The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein)

[***] ISBN: 9780061537936

This wasn't really the piece of light reading I thought it would be. There are certainly some fun parts--mostly where Enzo, the narrator, gets to be more of a dog and his owner gets to be more of a race car driver. But to get to these, the reader is forced to endure personal hardships for the humans as well as the dog. I think I get it; I get what the author was striving for-contrast between the good parts of life and the bad. The problem is that the bad parts, and the dog's intellectual ruminations about them, felt forced. They didn't work for me. The dog was thinking, excuse the pun, way over his head. I could have bought the dog narrator much more if he was ever more doggish, intelligent, but doggish-running on instinct, less obsessed with opposable thumbs, more confused about human motives and time, and through these confused observations providing the same commentary that this author makes explicit. I was glad I made it all of the way through this, but I'm not sure I recommend it, even for a dog lover.

Don't Know Much About History: Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned (Kenneth C. Davis)

[***] ISBN: 9780060083816

A very quick, and sometimes interesting, survey of American History. Things get started with some tentative speculation about how the first (non-) indigenous peoples arrived, then picks up speed with the arrival of the first European explorers. If you already passed AmHist in high school and college, you already know this stuff. But it's a reasonable refresher course. Keep in mind that this is somewhat targeted at those with less than a college (or even high school?) education, so there are no big words or deep concepts.

Freedomnomics (John R. Lott, Jr.)

[***] ISBN: 9781596985063 (hardcover), 9780786149506 (audio)

John R. Lott, Jr. obviously has a bone to pick with the authors of Freakonomics. From the title of his book to the analysis inside, he is out to disprove many of the outlandish proposals in that other book.

In a way, he succeeds. The title got my attention. And I stayed with the book, listening through to the end. And I have to agree with much of his analysis and his conclusion: the free market is usually smarter than the government.

On the other hand, the book is not quite as entertaining as the one it's attacking. It might have helped if the main author were a magazine writer, rather than a PhD. Even so, if you read Freakonomics (which you should), then read this one to get a view from the other side.

Mary Poppins (P.L. Travers)

[***] ISBN: 0152017178

This was a likable bunch of stories. It is definitely not the Disney Mary Poppins (and vice versa). Julie Andrews tried to act as vain and mysterious as this Mary Poppins, but her smile always ruined the effect.

Interestingly, the book comes across more as a set of semi-related stories, rather than one big story. And for a children's book, there are no (discernible) lessons learned, other than to make room in your life for whimsy. So that is the lesson I will take with me as I write my own fantasy story involving a nanny, some children, and a genie.

The Eagles Brood (Jack Whyte)

[***] ISBN: 9780765304599

I liked this better than "The Singing Sword", but still not as much as "The Skystone". The author shifts viewpoint here, into the head of Merlyn, the nephew of the previous narrator, Publius Varras. This results in more story, but I could have skipped some of the detailed, gruesome, and sometimes depraved details.

This is a Merlyn that runs counter to most previous notions of the old wizard. He's a young warrior growing up in the tradition of the Roman armies that have vacated Britain. We follow his life as he spars with his friend, cousin and rival, Uther Pendragon, who is ultimately the father of Arthur. Theirs is a brutish and often distasteful life. The story is not for the squeamish -- or impatient.

The Singing Sword (Jack Whyte)

[***] ISBN: 0765304589

Not as much story fill the pages of the second book in this series. It's all very good writing, but much of it seems like filler. There are episodes that don't seem necessary to moving the plot forward. And the parts that are pertinent seem a bit drawn out. Even so, I pushed through and enjoyed the ending, which is very key to the overall epic.

The Abs Diet Get Fit Stay Fit Plan (David Zinczenko, Ted Spiker)

[***] ISBN: 1594864098

This book just makes a lot of sense to me. It presents a very balanced view of diet and exercise. I first heard about it by chance on the Internet. Then I looked at a summary of the program at the Men's Health web site. Then I got the book from the library. Finally, I bought the book so that I can reference it any time.

I don't know if I'll manage to lose 15 pounds and 4 inches of gut in 6 weeks like some of the people. I've already been following many of the diet guidelines for a while and don't think I can get much more fanatical about them. But I think I can follow the exercise program pretty well, and that should be a big help. We'll see.

