My Own Little Book Corner

The Risk Pool by Richard Russo A great book with wonderful character development. This is the type book that stayed with me after the last page was read. I think Mr. Russo does a great job of making the characters real people with flaws like we all have but also that tiny spark of goodness. This is one of my favorite books so far this year. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J.K. Rowling After hearing references to Harry Potter in sermons, I thought maybe I should read the series. I know it is a Young Adult series that caught on with the older crowd too. The style is definitely YA, but I did enjoy this first book. I enjoyed it enough that I was looking forward to reading the next one ..... Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling Reading this one right after the first book was probably not a great idea. The YA aspect really stood out to me. I almost felt as if I was re-reading the same story, just with a different set of circumstances. I've decided to try rea...

I have never thought I'd like an audio book. I've listened to different audio Bible's from time to time and while I've liked doing that, I find myself letting my mind wander. Since it had been a while since I had tried listening to a book, I thought I'd give it another chance. I checked out an audio book from our library, downloaded it to my mp3 player and have been listening while working out. I usually read a book while at the gym, but logistically that is not always easy to do. The book has to fit in the rack just right, I have to turn pages, I can't read when I jog, etc. So far the audio book has been a perfect fit. Plus I refuse to listen to it at home, so that gives me a little incentive to go work out. I think maybe I'm on to something.

I read 15 books in January. They are quite a mix of styles and topics. My favorites this month were Night , The Justice Game, American Wife and Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons . The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton A classic but not one of my favorites. Predictable from beginning to end. I really wanted to take a pen and change it up some. The Brambles by Eliza Minot I would classify this book as an "easy read" but it actually deals with a lot of heavy topics - death, eating disorders, adoption, marriage issues and even a stalker. Surprisingly it was not a depressing book, but in some ways an encouraging one. It did take me a while to get use to Ms Minot's style of writing, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Night by Elie Wiesel Wow! What can you say about a book that is a true story of being in a concentration camp. Such a sad, compelling story of survival. This should be a required book for everyone. City of Light by Lauren Belfer I enjoyed this historical ficti...

What am I thinking? I signed up for a reading challenge. There's no prizes, no recognition, no rewards - except meeting the challenge and hopefully discovering some good books. Since the most books I've read in one year is 120 and the past 2 years I've been stuck on 59, this is going to be quite the challenge. I am also trying to include as many Pulitzer Prize winners as I can in my reading. I know I won't read them all because frankly, they don't all appeal to me and I think reading should be for enjoyment, not drudgery. I do find it interesting that most people who have posted in the group do not expect to meet the challenge. I am starting the new year with full intentions of reading 144 books, but if I don't, it won't be the end of the world. Just something to shoot for. If you're interested in joining the group - check it out at Goodreads.com

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout It's hard to start describing this book. It is actually a collection of short stories set in the town of Crosby, Maine. Through most of the stories Olive Kitteridge makes an appearance in some way - even if as just a mention. Through these snapshots we get a picture of the how others view Olive and eventually as she views herself. She is an interesting character and through out the book she reminded me of different people I know. But this book is about more than Olive. In one of the chapters an observation is made about seeing the houses around us and not really knowing what kind of life people have. To me this book is a glimpse into many lives. It is a somewhat sad story in that so many of the glimpses are of the things that are wrong in their lives. Even when I was beginning to feel a little cheery half-way through reading Winter Concert, that story took a turn. This story offered many different perspectives on people and events in life and i...

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak This is a Young Adult book that I really enjoyed. Things begin getting weird when a young taxi driver becomes a hero by foiling a bank robbery. After that event, he recieves 3 playing cards that each have an address. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff An interesting story that jumps between the 19th century and modern day with two stories of wife number 19 - one married to Brigham Young and the other to a modern day polygamist. My impression is that the bulk of the book is set in the late 1800's and since I like historical fiction, I enjoyed greatly. Left for Dead:My Journey Home from Everest by Beck Weathers Not exactly what I expected. I thought it was going to be more about the experience on Everest. Instead it is more a story of his life and marriage. It was ok - but nothing spectacular. A below average read in my eyes. Welcome to the Great Mysterious by Lorna Landvik I really enjoyed this book. It is a story of twin sisters - grown - whose...

A Song I Knew by Heart by Bret Lott An "OK" book. I expected much more of a book based on the story of Ruth. The storyline was a little weak in areas and while the story of love and forgiveness is definitely a good one, this book just didn't deliver as well as I expected it to. One L by Scott Turow While this book is old - published in 1977 - I still found Mr. Turow's reflections of his first year as a law student very interesting. I know part of the reason is that in the late 70's/early 80's I worked with 2 people who were also attending law school. It brought back memories of what they were going through. It would be interesting to read a more current book written by a 1L to see how much things have changed over the years. Sutter's Cross by W. Dale Cramer I like Mr. Cramer's books. This one did not disappoint. A story of family, greed and miracles. Another one worth reading. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah A really good book! It was one of those s...

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks A very good book. The book in the title is a rare Haggadah. The people in the title are those who owned the book or had some other connection to the book over the 300+ year history. This is a very well written story that brought to life the many persecutions that people have gone through because of their beliefs. A nice work of historic fiction. The Known World by Edward P Jones I stuck with this but don't know why. A depressing, story that was a drudgery to read. We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg I enjoyed this story. There were just enough twists to it to keep it interesting and a little less predictible. I felt like I knew the characters and that's always important to me for enjoying a story. The story also gives you things to think about as far as stereotypes and prejudices. A good one. She Got Up Off the Couch:And Other Heroic Acts from Moreland, Indiana by Haven Kimmel A continuation of Ms Kimmel's memoir. Interesting...

The Office of Desire by Martha Moody This is an interesting story that covers many layers and types of desire and what happens when you give into it and also when you don't. It is set in a small doctor's office that has 5 employees, each with their own desires whether for love, money, faith, happiness, etc. It is interesting how each one deals with the desire and in the end you see the right and the wrong choices. A well written story. The Broker by John Grisham I guess I'm taking a little step back in time reading a John Grisham novel that harkens back to the first type novels that he authored. While it was an interesting book, it was also a little confusing to me. It took me a while to understand how the broker was being set up and why. If you like Grisham though, you'll like this one. It's his standard fare, set in a foreign country with just enough suspense to make you think you know where it's going, but maybe not. Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell What a di...

A Father's Story by Lionel Dahmer I think it's normal to view any event from the stage of life you are in. As I've gotten older, I view most events as a parent so it was interesting to read a book about a real life horror story written from a dad's perspective. I did feel at times like Mr. Dahmer was over analyzing events that happened in his son's young life. But then I also think that would be the normal thing to do - to look back for signs of what was to come and to try to figure out if there was anyway that it could have been avoided. He makes no excuses for his sons behavior, and in the end seems still as confused by it as most of us are. An interesting book. Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman The story of a woman who almost stumbles into a nomadic life. Ms Gelman finds herself in a marriage that is crumbling so she suggests a separation. To her surprise, not only is her husband in favor of it, but he thinks it should be for a longer amount of time...