If you've ever listened to the podcast I make with my friend Brian O'Rourke, you know that I don't read much. Well actually, I do read, but it's mostly for information. I usually prefer my entertainment to be watchable or listenable. But when Brian recently published his first novel, I had to check it out. I'd like to write a long, intelligent review praising it, but I'm no authority (no pun intended) on literature. I will say that I really enjoyed it, and couldn't wait to finish it, no matter how much I was distracted by TV shows, Phillies radio broadcasts, or news involving the producers and cast of the new Star Trek movie.
In The Unearthed, Brian is able to draw up characters who are easy to care about. The suspense is handled skillfully, and some intriguing plot twists keep you guessing right up to last sentence. His description of the action is vividly detailed, but it doesn't sacrifice the swift pace of the storytelling. Given the subject matter, reading it at 2AM with all the lights off was probably a bad idea. I scare easy.
Whoa, hold on, I think I almost tried to write a review there, even though I said I wouldn't. I'll quit while I'm ahead. Buy Brian's book here and you can tell me what you thought instead.
I think books may be trying to convert me to their teachings. Today I visited Barnes & Noble and a book called to me from the shelf. It literally called to me, yes. Then it made me read the first two chapters of itself before it'd let me leave. The Unthinkable is a non-fiction psychology book that analyzes human behavior during disasters, natural and man-made. It's an in-depth exploration of how and why people make certain decisions under extreme stress, and it's a topic that I've always wondered about. That's probably because I freeze at the grocery store when I'm trying to decide between 7-grain or 12-grain bread. How many grains do I need? I don't know!
What I do know is that I need to read.
If you'd also like to read, I say find some books whose titles start with "The Un". They seem to be a good bet.
Happy Monday (it's over!),
- Nick
Nick,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review, bud. I appreciate it.
Yeah, those darn books tend to call to me from the shelves also. I see that The Unthinkable has got a lot of great reviews on Amazon. No doubt the swine flu has helped its sales.
Brian,
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome to a review any time. I'll even review your graphic tee next time you wear one.
What would YOU do if you had the swine flu?