I have been doing a lot of reading lately - more than I have in a long time. I absolutely love reading but I am generally so tired that when I start reading, I fall asleep a few pages in.
But with a few long weekends and self-imposed social life exile (I do this every now and then), I have been able to get down and dirty with the books. The last book I finished was Dan Brown's latest (you know Dan - that guy who wrote
The Da Vinci Code and
Angels and Demons).
The Inferno. I was excited that he was bringing a new Robert Langdon book out as I am a fan. His last book,
The Last Symbol, was not a winner for me. It was too predictable and the fact that I just had to Google it to remind myself of the plot tells you something. So I was hopeful for this one. I will not add any spoilers here but the book, overall, was entertaining and certainly better than
Symbol. It was also a return to Italy, which is probably another win. The non-American formula seems to work.
Symbol was set in Washington, DC - not as awesome as Rome, Venice and Istanbul, where
Inferno takes its readers.
However, there were just too many "far out" twists in the plot which really stretched the imagination. I also did NOT like the ending. At all. It was just too...it was almost as if the author was trying to just wrap it up and send the draft to his publisher. Granted, the issue raised in the book is a very testy one, but there could have been a neater ending I think. Still, an entertaining ride.
Right now, I am reading this -
Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson. My fascination for serial killers continues but rest assured, I do not have any dreams of joining their ranks. I have always been curious as to what circumstances create these types of human beings. What was it in their childhood that gave birth to homicidal tendencies. What was the tipping point. (aside: It is the same reason I like NBC's
Hannibal - the same questions, set in a show with amazing writing and great actors.)
This one is a non-fiction about the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, and the sadistic serial killer, Dr H.H. Holmes (generally listed as to as America's first documented serial killer) who used the fair as the backdrop for his killing spree.
My next book will not be as dark, but it is still disturbing in a different kind of way. Okay, so my first experience with Lionel Shriver was reading her amazing, amazing novel
We Need to Talk About Kevin. If you have not read this yet, you must. It is a bit dark but again, it looks at human behaviour, this time posing the question of whether it is nature or nurture that creates a monster.
Anyway, her new book,
Big Brother, is not about killing others, but more about killing oneself - self destruction using food. The summary says,
When Pandora picks up her older brother Edison at her local Iowa airport, she literally doesn’t recognize him. The once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. What happened?
Soon Edison’s slovenly habits, appalling diet, and know-it-all monologues are driving Pandora and her fitness-freak husband Fletcher insane. After the brother-in-law has more than overstayed his welcome, Fletcher delivers his wife an ultimatum: it’s him or me.
Rich with Shriver’s distinctive wit and ferocious energy, Big Brother is about fat: why we overeat and whether extreme diets ever really work. It asks just how much sacrifice we’ll make to save single members of our families, and whether it’s ever possible to save loved ones from themselves.
I will be reading this in the spare moments of my holiday adventure. What are you currently reading? Do share.
