Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name, by Vendela Vida

I participated in a chain-letter-style book swap, and have actually received two books already, this being one of them. Interesting. I wonder if it would have been as interesting a story in a less foreign setting (Lapland, incidentally). Good though.

Hold Tight, by Harlan Coben

I like Coben's work in general, but this one kind of strained credulity. Not buying it coming together so tightly in the end.

Phantom Prey, by John Sandford

It's kind of refreshing to see Lucas Davenport feeling his age as he fights crime in Minnesota.

The Cold Moon, by Jeffrey Deaver

More.

The Bone Collector, by Jeffrey Deaver

Broken Window inspired me to reread earlier Rhyme/Sachs novels. This is where they get their start as a team.

Broken Window, by Jeffrey Deaver

A good thriller and a bracing look at what's happening to privacy rights in our digital age.

Night Passage, by Robert Parker

Jesse Stone is kind of like Spenser, but not as much as Sunny. Still fun to read.

Perish Twice, by Robert Parker

Sunny Randall is really just a female Spenser, but all right. Still fun to read.

A Darkness More Than Night, by Michael Connelly

More great Connelly rereading.

The House On Fortune Street, by Margot Livesey

Nice character study, told from different perspectives, with suicide as the underlying theme. Like it a lot.

The Final Detail, by Harlan Coben

Good basic thrillers.

Tobacco Road, by Erskine Caldwell

Really vivid and kind of heartbreaking. Racier than I expected.

Chillwater Cove, by Thomas Lakeman

Can't remember this, but I think it might have been ghost-y.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson

I've been hearing about this one for a while, and I really enjoyed it. It's basically a thriller/mystery, but in a really richly realized setting with great characters.

Peace Like A River, by Leif Enger

Loved this book and will definitely reread it soon, maybe even buy it. Some of the loveliest prose I've read in a long time, and rich with references to literature, the bible, westerns, and history.

Mind Prey, by John Sandford

Another good thriller writer. Lucas Davenport is a great character.

The Housekeeper And The Professor, by Yoko Ogawa

Reminiscent of The Elegance Of The Hedgehog, though more simply written. A look at the role memory plays in our lives and relationships, and really sweet.

City of Fire, by Robert Crais

A little convoluted and dense, but an all right thriller.

Running Blind, by Lee Child

I think I read this before, and I always enjoy the Jack Reacher books. What a great character. Has no one made a Reacher movie, yet?

The Fundamentals Of Play, by Caitlin Macy

I said earlier I would read this as an exercise after reading Macy's short-story collection, and that's all it was. Not great.

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

One of my picks for my online bookclub...I've been meaning to read it for a while, and it was certainly striking. I might need to read it again to fully appreciate it, but I am looking forward to the movie.

In The Heart Of The Canyon, by Elisabeth Hyde

Nothing monumental, but a really fun look at a lot of characters when they're forced to be together. It follows a group trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

The Narrows, by Michael Connelly

Old favorites, these.

Trace, by Patricia Cornwell

I used to love the Scarpetta novels, but this one just reinforced why I don't read Cornwell anymore. Disappointing to the point of ridiculousness.

Unaccustomed Earth, by Jhumpa Lahiri

This one got so much praise, I was kind of expecting more, but it was a good enough read.

Vanishing Acts, by Jodi Piccoult

This one's just all right. Not terribly memorable.

The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

A reread for my mom's group book club...I thought it would be a crowd pleaser, but they didn't like it for reasons I won't go into, but it's another one I respond to so emotionally that I overlook the flaws.

Slumdog Millionaire, by Vikas Swarup

I have to say, I think whoever adapted this missed some great opportunities. Not a terrible adaptation, but the book is much more interesting, and less forced than some of the movie was.

The Adventuress, by Audrey Niffenegger

See last post.

The Three Incestuous Sisters, by Audrey Niffenegger

Niffenegger started out as a paper and book artist, sort of like Claire in The Time Traveler's Wife, and this is an earlier art book of hers. Interesting visuals, and some similar themes to TTW.

False Impression, by Jeffrey Archer

I think this was a 9/11 story, but I don't remember it either.

Paths of Glory, by Jeffrey Archer

Can't really remember this one.

Darkfever, by Karen Marie Moning

I picked this up by accident without realizing it was a fantasy-romance-y sort of thing, and read it anyway. And damned if it isn't part of a trilogy, which I feel honor-bound to read now. Figures.

Cold Plague, by Daniel Kalla

Virus-nearly-allowed-to-kill-everyone! Saved at the last second by a clever CDC guy. Now you don't have to read it.

The Leisure Seeker, by Michael Zadoorian

Funny and heartbreaking story about an old couple traveling on their Last Hurrah trip in an RV. Liked it a lot.

Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer

More of the same...I might be out of order.

Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer

More of the same.

New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer

More of the same.

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer

Well, a client lent them to me, so I read them. And they are pretty darn good YA fantasy books. I would have been all over them at 14.

Collected Stories, by Tennessee Williams

I think Williams is now one of my mythical dinner companions...you know that game? Some of these stories are dark, dark, dark, but funny and human.

A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini

Reread this for the mom's group book club...it's so interesting to me when a book touches me despite my being really aware of its flaws, and this is one of those books. Really interesting look into that part of the world, if it was a little predictable, much like The Kite Runner.

The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory

Classic historical romance. Never saw the movie. My librarian friend from college recommended this, too.

Immoral, by Brian Freeman

Can't remember this one either.

In Secret Service, by Mitch Silver

Can't remember anything...sure it was a political thriller of some kind.

Hide, by Lisa Gardner

Good thriller. Fun to try to put the pieces together along with the main characters.

The English Major, by Jim Harrison

First time I've read him. Reminds me a little bit of Richard Russo, and I liked it.

A Lucky Child, by Thomas Buergenthal

Another Holocaust survival story, and a really wonderfully written one. Self-critical, and self-aware, in good ways.

Charity Girl, by Michael Lowenthal

This was a second choice one of the months of my online book club, but it looked interesting. It's based on a true story of girls with Venereal Disease getting locked up in what were essentially prisons, which I'd never heard of. Not the best book ever, but really interesting.

The Elegance Of The Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery

See?

Day, by Elie Wiesel

I read Night ages ago, but never even knew there was a Day. Interesting counterpoint. Wiesel spoke at my college, and he's got a way with words.

Year Of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks

This was for my online book club, and was also recommended by my best friend from college (now a librarian). I liked it a lot, though the ending went a kind of sudden and odd direction that probably wasn't entirely necessary. It's interesting to read a story like this about old plague (and based on a true story) in light of H1N1 and the like.

After The Darkness, by Elie Wiesel

I saw a documentary about a Holocaust survivor, and that sent me onto a Holocaust survival story kick. This is a collection of stories woven into a general history of the time, along with some heart-breaking photography.

Tripwire, by Lee Child

Good military guy-turned-drifter thrillers.

The Devil's Code, by John Sandford

Another author I read a lot...your basic thrillers.

Valley Of The Dolls, by Jacqueline Susann

Read this for my mom's group book club, and missed the discussion due to travel. Interesting to read in light of today's social mores and values. Sort of tragic in general.

