Odd Thomas

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Odd Thomas is the best short order cook in Pico Mundo. He also sees dead people. And bodachs. Bodachs are shadowy creatures that show up when something bad is about to happen. And one day a customer at Odd Thomas' diner shows up leading a parade of them.

So now Odd Thomas is following his 6th sense trying to figure out just what this customer is up to. He finds the guys house and inside there is a room devoted to the worst killers of all time. So Thomas is left waiting for the worst.

Ghosts and killers aside, this was a fun book to read. One of Thomas' ghosts was Elvis. Fun, huh. I'll be looking for more in this series.

Book Awards Reading Challenge IV

BookAwardChallengeIV

I'm a little late, but I'm in. As I did last year, I picked books I already had in my house. I buy more books than I read. And, unfortunately, my local library has an honor room where you can get books for a dollar or less. So I went through the award lists and found 8 on my shelves. Then I had to go through the books and look up the ones that may have won something. Snagged another like that. And as I was going through the books I kept seeing something I want to reread "someday" but I didn't know when "someday" was. So I decided it's now. I threw in one of my all-time favorites to round out the 10. If this isn't O.K. let me know.

Here's my list.

1928 Nobel
Sigrid Undset Ж The Bridal Wreath

1934 James Tait Black Prize
Robert Graves Ж I, Claudius

1985 National Book Award
Don DeLillo Ж White Noise

1989 Man Booker
Kazuo Ishiguro Ж The Remains of the Day

1992 National Book Critics Circle
Carmac McCarthy Ж All the Pretty Horses

1993 Irish Times International Fiction Prize
E. Annie Proulx Ж The Shipping News

1999 Pen/Faulkner
Michael Cunningham Ж The Hours

2005 Alex Award
Jodi Picoult Ж My Sister's Keeper

2006 Bram Stoker Award
Stephen King Ж Lisey's Story

2009 Pulitzer Prize
Elizabeth Strout Ж Olive Kitteridge

The Guernsey Literary and Potatoe Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Burrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is set immediately after World War II. Writer Juliet Ashton is at a loss for her next story. Then comes a letter from stranger named Dawsey Adams. Dawsey has found Juliet's name and address in an old copy of Charles Lamb, his favorite author. He writes asking her for a address for a bookstore so he can order another Lamb book. And in this letter he explains how Lamb got him through the German occupation of Guernsey Island. And he mentions the Society. This piques her interest and she writes back and they begin a correspondence which eventually grows to include the entire Society. And Juliet has her next story. She begins to gather the stories of the occupation from the islanders.

This story is told through letters, journals and telegrams. It's told by Juliet, her best friend, her publisher and the island residents. It's a charming book, happy and hopeful but filled with some horrific stories of the war that contrast with the pleasant life that has resettled over the island.

I loved this book. I borrowed this from my sister (like I don't have enough unread books here) but I'm going to have to get my own copy. I know I'll be rereading it.

Book Awards Challenge III

I finished the challenge Friday but I'm always behind with the posting. I have a pile of 5 books awaiting their turn now.

My List

Possession was my least favorite. Actually, I didn't much care for it. I liked A Lesson Before Dying and The Book of Ruth. Flowers for Algernon was a reread so I new I would like it. The biggest surprise was The Bridge on the Drina. Loved it. I've had it for a year. I wanted to read it because my book club had and I want to read everything they have. If I had of known how much I'd like it I would have read it last year. I'll definitely reread it one day.

Flowers for Algernon

Flowers for Algeron by Daniel Keyes

1960 Hugo Award for best short story
1966 Nebula Award for best novel

Charley is a 32 year old man with an IQ of 68. He has a job and his own place. And he is desperate to learn to read. He's taking a course at a college for the retarded. His teacher is so impressed with his enthusiasm she submits him as a candidate for a experiment. He has brain surgery that increases his IQ tremendously. But once his IQ eclipses that of the scientists trying to cure retardation, he realizes the boost in brain power is only temporary.

This is a wonderful book. It began life as a short story and was so popular, it was rewritten as a novel. It's written as a journal the doctors ask Charley to keep so they can monitor his progress. In the beginning he writes like a 6 year old. But as his IQ goes up, so do his abilities. But then everything begins to regress. It's a sad story. It actually brought tears to my eyes at the end.

Possession

Possession by A. S. Byatt

"Possession" is about a literary mystery. Roland Michell is researching a Victorian poet named Randolph Henry Ash when he discovers old letters that suggests a romance with another poet, Christabel LaMotte. His search leads him to a LaMotte scholar named Maud Bailey. Roland and Maud search through old letters and diaries trying to find the truth.

I found it hard to get into this book. Along with the third person narrative, it's told through diary entries, letters and poems. It's full of references of people I've never heard of and am not sure if they really exist or not. You have to read this book with a dictionary and thesaurus. The only other book I've read like that was "Humbolt's Gift."

Of Human Bondage

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham

Philip Carey is orphaned at the age of 9. He goes to live with his aunt and uncle. His uncle is a village vicar. For a while Philip goes through a deeply religious stage, even thinking he'll go into the clergy himself. But instead, after many unhappy years at a boarding school, he goes to study in Germany. He eventually spends time in Paris studying to be an artist.

After realizing he'll never be a great artist, he returns to London to study to be a doctor. He also meets Mildred and becomes obsessed with her. But Mildred is looking for the good life.

"Of Human Bondage" is a character study of a man who is not perfect.Philip is complicated. At times you understand what he's feeling and at other times you want to knock him in the head. He's one of the most fascinating characters I've come across in a long time.