The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti

An impressive book. Also an impressively blurbed book. It's been compared to Dickens, but I don't think that comparison holds up very well. It's impossible for a modern auther to write like Dickens - the novel would never be published. Dickens' characters are lavishly drawn with overwhelming attention to detail. A modern author can't get away with that. But Ms. Tinti does an excellent job. It does have the feel of a Dickens' story because of the setting - the seamier side of nineteenth century New England.

There is plenty of violence here, graphically described. There is so much that it is somewhat cheapened, like watching a violent movie where everybody gets shot - who cares after a while? It's a great story though, full of little twists and turns, and a great read.

Someone to Love by Jude Deveraux

I had to read this for the bookclub I belong to. They have to put up with the books that I recommend, authors like Margaret Atwood and Geraldine Brooks, so it's only fair that I have to suffer through paranormal romance.

Who invented this genre anway? I've never read one, but the formula is evident from this novel. There's no explicit sex - there are descriptions of heaving chests and six-pack abs, but that's about as far as it goes. The ghosts (the paranormal part) mean no harm - they are misunderstood, and want something, but they don't steal souls and frighten to death. The dialog is corny and unrealistic - sort of a teenagers dream of what romantic dialog might be. The plot is full of holes, but who cares? The fans don't read these novels for the plot, but to feel good about the romance. The characters are improbable - filthy rich man who is also young and gorgeous, greiving over the death of his fiance. Beautiful and succesful TV journalist, veteran of war zones, who faints at the sight of a ghost.

But Deveraux is highly successful with these. She has the right touch, obviously, and she gives her readers what they want.

Silence by Christopher Brookhouse

I received this novel fromthe early reviewer program at LibraryThing. It's a short novel - 150 pages, from an independent publisher, The Permanent Press.

It's the story of a High School senior, Nicki, who runs away a few days before graduation. It's also the story of her parents and friends in a small town in New Hampshire. The writing is good, but there are some awkward moments, in dialog and narrative. It's wonderful that this small press has published this book though - it would have a hard time getting any attention from a large publisher.

Little, Big by John Crowley

An epic story about a family caught at the interface between two worlds - that of man and fairies. Or are they? The book is ambiguous. For much of the novel the reader and the characters are kept guessing about what is actually going on. Are there fairies? Do they mean harm or good? Is there a war, or not? Even after reading the book, I am still not sure what really happened. Like the world of the fairies, the book is ambigous and ephemeral.

Improve Your Piano Playing by Dr. John Meffen

A small book with concrete advice on methods of practice, fingering, touch, and musicality. Some of the advice seems unorthodox and counter-intuitive to me, and for that reason it probably works!

Playing the Piano for Pleasure by Charles Cooke

An intriguing little book, inspirational for the adult amateur pianist. But it also somewhat dated. The edition I have was published in 1941 and revised in 1960. It lacks a conclusion, something that would not be omitted if the book were written today. Still, if you can find a copy, it is a worthwhile read.

Books Read 2008

Here is the list of books that I read in 2008. Seventy-three interesting and thought-provoking books. Mostly novels, and those are mostly literary, but also poetry, civil war history, and musical topics. A great year for reading.

Books Read - 2008

Here is the list of books I read in 2008. Seventy-three interesting and thought-provoking novels. Down from the ninety I read last year, but I did not include the audio books this year.

Once again, primarily novels and almost all literary fiction. The exceptions are books that my book club selected, civil war books, poetry, and books on musical topics.