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It's not too often that I read a book so outstanding that I recommend taking a day off just to read it in one sitting. I read a lot of books, and I like a lot of them just fine (some get the special honor of being hurled against the wall -- The Shack, this still means you!), but only the great ones really linger in my mind. Some True Blue Media Gal greats include:
- Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres
- Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
- Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
- Unwind by Neal Shusterman
And I will now add Room by Emma Donoghue as the coveted fifth bullet point! 
Room is narrated by Jack, who begins, "Today I'm five. I was four last night going to sleep in Wardrobe, but when I wake up in Bed in the dark I'm changed to five, abracadabra." But Jack is not a typical five year old. His mother, who is now twenty-six, was abducted by Old Nick when she was nineteen and has been held captive for seven years. She and Jack live in Room, the 11' x 11' universe, where Ma cares for him, feeds him, teaches him, and plays with him. Old Nick stops by to disappear the garbage, creak the bed, and bring the occasional Sundaytreat. Jack has never been outside of Room, but now that he's five, Ma starts to think that maybe Room won't be big enough forever. Now she has to convince Jack that Outside is actually real. This book has suspense, incredible use of language, and a central mother/son relationship that is equal parts moving, inspiring, and disturbing. So please, do yourself a favor and read Room today!
Long time, no blog! But it's 2011, my year for trying new things. And I think that returning to an old favorite thing can and should qualify as a new thing. But before I get off track, here are some of the new things that I've tried so far:
- Roller skating at Millenium Skate World in Camden, NJ (oh hey, a two-fer!)
- Branching out from my usual selection at the Fellini Cafe in Media, PA, or trading Gnocchi Fellini (Gulf shrimp, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomato in fresh basil pesto) for the Linguini al Polpo di Granghio (crabmeat in fresh tomato sauce with basil)
- Going to Atlantic City for a friend's birthday party; the agenda included the Continental at Caesars for dinner and then time to dance dance dance at Mur.Mur
- Roller skating in Downingtown, PA with the Girlfriends Club of Chester/Delaware Counties -- participating in a group activity is the new thing under this bullet point, since I've already covered roller skating
- A West Coast Swing dance lesson (actually this will occur later this evening, 8 p.m. to be precise, so please think of me)
And it's only March, so heck if I haven't gotten serious about my resolution this year and then some. HOLLA! for 2011. But trying new things doesn't mean forgetting about my favorite things, so of course I've also been reading lots of great books in and amongst all these other new pursuits. Well, some great and some not so great. And that brings me to Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster.
Kyle Straker, the main character, volunteers to be hypnotized at his village's annual talent show. When he and the other volunteers recover from the hypnosis, they realize that something has gone terribly wrong. Everyone looks the same, but nothing is quite as it should be. Oh, and one of the other volunteers is Kyle's ex-girlfriend. Natch. A lot of running for their lives and raging against the machine ensues. And some other stuff.
There was a great premise lurking about in this short (231 page) debut novel. An eerie, disquieting message about how continual technological upgrades can leave some people feeling irrelevant or downright invisible. And maybe the homeless person that you've heard mumbling to himself has just missed the most recent upgrade, and now he simply exists outside the Matrix. Unfortunately, the premise is stronger than the execution. I did appreciate the fact that, unlike so many other books I've read of late, Human.4 has a real ending and not merely a set-up for the inevitable sequel. 'Cause I just ain't buyin' that.
Room is narrated by Jack, who begins, "Today I'm five. I was four last night going to sleep in Wardrobe, but when I wake up in Bed in the dark I'm changed to five, abracadabra." But Jack is not a typical five year old. His mother, who is now twenty-six, was abducted by Old Nick when she was nineteen and has been held captive for seven years. She and Jack live in Room, the 11' x 11' universe, where Ma cares for him, feeds him, teaches him, and plays with him. Old Nick stops by to disappear the garbage, creak the bed, and bring the occasional Sundaytreat. Jack has never been outside of Room, but now that he's five, Ma starts to think that maybe Room won't be big enough forever. Now she has to convince Jack that Outside is actually real. This book has suspense, incredible use of language, and a central mother/son relationship that is equal parts moving, inspiring, and disturbing. So please, do yourself a favor and read Room today!
