Some Light Reading for Your Down-time (HA!)

We haven't been up to much lately, which has led to a lack of posting. And even when we have been up to something, I haven't photographed it because my memory card is full and I'm still working on the backup before I delete everything. Plus, not much of it has been interesting.

We took a drive up to Pocatello, ID last week when Alan's cousin got married. Whitney had lived down here for a while to go to aestetician school, so we got to know her pretty well then. We wish her all the best, and Mason was a trooper through the drive. Plus he was a dancing fool and a ladies man all in one at the reception. I kind of wished for my camera during that, but my saying it will have to suffice. Oh, and my kid is totally the one who YELLED, as the bride was walking down the aisle with her dad that "I don't need to be quiet now, not at the start!!" I had an aisle-side seat and could not escape with said loud toddler in time, but Dad did a timely dash in my stead.

Otherwise, we've just been spring cleaning and getting ready for this baby. The room is coming along, but not at a place where I can brag about it by posting pictures (because by "coming along", I mean "almost clean enough to paint if I could decide exactly what I'm doing").

Also, I realized I haven't said much about being pregnant while we've been expecting the newbie. It hasn't been too bad for me so far. I'm getting to the part where I have to remind myself that it's a marathon, not a sprint; I'm one of the lucky ones because I get tired but otherwise manage to make it through okay. I'm grateful for that. I did get the special treat of failing my first glucose test, and thus sitting through the three hour long version to learn that I don't have gestational diabetes. I sincerely hope none of my friends/loved ones have to go through that thing and a word of advice if you do: don't drink the fruit punch flavored one. Some people think it tastes like a melted popsicle. I vote for undiluted Hawaiian punch, which in my book means it tastes like crap.

Anyway, on to what I conjured up to post about (man, this is taking a long time for having nothing to say!)... Mason has recently acquired some books (thank you grandma!) that we love and I wanted to share the child book joy with you.

First is the classic The Little Engine That Could. Mason recently stumbled upon/begged for this book on a trip to Borders and Alan was happy to comply with him. In the subsequent reads, I've come to appreciate this one (first published in 1930) as a story that would not be published today. The "dolls" are not ethnically diverse, the "good food" is not low fat, organic, or sugar-free, and to be honest the clown is a bit creepy. That being said, it's message is simple and I love to listen to Mason read it to himself since he has the whole thing memorized.

Second is also a train book (wait, I'm sure we're shocked) that was a Valentines Day gift from grandma. Freight Train by Donald Crews is also an older book (I believe it was published in the late 1970s) and has received the Caldecott Medal for illustrations. The drawings and the narrative are simple and straight-forward, but stunning. Mason loves to pick out the colors and numbers, as well as name the different types of train cars. He also asks me to point out all the individual letters, so I'm glad the words are fairly simple! Alan mentioned this book was a favorite of his growing up, so I'm glad it's something they have been able to share as well.

Last but not least is Duck!Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. It was also a Valentines Day gift to Mason, and while he likes it, I think I'm the one who enjoys it more. This is probably for kids a little bit older as the concept is a bit abstract for him. I'm glad the cover art copied over so large because you can clearly see the ambiguous drawing. The book is two out-of-frame characters arguing over whether the drawing is that of a duck or a rabbit. Which do you see? I saw the rabbit and there is only one illustration in the book that allows me to see the duck. Also, it took me a few pages to catch on and I laughed and laughed when I finally did. Good times.

Book Review: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Nineteen Minutes: A novel by Jodi Picoult

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars




This was the first Jodi Picoult novel I've picked up, despite having her recommended by several of my friends for various novels. I have to admit the plot summary was intriguing enough to pique my interest. Her writing style was fluid and detailed enough that I may be feeling the beginnings of dedication to a new (to me) author.

I grew up in a world where school shootings hadn't happened yet. Columbine happened when I was a senior in high school, just a couple months short of graduation. I remember the shift in collective conciousness at the time, how that one terrible event affected us all. After all, it could've been any high school in America, right? Our graduation rehearsal was later cancelled based on copycat threats received.

This story was a different insight into the situation. The way she follows the police detective, the judge, the accused, and one victim is in-depth and the backstory provided gives, if not a total method, at least some peek into the harsh experiences of high school students at varying social levels. I found the account of the accused boy's mother especially sad and touching. It's easy to read this and feel compassion for the mothers that have actually been faced with this situation. It's another thing to wonder if I would feel that way myself, if my child were involved in something so horrific. After Columbine, I don't remember giving the shooters' families much thought. I was saddened for the innocent victims and terrified for myself to think something like that was even possible.

