Review - The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2007
Hardcover 120 pages



"What she was finding also was how one book led to another, doors kept opening wherever she turned and the days weren't long enough for the reading she wanted to do". (21)

Never has a truer sentence ever been spoken. For reading is like an endless journey where the end of one path only leads to another land waiting to be discovered. Though from this brief quotation one shouldn't think that this little book is a deep and philosophical look on reading. What this novella is: it is beautifully written, wonderfully imaginative and a great read for a lazy afternoon.

The premise of the story is that late in her life, Queen Elizabeth II happens upon a mobile library on the palace grounds. Not wanting to offend the mobile librarian, she takes a random book off the shelf. She reads the book, and though she found it a bit dull, it interested her enough to go back the next day to try another. Much to the chagrin of the royal staff and members of parliament, soon the affairs of state have taken a backseat to her passion for reading and she finds for the first time in her life that the world could be different from the constant ceremony and pomp.

Review - First Contact by Evan Mandery

First Contact or It's Later Than You Think (parrot sketch excluded) by Evan Mandery
Publisher: Harper Collins 2010
Paperback 267 pages




When it comes to books, I'm a fairly passionate person. I love them, cry over them and obviously covet them. I will readily admit that whenever I read an exceptionally good book I will push that book on all of my friends, family and, considering my profession, complete strangers. And when I say push I mean that I will buy copies of the book and start handing them out to people I know, or have a library copy at hand on the reference desk to put into some unsuspecting persons hand if they dare come within reaching distance. I have been known to carry in my purse used paperback copies of books by Kurt Vonnegut to hand out to random people I meet. In other words, books are my crack and I'm the most dedicated and persistent crack dealer you could ever imagine.

I mention all of this because when I finished reading First Contact by Evan Mandery I immediately started devising a scheme to get this book into every one I know hands. This book is so smart, funny and unbelievably imaginative and entertaining that I will admit that I fell in love with it. It promised a great deal: the back cover of the book claims that it will be "a satirical joyride in the tradition of Kurt Vonnegut and Douglas Adams". I mean really; that is quite a tall order to live up to. Even with that, Mandery failed to disappoint. From the very first page this book had me in hysterics, but this isn't just some pointless satire; Mandery adds the sort of look on the state of humanity and philosophy that one comes to expect from... Kurt Vonnegut and Douglas Adams. It takes a talented author to pull off such a tall order and Mandery is an exceptionally talented one.

The book is about Earth's first contact with an alien species. The current president of the United States is a George Bush like character and immediately assumes that the peace loving aliens are "pains in the ass". As the US decides to declare war on this vastly superior race, the president's aide is falling in love, the alien ambassador's wife is having troubles with the PTA and an insurance schemer is searching for a new world to scheme... namely the Earth! The final conclusion of the book is a little rushed and the story may wander at places, but for his sophomore book Mandery has proven himself to be able to craft a truly intelligent and humorous novel that both entertains and enlightens.

Review - Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Publisher: Ace Books 2001
Hardback 354 pages




Do you like your apocalyptic literature with a healthy dose of laughter? If so, Good Omens is the book for you. This wonderful novel has a whole host of imaginative and well drawn characters including a host of angels and demons, witchhunters and witches, false prophets and one prophet whose prophecies are a little too accurate for her own good and of course the eleven year old Antichrist.

The final battle between Heaven and Hell is drawing near and both sides are gearing up for the war to end all wars (and the Earth too). However there are two beings (an angel from heaven and a demon from hell) that seem a little put out by the upcoming apocalypse. After a few millennia on Earth they have grown rather fond of it and decide to team up together to try to stave off the impending doom of their adoptive home amongst us mortals.

I loved this book because it managed to be both a little slapstick (the four bikers of the apocalypse) and touchingly wise. I know that this book is very popular and honestly, now that I have read it, I'm more interested than ever to read more of Terry Pratchett (another thing that I have put off until now). With all of these books to read I can only hope the apocalypse is still a ways off.