House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I was really looking forward to the quirkiness this book promised. I had heard it’s a tough read, and just flipping through it proved that with some of the pages having only a couple of words, paragraphs written upside down or even backwards, and footnotes upon footnotes (making reading rhythm somewhat broken). The first few hundred pages were fascinating as the story builds, and freaky tales unfold. However, as I moved into the last hundred pages or so, I got a little tired of the psycho-babblings of a messed up crazy guy. I felt like the end of the book was a huge letdown with very little closure on any of the characters’ perils. It seemed as if Danielewski simply got bored of writing it, and just trailed off.

I actually enjoyed the whackiness in which the book was formatted as I felt it added to how the broken story was communicated (very effective technique, IMO). It really spoke to the fear, confusion, and general “crazy” that the characters were experiencing throughout. If you’ve been curious about this book, I recommend it on the sheer fact that most of it was entertaining to read, but don’t feel obligated to finish it lol.

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The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee by Sarah Silverman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sarah’s book was entertaining and made me laugh out loud on many occasions. Her wit shines, and hearing her story made me want to hang out with her. It was a light-hearted and entertaining “easy read.” It is being placed in the ultimate place of honor only appropriate — the bathroom. Thank you, Sarah.

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Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
i wish there were half stars because i really want to give it 4.5 stars…not 4 but not 5 either. it wasn’t the most amazing, rivetting book for me. however, i found myself wanting to read the book, wanting to find out how the details of billy pilgrim’s life fit into his own world view.

vonnegut’s writing style is very unique, and it did take some time for me to adjust (especially coming off of middlesex). i think his writing style is what can really turn a reader on or off towards him, so keep that in mind when you read other reviews. this was my first vonnegut book, and found the story fascinating. sure you get some basic details about the entire story up front, but they were only teasers to me. vonnegut has a way of giving you bits and pieces that make sense, but leave you wanting to know more.

i will definitely be reading more vonnegut in the future. and ultimately, if you’ve never read any of his work, you should at least give him a try.

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