The Lazy Dog Reads!

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

2010-09-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is the remarkable story of one endearing dog’s search for his purpose over the course of several lives. More than just another charming dog story, A Dog’s Purpose touches on the universal quest for an answer to life's most basic question: Why are we here?

Surprised to find himself reborn as a rambunctious golden-haired puppy after a tragically short life as a stray mutt, Bailey’s search for his new life’s meaning leads him into the loving arms of 8-year-old Ethan. During their countless adventures Bailey joyously discovers how to be a good dog.

But this life as a beloved family pet is not the end of Bailey’s journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey wonders—will he ever find his purpose?

Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, A Dog's Purpose is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog's many lives, but also a dog's-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man's best friend. This moving and beautifully crafted story teaches us that love never dies, that our true friends are always with us, and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose. (from Barnes and Noble)

This is my read for September and after reading the reviews I'm making sure I have the Kindle in one hand and a Kleenex in the other. Review coming soon!

The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey

2010-08-31T18:47:00.000-07:00

THE YELLOW HOUSE delves into the passion and politics of Northern Ireland at the beginning of the 20th Century. Eileen O'Neill's family is torn apart by religious intolerance and secrets from the past. Determined to reclaim her ancestral home and reunite her family, Eileen begins working at the local mill, saving her money and holding fast to her dream. As war is declared on a local and global scale, Eileen cannot separate the politics from the very personal impact the conflict has had on her own life. She is soon torn between two men, each drawing her to one extreme. One is a charismatic and passionate political activist determined to win Irish independence from Great Britain at any cost, who appeals to her warrior's soul. The other is the wealthy and handsome black sheep of the pacifist family who owns the mill where she works, and whose persistent attention becomes impossible for her to ignore. (from Barnes and Noble)

My pick for August and it's great! I promise I've read since January--but not much--and will work on getting this site updated.

Ford County by John Grisham

2010-01-31T10:58:00.000-08:00

In 1989, John Grisham published his first novel, A Time to Kill, set in the town of Clanton, in Ford County, Mississippi. Twenty years later, he now brings us his first collection of short stories, returning to that rural corner of the world—a place populated by hucksters and their honest victims, the simple-minded and the shrewd, the rich and the poor. From three good ole boys on a fateful road trip to Memphis to the tale of Stanley Wade, a litigator whose encounter with an old adversary turns violent, the cast of characters in Ford County will keep you enthralled on every page. Brimming with suspense, each of these stories confirms Grisham’s reign as America’s master storyteller. (from Barnes and Noble)

Nope, can't recommend this one. I rarely not finish a book but I just wasn't enjoying it at all, so with only 2 short stories left to read, I closed this one up for good. None of the characters were likeable, the stories weren't all that interesting, and can he just stick to courtroom thrillers please? This is the second Grisham book that I couldn't finish. WD didn't care for it either, although he did like "Fetching Raymond." I was drawn to "Casino" and thought both could've been developed into full length novels. But I guess when you've written as many books as he has, they can't all be winners.

The Associate by John Grisham

2009-12-31T19:45:00.000-08:00

Kyle McAvoy grew up in his father’s small-town law office in York, Pennsylvania. He excelled in college, was elected editor-in-chief of The Yale Law Journal, and his future has limitless potential.

But Kyle has a secret, a dark one, an episode from college that he has tried to forget. The secret, though, falls into the hands of the wrong people, and Kyle is forced to take a job he doesn’t want—even though it’s a job most law students can only dream about.

Three months after leaving Yale, Kyle becomes an associate at the largest law firm in the world, where, in addition to practicing law, he is expected to lie, steal, and take part in a scheme that could send him to prison, if not get him killed. (From Barnes and Noble)

This was such a good book I almost finished it in one night. It was entertaining and suspenseful and a really fast read. I liked it. Most of the criticism of this book is that it's too much like The Firm. It didn't bother me. Most of his stuff is the same anyway. Lawyers disgusted with the way big firms are run and would rather make a difference in the world. That kind of thing. But that's Grisham and I think he would be the first to admit that he doesn't write great literature and that's okay with me. There's nothing wrong with a little junk food for the brain. Makes life fun. My only complaint with this particular story is that he short changed us on the ending. I wanted the problem solved, instead he just kind of brushed it under the rug and sent Kyle on his happy little way. But if you're a Grisham fan, it's forgivable.

