Reading List

Here is the list of books I have read recently that I would recommend. I may write more about them later, but let's be honest, probably not. But, then again, maybe I will.

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. This is a fun mystery about a 12 year old sleuth and her harrowing experiences trying to figure out who killed the man they found in their garden and why her dad is so secretive. Good beach read.

Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer. Gripping and eye opening true story of Pat Tillman's tragic death in the mountains of Afghanistan. Well written, shocking, and a book you will wish you could find someone else to talk about with.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. I was in Savannah, Georgia with a dear friend last August and every store was selling this book. Was this made into a movie?? Not sure, but I LOVED this book. It is a true crime novel with twists and turns, voodoo, zany characters, good intentions and a gripping story. Read it!

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Hmmmm. This is essentially the story of long (super long) distance running in America, a tribe in Mexico who run 100 mile races for fun, and of the history of long distance running around the world. It also is an attempt to take down the $200 running shoe industry and make you, to your own shock and amazement, surprisingly consider running barefoot. Need I say more?

Bossypants by Tina Fey. I was intrigued to read this book because of the media blitz that has recently surrounded Tina. I saw her on David Letterman, heard a podcast with her on NPR and saw the book everywhere. The book is a collection of essays, poorly written, but somewhat interesting. I saw some reviews that said the book was hilarious. I didn't find it to be hilarious, that would be a stretch, but I did think it revealed a character in Tina Fey that is just as conflicted as the rest of us, that second guesses herself, tries to justify her role in this world and is just a regular human being. For all of that, I really liked the book.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. Having recently spent some time in Paris, I was curious about this book as I walked by it one day at Target. Then, a friend also recommended it to me when I was desperately looking for a good book to read. Based on the true story of the Jewish relocation and their eventual annihilation that occured in Paris (which is not a history Paris would like to remember), it is a fictional account of one modern day journalist and one little girl's victimized family. Her story is soul stirring and agonizing. The writing bounces between the journalist's modern day investigation and the unfolding of Sarah's story. I found the modern part of the story awkward and a little boring, but Sarah's story was riveting. This would be a great book club book.

That's all for now.