books!

I want to post some pictures, but Blogger is not being friendly about it right now, so you just get more books.

82. The Amazing Adeventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
This story follows two cousins who write and illustrate comic books from just before WWII until the 1960's or so. It is a long, all encompassing book and I'd heard many good things about it, but it just didn't grab me. It took me a very long time to read, and I never really grew to care about any of the characters. Just so so.

83. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
I loved this book. It is narrated by a precocious and eccentric boy (I think he is 9) whose dad died on 9/11. His dad used to make puzzles for him to solve, and he finds what he thinks is his dad's last puzzle. The story is really about him and his family coping after the death of the dad, and there is a mystery with the boy's grandparents. Unlike book #82, I loved the characters in this book, I thought it was really unique in how it was written, and I thought it used September 11 in a good way. I read another book recently where 9/11 came into it, and seemed gimmicky. It was an important event that should definitely be mentioned in fiction books, but this is the first book I've read where it didn't seem like it was just tossed in for effect, it seemed organic and it made sense for the story. Anyway, this was a great book.