The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie- Bradley [Book #2]

A lovely book about a young orphaned girl Flavia growing up in a creaky old mansion in a town in which nothing much happens until a dead sparrow with a suspicious postage stamp affixed to his beak winds up at their doorstep followed by a red haired man breathing out his last breath as the eleven year old Flavia looks on determined to solve the mystery of exactly what is going on. The story is earnest, light hearted, and well written. I do wish it had been edited a bit as the history of postage stamps went on a touch too long, and the ending was drawn out longer than I would have liked, but I very much enjoyed this debut novel and will certainly keep an eye out for others Bradley writes.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo- Larsson (Book #7)

A fast-paced story about a man accused of a crime he did not do. As he waits for his prison sentence, he is given an opportunity of a lifetime: discover who killed an elderly man's niece and in exchange receive a hefty sum of money and a chance to clear his name. Little does he know how complicated his journey will be. I enjoyed this story. It is just that- a story. There is no depth or thought-provoking situations, very much like a Koonz book- fun and light but worth the read.

The Unnamed- Ferris (Book # 5)

I loved Ferris' first book and so eagerly awaited this book from the library. Its very well written, certainly a departure from the dark comedy of his earlier book but still you can tell you're in the presence of a good writer. This is a story of a man who suffers from something unnamed, he is convinced its biological but most doctors suspect its psychological. From time-to-time this successful attorney, husband and father, must take a walk that he cannot prevent himself from going on despite the weather, conditions, or where he is at the moment. This disease takes away everything in his life and this book involves us watching his life unravel. It's a sad disturbing book. While well written, I did not find the plot as satisfying as I would like. Still, its a good book but its not as good as his first novel in my opinion.

Traveling Mercies- Lamott (Book #86)

Are you noticing that when I like an author I start devouring everything they come out with? This is why I read this book, Lamott's thoughts on faith. She is Christian, I am Muslim but I was curious as to her thoughts on faith in general and that is pretty much what she focused on. This book is a series of vignettes on different areas of her life and her thoughts about God's hand in those moments. Its a nice gentle read, some parts made me get choked up, some made me laugh. I thought it would focus a little more on the struggle so I was a little disappointed but that was my expectation, not a promsie she made.

Plan B- Tropper (Book #79)

If you scroll the list of my recent reads you'll see Tropper's books quite a bit. When I like an author I tend to devour their entire list of published books. This was the last of the books I had yet to read by Tropper. I must admit that as is the case with most authors who I read extensively I begin to see themes and though this is kind of cool, it also sometimes can feel like you're reading a variation of the same story again. I can't hold this against Tropper with this book as this is his debut novel, so any books I subsequently read are instead, variations of this, not vice versa.

This is a book about a group of 30 somethings who are very close and are all at various stages in their lives, some sucessful some not so much. They are drifting apart but come together out of concern for one of their friends who appears to have a drug problem. Hilarity and deep moments ensue.

I enjoyed the book as I've enjoyed most of Tropper's books which have a good dose of reality and deep reflection along with laughter at the small absurdities of life.

Fortune Cookie Chronicles- Lee (Book # 75)

I feel triumphant finishing this book as I've been reading it for at least four months now. It's not the book is bad by any means, its just that its a book exploring Chinese Fortune Cookies and Chinese restaurants in the US and around the world. Interesting, but by its nature, not a suspenseful page turner. Lee has written an interesting book with fun facts and history about not just Chinese restaurants and fortune cookies but also about Chinese immigrants. Their stories were the ones that kept my attention the most. Overall, a bit lengthy read for me simply due to the topic, but well written and entertaining.

Olive Kitteridge-Strout (Book #71)

I've heard so much buzz about this book I couldn't resist picking it up. The book is a series of thirteen short stories of a town called Crosby, Maine. Each story focuses on different characters though Olive somehow is present in each scene. I normally don't like short-stories because I find the endings too vague and unsatisfying but I did not feel that with this book. Olive is a very complicated woman and Strout does a good job with her. For the most part she is a difficult woman, particularly when the stories are not told from her point of view. But when we see her eyes on a situation I kind of get it, even when she's destroying her daughter-in-laws clothing, or being cruel in the words she uses. Overall, I enjoyed this collection of stories and it has left me thinking about other difficult people in my lives. I wonder, like Olive, are they completely incapabable of changign or understanding how they come across? It helps me at least with a degree of empathy.

