did someone say book club?

i've read some fantastic books during these first four months of 2009.

something i really hate, and i mean hate, is not finishing a book i've started. i just think that its not fair to let the story run its course, to let the author make their point, whatever. i usually power through books i don't like and call it a day. at least i can be fair in my judgment because i gave it a chance and finished the book.


not so with two books ive picked up this year. one, paris to the moon. lovely title, pretty cover, glowing reviews from the new yorker and elsewhere. boring. slow. boring. slow. i put it down about 50 pages in to it. so don't say i didn't warn you.


then, more recently, kafka to the shore. i finally came the conclusion that it is not worth my time either. i saw this book in several magazines, widely acclaimed by a few celebrity guest columnists and what not, and have always meant to read it. i bought a used copy while in d.c. and was excited to see what the fuss was about. i'd still like to know. the writing is weird, sort of sci fi, and very depressing with lots of weird sex sidenotes. so, after 180 something pages, i have made an executive decision. the book will be returning to a used book store sometime soon.


i guess that's why they make chocolate and vanilla. one person's passion is another person's fire kindling. i'm sure some of the books on my shelf, others have snubbed their nose at, which is perfectly fine...and now-lets get to the good stuff.

1.) letter to my daughter, maya angelou

i'd never read anything by maya and this is great. very quick read, the chapters are each essays about something in life. maya angelou is full of wisdom but not too deep or lengthy. two thumbs way up.


2.) the hour i first believed, wally lamb
i had to read a wally lamb for a college lit class and fell in love with him. he's weird, quirky, and his writing is known for sucking the reader in. this is only his third book, because his books are quite lenthy (1000 or more pages!) and he takes extra care to thoroughly research the subjects. this book is about colombine, and yet so many other things. its very long but very good. its all fictional but the details he uses from colombine are all factual. great, wonderful book if you have the time. cathy robs comment was: this book is w-e-i-r-d. i say, lifes too short to be normal.

gee, i ramble a lot. forgive me. i'll stop here for now.