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Book 11
Notes from a Big Country by Bill Bryson
This is a collection of articles Bryson wrote for a British audience about living in America again after over 20 years. The humor in this book was sharper than in Notes from a Small Country. There were more cases of old man humbuggery going on, but an insightful and funny read overall.
Book 12
Mainline by Deborah Christian
Not much to say. It was beach worthy Sci-fi.
Book 13
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami
Murakami's latest collection of short stories was a Christmas gift I had been trying to slowly savor (I am a complete Murakami fan). For me this was an uneven collection. especially considering several of the short pieces had already been published in other places. In my opinion Murakami's novels are much stronger than his strange, desolate shorts. Of course I still loved this book.
Book 14
Perfume by Patrick Suskind
This was beautifully written and really does make you think about scent. However my life long allergies make scent recognition of this degree a completely foreign concept. I read a movie review that said the main character lacked any true personality and I agree. The last 8 pages were also odd and dissapointing. The flow of the book was smooth until the end and nothing was as shockingly grisly as I thought it was going to be.
Book 15
The Unhandsome Prince by John Moore
John Moore writes in that genre where they take a fairytale setting and give it modern moralities and conventions. What is that called? This was a cute story concerning a witch, a pretty girl who kissed a frog, and the frog that was actually a very dorky prince. A quick and fun book.
Book 16
Fried Eggs with Chopsticks by Polly Evans
This is a humerous travlougue through China using public transportation. Evans is probably a similar traveler to me: loves to see new things and explore far places; totally disgusted by the spitting and wishing for a nice hotel and Starbucks. She is no Bill Bryson, but her utter lack of serious social commentary *coughPaulTherouxcough* is nice. She gives interesting anecdotes, details, and short histories on China that keep the reader engaged but not bogged down.