Lamb by Christopher Moore

2009-12-28T09:17:00.000-08:00

The birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday. But no one knows about the early life of the Son of God, the missing years — except Biff, the Messiah's best bud, who has been resurrected to tell the story in the divinely hilarious yet heartfelt work "reminiscent of Vonnegut and Douglas Adams" (Philadelphia Inquirer).

Verily, the story Biff has to tell is a miraculous one, filled with remarkable journeys, magic, healings, kung fu, corpse reanimations, demons, and hot babes. Even the considerable wiles and devotion of the Savior's pal may not be enough to divert Joshua from his tragic destiny. But there's no one who loves Josh more — except maybe "Maggie," Mary of Magdala — and Biff isn't about to let his extraordinary pal suffer and ascend without a fight. (from Barnes and Noble )

I love listening to Jonathan Goldstein's Bible stories for adults on NPR's This American Life. I thought about getting his book Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bible! but it didn't get very good reviews. Several reviewers mentioned Chris Moore's Lamb and how much better it is compared to Goldstein's. So I checked out the reviews for Lamb and wow. After 259 ratings it has an average of 5 stars. So I downloaded it to my kindle and it became my December read.

It was cute. Entertaining. It has it's funny moments. The sophomoric sexual humor seems overdone--Biff is a frat-boy at heart, I get it. I didn't love it though. I wanted it to have more dry wit than slapstick, I wanted Biff's death to be more poignant but it wasn't, I wanted to be moved to tears when he was unable to save Joshua (Jesus) on the cross but I didn't. I give it 3 stars.

It did provide the best message of Christianity ever though.

"You should be nice to people, even creeps.
And if you:
a) believed that Joshua was the Son of God (and)
b) he had come to save you from sin (and)
c) acknowledged the Holy Spirit within you (and)
d) didn't blaspheme the Holy Ghost (see c),

then you would:
e) live forever
f) someplace nice
g) probably heaven.

However, if you:
h) sinned (and/or)
i) were a hypocrite (and/or)
j) valued things over people (and)
k) didn't do a, b, c, and d,

then you were
l) f$#cked"

(That's an excerpt from chapter 28 of Christopher Moore's Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. I didn't write it. I'm not claiming to have written it. All credit goes to Mr. Moore.)

This Just In by Bob Schieffer

2009-11-28T08:43:00.000-08:00

Bob Schieffer started his reporting career in Texas when he was barely old enough to buy a beer, joined CBS News in 1969, and became one of the few correspondents ever to have covered all four major Washington beats: the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department, and Capitol Hill. Over the past four decades, he's seen it all-and now he's sharing the after-hours tales only his colleagues know. (from Barnes and Noble)

I have to live every day of my life listening to how much my sister loves autobiographies so I decided to give one a read. I found Bob Schieffer's memoir sitting on my bookshelf--WD had borrowed it from his dad but never got around to reading it--so I picked it up as my November read. Annnnndddd...this book is now in the running for the longest book ever. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. It was just a little slow. I enjoyed the behind the scenes/first hand accounts of the Kennedy assassination, his time in Vietnam and the presidential campaigns he's covered. I got lost in all the details of managing CBS news--the changing of presidents/board directors/producers.

Do I recommend it? Well, not whole heartedly. But if you're into politics and history I think you'll find a few stories in here worth your time.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

2009-10-10T12:01:00.000-07:00

Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life on his family's farm in remote northern Wisconsin where they raise and train an extraordinary breed of dog. But when tragedy strikes, Edgar is forced to flee into the vast neighboring wilderness, accompanied by only three yearling pups. Struggling for survival, Edgar comes of age in the wild, and must face the choice of leaving forever or revealing the terrible truth behind what has happened. (from Barnes and Noble)

Great book! I had mixed emotions at the end though. The ending was not what I wanted. Not at all. But after a week or so I looked at the story as a whole and realized it for what it is--a really great story. I think if Wroblewski had given it a happy ending, it would've been too forgettable. I knew beforehand what the "tragedy" would be and anticipating that moment kept me glued to my kindle. Edgar's time on the run was a little slow but I loved the Stephen King elements of this book where Edgar talks to dead people. The description of the ghost taking the form as a sheet of rain was so vivid. I would definitely recommend this book but keep some tissues handy because this book is chock full of dogs and we all know what happens to dogs in books don't we?

