Books

I just finished reading Milk Glass Moon by Adriana Trigiani. This is the third book in the Big Stone Gap series. It was an interesting and quick read but not very satisfying. The book jumps forward in time months or years at a time with no warning. It's a lot like a photo album in the lives of the characters. You get the highlights but not the real meat of their story.

I also read The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. Kidd is perhaps better known for The Secret Life of Bees (which I have not read). It is a wonderful story of a middle-aged woman trying to re-identify herself after her child has left home. Perhaps, she doesn't cope with these mid-life changes as you or I would but I believe she makes the right choices in the end.

I'm still working my way through the Richard Jury Mysteries by Martha Grimes and have just finished The Case has Altered. This book was enjoyable, however, I realized after a few pages I had skipped the previous book. You really must read these in order to understand the evolution of the characters lives.

I am averaging about a book a week this year which is a lot slower than last year. I have a lot of books on my shelf to read. Even though I am not blogging much anymore I will try to still do these book updates about once a month or so.

Happy St Patrick's Day

I enjoyed Clan of the Cave Bear so much last year that I read its sequel Valley of Horses by Jean M Auel. Although, not as good as the first one (it would be difficult to achieve that level of epic again) it was certainly a satisfying read.

My one disappointment in the last month was The Collectors by David Baldacci. Baldacci used to be one of the authors I bought new in hardback but no longer. His recent efforts are just not worth that extra money. The Collectors is a sequel of sorts to The Camel Club and it is your typical government conspiracy type novel. The characters are entertaining but not very genuine.

Book Update

It looks like I am not reading near as much this year as I did in 2007. I think I read over 80 books last year. Mostly, the change is because of my change in job. I used to spend the better part of an hour each morning before work eating breakfast in my car and reading. I also spent a lot of time reading at my old job. Now I am much busier and do not have that hour in the morning. I miss it and I miss reading as much.

I picked up the new John Grisham book, The Appeal last week and read it. You can read my other posts about Grisham books here and here. Because I have read every other book he has written I am glad I read this one, in the interest of completeness. But if you haven't read his other books, or you aren't a big fan, you might as well skip this one. Certainly, low on the list of his efforts. Another legal thriller of sorts which are his genre afterall. But enough is enough. Write something else, please. He has proven he can write other novels and I wish he would.

The other books I've read recently do not seem worth commenting on with the exception of Norther Lights by Nora Roberts. Although Nora Roberts is probably best know for her romances she certainly knows how to spin other tales. This one was unique to me because it took place in Alaska. There's a little romance and there is a murder mystery which will keep you guessing until the end. It was very enjoyable.

2007 Books

74 Seasise Avenue
Acid Row
Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl
Anodyne Necklace, The
Astrid & Veronika
Big Cherry Holler
Big Stone Gap
Brave New World, The
C is for Corpse
Cat Who Read Backwards, The
Catcher in the Rye, The
Children of Men
Circle of Quilters
Clan of the Cave Bear, The
Club Sandwich
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime, The
D is for Deadbeat
Dante Club, The
Dark Room, The
Deep Storm
Deer Leap, The
Dirty Duck, The
Dream When You're Feeling Blue
E is for Evidence
East of Eden
Endless Steppe
Ethan Frome
F is for Fugitive
Five Bells and Bladebone, The
Five People You Meet in Heaven, The
Flowers for Algernon
Forever in Blue
G is for Gumshoe
Glass Castle, The
Grapes of Wrath, The
H is for Homicide
Handmaid's Tale, The
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Help the Poor Struggler
Home to Holly Springs
Horse You Came in On, The
Husband, The
I am the Running Footman
I is for Innocent
If Angels Fall
J is for Judgement
Jerusalem Inn, The
Jimmy
Julie & Julia
Keeping Faith
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade
Man With A Load of Mischief, The
Memoirs of a Geisha
Memory Keeper's Daughter, The
Mercy
Michael Crichton Trio
Mists of Avalon
Nativity Story, The
Next
Night of the Jaguar, The
No Way Back
No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, The
Of Mice and Men
Old Contemptibles, The
Old Fox Deceiv'd, The
Old Silent,The
Once Upon A Day
Ordinary Heroes
Outsiders, The
Playing for Pizza
Queen of the Broken Hearts
Red Leaves
Reed's Beach
Road, The
Sandcastles
Scold's Bridle, The
Shoot The Moon
Single Shard, A
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Stolen Child, The
Tenth Circle, The
Time and Again
Time Traveler's Wife, The
Track of the Cat
Valley of Bones
Water for Elephants
Wedding in December, A
Wheel of Darkness Wild Fire

Book Update

I am going to try and update my book list now. I don't think I put any books I've read since Fall Break. I've slowed down a lot on my reading because I changed jobs.

