Introducing Doc Snark, Book Therapist

This here is the inaugural post in a series I like to call The Doctor Will See You Now. In this series I will recommend three books on a common theme, thereby serving as your own personal, informal, unqualified book therapist. Consider this first installment a bit of an experiment. If it goes well, it will continue. If I fall flat on my ass(ets), then let’s just pretend this idea never happened.

Ladies and gentleman, Dr. Snark….

Now that we are approaching what many would call The Dead of Winter — a time when the absence of light and the plummeting sugar levels resulting from post-holiday lack of candy canes can cause even the perkiest reader to frown uncontrollably — how’s about a few light, fun books to lift the spirit? Here’s are my recommendations:

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris  Sedaris’s latest collection of essays is another gem in the jewel-box of this brilliant humorist’s canon. Some of the subjects Sedaris tackles: purchasing a skeleton as a gift for his partner, dealing with crazy neighbors and landladies, getting a boil lanced off his butt, and, in my personal favorite, quitting smoking while vacationing in Tokyo. As with his previous books, Sedaris examines the most seemingly-mundane situations and flawlessly captures their absurdity and wit – and sometimes even a lesson or two.

The Alphabet Mysteries by Sue Grafton  Kinsey Millhone is probably my favorite fictional P.I. She is a tough, no-bullshit kinda gal, but she’s also sensitive, sensible, and fiercely intelligent. Grafton’s series of Alphabet Mysteries (A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar, C is for Corpse, etc.) is currently up to T, but Kinsey still entertains. The books are engaging page-turners, striking a perfect balance of mystery, suspense, humor, horror, and human drama. 

The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman  OK, so it might be a tad on the dark side, but Hoffman’s The Ice Queen is a moving, powerful modern-day fairy tale like no other. The story revolves around a nameless woman, who, at the age of eight, makes a wish that alters the course of her life. She grows into an icy, remote adult, disconnected and cold — until one day, she’s struck by lightning. And the world as she knows it is forever changed. Eloquent, elegant, and unforgettable.

January 13, 2009 | Filed Under The Doctor Will See You Now | 2 Comments 



      WHAT IS A SNARK?




      The Snark is a creature created by Lewis Carroll in his poem "The Hunting of the Snark". To give a proper description of Snarks, one must look no further than Carroll himself, who summed them up in one word: Unimaginable.

      But this much we do know: some have feathers, some have whiskers. Snarks sleep a lot, yet they are an ambitious lot -- with very little sense of humor. They love bathing-machines and tend to bring them wherever they go; they are also handy for striking a light. Snarks live on a far-off island, a place filled with chasms and crags, and are constantly on the lookout for Snark-hunters. Their mortal enemies are hope, care, thimbles and forks.

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