What Not to Read

Why not post a few bad books as I battle insomnia?

Enslaved by Ducks by Bob Tarte-- Book club hated it unanimously. We found his stories about one pet bird after another boring and his characterizations of humans non-existent.

Forever by Pete Hamill-- the title isn't kidding. This is a LONG book about an Irish immigrant who is cursed/blessed with immortality as long as he doesn't leave Manhattan. This book needs a serious edit and some less archaic ideas about women.

In the Shadow of No Towers- Art Speigelman -- This kills me as I loved Maus. There is some very compelling stuff here as he recounts his own 9/11 tale and makes some comparisons to the Holocaust experience of his parents (i.e. the smell of burning bodies) but the pages of vintage comic left me cold.

Amy's Answering Machine

One of my favorite moments on the TV show Friends was when Monica complained that Rachel lost her messages. "What messages don't you get?" jeered Rachel "Chandler or your mom? Your mom or Chandler?". Moms love to call their kids but not many moms do so with the flair of Amy Borkowsky's mother. This book, a small volume of transcripts of the messages the author's mother left on her machine is a fun quick read. Amy's mother warns her of the danger of wearing an underwire bra through airport security, informs her that she saw on TV that a rich bachelor from Alaska was going to be in New York, and gives the vital information that her foam headphone covers could be a germ breeding ground.

Sweet and Low

What if your mother's family invented Sweet 'n' Low? And what if your entire branch of the family was cut out of the will? ("to Ellen and her issue I leave nothing"). The Answer is write a memoir and spill all of the family secrets. This book documents the invention first of the sugar packet (which, never having been patented is stolen from the author's grandfather) and then of Sweet 'n' Low, along with documenting the rise and fall of various artificial sweeteners and the federal investigator that sent several high ranking executives from the family business to prison. The family story is interesting but a bit repetitive and the author loves digression and some times throws in too much personal asides. Overall however, the book is engrossing and you will never look at the little pink packets the same way.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

I haven't recommended many of my favorite books in this blog yet, mainly because any time I sit down and start to write about one I want to immediately reread it to be able to fully capture what makes the book so special. I resisted reading this book for quite awhile because I didn't really get the appeal of comic books. But this book is really about much more than that. Sammy and Joe are two cousins who unite as a formidable team in the superhero comics world. Flipping through this to refresh my memory, I almost forgot just how much more there is--Hitler and WWII, golems, Antarctica, and Houdini. Even though this book has a lot of action, I was moved forward by the complex inner struggles of both characters. Initially, I was mostly drawn to Josef's feelings for his family left behind and his muse, Rosa. But then Sammy reeled me in with his guilt. I hit a couple of rough patches along the way, but when I closed the book it ended up being one of my most favorite reading experiences. Michael Chabon also brought the cousins' creations to life in a line of Escapist comics.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Since Angstrat's post yesterday was a NYC tribute, I went with a book that opened my eyes to New York. Nine year old Peter Hatcher has his hands full. Not only is he dealing with normal fourth grade stuff, like friends, schoolwork, his pet turtle and a girl he's constantly bickering with, but his three year old brother Farley Dexter Hatcher, nicknamed Fudge is a holy terror getting into trouble all over New York City. Not only is this a funny story of sibling rivalry, the parents are hilarlous too. The chapter where the mom gets rid of one the kids' friends who is always inviting himself over for dinner by cooking every food he hates is hilarious (and kind of a forerunner to the mom's cooking inThe Corrections, if you think about it). As a kid in suburban Chicago, I was surprised to learn that grown-ups with kids lived in apartments, even ones that seemed rich. And they were always eating stuff like egg creams, that I'd never heard of. This book has several sequels, but I haven't read the more recent ones.

Remember Me to Harold Square

Kendra Kaye and her brother, Oscar, are not looking forward to spending the summer together in their home in New York City. All their friends are off to camps and they don't want to end up in a stupid day camp or in each other's company. Their parents spring two surprises on them. First, they will have a guest, Frank, the son of their parents' friends from Wisconsin. To occupy their time, both sets of parents have made up a scavenger hunt for them. They must spend their summer exploring all parts of Manhattan, visiting museums and other landmarks, and trying different ethnic foods. Kendra and Frank grow close as they spend the summer together and they learn all about the city they live in. This book by Paula Danziger led to my fascination with New York as a child. I picked it up again to re-read before I leave on my first trip there this week and plan to visit many of the places described in this book.