Reading Roundup: April 2007

Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol

 This book seemed like it was going to be interesting, but I didn't like his writing style. It kept getting in the way of his stories. For a better book about the lives of people trapped in generational poverty I preferred Random Family.  

The Constant Gardner by John le Carre  

I found this on clearance at the bookstore and actually bought it because it had the movie cover with sweaty, sexy Ralph Fiennes. It turns out that I liked the movie better than the book, maybe because I saw it first. I'd never read le Carre before and it was somewhat difficult to follow. Of course, I was trying to read it in the car so maybe that was the problem.  

Every Contact Leaves a Trace by Connie Fletcher 

I love true crime and forensic stuff, so I thought this was an interesting read. It's actually a collection of short personal narratives by a variety of people from law enforcement. That made it fun to read and it felt more authentic than other similar stuff I've read.  

The Linnet Bird by Linda Holeman  

This book is set during the early Victorian era, but it's meant to be a more "modern" take on the time period (prostitutes, opium addicts, closeted gay men, etc.). It was a compelling story and fun to read. I did think the main character seemed a tad too modern for her time, though.

  Everything is Illuminated by Johnathan Safran Foer 

 I think the hype killed this book for me. It mostly made my head hurt. I'm just not that into postmodernism that confuses "new and crazy" for "good" so often...  

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson  

I picked this up at the Thteed residence while on vacation but didn't finish it. Then I was delighted to find a pristine copy for only $.75 at the library booksale. It was an interesting premise and a good story, but in the end I felt that it wasn't as filled out as it could be. For some reason I didn't feel as satisfied at the end as I thought I would be based on how it began. 

So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson 

A quick, fun little read. She decides to spend a year reading a different book each week. As a bibliophile myself I enjoyed her addiction to the pleasure of reading, and I found lots of interesting books to put on my list for later.  

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar 

  This was actually a book on CD we listened to while driving back from Utah. It was a decent book, and the recording was one of those ones that has different actors playing all the parts so that was fun. I felt like some of the sentimental stuff was a little too sappy, but we enjoyed it.  

Strange Piece of Paradise by Terri Jentz 

I think this was the best book I read all month. It's a little on the long side, but totally fascinating. The author was the victim of a violent, random attack when she was twenty years old. For nearly fifteen years she basically pretends it didn't happen and tries to go on with her life. Then she goes back to the town where it happened and starts investigating to find out who tried to kill her and why (because it was only attempted murder, the statute of limitations ran out after three years; part of her work was to get that law changed in Oregon). The story itself was compelling, and her writing even more so. She also makes a lot of interesting points about violence in our culture, especially violence against women, as well as trauma and memory. Like a lot of reviewers on Amazon, I felt it sometimes seemed a tad on the long and drawn out side, but I couldn't put it down. 

 For some reason I ended up reading a lot of dark books this month, so if anyone has something light and fluffy (and funny) to recommend, please let me know.