines) doesn't quite live up to its promise, as other than a chapter focusing on Durian (the stinky fruit whose name sounds like it should be a brand of prophylactics), we mostly focus on peppers, coffee, Salvadoran food, some great chefs, and food philosophy. None of which is to say I disliked this collection at all. Walsh is a witty writer who appreciates good food and is willing to go out of his way for it. Just go in expecting more of a set of memories from a guy who simply enjoys good cuisine, not a look into truly bizarre food items.
5. Fragile Things, by Neil Gaiman. I was surprised at how few of these pieces I'd already read -- only three, and one (Keepsakes and Treasures) was read so long ago, I had almost completely forgotten it. There are few disappointments in any collection of Neil's work, and, as I've mentioned in the past, I think that the shorter works -- stories and novellas -- are where he shines. Here, we get some nice twists on gothic pieces ("Coffee Grounds" was probably my favorite of the assorted ghost stories), traditional ghost stories ("Closing Time"), humor ("Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire" wins on title alone), and other subgenres. Neil also throws in an American Gods novella, "Monarch of the Glen," which I enjoyed more than I'd expected, and which adds some interesting depth to Shadow. The point is, you should read this. It's Neil, and it's good.
6. The Nasty Bits, Anthony Bourdain. I adore Bourdain's writing, and this collection of essays epitomizes everything I like about him. We get him at his most opinionated (he's even will to publish some older pieces that he acknowledges show him being an ass, and admit that he's changed his mind). We get his wonderful rants against Woody Harrelson and the raw food movement, his love of indigenous foods, his hatred of American fast food, his appreciation of the work of his fellow chefs, and even a short story. We also get a food porn piece on Masa that had me positively drooling. If you like food at all (and by "food," I do not mean "Big Mac"), buy this book.
7. Nothing but the Night, by Bill Pronzini. This is, technically, a predictable little work. We get chapters alternating POVs between a man seeking justice for a hit-and-run accident that hospitalized his wife, and the businessman with a troubled past who matches the police sketch of the hit-and-run driver. The development of the story follows the usual stalker plotline, combined with the "trauma helps heal family wounds" trope, but Pronzini's a good enough writer to keep the book engaging. The story is tautly-written and fast-moving, and if it's not a great book, it's an enjoyable and quick (I read it on the bus rides to and from the MFA last night) read.
5. Fragile Things, by Neil Gaiman. I was surprised at how few of these pieces I'd already read -- only three, and one (Keepsakes and Treasures) was read so long ago, I had almost completely forgotten it. There are few disappointments in any collection of Neil's work, and, as I've mentioned in the past, I think that the shorter works -- stories and novellas -- are where he shines. Here, we get some nice twists on gothic pieces ("Coffee Grounds" was probably my favorite of the assorted ghost stories), traditional ghost stories ("Closing Time"), humor ("Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire" wins on title alone), and other subgenres. Neil also throws in an American Gods novella, "Monarch of the Glen," which I enjoyed more than I'd expected, and which adds some interesting depth to Shadow. The point is, you should read this. It's Neil, and it's good.
6. The Nasty Bits, Anthony Bourdain. I adore Bourdain's writing, and this collection of essays epitomizes everything I like about him. We get him at his most opinionated (he's even will to publish some older pieces that he acknowledges show him being an ass, and admit that he's changed his mind). We get his wonderful rants against Woody Harrelson and the raw food movement, his love of indigenous foods, his hatred of American fast food, his appreciation of the work of his fellow chefs, and even a short story. We also get a food porn piece on Masa that had me positively drooling. If you like food at all (and by "food," I do not mean "Big Mac"), buy this book.
7. Nothing but the Night, by Bill Pronzini. This is, technically, a predictable little work. We get chapters alternating POVs between a man seeking justice for a hit-and-run accident that hospitalized his wife, and the businessman with a troubled past who matches the police sketch of the hit-and-run driver. The development of the story follows the usual stalker plotline, combined with the "trauma helps heal family wounds" trope, but Pronzini's a good enough writer to keep the book engaging. The story is tautly-written and fast-moving, and if it's not a great book, it's an enjoyable and quick (I read it on the bus rides to and from the MFA last night) read.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-25 03:26 pm (UTC)Oh, yay. I might have to pick up the Bourdain book for my dad. Last year's b-day present was Kitchen Confidential. It would be cool to continue the theme. Oh, and you being a foodie will love this. When my very dearest
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-25 04:51 pm (UTC)I loved Fragile Things. To me, the poems (which I admit I sometimes tended to skim over in Neil's other collection) were some of the strongest pieces. The Day The Saucers Came was great and packed a nice little emotional blow at the end while My Life is the greatest Tom Waits song that Tom Waits never wrote.
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