Sunshine

Sunshine -- Robin McKinley
(2003) Pg. 405
Cut to the Chase 4.5 out of 5

My favorite kind of books are those that you read in a couple of days, not because they're considered an "easy read," but because you're compelled to read late into the night, long after you know you should have gone to sleep. This is what Sunshine was like for me. Sassy and a little gritty, Sunshine was the first female protagonist I've liked and identified with in a long time. With this tone carried throughout, McKinley captivated me not only with her characters but with a unique world where magic is fairly common and we've "won" a war with "the others" (vampires, weres, and an assortment of other magical creatures) practically by the skin of our teeth. With faint flavors of a post-apocalyptic setting, the town of New Arcadia is a perfect mix of the traditional dark gothic vampire novel and gritty punk attitude.

Another thing I appreciated about Sunshine was that the plot did not progress in the way I dreaded it might, but that's all I can say without spoiling too much. Though being a basically plot-driven novel with no deep sustenance of a new classic, Sunshine was still an engrossing read that I would suggest to any lover of real vampires and dark fantasy.

Disquiet

Disquiet -- Julia Leigh
(2008) Pg. 121
Cut to the Chase: 1 out of 5

A novella by Australian author Julia Leigh, Disquiet is about a family reuniting in light of death and loss. Olivia and her two children flee from her husband to her mother's French chateau just as Marcus, Olivia's brother, and his wife, Sofia, return after an unfortunate still birth. The plot line of the novella spans a mere handful of days, but the events jump all over the map from dead babies in the freezer to Markus having phone sex with his mistress in the backyard.

The writing quality of Disquiet was sub-par and the plot disjointed and in the end irrelevant. It seems as if Leigh chose to include certain stylistic quirks-- such as never call Olivia by her name, merely "the woman"-- without rhyme or reason and to no aesthetic or literary effect. Leigh does the same with plot. Events happen for no apparent reason and do not create a cohesive piece of work nor does she leave the reader with any sort of feeling of completion at the end. I did not connect to any of the characters and I felt no sense of relief, happiness, or meaning at the end of the story. What I did feel at the end was that Disquiet was an utter waste of my time.

Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse

Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse -- Victor Gischler
(2008) Pg. 324
Cut to the Chase: 4 out of 5

Babes, booze, boobs, and guns is what Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse is all about. It's also about cannibals, bandits, crazy transvestites, the end of the world, and an insurance salesman who's apparently secretly a bad ass. After ten years hiding away in the mountains of Tennessee, Mortimer Tate decides to venture out into the post-apocalyptic world where-- much to his surprise-- society has survived. Or, something sort of like a society in some sort of strange male fantasy. The quote on the cover states: "Part Christopher Moore, Part Tarantino..." (James Rollins). I'm not sure about Christopher Moore, but if you're a fan of Tarantino, you should be all over this book.

Overall, the writing was quick, amusing, and strangely honest in certain places and complete (male) fantasy in others. Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse, with it's roller coaster plot line and a crazy cast of characters, would be an amusing summer read. So, while your mom is reading Nora Roberts on the beach, you can be reading Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse.

The Sound of Paper

The Sound of Paper -- Julia Cameron
(2004) Pg.315 (individual essays range from 2 - 5 pages)
Cut to the Chase: 3.5 out of 5

The Sound of Paper wasn't exactly what I expected it to be. I went in thinking it would be a cohesive piece, something like a memoir. What it turned out to be was a collection of short essays about how to deal with dry spells in creativity. I can only describe her writing style as whimsical. She reminds me of my college rhetoric prof. and my creative writing prof. rolled into one. I should have picked up this book weeks ago, when I was having my own spat with my muses. Julia Cameron's short essays (and I mean short. Most of them are no more than three pages.) offer gentle advice in such a personal way, it doesn't feel like she's demanding you to heed her advice. The essays read more as descriptions of what she does herself that she finds to work. She focuses on herself and her process, which takes the emphasis off the advice giving part.

