Happy November!

Picture of the Day:

Pumpkins!

Quote of the Day:

"Books are the quietest and most constant of freinds; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers."

-Charles W. Eliot

Today is the first of the month! That means rent! That means bills! That means November's Book of the Month! 

The Alienist by Caleb Carr

Let me start by saying this is not a book I would have picked up on my own; my mother had to throw it at me and promise it would be worth my time. I had my doubts, but like a good daughter I read it. And am I glad that I did!

It is a fairly long tale, written from a first person point of view (which normally drives me batty) as New York is plagued by a serial killer. The year is 1896, and all hope rests on the alienist Lazslo Kreizler, as he is the only person in the city that believes that, using a psychological approach, the killer can be apprehended when no other clues are left behind. 

It's a book about the beginnings of profiling. Think Criminal Minds before all of the modern conveniences.

Let me start by explaining what an alienist is. A psychologist, plain and simple. The book avoids that area of explanation, though as you learn about Kreizler's character you understand what makes him an alienist. Still, it is a nice piece of information to have before venturing to pick up the book. (Which you all should so immediately following this review!)

The book was entrancingly dark; the fear of the characters was ripe, but so was their excitement and determination to catch the killer. Literally, as the book progressed, I began to tell people, "Sh. I am catching a serial killer." I was invested.

The beginning is a bit slow, of that I will admit. Still, if you make it through the beginning, the rest is nonstop action. It's also a bit bloody--though, that is to be expected when dealing with a novel about serial killers. Still, it is not a book to read for the faint of heart. When Carr wants to describe a death scene, he does it well.

You are John Moore, a reporter for the New York Times who was dragged into the investigation by two of his friends. He proves to be an invaluable member of the team, even without intimiate knowledge of police work. He is a crimes reporter, though, so he has some standing knowledge going in. But the choice was ingenious! To tell it from his point of view, the reader gets to learn along with him. When I finished the book, I felt certain I could help an investigation. It is that in depth, and that good.

Please, please, please go read this one. Remember that I didn't want to either!! A killer is on the loose in New York, and he is killing little boys. Go catch him! (If you can, that is. Muwahahaha.)

As another note altogether, Halloween was great. Pictures may or may not come, depending on if anybody's turned out cute or not. Mine sure didn't. Which is sad, because I spent a lot of time fretting about this costume that I wanted so badly to show you!

Here is a hint about what it was I was: