My Reading Life, December 2010 (Part 2)

Read:
Speaking with the Angel -Nick Hornby, ed.
The Portable Dorothy Parker -Dorothy Parker and Marion Meade
New Additions!
The Infidelity Pact -Carrie Karasyov (audio book)*
Sellevision: A Novel -Augusten Burroughs (audio book)*


*Here we have the debate- Does listening to an audio book count as reading a book. Ryan's answer? "No, because you didn't read." I tend to agree, but there are certain books that I read more for the story than for the brilliant writing, and these make great audio books. Now that I'm commuting audio books are especially nice, and the fact is that I've "read" some surprisingly good books that I feel deserve at least a mention. In the interest of full disclosure, I will always note which books I'm "reading."

Speaking with the Angel -Nick Hornby, ed.

Nick Hornby has to be a favorite author of mine. I don't really know why. Even if he's writing about something that I have no real interest in, his writing just resonates with me. 

Speaking with the Angel is a a collection of stories by other authors and edited by Hornby. Proceeds of the book (unless you buy at it a used bookstore like me) benefit autism groups in England and the US. Hornby's son has autism and his introduction and explanation about why he chose to donate to this cause is as moving as any story in the book.

I enjoy short story collections because I can read the stories that strike my fancy at that particular time, then come back to others later. Not surprisingly, the story I most enjoyed was the contribution from Hornby called "Nipple Jesus." Yes, the name is weird. And it is about a Jesus painting made of nipples. But it is such an awesome discussion of "what is art?" that I really really loved the story.


The Portable Dorothy Parker -Dorothy Parker and Marion Meade
 Alright, so I'll admit it--I got Dorothy Parker confused with Dorothy Sayers and that's why I bought this book. BUT I really enjoy the whole post-WWI thing (as you can tell by all my recent reading), and she's funny and a little bitter so all was good. I read the short stories & poetry in the first half but haven't worked my way through the correspondence included in the back. Fun fact: Dorothy Parker & I share the same birthday! (Sorry, that was probably the fluffiest write-up of a book ever. Whatever, my blog, my words!)


Sellevision: A Novel -Augusten Burroughs

This is one of several audio books I picked up on the clearance rack at Half Price Books. I had high hopes for it because I paid two whole dollars--most of them are only a buck. I was a little skeptical at first because I despised Running with Scissors, the only other book I've ever tried to read by Augusten Burroughs, but Sellevision provides and entertaining and comedic, if somewhat cartoonish look at several different people working at (or fired from) a QVC-type network. I particularly enjoyed Peggy Jean, the ultra-Christian, ultra-perfect mom who refuses to acknowledge the realities that might shatter her perfect world. Meanwhile, she devolves into (comedic) madness as an angry fan sends her threatening letters. There's mystery, there's drama, there's love, there's comedy--there's something to do on my morning commute.


The Infidelity Pact -Carrie Karasyov
You can't expect too much of a book (alright, audio book) that has a picture of a pink bra hanging on a doorknob. Maybe that's why I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Basic premise: Four LA women who are sick of of their husbands for various reasons vow to have affairs to spice up their lives. Plot twist: Someone else has found out and is blackmailing them.

For this being a fluffy/chick lit/guilty pleasure the observations about why people cheat (or more to the point, how they justify it) were more focused. I still wanted to punch most of the characters in the the face, specifically money-hungry Leelee. She's lucky this was an audio book or I would have just skipped pages whenever she talked.