I liked this book because it made me stop and think about many things I haven't pondered in a long time. There is an element of fear and uncertainty to being a parent--at some point, you aren't responsible for your child's action and you have no idea what they will become. In many ways, you just hold your breath and hope for the best. Only in a few rare instances do things go south in the manner they have for these fictional parents.

On the whole, having the "action" upfront was a relief. Very few books that I've read lately are that way. Also, I was expecting way more gore. It was graphic to the point necessary, but it didn't make me ill. The choppy third person omniscient narrative style worked well for me, too. It kept things moving, even during a story from the past that was meant to illustrate 'how they got here'. The characters were diverse and interesting, especially Josie. I wasn't quite as interested by Peter as I thought I might be (I knew going in there would be at least something in here about the shooter), but maybe only because so many other deep characters fleshed out the story.

It wasn't the easiest to read, just because of the thought-provoking content. But it was worth it, and will definitely make you wonder about how such significant changes can be wrought in such a short period of time.

I had two favorite quotes from this one :



"Life as what happened when all the what-ifs didn't, when what you dreamed or hoped or--in this case--feared might come to pass passed by instead."



"Security was a mirage; being tied down hardly counted when the other end of the rope had unraveled."


View all my reviews. at Good Reads.

Date Knight Movie Review

Before we were married, one thing we did all the time was go to movies. Alan and I have very similar tastes in movies. Every now and again, I go really girlie on him, but not too often. We are usually up for at least one summer blockbuster, even in the post-Mason world. When the opportunity for date night comes up, more often than not, we'll go see a movie. (Which is not say we've seen more than a few since Mason was born.)

A couple Fridays ago, this led us to the opening night of The Dark Knight. This movie has received a lot of hype, I think, because it's just one of those summer releases. The death of Heath Ledger after finishing this film only further heightened all the hype, but I certainly don't think that's the whole reason for it.

Even if Heath Ledger were still alive, I would have gone to see it. I loved Batman Begins and I really love Christian Bale. He's a solid, methodical actor who is not too hard on the eyes. His performance is as dark and stoic as this version of Batman should be. Bruce Wayne is told (in a very foreshadowing manner by Harvey Dent) that "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." This is a distinction he appears to be really struggling with as the body count in Gotham City mounts, and I would guess an overall theme of the brooding aspect of his character and the portrayal is so spot-on that you feel his doubt, loneliness, and uncertainty but at the same time, his need to take action because he is one of the few who can.

Heath Ledger is super creepy and very entertaining as The Joker. Even the phenomenal reviews given don't do his performance justice. It has to be seen to be believed. There were a hundred tiny little quirks in his performance that made you chuckle or made your jaw drop.

All the other characters are rock solid as well. I was skeptical about watching Gary Oldman in anything post-Sirius Black, but he is just as good here as he was there, albeit this time as a conflicted mangement-level police officer rather than a wrongly convicted wizard criminal. I was also not too sure of Maggie Gyllenhaal because I usually don't like her much, but she brought a tough element to Rachel Dawes that I liked a lot better than Katie Holmes' version. Finally, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman were both almost scene stealers. I have never seen either of them in a movie and not liked them and they both continue to be favorites of mine.

This movie is dark and it goes very fast. I will probably have to see it at least a dozen more times to catch everything I missed; but the movie is good enough I would have no problem watching it over and over again in rare and precious down time. I read a review that says the director, Christopher Nolan (who has never made a movie I don't like, by the way-The Prestige is one of my favorites!), doesn't let up. The way the movie is cut just slowly ratchets up the tension until all the characters reach a peak that can only be described as pure chaos. That review was the so correct. There are a few little sassy comments that make you chuckle, but for the most part the story is dark and deep. One major theme was rules we live by. By making rules, are we just setting ourselves up to break them, or are they successful guidelines? And just what does it take to break a person so completely their rules disappear? One of my favorite lines: "Madness, you know, is like gravity...all it takes is a little push."

I don't want to say too much that would ruin the movie for anyone else. I will say, though, that my favorite thing is the fate of the Batmobile. The special effects were all absolutely solid. My least favorite part was the (brief) gutted and burning fire truck. On the whole, this movie was 152 minutes well spent. However, this movie is not for the squeamish. While it isn't overtly graphic, the ideas are well enough conveyed that more sensitive types wouldn't be sure what to do with all the chaos.

