American Gods

by Neil Gaiman

ISBN: 0380789035

It's been a while, but my good friend Kerrita reminded me that it was past time I got back to doing my "Recommended Reads". Though my reading tastes are wide and varied, I write romance novels, so most of my recommendations tend to fall into that category. The book I'm recommending today, however -- American Gods by Neil Gaiman -- would probably be classified as an urban fantasy (a magical story set in a contemporary, real-world, or urban setting.)

American Gods combines two of my greatest loves -- mythology and fantasy -- in a story that took my breath away. Weirdly, my hardback copy of the book has been sitting in my To Be Read Pile, neglected and unread, since 2001! (What other gems do I have languishing, waiting to be discovered?!) It actually took an article by Stephen King (here,) listing his ten favorite audio books, (American Gods was #10,) to drive me to dig it up -- and boy am I glad I did!

Premise: Hmm. This is one of those books where I can't say too much without giving the plot away. It begins as the main character, Shadow, is finishing up a three-year jail sentence for aggravated assault. News of the death of his wife leads to an early release, and the path his life takes from that point on is a journey of epic proportions.

What I Liked as a Reader: I will admit that I am keenly interested in mythology, so this aspect of the book may have been more compelling to me than to someone who is not. The story is dense -- definitely not a light read, but moved quickly, and was so gripping that I wanted to read it in one sitting -- not possible, let me warn you now. It made me think while I was reading it, and I like that a lot.

What I Liked as a Writer: This is the kind of book that truly inspires me as a writer. The meticulous plotting is evident in every character and plot element. Nothing is wasted. Nothing is extra. Masterfully done.

This story will stay with me for a long time. Even as I was reading it, I found myself unable to keep it out of everyday conversations. "That reminds me of this book I'm reading -- American Gods. There's this part..."

As I mentioned before, it came out five years ago, so I may be the only person on the planet who hadn't already discovered it. (It has won a few awards, by the way: the 2002 Hugo Award for Best Novel, the 2002 Nebula Award for Best Novel, and 2002 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel.) But if, on the off chance, you haven't read it already, and you like stories that make you think, get yourself a copy today.