Of the books that I've read since I last did a book post the most notable are:

1) Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon. This book is about Father Tim from Karon's Mitford Series. The book details his journey to his childhood home after a 30+ year absence. A lot of questions are answered for Timothy and a lot of old wounds are healed. Definitely a must read for fans of the series but not the best book to start if you haven't read the others.

2) Wheel of Darkness by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. This is the latest Agent Pendegrast Novel. And while it is an independent book and not a sequel to the others, I would not start with this book. It is certainly not among the best produced by this talented writing team. The bizarre circumstances that the FBI agent finds himself in are starting to sound a little repetitive if not mundane. The early Pendegrast books, including Relic and Cabinet of Curiosities are much better. If you haven't read any of Child & Preston's novels I would also recommend Thunderhead or Ice Limit.

3) I am currently working my way through the Martha Grimes, Richard Jury Novels, and I finished The Old Contemptibles. I enjoyed this as much as the previous novels. I am also up to J is for Judgement in the Sue Grafton, Kinsey Milhone series and enjoyed it also. Also, for a little light reading I read the latest Cedar Cove Series paperback, 74 Seaside Avenue.

84 books

Book Update

While on Vacation I read the new John Grisham book, Playing for Pizza. It is written in his usual style but is not a legal thriller. The story follows a disgraced NFL quaterback on his adventures in Italy playing for the Parma Panthers. Just like his previous book, The Broker, it made me want to visit Italy. I enjoyed the book, although I thought it was too short.



I also read the latest Diana Gabaldon book, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade. This is the second Lord John book she has written. I didn't enjoy it as much as the first. I would only recommend it to those readers who are already fans of the Outlander series.



I just finished reading Track of the Cat, by Nevada Barr for the second time. This is the first of the Anna Pigeon Mysteries. My book club has chosen this book for November. I read it several years ago and have read all the other books in the series. Anna Pigeon is a National Parks Ranger and all of the books take place in different National Parks. Like other mystery heroines, people are always dying around Anna. There is always a murder to solve. Track of the Cat is not the best of the series but I think it is important (though not entirely necessary in this case) to read them in order. I highly recommend this series to any murder mystery lovers out there.



I'm sure I was reading something else before all of these but I can't recall now what it was. Must not have been that memorable. I have a lot of things still on my shelf to read. My SIL brought me two books when she was in town and I checked out one from the library. One down side to the new job is there isn't quite as much time to read. Bummer!

Book Update

My Last book update was about 2 weeks ago and I've read quite a few books in that time. My mother left a bag full of books on her last visit. My favorite of these is Once Upon A Day by Lisa Tucker. This book is written from the view of the different characters (switching back and forth) and detail both their past and present to tell the story. The book kept my attention and I read it quickly. It is a compelling story about how some decisions both big and small can affect so many lives. Please go read Amazon's review to get a better idea of the story. I loved it.



Another very interesting title was The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue. You may be familiar with the legends of the Changelings: Fairies would replace children with their own weaker offspring and steal the human child for their own. The stories were used to explain a child who failed to thrive in rural areas. The Stolen Child is a "real-life" story of a changeling who grew up as the child he replaced, and also the story of the human child and his life with the fairies. Once you accept the basic premise the remainder of the book is quite believable. It is a different type of novel then my usual and I enjoyed the change.



I finished the short novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. The author actually wrote this story before his bestselling Tuesdays with Morrie (which I haven't read either). It is the story of how in heaven you meet 5 people who were somehow part of your life (if only briefly) and your life affected them or was affected by them in someway. These 5 people help the character, Eddie, understand his life and its meaning. It's a short story but very good.



I also read Circle of Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini. This is the eighth book in the Elm Creek Quilt Series. You do not have to enjoy quilting to enjoy this series (although it may make you want to learn.) The stories are well written and enjoyable. If you find them interesting I would recommend starting from the beginning with The Quilter's Apprentice.



