Reader Wrap-Up

I've been reading quite a bit these last few months. I do this every once in awhile - have these insatiable urges to read whole days away. When I am rich and famous I will do just that. Until then I will read on my way to work, read while waiting for the elevators, read in lines, read at home, read in bed. I've finished the following books recently with the currently finished first.

Heat by Bill Buford
Verdict: This book has had a lot of money poured into it's promotion. However, I think that it is deserving. The author, Bill Buford, is a great writer and does a beautiful job describing his evolution from home kitchen cook to expert butcher, prepper, griller, etc. One of my favorite parts of the book is his description of Big and Small food and the taste memory of those from the Old Country. If you like food - I think you would enjoy this book.

The Bean Tree by Barbara Kingsolver
Verdict: Love. Love. Love. This is the first fiction of Kingsolver's that I've read. I know, I know. I own most of her books, just have not gotten around to reading them until now. This is a great story. Another book that illustrates that the number of pages you use to tell a story does not positively correlate with is magnitude.

Eventide by Kent Haruf
Verdict: I loved this book. I think that many of my feelings about books are somehow, in part, due to the books I've read immediately before (immediately below). Ken Haruf kicks ass with this book. It's short and sweet. The prose flows so beautifully. The characters are rich and the story is amazing. Many of the reviews on this book state, in one way or another, that the story "elevates" the reader. This is so true

I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb
verdict: This book was too damn long. I'm not against reading a long book, but it requires a tip in the cost benefit scale. This was chosen for my bookclub and, had it not been for that, I would have put it down. I get really angry when authors repeat the same scenes over and over with know real literary purpose. The characters were interesting, the story jarring. The fact that the author could have accomplished the same in a novel half the size will keep me from looking back fondly on this book and will leave me cursing it.

The Eight by Katherine Neville
Verdict: As you know, Elisa gifted me this book for my birthday. I thought it was interesting and was a fun read. I learned a little about chess and really enjoyed the setting of the book - Alergia. Now there would be a fun place to visit.


If you follow any of the links above they will take you to my LibraryThing catalog. This is a tool I found via a commenter (I don't remember who!) that I am totally addicted to. I have not yet gotten all of my books into it. Pretty much all of the knitting books are missing. It is so fun to see everything all organized and looking snazzy! *cough* *cough* total. nerd. *cough*