Sleeping Beauty, by Phillip Margolin

Can't even remember what this was about.

Handle With Care, by Jodi Piccoult

This is another case where I liked the author's earlier books quite a lot, but am not enjoying the newer ones. Specifically with this book, it's so blatantly emotionally manipulative (which is kind of Piccoult's "thing," admittedly) that it made me angry to read it. Also, it's told in a million different voices, too many for my taste. Easy enough to follow, but totally unnecessary and irritating. One of those books I was cranky to finish.

Home Safe, by Elizabeth Berg

Eh. I really loved her earlier books and have loved her more recent ones less. Kind of a what-happens-next story where nothing much happens.

A Great Deliverance, by Elizabeth George

Love her books, have read them all, and reread regularly.

A New Year Already, And Months and Months Behind.

Well, what can I say. At least it's true to form. I have a list, and I will do my best to catch up to the present. I'm sure I'm missing a few along the way, and will add them with the '09 tag as I remember reading them.

Spoiled: Stories, by Caitlin Macy

I felt about this one like I felt about I'm Sorry You Feel That Way. People of questionable quality behaving badly and justifying it. Not much growth or change in the characters. This is the kind of short story collection I'm used to not liking, as I mentioned in the In Other Rooms, Other Wonders post.

Macy's written a novel, too, and I think I will read it out of academic curiosity, but my hopes are not high.

My Name Is Will, by Jess Winfield

The subtitle for this one is "A novel of sex, drugs, and Shakespeare," and that pretty much sums it up. I'm not sure how interesting it would be for someone not familiar with or interested in Shakespeare, but since I am both of those things, it was a lot of fun for me. Pretty vivid sex and drug scenes as well, interspersed with quasi-historical re-imaginings of Shakespeare's life and inspiration for his works.

It's fun to spot the re-purposed quotes from Shakespeare, though I'm sure I missed some. This is my next book club book, and I'm interested to see what people say about it.

The Elegance Of The Hedgehog, by Muriel Barberry

I liked this book so much. It was so dense and multilayered, and suffered no ills from translation as far as I can tell. I'll have more to say after I reread it. I don't think I can do it justice on one reading.

Edited to add: It's my turn to pick the books to vote on for September bookclub, and so far this has the most votes...yay!

Fever 1793, by Laurie Halse Anderson

I read this for my online book club, and was kind of disappointed. It's a pretty straightforward book. Not much to discuss, it seems to me. Interesting in light of the current swine flu epidemic, but on its own, just a basic YA story told through the voice of a young girl faced with unusual circumstances.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski

I started reading this just before we went to Texas for a long weekend, and by page 13 knew that I would like it, and by halfway through, knew that I would have to leave it home (big, hardcover library books being no good on planes, especially when traveling with a toddler) and that was fairly agonizing.

I was really happy to get back to it, and thrilled that it lived up to my page 13 expectations. Loosely based on the story of Hamet, but not bogged down by it. The parallels were many, but some were very subtle, and wonderful twists, like the Ophelia stand-in. But, and this based on commentary from non-Hamlet readers in my online book club, not knowing Hamlet is in no way an impediment to enjoying this book. The story stands alone really well.

Wroblewski handled writing in the voice of the dogs so incredibly well. He made them legitimate characters, within the confines of what he imagined their mental and emotional capabilities to be. They're not cutesy, nor does he give them human-level intellects. Still some of the best writing I've read in a long time.

I cared so much about what happened to Edgar and his dogs, and even though I knew (based on Hamlet) what was likely to happen in the end, I was still ignoring household chores and whatnot to get there. One of the most compelling books I've read recently.

In Other Rooms, Other Wonders, by Daniyal Mueenuddin

I am not the biggest fan of short story collections. As a rule, they leave me unsatisfied and wanting more. This is a huge exception to that. Despite the different characters in each story (though all connected somehow, Altman-style), this book reads like a complete work. Not exactly beginning-middle-end style, but the book stands as a very satisfying read, and very illuminating. I'll look for more from him.

Pandora's Clock, by John J. Nance

Boring. Dumb suddenly-in-love story in an otherwise unremarkable thriller. Got this off of the thrift store table and it's going right back.

I'm Sorry You Feel That Way, by Diana Joseph

The subtitle of this is "The Astonishing but True Story of a Daughter, Sister, Slut, Wife, Mother, and Friend to Man and Dog." I am always skeptical of titles like this. Why does the author feel the need to say so much? Are they worried that we are too stupid to draw our own conclusions, or that we might draw conclusions about them that are not what they intended? I don't know, but I think the glowing reviews of this book are unwarranted. It wasn't bad, but it falls in the category of books about bad behavior that seem to say "Yes, I am a bad person, and I don't think that's so bad after all, right?" Which I don't agree with. Sure, good people make mistakes, but they don't glorify them. They try to learn from them and move on. There's no growth in this book, and therefore no change, and thus no drama, in the literary sense of the word.

City of Bones, by Michael Connelly

More great Connelly.

Moscow Rules, by Daniel Silva

Good one, but it feels like a set up for a sequel, which I am sure is already being written.

The Genius, by Jesse Kellerman

I liked this a lot! Interesting, unusual narrator: flawed, but made you want to see what he would do. Accompanied by a nice family history parallel that explains the current day mystery. I also thought he wrote really understandably about the art world.

Quiver, by Peter Leonard

Leonard got a good jacket quote from Michael Connelly, so I was expecting more than your basic unmotivated-character-thriller. The bare bones of a good book were there, and this is his first book, so maybe he'll do better next time.

Angels Flight, by Michael Connelly

More of the same great LA thrilling from Connelly.

Portnoy's Complaint, by Philip Roth

Well, now I've read two Roth books and feel like I have the right to say that I don't care for his writing. His style feels very dated, both in the older book and the newer one I read (the title escapes me and I don't care enough to look it up). Whiny. One note. Boring.

The Widows Of Eastwick, by John Updike

It was neat to read about the same characters so many years later, and I while I haven't experience old age, yet, it seems like Updike did a really good job describing how the women experienced the changes to their bodies and temperaments.

The Reader, by Bernhard Schlink

This was a really good book. We saw the movie not so long ago, which was fantastic, and I wanted to see how it read. A very simple book, which in my view is the best kind of book to adapt to film. When I studied the holocaust in college, I was most interested in what led the ordinary folks to perpetrate such terrible things, and this is an excellent dramatization of exactly that.

The Scarecrow, by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch is my favorite, but the Terry McCaleb novels are good, too. Jack McEvoy is just not enough of a character for a whole book, and does really dumb things that I just don't buy that a savvy reporter would do. This is unusual for Connelly for me. If he writes another McEvoy novel, I'll read it, since I love Connelly so much, but I am guessing I won't care for it much.

Deaf Sentence, by David Lodge

I haven't read any Lodge before, but someone mentioned his name in the same breath as my favorite Richard Russo, so I thought I'd give him a try. It was a great book; really vivid characters and a quirky story. Very much like a British version of Russo. I will read more of his work.