Scene & Structure (Jack M. Bickham)

[***] ISBN: 0898799066

A very well structured and highly detailed book on how to do a highly detailed and well structured analysis when plotting a work of fiction. The problem for me is that doing all this analysis up front feels mechanical and artificial. I think these principles will be helpful in analyzing stories that don't seem to be working. This is good for skimming and getting general principles, but I would avoid getting bogged down in the details too soon.

The Sword-Edged Blonde (Alex Bledsoe)

[***] ISBN: 1597801127

I would have probably never picked this up if I hadn't read a recommendation for it somewhere and it just happened to coincide with my plan to also write a first-person cross-over mystery. I'm glad I did. It's a fun read. This book tries to answer the question: what would happen if Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe lived in a world of sword and sorcery, rather than 20th century Los Angeles. What happens is that you get a hero with an attitude and a story filled with genre-bending non-sequiturs and humor. It just sort of works. This isn't Tolkien, or even C.S. Lewis, but there is plenty of story and interesting characters for the pages allocated. Recommended for a few hours of light reading.

Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told (Blake Snyder)

[***] ISBN: 1932907351

I enjoyed the tone and perspective of this book and will be reading its predecessor, "Save the Cat!", in order to get a better understanding of how the plots can be broken down. The examples in this volume shed much light on how various sorts of films all share the same basic plot. Yet the book also shows how any basic outline, when done well, can be made fresh and alive. And when done really well, the same old plot becomes something new and unique. Recommended for any author, especially those writing screenplays. Warning: the plot breakdowns do contain spoilers (I skipped the ones for films I have not seen and plan to) and get a bit repetitive.

Fragile Things (Neil Gaiman)

[***] ISBN: 9780060515225

An uneven, but ultimately satisfying collection of short stories, poems, and a novella from the author of "Stardust" and "Mirrormask" (and others I haven't yet read). Even though several of the stories and most of the poems fell flat for me, all of the entries showcase Gaiman's gift for imagination and invention. My favorites were "A Study in Emerald" (which re-imagines Sherlock Holmes in the world of H.P. Lovecraft), "Goliath" (which is from the world of "The Matrix"), "The Day the Saucers Came" (the one poem I liked), and "The Monarch of the Glen".

How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author (Janet Evanovich with Ina Yalof)

[***] ISBN: 9780312354282

This is a fairly informative, pleasant, and entertaining look at how one working writer does it. As best she can, the author goes into her approach to character, plot, humor, adventure, outlining, storyboarding, drafting, and editing. This is how she keeps cranking out books that sell. There are some good tips here, including the rudimentary and common notion of keeping one's butt in one's chair and writing, everyday, no matter what.

High Five (Janet Evanovich)

[***] ISBN: 9780312203030

I liked this quite a bit better than the first book in the series, One for the Money. The main character, Stephanie, has finally gotten some brains and manages to actually solve a case. The biggest problem is that the police and Treasury department, with the amount of manpower they had dedicated, should have solved it long before she did.

So, I think I'm done. She's still not that smart, takes too many chances, and is surrounded by too many crazies and coincidences. That may be part of the fun for her regular readers, and it keeps the plots fast paced, but it doesn't completely work for me.

The Measure Of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Sidney Poitier)

[***] ISBN: 9780061355431 [audio], 9780061357916 [hardcover]

I think I could tell what Mr. Poitier was trying to do in this book, as evidenced in his title. But I don't think he quite does it. He doesn't really give us anything spiritual on which to hang our hat.

Yes, he waxes philosophical in many places. But I don't think these ramblings can really be counted as spiritual or that enlightening. They really just come across as the opinions of one senior citizen looking back on life. Without any corroborating accounts or data, that all they really are: ramblings and opinions.

On the other hand, when the author really sticks to what he knows - his life - then the story tends come alive and speak. It's in these moments where we actually get some actual glimpses into the 'spirituality' of the man. He doesn't have to pretend to be a philosopher to reveal his spiritual or philosophical side. He should stay with the facts.

Still a fun listen, in the audio version.

Sins of the City: The Real Los Angeles Noir (Jim Heimann)

[***] ISBN: 9780811823197

This is a concise portrait of Los Angeles during the noir period (1930s to 1950s) as captured by various news and other photographers. A short essay at the front sets the stage, but it's the photos that tell the story of a city growing up.

