Books

I think I've read more this year than I have in the past 10 years.  To circumvent immense boredom that is bound to occur if I posted a blog on each book I've read, I thought I would compile a book list using an assortment of random categories.

Lakeside Reading

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

• The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson

Books that Made Me Think

• Counterfeit Gods - Timothy Keller

• Now, Discover Your Strengths - Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton.  This book comes with an online assessment that highlights your five main areas of strengths.  After reading mine I certainly make a lot more sense to myself and I feel kinda dumb that I couldn't see this in myself before.  It's like when I "discovered" I had straight hair - seems kinda obvious now, but I was naively oblivious before.  

•  A Million Miles in a Thousand Years - Donald Miller

LL's Author Recommendation

• Saturday - Ian McEwen  A incredibly "knowledgeable in all things English" friend of mine recommended McEwen to me.  I have always enjoyed her recommendations and so I started with Saturday.  

Most Surprising Page Turner

• The Host - Stephanie Meyer.  This was a two night read for me.  I'm not into teenaged vampire love and would have never read this had it not been recommended by two co-workers.  Plus, I didn't realize who the author was until night two.    

Short Stories

• Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle  You can download this Sherlock Holmes App (Sunscroll) and read Sherlock Holmes for free.  I did at times, however, get annoyed with Watson's constant praise of Holmes intellect.

• My Best Stories - Alice Munro.  I thought I enjoyed the short story genre.  So I read this well known Canadian author.  Turns out I don't like story's of small towns and Canadian history.  

Most Disappointing Read

• An Echo to the Bone - Diana Gabaldon.  This is the seventh book in the Outlander Series.  These are long books and seven books makes a long series, but I've developed a literary crush on the main character.  I thought this was the last book in the series and was looking forward to the ending.  But the ending was left open ended and was not at all what I expected.  Plus, sex between fictional characters in mid life just isn't as hot (at all) as when they were in their twenties.  

Books I Bought For My Son and Then Borrowed

• Octavian Nothing Traitor to the Nation - M.T. Anderson

• The Lost Symbol  -Dan Brown.  I've always enjoyed reading a Dan Brown novel, not to be confused with the New York Times best-selling author Dale Brown.  A mistake I made when I ran into McNally on afternoon and grabbed some books to bring with me to the lake.  

(Not So) Secret (Anymore) Author Crush

• Blue Like Jazz- Donald Miller.  

Further Reads on Spirituality

• Plan B:  Further Thoughts on Faith - Anne Lamott

Non Fiction

• Empire of Illusion  The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle - Chris Hedges

• Hot, Flat, and Crowded - Thomas L. Friedman

• How to Be a Better Foodie a Bulging Little Book for the Truly Epicurious - Sudi Pigott

• Memories, Dreams, Reflections - Carl Jung

• The Age of the Warrior: Selected Writings - Robert Fisk

Book That Did Not Disappoint My Expectations

• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot.  

In Progress

• The War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells. I miss reading to my son at night, so I've started to again and I don't care that he's a teenager and not a little kid anymore.  I'm gonna read, and he's gonna listen.  

• Beloved - Toni Morrison

• Searching For God Knows What - Donald Miller

• Sundays at Tiffeny's - James Patterson

~b~