Faithless, by Karin Slaughter

I didn't remember this one and had to look it up to remind myself, which is probably not a great sign, but it was an okay book. Again, characters behave in entirely unbelievable ways, but that's almost always the case in these thriller novels.

Ordinary Heroes, by Scott Turow

I realized I had read this before not too far it, though as usual, didn't remember how it ended. I really like Turow's style. It's a little richer than your average paperback thriller-type novel. I'm a sucker for WWII stories, too, and I liked how the contemporary narrator was mainly a way to tell the story, but I still cared about him without knowing too much about him.

Deep Fire Rising, by Jack Du Brul

Boring. The elements were all there, but people behaved ridiculously. A character can't be suspicious of everyone, but trust anyone. I just don't buy it.

No Great Mischief, by Alistair McLeod

Eh, I didn't care much for this one. One of those books that follows a family over time, but never gives you much information on the current members, or at least does it so late that you just don't care. Reminded me of weak version of Annie Proulx's prose style.

The Lincoln Lawyer, by Michael Connelly

Exactly what you expect from Connelly, with a slightly different main character. I love him.

Triangle, by Katharine Weber

Didn't care for this one. Nice idea to parallel the fire with present day characters, but something was missing in the execution. Too bad, since some of the characters were really interesting. It felt like there were three unexplored seeds for novels here, none of which are the novel she actually wrote. Too bad.

Black Seconds, by Karin Fossum

An odd book. Very simple, but possibly marred by a weak translation from the Norwegian. A classic murder mystery, but with good details.

The Nine, by Jeffrey Toobin

Interesting take on the Supreme Court. Lots of things I didn't know. Author seems to have a liberal bent.

Execution Dock, by Anne Perry

Part of a series about Victorian-era policemen. Or maybe a slightly later era; I don't pretend to know exactly. Entertaining, though.

The 19th Wife, by David Ebershoff

A sprawling, history-parallels-present-day tale of the Mormon religion and progression across the United States. The narrator is unexpected, and creates a nice counterpoint to the Mormon characters. It's a lot of book, and I really enjoyed it.

Gossip of the Starlings, by Nina de Gramont

Sort of a more literary-minded version of Gossip Girl. Soapy, but with a serious undertone.

The Pleasure Of My Company, by Steve Martin

I didn't love Shopgirl all that much (though I have enjoyed Martin's plays) so I was prepared not to like this one. And I kinda did. Not really, but it was engaging and by the end I cared what happened to the main character and his disorder. It makes me want to read more about OCD and the like.

The Unquiet, by John Connolly

I like reading Connolly's creepy, slightly fantastical books, but I confess that by the end I am usually pretty tired of the creepiness.

Damage Control, by Robert Dugoni

Bad. Just a bad book.

Lush Life, by Richard Price

I don't really remember much about this book, which is a bad sign, since it's not just a throw-away thriller.

The Bad Seed, by William March

I read this because Stephen King told me to in his column for Entertainment Weekly. I find he rarely leads me astray, at least as far as books are concerned. Totally creepy and a little bit terrifying.

Lie Down In Darkness, by William Styron

It was really neat to read this just after Sophie's Choice, since the first novel Stingo is working on is clearly inspired by this, Styron's first novel. I didn't enjoy it as much, but it was still a good read. The south is so clear in his writing, and the characters so damaged.

Sophie's Choice, by William Styron

I love this book, and I read it every 5 years or so, probably. Happened to catch the movie, which inspired the re-read, and then my getting some other Styron books out of the library.

Definitely harder to read the parts about her children now that we've got Clara.

The Brass Verdict, by Michael Connelly

A second Mickey Haller book, in which he and Harry Bosch butt heads and discover things. I always love Connelly, but I think I would have liked this more if the perspective had shifted from Haller to Bosch. Haller's just not as compelling a character for me.

The Ruins, by Scott Smith

This is a re-read. I like Smith's books. They're all about how extreme situations reveal us in ways we might not prefer. This one is especially creepy, with an element of fantasy that adds to the tension and gives the story an unpredictability that I enjoyed.

The Gate House, by Nelson De Mille

This is a sort of sequel to The Gold Coast, written and taking place 10 or 15 years later. It's basically the same story, updated for the times and with a few tweaks here and there. Still enjoyed it.

The Gold Coast, by Nelson De Mille

Chris and I both read this, and we do enjoy DeMille, though we both agreed it was a little predictable, and occasionally we don't buy the actions of the main characters. But they're otherwise interesting, engaging characters, and I always want to know what's going to happen with them.

Lady Killer, by Lisa Scottoline

One of the Mary DiNunzio books. I go back and read a Scottoline every now and then when there's not anything else around to read. I don't think she's a very good writer. Her characters are wholly unbelievable and frequently do stupid things that advance the story, but that take you out of it as you consider their stupidity.

Indignation, by Philip Roth

My first Roth, inspired by a Facebook quiz that asked "Roth or Updike?" and I had no answer, having read neither. Didn't love this book, and I'm planning to read some older Roth to see if it's him, or just the book.

Rough Weather, by Robert Parker

More of the same fabulous Parker stuff. Love everything he does.

Two Minute Rule, by Robert Crais

So, I read this ages ago and I remember nothing, so I decided I would just say that, rather than look up a synopsis. It is a basic thriller, I guess. Not super-memorable, though I confess that I don't tend to remember those kinds of books much anyway, unless I really connect to the character, or it's part of a series. The Gabriel Alon books are an example of that.

City Of Thieves, by David Benioff

Liked this one a lot. I read it as part of an online book club, which is fantastic. Each person take a month, picks 3 books, we vote, we read, and we discuss. It's a perfect, no pressure situation, and as much as I think I would enjoy a real life book club, this is much better suited for life right now.

Anyway, this book is a WWII story about unlikely friends, unlikely heroes, served up with a pretty harsh description of what it was like in Russia. You don't hear much about Russia in WWII lit, and it was really interesting.

Word Of Honor, by Nelson De Mille

A book about a My Lai-style massacre in Vietnam, and the "truth" behind it. A little too wordy when it comes to court martial details, but interesting to read, especially since it was written in 1985, much closer to the war.

Under Cover Of Darkness, James Grippando

Eh. Mediocre thriller. Stupid "twist" at the end, led up to by unmotivated, hard-to-believe characters.

Backstory, by Robert Parker

Funny that I used the word "backstory" in my last post. Classic Spenser. Need I say more?

Careless in Red, by Elizabeth George

Love, love, love Elizabeth George. I think it's funny that she's from California. I love what she did with Lynley in his grief, and how a mystery brings her out of it. Love the dense detailing of characters and back stories.

The Innocent, by Harlan Coben

I like Coben's books. This one follows an ex-con in it-could-happen-to-anyone circumstances, and follows him through a sort of ridiculous, but still fun, plot against him and his wife.

Witches of Eastwick, by John Updike

Someone sent me a quiz about books on Facebook, and one of the questions was "Updike or Roth," which made me realize I'd somehow managed never to read either, so I picked this up at the library. I enjoyed it, despite vague memories of a crappy movie. It was interestingly dated, which didn't detract from the enjoyment for me.

