Sallinger, London, McCarthy

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
A bleak tale that was portrayed well in the 2009 movie with Viggo Mortensen. The book seemed much more depressing than the movie because the movie was able to capture the father-son relationship on screen in a redeeming way. McCarthy uses the language and diction quite well to capture the desperateness of the scenario, allowing the reader to vividly believe the emptiness of the post-apocalyptic environment. I realize that maybe this description doesn't inspire much desire to read this book, especially as spring is upon us, but I really enjoyed it. I think that the book and movie compliment each other quite nicely and think that both mediums present a unique perspective--I wouldn't pass on either one.

The Assassination Bureau - Jack London
This has been my favorite book that I've read this year to date (April 26, 2010). London is an absolute splendid storyteller, of course, although this one is different from his other "Yukon tales" of adventure and wilderness that I've read in Call of the Wild, White Fang, and his short stories. The story centers around a group obsessed with ethical behavior who, ironically, hire themselves out as assassins. Before they agree to the hit, they must be convinced that the target has done something deserving of being killed for. The rest of the story plays out intriguingly as the characters become more and more intertwined.


Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Sallinger
I read this book about once a year and it happened to be the first one I picked this year. It turned out to be interesting timing since Sallinger passed later that month. I've always loved Caulfield's dialogue, especially with his professor at the beginning of the book and with "Ackley-kid". Although not my favorite Sallinger book, I'll always come back to this book for a quick, interesting read.