Skippy Dies

Skippy Dies (2010) by Paul Murray. Skippy, also known as Daniel, does indeed die, in the first chapter of the book. Skippy is, or was, a student at Seabrook College, a school for boys in Ireland. But his death is not the last we hear of him, far from it. The first half of the book, after the first chapter, is a long flashback of Skippy's life as a student at Seabrook, and out of it comes a clear explanation of why he died. Also serving as protagonists are Howard the Coward, a teacher at Seabrook who becomes romantically involved with a female substitute teacher; Ruprecht, a student, a corpulent genius who schemes to open up a gateway between this world and the other dimensions predicted by string theory; Barry and Carl, small-time drug dealers and bullies; Lori, the object of Skippy's affections and a very mixed-up girl; and other minor characters, all vividly drawn and fascinating to read about. The book has a lot to say about various subjects, among them school politics, love, sex, war, popular music and 21st century culture. I found it to be a good read, never boring, and capable of being profoundly moving, while still at times hilarious. Grade: A

The History of Love

The History of Love (2005) by Nicole Kraus. "The History of Love" is a book within a book, a fictional book written by one of the characters in this novel. This book covers themes of the Holocaust, love and memory, and life in modern-day America. I found it to be a pretty good read, but the numerous characters, and the way the book jumped back in forth between them, and back and forth in time, I found a bit confusing. I was reading another book at the time, and my enjoyment of this book may have suffered. All in all, I found it an interesting read, but not a totally absorbing experience. Grade: B

Dewey the Library Cat

Dewey the Library Cat (2010) by Vicki Myron. Back in the '80s, someone dropped off a kitten in the Spencer, Iowa, Library's drop slot on the coldest night of the year. That kitten grew up to be Dewey Readmore Books, the resident adopted cat of the library. Myron was the library's director, and she adopted Dewey as her own. And, after a time, the people of Spencer adopt Dewey too. In fact, Dewey becomes the most famous library cat in the world. People travel from all over just to meet him. Articles about him appear in cat-oriented magazines, newspapers, even on TV and radio. Dewey, with his mellow personality and love of people, proves worthy of all the attention although, of course, he is still a cat. As a love letter from herself to her cat Dewey (now deceased), this book is pretty effective. As literature, there's not much here. It is clearly and simply written, with large type and wide spacing. At first it strikes one as a children's book, but it is also intended for adults, and cat fanciers will no doubt love it. I like cats, but I don't love cats the way Myron does. I found the book mildly entertaining and unobjectionable. Grade: B

The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise

The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise (2010) by Julia Stuart. This is a surprisingly delightful book about a Beefeater, or Yeoman Warder, named Balthazer Jones, his wife Hebe, his deceased son Milo, and the "world's oldest tortoise," Mrs. Cook. The story is told tongue-in-cheek, and the humor is so sly that it took me a while to catch on to it. Once you get into the rhythms of the book, however, it is a lot of fun to read. One example: a character who is short is described as a "London Underground ticket inspector of limited height." The book is not all just fun and games, though. Jones and his wife have lost their way as a couple in the wake of their 11-year-old son's death, and Hebe leaves because of it. One of the central story lines of the book involves whether they will ever get back together or not. Another main story line involves the royal menagerie, which for bureaucratic reasons gets moved to the Tower. Balthazer Jones becomes the chief warder in charge of the Menagerie, and rather than resent it he develops an affection for the animals. When I read this book, I was surprised to find myself developing an affection for the characters. It's well written, alternately amusing and moving. Grade: A

The Disappearing Spoon

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements (2010) by Sam Kean. The disappearing spoon of the title is a classic chemistry student prank: Mold a spoon out of gallium, a metal which melts at 84 degrees Fahrenheit, and offer it to someone with their hot tea. Then watch them recoil in horror as their tea melts their spoon. This book is full of such tidbits about the elements found in the periodic table, though not all are as amusing. Kean's mind ranges widely as he explores the place of the elements in chemistry, physics, history, war, politics, art and human culture. Although the book gets a little esoteric at times, I was able to skim over the difficult parts and enjoy the rest. This book is not for all readers, but if you're at all interested in science, you should get a bang out of it. Grade: A-

What is Left the Daughter

What is Left the Daughter (2010) by Howard Norman. By turns humorous and elegiac, this is a book which carries us back to the war years, specifically the year 1942, when a terrible murder was committed in a small village in Canada. The novel takes epistolary form; it consists of one long letter written by a father to his daughter, telling her how things came to be as they are, and why he has been out of her life for so long. It is also a love story between two cousins, although one was adopted, so it's not all that creepy. It's a short book, and a fascinating read, and in its own small way quite perfect. I enjoyed it a lot. Grade: A

The Thousand

The Thousand (2010) by Kevin Guilfoile. This is one of those novels, like "The DaVinci Code," which explore ancient societies and obscure clues and find patterns in things that otherwise seem to have no pattern. In this case it's "The Thousand," a cult-like assemblage of men and women who are heirs to the genius of Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived five centuries B.C. The Pythagoreans are divided into two opposed camps, the acusmatici and the mathematici, and they wield tremendous influence in the modern world -- causing airplanes to crash, making large cities suffer blackouts, murdering their opponents and pinning the crimes on innocents -- they do it all. Caught up in their web is Canada Gold, an attractive young woman who has a "spider" implanted in her brain -- an enhancement that makes her hyper-aware of her surroundings and able to perceive patterns that others can't see. For example, she can read lips; she can count cards; she can read people's emotions from small variations in their facial expressions and musculature. That just begins to scratch the surface of this book, which also contains a murder mystery and a romance. In spite of the esoteric nature of the conspiracy theory contained therein, the book is a pretty good read. If nothing else, it is original in its juxtaposition of plot elements. Grade: B+

Bright-Sided

Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America (2009) by Barbara Ehrenreich. From "Smile or Die: The Bright Side of Cancer" to "God Wants You to Be Rich," Ehrenreich effectively skewers the bogus positive thinking movement, which purports to believe that just through the power of thought, we can change the world around us. Ever feel sad, only to be told that it's your fault for not thinking positive? Then you will enjoy this book, which explores the historical roots of the positive thinking movement, and shows how they derive from the American past rooted in Calvinism. This is an extremely well-researched book, with footnotes and everything, but it's not a difficult read. I found it refreshing. Grade: A-

Wolf Hall

Wolf Hall (2009) by Hilary Mantel. Set in the 1500s, a tale of intrigue in the court of Henry VIII. I read 165 pages, couldn't get into it. I think you could say it was "over my head." Grade: I