Scott Freeman

My Fictitious Summer, Update One

12 days ago I began a summer full of (almost) exclusive fiction writing. I’ve since knocked out 6 books and thought I would give a quick rundown on what I recommend and what I don’t.

Intuition by Allegra Goodman–Goodman does a great job of fully fleshing out her characters. A breakthrough in a lab leads to the discovery of shrinking tumors in lab mice. But things may not be completely as positive as they seem. This is a great look on the meaning of truth, honesty and integrity. Grade: B

Falling Man by Don Delilo–I remember a few years back reading a piece in Esquire magazine about the “falling man,” the heartbreaking, yet graceful, picture of the lone falling figure out of the World Trade Center. Delillo uses that picture as a metaphor for a survivor of the attacks and the aftermath. This book is somber but meaningful. It shows the ripples of grief that transpire after disaster. Grade: A

Boomsday by Christopher Buckley–Buckley is the master at political satire. His books always seem to straddle the fine line of absurdity and possibility. He tends to overly caricaturize everyone but his protagonist but that always leads to some delicious reading. If you are looking for a good laugh then you can never go wrong with Buckley and this take on the Social Security situation. It is set in 2011 and Boomsday is the day that the Baby Boomers begin to retire. The problem is that the government has passed a series of laws that passes the buck on to the next generation. Until one fed-up 29 year old has a novel idea. Grade: A-

bang Bang by Lynn Hoffman–This was a quick and enjoyable read. Hoffman writes with a precise hand using an economy of words that does not sacrifice character development. Instead this book that looks at the novel exploits of an anti-gun activist uses wry humor and a brisk pace to provide a stunning indictment on a culture that is far too steeped in violence. Grade: A-

gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson–I was recommended this book by Matt Elliott and it surely did not disappoint. It is a delightfully wicked read about an Alabama girl trying to escape a dark secret that she hoped would remain hidden back in Lower Alabama. It’s laugh-out-loud funny and contains some characters you will never forget. Grade: A

The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot by Jeffrey Archer–The best thing about this book is that it is brief, taking about an hour to read. It is not the gnostic gospel but is a fictionalized re-imagining of the story of Judas. In Archer’s hands Judas sees himself as a devout Jew, well-versed in Scripture who grows increasingly discouraged and disillusioned as Jesus begins to behave contrary to his vision of what the Messiah should look like. Judas is then suckered into thinking that he is saving Jesus rather than betraying Him. The book utilizes frequent direct quotes and paraphrases from the Gospels, conveniently pointed out in red ink. There is a reliance on many historical nuances as well. But, at the end, it is a fictional story that leads in a different direction than the stories we are used to. That wouldn’t be a bad thing, necessarily, if it was more interesting. But I found myself bored. Grade: C-

I’m about to embark on the longest vacation of my adult life. I took a run to the library yesterday to stock up for the trip. What I plan on reading over the next couple of weeks are contained on my left sidebar. (Note: I wanted to read Middlesex before Oprah picked it.)

I also picked up some audiobooks to load onto the iPod. Here is what I’ll be listening to over the next couple of weeks:

Next by Michael Crichton
The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde
Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk

Any thoughts on any of these books? What are you reading this summer?