The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

This is a terrific book and it's hard to think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy it. Although it might technically be classified as a book for Young Adults, it is appropriate for anyone who enjoys great writing and wonderful characters. Author Mark Haddon apparently drew on his experience of working with autistic children in order to write this book.

Christopher John Francis Boone is a teenager with Asperger's Syndrome, which is a form of autism. Chris is in some ways a normal kid, but in others, his condition takes the forefront. An absolute whiz with numbers, Chris can't stand to be touched and can't let his foods touch each other. He intensely dislikes anything brown or yellow, and needs his routines to be just so.

Told from Chris' point of view, the book begins with the gruesome discovery of the neighbor's dead dog, lying in the yard with a pitchfork stuck through it. After being initially suspected, Chris decides to investigate for himself, and the book is supposed to be his record of his discoveries. In actuality, the book is about Chris, his beleaguered father (his mother having died suddenly previously), his assorted neighbors, teachers, and even his reactions to complete strangers. The chapters are numbered with prime numbers only, and Chris educates us all by including several illustrations and math problems.

The term 'heart-warming' is overused and can indicate that a book is uncomfortably close to melodrama or pathos, but it is applicable in this case. Having a protagonist who is maddening but perfectly honest is a rare and unusual feat, and Chris' story shines a light on the joys and challenges of real people who have similarities with this fictional character. A very unique reading experience.

Gabriel's Gift

The novelist Hanif Kureishi is perhaps better known as a screenwriter, and his credits include indie faves such as Sammy and Rosie Get Laid and My Beautiful Launderette. He has also written books, including The Buddha of Suburbia and this novel, Gabriel's Gift.

Gabriel's Gift is the story of a teenage boy who's family is falling apart. His rarely employed father, a former member of a superstar musician's band, is not supporting his family. His mother, understandably resentful of his lazy ways, decides to toss him out the door. Gabriel retreats into his imagination, where he has conversations with his dead twin. Things are going poorly for Gabriel until he meets the rock star his father once played for, Lester Jones. Jones, a David Bowie-esque glam rocker from the seventies, gives Gabriel a drawing, and the ownership of this drawing sets into motion a chain of events that change Gabriel, and his family, forever.

This is a very light-hearted book that is very easy to digest in a couple of extended sittings. For some reason, I am always drawn to stories about Britain's lower-middle class. Kureishi is a strong storyteller, and it is no surprise that there is a cinematic quality to his writing. This one left me with a very good feeling and is a great one to take on the plane or to the beach. As a musician, I especially enjoyed the meditations on the nature of creativity and self-expression, which form the basis for the action of the plot.