A GAME OF THRONES (George R. R. Martin) - August 31/11

I actually wasn't even sure I was going to finish this, given that I've never actually read such a long fantasy book before. (My original plan was to read up to 5% on the Kindle and decide from there, but Martin admittedly hooked me right from the start.) And although I certainly enjoyed the book, it's impossible to deny that it feels much, much longer than necessary. Martin overloads the narrative with characters, exposition, flashbacks, and subplots that are, at times, overwhelming. I read the whole book and I'm still not certain who some of these characters are. I really didn't need this much backstory and setup. Still, the book is often very exciting and I did find myself drawn to the exploits of many of the central characters - especially Eddard, Dany, and Drogo. Poor Eddard. Poor, poor Eddard. **1/2 out of ****

THE SECRET BETWEEN US (Barbara Delinsky) - August 20/11

This chick-lit book contains a decent premise - a teenager hits a man and her mother takes the blame - that is effectively squandered by Delinsky. The author places a consistent emphasis on the characters' melodramatic exploits - eg the mother's anger towards her ex, a character's suspicion that her husband is cheating, the girl's guilt over the accident, etc - and it does become more and more difficult to care about any of this. The Secret Between Us is clearly attempting to come off as a Jodi Picoult-type story, but it's rarely as entertaining or compelling as Picoult's work. ** out of ****

THE TESSERACT (Alex Garland) - August 17, 2011

Um. Wow. What a terrible, uninteresting book. Garland offers up a mess of characters and proves unable to transform any of them - with one exception - into interesting, compelling figures. Rosa, the lady with the two kids and ER-loving mother, was kind of engaging, but she was definitely the exception rather than the rule. Garland's decision to consistently shift the perspective is exacerbated by the inclusion of one tedious flashback after another. The final stretch is rendered completely anticlimactic just 'cause I couldn't remember who all these people were supposed to be. I think Garland intends the reader to finish the book in one sitting. What an interminable mess. * out of ****

SAFE HAVEN (Nicholas Sparks) - August 13/11

This fairly typical effort from Sparks contains an admittedly engaging romance that is, of course, utterly idealized. But Sparks does a nice job of transforming both Alex and Katie into truly likable figures, and it's impossible not to root for their inevitable coupling. But about halfway through, Sparks begins devoting entire chapters to the perspective of Katie's abusive, reprehensible husband, and I just couldn't work up an ounce of interest in his exploits. Who cares? The Sleeping with the Enemy-like storyline does, as a result, begin to grow more and more tedious, although the inevitable battle is far more exciting that I expected. Oh, and the twist that Jo is actually the ghost of Alex's dead wife? Laughable. (I mean, really, Sparks. What were you thinking?) **1/2 out of ****

NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR (George Orwell) - August 11/11

Ah, now I remember when I stopped reading this about halfway through over a decade ago. (I should also mention that I basically skimmed over the entire manifesto from the Brotherhood, which takes up an absurd and unreasonable 30 pages. What a bore!) I honestly can't understand why this book is considered a classic; it's deathly dull for much of its existence and Orwell describes and explains the hell out of everything. There are a few mildly engaging stretches, but for the most part, it was a real struggle getting through this nigh interminable novel. *1/2 out of ****

RISING SUN (Michael Crichton) - August 6/11

As expected, Crichton offers up a blisteringly-paced premise that is inevitably bogged down by relentless speechifying (this time around it's the Japanese and how they're taking over). Crichton goes overboard in forcing the various characters to debate the issue in a way that no real person ever would, yet the author does a nice job of sustaining the reader's interest by offering up a consistently interesting (and deepening) mystery. The inclusion of a few unexpectedly engrossing interludes doesn't hurt either, especially the scene in which the protagonist's house is surrounded by Japanese thugs. A solid if overlong read. (I'm also wondering why Crichton never did a sequel with Connor, as the character is certainly quite fascinating.) *** out of ****

DEMON SEED (Dean Koontz) - August 2/11

Dean Koontz notoriously rewrote this book in the late '90s and that's the version that I've just finished reading. It's a fast read, certainly, but I wouldn't say it was quite as enjoyable or suspenseful as I might have hoped. Koontz's decision to frame the entire thing from the perspective of the evil robot isn't a good one, as the author spends far too much time dwelling on the artificial lifeform's meandering thoughts. (How many times do we need to see it begging for its life?) It's readable, though, and I guess that's all you can ask from Koontz. **1/2 out of ****

FARMER BOY (Laura Ingalls Wilder) - August 1/11

Much like Little House in the Big Woods, Farmer Boy comes off as an affable, readable book that is, for the most part, bogged down in the day-to-day minutia of life on a farm. Wilder goes insane in describing just how certain operations are achieved, and it does become difficult not to glaze over while reading some of her overly descriptive passages. But Almanzo is certainly a compelling character and there are a few surprisingly entertaining stretches, with the book's final 20 pages far more engrossing than I might've expected. (From Almanzo attempting to return the wallet to Almanzo deciding he wants to be a farmer, it was just compelling stuff.) **1/2 out of ****