November in Review

November means elections

Goodbye November, Hello December!  

Another month has come and gone, and big changes continue. I swear, this year has got to be the most eventful I've ever experienced. I just transferred job locations and started a slightly different position. I had two jury trials in November (won one, lost one). I committed to a "holiday running streak," which means I'm running at least one mile every day from Thanksgiving until New Year's. My little sister and I are in a fashion show for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

On a bookish front, I bought a Nook! And I'm using it! Couldn't pass up the Black Friday deal at B&N. Not giving up the paper books anytime soon, though. 

Also, if anyone has any recommendations for publishers to look for on NetGalley, feel free to share. I just signed up for an account, and it's a bit overwhelming. I like "literary" fiction, interesting non-fiction, female authors... you know, the stuff I rave about here on the blog.

On to the numbers. Here's my November  breakdown:
7 books total     
4 fiction               57%
3 nonfiction         43%
5 female authors  71%
2 translated         29%

Sunday Salon: October Wrap Up

Wow, October. The month just flew by. I feel like I've been thinking that after many of these monthly wrap-ups, and now I'm realizing it's November. I guess that means the whole year is really flying by.

I've got less than two months to meet my reading goals for the year. I've read 73 books so far. My overall goal is 100 - eek! Of course, last year I did read 21 books in December. Then again, I wasn't working full time.

I'm good on most of my challenges, except for the Back to the Classics challenge. I've read 5 out of 9 so far. I've started a 6th, Rebecca, so it's doable to finish before the end of the year, but it's going to be tough.

Here's my October breakdown:
9 books total    
8 fiction               88%
1 nonfiction         12%
8 female authors  88%
0 translated         0%

I do have two books in translation out from the library! I've had a significant drop off in reading translated books. Again, this is a reoccurring refrain. I am going to set a personal goal for this in 2013. Or maybe find a challenge. I'm sure there's a challenge out there, right? If you know of one, let me know :-)

September in Review

September

Ah, September, end of summer, cool nip in the air, leaves beginning to change... Wait, where am I again? Oh, right, still stuck in 90 degrees with 98% humidity and daily rainshowers. Ahhh, Florida.

Well! I may not be posting much, but at least I'm reading. I knocked off eight books in September, not August's eleven, but not a bad number.

I said last month that I wanted to read come classics, and I did do that. Fahrenheit 451, The Age of Innocence, and The Remains of the Day all count towards classics reading challenges. Both The Age of Innocence and The Remains of the Day were very, very, good. Fahrenheit 451...well, my reaction was more mixed. I'll have to actually write a review and explain.

Here's my September breakdown:
8 books total
7 fiction                88%
1 nonfiction          13%
4 female authors  50%
0 translated           0%
Again, nothing translated. I wonder what's going on with my reading. It seems like I used to read a good number of translated books without trying. Now, I have to make an effort to include them.

Sunday Salon: August in Review

In August I made a real effort to step up my reading. I went from 6 books in July to 11 in August, which I think is pretty good. I also made sure I read some translated books, since I hadn't read one since  Miral  in May. All this reading means that I need to step up writing reviews!

So far this month I've started two books, Age of Innocence and Hemingway's Boat. Both of them are good so far, but completely different. I haven't read any Edith Wharton in awhile, and I'm wondering why. I'm only a couple of chapters in, but I'm really enjoying her observations about New York society. I'm thinking September is going to be a month focused on the classics, since I still have a ways to go on the Back to the Classics challenge.

Here's my August breakdown:
11 books total
5 fiction                45%
6 nonfiction          55%
7 female authors  64%
2 translated           18%

July in Review

4th of July Seattle

Wow! It seems July just absolutely flew by. I managed to complete 6 books, plus I'm about halfway through with The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman. So far, so good. I'm enjoying a glimpse into a much more ancient Jewish culture than I've previously read about. It really makes me want to pick up The Hebrew Goddess by Raphael Patai

6 books total
3 fiction                50%
3 nonfiction          50%
5 female authors  83%
0 translated           0%

Unbelievable. For whatever reason, this is two months in a row that I haven't read any books translated into English (does all the Olympics watching count for anything?!). I'm going to have to focus on that for August. Unfortunately, most of the books laying around, waiting for me to pick them up and read them, were written in English. I'd love any recommendations for easy to locate books in translation.  Leave any suggestions in the comments!

April in Review

I refused to end April without finishing two books that I'll been struggling far too long to finish - Maps, Nuruddin Farah and The Book of the City of Ladies, Christine de Pizan. Well, I'm happy to report:

Both of those books count towards challenges I've joined for the year, which is an added bonus.

I participated in Dewey's Readathon, although I didn't read for anywhere close to the full 24 hours. The experience did help me read of total of 7 books for the month, which is more than I'd been reading for the previous couple months. My event wrap-up post is here: Readathon Wrap Up

April also brought my birthday, along with the best birthday present ever, a convertible! (not brand new, but new to me - yes, the hubby spoils me!) Oh - and I did this little thing called GETTING SWORN IN AS A LAWYER!!!! Now if my job will actually start paying me...