Next, gotta get some Roth.

Assassin, by Ted Bell

Huh. I don't remember anything about this book, which probably means it was just an okay thriller, based on the title.

The Lost Van Gogh, by A.J. Zerries

A. J. Zerries is actually a husband and wife team, and it shows in the writing. I'm not aware of ever reading a really good team-written novel. This one is ludicrous, with unmotivated, really stupid characters, and a circuitous story that is nearly impossible to follow and believe in.

Extreme Measures, by Vince Flynn

I don't always love Flynn's writing, but I do love the way he uses his main character to espouse his political views. He kind of says what lots of people are thinking about the direction of the country, stopping terrorism, etc. I enjoyed this one more than the recent ones I've read.

The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard, by Erin McGraw

It's hard to read books where mother leave children, even if you sort of understand why. This one is kind of heartbreaking, but there is some redemption in the end. Also kind of neat to read a period piece set in LA. Lots of familiar landmarks.

Echo Park, by Michael Connelly

Reread of an old favorite.

The Third Angel, by Alice Hoffman

I'm posting this well after the fact, and it probably doesn't speak well for the book that I remember next to nothing about it, and don't care to look it up. I like old Alice Hoffman books, but the more recent ones have not done as much for me.

Solve Your Baby's Sleep Problems, by Richard Ferber

Much preferred this book to Weissbluth's book. Ferber seems to allow for different temperaments, different techniques, and he never suggests that by not using his program, your child will grow up to be an Ambien-addicted insomniac with social problems.

Confessions of a Contractor, by Richard Murphy

This is not a particularly good book, but is interesting in that it is chick lit written by a man, which brings to mind a sort of rude term that rhymes with "chick lit." A new style, I guess. Hoping it won't catch on.

Red Rover, by Deirdre McNamer

I liked this book. Didn't love it. Kind of bounced around in time a little too much for me, and without any initial payoff. The end was wrapped up a little too fast, but the characters are interesting, and the setting in Montana is really vivid.

The Fourth Hand, by John Irving

I always like his books, though I find that they frequently have a few too many words in them, you know what I mean? This one is the same: quirky characters, ridiculously singular situations. Fun.

The Forgery of Venus, by Michael Gruber

A fun book. A weird book. I'm still not sure if the narrator was crazy or not, and which of the many alternate realities presented was the real one. But really fun, and full of art and history.

Coraline, by Neil Gaiman

I picked this up randomly off of the kids' rack, knowing that I liked Neil Gaiman's adult books, but totally unaware that it was a movie coming out soon. In one of those fun coincidences, I saw three giant billboards (true LA-style) for Coraline as I was in the midst of reading it.

I've heard raves about the movie, especially in 3D, and if it hews closely to the book, I can imagine. Creepy story, not at all condescending in the way kids' books often are. Also not lesson-heavy, though a thoughtful reader could certainly find several.

After Dark by Haruki Murakami

I read this as part of an online book group, and then missed the conversation about it until it was over. This is not a book I would have picked up, and maybe even not a book I would have finished (though I usually finish books even when I don't like them), so I'm glad I felt some accountability.

It's a very stylized prose that takes some getting used to, and Murakami's technique of telling the reader what they're seeing and thinking is a little off-putting. That said, the "real" part of the story was good, and the characters were interesting, as was the framework of putting the whole story in one night, with hourly chapters.

My favorite part was the monologue toward the end by one of the hotel workers. If I ever act again, it will make a great audition piece.

My least favorite part was the metaphysical/magical realism bit about the main character's sister and the strange room/tv she was locked in. Odd. Unmotivated. Unresolved.

Dark Hollow, by John Connolly

More of the same. Spooky, spooky.

The White Road, by John Connolly

These are creepy thrillers, and I enjoy them, despite their outlandishness. Charlie Parker is a sort-of PI with a gift for seeing dead people -- hijinks ensue.

Finally Sitting Down

All right, part of the reason I've been waiting is that I've been trying to find the list of the books I read in December 2008, but I haven't found it, so I'm just going to go out of order. I'm the only one who cares about the numbers, and I'm managing that with tags, so here we go.

I Know, I Know

2 months with nothing. No posts, nothing. I have been reading. I can only blame the impending holidays, the holidays themselves, and the aftermath of the holidays, in which we have been trying to get back to what passes for normal around here.

I will catch up soon. Hopefully this weekend.

Feeding Your Baby, by Judy More

This one I liked, and not least because it is British, and therefore filled with entertaining linguistic departures from my own vocabulary (For instance, pulses means beans and such, which I didn't know before). It also references all kinds of British formula and milk products I'm not familiar with, but the recommendations and the recipes are great. There are really good for-the-whole-family recipes I'm eager to try.

The Outside Man, by Richard North Patterson

I usually really like RNP, but this one is kind of all over the place. The story is murky, and mostly in an unpleasant-to-keep-track of way, and the characters just didn't resonate for me at all. Disappointing.

The Baby Sleep Book, by William Sears

There's a ridiculously long subtitle that I didn't include. This book is much better written than the Weissbluth, and occupies the other end of the sleep-training spectrum. Still not much help.

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Marc Weissbluth, MD

We are in the midst of some really challenging sleep issues, and I've been reading quite a few books about it. This one is on the more extreme end of things, and I can't say I liked it. Philosophically, I'm definitely not in line with Weissbluth so much, but the bigger factor for me was his tone and the quality of the writing. It strikes me as really poorly written, and the tone is so alarmist, like if you don't do it his way, your child will end up addicted to Ambien or worse, and a chronic insomniac and manic-depressive.

The frustrating thing about these books is that no one really knows anything, and you can find a book to support any course of action. As a research-hound, I'm feeling a bit at sea over this.

Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and a Dream, by H. G. Bissinger

First, may I say that Friday Night Lights is one of the best shows on TV, and it is a sad testament to the poor taste of the viewing public that it is not more highly rated.

Second, the book is fascinating, and it's neat to see little bits of the book that I recall directly from the series. I need to watch the movie again, too; I believe it's written more closely to the book than the series.

It's also cool that the book has such a sense of time and place. It's the 80s, and the political and economic backdrop is as much a character as any of the people in the book.

Pope Joan, by Donna Woolfolk Cross

My friend Tanya alerted me to this one, and somewhere in the back of my head, I remember reading it years ago. It was fun to read again, though. Lots of history, good character development, and kind of neat to think that it might very well be true.

Mommy Made and Daddy Too, by Martha and David Kimmel with Suzanne Goldenson

A new friend made through my mom's group lent me this, and I'm asking for it for Christmas. It's a really user-friendly introduction with lots of yummy recipes, and lots of good information on each food. I've made several of the recipes already, and Clara seems to enjoy them!

Super Baby Food, by Ruth Yaron

I had this on hold at the library when a friend gave me her old copy of it. It's a little bit overwhelming, but appears to be full of good recipes.

Plum Island, by Nelson DeMille

Another John Corey book, and just as fun. Gets a little tediously implausible at the very end, but still good.

