Tunneling to the Center of the Earth: Stories by Kevin Wilson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Though some are stronger than others, overall the stories in this collection are well-crafted, "quirky" without being annoyingly so and some are even harrowing, or beautifully moving. While he's not "George Saunders" (as per the comparison on the back cover), Wilson is a solid writer whose characters are compelling, story lines veer away from the mundane, and whose skill with language makes for a quick and worthwhile read.

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From A to X: Some Letters Recuperated by John Berger by John Berger

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I struggled a bit with this one as, at times, it feels very heavy-handed in its message(s) but ultimately, I found it deeply moving. It's another quick read partly due to the structure (all in letters as the title states) and partly due to the language. I did find myself skimming over one or two of the longer "letters" mainly because the links between science and love didn't work for me at all. I would recommend this to anyone. It's about life, war, oppression, love, the nature of humanity, all the big stuff. Character and voice is strong here as is a sense of place. Overall, while it's a bit cloying at times, this one definitely works for me. To quote from one of the letters, "In a city without prisons - has there ever been one? - who would ever guess one can put so much into letters?" Indeed.

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Wolves of the Crescent Moon by Yousef Al-Mohaimeed

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Yet another overrated read. I do get so tired of American readers continual obsession with "different" cultures creating hype around poorly written fiction. The jumps in narrative, p.o.v., place/time, don't read as experimental but merely sloppy. There isn't a single compelling character here and the continual jumps between p.o.v. - sometimes in mid-paragraph, make it difficult to keep the various characters apart. While I did finish it (at under 200 pages it's a short read) I can't recommend it to anyone. There are a very few (as in two) passages that transcend the dreck and reach something like literary language but they're soon lost in the surrounding mess that is this novel. So disappointing.

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Don't Try This at Home by Dave Navarro

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I remember when Neil Strauss wrote for Rolling Stone (does he still?) and, along with a very few others, was the closest thing to a reporter I'd met in the music industry. Mostly for fans of Navarro this book is a scrapbook of photo booth photos (all unidentified - some obviously recognizable), limited & somewhat stilted prose by Strauss (some of the cliches are REALLY painful) and Navarro, supposed transcripts of conversations, even a diary entry from one of Navarro's "girlfriends." It makes for a quick and somewhat compelling read, albeit a sad portrait of drug addiction, self-obsession, and really, selfishness. Also a good reminder to me why I quit working with musicians.

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The Golden Age by Michal Ajvaz

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Another lesson in not letting myself be misled by hype. This book came VERY highly lauded and yet I found the language - even the basic sentence structure - is so stilted as to make it an incredibly dull read. I'm all for experimental. I'm all for odd. But this was just dull and with nothing new to offer. Next...

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