The Drop Edge of Yonder- Rudolph Wurlitzer

I don't know what I was expecting when I started reading this book, but it most definitely wasn't this - a story of the domestication of the Wild West through the eyes of a full-on outlaw/ mountain man. It's a story that I practically never think about, or elect to read about, so I was surprised to find it on my list. Despite this, I have to say, I was entertained by all the hijinks and adventures. Although occasionally the description was lacking, the book read like a movie script. It was interesting to see the seedy underside of the gold rush, focusing the corruption through an already corrupt lens that laments the disappearance of the frontier. Characters were very-well established and ran the gamut of personality types - the corrupt lawman, the outlaw whose decision to get out of the lifestyle doesn't stick, the mysterious foreign temptress, etc. With a bit of a mystical element woven in, it highlighted all types of life on the Wild West and how they merge together, without playing on any blatant stereotypes.

3 bookworms

All about Lulu- Jonathan Evison

This book reminded me A LOT of She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb, which is one of my all time favourite books. Instead of having a very insecure female going through horrific growing pains, All About Lulu chronicles the life of a male protagonist who also struggles through puberty and early adulthood entirely due to his crippling love for his stepsister. I was surprised about the plot twist in the last chapters, and it actually made me go back and read a few passages to clarify certain scenes. At times, I did get annoyed with the main character - his whiny, woe-is-me attitude grated my nerves. Personally, I found his brothers and dad much more fascinating and great comedic relief. The dad is a body builder, “Big Bill” that competes among the likes of Governor Ah-nold and eats too much meat. The twin brothers are hilarious, and I’m sad that as the years went by, they became less and less visible in the story. The first-person narration provides the reader with dry humor, the dripping with sarcasm voice of the protagonist, which made me smile a few times at the witty comments.

3 Bookworms.

Shining City- Seth Greenland

What a fun book! Two brothers' lives - one a family man that becomes an aging victim of outsourcing and the recession and the other a pimp that dies right from the get go - merge in the crazy Hadron Collider that is modern day LA with spectacularly amusing results. A dry-cleaner serves as a front of the business which the "good" brother and family pick-up with such aplomb and noble intentions to improve the lifes of their girls. The line between morally right and morally questionable blurs to the point that it is nonexistent as the book, through humor and wit, explains just how far a man will go to take care of his family. A  cast that includes a weed-smoking grandma with glaucoma, bodyguards with entrepreneurial aspirations, a villainous rival pimp and a d-bag of a boss all makes for amusing shenanigans that will have you cheering for the underdog.

4 bookworms.

Holding Pattern- Jeffery Renard Allen

Holding Pattern is actually a collection of short stories, and I have to say the rating I'm giving is a bit harsh. I got through about 3 stories before I gave up on it. It just wasn't for me. While I understand the artistic literary form of blurring the plot and making things intentionally muddled, I can only appreciate it when it is done well. Which I don't think it was done here, I'm sorry to say. Naming the characters mostly the same name and then providing a disclaimer in the beginning of the text that they are all unrelated struck me as laziness rather than an innovative modern lit tactic.  Perhaps it would have all tied together in some profound way in the end.  I just wasn't attached enough to care to find out. Read at your own risk.

1/2 bookworm. 

The Gathering- Anne Enright

This is a serious book. It is not a romantic comedy, it is not chick lit, it is not some thrilling action adventure mystery. It is a book about serious, internal human struggles and triumphs. I rarely read books like these because I turn to books for entertainment and to learn about something I will never experience (like gay strip clubs in DC). However, I could not put this book down. Will I re-read it over and over again? No. But I was fascinated by how tightly wound up the family members and how cracks split open when they convened for their brother's funeral. Family dysfunction affects everyone involved in wildly different ways, and this is shown in abundant clarity here. By weaving in three generations of stories and half-truths, a picture emerges of a family clan that cannot move on from a few seminal events. This is the second book I have read by an Irish author, and I've come to the conclusion that I simply need to read more Irish literature.

3 1/2 bookworms

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo- Stieg Larsson

What has not already been written about this book and series? I can only add to the accolades. It is a full-on page turner with an entire range of characters and stories to immerse yourself in and cheer for (or root against). I have to admit, I figured out the big reveal well before it was announced. That didn't bother me though; I kept devouring the pages as fast as I could to get another morsel of story. Disturbing, appealing, different - this book is all those things and personally, I can't wait to get my hands on the second installment.

5 bookworms