Night Fall, by Nelson DeMille

DeMille's character John Corey makes me and Chris laugh out loud occasionally, which is saying something, especially with Chris.

I enjoyed it. Slightly rogue cop, going off the reservation to solve a covered-up mystery. The ending of this book is both satisfying and unsatisfying, the reasons for which will be obvious if you read it, I think.

It Had To Be You, by Cecily von Ziegesar

A Gossip Girl prequel. Kind of more goofy than the rest of them.

Because I'm Worth It, by Cecily von Ziegesar

Another Gossip Girl book.

You Know You Love Me, by Cecily von Ziegesar

One of the Gossip Girl series.

All I Want Is Everything, by Cecily von Ziegesar

One of the Gossip Girl series.

I Like It Like That, by Cecily von Ziegesar

One of the Gossip Girl series.

You're the One That I Want, by Cecily von Ziegesar

One of the Gossip Girl series.

It Had To Be You, by Cecily von Ziegesar

One of the Gossip Girl series.

Gossip Girl, by Cecily von Ziegesar

So, confession time. One of my latest guilty pleasures is the TV series "Gossip Girl". My penchant for reading books that have been adapted for screen has led me to read some of the series, which I will list after this, probably not in order.

The books are definitely engaging, and very quick reads. The TV adaptation is good. They've taken the essence of the series, and conflated some characters and story lines, and so far all the changes are good ones for television.

I have to say, these books scare me just a little, as they are targeted to pre-teens. They're pretty racy! Sex, drinking, drugs, etc. Entertaining reading, sure, but I hope there are no such books popular when Clara is older.

Later, At The Bar, by Rebecca Barry

If this girl hasn't read some Richard Russo books, I will eat my hat. Nice stories with that small, northeastern town flavor.

Hard News, by Jeffrey Deaver

Female protagonist, not the most realistic voice. Also a fairly unconvincing 4-year-old character. Still, an okay book.

Did I use any complete sentences there?

So Much To Catch Up On

Yeah, I know. It's been 2 months. I'm not sure I've kept very good track of what I've actually read, so there are probably going to be a few missing, and I'm certain they're not in the order I actually read them.

In other news, all is well in the Pierce family. We had a lovely Thanksgiving at home, our first time hosting, with a great potluck meal and 6 friends of various vintages. It was so nice, and fairly stress-free. Our friend Will cooked the turkey, which certainly contributed to my low stress level.

Clara got to try a bunch of new foods: turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, a tiny bit of hot cocoa, a crumb of pumpkin bread, some bites of roll. We're breaking all kinds of food introduction rules over here.

The Killing Kind, by John Connolly

P.I novel with supernatural overtones. Lots of fun. The dialogue and charcters are vaguely reminiscent of Parker's Spenser books.

Iron Orchid, by Stuart Woods

I love how Woods' characters wander through each other's books. It's fun to run into Will Lee and Katharine Rule and Stone Barrington in a Holly Barker book. His books are always good reading.

Perfect Nightmare, by John Saul

Perfectly disjointed, and full of characters you won't care about.

Beautiful Boy, by David Sheff

A really well-written, emotionally charged, and truly terrifying book. I read it just after having my first child, and it scared the hell out of me, and made me think about how I will deal with the idea and temptation of drugs when Clara is older.

Sheff not only tells his personal story of being an addict's parent, but he supports it with lots of research, most of it very scary, about meth addiction. I don't think I realized how horrible meth addiction is.

It's heartbreaking to see Sheff looking to himself as a possible source of his son's terrible downward spiral, and the scenes he details of Nic being sweet and wonderful with his half-brother and -sister make it all the more terrible how far down he goes.

I don't know if Nic has stayed clean at this point. I'm almost afraid to try to find out.

Tweak, by Nic Sheff

I'm about to write a longer, more reflective review of Nic's father's book detailing his son's meth addiction. Mostly because it was a longer, more reflective book. This one was mostly self-indulgent, I thought, and a little whiny. Sheff seems to be trying to find someone else to blame for his addiction. The last bit about the most successful rehab is interesting, though. It's almost as if Sheff becomes a different person when he is writing about trying to become a different person.

This book is only interesting as a companion piece, as counterpoint to his father's book. It doesn't stand alone.

The No-Cry Sleep Solution, by Elizabeth Pantley

I read this so long ago I don't remember what it was about, specifically. I don't remember being wowed by it.

The Attachment Parenting Book, by William and Martha Sears

I admit, I had gotten the idea somewhere that Attachment Parenting was a weird, no-boundaries hippie thing, so I didn't read this until recently. I was pleasantly surprised to find it very common sense, and kind of what we're doing already. Who needs parenting style books?

Hit Parade, by Lawrence Block

See other Keller review. Same stuff. Fun, though. Good dialogue.

Hit Man, by Lawrence Block

A Keller book. The nicest hitman you'll ever meet. These books read like short stories with the same characters.

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, by Dyan Sheldon

Maybe I'm just getting to be old and fuddy-duddy, but the newer pre-teen-ish books are so stupid, compared to the ones I read. Yikes.

The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson

I'm not sure I ever read this one as a kid, but I really enjoyed it. Some pretty serious issues in there. Made me think about how challenging it will be to talk to Clara about the hard parts of being human.

The Zero Game, by Brad Meltzer

The first 20% of this book was told in one voice, and then Meltzer killed that voice off, and switched to another we'd only heard a little of so far. Disconcerting. Not the most fun I've ever had reading, but not awful.

Gone Bamboo, by Anthony Bourdain

Sort of the continuation of Bone In The Throat, but with slightly different characters in similar situations. Equally fun.

Bone In The Throat, by Anthony Bourdain

More of the same fun mobster/chef action from Bourdain. Very engaging. You can see him imagining himself as the protagonist.

The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

This one was as good as I remembered it. I read all of his books as a child. Maybe they're squirreled away in a box in my parents' house somewhere. Really fun to read again.

The Color of Blood, by Declan Hughes

Irish P.I. novel. Pretty much like American P.I. novels, but with dialect. Fun.

Footloose, by Leanne Banks

The worst kind of chick lit, veering into outright romance trash. Not as much fun as it sounds.

The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold

I hated her last book, so when I picked this one up to reread, I was afraid I would discover that I was crazy when I read it before, and that it was awful. Not so. Maybe not as good as I remember it being the first time, but then, it's a rare book that is. She is very good at pain.

Tanner On Ice, by Lawrence Block

I really enjoyed this weird little book. It's my first Tanner book, and while the language seemed almost dated, it was right for the character somehow. Fun.

The Lincoln Lawyer, by Michael Connelly

I love re-reading these. Every one I read, I can claim more of the LA references.

What To Eat, by Marion Nestle

This is a really great book, and reminds me, in an odd way, of my religious studies classes studying the bible with Professor Greenwald. We looked at the bible historically, semantically, fictionally, etc., and Nestle examines food in a similar way. She looks not only at the expected calories and fat and carb content, but also the political history of certain foods, and the sometimes frightening strength of the lobbies behind foods. It makes me never want to trust anything on an label again. She outlines strategies for getting the most out of food on your plate and in the grocery store. Very interesting.

