1. Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas (Tom Robbins)

I've read two other Tom Robbins novels (Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and Villa Incognito) and greatly enjoyed them both. He is an absolutely brilliant writer: the difference between "You are freezing cold" and "Ice cubes clink against the swizzle stick of your spinal column" separates the mundane from the gifted.

His writing was certainly up to par in this book, but the plot was ridiculous. Amphibians? Aliens? African tribes? Rectal cancer? Large portions of the book were dominated by the incomprehensible character Larry Diamond explaining strange theories about amphibians and the aformentioned unlrelated subjects, with some amateur astronomy thrown in, to a disagreable stock broker. I found myself skimming a lot towards the end, and ultimately wondering, "What was the point?"

Rating: 2 out of 5