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang

2009-09-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

Blending the intimacy of memoir and the panoramic sweep of eyewitness history, Wild Swans has become a bestselling classic in thirty languages, with more than ten million copies sold. The story of three generations in twentieth-century China, it is an engrossing record of Mao's impact on China, an unusual window on the female experience in the modern world, and an inspiring tale of courage and love.
Jung Chang describes the life of her grandmother, a warlord's concubine; her mother's struggles as a young idealistic Communist; and her parents' experience as members of the Communist elite and their ordeal during the Cultural Revolution. Chang was a Red Guard briefly at the age of fourteen, then worked as a peasant, a "barefoot doctor," a steelworker, and an electrician. As the story of each generation unfolds, Chang captures in gripping, moving — and ultimately uplifting — detail the cycles of violent drama visited on her own family and millions of others caught in the whirlwind of history. (from Barnes and Noble)

I read the synopsis of this book before I bought it but I don't think I really realized that this book in not fiction. It's a biography of 3 people set in a very history-making (?) time so it's a very long book--508 pages. It did take me a whole month to read it. There's a lot of historical details, information, dates and facts to go through. Jung Chang does a fantastic job of telling her story--and that of her mom and grandma--making it read more like a novel than a history book. This book was such an eye opener to what it was like to live under Communist rule. This is a great book--loved it.

Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee

2009-08-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

Casey Han's parents, who live in Queens, are Korean immigrants working in a dry cleaner, desperately trying to hold onto their culture and identity. Their daughter, on the other hand, has entered into the upper echelon of rarified American society via scholarships. But after graduation, Casey's trust-fund friends see only opportunity and choices while Casey sees the reality of having expensive habits without the means to sustain them. As Casey navigates Manhattan, we see her life and the lives of those around her: her sheltered mother, scarred father, her friend Ella who's always been the good Korean girl, Ella's ambitious Korean husband and his Caucasian mistress, Casey's white fiancé, and then her Korean boyfriend, all culminating in a portrait of New York City and its world of haves and have-nots. (from Barnes and Noble)

I really like reading Asian literature and I couldn't wait to read this national bestseller. It was recommended by a fellow blogger who is Korean, like the characters in this book. He said that not everyone would understand it if they weren't Asian. Hmmmm. I guess I would allow him that maybe I wouldn't totally get it since I don't live in that culture but let me tell you, parental disappointment trancends culture and ethnicity. Can I get an Amen?

Loved it.

Water For Elephants

2009-07-31T10:08:00.000-07:00

Nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski reflects back on his wild and wondrous days with a circus. It's the Depression Era and Jacob, finding himself parentless and penniless, joins the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. There he meets the freaks, grifters, and misfits that populate this world. He introduces us to Marlena, beautiful star of the equestrian act; to August, her charismatic but twisted husband (and the circus's animal trainer); and to Rosie, the seemingly untrainable elephant Jacob cares for. Beautifully written, with a luminous sense of time and place, Water for Elephants tells of love in a world in which love's a luxury few can afford. (from Barnes and Noble)

Man, I just love it when old people look back on their lives and tell their story. Attention authors, do more of that. I like it. This is such a great book. And to think I put off reading this for a long time. I wasn't interested in reading a romance set in a circus tent but I kept hearing good things about this book so I gave it a shot. And now I can't recommend it enough.

She Got Up Off the Couch by Haven Kimmel

2009-06-30T21:38:00.000-07:00

After twenty years of burrowing into the corner of the family couch, eating junk food, and reading science fiction, Indiana mother Delonda Jarvis did something that shocked her family: she went to college. Or, as her younger daughter, Haven Kimmel, writes, she "stood up, brushed away the pork rind crumbs, and escaped by the skin of her teeth."

