The Pptarmigan

Book 1 (44): A Fraction of the Whole - Steve Toltz

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:37:32 -0700

AUDIOBOOK read by Colin McPhillamy & Craig Baldwin

Ok, I’m behind on posting some of my latest books as I’ve been travelling. I thoroughly enjoyed A Fraction of the Whole. Toltz’s book follows an Australian father and son pair as the son recounts their adventures through life. It’s a long read, but it’s very well written and quite funny at times. The book is “written” by Jasper Dean whose father Martin is referred to as “the most hated man in Australia” and whose uncle Terry is referred to as “the most loved man in Australia”. Martin is a remarkable character who is always trying to do things to make life better for everyone, but fails spectacularly in most efforts. Terry is a murderer and criminal who captures the heart of the people by targeting athletes who cheat. They are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to crazy and interesting characters in Toltz’s first novel and I look forward to additional works from him. I also recommend the audiobook if you like Australian accents as both McPhillamy and Baldwin do a great job in reading the characters.

Book 43: Full Dark, No Stars - Stephen King

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:16:59 -0700

ACTUAL BOOK

Barring an unlikely reading binge before Sunday, it looks like 2011 will end with 43 books read. And Full Dark, No Stars is a perfect ending book as I received it as a gift for Christmas in 2010 and it took me most of 2011 to finally read the thing. Not that the book was bad, I just had a hard time engaging with it and found myself frequently picking up other books in its place. A collection of four stories, this book goes to some dark areas, even for the likes of Stephen King. There are so many fantastic King books, this just isn’t one of them. I’d recommend picking up one of his other collections of stories (Night Shift, Skeleton Crew, etc).

Book 42: The Final Solution - Michael Chabon

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:54:30 -0700

AUDIOBOOK read by Michael York

I enjoyed Chabon’s The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, so I picked this book up to see if that was an anomaly, or if I enjoy his writing in general. I’m not sure that I’ve decided that definitively, but I did generally enjoy this book. I think The Final Solution is targeted to young adults as the mystery is not real complex, but it was a quick read the was entertaining. The main character in the book is an old retired English detective that helps a refugee boy who has had his parrot stolen. The detective’s name is never given, but it can be read that he is Sherlock Holmes and I think that Chabon intended this story as a homage to Arthur Conan Doyle’s series. The audiobook was read and produced well and is only about 3 hours, so a good one to pick up for a short trip.

Book 41: The Disappearing Spoon - Sam Kean

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:17:30 -0700

AUDIOBOOK read by Sean Runnette

This book is perfect if you’re a science geek like me. A look at the periodic table and the fascinating stories around the elements, the book flows nicely and held my attention throughout. Some of the stories are about how some of the elements were discovered, some about the properties of elements, and some just about the odd assortment of people that have made an impact in Chemistry and Physics. The audiobook was well read by Sean Runnette and I didn’t find myself losing focus as I often do with non-fiction books. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys non-fiction and has a love of Chemistry and/or Physics.

Book 40: Delivering Happiness - Tony Hsieh

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:44:35 -0700

AUDIOBOOK read by Tony Hsieh

I love Zappos. If you’ve never bought anything from them, you really should give it a shot. They offer free shipping both ways, typically upgrade your shipping to 2-day, and go above and beyond to make sure you are satisfied. A couple of weeks ago, I order two different pairs of hiking boots, was upgraded to 2-day shipping, tried both on, selected the pair I really wanted, and returned the second pair with a prepaid label from Zappos. Super easy and I didn’t have to slog through the mall or a shoe store. I’m hooked. All of that is to say that if you have interest in business culture or how a company can best focus on customer service, you should read this book. Part autobiography and part discussion of the Zappos culture, Hseih (the CEO of Zappos) crafts an easy to read and enjoyable book. I highly recommend it.

Book 39: The Coral Thief - Rebecca Stott

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:20:47 -0700

AUDIOBOOK read by Simon Prebble

This was a pleasant surprise. I can’t remember how I stumbled across this book, but I’m glad I picked it up as I very much enjoyed it. The story takes place in Paris right after the final capture and exile of Napoleon. There is an interesting historical feel to the book as it follows a young medical student who gets caught up with a gang of thieves. The story moves well as he balances who he is supposed to be with who he is becoming. For the audiobook, Simon Prebble does a great job with the narration. A fairly quick read and worth the time.

Book 38: Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules - Compiled by David Sedaris -

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:16:36 -0700

AUDIOBOOK read by multiple readers

I love David Sedaris. I, however, do not much care for his short story choices, apparently. I found this collection to be pretty dull. I listened to this audiobook a month or two ago and can’t remember a single story from it. Avoid this one and grab yourself an actual David Sedaris book. Your life will be better for it.