Book Review: On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan


rating: 3 of 5 stars






This author writes so beautifully I can't imagine hating anything he's published. This story wasn't my favorite, but it so completely described and endeared the two principal characters that I can't hold the rest of the plot against him. His story is a throw-back to being on the cusp of innocence, and eventually realizing how things would have been different if you reacted differently in one explosive moment. On Chesil Beach, everything changes for these two characters and yet, life goes on.


View all my reviews at Good Reads if you want to know more about what I've been reading!

Book Review: Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey

Before Midnight: A Retelling of "Cinderella" by Cameron Dokey

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was a fast, easy to read story that was perfect for a lazy afternoon. However, I didn't feel the characters were very well-developed. The ending came too quickly, and didn't describe much of the 'ever after', which is the part I enjoy more of fairy tale alterations. There was also, for me, not much surprise to it. I knew how the book would end almost before I picked it up.

That being said, it is good if you need a fluffy, feel-good read or if you like fairy tales with a more conventional spin. I will probably read at least a couple other books in the "Once Upon a Time" series when I'm in a princess sort of mood.


View all my reviews at GoodReads if you want further recommendations!

Music Review: Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings by Counting Crows

Counting Crows recently released a sort of ambitious little project called Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings. I have been listening to more and more of them lately, and I keep liking what I have found. I asked my mom for the CD as a birthday gift without having heard any of the tracks on it, which is highly unusual for me to do.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the difference in the songs on here and what I've heard on the radio. I think almost everyone my own age remembers well "Round Here" and "Mr. Jones" from our junior high days. I have stayed away from their more mainstream pop-sounding stuff, and settled on songs like "Anna Begins". Well, this CD is a cross between that radio-friendly stuff and "Anna Begins".

The title suggests it's divided into segments, and it is. The first portion, the "Saturday Nights" is more raucous and just plain loud. It's the kind of music I get in trouble with in my car because I drive too fast. The first track, 1492, sounds almost like a whole different band if it weren't for the fact that Adam Duritz has a very distictive voice. I think my favorite of these more up-tempo songs is Insignificant. The others were good, but they sound fairly similar and I have a hard time telling them apart if I'm not paying close attention.

The second half of the CD, the "Sunday Mornings", starts off like a mellow morning after a rowdy night out with Washington Square, a very slow and pared down acoustic-style song about, you guessed it, walking through Washington Square. I have a feeling, had I ever been there, I would know what they were talking about and would be partial to this song. I like the sound of it, but it really has very little meaning to me. This second part continues in kind of this simplified vein (even using a harmonica in places, without it coming off too much like country music), but gradually builds into Come Around at the end, which is my favorite track on the CD. It's about a relationship where the involved people keep coming back to one another, and even when their relationship takes a detour they still have the trust that eventually their time will come back around.

I wasn't sure if I would come away thinking the attempt was cheesy, to capture an entire young and wild weekend worth of feeling. Instead, I got a really good CD that I can listen to whether my mood indicates 'fast driving music' or something a little mellow and almost melancholy without resorting to Dashboard Confessional.

Book Review: Atonement by Ian McEwan

rating: 4 of 5 stars at Good Reads

I really liked this book and found it to be very different from other stories I've read. The biggest difference was that it wasn't extremely fast paced. It wasn't the book you can't put down, but it was the book that quietly prods you to pick it back up. The first part, the part with the "event" the whole story is based around, is told over the course of one day and lasts about 175 pages, which is about half the book. The rest of the story comprises the other half of the book, and so moves a good deal faster.

The other interesting thing was the third person, mostly omniscient point of view. You as a reader get to see what various characters are thinking and feeling. It isn't all the characters, and it isn't even all the characters who turn out to be important, but it is the characters who are most affected by the chain of events set forth.

At the age of 13, Briony Tallis witnesses a few scenes between her sister and the son of a servant. Straddling the line between childhood and adulthood, she doesn't understand what she sees and it prompts her to make bold accusations that end up tearing her family apart. She spends the next half of the book trying to make amends that aren't really possible.