Despite having no money, no car, and a resentful husband, Delonda managed to obtain a master's degree in English. The former teenage bride also dropped one hundred pounds, learned how to drive, and became a breadwinner. But as she reclaimed herself, her marriage disintegrated. (from BarnesandNoble.com)

Oh, how I wish I could write like Haven Kimmel. Her essays are like perfect, meaningful blog posts. All connected in a way that tells one complete, great memoir. I loved this book. Although it stands alone I do recommend reading her first memoir, A Girl Named Zippy. It's where we are first introduced to Kimmel's "characters"--her family. If she wrote nothing but memoirs I would be a happy camper.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

2009-05-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

In nineteenth-century China, when wives and daughters were foot-bound and lived in almost total seclusion, the women in one remote Hunan county developed their own secret code for communication: nu shu (“women’s writing”). Some girls were paired with laotongs, “old sames,” in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments.

With the arrival of a silk fan on which Snow Flower has composed for Lily a poem of introduction in nu shu, their friendship is sealed and they become “old sames” at the tender age of seven. As the years pass, through famine and rebellion, they reflect upon their arranged marriages, loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their lifelong friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart. (from Barnes and Noble)

I needed 2 months to mourn the loss of Twilight but I'm back! And what a great book to get me back in the saddle! I love Asian literature and I heard so many great things about Snow Flower so it wasn't a hard decision to make on whether to read this book or not. It didn't disappoint. It was a fast and fantastic read and as soon as I finished I gave it to my sister so she could enjoy it too--and she did. The whole footbinding process was difficult to read but the culture of it was so intriguing I immediately googled pics of footbinding annnnnd immediately wished I hadn't. Ugh. Still, a very interesting culture and I can't wait to read more from Lisa See.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

2009-02-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Do I really need to include a synopsis? Teenagers. Vampires. Love. Something like that.

January and February were dedicated to the Twilight series. I applaud all of you that read the whole series in a weekend but I'm proud of myself for getting them read in only 2 months. I wish I could've stretched it out longer though because I did not want this series to end! I confess, I was a Twilight addict for those 2 months. I resisted buying the t-shirts but I did have Twilight wallpaper on my computer and I watched the movie 4 or 5 times. Here's another confession, I was Team Jacob--I have a thing for wolves:) Loved the books, loved the first movie, and I can't wait for the next movie--and an older Jacob, please. Sheesh!

Then We Came To The End by Joshua Ferris

2008-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

No one knows us quite the same way as the men and women who sit beside us in department meetings and crowd the office refrigerator with their labeled yogurts. Every office is a family of sorts, and the ad agency Joshua Ferris brilliantly depicts in his debut novel is family at its strangest and best, coping with a business downturn in the time-honored way: through gossip, pranks, and increasingly frequent coffee breaks.With a demon's eye for the details that make life worth noticing, Joshua Ferris tells a true and funny story about survival in life's strangest environment--the one we pretend is normal five days a week. (from Barnes and Noble)

I can't recommend this book enough! I loved it. It had me both laughing and crying. I worked in a department store for 5 years and this book brought to mind so many memories I have of that time. We were a group of diverse people and we spent more time with each other than we did with our families. Some of us got along great--AND got married (it's where I met WD)--and some of us despised each other. A lot of us despised each other. It's where someone kept taking my ladder out of my stockroom and where someone dumped all my merchandise on the floor and then took my cart and where someone kept stealing my cookies. But only these sons of guns would understand the weight of these problems--not my family. Isn't that funny? Work. Ha ha. Go read this book.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

2008-11-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Did I really not read anything the past 2 months?! I just started this book today and I'm hoping to finish it by the end of this month. Knock on wood.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years—from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding—that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives—the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness—are inextricable from the history playing out around them. (from Barnes and Noble)

I did finish it by the end of November! Once I picked it up, it was hard to put down. I didn't think Hosseini could top The Kite Runner but he did--I think I like this one better. This one ended with a little bit more optimism than his previous novel and since I'm a very delicate reader, that made me very happy. Because I like happy endings, okay, AUTHORS? But this is Afghanistan with war and the Taliban and all that bad stuff so yeah, bad things happen but in the process I learned a lot about that part of the world and realized just how good we got it here in this country.

