Absurd Indeed

I'm just not having much luck today. First of all, when I went to the library, some girl was about to get arrested. I have no idea what she did other than swearing loudly at the girl who called the cops.

I was really excited to read Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart, but once again got to prove that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

Smut = 0

Abstract and Colour Techniques in Painting

This book by Claire Harrigan is laid out as an instructional book but not well-written. All the visual examples are of her own works. She barely makes reference to other artists. There's a lot of "When I paint, I do this." Even her instruction is rather repetitive. Colour is important. Texture is important. Observation is important. Here's how I do it...etc.

Not high on the list of art books out there. Just a 2

The Abstinence Teacher

Deeeeeep breath. First off, this book by Tom Perrotta is a novel, not an instruction book on how to teach abstinence. I read the 150+ pages in one day, but was nervous the whole time. I couldn't relate to any of the characters and they all made me uncomfortable. For those of you who don't know me, I AM an abstinence educator of sorts, so I was biting my lips the whole time I read it.

By the end of the book, nothing is resolved. Despite the sex, drugs, and alcohol, it seems like the author was attempting not to offend God. The comments on the back of the book call Perrotta brave, but it merely seemed he was trying not to make waves with anyone who might read the book. In the end, there was no resolution and everyone just sorta went on with their lives.

I have to give this a 2 because at least it kept my interest.

Mind Absorbing!

The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori is a book about how to educate children in their youngest stages of development. The Montessori method of education is not well-known, but there are Montessori schools planted around the world (including Iowa City).

I don't know much about this method, so I was rather interested in reading the book, until I got to the sentence "If help and salvation are to come, they can only come from the children, for the children are the makers of men." Ok...vague and weird. After reading the word "psychic" seven times in the first eight pages, I decided the book wasn't worth my time.

0

Absolutely Organized

Absolutely Organized by Debbie Lillard appeals to a certain demographic...moms. This concise book about home organization is like candy to me. Although I'm not a mom and some doesn't apply to me, I gained a boost of organizational energy that I definitely needed. Yes, there are a lot of books out there on this topic, but this one seems simpler than most, which I like.

I will probably buy this so I can refer to it again. 5

Absolutely Beautiful

Absolutely Beautiful by Sue Amatangelo is a book about container gardening. It definitely suits a specific audience, but is simple and instructive in its approach. The best part...picture.

I give it a 2

Absolutely American

Well I officially have no computer now, so I'm cramped for time at the library. BUT, I just got done reading an EXCELLENT book. Absolutely American by David Lipsky intimidated me before I had a chance to open it, but I can now recommend it to anyone. Lipsky is a journalist for Rolling Stone but was commissioned to spend 4 years at West Point and write this book about the institution. Whether you have family in the military, are considering joining the military, or hate the military, this book is a good read. Lipsky follows the lives of a handful of cadets through their journey of decisions at the school. We read stories of failure, courage, romance, and even see how West Point reacts on 9/11.
For those of us who are civilians, Lipsky bridges a gap of understanding into the military world and for that I give this book a high 4.

Absolute Trust In the Goodness of the Earth

Yeah. I know. Barf, right? For a Pulitzer Prize winner, Alice Walker's book of poems failed to appeal to me at all. I'm sure there are thousands of people out there who could relate to them in some way, but I didn't find a single poem in this book that stirred anything in me.

This will have to settle for a 1.

Abram's Daughters

It's one thing when you read about people trudging through ice and snow, but it's another to read it while hearing the wind rushing just outside your window. The Abram's Daughters series by Beverly Lewis is five books all about the lives of one Amish family in Lancaster County, PA. It's full of agony, romance, drama and Christian themes: everything you'd expect in a Beverly Lewis novel. I spanned the scope of emotion while reading this, even to the point of wanting to throw books two and three across the room when finished.

All in all, they're a good read. Definitely more suited for the female psyche, but they earned a solid 3.

Sandman fin

Well finishing this book didn't take as long as I'd thought. I enjoyed all the stories apart from "The Tempest." As I should have guessed, the star character is Shakespeare, and for some reason I couldn't get into it.

The best quote from this entire book is from the Sandman himself. "It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-wit, and the emperor remains an emperor."

I'll probably read the rest of the series, but wont' be reading this one again. It's earned a very high 3.

Absolute Sandman

When you approach a graphic novel, you don't expect it to be 8 1/2" x 14" and over 600 pages long, but with Absolute Sandman by Neil Gaiman, that's what you get. If you've never read any of the Sandman series, think of a darker version of Terry Pratchett. I'm currently reading volume 4 of the series which includes the stories "The Castle" from Vertigo Jam #1, "The Kindly Ones", "The Wake", "Exiles", and "The Tempest".
Having just finished "The Kindly Ones", I can say my thumbs are both up so far. The story is very captivating and the creativity of the artists keeps me asking "How did he think of that?"

Absolute Rage

Despite the title, this is one of the few "absolute" books that wasn't smutty and/or offensive. Absolute Rage by Robert K. Tanenbaum is actually pretty great. Yes, the characters are a bit one-sided, but I LOVE them. Tanenbaum is hands-down a good author and a great legal mind. This book has quirkiness, suspense, a bit of romance thrown in there.
I was a little disappointed about how much romance was thrown in toward the end, but it was paired well with the explosions. If you don't mind a bit of language, I highly recommend this book. A definite 4!

Year In Review

Happy New Year everyone! Here are all the books I read from the tour according to their ratings. Enjoy.

0
About Behaviorism by B.F. Skinner
About Modern Art by David Sylvester
About My Life and the Kept Woman by John Rechy
About Schmidt by Louis Begley
Above the Law by J F Freedman

1
About Looking by John Berger
Above Us Only Sky by Marion Winik
Abraham's Children by Jon Entine
Abraxas and the Earthman by Rick Veitch
Absalom, Absalom by William Faulkner

2
Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power by Richard Carwardine
The Abenaki by Colin G. Calloway
Abenteuer Hund
Abingdon Marriage Manual by Perry H. Biddle Jr.
The Able Gardener by Kathleen Yeomans
The Abolition of Slavery by Suzanne Cloud Tapper
Abomination by Colleen Coble
Abortion by Richard Brautigan
About Buttons by Peggy Ann Osborne
Ablutions by Patrick DeWitt
About My Sisters by Debra Ginsberg
About Pets
About Your House by Bob Yapp
Above Chicago by Robert Cameron
Above Suspicion by Linda La Plante
Above the Law by Jerome Skolnick
The Abrams Guide to American House Styles by William Morgan
Absinthe: History In a Bottle by Barnaby Conrad III

3
Heloise & Abelard: A New Biography by James Burge
Abigail Adams: Witness To a Revolution by Natalie S. Bober
The Abolition of Britain by Peter Hitchens
Aboriginal Art of Australia by Carol Finley
The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis
About Alice by Calvin Trillin
About Cows by Sara Rath
About Philosophy by Robert Paul Wolff
About the Author by John Colapinto
About the Author by Alfred Glossbrenner
About This Life by Barry Lopez
Absent In the Spring by Mary Westmacott
Absolute Friends by John Le Carre
Absolute Poison by Geraldine Evans

4
The Abominable Dr. Faust by H. Takei
About a Boy by Nick Hornby
About Grace by Anthony Doerr
Above All Be Kind by Zoe Weil
Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths by Bruce Feiler
The Abs Diet for Women by David Zinczenko