My April breakdown:
7 books total
6 fiction                86%
1 nonfiction          14%
6 female authors  86%
2 translated           29%

How was your April reading?

Sunday Salon: Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday to Me!

Le Poisson d'Avril

Yes, it's my birthday. No, I'm not joking. (That question gets old by the time you've reached your seventh April Fool's Day birthday.)

I'm spending the day traveling, as it looks like (cross your fingers, everyone!) that I just may have a real job. It was just a few Sundays ago that I was flying from Florida to New York, and now I'm reversing the journey.

As much as I love New York and would love to be here full time, I love Florida and cannot pass up a job opportunity. I had joked that all I wanted for my birthday was a job, and it looks like that may have actually happened :-) It's not totally official yet, but hopefully I'll have some more concrete news in a few weeks. (Long story).

Needless to say, this month has been a bit overwhelming. I did manage to do some reading, but not too much. I only read 4 books. Four! That's the lowest number since I started keeping track in January of last year. I also read 4 books that month, but that number included Bleak House, which probably had as many pages by itself as the total of this month's reading.

My March reading breakdown:
4 books total
2 fiction                50%
2 nonfiction          50%
2 female authors  50%
0 translated           0%

I think this is the first month I didn't complete any works in translation. I am reading The Book of the City of Ladies, originally written in Middle French, in 1405. I thought I'd be done with this one by now, but I'm not. That puts me a bit behind on the Year of Feminist Classics, but I did read enough to participate a bit in the monthly discussion.

In April I'd like to finish two books I've had in the works for quite awhile, Maps and Midnight's Children. Maybe get one or two finished for the Back to the Classics Challenge (finish City of Ladies, and read The Rover, perhaps). Other than that, I think I'll wander my way around my unread books, and maybe make a visit or two to the library.

Happy April, everyone!

February in Review

Not sad to see you go, February.

I read a decent amount in the beginning of the month. I think it was the momentum from January propelling me forward. I read three books for the POC Reading Challenge, and one for the Africa Reading Challenge. I also read another audio book - woot woot! That makes four all time. Soon I'll have to start using my other hand to count them :-) I'm still adjusting to the format.

The second half of the month... not so much. I started two other books, including another for the Africa Challenge, but I haven't made too much progress. Most of my reading the last couple of weeks has been legal essays, in preparation for the bar exam. I'm happy to report that the exam is OVER (it was February 28 & 29) and legal studying has ceased! I'm hoping to never have to take another bar exam in my life. I'll find out if I passed on April 23rd. *Crosses fingers*

Here's to renewed reading in March!

My February breakdown:
6 books total
3 fiction                50%
3 nonfiction          50%
4 female authors  67%
1 translated           17%

January in Review

Wow, so, January is over. That seemed way too fast.


I continued the Seasonal Reading Challenge on Goodreads. I think I read a lot, but I'm nowhere near some of the people in this challenge. I'm trying to stick with my mantra and not feel overly competitive about this. I probably should be reading a bit less for pleasure and a bit more for my bar exam, which is at the end of this month (!!!)


I also participated in Orange January, which was fun. I only read two qualifying books, Alias Grace  and Swamplandia!, but I enjoyed myself. There are several other books on the Orange Prize lists that look really good. I'll probably participate again in July, but I won't be surprised if I read another Orange book before that. I've got my eye on How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents.


All in all, I read 12 books in January, which puts me ahead of my 2012 goal of 100 books. However, I'd rather be ahead at the beginning of the year so I'm not having to rush at the end to meet my goal. Not that missing by a few books would be the end of the world, or anything.


Here's my January breakdown:
12 books total
9 fiction                75%
3 nonfiction          25%
7 female authors  58%
1 translated           8%


How's your year going so far - in books, or otherwise?

Looking Back: May

A Graduation. Not mine. 

May was the month of my last round of law school finals, the beginning of bar review, and the joy of hosting my family as they visited me in preparation for graduation. Oh, how I miss those days. Yeah, right.

May also brought some rather eclectic reading. I read three books that I heard about through Three Percent, an organization dedicated to promoting literature in translation. I first heard about them when I was looking at reviews for Visitation, which I read in April and loved. However, I also read two young adult books and an autobiography that was out of my normal comfort zone.

Total: 8 books
7 fiction                          88%
1 nonfiction                   13%
4 female authors           50%
3 work in translation     38%

I Curse the River of Time, Per Petterson***I lovedlovedloved Per Petterson's Out Stealing Horses, so when I saw he had a new book out, and it was longlisted for the 2011 Best Translated Book Award, I had to give it a try. Unfortunately, it just didn't do it for me. Reading about an overgrown man-child quickly loses its charm.