WD gave this book a thumbs up, too, and we bought the audiobook to give to his parents for Christmas.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

2008-08-31T19:49:00.000-07:00

Hang on for the ride: With characteristic poetry and pluck, Barbara Kingsolver and her family sweep readers along on their journey away from the industrial-food pipeline to a rural life in which they vow to buy only food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it. Their good-humored search yields surprising discoveries about turkey sex life and overly zealous zucchini plants, en route to a food culture that's better for the neighborhood and also better on the table. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle makes a passionate case for putting the kitchen back at the center of family life and diversified farms at the center of the American diet. (from google books)

So that's the premise of this 352 page book. Sounds interesting doesn't it? It is. Very interesting. And eye opening. But it can also be infuriating. Here's an example of Kingsolver bemoaning the rampant use of canned pumpkin:

"Come on, people. Doesn't anybody remember how to take a big old knife, whack open a pumpkin, scrape out the seeds, and bake it? We can carve a face onto it, but can't draw and quarter it? Are we in actual fact too squeamish to stab a large knife into a pumpkin? Wait till our enemies find out."

According to Kingsolver, if we buy canned pumpkin, we're squeamish. If we buy bananas, we don't care about local farmers. If we're not gardeners, then we're idiots because obviously we're not aware that vegetables are grown in dirt.

There was a book in which she made the list of 100 people who are destroying America. While I hardly think she's doing any damage, I can see where "These are the cultural elites who look down their snobby noses at ordinary Americans" would fit her description.

Yes, she's annoying, alright. But like I said earlier, this book is an eye opener and contains lots of interesting facts and several made-from-scratch recipes that sound pretty good. It has definitely inspired me to make more trips to the farmers market and buy local products when I can. But really, is buying bananas so bad?

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

2008-07-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

Two sisters of opposing temperaments but who share the pangs of tragic love provide the subjects for Sense and Sensibility. Elinor, practical and conventional, is the epitome of sense; Marianne, emotional and sentimental, the embodiment of sensibility. To each comes the sorrow of unhappy love: Elinor desires a man who is promised to another while Marianne loses her heart to a scoundrel who jilts her. Their mutual suffering brings a closer understanding between the two sisters — and true love finally triumphs when sense gives way to sensibility and sensibility gives way to sense. (from Barnes and Noble)

I don't know how I managed to miss Jane Austen while I was in college but I did. I was just too busy discovering my love for Toni Morrison, Amy Tan, and Louise Erdrich. And, of course, modern contemporary poetry. Let's not forget that. But recently, I took a cute little quiz that informed me I was most like Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility. So I decided that I would see what all the fuss is about Jane Austen.

Overall, I liked it. It was her first novel to be published and generally not considered to be her best, but I really enjoyed it. I was a little worried when, in the first paragraph, I read "The constant attention of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood to his wishes, which proceeded not merely from interest, but from goodness of heart, gave him every degree of solid comfort which his age could receive; and the cheerfulness of the children added a relish to his existence." That's only one sentence. One. And there are many, many more like it in this book. It took me awhile for my brain to get used to the 1800's style of language. But I'm not complaining. It was a pleasure to read--even if I had to read some sentences twice!

The House Of The Spirits by Isabel Allende

2008-06-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

Chilean writer Isabel Allende's classic novel is both a symbolic family saga and the story of an unnamed Latin American country's turbulent history. Allende constructs a spirit-ridden world and fills it with colorful and all-too-human inhabitants. The Trueba family's passions, struggles, and secrets span three generations and a century of violent change, culminating in a crisis that brings the proud and tyrannical patriarch and his beloved granddaughter to opposite sides of the barricades. Against a backdrop of revolution and counterrevolution, Allende brings to life a family whose private bonds of love and hatred are more complex and enduring than the political allegiances that set them at odds.

When I was in college I had to read this book for one of my literature classes. I never did. I love to read but a 400 page novel plus 3 other literature classes plus waiting tables plus being flat out tired of school is too much. Recently, I ordered some books from Barnes and Noble and while waiting for them to arrive I needed something to read. I noticed The House of the Spirits still on my bookshelf after 15 years so I decided to give it a read.

