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What I'm Reading Currently: Ghost-Writing for Fun & Profit by Eva Shaw (Writeriffic, 2004) Nonfiction What it's about: Tips for building a ghost-writing business. Why I'm reading it: I've been wanting to get into ghost-writing for some time. I'm hopeful the book will have good, practical approaches for how to get started. My thoughts: Still reading. Check back soon for my review. Previously: Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore (St. Martin's, 1992) Fiction What it's about: Travis is a failed seminarian, who's 92 years old but looks 25. That's because he inadvertently summoned a demon and became its master in 1925, and it's prevented him from aging or coming to any harm. The demon also needs to eat people periodically, and Travis has spent the last 70 years trying to keep its appetites in check. Now, the two of them have come to sleepy Pine Cove CA, and, where the demon sees a smorgsabord, Travis sees a chance to end its reign of terror once and for all. Why I'm reading it: I read one of Moore's other novels, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, and it was both very poignant and very, very funny. Moore has a reputation as a wonderfully irreverent writer, and I'd heard very good things about Practical Demonkeeping. My thoughts: This book is laugh-out-loud funny. You might not expect that given the subject matter, but Moore has a talent for the absurd. He knows how to take the traditional horror novel, and turn it on its ear with deftly funny writing. All of the major characters (and there are quite a few) are hilarious in their own particular brands of insanity, yet they are fleshed out so as to be human and sympathetic. There's Travis the demonkeeper, who didn't realize what he was doing when he summoned the demon, Catch, after feeling vengeful following a beating at the hands of his cruel master at the seminary. There's Robert, the failed photographer who is in the process of getting dumped by his wife for being a loser. There's Rachel, man-hating head witch of a coven that worships the Earth Mother, whom Catch sees a perfect new master whom he can trick into letting him kill more. Despite wanting to hate her for causing trouble, Moore makes us sympathize with her by telling the story of the ferocious abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband. Every character has a story. Every one is entirely mockable. But each is a fleshed out human being whom we can feel for -- even Catch's first victim, a 40-year-old hippy, who's never done anything more than smoke and sell weed. This is no small accomplishment on Moore's part, and it demonstrates a lot of craft, particularly for a debut novel. The only problem with the book is it's a bit uneven. The first half is absolutely hilarious. Moore's descriptions of Pine Cove and its residents are reminiscent of Douglas Adams. As he builds towards the climax, though, this aspect of the novel gets left by the wayside. It becomes very serious, which I suppose is natural -- there's not much funny about a lot of people getting eaten by a demon. Still, one wishes for a little more humor during the big confrontation. That said, Practical Demonkeeping is a fine novel, and it's an especially good first book. I look forward to reading more of Moore's work. -- Recommended Other Books I've Read: Pop! by Aury Wallington (Razorbill, 2006) Fiction -- Highly Recommended Lisey's Story by Stephen King (Scribner, 2006) Fiction -- Recommended Questions are Forever: James Bond and Philosophy edited by James B. South and Jacob M. Held (Open Court, 2006) Nonfiction -- Highly Recommended Little Children by Tom Perrotta (St. Martin's, 2004) Fiction -- So-so Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (Norton, 1996) Fiction -- Highly Recommended Digital Fortress by Dan Brown (St. Martin's, 1998) Fiction -- Recommended The Insider's Guide to Getting an Agent by Lori Perkins (Writer's Digest Books, 1999) Nonfiction -- Recommended SilverFin by Charlie Higson (Hyperion, 2005) Fiction -- Recommended V for Vendetta by Alan Moore, Illustrated by David Lloyd (DC Comics, 1988) Fiction -- Recommended Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why by Bart D. Ehrman (Harper Collins, 2005) Nonfiction -- Highly Recommended Give 'Em What They Want: The Right Way to Pitch Your Novel to Editors and Agents by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook (Writer's Digest Books, 2005) Nonfiction -- Not recommended Stuffed by Brian Wiprud (Dell, 2005) Fiction -- Highly Recommended Everything Bad is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture is actually Making us Smarter by Steven Johnson (Riverhead, 2005) Nonfiction -- Highly Recommended Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Scholastic, 2005) Fiction -- Highly Recommended 32AA by Michelle Cunnah (Harper Collins, 2003) Fiction -- So-so How to Write a Book Proposal 3rd Edition by Michael Larson (Writer's Digest Books, 2003) Nonfiction -- Highly Recommended What's the Matter with Kansas? How Conseratives Won the Heart of America by Thomas Frank (Henry Holt, 2004), Nonfiction -- Recommended The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (Doubleday, 2003), Fiction -- Highly Recommended |
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