I really liked the way the author paints his picture. You can picture exactly the vase he describes as a precious family treasure, the fountain Cecilia dives into, the "temple" where Briony makes her discovery and where their lives all change. You can almost feel the heat of the kitchen where the servants are preparing a roast dinner in the middle of the summer, or smell the hospital ward Briony works in during World War II as a young adult. He uses adult words, which add to the educated element of the characters. His characterizations are spot-on, and every action is fairly well explained. Even if the ending didn't wrap things up in the way I would've preferred, I would still recommend this book. I wouldn't be surprised if it became a classic, and if I re-read and find something new in the subtly drawn story that I hadn't noticed before.


My favorite line from the book came near the end.

The evasions of her little novel were exactly those of her life. Everything she did not wish to confront was also missing from her novella--and was necessary to it. What was she to do now? It was not the backbone of a story that she lacked. It was backbone.

Briony treats herself harshly for what she's done, but her thought is essentially true. Confrontation is the only way to deal with her childish actions. On the other hand, doing what she did took a lot of backbone, so we know she has one. It's just a matter of her willingness to use it in an effort to right the wrong she committed.

Perhaps the only thing I didn't like was that Briony's actions were, in part, due to a letter she read in which one of the other characters uses my least favorite word in the English language. It may surprise some to learn that I have one, but I do. And while it's true that the word is only written once and then vaguely alluded to afterward, and Briony receives it with what I feel is the appropriate amount of shock, I still think I didn't give it five stars only because of this. There are a couple of very brief examples of strong language, and some fairly graphic imagery (all three main characters are closely involved in World War II) including some sexual content, so if you are typically offended by these things you may want to steer clear. The one word was all that offended me, so it was easily overlooked on my part. If it weren't for two instances of graphic language, I would say the themes alone in the book were reason enough for it to be a classic worthy of high school reading lists. As it stands, it is probably not appropriate for that venue.


For more on what I've been reading or for recommendations from your friends, check out Good Reads. This slightly tweaked post is brought to you courtesy of the new "blog it" feature on their reviews.

Book Review: The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond

This book was recommended to me by a very good friend who said she couldn't put it down. She also goes through books at light speed, so I was thinking it might take me a couple of days to read. I was wrong; it took me 4 1/2 hours in the middle of the night. I started thinking I would see if it would suck me in; I put it down at the end, at 0630. I couldn't bear to put the book down before I knew exactly how the story played out.

The Year of Fog is about Abby Mason who, trying to bond with her fiancee's daughter, takes her on a trip to the beach while her dad is out of town. In an instant, little Emma disappears and the story begins. The author follows, in great detail, the first few days after the disappearance, and then time seems to spread out. It's written in first-person present-tense from Abby's perspective. There are no limits to the point of view in the book. We see all of Abby's memories, her horrible thoughts, and the replaying of details over and over, even after the police have given up searching and her fiancee, Jake, has held a memorial service for his little girl with nothing more than a shoe to guide them in the assumption that Emma was killed or drowned in the ocean.

Abby explores every option she can find, feeling that the new issues imported into the "previously wonderful" relationship she had with Jake can be resolved if she can find a way to rectify the wrong of losing his child. I started to wonder if the story was going to take a Bell Jar style turn, but it did not. Abby details her belief systems and explains how the Catholic dependence that gets Jake through does nothing for her. She explains how she is fueled 100% by instinct. She struggles with various philospohies and scientific explanations about memory, trying desperately to get back any information that will lead her to Emma.

Some of the central themes Abby was grasping with were forgiveness, trust, and support. The communication breakdown between she and Jake was almost instantaneous, because truthfully, they both blamed Abby for Emma's disappearance. No one ever tells Abby that she really did nothing different than almost any other parent would do. Emma didn't wander far, Emma wouldn't go near the water, and at some point, you have to stop all the hand holding. No one, other than her sister, seems to give Abby credit for feeling like Emma was her own child. There is never a single interaction with Jake in which I felt like he appreciated what Abby was going through. Perhaps anyone as the father in that situation would be entitled to a little selfishness with it, but he neither leans on her nor supports her. It makes me wonder if their relationship was all that wonderful to begin with.

Do they find her? Is it explained in the end? That's up to anyone interested in reading to find out. I will say the end wasn't very satisfying for me. It felt just as foggy as some of Abby's recollections about Emma's disapperance. Although it was completely in keeping with the characters' as described, I wished for a happier ending.

Fair warning, there were some depressing and somewhat graphic parts of the story. Abby gets into a little detail about a somewhat inappropriate relationship her 16 year old self had with a man eleven years her senior. There is a little bit of language, which didn't offend me, but if you are at all sensitive to it, you may consider steering clear. Also, some of the history of memory and philosophy can get kind of boring. With that in mind, the following are some of my favorite quotes.

