Book Update

Wow - I can't believe it's been nearly 5 months since I posted a book update! I have been reading plenty lately. Here's a recap of some of the books (the ones that I can remember) that I've read over the fall and holiday season:

1) "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova. This is a GREAT book! I read it a year or so ago and picked it up again in October. Thought it would be a good Halloween read. It's the story of a girl (late teens) who discovers that her father secretly has been studying Dracula. She finds this super old book (like from the Middle Ages) in his study one day and a package of letters. Is it possible that Dracula has lived on in the modern world? It's a big book, but not tough to read at all.

2) "The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Society" by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows. This was our November (I think) book club book. At first, I absolutely hated it. So much that I couldn't even finish it. But I carried on.... And, admittedly, ended up really enjoying it.

3) The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. So far I've read books 1, 2 and 3. They're kind of trashy, but oh-so-good. Mandy turned me on to this series and I can't put them down! They're kind of a unique twist on a vampire story. The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a group of ultra tough vampires who protect their race from a group called "the lessers", whose goal in life is to kill vampires. Very good.

4) "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. I got a kindle from Tommy for Christmas! Love, love, love it! There are a TON of free books available for download, and this was one I downloaded on Christmas night. I can't believe I've never read it! Great read, but not one to read when you're home alone at night.

5) "The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the Periodic Table" by Sam Kean. Okay, it might SOUND nerdy, but this book all about the elements REALLY is fascinating! There is a weird or sordid tale behind the discovery of a lot of the elements. This is another kindle download. I'm glad I read it, but I wish I wouldn't have purchased it! Should have gotten it from the library.

6) "Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette" by Peggy Post. Wedding plans start in earnest this month. Now I'm an expert! :-)

7) "Water for Elephants" by Sarah Gruen. This was another Book Club book. Either September or October.... SOOOO stinkin' good! Here's what the review on barnesandnoble.com says:

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

That sums it up quite nicely, don'tcha think?? Great book. I just started reading "Ape House" by the same author.

8)"Candy Freak: A Journey into the Chocolate Underbelly of America" by Steve Almond. This guy is obsessed with candy. Obsessed with it. And this book is all about candy and the people who make candy. Interesting.

9) "At Home: A Short History of Private Life" by Bill Bryson. SOOOO interesting. The author moved into this old parsonage (if I remember correctly, built in the 1850s), and started to question the rooms and things in the house. This led to this lovely book. If you ever wanted to know everything there is to know about the history of homes, this is the book for you. I found it fascinating! I got a previous book of his, "The Short History of Nearly Everything", but didn't find it nearly as good as this one. In my opinion, this is a must read!

I believe there are more books that I've read, but I'll need to make an additional post at a later time. I need to return to scrapbooking! Happy New Year! Happy reading!

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik

read August 2010

This is our August book club book. Lori, my BFF, came with me last month to book club and recommended this as a good read. Being open to new ideas like we are, we went with it. I'm so glad that we did. This is a great book. Set in a Minneapolis, MN suburb, it is the story of 5 neighbors who form a book club in the 1960s. The book follows them over the course of 30 years. I found it a little tough to keep track of all the women in the beginning, but as the story progressed it became a little easier to get. Two thumbs up.

East of Eden

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

read July 2010

This was our bookclub book for July, which I didn't finish in time! I did finish it a couple of weeks ago, however. I really, really didn't think I would like this book. At all. I don't love anything else I've read by Steinbeck. This one was different. Loved it.

Keeping Faith

Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult

read August 2010

For some reason I keep getting sucked back into the world of Jodi Picoult. I've learned that people either love her work or hate it. You should read the reviews at goodreads.com and you'll see what I'm talking about! Although I have fought it for a long time, really do enjoy her books. Last month I read "House Rules". After reading that I thought, "Ugh, why do I read her stuff...". However, I picked "Keeping Faith" up at my mom's house last week and couldn't put it down. I really liked it.

In a nutshell, it's the story of a little girl (who's a non-practicing Jew, by the way) who suddenly develops a stigmata, begins quoting the bible, and even heals the sick. Her parents are in the middle of a pretty messy divorce when all of this begins. Oh, and by the way, God is a woman.

This one definitely kept my interest. Easy reading, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Enough to make me want to revisit one of my old faves of Picoult - "Salem Falls". My only issue with this is that there are way too many unanswered questions at the end of the book.

House Rules

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

read July 2010

Many people mock Jodi Picoult, but I do enjoy her books. This one - not my favorite, but it was good. 'House Rules' is about Jacob Hunt, a teenage boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. I don't really know much about AS (as they call it in the book), but it seems to be a form of Autism. Jacob is particularly obsessed with forensics. He’s always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do…and he’s usually right. But then one day his tutor is found dead, and the police come to question him. And...what do you know....Jacob finds himself accused of murder. There aren't as many plot twists as in some on Picoult's books that I've read in the past, but I would still recommend it. Easy read. Good for the beach, but it does make you think about how we communicate and how those that may not be able to communicate as well can sometimes have pretty crappy lives!

Blood Oath

Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth

read July 2010

I spent the July 4th weekend at my parents' cottage (Indian Lake). Even though I was only gone for a little over a day, I still found it necessary to bring two books with me. Well, I didn't tough either one b/c my sister brought me this one. It's the story of Nathaniel Cade, a vampire, who is sworn to serve and protect the President (yes, of the US). It seemed a little far-fetched when I read the book jacket, but it's written in a way that's actually believeable. It was so good...I didn't put it down all weekend and finished it late last night. I don't know that I would buy it, but it's a definite "must read".

Next, I need to finish my July Book Club book!

My Fair Lazy

My Fair Lazy by Jen Lancaster

read June 2010

I know I have said this before, but this time I mean it. If you haven't read anything by Jen Lancaster, run to the nearest bookstore and buy one of her books. I'm telling you to buy vs. going to the library because you WILL want to read them again. And again. She's just that funny.

This is her 4th book, and I was not disappointed. Her books tend to jump around a lot (that's just her style), but I thought this one jumped around a bit more than usual. It's an easy read - great for summer. Guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.