DRIVER (James Sallis) - March 27/10

I guess the comparison to Jim Thompson should've been a warning sign. This short yet long novel, revolving around a mysterious figure named Driver and the fallout of a job (that has, naturally, turned bad), is intriguing initially, as Sallis effectively peppers the book with several impressively brutal sequences and a spare, non-linear structure that is, for a little while, quite compelling. But Sallis' almost comically hard-bitten style grows old by about the midpoint and it becomes increasingly impossible to work up any enthusiasm for the relentlessly seedy story. This reads like a truncated screenplay, which leads me to believe that it'll work a whole lot better as a movie. ** out of ****

THE FUTURIST (Rebecca Keegan) - March 17/10

This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at James Cameron's career up to Avatar. The book contains a number of eye-opening anecdotes and trivia bites, and although Keegan occasionally goes overboard in describing some of the stuntwork within his movies, this is definitely worth a read for fans of Cameron or just films in general. *** out of ****

HOUSE RULES (Jodi Picoult) - March 22/10

This long but incredibly breezy book follows Picoult's My Sister's Keeper formula to an almost absurd extent - with the shifting perspectives, the sibling who is involved in illicit activities, and the big court case (followed by a twist ending). It's all so well done and well written that I was able to overlook the familiarity of the story, and Picoult certainly does a nice job of establishing several extremely vivid characters. But once the trial rolls around, I found myself losing interest - primarily because it just became really repetitive and I was ready for her to get to the point already. But this is only 100 pages in an otherwise captivating novel. (Oh, and I figured out what actually happened well before the halfway mark. I'm curious if other readers found it equally predictable.) *** out of ****

THE WIFE'S TALE (Lori Lansens) - March 18/10

Though extremely chick-flick-esque, The Wife's Tale is a vivid and consistently readable story about an obese 40-something woman who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after her husband vanishes. Lansens overwhelms the reader with flashbacks within the first 100 pages, admittedly, but once Mary Gooch heads out to California, the story adopts an episodic feel and becomes quite engaging. *** out of ****

SECRETS OF EDEN (Chris Bohjalian) - March 13/10

My usual complaint for Bohjalian's books applies here - it's just too long - but the book is admittedly very well written and vividly paints a picture of the aftermath of the murder/suicide. Bohjalian's questionable decision to break the novel up into four parts - each from the perspective of a different character - doesn't entirely work, as it's difficult not to derive more enjoyment out of certain characters than others (ie the final part, from the POV of daughter Katie, is repetitive and dull). It's interesting to note that the mystery of the novel - who killed George? - isn't resolved until the very last line (it was Katie). *** out of ****

THE KILLER INSIDE ME (Jim Thompson) - March 6/10

This book started out fairly well, with its gritty sensibilities and unflinching violence. But the pervasively meandering storyline eventually grew oppressive, and I had to struggle to finish the last 50 or 60 pages. This might've worked as a short story, but as a 200+ page novel, it's nothing less than an interminable disaster. ** out of ****

EATING ANIMALS (Jonathan Safran Foer) - March 2/10

Overlong by about 100 pages, Eating Animals is certainly an eye-opening look into the harsh conditions within so-called "factory farms" and there's little doubt that Foer makes a compelling argument for more humane meat-processing plants (or quitting meat altogether). This is despite his sporadically pretentious writing style and his tendency to repeat himself, as well as the inclusion of several stretches that simply feel far too academic (ie my eyes were glazing over whole paragraphs). Still, this is an impassioned work that gets its point across (ie I'm gonna try to cut down on meat for the next little while). **1/2 out of ****