Juliet, Naked- Hornby (Book #70)

Hornby is another favorite author of mine so it was fun to move from Russo's novel to this one. I would certainly say that this novel was not my favorite of Hornby's. This is a story told from a girl's perspective, Annie. She is 39 years old in a dead end relationship to a man obsessed with a reclusive ex-rocker Tucker Crowe. The story winds together her boyfriend, Tucker Crowe and her increasing longing for more than there is in the yesteryear seaside town she lives in. Hornby writes well so the story reads nice but I was disappointed by the plot and more so by the conclusion. Still, not all bad as it is Hornby after all.

That Old Cape Magic- Russo (Book #69)

Russo is one of my favorite authors even though the more you read his books the more you see such common themes you begin wondering how much of his fiction is from his real life. I enjoyed this book because Russo can write about anything and make it enjoyable. The story is about a man going to the Cape to attend his daughter's friend's wedding. The Cape is where his parents vacationed with him each year and visiting it now, 30 years later brings with his father's ashes to scatter, and a wife who is growing increasingly annoyed with him brings back strong memories of the past and his childhood. Russo has a way with bringing characters to life so I enjoyed the story though it was certainly not one of my favorites.

A Change In Altitude- Shreve (Book #66)

I enjoyed Shreve's book "The Pilot's Wife" and looked forward to reading this latest book by her. This is a story of a 20 something couple living in Kenya. They start the story going on a hike up Mount Kenya that proves disastrous and has long reaching consequences upon their marriage. The book explores the rift between the couple and the landscape of Kenya a place I can tell through reading that Shreve loves. I wish I was able to connect more with the characters. Except for Rafik a Pakistani journalist, I could not get invest in any particular character. Still, if you like Shreve's books, you will like this one too.

The Thirteenth Tale- Setterfield (Book #65)

I have mixed emotions about this book. It was well written, the story is interesting, but somehow I was put off by its attempt to be uber goth. Jane Eyre comes up a lot and I feel the author tried hard to emulate it. Still, its an interesting story about an author Vida Winters who spins marvelous tales but who never reveals her life. She finally chooses the narrator to tell her final tale, the tale of her own life. The story is disturbing, at times it made me queasy, but the ultimate outcome is unexpected and enjoyable.

Houston We Have a Problema- Zepeda (Book#62)

This is a multicultural chick lit about a girl, Jessica, and her struggles in love, work, and family. It's a cute fun read about angst in figuring out who you're supposed to end up with, and whether you should stay in a job if you're unhappy, and the difficulties adult children have with accepting their parent's marriages are far from perfect. To figure it out, Jessica relies on a local fortune teller who gives her ideas on which way to proceed in the complicated areas of her life. The book was fun and a very easy read. I didn't always care for her writing but the story line was endearing enough to help me overlook it.

Into the Beautiful North- Urrerra (Book #54)

Wow, two books in a row that were riveting from start to finish. This is a story of a small town Tres Camarones, a sleepy coastal town where all the men have left to go North to find work leaving women and children behind. A group of drug cartel people discover this hidden nook and decide to take over. With no men to defend Nayeli, a teenage girl in the village decides, they must go to the U.S and bring back men to repopulate the village and kick out the bad guys. She assembles a small posse with the blessing of Auntie Irma, the town Mayor.

The story follows their struggle to the US and is more about the journey than the ultimate resolution of the story. Urrerra writes very well and I enjoyed this novel very much. The characters are so real and believable that I had to stay up until 2am to see them through. I would love to read more about them to learn how their lives ended up. I particularly love that the woman was portrayed as strong and brave and the leader of the pack.

