Book Review pt 1 - Repost from sometime in 2011

So I have been meaning to review the books I have read this year. Although it was not part of my original goal for the year it seems a reasonable feat and is good practice of my writing skills which I do not get to use nearly enough. Having said this I realize I have homework that I need to do, but that is not nearly as entertaining so it will have to wait. So I read some of these books a few months ago, thus the review may be a bit vague and more of a reflection of the feelings and impressions left by having read them. I am going to attempt to get through at least a few reviews tonight and intend to finish them over the course of the week or so, anyhow here we go.<br /><br />1. The Men Who Stare at Goats - Jon Ronson<br /><br />Lets start with the fact that I saw the movie before I read the book. That being said the book is almost nothing like the movie. This makes a lot sense, as the book is nearly all a collection of interviews. This of course would make for a more or less boring movie, so a solid plot line was added and action actually occurred. But the information in the movie does do the book justice.<br /><br />This is one of those books that when you are reading it you are never sure if anything or everything is true. Although as noted in the movie "More of this is true then you would believe", which really is a great set up for what was to come. As I was expecting something more like the movie when beginning the book I was at first a little bored and disappointed. But the further I read the more interesting it became. If you have neither read the book or seen the movie let me catch you up on what this is all about. Through a collection of interviews we learn how the military began paranormal research, how that has continued in various forms and how this research has been used in the invasion of Iraq. That in one sentence is the book. But the book is much more fascinating then one would expect, well if you find paranormal research or military tactics in any way interesting that is. And even if you don't there is much to be learned that is unexpected by this book. I suppose I should end these things with some kind of rating so lets say I use a five star rating: ****<br /><br />God Is Dead - Ron Currie Jr.<br /><br />In this story, God comes down to earth and takes the form of a woman in Sudan. While trying to help those around a refugee camp, God and many others are killed by the Sudanese Government. As God died on earth this leaves the world without a God but with the knowledge that God did in fact exist. The rest of the book follows multiple stories lines of how the world falls apart and is reborn without God to guide them.<br /><br />So what initially caught my attention at the bookstore with this was the fact that book has talking dogs. Which only became more intriguing when it turned out that the dogs could speak due to the fact that they ate Gods body. Having said this I realize how bizarre my tastes in literature and in general really are. Anyhow, I found this book to be a little disappointing, the idea behind the story was great, but how it was told was not as moving as one would expect for such a creative idea. It was well written and a great debut effort by the Currie Jr. I have since picked up his next novel and hope that with experience he will be able to live up to the great story ideas he has. Rating: ***1/2 (three and a half stars, if anyone is confused by that)<br /><br />Scott Pilgrim 1-6 - Bryan Lee O'Malley<br /><br />This was the first graphic novel I have ever read. And although I love it, I would not be surprised if it remains the only graphic novel in my book collection from here on out. I'm not sure exactly why this is, but I do assume that finding a graphic novel that includes a band, robots, fighting for a girl and a gay roommate to be rare. And without these key ingredients I am fearful that I would lose interest. Somewhat on that note, Mitch Clem's comics are awesome and I miss reading Nothing Nice to Say, which includes most of the themes previously mentioned but with more focus on the band as a whole, which includes a bear, and punk/indie rock inside jokes. So if you liked Scott Pilgrim you should check out Mitch Clem's work. If you like Noam Chomsky (as you all should) you should look for him in My Stupid Life, he makes a few appearances and apparently loves strip clubs.<br />Now that I have written half of this review about an unrelated comic I suppose I should get back to business. If you don't know, The Scott Pilgrim series is about well... Scott Pilgrim, a guy in his young twenties who plays in a band and is generally otherwise useless. Oh and he is the best fighter in Toronto. He falls for a girl who has seven evil exes who he must defeat in order to be with her. He has an awesome gay roommate who basically takes care of him. The story follows the relationship or on occasion lack there of, of Scott and Ramona and the battles he must face in order to get her. It is a funny and sweet romance story filled with action and epic battles. If you saw the movie you more or less read the books, but the books fill in some of the gaps in the story and also gives you recipes and the chords to some songs. Overall it was a fun read that I very much enjoyed. Rating *****