What a great book! And I'm actually glad I didn't read it in college--I probably would've rushed through it and wouldn't have enjoyed it. You know what Allende does in this book? She does a lot of foreshadowing. A lot. And I like it.

For example: Among them was the Poet on whose knees Alba often sat, little suspecting that one day she would walk behind his casket, with a bunch of bloody carnations in her hand, between 2 rows of machine guns.

And here's another one: ...boxes filled with copies [of the book] wound up in the basement, where Alba used them as bricks to build her trenches, until the day years later when they were used to fuel an infamous bonfire.

Oh, and here's one more: ...Blanca was curled up with her head on the round belly of her new friend. Many years later, they would be found in the same position, and a whole lifetime would not be long enough for their atonement.

Dum, dum, dummmmmm! I love foreshadowing. And I loved this book.

A Reconciled Heart by Jo Ann Snapp

2008-05-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

A Reconciled Heart is a strong testimony of faith and forgiveness. Author Jo Ann Snapp will touch your soul in a place you may have long since forgotten. With twists and turns around every corner, step into the 1890s as Abigail Bentley begins a journey to help a friend deal with a fearful heart. In the process, Abigail learns a timeless truth that she never really understood before. Forgiveness doesn't come from only the mouth, but from the soul and A Reconciled Heart.

My MIL loaned me her autographed copy of this book by an author who lives outside of Mountain View, Arkansas. It was a surprise read. I had never read Christian romance before (I prefer $5.99 bodice rippers) and didn't know if I would like it. And I did! This was a really nice book! It was suspenseful and I looked forward to picking it up every night after the boys went to sleep. Without giving too much away, though, I did think the "secret" deserved more attention from the characters but that's my own slow-to-forgiving heart talking.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

2008-05-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the present, The Kite Runner is the unforgettable, beautifully told story of the friendship between two boys growing up in Kabul. Raised in the same household and sharing the same wet nurse, Amir and Hassan nonetheless grow up in different worlds; Amir is the son of a prominent and wealthy man, while Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant, is a Hazara, member of a shunned ethnic minority. Their intertwined lives, and their fates, reflect the eventual tragedy of the world around them. When the Soviets invade and Amir and his father flee the country for a new life in California, Amir thinks that he has escaped his past. And yet he cannot leave the memory of Hassan behind him. (from google books)

Finally, a book that both WD and I loved! I could not put this book down. It's a little hard to read in a couple of places because of the difficult subject matter but overall it was just an awesome book. We're looking forward to seeing the movie soon. I learned a lot about Afghanistan and their culture. I can't wait to read Hosseini's second book, A Thousand Splendid Suns.

The Innocent Man by John Grisham

2008-05-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

A work of non-fiction, this title is an exploration of small town justice gone terribly awry. In 1982, a 21 year-old cocktail waitress in Ada named Debra Sue Carter was raped and murdered, and for five years the police could not solve the crime. For reasons that were never clear, they suspected Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. (from google books)

Ugh. I've read every John Grisham book there is and liked them all--even if they are all basically the same--so I thought I'd give this one a shot. Ugh. I gave up around page 100. I read for entertainment and reading about real life horrific-ness is not entertaining to me. I know bad, bad things happen in this world. I don't want to know the details if I don't have to. WD liked it, though.

Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan

2008-05-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

San Francisco art patron Bibi Chen has planned a journey of the senses along the famed Burma Road for eleven lucky friends. But after her mysterious death, Bibi watches aghast from her ghostly perch as the travelers veer off her itinerary and embark on a trail paved with cultural gaffes and tribal curses, Buddhist illusions and romantic desires. On Christmas morning, the tourists cruise across a misty lake and disappear.

The reviews for this book were not very good. But I love Amy Tan--surely they're wrong! After all it was a New York Times bestseller and USA Today referred to it as "rollicking" but sadly, I can't recommend this book. It didn't hold my interest. I could go days without reading it and not miss it. I just didn't care for any of the characters, even the ones I think we were supposed to care about. I did learn a lot about Myanmar, that was a plus. Oh, it did get good towards the end but not enough to save the book. Still love Amy Tan though.