Sunday, October 25, 2009

Reading Infidelity: Eclipse, Burn the Boats, A.H.W.O.S.G.

Usually, I'm a one-book girl. I don't start a book until I'm done with the book I'm reading; however, desperate circumstances and timely events has caused me to abandon my literary monogamy. I checked out three books this weekend and am very satisfied:

1) Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer I'll be frank, it's not the writing that keeps me reading (I take day-long breaks between chapters to check that my brain is still there and purge all the guilt I have for reading the chapter) but the curiosity of what is to happen next to Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in the next Twilight installments?? I mean, aren't you curious? Does Edward ever pop Bella's vampire cherry and turn her into a vampire? Or will Bella ever eat a human? I don't know, this series is absurdly absurd. It's popularity dumbfounding. And, my 11-year old brother sent me the series in a care package.

2) Burn the Boats by Scott Weighart
This is my most anticipated read out of the three. I went all the way to Boston to get it at last weekend's BU v. Michigan game at Agganis Arena, which we won (Wut!Wut!). Boy have I been waiting to relive the past season in book form with a 16-page photo insert. I fought through nausea on the Fung Wah bus to start reading, and in the first chapter, I was already shedding tiny tears. The book recounts the road leading to the national championship starting with the off season. Hearing the players' personal account of the journey, the hard work and team building excercises that went on behind the scenes makes every game of last season even more special. As a fan, I greatly appreciate Weighart's effort to capture the magic that was last year's seven championship season, because I know from experience--you can't put into words what it feels like to be down two goals and then win it ALL in less than a minute in the last period. It's like a heart attack, but the good kind.

3) A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
I stole this book from my friend's coffee table. He said it's been sitting there for three years and I was free to take it (so maybe I didn't steal it). Again (to explain Eclipse), I like free reading material. A.H.W.O.S.G. is a memoir but unlike any memoir I have ready before. I can't explain how it is because it would be complicated, but Eggers basically breaks all conventions of how a book is organized and written and creates a very entertaining, smart and funny book. I haven't gotten too far (since I'm juggling between books--man, polygamy is hard!), but I can tell you this guy is a genius.

All in all, I think I'm going to commit to Burn the Boats first. You know how I like them hockey books and an easy read.

1 comment:

  1. Zeny,

    How great is A.HW.O.S.G.? One of my favorite books of all time. You should read either "You Shall Know Our Velocity" or "What is the What" next. Both by Eggers and both very different but great.

    -Shaun B.

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