Monday, November 1, 2010

October 2010

In October I read five books.  I'm sure the quantity of books has to do with the fact that it was my last month of unemployment.  I had officially gotten a job so I was finally able to enjoy some free time.  Here is the quick recap (which will be shorter in the future when I've actually written about the books as I read them):

Garlic and Saphires by Ruth Reichl - I really like the first half of the book but thought that it got redundant towards the end.  Although I could relate to Ruth not being happy at her job, it was also hard to feel sympathy for someone who had what most people would consider a dream job.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - I thought this book was fantastic and didn't even realize until afterwards that it was considered a book for young adults.  I thought it was a refreshing and unique view on WW2 and made the subject interesting to me again.  I was not surprised that some reviewers compared it favorably to the Diary of Anne Frank.

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer - This book was only so so to me.  I think the story is fascinating and the process/planning/craziness of climbing Mount Everest is definitely worth reading about.  However I thought too much backstory was given and I ended up skimming over a lot of the details of the history of each climber.  I know that this was done to memorialize the climbers who died, which also makes me feel like a bad person for skimming.

The Only Good Thing Anyone has Ever Done  by Sandra Newman -  I had actually read this book before and forgotten about it which probably tells you how much I liked it the first time around.  Sandra Newman has been called the Kurt Vonegut of our generation and while I see the similarities in writing styles I would say that Newman is not nearly as interesting.

NY Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker - This was a quick fun read.  Baker is quirky and has led an unusual life which lends it self to storytelling.  It was interesting to read about the challenges of a modern day Mormon in NYC and the discriminations they face. 

Pick of the Month:  The Book Thief

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