THE HOURS (Michael Cunningham) - May 28/14

Obviously I wanted to read this because of the Josh Radnor connection, but it's actually a pretty good book. Cunningham's prose is often a little too flowery for my liking but there's no denying that the man is a fantastic writer. The three stories all fare relatively well, though I was least interested in the Virginia Woolf thread. And I was genuinely surprised that the little kid in the '50s story turned out to be the AIDS-afflicted man in the contemporary story. Definitely a solid read. ***1/2 out of ****

THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES (Tom Wolfe) - May 20/14

This epic-length novel is actually a far more engaging read than I might've expected, as Wolfe quickly proves himself to be a stellar writer. I was trying to figure out why I enjoyed this super long book than most other long books and it's mostly due to Wolf's conversational style; most authors tend to employ long-winded, overly descriptive prose but Wolfe basically tells the reader an interesting story populated with interesting characters. It's too long, yes, but I was never bored. *** out of ****

MODESTY BLAISE (Peter O'Donnell) - May 4/14

It's not difficult to see why Quentin Tarantino is a fan of this book, as Modesty herself is a tough, QT-esque broad with a multitude of skills. And while some portions of the novel were pretty exciting - Modesty breaking her partner out of a South American jail was a highlight - I just never was really able to completely connect to the story. The overly descriptive action sequences didn't help, and I found myself unable to work up any real interest in the characters' third act adventures. I'm in no hurry to read further books, anyway. **1/2 out of ****