A Year of Reading: March 2011
1. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
3 stars on Goodreads
I liked it, but I have to be honest right up front and admit (to myself, to you all) that I didn't GET some of it. (The ideas, not the writing, exactly.) I read for story, not for philosophy, exactly. The rules of the social/class system are very French/European and in that way it was hard to relate to - to most North American readers, who cares if the concierge reads philosophy? There was almost a fetishization of Japanese culture, which I found a bit off-putting, but I enjoyed this book, generally speaking.
2. Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay
2 stars on Goodreads
This really was like an action movie on the page. It wasn't great, but it held my attention while I was reading it. (I agree with other reviewers that naming the make and model of every single car ever mentioned was annoying.)
3. The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It by Neal Bascomb
4 stars on Goodreads
This was really interesting - I don't run, I know nothing about running, but I still appreciated the story of the three runners trying to break the four-minute mile. I'm not sure I understand/appreciate/approve the pacesetters, but if that's what works, why not? (For trying to set the record, I mean - I don't know if it's fair in a race against other people instead of just against the clock.) Thanks to Isis for the recommendation!
You can watch the record be broken, and see the Mile of the Century race online:
-Bannister breaks the 4-minute mile
-The Mile of the Century with Bannister and Landy
-The current mile world record-holder Hicham El Guerrouj (3:43.13)
4. The Hatbox Letters: A Novel by Beth Powning
3 stars on Goodreads
Two stars for content/plot, an extra star for the gorgeous language.
A woman in mourning for her husband finds comfort in learning about her family's history through letters. There wasn't much mystery there; I started to hope that 'Jonnie' was Hetty's brother and that after the illicit gay romance faded, Grampa had married Jonnie's sister - too bad, that would have been more interesting. Read while on vacation in Florida, March 2011.
5. Uglies (Uglies, #1) by Scott Westerfeld
3 stars on Goodreads
Read in Florida and on the plane home.
This was OK - I can see them making a movie of this that will be really popular.
6. At Home by Bill Bryson (reread)
5 stars on Goodreads
I loved this. It's not for everyone, it's a bit wandering as Bryson tells somewhat loosely-connected stories that have a (sometimes tenuous) connection to the rooms in his home - a parsonage built in the 1800s. It took me a while to get into the tone of the book - but after about 70 pages, I loved it. I learned a lot, and I laughed out loud at some of the content. (Too bad there weren't many womens' stories to be told in this history of domesticity, but I still really loved this.) Would have dearly loved this book to have footnotes or endnotes - they are available online and there are 100+ pages of them
7. Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton
3 stars on Goodreads
I fully admit to skimming a lot of this. I found the personal stuff a lot more interesting than the political - and even with all the name-dropping, I had no idea who lots of people were.
8. The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World: The Ultimate Source of Ideas, Advice, and Relief for the Bride and Groom and Those Who Love Them by Carley Roney (The Knot)
2 star on Goodreads
Skimmed. I think that books that purport to be about weddings "in the real world" should lay off saying things like you MUST hand-write invitation envelopes and use proper addressing style. If we're in the real world in 2011, I'm going to print labels and address people as I always have. Anyone who isn't going to come to the wedding because they're offended by that doesn't really want to be there anyway.
9. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
5 stars on Goodreads
This was fantastic. The author is telling two decades-long stories here: the personal story of Henrietta Lacks and her family (from the 1920s to the 2000s) and the scientific story of the "immortal" cells of Henrietta Lacks and their effeect on medical research and medical ethics. Both stories are told clearly and well.
It was a bit off, somehow, to have these stories of a black family told (with their speech patterns and accents) by a highly-educated white woman. I wonder if the family has read the book and if they are pleased with the portrayal - there's a lot of bad stuff that happened in and to this family (sexual assault, child abuse, mental illness, etc.) But I thought the book was wonderful and very interesting. I read it twice in a week after buying it.
Next up:
-Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
-The Knot Ultimate Wedding Lookbook: More Than 1,000 Cakes, Centerpieces, Bouquets, Dresses, Decorations, and Ideas for the Perfect Day by Carley Roney (The Knot)
-The Vesuvius Club (Lucifer Box, #1) by Mark Gatiss
-Wifework: What Marriage Really Means for Women by Susan Maushart
What are you reading lately? What do you recommend? Are you on GoodReads? If so, please feel free to add me there!