Way Behind, I Know

Well. It's been some time, so I'm about to do quick reviews of a bunch of books. They are in no particular order. All is well here. The baby continues to grow, we work and play and enjoy the weather in LA.

The Bobby Gold Stories, by Anthony Bourdain

My first novel by Bourdain. It reads like a fictionalized Kitchen Confidential crossed with a Sopranos script. Nice writing style.

In A Strange City, by Laura Lippman

Moderately good mystery. Not my favorite series of mysteries. Nice Edgar Allan Poe/Baltimore plot basis.

Gone For Good, by Harlan Coben

Enjoyable, but his books feature really similar plot devices, so they are best read separated by other literary fare.

Tell No One, by Harlan Coben

Solid thrillers. I like his books a lot, and maybe I like this a little better than the ones featuring Myron Bolitar, master sports agent.

Finally Caught Up

So, you may have guessed that I didn't actually just read all of those books I posted. They've been scattered over the last month or two. I don't know why I find it so hard to keep up to date. I guess it's just not in my nature. I can't blame the baby, because I did it before her.

Speaking of the baby:

Well, never mind. Can't upload. Will try again later.

Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain

I've so much enjoyed Bourdain's appearances on Top Chef, and his own show about traveling the world in search of weird wonderful food. One of my clients has this book on her shelf and every time I see her I say to myself, "gotta get that one." Finally, I have.

Fun book. Self-deprecating and wry, and a really interesting look into the cooking subculture. He's written some novels, apparently, and I've put those on hold at the library. I'm predicting they will be a little self-indulgent, but fun.

Into The Wild, by Jon Krakauer

We just saw the movie, which was disappointing. Heavily over-directed. I read the book for the first time long enough ago that I couldn't remember what was tweaked a little and what was straight from the book. It's a pretty close adaptation, but there are conflated characters, and a couple of timeline issues. They also chose to present an absolute cause for the boy's death, while the book presented several possibilities.

Anyway, do both, or skip the movie, read the book.

Darker Than Night, by John Lutz

I read another one of this series a while back, a later one, and it's fun to put the pieces in place as far as character and relationships go. I'll read some more of his books.

Dead Watch, by John Sandford

A new hero for Sandford, and I'm not sure if I liked him. He seems a little too good to be true. Maybe he'll grow on me.

I miss Davenport and Kidd.

Marked Man, by William Lashner

Another one I don't really remember much of: I guess it's a standard legal thriller.

A Matter of Degree, by Tom Philbin

Interesting. The protagonist is kind of creepy, just a little too interested in the killers he chases. It reads a little dated, published in 87. I won't seek it out, but if I came across another of this series on a hotel bookshelf or something, I would read it.

Blinded, by Stephen White

It is not a good recommendation for this book that I had to google it to remember what it was about. Your basic thriller. I found the characters a little less than genuine.

Hit List, by Lawrence Block

This is my first Block, as far as I can remember, and I enjoyed it. I don't know what it is that makes assassins so compelling, but they seem to make really good main characters. I'm interested to read more John Keller books.

Blue Screen, by Robert Parker

I have to say, there is not much other than name and circumstance (and gender, in Sunny Randall's case) to distinguish Parker's non-Spenserian characters from Spenser himself. I'm not complaining. It's kind of refreshing, just to have a slightly different take, but the clever dialogue, overall toughness, and moral relativism is the same whichever protagonist we follow.

This one is good, just like the others.

Runaway Jury, by John Grisham

I read this a long time ago, but recently caught part of the movie on cable, and wanted to see how much it matched. It's an engaging story. Better than many of his have been recently.

The Other Side of the Story, by Marian Keyes

More fun than I thought it would be, and the author is very good at distinguishing the voices of the three "sides" of the story.

Watermelon, by Marian Keyes

Fluff. UK fluff, but fluff just the same. Fun to read for me right now in the throes of early-motherhood, since the main character has a baby in the beginning. It reads like an early book, though, and I wonder if her writing improved.

Cathedral, by Nelson DeMille

This one is a good read, and it's interesting how dated it feels. I don't think it's even 20 years old.

Anne of Windy Poplars, by L. M. Montgomery

I've just been re-reading the Anne books, and I hear on the radio that it's the 100th anniversary of Anne. Lovely, lovely books.

New England White, by Stephen L. Carter

I enjoyed his other novel so much, I was really looking forward to this one, and I enjoyed it, too. The main character is a side character from The Emperor of Ocean Park, which is kind of neat. Lots of overlap in terms of setting, characters, themes... It's also written from a different point of view. The writing is dense, but in a good way. You actually have to work a little to read this, and I think that's good.

Island of the Blue Dolphin, by Scott O'Dell

Another childhood favorite. I remember fantasizing about how I would live if I were abandoned alone somewhere. I learned after this reading that the main character was based on a real person, and that the island is one of the Channel Islands, which are off the coast about 2 hours from here. Crazy.

Misty of Chincoteague, by Marguerite Henry

A beloved childhood book. Simpler than I remember it being. Funnily, I also remember it being more from the horse's point of view.

Clara's New Quilt

So fantastic, from her Great-, er...I mean, Terrific-Aunt Susan. Couldn't match the nursery better if we had picked out each piece of fabric ourselves. Clara could stare at it for hours.

Just Because She's Cute

Being a Mama

So far, so good. We have been blessed (so far!) with a pretty easy-going girl. She's made great strides developmentally in just the last few days. It's pretty amazing at this age (7 weeks) how you can almost see the milestones happening right before your eyes. Clara is following things with her eyes, and turning her head to follow sounds. She's got really good control over her head right now, and is making all sorts of funny little conversational sounds. She's also just on the verge of a full-out laugh.

Her Nana is here to visit, finally, and it has been a real joy seeing them get to know each other. Nana has introduced the "motorboat," and "You Are My Sunsine," and Clara loves them both.

Rain Fall, by Barry Eisler

More John Rain. This one I enjoyed particularly, since I have been reading them out of order, and this goes way back to meeting a love interest who has been featured in later books. Sometimes it's fun to read a series out of order, as long as the books are meant also to stand alone. Little things fall into place.

Resistance, by Owen Sheers

I really enjoyed this. It's a novel about a small valley in Wales, where the men disappear as part of the insurgency in an alternate ending version of WWII, in which Germany wins. The women are left to farm and survive on their own, and to deal with the small German unit that shows up to investigate. The language is really crisp and simple, and the descriptions of the work they do are vivid.

The Memory Game, by Nicci French

I really liked this book, and the twist at the end surprised me a little, though the fact that there was a twist didn't. It's another British one, which is always fun, and her style of writing is vaguely reminiscent of Elizabeth George, though not with such an impressive vocabulary. I will definitely seek out more of her writing.

The Master Bedroom, by Tessa Hadley

This book was all right, I guess. I did get engaged with some of the characters, but it's a pretty ponderous tone. I'm also not a fan of departing from regular punctuation in dialogue, unless there's a compelling reason in the content of the story. I wouldn't recommend it, but I'm not upset I spent the time on it.