American Pastoral (Philip Roth)

[***] ISBN: 9780395860212

On the opposite end of the spectrum from In Cahoots is this Pulitzer Prize-winning book. While I did not finish reading this title (yet), I found that I liked the smooth and subtle prose and the rich character landscape created by the author. I understand why it won. Why didn't I finish it then and why didn't I give it more stars? Because it got pushed aside for some different reading I needed to do during NaNoWriMo and it became due at the library. Because I didn't finish it, I can't say that I recommend it yet, either. I may come back and try it again, mainly because I want to work my way through several Pulitzer books to see what make them tick.

You're Lucky You're Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom (Phil Rosenthal)

[***] ISBN: 9781597771436 (audio) ISBN: 9780452288782 (paperback)

This book is an almost perfect resource for anyone who is trying, or considering trying, to break into television scriptwriting, especially for sit-coms. For them it's really a four-star book. It's loaded with keen insight into the world of television production and writing.

It's also a four-star book for anyone who is a fan of the show Mr. Rosenthal created, Everyone Loves Raymond. It's loaded with hilarious behind-the-scenes stories about how the show came to be and the people involved.

For everyone else, it's worth at least three-stars, especially the audio edition where you get to hear the author, in his very ethnic New York voice, tell all the stories and do the voices and play some recordings. It's just plain funny.

Thanks for Tuning In (Richard Ruelas)

[***] ISBN: 9780975282212

There is a sure-fire test to find out if someone grew up in Arizona any time between 1955 and 1998. Do they remember Wallace and Ladmo? I do. So does Stephen Spielberg. This is the story of Wallace, the driving force behind It's Wallace? and The Wallace and Ladmo Show. The latter is the longest running children's television show ever.

Actually, this starts out as the story of Bill Thompson, the sparky son of a successful New York stockbroker. This early history is fascinating and tells us much about how Bill became and remained Wallace. He just never grew up.

I'm glad the author managed to get all of this information out of Wallace and his family and friends and then got it put into a structure that works. He doesn't hide any of the realities of the long and colorful life of this permanent cut-up. But he doesn't dwell on them either. The result is a lovely portrait of a beloved man behind a beloved character.

Forty Signs of Rain (Kim Stanley Robinson)

[***] ISBN: 9780553803112

This is a well-written, straight-ahead novel about a possible near future of global environmental catastrophe. There are times when it feels like the author is hitting you over the head with a two-by-four of science facts. But these can be excused because they are relevant and interesting.

The characters are well-drawn, charming, and down-to-earth. The author even manages to draw the Bush-like President in a likable, if not flattering way. The settings are mundane, yet evocative. The reader is always present in the places and the weather becomes another character.

The ending of this book is really the set-up for the next book, which makes it a bit unsatisfying. But I will definitely read the next two volumes to see where the story takes me.

Lisey's Story (Stephen King)

[***] ISBN: 9780743289412

It's hard for me to give this book three stars - 'well worth reading'. But it ultimately deserves it, as long as I can qualify the rating. This book is worth reading if you enjoy this sort of thing, or if you want to experience some unique storytelling (and haven't read much by this author, apparently). I fall in the latter camp.

The author truly took some chances here. And he largely pulled it off. Much of the story takes place inside the titular Lisey's mind as she remembers, or is forced to remember, bits of her life with her deceased husband of 25 years, the author Scott Landon. In order to do this, the story needs to jump between the present, Lisey's past with Scott, and Scott's childhood. The mechanism that King uses to do this seemed unique and mostly worked for me. The story also has to jump back and forth between the real world and an alternate world that isn't quite imaginary, but is made of the stuff of dreams and nightmares. This also worked somewhat. The widow's state of mind, along with that of other characters, is often reflected by the language used. As a whole, this worked, too. As an inspiration for how to tell stories, I found this to be a pretty rich experience. It's not your typical novel.

On the other hand, some other reviews I've seen of the book say that many of these elements, and others, are typical King. I'll have to take their word on that. My problem with the book was not that he'd done this all before, but that he did so much of it. This book did not need to be 600 pages long. I got very close to putting it down at several points. We were spending so much time with Lisey's internal monologue that I was convinced she was simply insane, would not get sane, and that the entire story was ultimately just her own fantasy. When it became clear that this was not entirely the case, that real, albeit unbelievable, events were unfolding, I was able to hang in there. But because the story turned out to be so simple, I wish the author would have stripped away about a third of the words.

This might be the sort of thing you'd like, if you like this sort of thing.