How To Be Single- Tuccillo (Book #30)

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I wanted a novel to lose myself into and browsing through the library with nary a review in hand I picked this book assuming it to be a fun chick lit with little meaning. It was fun and it was about women and it definitely had chick lit aspects, but it did not follow the standard formula. This is a novel about a writer traveling the world searching for how single women around the world fare. The story also follows the writer and her three friends who are single under difference circumstances as they struggle to find love. Tuccillo can WRITE. Her story is beautiful and though the ending is very unchick-lit it still satisfied me. I almost felt like this novel was part chick-lit and part non-fiction since a lot of things she talked about are in fact true. Loved this book.

11 minutes- Coelho (Book #29)

This book was all right. Coelho's books often follow a topic in a fable like narrative. I enjoyed two of his books, the Alchemist and Veronika Decides To Die. However, this book was just okay. There were a few beautiful quotes that I loved and I get his message but overall I don't like being hit over the head with a message and that is what happened here. It was an okay novel.

My favorite quote: Life moves very fast. It rushes us from heaven to hell in a matter of seconds.

Runaway- Munro (Book #28)

I like short stories to a certain extent but what I often don't appreciate is the lack of closure most provide. These stories are no different, yet I liked them just the same. There are about seven stories in this collection. Three stories focus on different times in one woman's life and I loved those the most. I wish I had read these stories with a book club because there is so much to talk about and discuss. There is a great degree of depth and symbolism, etc that just makes you wish you could share the reading with someone. I liked reading these very much.

The Polysyllabic Spree- Hornby (Book #27)

Nick Hornby is one of my favorite writers but I had to check the book out twice to make it through this one. This is essentially a compilation of articles written by Hornby for The Guardian about the books he's purchased and the books he's read. It's very very cool when he reviews a book that I've read and I love when he gives small tid bits into his views on writing, but most of the book covered books that I haven't read, and are not available in my library to check out. So all in all, it was an okay book but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to everyone unless they are a) looking for recommendations on book buying from a great writer or b) if you are like me, a Hornby nut!

I'm a Stranger Here Myself- Bryson (Book #26)

This is a humorous series of articles compiled into a book about Bryson's experience of living in the US again after having spent 20 years in England. Essentially this book, published in 1999, is a blog in print. Each entry reminds me of something I would read while surfing the web. He's funny, though sometimes he gets into Andy Roony territory, whining incessantly about how things have changed too much. I know many find him hilarious, I thought he's entertaining but his exxagerations were so extreme they raised eyebrows for me. In any case, this is an interesting well written and easy to read book, it is over ten years old though so some of his observations or comments no longer apply as technology, etc have since advanced. It's a light read and I did enjoy it.