"What is a search if not a dual exercise in hope and helplessness? It is hope that makes the search possible, helplessness that makes it simultaneously absurd. I want to believe that, buried deep in the grey matter...there exists a single detail, a minute piece of knowledge, a precise and crucial memory, that is sufficient to save a missing child."

"A life without memory is a life without meaning."

"I did not understand then that I was at the beginning of something, that each choice leads to some other choice, and another, and another, so that a single, seemingly meaningless decision reverberates through an entire life."

If you're interested in more on what I've been reading or need any book recommendations, head over to Good Reads .

Golf is a four lettered word for a reason

I don't know if I ever really mentioned it here, but on our pre-anniversary vacation last year, Alan and I accidentally stumbled across a joint hobby-- golf.

For me, it had never been a hobby. I was pretty neutral on the subject of golf before then. I only became enthusiastic about it when it was one of few options when a fellow traveler was feeling too icky to go out. The two husbands involved took me out to show me the golfing ropes, and it actually went fairly well.

That has been almost a year ago. Alan has since purchased me a set of golf clubs for Christmas, and golf lessons for my upcoming birthday. In the last year, I have two actual golf games (on the par three course with geese running around, no less) under my belt, during which Alan kindly did not keep track of my score.

In light of both budgetary and weather constraints, we have also played Tiger Woods Golf '08 on both computer and (more recently) the Wii. Alan argues it will teach me what clubs to use for what kind of shots. This would probably be true if I ever bothered to set the game up with the same clubs I carry. But at the very least, it works well for an impromptu, post-baby-bedtime date night.

We rented the Wii game before we purchased it, and played it for the first time tonight. It is actually pretty fun. It would be more fun if I could remember to keep my elbows straight. I would recommend purchasing it (it will be money well-spent for us).

It's a pretty fun game if you can ignore the cheesy character reactions to the success or failure of the shots, but make sure you secure the wrist strap. I don't care if that makes me sound like a geek, but the controllers are expensive and you might be tempted to throw them when the game won't let you out of the tutorial before you successfully bank your ball right. I certainly was. Tiger Woods Golf was just as irritating as regular golf. The exception was that I had two eagles on our nine-hole game. Since I won't be getting one of those in real life any time soon, I took the opportunity to enjoy the video game glory.

Music Review: The Shade of Poison Trees by Dashboard Confessional

So I was a little behind the times on this one! I was so excited for this to come out after I heard "Thick as Thieves" on the radio, and then life got in the way and I forgot about it until I received an iTunes credit. I love Dashboard Confessional enough that I usually buy their new releases "blind" (only having heard one song, or in the case of the last one, having heard none), and I have never been disappointed. Chris Carraba, as a songwriter and a singer, really resonates with me for some reason. He is known for singing fairly downtrodden, or even angry and depressed, music. After all, their first major song (for anyone who hasn't followed them, forgive me if you have) was called "Screaming Infidelities", which as you can guess is about a beloved girlfriend who cheated and then chose to be with the other guy, leaving him to deal with the messy emotions of seeing her around.

The last album, "Dusk and Summer", was sort of a departure from that, and this new album seems to get away from that even more. The lyrics are as bitter as ever, but the acoustics have picked up the pace a bit for the most part. Even though it was released in October 2007, I think this one is going to be big in my summer playlist.

All in all, if you like Dashboard Confessional, you will like this. If you think the lead singer sounds a little whiny (I have at times-I wasn't totally sold until "Vindicated" appeared on the Spiderman 2 soundtrack), you will like this CD better than his previous stuff. It's good for a mellow summer afternoon, but the songs are short enough to keep things moving nicely, and your house will still get cleaned. Just don't listen to the lyrics too closely unless you are already feeling a little bitter.

Favorite song: "Widow's Peak", about working together to strengthen a failing relationship, uses the imagery of being a lookout set to warn others of impending disaster, and is one of the most stripped down songs on the album. The bare-bones backing and haunting piano really highlights the slight strain in Chris Carrabba's voice as he reaches some beautiful high notes, keeping the song as empty and simple as the words suggest it should be.

Book Review: If I Am Missing or Dead...

