The Choirboys

Synopsis
The adventures and exploits of individual LAPD squads culminate in tragedy.

My thoughts
I hated this book on so many levels that I found myself doing all sorts of tedious and detested things—scrubbing the bathroom, managing my 401(k), watching entire soccer matches on ESPN2—just to avoid reading it. Eventually, I had to admit defeat, and The Choirboys earned my first (and hopefully only) did-not-finish of the year.

It's a satire; interestingly, my 2011 DNF book, Super Sad True Love Story, was also billed as a satire. Here's my thing: satire has to have a sharp, biting sense of humor. I adore The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. I thought 1984 was brilliant. And although I didn't particularly enjoy Catch–22, I appreciated the absurdity of it. The Choirboys tries to recreate Catch–22 in Los Angeles, but it only succeeds in being a not-very-entertaining rip-off.

But that's not the main reason I couldn't bring myself to finish it. The book is populated by a boatload of loutish, deeply unlikable LAPD malcontents. I knew their stories were building to some sort of climax, but each individual chapter was a morass of not-funny stories featuring pathetic men that didn't advance the story. I didn't get any sort of value or entertainment from them, and after about two-thirds of the book I couldn't take any more.

Bottom line
No.

Fine print
The Choirboys, by Joseph Wambaugh
Genre: crime, fiction, satire
Photo from Goodreads
I borrowed this book from the library     

Book Challenge: Seconds Challenge

When I started this blog late in 2011, I had every intention of signing up for every book challenge I could find in 2012. Specifically a 52 books challenge, possibly an A–Z challenge. But then life happened and I haven't had as much time for reading or blogging.

We're almost halfway through 2012, but I still haven't given up on joining a challenge and I was intrigued when I found the Seconds Challenge at A Few More (Reading) Challenges.

Basically, here's how it works: You make it a point to read a second book by an author you've read once before or the second book in a series. It could be an author or series that you enjoyed but haven't got around to reading again or it could be a second chance for an author or series that you didn't enjoy the first time but are willing to try reading again.

There are four different levels:

• Just a spoonful - Read 3 books that are 2nd in a series or the second time you’ve read the author. 
• A few more bites - Read 6 books that are 2nd in a series or the second time you’ve read the author.
• A full plate - Read 12 books that are 2nd in a series or the second time you’ve read the author.
• All you can eat - Read 20 books (or more) that are 2nd in a series or the second time you’ve read the author.

Appropriately enough for a seconds challenge, I'm going to try for the second level (6 books), but hopefully I'll be able to surpass that. This challenge appealed to me because there are so many times that I read a book and mean to pick up another book by the same author ... and then three years (or 13 years, but who's counting?) go by and I still haven't gotten around to it. It might take me a few weeks to get into this because I just started a book and have another on hold at the library, but hopefully by posting this challenge I'll be motivated to get going as soon as possible. 

A Town Like Alice

Synopsis
Englishwoman Jean Paget unexpectedly inherits a large chunk of money. She decides to use part of it to help the Malayan village where she spent the last part of World War II. Her journey gets more interesting when she discovers that an Australian POW who helped her was not killed as she thought and may still be alive.

My thoughts
The romance at the heart of this book was sweet, sappy, and almost too good to be true. Jean met Joe very briefly during the war, when she was being led on a forced march through the Malayan countryside. He stole some chickens from a cruel Japanese soldier and gave them to Jean to help feed her and the other women and children on the march. When the Japanese soldiers discovered the chickens with her, Joe took the blame and Jean thought he was killed.

Her trek to find him touchingly coincides with his journey to find her. They finally do reunite and sparks fly. But there's a not insignificant obstacle to overcome before they can live happily ever after. Joe lives in the harsh Australian outback and he's not convinced Jean will like it. She solves this on her own by using a little more of her inheritance to become a successful entrepreneur, proving that she can hold her own. I loved Jean's character. She's resourceful, sassy, and tough. She's a very modern woman in a man's world.


On the other hand, the casual racism and paternalism directed at the Asian and Australian Aboriginal characters was difficult to read. I know it's a product of the times the book was set in and written in, but it kept me from truly enjoying the book.