Book 37: Bossypants - Tina Fey

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:19:44 -0700

AUDIOBOOK read by Tina Fey

I’m falling behind on my updates and need to get the remaining ones crammed in before the end of the year, so the rest will be short and sweet. 30 Rock is one of my favorite shows and I picked up Tina Fey’s book because of that fact. I wasn’t disappointed as her book was hilarious as well. Somewhat of an autobiography, Fey recounts stories from her past and displays much of the same humor that she does on 30 Rock. Highly recommended.

Book 36: Feynman - Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:17:39 -0700

ACTUAL BOOK

I’m a fan of the new trend of graphic novels, especially when more complex information like logic, mathematics, or quantum physics is concerned. I fell in love with the life and stories of Richard Feynman ten years ago when his book Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman was recommended to me by a coworker. It is one of my favorite books of all time and if you haven’t read it, please do so immediately. Feynman is one of the most intelligent people to walk this earth, but he also had an uncanny ability to make the complex ideas and thoughts in this brain accessible to those of us who didn’t do so well in physics class. This graphic novel is a quick look at parts of Feynman’s life from childhood through helping to develop the atomic bomb, to winning the Nobel prize, to his dealing with the cancer that ultimately killed him. I enjoyed this take on his life, but I once again encourage you to pick up one of his self-written works (the before mentioned one or the follow-up).

Book 35: Beatrice and Virgil - Yann Martel

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:16:42 -0600

AUDIOBOOK read by Mark Bramhall

Ugh. I grabbed this book because I very much enjoyed Martel’s Life of Pi, but that wound up being a mistake. I could give you a synopsis of this book, but you can find that elsewhere. Just know that I found the book to be tedious and really didn’t enjoy any part of it. The audiobook was well read by Bramhall, but the content left much to be desired. There are a lot of good books out there, skip this one.

Book 34: American Gods - Neil Gaiman

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:12:56 -0600

AUDIOBOOK read by George Guidall

There’s a lot going on in this book. At it’s core, American Gods is a road-trip story that follows Shadow, a man recently released from prison whose wife died the day before he got out. Shadow meets Mr. Wednesday on his way home and accepts a job as Mr. Wednesday’s driver and bodyguard. In the adventures that follow, Shadow learns that Mr. Wednesday and a cast of others that they meet are all gods who came to America in the minds of immigrants and are now eking out an existence without the worship and sacrifices that they used to receive. The story itself is quite good, but combined with the themes of religion, culture change, and sacrifice, it winds up being a great novel. I enjoyed this book and the audiobook is expertly read by Guidall.

Book 33: Number 9 Dream - David Mitchell

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:46:10 -0600

ACTUAL BOOK

Number 9 Dream was the last remaining David Mitchell book left for me to read, and unfortunately, I may have enjoyed this one the least of all of his novels. I thought that this novel started slow and I had a really difficult time getting into the story. I will admit that once it got moving, the story kept me engaged and by the time I finished I was conflicted about how I’d review it. Mitchell remains one of my favorite authors, but I’d rate this one in the same class with Ghostwritten; enjoyable, but not on the level of Cloud Atlas, Black Swan Green, or The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet.

Books 30-32: The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:53:23 -0600

AUDIOBOOK read by Carolyn McCormick AND ACTUAL BOOK

Wow. I will start by saying that I was wrong. Sometimes books get so much hype that I instinctively assume that they are not as good as people are claiming. When the books are designated as “Young Adult”, my apprehension is even greater. This trilogy was recommended to me some time ago and I’ve had the audiobooks on my iPod for what seems like forever. My wife read The Hunger Games a few months ago and demanded that I read it, so I finally gave in and started the first book. A week later, I had finished all three via a combination of audiobooks and the hard copies that we have at home. I started all three on audiobook via my usual listening method (in the car during my commute), but found myself ditching the audiobook for each of them with about 100 pages remaining and just reading the rest in one sitting at home. This is by no means a critique on the audiobooks, which were expertly read by McCormick, but a function of the quality and intensity of the story which I couldn’t wait on or drag out. By now, I expect everyone has a pretty good idea of what these books are about, so I’ll skip the synopsis and just tell you to read them now and enjoy.

Book 29: A Visit From the Goon Squad - Jennifer Egan

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:20:12 -0600

AUDIOBOOK read by Roxana Ortega

I probably waiting a little too long to write my review of this book as it’s been a few weeks and I honestly am having a hard time remembering the details of all of the stories. This book is a series of stories jumping through time with a different main character. The hook is that each main character is a minor character in one of the previous stories, so the entire narrative becomes one large story. As is usually the case, some of the stories were better than others, but I enjoyed it overall. I suppose it’s telling that none of the stories have stuck with me deeply in the past few weeks, but that may also have something to do with the books I have been reading since then (stay tuned). Anyway, worth a read or listen, but not the best I’ve read this year.