Finally, I read Jimmy by Robert Whitlow. Whitlow writes really good Christian fiction. I enjoyed Jimmy but I was so dissapointed in the ending that I can not recommend it. It is the story of a mentally challenged boy and some of the adventures in his life in a small town. It was a good story until about the last 20 pages. If you are looking for good Christian fiction I would recommend other books by Whitlow, especially The List.

Book Update

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and commented and prayed for me. I'll get to a regular post soon.

I just finished reading Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M Auel. Wow, how did I miss this book? It reminded me so much of the Outlander series and also a little like Mists of Avalon. Maybe that is because it is historical fiction that goes into great detail about the lives of its characters. It is well researched and well written. It fit my criteria of a really great novel by immersing me completely in the story. I wasn't too dissapointed with its ending because I knew there was a sequel.

I haven't blogged a book update in almost a month and I'm trying to remember what all I've been reading. I did read Club Sandwich by Lisa Samson because I read about it on someone's blog. (Again, I didn't write it down, so thank you and I'm sorry if it was yours and you're not getting credit.) It was a pretty good read but a little eratic. I also read A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (I remember I read about this on J's blog. Actually, this might be where I get a lot of my book ideas. Thanks Jules.) A Single Shard is more of a children's tale but quite enjoyable.

In my quest to read more of that silly top 100 list that circulated a while back I also read A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. The book seems a little silly to me but I can understand its appeal when first published in 1932. The overall concept is still fresh, though.

I also read The Cat Who Could Read Backwards. This was the first of the Cat Who books by Lillian Jackson Braun. I had never read any of these but my new book club had chosen this author for September. What better place to start then the beginning, right? This was a short, light book and would be perfect to follow any of the more deeper titles I tend to read.

Book Update II

Oh and let me tell you about Ordinary Heroes by Scott Turow. Turow has written a lot of legal thrillers which I enjoy but this book was quite diffrent. It is a wonderful story of romance and intrigue set in WWII as told by both the veteran and his son as he discovers secrets that were kept for 50 years. I shamelessly stole this quote form Amazon's review but it tells it so much better than I could:

This hard truth stands at the center of Ordinary Heroes, Scott Turow's seventh novel. The story opens in 2003, when Stewart Dubinsky, a 55-year-old crime reporter, happens upon a bundle of letters that allude to his recently deceased father's court-martial during the last days of World War II. Stewart is knocked flat by the thought that his "tirelessly proper" father should have such a scandalous past. An insurance company lawyer and devoted family man, David had always claimed that his wartime service as an assistant judge advocate in Europe was unexceptional. Stewart decides to investigate whether he is "the son of a convict who'd betrayed his country and slipped away on some technicality, or, perhaps, the child of a man who'd endured a primitive injustice which he'd left entombed in the past."

A very good read. I highly recommend it, especially if you enjoy fiction surrounding WWII.

I'm halfway through another book I got from mother and am enjoying it a lot. I'll tell you all about it soon. I'm really enjoying using Bookins and appreciate the commenter who suggested it. I am looking forward to a couple of brand new titles that I'm saving for my October vacation: Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (Diana Gabaldon) and The Wheel of Darkness (Preston/Child). Also, John Grisham has a new book out soon. I like to have really good books to read on vacation and then read almost constantly (while relaxing at the beach or beside the pool).

Book Update

I wanted to tell you about a couple of books I've read recently. The first is Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I heard about this book from some one's blog. It's a shame I don't write these things down so I can thank them later. I have found the most delightful book recommendations lately from reading blogs. This book is the story of Jacob, who after his parents die leaving him penniless runs away to the circus. It is set in 1931 but told through the eyes of Jacob when he is 90 (or 93 he's not sure which). It is not a very long story but I enjoyed it immensely and found it very easy to read. Read the review on Amazon and decide for yourself but I recommend it.

I also read The Dante Club by Mathew Pearl. This one was a little more difficult to read and it took me 6 days because I couldn't get into it at first. But it turned out to be a pretty good read. It is set in 1865 Boston and features historical characters involved in a murder mystery. If you enjoyed Dante's Divine Comedy then this will be enjoyable fiction for you. I had never read Dante so I had to read up on the story through Wikipedia. (I also took the time to read up on the characters in the book.) The dialogue and language is unfamiliar and I struggled sometimes to keep focused. But I am glad I read it because I found it educational.

