Into Thin Air

Title: Into Thin Air

Author: Jon Krakauer

Pages: 291

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade: A-

Synopsis: Into Thin Air is a personal account of the disaster that unfolded high upon the slopes of Mt. Everest in 1996. Krakauer was climbing the mountain as part of a guided expedition by Rob Hall, a guide from New Zealand, considered by many to be the best in the world. After summitting the mountain, many climbers were overtaken by a powerful storm and couldn't get down the mountain. This is the true story of what went wrong.

Why I Chose This Book: I've just always wanted to read it.

My Review: Jon Krakauer tells an incredible story that makes you feel like you are there. He does a very nice job of describing the difficulties of the climb and the problems that can happen while acclimatizing yourself to the thin Nepalese air. I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down at times. For anyone who has ever daydreamed about climbing Everest or doing something similarly amazing, this book may help knock some sense into you.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

Title: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

Author: Michael Chabon

Pages: 636

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: Joe Kavalier emigrates from Prague to New York City in the late 1930's (via Japan) and moves in with his cousin Sam Clay. They begin writing and illustrating comic books and making a great deal of money on them. Joe eventually joined the Navy because he wanted to redeem the deaths of his family members. This is the story of their entwined lives.

Why I Chose This Book: I have seen this book mentioned on multiple "top 10" booklists.

My Review: This book is a very difficult one for me to review. There were parts of the book that I really enjoyed and there were parts that I simply loathed. The f-word was used a fair number of times (although other swearing was minimal) and gay activities are described (gratefully not in detail) which made me uncomfortable. Often the book was a slow read and is rather long. There are still many parts of the book that move along fairly well. The best part of the book are the descriptions that the writer supplies.

From the Book: "(p. 70, Sammy speaking to Joe) At Empire they put out a whole bunch of items that make farting sounds. A fart, you know what that means?" Sammy clapped the cupped palm of one hand to the opposite armpit and pumped his arm, squirting out a battery of curt, wet blasts. His cousin, eyes wide, got the idea. "Naturally, we can't say it outright in the ads. We have to say something like 'The Whoopee Hat Liner emits a sound more easily imagined than described.' So you really have to get it across in the drawing."

"(p. 255, Joe) He leaned forward to kiss her again. They bumped teeth, and it made him weirdly aware of all the bones in his head. her tongue was milk and salt, an oyster in his mouth. She put her hands on his shoulders, and he could feel her getting ready to push him away, and then after a moment she did."

"(p. 408) Sammy pursed his lips and allowed a long strand of saliva to dangle downward, tipped by a thick bubbled bead. The bubble lowered itself like a spider on its thread until it hung just over Bacon's face. Then Sammy reeled it back in. It had been years since he had last attempted the trick, and he was pleased to discover that his spittle retained its viscosity and he his pinpoint control of it."

The Notebook

Title: The Notebook

Author: Nicholas Sparks

Pages: 216

Genre: Fiction

Grade: A-

Synopsis: This is a love story set in the South, mainly in the latter half of the 1940's. Noah Calhoun has returned from the War and is restoring an old plantation home with money that he inherited. The whole time that he is working he is dreaming about a girl and the summer, 14 years ago, that they spent together.

Why I Chose This Book: I was between library visits and looking for something to read. Alison had just finished this book and she convinced me to pick it up.

My Review: I'm not sure that I've ever really read a book like this. I've never really been interested in "love stories" and all that mushy stuff. This is one that I would recommend though. I enjoyed the progression of the book and the unique way that it is written. The story is a display of unconditional love that we should all be striving for. Although sad at times, it can be classified as a "feel-good" story. (disclaimer: This is a book about love and there are some lovin' scenes included as well)

From the Book: "(p. 4) I sit just for a second and stare at her, but she doesn't return the look. I understand, for she doesn't know who I am. I'm a stranger to her. Then, turning away, I bow my head and pray silently for the strength I know I will need. I have always been a firm believer in God and the power of prayer, though to be honest, my faith has made for a list of questions I definitely want answered after I'm gone."

"(p. 102) She couldn't think of anyone else who remotely resembled him. He was complicated, almost contradictory in so many ways, yet simple, a strangely erotic combination. On the surface he was a country boy, home from the war, and he probably saw himself in those terms. Yet there was so much more to him. Perhaps it was the poetry that made him different, or perhaps it was the values his father had instilled in him, growing up. Either way, he seemed to savor life more fully than others appeared to, and that was what had first attracted her to him."

"(p. 180) We sit silently and watch the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn. It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel content. The young, brash and impatient, must always break the silence. It is a waste, for silence is pure. Silence is holy. It draws people togerther because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit without speaking. This is the great paradox."

Before I Say Good-Bye

Title: Before I Say Good-Bye

Author: Mary Higgins Clark

Pages: 332

Genre: Mystery

Letter Grade: A-

Synopsis: Nell Macdermont's husband, Adam, is hosting a business meeting on his yacht when it blows up in New York Harbor. Nell and Adam had argued that morning about Nell's decision to run for her grandfather's congressional seat. He had held the seat for 50 years and was loved by his constituency. Adam had been supoportive in the beginning but had since become almost hostile to the idea. Nell goes on a search to unravel who her husband's killers were and why they would do it.

Why I Chose This Book: I've read Clark's books many times and enjoyed them. I found this one sitting on a library display calling out to me.

My Review: I've read books by Mary Higgins Clark before and enjoyed them. This one was no exception. The plots are always easy to follow and the premises are very believeable. It's been a long time since a book has kept me up late reading until I finish.