One of the things that I love to do is read. I share this love of text with most members of my family, immediate and otherwise. I find that lately I’m not terribly enthusiastic about reading. I can’t tell if it’s because I’m not liking the books or if I’m just not in the mood. The last few books that I have picked up have been a mixed bag.
Freakonomics. Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. I requested this book from the local library, after hearing one of the authors on NPR one morning. I had to wait forever to get the book, as there were 30 people ahead of me on the checkout list. There is a lot of hype about this book, and while I was very excited to read it, I was less than thrilled with the actual book. I only got through half of it before I had to return it to the next library patron. On a scale of 1 to 10? 6. I’m not sure I’ll go back to reading it.
Eragon. Christopher Paolini. I checked this out of the local library as well. I read this a few months ago, mostly on the plane to and from Pasadena. Pretty good for a 15 year old author. You can tell that he isn’t a very seasoned writer – his descriptions are too flowery and definitely the work of an writer who is trying to make up for something. It was entertaining though, and I wasn’t left wanting. I’m a sucker for fantasy novels, but I don’t find that there are a lot of authors that I like. Paolini will be really good as he matures. I plan to read the next books in the series.
Plainsong. Kent Haruf. Several stories intertwine to tell the story of a small, fictional town in Colorado. No extraordinary stories here, just plain folks living seemingly plain lives on the prairie. Something about these plain stories make the book seem anything but plain. I was drawn into the stories and I enjoyed Haruf’s descriptions of the everyday objects that we take for granted. My mom sent this to me, and I’m glad she did. I never would have picked this up on my own.
Never Have Your Dog Stuffed. Alan Alda. I love Alan Alda. I loved him on M*A*S*H, loved him on Scientific American Frontiers, and I loved his guest appearances on ER. His book? Not so much. While it was quite interesting to read about his life, and his facinating career, I was less than impressed by the style of the book. It seemed disjointed and skipped around. I got through it pretty quickly, and I would probably recommend it to someone who likes Alan Alda, but it wasn’t a great literary feat. Funny, it was another one that I requested from the library and had to wait forever. I waited so long, I had forgotten that I had requested it. I guess celebrity sells.
A Map of the World. Another Mom suggestion. A good one too. I hate it when books don’t have a synopsis on the inside jacket or on the back of the softcover version. When mom suggests books, they are usually quite good, so I didn’t have any hesitation, except when I picked the book up and didn’t see a synopsis on the back. I took it with me for the plane back to AZ, because a 5-hour plane ride requires reading material. I admit, I picked it up because it suggested maps would play prominently in the story. I know, I’m a dork – a map dork, thank you very much. Anyway, it was a good read. Pretty sad, but it was worth the heartache.
Next up: Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Jared Diamond. Purchased with a fab-u gift certificate that I recieved for Christmas. Whee!