My only complaint with this novel was the premise of why they had to leave was not adequately laid out. We knew some bad people came but we did not see much example of what happened to perciptiate such a dramatic reaction. It would have been nice to have some chapters devotecd to what was happening back home to help create more tension and a sense of understanding as to why they chose the steps they did.

Still, the novel is really good and I highly recommend it.

Spain- Fodors 2009 (Book #50)

Fodors was good though I am more used to the format of Frommer's. I enjoyed that the hotel recommendations included pros and cons for each hotel. I did find one inaccuracy in the book that cost us a few hours of time but otherwise it was decent.

Ornament of the World- Menocal (Book #48)

I'm heading to Spain and wanted to read this book to get a better idea of the history of medieval Spain. This is a very interesting book about the culture of tolerance that once existed in Spain as the three major world religions worked side by side. I enjoyed the vignettes of different historical figures, and felt devastated when I read how the Jews and Muslims were ultimately expelled by Queen Isabella. The book is told with snippets of stories of different historical people and major events. The author jumps around a bit with flashbacks that left me a bit confused from time to time, but over all it is a very good book that leaves me better informed for my trip.

My favorite was a poem by Abd al-Rahman, the man who began the Muslim Empire in Spain:

A palm tree stands in the middle of Rusafa,
Born in the West, far from the land of palms.
I said to it: How like me you are, far away and in exile,
In long separation from family and friends.
You have sprung from soil in which you are a stranger,
And I like you, am far from home.

The Divorce Party- Dave (Book #45)

This is a well written novel about the nature of trust and of course, about divorce. The story follows two women. Gwyn is having a divorce party honoring her 35 year marriage with her husband and trying to let go gracefully. Her husband told her he decided to become Buddhist and wants to live a different life. She accepts this while she battles with a painful truth. The other woman is Maggie who is engaged to Nick, Gwyn's son. She is going with Nick to Mountauk, NY to attend the party and meet his family for the first time. Along the way she realizes that her fiancee is harboring quite a few secrets. The story moves at a suspenseful clip and makes for an easy read. I enjoyed the book for the most part but towards the end I felt the story was getting a little hokey. Still, I would recommend it to readers.

The Guide- Narayan (Book #32)

As a child I loved watching the Indian movie "Guide" with my family. The story is about a con-artist who ends up on the banks of an abandoned temple and is mistaken for a Swami. The story delves into his past and his present. I remember my parents saying it had very good dialogue. Anyways, browsing the library I came across this book and realized the movie I watched was based on this book. The book is a very easy read and is certainly well written, however, I feel as though I preferred the movie. A lot of the book focuses on Rosie, his lover, and her dancing. Narayan simply does not, or perhaps, cannot, fully describe the beauty of Indian classical dancing with his words. The dancing was my favorite part of the movie. So in this sense, though I loved the book because it reminded me of the movie I cannot help but wonder how much I would love the book without the movie. Certainly it is a profound book about self deception and human nature, but its merits as a book are different from its movie version.

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.

The Catcher in the Rye- Salinger (Book #23)

I believe Mystic recommended this book to me and I have to say I enjoyed it very much though I am amazed at its popularity. I can see a young person, a teenager, relating to this novel and its theme of alienation and feeling misunderstood. There is one part in the book, where he wakes up to his English teacher petting his head in the middle of the night, and he says this has happened to him at least twenty times in his life, that made me feel the true power and skill of Salinger's writing. It was an interesting book and I'm glad I read it.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao- Diaz (Book #17)

A book in a league of its own, is how I would term this book. Junot breaks all the rules I'm to stick by as I write my own novel with his un-italicized reversions to Spanish, and his lack of quotes for any spoken dialogue. The book is told in street slang and goes over the lives of more than just Oscar, but his entire family, and the curse they believe afflicts them. As he writes, he teaches us as only narratives can, the horror that Truillio inflicted on the people of the Dominican Republic by showing us its effect on people we can imagine to be real. I think some knowledge on Spanish is helpful as he does fall in and out of Spanish, and the context clues are not always enough to get by. I liked this book but it took some getting used to because it is written so unconventionally.