The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

I enjoyed reading this book again. While the section with Sam, Frodo, and Gollum wending their way to Mordor always dragged for me, this time it went faster. I was paying attention to the way that it's about the relationship between Frodo and Gollum, and how neatly Tolkien sets up and foreshadows Gollum's final role in the story. I also am finding this story to be a lot about storytelling--so many characters think about whether their actions or experiences merit a chapter of the story, but not necessarily in a selfish way.

The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt

This book is very like The Forsyte Saga in some ways: a sprawling Victorian novel, committed to following numerous sub-plots (and here, several different families) over a long time span. In telling about these particular families (here, people with artistic inclinations), the novel attempts to tell something about the United Kingdom during its transition from the Victorian era to the Edwardian era. Overall, the book is enjoyable, although I think in some cases it might be too ambitious: there are so many characters, and some of them fade away into nothingness. The novel's interested in giving representative moments rather than working through a big picture, so some ends remain forever loose. Overall, I'm pleased to have read it. For those who found the fake-Victorian poetry in Possession annoying, there's less of it here, although there is a fair amount of storytelling. Booker shortlisted, 2009

Song of Susannah by Stephen King

This book was not my favorite installment in the Dark Tower series. While I sympathize with the idea of putting the author in the book, and I find the book's bibliomania amusing, here it rang a little flat--as if King were tooting his own horn a little too loudly. That said, the references to other books and other fantasy worlds are some of the best parts of this series, and there was humor in Roland's visit to King. I'll definitely finish the series (the end is so close)--but this series, while intriguing, doesn't surpass some of my favorites like Lord of the Rings (that is to say, I won't be re-reading these books every year!).

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

I finished my yearly read of this book and I still love it. Most notable to me this time around, I think, was the amount of foreshadowing that happens--I noticed the text ready for Strider's appearance long before Frodo was, and also for Gandalf's disappearance at that. I love this rich world, and always enjoy dipping back in.

Pierre, or the Ambiguities, by Herman Melville

This book speaks to many important concerns in 19th Century American literature. Perhaps most important is the novel's struggle with authorship and originality. These concerns strike me as related to all the incest moments happening in the book: first Pierre treats his mother like his sister, then, when he meets his illegitimate sister, he decides the only way to protect her is to call her wife, and then when his former betrothed comes to live with them, he calls her sister. Even in love, Pierre cannot be original. The novel's also engaged with paintings: they provide the evidence of Pierre's father's infidelity and take on a gothic, supernatural life of their own. Finally, this novel continues the American tradition of presenting two heroines as a light lady and a dark lady. The novel's digressiveness and need to return to the past for completeness reminded me of Tristram Shandy.

Dark Journey by Elaine Cunningham

I found this book to be a typical entry in the New Jedi Order series. Like all the books in this series, it employs multiple perspectives and jumps around from sub-plot to sub-plot. Because the invaders in the series are not Force-sensitive and cannot be sensed through the Force, generally, there's a lot of soul-searching by various Jedi. But as it's the middle of the series still, that soul-searching doesn't pay off yet. I thought the most entertaining sub-plot was that of the intrigues surrounding the Hapan court and Hapan succession.

Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

I didn't like this book as well as the first book in the series, Maisie Dobbs. In this installment, Maisie copes with her own lonliness as she solves another case in which tensions and problems from the First World War still haunt London in 1930 (in the midst of its own economic depression). In this book, Maisie (and her mentor Maurice) get more eccentric--she claims she gets insight into others' minds through their postures. I found the psychology to be less than convincing, and I think the book spent too much time with the time period in unproductive ways (although I do like historical fiction) and not enough time with the murder mystery. Also Winspear seemed to withhold key information from the reader, and I found this habit frustrating. Still, despite my concerns, I will continue to read these books; they're entertaining murder mysteries.