This book is advertised as being a "Sister's Story of Love, Murder, and Liberation". I was off the mark as far as the contents. I had seen the story of Amy Latus' death on the murder/mystery-style show that I believe is a sub-category of Dateline, but don't quote me on that. Ultimately, I thought it was a sad and classic story of an abused woman who met an untimely death at the hands of a man who was supposed to love her.

This is true for the last portion of the book. However, the author can't write about what she doesn't know, and her sister had kept the whole family in the dark about the nature of her relationship. So, Janine opts instead to write a story of the history of domestic abuse she and her sister allowed into their lives. She begins from childhood forward, and it quickly becomes clear why Janine allows it to happen, and why Amy does, too. The reasons behind it are similar, but their experiences were a different. Janine faces a pattern of sexual abuse that is both somewhat graphic and vague, depending on the source. Their dad is a smarmy creep who engages in a series of inappropriate things, but none of them could be classified as sexual assault. As described by Janine, it's a look he gives or a comment he makes. Amy, whose parents divorce when she is starting high school, is simply looking for someone to love her, and makes allowances of physical, emotional, and mental abuse when she believes she has found someone to love her in her alcoholic husband. Both sisters eventually leave their unhealthy relationships. Janine is barely on her own, her divorce just beginning, with a young daughter to support when Amy is reported missing. Amy has been on her own for several years, and put her trust in the wrong man again.

Looking back, and through Janine's narrative, the problems that exist are clear. It's no surprise when Amy is missing, but it's still heartbreaking. I kept hoping for a different ending, even though I knew how it had all played out.

This book is a journey with this family through some very difficult times. It made me more grateful for the family that I have and the things I have never had to deal with. It helped me understand how strong, beautiful, intelligent women get sucked into relationships and why they stay. Above all, I pulled out rooting for the writer. I hope wherever she is, she is happy and healthy, and her life is all the better for leaving such an unhealthy realtionship and unhappy life behind. I hope the cycle is broken in her daughter. And I hope that her sister, wherever she is, is now at peace. I gave this book four stars at Good Reads, but if I had the option, I think it would have been 3 1/2.

Book Review : The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

I've recently come across something that is great for me. I love to read, I love to discuss books, but my schedule is way too full to join a book club. I can't guarantee that I will be able to go out every third Friday of the month, or whatever would be involved. It's something I would like to do in the future, but I'm really enjoying Good Reads right now. It allows me to see what some of my friends are reading and read their opinion of it before I get started. Currently, there are about 10 books I want to read, just from this alone. If you haven't checked it out, I definitely recommend it.

The first book I noticed my friends reading is called The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. I stepped out of my comfort zone and read it.

The main character, in the first-person, is Christopher, a 15 year old boy who is "special needs". It doesn't flat-out say that he's autistic as far as I remember, but it's either that or Asberger's Syndrome. He is extremely gifted when it comes to math and science, but he doesn't like English (too many metaphors and jokes) or being touched. The book opens with an incident where he discovers his neighbor's dog dead, and as a result of his admitted emotional shortcomings, he winds up being accused for the murder and taken to jail for assaulting a police officer. He decides, with the help and encouragement of his teacher, Siobhan, to write a story investigating the death of Wellington.

The prose is very straightforward and one-sided. The narrator tends to wander, especially when he is starting to feel agitated. I won't go into details, because there is a fairly significant plot twist about 3/4 of the way in, but when he steps out of his comfort zone, he tends to react by retreating into his own head, which makes for deeply boring passages explaining how to calculate all the prime numbers in existence or how to solve various math equations. If I want to read that, I can pull out the Calculus textbook the university wouldn't take back. The other thing that bothered me (but I suppose is a good thing overall for the author) is the character's assumption (or just lack of consideration) that his audience knows nothing at all. He explains Occam's Razor, among other theories, in the most basic and condescending way imaginable. I felt like my intelligence was being played down through some passages. That being said, Christopher is as aware of these shortcomings as we are, and it was interesting to read the tangents he applied to Wellington's murder and see in a very linear fashion how he got from point A to point B.

It was very different to have a main character who is afflicted the way Christopher is, but he is obviously good at managing issues that affect him daily (for the most part). He is burdened slightly by well-meaning if not completely inept parents. I can't imagine the stress of caring for someone who needs so much long-term and will continue to do so without understanding the need for a "break". However, I think his parents contribute to some of his problems as well.

On the whole, I'm not sorry I read it. It's not something I will read over and over though. At Good Reads, I gave it three stars for "liked it".