Read So Far in 2011

I haven't gotten much writing done lately, so I figured I'd compile a list of what I've been reading.

1. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Not Uncle Stevie's best, but far from his worst. I always enjoy it when he moves out of the supernatural realm and explores just how depraved human beings can be all on their own.

2. Child of God, by Cormac McCarthy

Speaking of which...wow. You want horror? I got your horror right here. And McCarthy delivers his prose so dryly that the depths of his character's all-around badness might not hit you right away. But when it finally does, it'll stick with you--and it will haunt your dreams.

3. Horns, by Joe Hill

I think of Joe Hill's novels as if they were Stephen King novels, but ones that have benefited from a much more assertive editor. The quality is top-notch here--much better than his debut novel (which, in my mind was pretty overrated...but that's another story for another day). Sadly, Mr. Hill appears to have inherited his father's inability to write a satisfying climax (in a novel), but because the story is tighter overall, this didn't feel like as much of a problem as it did in, say, a novel like It.

4. Pygmy, by Chuck Palahniuk

Gibberish from beginning to end, but I couldn't put it down. The sheer will that writing in the voice Palahniuk employs for this one...well, it results in either the biggest shit show that ever took down a stand of old-growth forest, or something very special. I can't decide. For whatever that's worth.

In progress:

1) 2666, by Roberto Bolano

I'm reading this one on a trusted friend's recommendation. Definitely a different beast than most popular fiction you see these days, which is often in such a hurry. This novel says, "To hell with that...I'm going to take my time and you're going to like it." As a writer, I respect the brass ones making a statement like that took. But as a reader, it is a bit of a problem unless you have the right mindset going in. I didn't the first time. For the first 60 pages or so, I couldn't stop wondering where it was all going. I put the book aside in frustration for about a week. But when I picked it up again, I resolved to push through no matter what. And you know something? I'm glad I did. If you are patient, reading this book becomes a lot like looking for animals in the clouds on a summer day: you begin to see patterns, and it is a tremendously satisfying experience.