Another book that I read rather quickly was The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. First published in 1985 and made into a movie in 1991 it is on that notorious list of must read books that is circulating around. It reminded me a lot of the book The Road which I just read a few weeks ago. It is set in the Republic of Gilead (formerly the United States of America) which is under a kind of strict marshall law. Women are valued only as breeders and servants and are forbidden to read. The story follows Offred, a handmaid, given to a high "Commander" with the hopes of producing a child for him and his wife. The book is a bit frightening but an enjoyable read.

I also read recently H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton. I'm working my way through these alphabet murders. I find them a refreshing change from more complicated fiction as the above novel. They are good murder mysteries and very quick and easy to read.

As you can see on my blog I read quite a lot of books and am always looking for a recommendation. Feel free to make a suggestion.

Tuesday

I had such a productive day today. After I dropped the kids off at school I did my morning walk around our neighborhood (about 2 miles). It was already in the 80's at 7:30 AM and I actually didn't mind the various sprinklers I had to pass. I showered and was in my car by 8:30. I bought groceries and returned home and put them away and it was not even 11am yet.

I then went to a book club meeting. I've been trying to find a book club for a while now but was concerned about others not sharing my tastes. I read for pleasure and don't want to read what I don't like. This club is through our public library and they were reading the book The Tenth Circle by Jodi Piccoult which I mentioned here. Since I had already read the book I decided to give it a try. The group had only 4 attendees today. I picked up lunch at a local deli on my way. The group actually met at the branch on South Parkway which is on the other side of town from me but I did not mind. I enjoyed the discussion although the others did not like the book as much as I did. The discussion stayed on point for the most part. Next month we are reading any of Lillian Jackson Braun's books The Cat Who.... I haven't read any of these and am looking forward to it. While at the library I checked out two paperbacks that looked interesting.

Yesterday evening our young friend 'lil David came over for a few hours while his mother went to a meeting. (We call him 'lil David to distinguish him from the other dozen or so Davids in our lives.) After supper we went outside for a little while. At 7:30 it was still too hot to be outside even with the sun behind the trees. I started sweating from just being there, not really moving around much. Back into my 70' house I went. Have I mentioned how much I don't like August?

In the afternoon with only about an hour before I needed to head to the school I thought I would sneak in a little time on Lego Star Wars (the original trilogy). However, my daughter had taken it upon herself to hide the game. She didn't want her brother and his playmate playing it on Saturday without her. The problem is she has no idea where it is now. We looked and we looked and we looked some more. This girl certainly knows how to hide something. I haven't completely given up, things do usually eventually turn up, but I am very frustrated.

Book Update

I've read two books I would like to tell you about. The first is The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. The book is a memoir recalling the circumstances in which the author grew up. It's told in first person. Jeanette's father was a drifter who could not keep a job. He moved his family from town to town where they lived hand to mouth. The scavenged for food while their father drank what little money he earned, until he lost a job and they had to leave. Jeanette survived her childhood because despite the circumstances her parents loved her. They did a poor job taking care of her, making decisions and choices that were not in her best interests. But throughout the narrative the love her parents had for their children shines through. Jeanette and her siblings became successful adults despite their upbringing. I don't know how Walls wrote the memoir without traces of bitterness showing. It is an excellent read.



I also read Cormac McCarthy's The Road. (Please see J's excellent review here.) The Road is the story of an unnamed man and his son trying to survive in a "post-apoclyptic hell" from some undescribed event. Their are few survivors. The man and his son are among the few "good guys" hiding from roaming bands of murdering thiefs as they make their way south. The catastrophic event is years in the past and little is left of the burned out land upon which to survive. I read the novel in only a few hours. It is written in a slightly unusual narrative syle. It is depressing but captivating. It has been called a masterpiece and honored with several awards. It is indeed a good piece of literature and worth your time to read.

Harry

I finished The Deathly Hallows last night. I'm not going to attempt to review it. Other people will do a much better job then me. I do want to give some thoughts on it, though, without any spoilers.

The book is missing the enchantment I found in the first 4 (or 6) books about life at Hogswarts. I remember when I read those books I would imagine it like it really exists. The book is also missing the innocence of the particular srapes and adventures the young characters experienced in those first few years. But Harry, Hermione and Ron have grown up now. Rowlings is no longer writing children's books.

I was not dissapointed in the book. I was not shocked at a death like in book 6. I think Rowlings wrote an excellent coming of age book, wizard style. I am sad that this is the final installment. I hope that Rowlings writes for us some other great adventures. However, I realize nothing will ever quite compare to the world she created with Harry Potter.

