World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

I don't know what I was expecting from a post-apocalyptic zombie story written by the SNL staff writer, son of Mel Brooks, and author of the tongue-in-cheek Zombie Survial Guide. But it sure wasn't this. I've never been a fan of zombie stories, or any horror genres, really. I can't figure out what possessed me to pick this up in the first place, aside from seeing it on bookshelves everywhere. Still, I'm so grateful I did. It's hard to explain how a post-apocalyptic story of the end of the world can be a breath of fresh air, but there it is. I loved every single second, and am very sorry to have it be over. I want more. Now. Each section gives glimpses into a thousand other stories in this universe that he could have told. Events are referenced in one place and explained a teeny bit more later, but I always had the feeling we were just scratching the surface of a rich universe of stories waiting to be told. The narrative is gorgeously structured. I can only imagine the volume of notes Brooks made to keep it all straight and tie it all together. In short, this is a brilliant story and I can't wait for more from this author.

The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian by Lawrence Block

The plot on this one is just plain dumb, and a lot of the events of the story strain credibility to say the least. I've grown weary of Bernie's gatherings at the end of each story. I love it when Nick Charles brings together all the players and suspects in someone's living room at the end of a Thin Man movie to explain to everyone what really happened and to incite the guilty to confess. I love that the guilty party always does. But Bernie is no Nick Charles, Lawrence Block is no Dashiell Hammett, and this is not the 1930s. I appreciate the homage, but it just doesn't work in a modern setting.

The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza by Lawrence Block

I wonder about Lawrence Block's hobbies, and how much of himself goes into Bernie, Keller, and Scudder. There are similarities across characters that can't be coincidence - they've got to be parts of Block himself. One theme I enjoy is the collecting of stamps and coins. It's such a dorky pastime to have, and it amuses me greatly to see it given such prominence in his mystery series.

The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling by Lawrence Block

I like Bernie as a bookseller. It suits him. I also like Carolyn, and I'm glad that Bernie has a sidekick now. But she's pretty much a carbon copy of Dot from the Keller series, which takes a bit of the shine away. They don't talk, they banter, and this gets old after a while.

Atonement by Ian McEwan

What a huge disappointment this was. I feel like a lot of the plot turns were meant to be a surprise to me, but they so weren't. I've considered that maybe the truth was supposed to be obvious to everyone but Briony, but that's not how it felt in the reading. Instead, it was deadly dull from beginning to end as I knew exactly where it was going long before we got there. And the simple telling of the tale wasn't compelling enough to sustain me on a journey whose destination was obvious. The only thing I really loved was a short section early in the book, where Briony is out whacking down weeks to blow off steam about how badly her play is going. She spins this elaborate fantasy about competitive weed whacking and representing her country in this difficult sport at the Olympics, and I was completely charmed. As someone with an overactive imagination that spins nearly-identical fantasies on a regular basis, I loved this tiny bit of characterization. The rest of it, I could just as soon do without. I wonder if I would have enjoyed the movie, had I seen it first.