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Welcome to the discussion of Daniel Handler's second novel, Watch Your Mouth. It is kind of hard to believe that before he became Lemony Snicket, Handler wrote this book about incest, opera, 12 stepping and the golem.

To start off the discussion I wanted to know what your overall impressions of the story were. Did you enjoy it? Do you think it make much sense? Did you like the way the story was presented: starting out as an opera and ending in a 12 step program?

I was going to choose Handler's first novel, The Basic Eight, but I liked the controversial nature of this book better. Personally, I tend to think this is the weaker of his two novels. I feel as though he tries to cram too much into the book at one time. The story is rather disturbing and horrific. But I do find myself fascinated with the golem. The idea of a man-made man to reap retribution for you.

Believe it or not, this book is supposed to be an operatic comedy. We have our narrator, Joseph, getting ready to spend a lazy summer, working at camp and being shacked up in the house of his girlfriend, Cynthia Glass, who will no doubt provide a summer full of shagging. But it becomes apparent right away, that the Glasses are unlikemost families and are caught up in some weird incestuous circle, while Mrs. Glass spends more and more time in the basement working on an "art project."

I feel one of the main obstacles to reading this book are the characters. I found most of them so unlikeable that I wanted to throw the book across the room several times. It is hard to garner sympathy for Joseph when he seems to be stilted in passivity at the events that are going on all around him. It seems fitting that he ends up a 12 stepper, it almost provides a structure in which he can function.

I am eager to hear everyone's thoughts on this story. I hated this book when I first read it, but it kind of grew on me the second time around.

I just want to post something new (since someone suggested it in a comment) before Monday's discussion of "Watch Your Mouth" gets underway.

You know it?s not really the Holiday Season without Vampires, Demons and Dragons (oh my!). Wait? maybe that?s just my household. Here are three books that might give you a Christmas gift idea for that weird friend of yours.

Eragon, by 19-year-old Christopher Paolini, was a wonderful, if a little rough around the edges, fantasy tale. It?s definitely Tolkien-esque (some would say TOO Tolkien-esque) in the sense that that there are Dwarves, Elves and a ?Middle Earth? feel to the story. The main character is a boy named Eragon who happens upon a dragon egg. The egg hatches for him, he learns to become a dragon rider, builds a remarkable bond with his dragon and meets interesting characters while quest for revenge. This is the first in a trilogy (the Inheritance Trilogy) and although I didn?t love this book, I will be checking out the second installment.

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud was fantastic. This is the first in yet another trilogy (the Bartimaeus Trilogy) and maybe you?re rolling your eyes, thinking, ?Not ANOTHER trilogy. Man, look at what Lord of the Rings started.? But this one is completely original, highly entertaining and wicked funny. Whereas I would pick up Eragon now and then, read a bit and then go do something else, I couldn?t put this one down. It?s about a small boy magician (I know who you?re thinking of!) named Nathaniel and a demon he conjures named Bartimaeus. You can just knock those Harry Potter thoughts right out of your head because where H.P. always wants to do the good/right thing, doesn?t really know much about anything and whines all the time, Nathaniel is an 11-year-old brat hell-bent on revenge against one magician who humiliated him. He gets in way over his head and Bartumeaus is along for the ride (against his will). This book is great and you should buy it as a Christmas gift for a young (or young at heart) family member/friend.

[Aside: Has anyone else noticed that lots of new hardcover fantasy children?s chapter books tend have blue covers after The Order of the Phoenix came out? I noticed this about Eragon and Bartimaeus. It makes me wonder if the publishers are hoping children will say, ?Gran, for Christmas all I want is harrypotterandtheorderofthephonix! Okay? {Granny looks unsure.} Um, it?s a blue hardcover book in the children?s section.? Then, whoops, Granny purchases Eragon by mistake and the child hates his grandmother for the rest of his life. But, maybe this isn?t the case because The Eternity Code and The Thief Lord had blue covers way before The Order of the Phoenix? And why would a kid not have a copy a Harry Potter by now, anyway?]

Sunshine by Robin McKinley was good. It?s scary and all about vampires. It took me a while to get used to the stream of conscious style of writing, but it?s one of the best vampire books I?ve read. Neil Gaiman highly praised this book and you can read what he said here. You can read what I wrote about it (today) here.