Tag: books

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John Updike is one of those names I had always heard of but had never checked out. Finally, a few weeks ago, I decided that it was time for me to get acquainted with Mr. Updike. I must say that the first work I chose to read of his did not disappoint me. Bech at…

Out Of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis – A Book Review

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I am a big C.S. Lewis fan. He won me over as a child with his Chronicles of Narnia books, but it was his thought-provoking and inspiring Mere Christianity that solidified his genius in my mind. That being said, it is with great vacillation that I must reveal I did not care for his science…

Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx – A Book Review

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I decided to check out Close Range: Wyoming Stories on the recommendation from Stephen King in his memoir, On Writing. Imagine my surprise when I saw that it included the (very) short story “Brokeback Mountain!” You know, the source material for the 2006 Academy Award Best Picture nominee. But, I’ll get more into that later.…

The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan – A Book Review

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This is probably one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read. I don’t mean disturbing as in thought provoking and edgy, I mean disturbing as in tasteless and barbaric. I found nothing redeeming about this novel whatsoever. McEwan may be a fine writer, but his choice of subject matter and plot, in my eyes,…

A Model World by Michael Chabon – A Book Review

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Michael Chabon once again proves why I believe he is America’s premier living author. In this collection of short stories, he presents many normal circumstances, every day sorts of things, but he gives them to us with such captivating, realistic characters that you must turn the page to find out how everything ends. Now, this…

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon – A Book Review

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Michael Chabon’s first novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, proves an enticing read. As usual, Chabon’s characters practically jump off the page and his dialogue is both realistic and somehow magical. He captures a manner of speaking through his characters that many of us wish we employed in real life. The plot, while tightly thought-out and…

The World According to Garp by John Irving – A Book Review

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There are some books in existence that are simply must-reads. The World According to Garp is very much one of those books. Irving has written a novel of such simple complexity that it astounds the reader time after time. With this novel the statement is conveyed that all the nuances of life are important; every…

Haunted: Tales Of the Grotesque by Joyce Carole Oates – A Book Review

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I really looked forward to reading this collection of short stories. I love well-crafted, gothic tales, and from what I’d heard, Oates, an author I’d never before read, is something of a master. Sadly, nothing about Haunted indicated as such. First of all, I’m all for leaving a story off in such a manner that…

Toward the End Of Time by John Updike – A Book Review

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John Updike’s Toward the End Of Time proved a bit of an enigma to me. At times I thoroughly enjoyed it and at other times I seriously thought about putting the book down, never to open its contents again. In the novel our protagonist goes by the name of Ben Turnbull, a retired finance expert…

Night Shift by Stephen King – A Book Review

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