The book is told from the point of view of Jean's lawyer, which was less than enjoyable and made the book drag. (It's a short book, but between the irrelevant lawyer's inner thoughts and the main characters' wanderings it could have been cut in half.)


Bottom line
It's a quick read, so it's worth a look.


Fine print
A Town Like Alice, by Nevil Shute 
Genre: fiction

Photo from Goodreads
I borrowed this book from the library

Beast

Synopsis
"Beauty and the Beast" from the Beast's point of view, set in Persia.

My take
I'm a sucker for fairy tale retellings, but I was disappointed in this one. I was intrigued by the promise of seeing the Beast's point of view; unfortunately, it wasn't very interesting. Beast—or Prince Orasmyn, in his human form—is actually a good, decent guy who gets turned into a lion on a technicality. Because of this, there's obviously no need for a journey from bad guy to good guy, and the story is the worse for it.

I did like that it was set in Persia and discussed the friction between traditional Persian culture and Islam. That wasn't the main point of the book, but I did appreciate that it played even a small role.

Bottom line
Just watch Beauty and the Beast again.

Fine print
Beast, by Donna Jo Napoli
Genre: YA fiction
Photo from Goodreads
I bought this book

The Lost Symbol

Synopsis
Robert Langdon is back in another thriller, this one set in Washington, D.C. A rogue Freemason kidnaps one of Langdon's mentors and it's up to Langdon to save his friend's life.

My take
This is a real page-turner and it kept me entertained—but it's probably my least favorite of the Robert Langdon books I've read. (Angels and Demons ranks first because I read it first and found it utterly captivating. The Da Vinci Code comes in second; the premise was intriguing, it was just as fast-paced as Angels and Demons, and it kept me guessing right to the end.) The Lost Symbol tries to be bigger and better than its predecessors, but ultimately it's just too much. It's like Dan Brown knew he needed to top Langdon's other adventures but couldn't quite pull it off. And that's why I rarely let myself get drawn into series books or books that have a common protagonist—no matter how much I love the characters, the quality invariably deteriorates. (This was why I stopped reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series and I may not finish George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series for the same reason.)

There were many twists and turns, but I was disappointed that I was able to figure out the villain's true identity well before the dramatic reveal. My husband and I read Angels and Demons at the same time and he figured out who the bad guy was long before I did—he even wrote a page-long analysis explaining his logic to convince me. And I didn't see the Da Vinci Code resolution coming either.

Another drawback: there was a lot of tedious long-winded explanation in this book, which is something I don't remember from Angels and Demons or The Da Vinci Code (although it's been a few years since I've read them). Angels and Demons contained both scientific and religious details, but they were woven into the overall narrative more seamlessly. Brown was less successful in doing that with The Lost Symbol. The explanations were easy to follow, but they were distracting and they took me away from the action. It was like watching a movie and having to hit pause every few minutes to have something explained.

But enough negatives—on to the positives. Brown manages to cultivate a sense of suspense despite the fact that the formula of the genre dictates that the good guys live happily ever after. And as an organization, the Freemasons make a compelling focus for Brown's trademark symbolism-driven mystery. They're just as fascinating as the Illuminati or Opus Dei. I also liked that the action was set in Washington, D.C. It's not as glamorous or as historically rich as Rome or Paris, but it makes a strong impression (much like the first National Treasure movie). Brown goes out of his way to stress that D.C. is just as worthy as the grand old European cities, but I don't quite buy it. After all, it did take him this long to focus on D.C. himself.

Finally, a modest cheer for the smart female sidekick, who for once is not a leggy brunette half Langdon's age.

Bottom line
It certainly lives up to its billing as a thriller. It's leagues above most of the rest of the genre, but it's not quite on the same level as Angels and Demons or The Da Vinci Code. Like previous Dan Brown books there's a lot of gore, so it may not be for anyone who is squeamish. And if it's ever adapted for the screen you can probably skip the book and just see the movie.

Fine print
The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown
Genre: Thriller
Photo from Goodreads
I bought this book