Monday

I'm picking up my copy of the new Harry Potter book this morning so everyone else has a two day head start on me. I may not read any blogs until I've finished. So I'll be back in a few days.

Update: Worked 10 hours, read 150 pages.

Book Update

I just read two good books that I want to tell you about. The first one was Keeping Faith by Jodi Piccoult. I've read several of Piccoult's books so far (Mercy, Tenth Circle, My Sister's Keeper) and this is by far my favorite. The story centers around 7 year old Faith who starts seeing visions of God after her parents divorce. Her mother takes her to a psychiatrist and word gets out. Soon news people, cults and people just wanting help are camped outside her door. Naturally, Faith's father rethinks his decision to grant full custody of Faith to her mother and a bitter custody battle begins. I grew concerned about the direction the book was taking halfway through but was not dissapointed in the way the novel turned out. I think this was a good book, regardless of your beliefs or feelings about God.

The second book I read was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. This book is narrated by Christopher, a 15 year-old autistic boy. Christopher discovers his neighbor's dog murdered and sets out to solve the mystery. He writes his story in a book for us to read. It is a short book but I found it delightful and refreshing. I first read about this on a blog somewhere and am glad that I found it.

I recently joined Bookins at the suggestion of one of my readers and it is really going well. I am sending my books (which I normally just donate to the library) off to other readers and receiving books in the mail (for only 3.99 shipping for each book I receive). Check it out if you are intersted.

Harry Potter

Have you been to see the new movie yet? Our children aren't quite big enough for this one (although they enjoyed the first two on DVD) so we will have to wait for the opportunity to go alone. The big news to Potter fans of course is the upcoming release of the new book. Are you going out to purchase it at midnight? A number of bookstores in our area (and across the nation, I imagine) are having Harry parties leading up to the release at midnight. When the two previous books were released I had to work at Wal-Mart on that Saturday morning and so purchased them when I arrived at work. I read through the last one in only a couple of days. Because, although it is quite a long book page-wise it was really a quick read. I am considering not purchasing the new book until I get to work Monday morning. I don't think I have to be among the first to read the already best seller (based on presales) but I do not like hearing people discuss the book (or indeed, a movie I haven't seen) before I've had the chance to read it. This morning the radio dj's were discussing the upcoming book with call-in listeners and there is a lot of speculation.

Do I think the Harry Potter craze is a little crazy? Well, yeah. But they are good books. The fantasy world Rowlings has created is fascinating and the books easy to read. I am looking forward to reading the new one (and will mourn the end (if it is the end) of the series) but may have to stay away from blogland until I'm finished.

Mists of Avalon

I just (finally) finished reading Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. (This was another book on that infamous list of 100 Books everyone should read or whatever that circulated in blogland a few months back. I don't know what the source is but the list leaves something to be desired. Nonetheless, my goal-oriented personality has compelled me to become well-read and tackle more of the books on the list.) This book certainly qualifies as an epic tale with over 800 pages. (And not the large type or mostly dialogue either like the Harry Potter books. This book was a chunkster!) It took me over a week to read it as I was unable to even read 100 pages per day. I don't think I can recommend it to anyone so you might not want to read any further. But here I go anyway.



Mists is a different take on the tales of King Arthur and Camelot. The central character is a female, Morgaine, priestess of Avalon. The love triangle (or square really) between the characters is a bit scandolous. The storyline tramples somewhat on my Christian sensibilities, too. But overall it was a good book. I became totally immersed in the story as I sometims do with stories set in another time period. I believe the same story could have been told (and told well) in about 3 or 4oo fewer pages, though. But at least I have crossed another book off that darn list!

Books, Books and More Books

Somebody send me some books, I am quickly running out of anything to read! Oh, great Amazon delivered some today. I'll be okay for a week.

I've read some good books lately. I'm trying to go back and read some classics and best sellers that I missed earlier. I read Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. First published in 1959 as a novella it was made into a movie titled, Charlie, in 1968. It is written in diary format from the eyes of the main character, Charlie Gordon. You can read further reviews at the length above. I really enjoyed it and recommend it to you.

Also, written in diary format I read, Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl. I don't know why this wasn't required reading in school. It was a very honest and compelling story. It definitely deserves a slot on the 100 best books list or whatever.

