The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King

This is the second in King's Dark Tower series. Even with a gap of five months, I found myself forgetting who a lot of the characters had been. Lucky me, King knew how to throw in recaps when necessary. But for the next in the series, I won't wait nearly as long. I want more. I want a deeper immersion in this already fantastic piece of work.

In this one, Roland picks up the rest of this questing party in an adventure more dangerous and gripping than the last. I found myself unable to slow down, needing to know what happens next, among jaw dropping horrors. Roland plays a risky game indeeded, traveling between the mirage towers of our New York City and his own world, risking it all for his tower. This is my kind of fantasy, for sure.

My Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl

I'd always been into Roald Dahl, as a kid and even a younger adult with an interest in literature. Dahl just knew what would work to draw us into his stories, always sneaking in some big picture stuff. Continually, I put down his books with a renewed dose of enlightenment and inspiration.

This book isn't like that. It's for adults, with an adult flavor of magic, packed with raunch, rape, and all manner of adult-only stuff as told by Uncle Oswald. The most foul breed of genius that would be admirable if you were less disgusted with him. This look into Dahl's other nature was a pretty big turn-off for me, no big loss for this thirty sex year old.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

I have not read Treasure Island. In fact, this is the only thing I've read by this writer of classics. This story make a huge hit with me, I figure because it's too far before my time. Always, I knew the titular characters were part of some transformation of Jekyll. But I never knew for sure what happened with them. So the whole thing felt like an exposition, especially with the telling of the story from the accounts of different characters. Though I think the non-linear form worked in the favor of the mystery here. It might have worked better if some secrets weren't already in my consciousness.

Neuromancer by William Gibson

I can't say enough good things about Gibson's writing. While it forces you to play close attention in an environment ever both familiar and outlandish, we get a nearly unmatched level of immersion. While eventually explaining to us what the Nueromancer is, the book follows the stories of Case and Molly on a dangerous hacking mission.

How did they get mixed up into all of it? In Gibson's cyberpunk future, it could happen to anyone. Nobody is safe from this ever shifting, augmented reality we inhabit.

Room by Emma Donoghue

Apparently this book was very hype at one point. I didn't know, but I saw it on a list of scary books for the scary season, and I very much enjoyed it. Another juicy one, our narrator is a little boy who spends the first five years of his life in a cork-lined shed with his mom. They're held prisoner by a rapist.

Eventually our hero has to learn the difference between TV and a real world he's never before encountered. Even if you've seen the movie and thought it was cheesey, I wouldn't shy away from Room. It's a fun trip.

We Have Alaways Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

This is a pretty fun, creepy read. There's a mystery for sure, but you're also not sure what it is, aside from wondering what happened to the now deceased members of the Blackwood family. Everything about it's good and entertaining. If you need a short one for the spooky season to get your yearly book count up to 50, this is one for you.

How to Start Your Own Religion by Philip Athans

For thos who don't know, I'm a fan of Athans' narrative series and blog on writing Science Fiction and Fantasy. And after about eight years of reading every blog post, I finally got around to reading one of his novels. But this wasn't the novel, I was expecting. It's a parody of a self-help or general howto on, you guessed it, starting your own religion.

Of course there are all extremes of flavor outside the Christian denominations I'm familiar with. I could start an evil death cult with its own rituals and holidays. Apparently there are even religions that don't require some form of monetary support, but Athans advises us on coming up with sacred texts, and other forms of monetization. As you'd expect, powerful religious figures rarely keep day jobs. I might only recomend this book if you're really interested in that kind of thing. It's more funny than informative. Not super funny.

Cybele by Joyce Carol Oates

This was a good book to finish my flight and first few nights in Seattle. It tells the story of a very successful man in the sixties, and his complete fall from grace. Let's face it, most people put in positions of absolute power are not equipped to manage it. In fact, I doubt many career men with famlies knew how to take care of themselves very well. Not in the sixties.

But still, you kind of root for the guy to get better. Do better by his wife and following string of lovers, each reflecting a new stage of horrid self-discovery. Oates gets to the juice good in this one. I found myself unable to read the pages fast it enough. It's such a fun, dark time. Cybele very much affirmed the stun of Oates's talent. It's always great to go back to.

Tales of a Forth Grade Nothing by Judy Bloom

This was one of my favorite books as a forth grader, and my flight to Seattle was a good time to charge through this bit of nostalgia. It reviles the tale of Peter Hatcher, son of a New York ad man, and older brother to a rascally toddler by the name of Fudge.

Being an older sibling can be tough, but it helps to have some laughhs and build fun memories. That's what this book is about. Being seven years older than my sister Amy, there were some times in which I related to protagonist Peter. And I liked to read as a kid, so this series became one of my favorites. I even drew my own covers for the books and bound them with pieces of cardboard. One of my Fudge doodles even made it onto a pog, with my 'Milk Cap Maker'.

