Chamber Four

It was a short month, but there were plenty of reviews to haikuify.

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Bloodline

Dracula sequel?

better than I would have guessed

this was not Twilight

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The Unit

isn’t too unique

good read if you’re up for it

at least it is fun

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Plain Pursuit

vapid and trite trash

paper dolls could emote more

books should welcome thought

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Going Rogue

Marcos gets ranty

but he kept his points valid

ha! moose excrement

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Fun With Problems

Stone’s best writing is

all about the dalliance

too bad he needs plot

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The Mystic Art of Erasing All Signs of Death

Nico: not impressed

ending fizzles out badly

won’t get an Edgar

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Worlds at War

top-notch history

comprehensive as all heck

Pagden spins a yarn

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Read This Book Now Series

Malcom X and Reap

led off our months-long series

oh, what will come next?

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Here’s the first batch of 2010 reviews, haiku digest style.

Dark Innocence

ending is insane

someone forgot to edit

novel does show heart

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Behan, The Complete Plays

sharped tongued characters

two of the plays are top-notch

too much rally song

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The Amateur American

typical spy book

main guy has charms yet lacks skills

voice, character: strong

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The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, v.1

has an agenda

highly stylized; not fun

slavery is bad

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The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein

a genre bender

Frankenstein pals with Shelley 

the ending is poop

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Wetlands

abrasive word choice

swears like a nympho sailor

touching, after all

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Tinkers

there is no plot here

but the writing is damn good

approach as if it’s verse

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Soon I Will Be Invincible

not what you’d expect:

redefines superheroes?

can repeat, repeat

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So long to 2009. How’s the hangover preparation going, dear readers? Why not start off the new year with zen-chunks of our December 2009 reviews?

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The Original of Laura

breaks dead master’s wish

you can punch out the notecards

part damn good, part sad

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Leviathan

YA steampunk, woot!

airships are cooler alive

alas, needs more meat

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What Happened to Anna K.

evokes ol’ Leo

repeatedly repeating

good but not that great

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Buying a Fishing Rod for My Grandfather

people are selfish

solid stories from a great

explores disconnects

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The Anthologist

strong voice carries far

learn a lot about poems

got to like Chowder

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Best Books 2009

we made up more lists

sharing our favorites this year

read on next decade

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November is over; here are its reviews in tidy haiku.

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Homer and Langley

more like linked stories

brothers in isolation

a good back-up book

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The Skating Rink

the “new” Bolaño

not new, but fresh to English

complex and shining

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Genesis

assays sci-fi tropes

not as boring as it sounds

short, sweet, and clever

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The Death of Bunny Munro

Cave has syntax strengths

too much Avril sex fancy

an appstore letdown

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Shutter Island

a fun mind bender

the setting here steals the show

ending let us down

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The Glister

come-of-age thriller

language plus plot don’t make two

execution lacks

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Catch-22

synecdoche name

you read this book in high school

you’ll like it more now

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The Posthuman Dada Guide: Tzara & Lenin Play Chess

mimetic in form

weird as you’d hope from Dada

beast of a title

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This Is Where I Leave You

Tropper turns great phrase

The Big Chill meets the Griswolds

when life sucks go home

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The Manual of Detection

a well plotted book

at times it’s a bit wordy

sample chapter one

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The Naked and the Dead

a classic indeed

Mailer is a household name

but great as they say?

Presenting October’s reviews in bite-sized portions for your Halloween goody bags:

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The Book of Wonder

not high fantasy

varied and eclectic tales

hit me from left field

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The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet

writing, kid are sharp

gimmick gets tedious quick

T.S. talks to porch

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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

undead English plague

sophisticates sowing gore

with katana swings

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The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

voice, voice, voice, voice, voice

there are that many, all great

takes dorkiness deep

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Juliet, Naked

guy friendly romcom

not much here is new, Hornby

yet, a pleasant yarn

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The Book Thief

narrator is death

need not be shunned by book clubs

another great read

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The Sherriff of Yrnameer

warning! tv pen

unimaginative bore

pretty much crappy
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Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

swashbuckling fun

not as clever a round two

reviewed tomorrow

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Presenting September’s remaining reviews in zen-ish haiku.

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Both Ways Is The Only Way I Want It

time treated in spans

introduce girls by their breasts

it has its moments

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Like You’d Understand, Anyway

stories = eclectic

impressive narration range

smartest book this month?

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Jailbait Zombie

nor vamp sleuth tale

does the title say it all?

hard-boiled and fun

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Reading In The Dark

mystery/memoir

technically neither

just may stick with you

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The Girl Who Played WIth Fire

by Swedish Dan Brown

doesn’t meet the hype. at best:

comprehensible

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Here are this week’s reviews in condensed and zen-ish haiku.

The Savage Detectives

this dude’s a genius

review needed mulligan

it’s tough but awesome

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Nobody Move

a slipstream caper

by a book award winner

needed more D. J.

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And here’s a bonus limerick for Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises For Whom The Bell Tolls:

There once was a man named Jordan.
His love evolved out of boredom.
He found the cropped head,
And took her to bed,
And that was all time could afford him.

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Here’s this week’s review in condensed and zen-ish haiku.

Last Exit to Brooklyn

writing thick as soup

spiced with character flavors

Shelby will haunt you

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