1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

I'm a sucker for enormous novels. Even though I shouldn't be giving permission to these authors for typing out such bloated stories, I always find myself intrigued by the fact that that they did write such enormous works. I wonder if what they have to say is worth the pages. That's why I read The Pale King by David Foster Wallace and why I'd like to conquer Infinite Jest. I'd just as soon read Animal Farm than listen to Cate Blanchett read Marcel Proust's seven volume novel In Search of Lost Time on board the Belefonte in The Life Aquatic.

Speaking of sprawling epics and George Orwell, last year when Haruki Murakami published 1Q84 my interest was instantly piqued. It was a hulking tome of more than a thousand pages and it had a strange yet iconic title that referenced one of my most favored books. I wanted to read it but wasn't training for any endurance strength tests so I downloaded it on my Nook instead. Recently when I went to go peruse my local book shop, I found that the brand new softcover edition on display.

This is a handsome presentation for such a interesting work. Separated into three novels, the books fit into a clear plastic slipcase. The artwork has been redone to include the moon motif that is in the novel. It's so colorful and the three books makes reading it even more attractive.

The story involves two intertwined narratives. One tells of Anomame, a woman desperate to get to a meeting on time, she jumps out of her cab and takes a ladder off the freeway. The other tells of Tengo and of a book by a young and mysterious writer, a book who his publisher wants him to rewrite in order for it to win a prize.

This new edition makes transporting it easier, and the writing and story seem to earn the number of pages that it is written on. If you are interested, check out Murakami's 1Q84 here. 

Hologram For The King by Dave Eggers

Alan is going through some hard times.  He's coming off a recent divorce, he's buried in debt and he's trying to find money to keep his daughter in school.  No one seems to want to help him either.  His ex-wife once told him, "College is your thing, be a man about it."  Naturally Alan, might be a little desperate.  That's why he has found himself in the deserts of Saudi Arabia trying to present some new hologram projector technology to a local king.

And thus set's the stage for Dave Eggers fourth full length novel.  Dave Eggers hardly fails to disappoint considering how much of his work is award winning or prize nominated.  He's versatile too, having compelling works that are both fiction and non.

But enough about Eggers, what about the book?  This particular edition of Hologram For The King is published by McSweeney's Books, a company renowned for their unique and striking editions.  I mean look at that cover, it begs to be read!  The shiny lettering, the etched designs, the textured cover; this book is the full package.  How could you not want to pop this open and see if the contents are as impressive as the facade?  This is why I must read this.

I'm not going to link you to Amazon for this one.  Something about this book makes me want to tell you that if you really want to read it, go to your local book shop.  So get to steppin'!

Get Jiro! By Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain is most widely known as the nomadic foody god on his Travel Channel TV show, No Reservations. What many people are probably not aware of is that he is also a writer. He is the author of many books, most notably Kitchen Confidential, a sort of tell-all of what happens in the many restaurant kitchens across America.

For his most recent authorial outing, Bourdain has decided to go down the visual route and co-author a graphic novel with Joel Rose. With Bourdain's pedigree, it's natural to assume this will also be in world of food. In an opening scene Jiro, a sushi chef, violently decapitates a man when they boisterously order a California Roll. Fast food sushi is something he does not do.  I found the scene wildly hilarious and you would too.

This book seems like tons of fun. It has over top violence, great art provided by Langdon Foss and an abundance of tongue-in-cheek, food centric humor and that is why it is a book that I should be reading.

Check it out here

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

Ahhh, Freedom; the smash mega-hit written by literary super star Johnathan Franzen. What more can be said about this man or this book that already hasn't been stated? He has written one of the best books of the decade. He comes off as a complete jerk. He is a jerk precisely because he knows that he is God's gift to literature. Despite his jerky-ness we love him; we really, really love him.

I happened to see this in a Target long ago when the book came out and was surprised to see the dreaded "O" sticker adhering to the book jacket.  Having knowing a little of the history between Franzen and Oprah Winfrey, I was quite surprised.  I almost thought it was a mistake until I could confirm that yes, Freedom had become an Oprah's Book Club selection.  The good news was that it was just a sticker and not a logo printed directly onto the jacket so you can promptly remove it ASAP (poor, poor Poisonwood Bible).  This only proves what I have been saying for years, that Oprah loves to take books that are already popular or have previously been considered great and smack that sticker on and rake in the royalties.  I consider those stickers pock marks on an otherwise beautiful cover.

Don't let this sticker deter you, however, because this is one fantastic novel.  Everything good that has been written about it is true.  It is one of the best books of the decade, He might be one of God's gift to literature and this is sure to stick on bookshelves for years.

The Best Alternate History Stories of the 20th Century Edited by Harry Turtledove with Martin H. Greenburg

With the recent release of Tim Burton's adaptation of Seth Grhame-Smith's novel Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, it's clear that screwing with established conventions is all the rage now.  This book is in a similar vein, being filled with a collection of "what if" stories of history-bending, mind-blowing fare.  The stories include a Rebel victory in the Civil War, a Nazi victory in World War II and other tales of truth tweaking and time travel.

Find it here!