Summer 2010 Reading Spectacular #2

Alright, I've fallen behind already, thanks to a hectic few weeks with very limited internet access. I'm going to divide my reading update over a couple of entries here.

Firstly, I read Issue Two/Spring 2010 of Elephant, an Arts and Visual Culture quarterly from the UK. It was something I picked up when disappointed that I couldn't get my hands on the latest issue of The Believer and I have to admit that it was a good consolation prize. It's quite a beautiful and hefty magazine, sitting at just over 200 pages of image-laden articles and almost no advertising (and a bargain at $20, might I add). A particularly interesting idea for a section of the magazine interviewed several artists about their work and the cultural and arts scene in Madrid, each giving their thoughts, favourite places to eat, and places to visit. I'll certainly consider grabbing Issue 3 when it's available (which should be soon, if not now, I suppose).


The Society of S by Susan Hubbard is a novel about vampires with a rather misleading title. The Society is mentioned fleetingly during the book and doesn't seem central, at all, to the plot, although a certain affinity for the letter S is expressed repeatedly. I'm assuming that it becomes increasingly relevant as the series of books progresses. My main complaint about the novel is that it doesn't really arrive anywhere notable. Yes, there is a protagonist, and yes, she experiences events which set the plot in motion. Yes, she embarks on a personal quest, and yes, she even arrives at a conclusion. What is my problem, then, you ask? My problem is that the rising action doesn't rise that much. When you arrive at the end, you're left saying, "Oh. Well there you go." Sort of like embarking on a "Thelma and Louise" road trip and realizing that you're just heading to the grocer's for some milk. Having already purchased the second book (it was a sale), I'll probably read it at some point and hope for more.

Next up was the latest from one of my usual summer reading authors, Jonothan Santlofer. The Murder Notebook is his second to feature forensic sketch artist Nate Rodriguez and the first which doesn't feature the art world centrally in the story. The drawings (provided by Santlofer, a visual artist himself, and representing Rodriguez's work) are less integral to the plot than in Santlofer's previous books. While I have preferred his earlier trilogy featuring Kate McKinnon, I still enjoyed The Murder Notebook. I'm not sure if Santlofer will have a new novel ready for my 2011 summer reading, but I hope so.

The update will continue...