Gods Behaving Badly, by Marie Phillips

An engaging book, if a little too cute. Lots of great references to London, and to Greek mythology, some uncommon ones. It's an imaginative book, and the way she uses features of London to parallel bits of mythology is fun. Very diverting, and a quick read.

T is for Trespass, by Sue Grafton

These books are so much fun, it makes me want to go back and read the whole alphabet. Not sure that I will, but I enjoyed this one. Grafton departs from form just a little, giving us a second point-of-view. I wonder what she'll do with "U"?

Anne of the Island, by L. M. Montgomery

Anne gets slightly less interesting as she ages, but Montgomery's other characters make up for it entirely. Davy Keith is always fun, and the new folks Anne meets at college are entertaining, too.

Anne of Avonlea, by L. M. Montgomery

I can't remember how far I got with these books when I was a girl, but my plan is to work my way through all of them, and perhaps into her other series as well. I love the character monologues and the language. So much fun. I hope that Clara will love them someday, too.

The Hearing, by John Lescroart

I can't believe I never read this one. Loved seeing Glitsky's courtship of Treya, such as it was.

Betrayal, by John Lescroart

I would love to know how to pronounce his last name.

These characters, including the city of San Francisco, are so familiar. I love reading these books, even when they strain plausibility.

The Emperor of Ocean Park, by Stephen L. Carter

This is the first serious book I read after giving birth. It took me a really long time to get through it, partly because it is long, and partly because of the baby. I almost felt that it was too long, but every time it started to get ponderous, something happened that kept me engaged. I love the main character, and how the most interesting character traits are their flaws. Really engaging book; I will look for more from him.

The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis

It's all so obvious, now that I know things about religion. I wonder if kids who grow up in traditional Christian churches recognize the allegory when they read these?

The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis

This is one of my favorites. Puddleglum is one of my favorite Narnian characters.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis

More fun in Narnia.

A Few Hours After Birth

The Horse and His Boy, by C. S. Lewis

More Narnia.

Prince Caspian, by C. S. Lewis

More Narnia. So much fun to read. Can't wait to read them to Clara.

The Magician's Nephew, by C. S. Lewis

Re-reading the Narnia books again, and the Christian allegorical stuff is even more obvious than when I re-read them last. I love the green and yellow rings in this one.

Rite Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, by Stephen King

I picked up this book to be one of my disposable books for the hospital, and I read just the beginning of it there. I love this story, and I really think they did a lovely job of adapting it for the movie.

Cold Service, by Robert Parker

Love Parker. Always good. I started reading this one just as labor set in, and finished it the day we brought Clara home from the hospital.

And the next day, we had a baby.

Just realized that my last posts were the day before we welcomed our daughter Clara into the world. Somehow, I've managed to read since then, though nothing particularly meaty. She is wonderful, and we will tell her story in another blog that we'll get around to starting eventually.

At any rate, I predict less frequent posting, but I will try to keep up.

The Motive, by John Lescroart

More of the same from Lescroart, and always good.

The Last Assassin, by Barry Eisler

I just realized with this book what Eisler is doing with perspective. All of the action/operational parts are from Rain's point-of-view, while we occasionally get chapters from the lives of other characters. It's a neat way to get us firmly in John Rain's head, while also allowing us to know things he doesn't. Clever, and pretty seamless, since it took 3 books for me to notice it.

Killing Rain, by Barry Eisler

Another book about assassin John Rain. I'm enjoying these. The detailing is great, sort of like Tom Clancy restrained, and the characters are fascinating.

A is For Alibi, by Sue Grafton

Going back to the start of the whole alphabet-Kinsey thing. Very entertaining. Quick read.

How Green Was My Valley, by Richard Llewellyn

I love this book. I read it a long, long time ago, but it felt wonderfully familiar. I love the poetic prose, and the crazy Welsh names. Such a lovely story of family.

The Book of Ruth, by Jane Hamilton

I kept expecting to recognize this one from having read it before, but I guess I missed this one along the way. Also kind of horrifying, like the Meg Tilly book, and with a similarly clear narrative voice. This one was interesting--the narrator's voice changed as she aged, in a very clear and believable way. I liked it.

Magic City, by James W. Hall

Thorn and Sugarman and Miami and the Florida Keys. Nothing new here, but a good story.

Singing Songs, by Meg Tilly

I read Tilly's Gemma a while back and really enjoyed it, as much as you can enjoy horrifying abuse stories. This is her first novel, which grew out of some of her short stories, and it doesn't hold together quite as well. Written in the voice of a young girl (Tilly's younger self, I presume), the voice is really clear, which makes the sections describing abuse that much more awful. But as a full piece of fiction, it didn't hold together for me.

The Dead Stone, by Vicki Steifel

I abandoned this book about a quarter of the way in because it was nearly incomprehensible, it was so convoluted. Then, due to poor library-management on my part, I ran out of books, so I picked it back up. I am disappointed to report that it did not improve. I almost abandoned it again, but by that time I was more than halfway through, and I figured it would not take very long to finish, especially since I was only reading about half the words on any given page.

Why do I do these things? I can't say, other than a sick kind of optimism. And she's won all kinds of awards and whatnot, which I guess doesn't mean much unless you know something about who's giving them. I have this image of a bunch of crappy thriller writers getting together to take turns lauding each other.

Capitol Murder, by William Bernhardt

Legal thriller. Not great, but the characters are familiar; I must have read something else of his along the way.

Straight Man, by Richard Russo

Russo is one of my very favorite novelists of all time, and I think he might be my most-re-read author. Straight Man was the first book of his that I read, pulled off the never-ending bookshelves of my friend Andy while I was staying at his apartment in Oakland one summer, between summer camps. I laugh out loud still at this one, and if you've ever been part of academia, you will be more likely to do so, too.

It's funny to me that my favorite characters in literature are middle-aged men, but Russo makes them so relatable and real and funny. He has a real gift for dialogue, as well.

If you've never read him, this, or Nobody's Fool are your best bets as Russo-gateway-drugs.

Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery

Just as sweet a book as I remember it being from my childhood. I am definitely going to pick up the rest of the Anne series soon. Charming characters, and wonderful dialogue. Anne's long stream-of-consciousness monologues are very funny.

In For The Kill, by John Lutz

Standard police/serial killer thriller. Not written particularly well, and intelligent-appearing characters do a lot of really stupid things.

The Nursing Mother's Companion, by Kathleen Huggins

As I said in the last post, much more dry to read than the other, but still full of information.

So That's What They're For: The Definitive Breastfeeding Guide, by Janet Tamaro

I think I can't really know how useful this book is until I'm doing the real thing, but it was chock full of information, and she uses a fairly entertaining prose style. It was easier to read than The Nursing Mother's Companion, and much less dry.

Projection, by Keith Ablow

Picks up where Denial left off and continues in the same vein. This one read more quickly, and slightly better. I don't know if it is actually better, or if my literary senses were just a little numbed by the first one. Maybe I'll try a third, just to see.

