March 26th - Book Seventeen: Lord of the Flies-lof

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Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

I didn’t get a chance to read William Golding’s famous first novel in high school. I guess Mr. Secrest – or who ever my grade 8 English teacher was back then – chose Charlotte’s Web or The Outsiders instead. This book is not an easy read. It’s easy enough to get through the plot of this book but I can just imagine all the difficult and inquisitive questions that an English teacher could come up with about this book. One question, for example: The conch in this novel obviously plays the part of symbolizing how delicate and fleeting true power is for people in competition for ruling control. However, what is Mr. Golding trying to symbolize with the pink granite that “thrust up uncompromisingly through forest and terrace and sand and lagoon to make a raised jetty four feet high”? Think of all the delicate answers you might get from the boys in the class. Obviously, the book is an amazing study of power and development (or de-development) of civilization with the absence of authority and the defying of rules but still it seems like a book that I’ve read before. Can anyone say William Butler’s “The Butterfly Revolution”? It’s a good book and I enjoyed the ideas it produces and the thinking it provoked. However, if I was 13 – or however old you are when you read this in school – the writing style would have bored me to death. Based during the Second World War and written in English from that time period, I can totally understand how students that have to read this book think it’s boring. I stole my copy from school. Rating: 4/5. (225 pages. Total for the year: 4301 pages)

March 21st - Book Sixteen: The Ball.

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Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

This book, which I think I purchased from Black Bond Books a couple of years ago is about Mark McGwire's 70th homerun baseball. Obviously, it's only a ball - with an actual worth of $5, considering materials and workmanship - but the preceived value, because of connection to baseball history, was almost a million times greater. The book, by Dan Paisner, follows what happens to the young man that sprawls out and smothers this ball after it bangs into the box suite he and his office buddies where sharing at the last Cardinals game of the year. The story isn't really that exciting nor is it very interesting but I always finish books I start. The only cliffhanger in all of this was trying to determine who had actually purchased the ball for $3.005 Million. And whether or not he feels like an idiot paying out $3.005 Million for a ball that quickly depreciated back to $5 after Barry Bonds smashed the 70 homerun mark a couple of years later. Without mention of the troubles McGwire has had in the recent past with allegations of steroid use during this amazing feat, obviously there are no chapters set aside to question the legitimacy of his feat. It's a book. I read it. Rating: 2.5/5. (206pages. Total for the year: 4186 pages)

Going to Kuwait

So, I've finally accepted my next overseas position and it's in Kuwait. I'm leaving next Tuesday to teach Biology at an English curriculum school in Kuwait City for the remainder of this year and possibly for the duration of next year. I don't know a whole lot about Kuwait City except that it's got a lot of sand. Plus, it has a Virgin Megastore. Well, I'm sure I'll have a lot more to say about Kuwait once I get there in a few days. These are pictures of a gummy bear carpet. Yum.

March 11th - Book Fifteen: Devil in the Details.

A book by Jennifer Traig. Jews and OCD. Who knew? I purchased this book for $5.99 from Chapters in Richmond. I bought it because of Dave Eggers. She writes for McSweeney sometimes and I guess that's how she wrangled Dave Eggers into writing a dust cover comment for her book. Good book, though. Highly enjoyable and I highly recommend it. 4/5 stars. Go get it. (246pages. Total for the year: 3980 pages)

Next year's Canucks jerseys?

These are the proposed designs of next year's Vancouver Canucks Jerseys that I found on the Canucks.com website. I think they look great but, well, what's up with Johnny Canuck? I think it's a great idea for them to go back to the original "rink and stick" C jersey.

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Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

March 3rd - Book Fourteen: The Third Brother

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Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

Nick McDonell wrote a book called Twelve three or four years ago and it was one of my favorite books for that particular year. He was written up as being the next big American author having published Twelve at the age of only 17. Though Twelve was flawed with a weird and unfinished writing style, the story was good and the characters true. The Third Brother is his second, very much anticipated book. I bought it not because I liked his first book - I find that liking one book of an author doesn't necessarily mean you'll like his/her other books - but because it was a starred review for Kirkus; I usually like books suggested by Kirkus. This book reads very, very easily and it's because he writes like he's still in high school. Maybe it was planned, as the protagonist is supposed to be a first or second year university student - and we all know how poorly they write - but I don't think so. Really, it must be at a grade eight or nine reading level, which doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad book but it does make it a bad book if the plot is poor as well and, well, this book also has a bad plot. I know that writing a follow up book to such a well received first book must be difficult but Mr. McDonell's second attempt is disappointing. Try again, Nick. Or maybe not. I give it 1.5/5. (288pages. Total for the year: 3734 pages)

March 1st - Book Thirteen: Into Thin Air

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Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

Jon Krakauer's book "Into Thin Air" is a very well known and very well read book about the 1998 Everest climbing year, which at the time was the deadliest year for Everest climbers. It reads very easily and the story is very well written. It's interesting and informative, giving insight into what extreme altitude mountaineering actually entails. Obviously, it's much more than climbing a couple of hundred metres of slight incline as the handicap of low oxygen and ice creates a nasty and unforgiving situation. The only thing that I question is the detail that Mr. Krakauer puts into describing the events. He often comments on the decrease in lucidity with increased altitude but writes of the events as if there wasn't even a slight imparement of his cognitive ability. I bought this book at Value Village on Victoria Drive for $2.99 and I recommend the book to anyone. I give it 3.5/5. The other book in the picture is Woodstock and Snoopy painting Easter Eggs. I read that book with my niece Emma. A very good read as well. Even though it's a book and I read it, I'm not including it as one of my 50 books. (416 pages. Total for the year: 3446 pages)