Each essay is set up with an "exercise" at the end. The exercises, even more so than the essays, are set up for you to "get to know yourself." If you're looking for something to prompt the writing of fiction or whatever the medium, this is not what you'll find. Regardless, the advice she gives can be helpful, if you know how to take and utilize advice. Her main points are:

~ Write (or create) everyday, even if you aren't feeling creative
~ Take walks to find new perspectives
~ Be open to your surroundings and creating "just for fun"

The best way to use this book is to take what you can and not to read from cover to cover. Some of Cameron's advice and ideas can be a little strange. She has a unique take on God and spirituality, and like all professional writers/composers, thinks that everyone has all the time in the world to pursue their creative outlets. Sometimes, you just can't write everyday. Everything is different for every person. Take what you can. Even a small piece of advice could break the dam of writer's block or creative dryness.

Also, you don't want to read The Sound of Paper from page 1 to page 315. After awhile, the morals of the essays gets repetitive and hard to slog through. The best way to read this book, I find, is to flip to a random page or a random essay and read one (or a few) whenever you're feeling blocked.

Overall, I found The Sound of Paper helpful. I liked the gentle and whimsical style, and the advice proved to be helpful, if taken with a good dose of moderation and tailoring it to your personal life and style. However, after awhile, she starts to sound repetitive, and some of her advice is way out there. I'd recommend The Sound of Paper to any writer or creator, blocked or otherwise.

Orpheus Lost

Orpheus Lost -- Janette Turner Hospital
(2007) p.358
Cut to the Chase: 3.5 out of 5

Summary: Leela is a post-doctoral math student and professor at MIT, studying the math of music. She meets and falls in love with Mishka, an Australian graduate student who plays the violin and the oud (a Middle-Eastern version of the lute). Their lives take a turn into the bizarre with the re-appearance of Leela's childhood friend (and secret admirer) Cobb (it's not what you think!) and Mishka's decent into the dark world of terrorism and his past.

I first stumbled upon Orpheus Lost when a friend at my "real job" was reading it for class. I was instantly drawn by the title and cover art (I'm a sucker for good cover art) but I didn't have a chance to pick up the book until I heard Hospital was coming to the university for a reading. After the reading, I bought a copy and I was lucky enough to get it signed by the author. For the first few weeks, I couldn't put it down; I was totally sucked in by Hospital's amazing use of imagery and the lyrical quality of the prose. However, things came up-- Exam week, moving back home, and all the things that come with the end of the semester-- and I had to set the book aside for a week or two. When I came back to it, it just didn't hold the same captivation for me. It was still a great read, but I no longer had the enthusiasm for it that I had when I started reading. I was mildly disappointed in the ending, and Hospital didn't go into detail where I wanted her to.

Janette Turner Hospital described her own work well when she said: "it's a story set in an America if suicide bombers had come to America and were a common occurrence." Orpheus Lost is not only a flip of the old myth, but an interesting take on what might have happened. Overall, Hospital's language use and imagery is great, but towards the end it gets heavy in events and not enough of the scenery that made the beginning great.

Heat Wave

Heat Wave -- Richard Castle (/Ghost Writer)
(2009) p. 196
Cut to the Chase: 4 out of 5

Heat Wave, a novelty novel "written by" Rick Castle of ABC's show Castle, was a quick, fun read, wrought with amusing banter between Nikki Heat-- sexy detective and protagonist-- Jameson Rook, the ever-so-charming (in his own mind) ride-along journalist, and partners Detectives Ochoa and Raley, lovingly called "Roach." Now, if you've seen the T.V show, this'll already sound familiar. Heat Wave reads exactly like an episode of Castle, except with all the names changed. That means, for all the reasons you love Castle, you'll love Heat Wave, including saucy comments from Nikki, banter between Ochoa and Raley, some fun pop culture references (including a nice quote from Hamlet), and the playful teasing of Rook.

What is interesting about Heat Wave is that you can clearly see Rick Castle (the character)'s influence on the writing style and specifically Nikki Heat (a.k.a Detective Bennett). Nikki Heat's a fireball of sexual tension and energy and, of course, undeniably attracted to Castle-- I mean, Rook. It's a fun peek into the ever turning mind of Rick Castle.

Overall, Heat Wave wasn't a mentally challenging book, but a fun, quick read. A must-read for any die-hard Castle fans (there's a picture of Castle (a.k.a Nathan Fillion) on the back!). It's a great book to take to the beach this summer or on your next family road trip!