Company Man, by Joseph Finder

A reassuring thriller, after the Ablow book. A few segments where suspending your disbelief if just a little harder than it should be, but still a good read.

Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman

I just had a discussion last night about Neil Gaiman, and how he started out writing graphic novels. I know him from the book Good Omens, which I highly recommend, especially to anyone who enjoys Hitchhiker's Guide sorts of books.

This one was really delightful. Sort of a contemporary take on traditional African animal-based folktales, with plenty of magical realism and clever dialogue. A lot of fun.

Apparently, he also writes children's books, and I can only imagine how much fun that would be.

Denial, by Keith Ablow

Not great. Easy and quick, but not believable enough to really make it thrilling. I grabbed two of his books off the paperback shelf, so we'll see if it's just this one.

Requiem for an Assassin, by Barry Eisler

Not bad. I will probably grab a few of his earlier books featuring John Rain. Vaguely reminiscent of Gabriel Allon, though less fully-realized, I think.

Dark Gold, by David Angsten

Another disappointing thriller. Good idea, but it goes horribly astray in the execution. Why do I even bother finishing these books? I think it's because I am an optimist and I keep thinking that the author will redeem the book somehow.

The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

There is an accent mark in the author's last name, but I've never mastered that, nor do I have the inclination to do so, so you'll just have to trust me. Chris has been reading this to me and the baby over the last week or so, a little bit at a time. Very sweet, wonderful story, and Chris' delivery was excellent.

One Last Scream, by Kevin O'Brien

The only reason I would recommend anyone read this book is to wonder at the extreme stupidity of the main character. I realize that for thrillers to work, people can't be making the right decisions all the time, but this woman really takes the cake. She veers from being wildly intelligent and analytical (she's a therapist!) to completely hare-brained and clueless. The story itself was kind of neat, just poorly executed. The characters were all a little unbelievable and inconsistent. It went quickly, anyway.

Baby Bargains, by Denise and Alan Fields

We (mom and I) used the wedding version of this book planning my wedding, which was very helpful. This book initially overwhelmed us, and we had to put it down for a while. Once we got serious about picking things for the baby, and actually buying stuff, it was great to have as a reference for specific items. Overall, it's a lot of information, and very useful.

The Ghost, by Robert Harris

A pleasantly diverting sort-of thriller, very British, very quick read.

A Crib Is A Very Big Thing

We bought a crib this week. It's nice, clean lines, a stain so dark it almost looks black. I really like it. And for some reason, this, unlike any of the other baby stuff we've amassed so far, really got to me. As we were driving out of the parking lot after loading it, my hands were shaking a little. And after our wonderful friend Will helped Chris put it together (and in combination with a few other irritants that evening), I had a very brief, minor breakdown. Tears, irrational talk, etc. I felt a lot better afterward, though.

In retrospect, I think the crib is the biggest thing we've gotten so far. It takes up a huge amount of space in our nursery/guest room. Likewise, the baby will take up a huge amount of space in our life. Thus, the minor freakout. We've got about 6 weeks to go, give or take. Unbelievable.

In other baby-related news, we had our one-day intensive labor-prep class, which was mildly disappointing (very talky, not much hands-on), but did feature a minor celebrity! "Angela," from NBC's The Office, was in our class with her husband. They've just started filming again after the strike and she's spending a lot of time behind copiers and cubicle walls.

We also had an excellent meeting with our doula after the class, and she did a bunch of hands-on stuff with us, and I am more confident than ever that she is going to be a huge help to us. I really like her.

The Unlikely Spy, by Daniel Silva

Silva's first book, and so different from his others. I've now officially read everything he's written. This one is set in WWII, though is follows along the themes of his contemporary series: espionage, war, secrets, assassins, etc. It strikes me, reading this, how well Silva nails the language and cadence of many, many nationalities. He must either have had an interesting life, or one so boring that all he did was read.

In The Woods, by Tana French

This is the most engaging, can't-put-it-down book I've read in a while. Set in Ireland, it follows a pair of police detectives through a murder case with ties to one of the detective's childhood traumas. The relationship between the detectives and the third detective assigned to help them nicely parallels the childhood relationships of the traumatized one. The mystery is thick and full of twists and turns, and while it doesn't answer every question, is ultimately satisfying in the end, even if I felt a little sad not to know every secret at first. Really fascinating.

A Place Of Hiding, by Elizabeth George

I really love her books, and I picked this one up to reread when I was between library visits and only had a bunch of baby/birth books, which are not exactly escapist. I do have to say that I generally enjoy the books featuring Lynley and Havers a bit more, but this one was fun, too. Dense, and very, very English.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume

More blasts from the past. I can't remember what age I was when I read Judy Blume, but I'm amazed how little I remember from these books, and how entertaining they are to read now.

Stuart Little, by E.B. White

A classic that I had forgotten so much about. Clever, clever writing. I was moved to read several parts aloud to Chris as I worked my way through it. I wonder how White thought of it?

Sunstroke, by Jesse Kellerman

I'm assuming a connection to Jonathan and Faye, though I could be wrong. It was a pretty good book. An odd mix of thriller/mystery and an almost magical realism thing. Enjoyable. I will read some more of his and see what's what.

Muse, by Michael Cecilione

Pretty good thriller. Fun read. The main character's actions are a little hard to buy, but if you suspend your disbelief, you'll do fine.

Playing Dress-Up

So, things have been slow recently, and so I'm extra pleased to be doing some additional work this week. A massage client of mine who has become a friend has become an independent seller for Worth, a clothing line out of NYC. It's high end, designer-inspired clothes made from truly exquisite fabrics. They get their textiles from the same mills as Chanel, Armani, etc. And the leathers! Oh, my goodness, you could put these leathers on your bed and sleep in them, they're so unbelievably soft. It's a really easy line to sell.

Anyway, my job is general assistant, gopher, computer-wrangler, etc. and while it is wiping me out physically, I am really enjoying it. The clothes are so much fun, and it's really nice to get to play with them. I wear gym clothes (nice, coordinated stuff, but still) all the time for my regular work life, and I dress up so very rarely that it's even fun to dress other people up.

For instance, dressing our first client today (a former Miss Some-State-That-I-Forget who was a runner-up for Miss USA) was like playing real-life Barbies. She had a perfect figure, and everything looked amazing on her. So much fun. My friend will do a show each season, and I hope to get to participate further. I'll be missing the summer show, most likely, as it begins 2 days after my due date.

The Suspect, by John Lescroart

More of the same from a great legal thriller author. Good read.

Jacob Have I Loved, by Katharine Paterson

I don't think I ever read this as a kid, and what a shame. A really lovely book that I would have related to as a pre-teen, I think.

Twice Kissed, by Lisa Jackson

Blah. Convoluted, dull thriller with overly long sex scenes. Wouldn't recommend it.

High Profile, by Robert Parker

I can't say that I find that there is much difference between the Jesse Stone/Sunny Randall novels and the Spenser novels (except for Hawk, who is one of my favorite characters ever), but I always enjoy reading them, and they always go very quickly, so it's good that Parker turns them out at such a speedy rate.