Next book: The Tender Bar, by JR Moehringer
Recently completed:
Marley and Me, by John Grogan (9.5 out of 10. Even if you are not a dog owner or a dog lover, you'll
be touched by this wonderful account of a man, his family and his career told throughout the course of his dog's life. I laughed
and cried, several times, and often pages apart. It is just a beautifully written memoir)
The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory (9--fantastic! Fiction, but based on the life of Anne Boleyn
and her sister Mary, and absolutely fascinating. Will appeal to those who like both fiction and historical novels. At almost
700 pages long, it is an investment in time, but worth every minute. I was so sad to see it end)
Pompeii, by Robert Harris (7 out of 10. The story is kind of tough to get into in the beginning, mostly
due to so many characters with similar names and not enough development early on to distinguish them. A short way into the
book it really pics up though, and is an excellent fictional account of what happened the day of the Pompeii blast. Some very
entertaining characters and scenerios)
Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (9 out of 10. A fascinating analysis
of many random aspects of society. Illustrates how sometimes the first conclusion is not always correct, and that there is
a difference between causation and correlation)
The Devil Wears Prada, by Lauren Weisberger (6.5--a mostly entertaining, although frustrating, read.
It is based on the authors actual experiences at Vogue, so that made it a little more interesting to me, but I found myself
telling the protagonist to just QUIT. Some very funny experiences in the book that made for decent brain candy. Guys will
HATE this book)
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini (10 our of 10!!! This is a perfect book, complete with
everything you could ever want from a novel--pain, joy, redemption, history, deceit, etc. etc. This book will move you and
stay with you long after you have put it back on the shelf. By far the best book I read in 2005)
Something Borrowed, by Emily Giffin (7 out of 10--a light read, but surprising in its complexity. You
may end up rooting for the bad guy!)
Truth and Beauty, by Ann Patchett (9 out of 10. Captivating memoir by the author of
"Bel Canto", chronicling a 20 year friendship. Definitely a must-read!)
The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway (for about the fourth time. 8 out of 10--very dated,
but still an eloquent story of people trying to find love and their place in the world)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon (8 out of 10--a compelling, unexpected
narrative through the mind of an autistic boy)
The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell (9 out of 10--if I haven't already tried to convince you to read
this book, go get it right now!)
Diary of a Manhattan Callgirl, by Tracy Quan (2 out of 10--Awful!!! The writing is elementary, and I
HATED the premise, the character, everything about the book. It disgusts me to think that people like this might actually
exist, and worse yet, that I wasted a few hours contributing to their notoriety)
Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell (7.5 out of 10--not as captivating as "The Tipping Point" but still an excellent
book packed with information about the human psyche)
River, Cross My Heart, by Breena Clarke (7 out of 10--a tragic, compelling story of families and social
classes in Washington D.C., circa 1925)
Citizen Hughes, by Michael Drosnin (7 out of 10--wow, no idea how many cookie jars Howard
Hughes had his hands in!)
State of Fear, by Michael Crichton (rating 8 out of 10--a wealth of information, even if the story is a bit trite)
The Rule of Four, by Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason (rating of 7.5
out of 10)
Shopaholic and Sister, by Sophie Kinsella (rating 6 out of 10-good brain candy)
Deception Point, by Dan Brown (rating of 7 out of 10--he's a formula writer, but
so intelligent that even if you know what is going to happen, you learn something else along the way)
