life of pi by yann martel :: i put off reading this novel for years, convinced it wasn't my taste. boy was i wrong. life of pi has a little something for everyone. it tells the story of a young boy, pi, who is stricken by unending tragedy and adventure. alone on a lifeboat with a bengal tiger, pi turns to his immense faith to get him through the difficulties of survival at sea. martel has so much information to cover, mostly philosophical, from the animal world, to zoos, to religion. his critique of religion was perhaps my favorite part of the novel. i really am glad i gave this book a chance.
girlfriend in a coma by douglas coupland :: this may be one of the best books i have read in a long time. the book asks a lot of questions about life that have stuck with me for the days since i've finished. the story begins with six high school friends and takes the reader through the journey of their lives after one of them falls into a 17 year coma. karen's awakening is followed by omens of a new world and the six friends are forced to look at their lives in new and different ways. i can do no justice to this book with mere words, but i highly recommend you give it a read if you love anything philosophical, modernist, satirical or apocalyptic. this book has it all.
the story of edgar sawtelle by david wroblewski :: wroblewski retold hamlet, but through a more modern lens. the sawtelle family breeds dogs and edgar, born mute, quickly bonds with his family's breed of dogs. there is a plethora of interesting information on dog breeding, training and that was something i found very enlightening. while i felt a connection to edgar, i found it difficult to keep interest in some of the more winded sections of the novel. i think for those who love dogs or hamlet, this is a real must read.
tinkers by paul harding :: i kept seeing tinkers on the front shelf of every bookstore i walked into and finally gave in and decided to read it. it is a quick read, and also a deep one. tinkers describes the dying days of an elderly man and i think the way harding illustrates death is both beautiful and disturbing. the man's last days are spent reliving his childhood and his realtionship with his father. i was touched by hardings imaginings of what goes through someone's head in their final moments and think this is one that you need to read to fully grasp.
so here we go again my friends...
what should wiley read next?
