lafayetteproulx

It's hard to find a good book these days.

I just finished The Raw Shark Texts by Stephen Hall. The book starts off with a man, Eric, who wakes up with no memory of who or where he is. A mysterious letter written by "The first Eric Sanderson" takes him on an epic journey about how he lost his memory (I'll just say it involves a shark that is made out of memories and ideas), and how it ties in with the death of his wife years ago. It's an amazing book, and like all great stories it has a great love story at its core. Also, Ian the cat is the bet character ever that never speaks a single line.

Then I read Stiff by Mary Roach, a curious look at human cadavers and what sometimes happens to us after we die. It's actually a surprisingly thoughtful and hilarious read, with extensive research by Mary into the different fields in which cadavers are used (From organ transplants to compost). Definitely a great read if you're looking to turn yourself off from fiction for a moment.

I'm trying to decide what I want to read next. Do I got for another non-traditional love story? Another quirky non-fiction piece? I am waiting for Ron Currie Jr.'s God Is Dead to come out (July 5th). It's the story of what happens when God takes human form, as a woman in Sudan, dies in the Darfur incident and it becomes public that God is in fact dead.

In the meantime I might tackle House of Leaves again. The book is one of the most delightful and challenging reads I've ever had (hundreds of footnotes, words written sideways, upside down, etc.) but if you give it a try it'll amaze you.