French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billon

The French have, to me, some severe habits and expectations when it comes to eating. And that's just fine. While this book wasn't as enlightening as I hoped, in inspiring me to eat better, I was repeatedly aroused by the sense of culture that can exist in other places. I hardly notice the traditions and expectations that exist in our country.

And there are some french ways I think would be nice. Over there, kids at every school have a two hour, six course meal at lunch, teaching them to eat a variety of healthy foods with healthy habits. French don't eat alone, which could be a good thing, especially when you're one to go for more slices than you should. They don't have to deal with the shame of eating bad, because they habitually eat good and avoid obesity-causing habits at a young age. But alas, we live in America and tend toward the ways of those around us.

The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin

I haven't seen the movie for this, so I don't know how to compare it. Let's consider this book another part of my education in classic thrillers. There's a mystery for a forward thinking photographer, mother, and wife who moves into Stepford with her successful husband.

They are generally on the same page, except when it comes to the Stepford Men's Association, or maybe it's club. There's something wrong with the wives in Stepford, and what it could be grows ever more scary as the mystery unfolds. It's a classic like that.

Don't Bite the Sun by Tanith Lee

I would call this a traditional sci-fi. A distant future Utopia. But Utopia never works, does it? I like the philosophical angle, fure sure. I'm not sure I appreciated having to read and reference so many made up words. I guess it's some kind of writing flex. Apparently there are more books in this series, and I'm somewhat interested in what other kind of stuff Tanith Lee does, so maybe I'll catch the next one.

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

For those who don't know, The Gunslinger is the first in King's fantasy epic series The Dark Tower. This introduces our hero Roland, the gunslinger from the world before it moved on, whatever that means. There are a lot of mysteries, and we're on a quest to solve them. What a concept. Instead of sending heroes off to get things and destroy things, why not give the readers a mystery, so we're equally invested in the adventure.

This is a fun ride on a painfully bright, but darkly desolate, desperate path. Roland knows only his quest. His _ka_. And he's the last gunslinger, with two huge pistols hanging from his hips. It's not a european elf and troll fantasy. It's a western, and I can't wait to get through the rest.

The Stranger by Albert Camus

I listened to a lecture series on existentialism in which this book was mentioned a few times. I must have really gotten the concept, even in the enjoyment of this book. But I suppose there was supposed to be some kind of deeper meaning to The Stranger. Sometimes life goes bad when you live in complete indifference.

Choke by Chuck Palaniuk

This book is a story of a sex addict, told by himself. He's had a messed up life and he's a messed up guy. And when us readers are more than ready to find out how it ends, our minds are blown. But I felt less than blown away.

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeannette McCurdy

This story was too juicy to pass up, and I'm glad I read a massively popular piece during it's hype. Who wouldn't want to read this child star's horrific account of massive success? I was a little bit shocked by some of the awful things Jeannette's mom did, and I'm also glad for her to have died.

Let's avoid spoilers. If you're at all interested in stories of child stardom and abusive parents, I think you might as well pick this one up. Maybe you just like reading and don't know what next. This can be your next book. McCurdy's narrative is both hilarious and tragic. Sometimes I think to be a good writer, you also have to know how to be an entertainer. Such is the clear case here.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

I never read this book as a young one, so of course I had to check in on what all the hype is about. To me, this book is a funny sci fi adventure. There is a space opera element, but since the story starts on earth and it involves some paradigm stretching stuff, I'll disqualify its space opera status.

This is a funny book, as in on almost every page there's an attempt to make you laugh. And sometimes these gags fall flat. Sometimes they bog down the story. But it's all in good fun. The proglem is I could never figure out when to read fast and when to read slow, so I can tell what's happening in the story. I didn't have the patience of a true Douglas Adams enjoyer.

Aurora Dawn by Howard Wouk

I think this book is a classic, but I don't know where I found the reccomendation for it. It's about the radio business and the American Sell-Out. I'm not sure if that's an official trope, or where I've last experienced it. Good people can win their battles, but the world will continue on its course.

Lurking: How a Person Became a User by Joanne McNeil

While this book contains a lot of negative feedback toward our current state of internet and social pedia, McNeil also gets pretty sentimental about the earlier days of the internet. I felt more than a little sappy when she compared being on Myspace to having been at Woodstock.

If you're at all interested in how our social nature has changed while diving into a ton of extra information on the websites that invented the habits that are now second nature, then I would recommend Lurking. It was a fascinating, though sometimes depressing read.

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

I'm not entirely sure where Zen comes into this book, as Bradbury fills every page with passion and excitement for writing. This collection of essays tells much of Bradbury's own story with much practical advice to those who write stories.

I found it very inspiring and encouraging. If you wish you wrote more, like me, I suggest this one.