The Wordy Shipmates: Review Haiku

Now I'll feel smarter
when we sing, "till the stock of

the Puritans die."

The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell. Riverhead, 2008, 254 pages.

An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination: Review Haiku

Your heart breaks under
the weight of the missing and
the weight of hope. Rare.

An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken. Little, Brown, 2008, 184 pages.

The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Review Haiku

Notaro profits
from our collective schaden-
freude. Snorty fun.

The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Reflections of Revenge, Germophobia, and Laser Hair Removal by Laurie Notaro. Villard, 2008, 218 pages.

Little Women: Review Haiku

Everybody loves
Laurie -- except Jo, which sucks.
Then (spoiler!) Beth dies.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Roberts Brothers, 1868/1869, 560 pages.

#46 on The LIST.

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Review Haiku

Lee uncovers the
sweet and sour history
of General Tso.

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer 8. Lee. Twelve, 2008, 320 pages.

Guns, Germs, and Steel: Review Haiku

Take a way-cool topic
and suck the life out of
it. Bueller? Bueller?

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond. Norton, 1999, 494 pages. Listened to on a Playaway device.

#44 on The LIST.

Note: To be fair, the version I listened to was abridged. Perhaps the full text is more exciting.

Liberty: Review Haiku

Clint's midlife crisis:
yet I keep picturing
Keillor having sex. (Ew.)

Liberty by Garrison Keillor. Viking, 2008, 267 pages.

A Tale of Two Cities: Review Haiku

Oh my heck, I
actually enjoyed Dickens.
Vive le Carton!

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Chapman and Hall, 1859, 544 pages.

#43 on The LIST. (Thanks, Leila, for the kick in the pants.)

The Screwtape Letters: Review Haiku

Fascinating stuff
for believers and skeptics
alike. Beats Aslan.

The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis. Geoffrey Bies, 1942, 175 pages.

#42 on The LIST.

P.S. Happy birthday, Boy Scout!

The Economic Naturalist: Review Haiku

Why do drive-up cash
machines have Braille? Fascinating,
mind-boggling stuff.

The Economic Naturalist: In Search of Explanations for Everyday Enigmas by Robert H. Frank. Perseus, 2007, 226 pages.

Lamentations of the Father: Review Haiku

Not responsible
for coffee or other drinks
spewed in amusement.

Lamentations of the Father: Essays by Ian Frazier. FSG, 2008, 194 pages.

Mother on Fire: Review Haiku

Gosh, I wanted to
like this more than I did. Just
take a Xanax, eh?

Mother on Fire: A True Motherf#%$* Story About Parenting by Sandra Tsing Loh. Random, 2008, 320 pages.

Tell Me Where It Hurts: Review Haiku

Made me sad (I miss
my dogs!) but also glad (I'm
not wackjob parent!).

Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing, and Hope in My Job as an Animal Surgeon by Nick Trout. Broadway, 2008, 286 pages.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Review Haiku

Twain's classic captures
the best and worst of the
American spirit.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. 1884, Charles Webster & Co., 366 pages.

#41 on The LIST, even though it wasn't there before, because it should've been, and hey, it's my LIST. Listened to on a Playaway device.

House Lights: Review Haiku

Twenty-something thesp
seeks father figure in taut
family drama.

House Lights by Leah Hager Cohen. Norton, 2007, 303 pages.

Here endeth the vacation reading. Spottier posting schedule surely to follow.

Home: Review Haiku

Mary/Maria/
Eliza makes even crap
childhood sound cheery.

Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews. Hyperion, 2008, 339 pages.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames: Review Haiku

Sedaris returns
in turns petty and poignant.
Smile-out-loud funny.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris. Little, Brown, 2008, 323 pages.

Summer Blowout: Review Haiku

Cook's latest romp is
easy, breezy, beautiful --
perfect summer fare.

Summer Blowout by Claire Cook. Hyperion, 2008, 242 pages.

The Downhill Lie: Review Haiku

For a non-golfer,
kind of like watching a bad
vacation slideshow.

The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport by Carl Hiassen. Knopf, 2008, 207 pages.

I Shall Not Want: Review Haiku

Clare and Russ at last
get hot under the collar.
Packs a holy punch.

I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming. St. Martin's, 2008, 336 pages.