Blood Memory, by Greg Iles

One of several "disposable" books I bought at the Cancer Society Thrift Store for a quarter each. Good, diverting thriller.

Look Me In The Eye: My Life With Asperger's, by John Elder Robinson

Really fascinating memoir of a man with Asperger's, who happens to be the brother of Augusten Burrows (author of Running With Scissors), who writes the introduction for the book. It's interesting simply to hear an internal description of what Asperger's is like, but Robinson has done some truly unique and interesting things.

Much more interesting than watching Tyra Banks mispronounce Asperger's on America's Next Top Model.

Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt

Read this off the shelf at the home of some clients, for whom we were housesitting. Very good, very evocative. I plan to read more of his.

It's Always Something, by Gilda Radner

A friend of mine just produced and starred in Bunny, Bunny, which is a play based on a book about Gilda Radner. She was excellent, and it got me curious, so I picked up Radner's book. It was very interesting, if a little basic in style. It was, however, really sad to read it, especially her hopefulness at the end, knowing what happened to her ultimately.

Heartsick, by Chelsea Cain

Very good thriller. Begins in the middle of a story, which is unusual, but works well here. We get to discover as we go. Looking forward to more from her.

Bridge of Sighs, by Richard Russo

I'm so far behind, I'm not going to write as much as I might have, but what can I say? It's Richard Russo, who I love so much. It's very interesting to see the trajectory of his stories as he ages. This one is the first one with 2 points of view, and it's fascinating. It took a good while into the book to see how it all fit together, but once again we have the themes of aging, regret, and being a man in today's world. I can't tell you why I relate so much to his protagonists, all middle-aged or older men, but I do.

Highly recommend any book Russo has written. Straight Man is an excellent place to start, as is Nobody's Fool (made into a film w/Paul Newman).

2008 and I've missed a whole month already.

So. Clearly not as dedicated a last year at this time. I'm way, way behind, and will do my best to update the books I read at the end of the year last year, as well as those I've read so far. I've read quite a few already, as things are quite slow. Writer's strike? The economy? I can't say. Financially, it's not a great thing, but as far as life goes... With the move, and the baby on the way (I believe that's the first mention the baby's gotten on the blog, believe it or not--she'll be joining us in late April/early May) it has been nice to have time to settle in to the new, gigantic apartment and just plain take it easy.

The apartment is so fantastic. At least 3x the size of the previous, though it's only one bedroom more, it's truly possible to imagine life with a third person joining us. Still working on the name thing. Boy names we had, of course, but girl names are flummoxing us a bit. We have a very long list, but no real standouts, and no real themes. One of the girls in my prenatal yoga class says they try a new name each week and see how it feels. We may give it a shot.

Deep Lie, by Stuart Woods

Another what-do-I-read-while-I-am-out-of-library-books book. Always interesting political points-of-view, though the characters read kind of woodenly sometimes, particularly his women.

The Interloper, by Antoine Wilson

Hmmm. An interesting book. Kind of a look at one man's descent in to a little bit of madness, and how actions can have unintended consequences. Not great, but good.

Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

This a re-re-re-re-re-read, or something like that. This book is my, "oh, no, I don't have a book, what do I read?" book. It's one of the only books that can hold my attention every time I read it and elicit a strong emotional response. I'm not much of a sentimental crier, but I have cried over this one. Not this time, though.

I also love how much the music and pop culture references are just right for me. I imagine that's not true for everyone, but it matches pretty well for me.

There's a TV show on NBC called Journeyman, that we are enjoying despite its flaws, and I feel certain that the creators read The Time Traveler's Wife at some point. Similar set up, though obviously you don't get as deep with the characters in 50 minutes of network television.

The Almost Moon, by Alice Sebold

I really liked Lucky and The Lovely Bones, both, and was so disappointed in this book. I didn't like the characters, found their actions implausible and unmotivated. The narrator was so distasteful I never got behind her at all. So grumpy when I finished this one. It read a little bit like she was saying "F*** you," to the whole literary world.

Eyes of Prey, by John Sandford

The "Prey" title gimmick gets a little old, though, and some of them don't really make much sense. Still fun to read.

Shadow Prey, by John Sandford

Excellent passing-the-time reading. Lucas Davenport is always fun, the books are always just barely plausible, but I love them.

Now & Then, by Robert B. Parker

Pretty much like all of Parker's books, and entirely entertaining. A quick read, and a visit with favorite old characters.

Firestorm, by Iris Johansen

Awful. Ridiculous story, wooden characters. I'm not sure why Johansen is so popular. I won't be reading any more.

The Hanged Man's Song, by John Sandford

I've read this before, it turns out. I enjoy Sandford's books, and Lucas Davenport is one of my favorite literary cops. I imagine him and Harry Bosch having drinks and talking about their respective cases. This one's a Kidd book, though, so about computers. It's kind of neat to read a book about computers and see how it was both ahead of its time and now completely dated.

Blood Memory, by Greg Iles

Southern gothic thriller. Very diverting. Not great art.

Slummy Mummy, by Fiona Neill

Sort of British chick-lit, Bridget-Jones-has-a-family. Entertaining, completely preposterous, but fun. Enjoyed the dialogue particularly.

The Bourne Supremacy, by Robert Ludlum

Just as I remember it. Thick and dense and so different from the movies. I like the movies; I think they retained the spirit of the books while changing a great deal about the story and characters.

Long Time, No Post

It has been some time. Oops. Back now though, at least for a few posts to wrap up what I've read since the last time, before we head back east for the holidays. Most of the following will be one-liners, I expect.