I also finished Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I've really got to say this only a short story. My edition finished at 106 pages. There is a lot of swearing which I don't remember in the two previous Steinbeck books I read (Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden). The story is compelling and worth a read if you enjoy Steinbeck and come across a free copy.

I also a really good movie based on a book that I wish I had read first, The Prestige by Christopher Priest. I must warn you to pay attention in the beginning. I didn't and had to go back and watch some scenes again because I got confused. The movie bounces forward and backward in time using different methods and it is easy to lose the flow. After watching it the second time I understood a lot I missed the first go-through. It was a good movie and stayed with me for several days.

Book Update

I just finished reading the new Elizabeth Berg novel, Dream When You're Feeling Blue. I was very dissapointed. I've read all of Berg's novels and have found them often thought-provoking and insightful. They are intriguing in their own way and I eagerly waited the release of her new novel. I should have waited and read this one in paperback. It is far from Berg's usual style, the majority of the novel is written with dialogue. It is set in the early 1940's during WWII and the central characters are young women writing to men fighting the war. It is a short novel as most of her's are but not very filling. If you are a big fan of hers you probably still want to read this one but otherwise you can plan on skipping it. Sometimes, I think the pressure on an author to churn out a new novel each year causes their work to suffer. I know that all of John Grisham's novels are not of the same caliber. But is it so much to ask an author to give us at least one good book a year? (What else are these people doing with their time besides book tours once they start making the big bucks!) I know many of those romance writers churn out several and I don't expect that. But especially, if a writer is publishing a series and we are waiting to find out what happens to our characters, a book a year is expected. I know lots of good books have been written by an author with only one or two others to his/her credit. That is too bad, too. But once you have become accustomed to their work you come to expect the greatness to continue.

I also, recently read two of Michael Chricton's earlier works, The Andromeda Strain and The Terminal Man as part of a collection. The books were written in the late 1960's - early 1970's. If you've read any of Chricton's other novels then you might be dissapointed with these. You can really tell how his writing has improved over 3 decades. They were both written about technology that has long since become obsolete (or commonplace). But I enjoyed both of them and would recommend them if you are a fan of Chricton's other novels. (If you haven't read his novels I would recommend Prey or Sphere to get started.

Saturday

I went out and walked this morning for the first time in over a week. I tried to think of all kinds of exuses not to even after I got out of bed and got dressed. For example, I haven't fertilized my plants this week. But in the end I could not convince myself otherwise and set out. It was very humid but not too hot because of the short rain storm yesterday.

I finished reading Ethan Frome again. I read it in high school and had forgotten how short it was. I read on someone's blog that it was their favorite book, I can't remember who now. But anway, I thought I would give it another read. You can read through it in one sitting. I think I enjoyed even more this time then last. I might be encouraged to give another Edith Wharton book, Age of Innoncence, for which she won the Pulitzer a try.

My daughter and I went out shopping on Thursday mostly just for fun and she wanted to go to Barnes & Noble. I warned her that I would probably buy books if we went in. When I had picked up 3 I told her we had to leave but then she still had to drag me to the register to keep from picking up more. (Sometime soon I'm going to check out the used book website that Chichimama told me about.) So I'm excited to have the new Elizabeth Berg book as well as another Martha Grimes. I'll let you know how they turn out.

Book Review

If you've read any of my posts about the books I'm reading then you know I don't post a traditional review. Besides the fact that I don't really know how to properly review a book there are a couple of reasons for this. I think that the folks at Amazon do a fine job of reviewing and posting reviews and I always include the link to this. Also, I don't want to tell you all about the book, just what I thought, and whether or not you should read it. I try not to include any spoilers.



I finished The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. I read about this book on somenone's blog and then my mother gave me a copy after she finished reading. I found this book very enjoyable but also somewhat depressing. The underlying theme of the book is how a moment's rash decision can not only affect the rest of your life profoundly but everyone around you. It asks a lot of tough questions. I would love to discuss this book with others because I kept wondering what would have happened if the character had did this, or this, instead. It's a good book and I recommend it. Also, if you've read this book and are interested in another book about a child with Down's Syndrome you should read Jewel by Brett Lott.



I looked at my list and realized I've read 40 books so far this year. I'm averaging 8 books a month. It may seem like I don't do anything else but I really do. I just have this somewhat boring job with very little to do. I've got to get into this used book thing, though, because I'm spending a lot on books and I've become my mother's source for books rather than she being mine.