Book 51 "The Hound of the Baskervilles"

The Hound of the Baskervilles

By

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

A murder mystery as the Baskerville family is haunted by a stalking monster thought to be a hound. As the murders continue it catches the attention of Mr. Sherlock Holmes. The story unwinds in the English countryside as Holmes and Watson work to solve the mystery and stop the killing hound.

Classic mystery by one of the best of all time. I wanted to add to my reading list a book by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and though it starts towards the tale end of Sherlock Holmes detective work, it still was a marvelous book. Dark and twisted and seemingly scary in parts of the book, it comes through with a notable clever ending that one would expect in a classic mystery novel.

If you never had a chance to read any of Doyle's work, I would suggest the Hound of the Baskervilles.

Book 50 "State of Wonder"

STATE OF WONDER

By

Ann Patchett

This blog posting is a special one for me on a couple of accounts. First, it's book number fifty that I have read since the end of June. Mild accomplishment for many readers out there. However, before I set out on the journey of reading 365 books in a year (thanks to a challenge from the book "Tolstoy and the Purple Chair"), I read maybe around ten to twelve books in a year. Even though I am failing bitterly at reading 365 books within a year, I am being rewarded with falling in love with reading. Regardless if I even come CLOSE to the 365 mark (which I probably won't), I can honestly say that this has been a fulfilling journey. I have been treated to some amazing books thus far, met some amazing people in different book stores in a three-four state area and hope to continue.

Book fifty has been one of my favorite. State of Wonder is one of those books that you see on the book shelf, thumb through it, and say to yourself, "Hmmm..I wonder if I'll like this book?" That's how it was for about 6 months between Ann Patchett and myself. Hamlet said it best, "To be or not to be." I can rephrase that line into "To read or not to read?" Ultimately, I broke down and read the book. Let me blog this with a certain degree of sincerity. It moved me. The ending was perfect. I didn't break down and weep, but was a beautiful piece of literature. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

The book itself was about researcher Marina Singh, who was sent by her boss at Vogel (a drug manufacturer) to the jungles of Brazil following the death of a co-worker. It is there that the company is looking into a miracle drug based on a tree bark used by a native tribe. Upon her arrival, Marina must find out the circumstances of her colleague's death, as well as find out why work has slowed to a crawl on the drug.

The books consistently engages the reader and at times brilliantly moves between a drama and action packed adventure. Brilliant.

Book 49 "The Woman In The Dunes"

The Woman in the Dunes

By

Kobo Abe

In a remote seaside village, Niki Jumpei, a teacher and amateur entomologist, is held captive with a young woman at the bottom of a vast sand pit where, they are pressed into shoveling off ever-advancing sand dunes that threaten the village.

Kobo Abe was first introduced to me in a college world literature class. The book was introduced as one of the best Japanese novels of the twentieth century. However, like any other lazy college student I skimmed the book and didn't actually read the book as I should have! Shame! Therefore, as I was clearing out books I have stored away I came across The Woman in the Dunes and felt compelled to finish the book.

What I found was surprising. Though it wasn't presented in its original Japanese form, I still felt the frustration and pain of the hero's struggle to survive the sand pit. The realism was abounding and I craved water as I read it. Naturally, anyone that has hiked miles in a desert climate with no water can relate to craving water.

I was surprised by the ending when Niki (after years of trying to escape) found himself with an easy escape and changed his sense of urgency in leaving the village. In fact, it really left you with a feeling that he never did escape and went down in public record as a missing person...FOREVER.

Book 48 "Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk"

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk

By

David Sedaris

A collection of short stories put together by David Sedaris. At a quick glance it looks like a clever little book on the cover, but after reading several of his short collection of stories, what one finds (in reality) is a collection of 'fables' AND not just any cute little fables either. What Sedaris puts together comes packaged in something that appears innocent through the use of animals, but twist into something dark and twisted. Simple truths are revealed in the short stories, but not your everyday read.

Cleverly put together in continous fables. Honestly, not what I expected. Was it bad? No. Was it great? No. Was it shocking? Yes. And that's really what I took away form reading Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk. Like an author seeking shock effect...when he finished the final product he achieved was a serious shock effect in the shape of a fable.

Book 47 "Of Mice And Men"

Of Mice And Men

By

John Steinbeck

A little book of 103 pages that wallops a punch!

An intimate portrait of two men who cherish the slim bond between them and the dream they share in a world marred by petty tyranny, misunderstanding and jealousy. Clinging to each other in their loneliness. George and his simple-minded friend Lenny dream, as drifters will, of a place to call their own--a couple of acres and a few pigs, chickens, and rabbits. But after they come to work on a ranch in California, their hopes begin to fade and end tragically.

This simplistic work by Steinbeck was written in a form that could be easily taken as a scene play. Which is no doubt why it has shown on Broadway as well as three separate on screen plays.

I could hear the voices clearly as I read and could even detail the accents of each individual character. The image of each scene is clearly played out as you read. A masterpiece and classic by John Steinbeck. It's an easy, quick, and entertaining read.

The one part of the book that really stuck out was the part where the dog was shot. To see a dog get up and follow a human being, and trust that he would mean 'no harm' is equally evident between Lenny and George. The final few pages flashed back to the part of the dog and slowly revealed a possible ending (which eventually turned out to be the way it DID end). Tragic, yet simplistically moving.