Book 28: Superfreakonomics - Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 10:46:56 -0600

AUDIOBOOK read by Stephen Dubner

I love books like this. I get hooked on any sort of book that tells multiple “stories” where the authors dive into a subject or question and provide facts and data that contradict the mainstream “knowledge” of the subject. I read Freakonomics years ago and have enjoyed all of Malcolm Gladwell’s books in the last couple of years, so I was thrilled that Levitt and Dubner released a followup to their huge first hit. Once again, the authors use economic principles to dive into topics like global warming, child safety seats, and prostitution. While these topics could easily bog down and get boring, the authors work humor and human interest stories into the narrative and keep things fresh. The audiobook was well read by Dubner and I was sorry when it was over. Here’s hoping that ExtraSuperFreakonomics is in the works.

Book 27: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:59:40 -0600

ACTUAL BOOK

Go read this book. For his first novel, Riggs gathered a number of old photographs, most of which have some sort of photography trick or other oddness. He then built a story around the collection of photographs. I don’t want to give anything away about the story as it is too much fun to discover the whole thing yourself. It’s a quick read (it took me 3 or 4 hours), but I found myself quickly picking it back up anytime I put it down for something else. Highly enjoyable and I hope we get more books like this out of Riggs.

Book 26: The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:52:26 -0600

AUDIOBOOK read by a full cast

The Screwtape Letters was a series of articles written by C.S. Lewis in 1941. The articles were written as a series of letters from a demon named Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood, a “tempter” demon who is trying to secure the damnation of a human. The letters focus on human weakness, and ways in which Wormwood’s taget could be pulled away from his faith. The basic idea of these letters is an interesting one and hearing the viewpoint of the evil side makes one think about temptation in their own life. The audiobook is well produced and performed by a number of voice actors with sound effects and music. While it is well done, I found it hard to keep focused on. I think this series is probably best as an actual book where you can read a section, think about it, and move on when you’re ready.

Book 25: Legacy of Ashes - Tim Weiner

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:10:27 -0600

AUDIOBOOK Read by Stefan Rudniki

Wow, this book is scary. A history of the CIA from it’s inception through the post-9/11 agency, Legacy of Ashes is a narrative pulled from thousands of declassified documents. Tim Weiner does a remarkable job of telling a cohesive story from the formation, to the clandestine operations in Central America, Asia, and beyond, to the complete inability of the CIA to gather much useful intelligence on the Soviets. The major theme of the book is that the real CIA is not the CIA of the movies. It describes an agency that spends much of it’s time trying to get out of it’s own way and shifting on the whims of presidents and directors. It appears that the CIA has spent most of it’s history guessing and little of it actually gathering intelligence. The book drags in places, which is sometimes troublesome for an audiobook as you can’t skim ahead, but that happens with most non-fiction audiobooks. Rudniki does a decent job narrating and the book has enough action to keep the listener’s attention despite the length.

Book 24: Strengths Based Leadership - Tom Rath & Barry Conchie

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:01:24 -0600

ACTUAL BOOK

This book was required reading as part of my Emerging Leaders program at work as we prepare for our “stretch” projects. The basis of the book is an online strengths assessment called StrenghtsFinder 2.0. With the purchase of the book, you get a code to take the online assessment, which returns five strength areas based on your answers. The book has a reference section where it discusses each strength and what they really mean. The crux of the whole book is that you should play to your strengths and surround yourself with people with contrasting strengths instead of trying to improve your weaknesses. Overall, I think the assessment and strength descriptions are informative and could be of good use. The rest of the book seemed to be more filler and rah-rah stories of how various leaders have played to their strengths. If you’re interested in the assessment, I recommend just picking up the StrengthsFinder 2.0 book as you can do without the additional stories in this expanded edition.

Book 23: How to Talk to a Widower - Jonathan Tropper

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:54:28 -0600

AUDIOBOOK read by Eric Ruben

Well, I think this wraps up my binge on Jonathan Tropper books. I’ve listened to all of them except one as it’s not available at my library on audiobook. I’ll just have to wait until I have some time to read an actual book to pick that one up. Like the other Tropper books I’ve read, How to Talk to a Widower is well written with plenty of funny passages, but a deeper storyline that explores the main character’s growth. Given the book’s context, a man trying to get over his wife’s death, this story is darker than the other Tropper books, but not overly so. I’ve enjoyed all of these books and look forward to future books by this very talented writer.