Circle of Magic: Briar's Book, Tamora Pierce****This was the final book in the Circle of Magic quartet that I read earlier back in February. It was a very quick read, and was very good, just like the others in the series.

The Last Brother, Nathacha Appanah*****This was excellent. The story of a poor family living on the island nation of Mauritius. All the sad stuff a reader like me could want: child abuse, death of siblings, sad WWII Jews being held in limbo. Depressing, and just what I go for.

The Tiger's Wife, Téa Obreht***Overrated. I know this won the Orange Prize, and it had its moments, but I just felt Obreht was over reaching. This review sums it up (even if Ms. Fisher doesn't know it's "Newbery") "She writes like she’s trying to please the grown-ups, and in so doing produces the good student’s notion of what constitutes a good book."  Of course, someone could probably say similar things about The Last Brother, but that one worked for me while this one didn't. I'm sure there are plenty of people that feel the opposite.

True Deceiver, Tove Jansson***This is exactly the type of book I'd normally like. Cold, close kept, emotionally stunted characters, secrets, mysterious motivations. It won the Best Translated Book Award. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood. I'll have to give Jansson another try. Maybe The Summer Book?

Kiki: Ten Thousand Years in a Lifetime, Albert Maori Kiki**Honestly, I don't remember what it was that I didn't like about this, but I just couldn't get into it.

The Stepford Wives, Ira Levin***The book makes more sense than the movie. Other than that, meh.

The Subtle Knife, Philip Pullman***
The second book in the His Dark Materials trilogy. We meet new characters without losing track of the old ones, and the mystery is expanded. Good times.

Looking Back: April

Margaret Atwood, David Levine

April showered down some quantity, even if the quality was a bit lacking. I only gave two books out of eleven more than three stars. How did I manage 11 books? It must have been my cold, rainy, Spring Break.

Total: 11 books
9 fiction                          82%
2 nonfiction                   18%
6 female authors           55%
1 work in translation     9%

The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin**
I never read this as a kid, and I heard it was great, that Turtle (the main character) was brilliant, yada yada. I just found it kind of annoying.

Chaka, Thomas Mofolo**
This is a retelling of the mythic leader Shaka Zulu. Violent, disturbing, not my thing.

A Respectable Trade, Philippa Gregory*
I had read another Gregory book, The Queen's Fool, and thought is was a fun, light piece of historical fiction. This, on the other hand, was AWFUL. I just can't even explain how wrong it was on so many levels. I threw this book down twice while reading it (into a laundry basket full of clothes, but still. Literally threw the book across the room.) But hey - I bet if you liked The Help you'll like this, too. Something for everyone.

The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman***
I wanted to compare this series with Harry Potter. Although I rated them  the same, the edge went to Pullman. I think that just may be that he had a more sophisticated storyline.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling.***
Yes, this was my first time reading this. It was a fun book, and I can see why it is so popular. Action packed story, lots of great imagery, and who doesn't want to believe that they're secretly a wizard?

The Gangster We are All Looking For, Lê Thi Diem Thúy***A family of Vietnamese immigrants tries to make life work in California.

Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth, Xiaolu Guo****
Story of a modern young girl growing up in China, told in twenty fleeting fragments.

Stiff, Mary Roach***
Quirky, respectful, and straightforward look at what happens to our bodies after we leave them.

The Surrendered, Chang-Rae Lee**
I've blocked out a lot of this book, because it contained some of the most brutal scenes I've ever read. Deals with the Korean War and its aftermath.

King Leopold's Ghost, Adam Hochschild***
I had been wanting to read this for years, and finally got around to it. I thought it was pretty good, but the author has romanticized Joseph Conrad a bit too much for my tastes. Most people probably wouldn't be bothered by this, but it distracted me.

The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood*****
Oh, wow. This was so good. Margaret Atwood at her best.

Looking Back: March

Time for the third installment of looking back at my pre-blogging days.

March is actually when I thought about starting reviewing books. I read several books and had strong reactions to them, but no one to talk to about them. I actually started writing a review of Visitation without knowing if, when, or where I'd eventually post it. It turned out to be one of the very first posts on this blog.

So what did I read?
Total: 6 books
5 fiction                          83%
1 nonfiction                   17%
3 female authors           50%
1 work in translation    17%

Visitation, Jenny Erpenbeck*****This is the book that started it all. Click here to read my full review.

The Fourth Hand, John Irving***If you've never read John Irving, don't start here. It's funny - I see I gave it three stars, so I must have thought it was pretty decent. Looking back now, I'm remembering mainly the parts I disliked. Irving does have a acerbic sense of humor and a gift for describing a scene that is truly wonderful. Towards the beginning of the book he talks about a doctor going for a run and batting abandoned dog poo off a bridge towards university rowers out practicing. It's brilliant. He's also a master at capturing children's characteristics.

Getting to Yes, Roger Fisher and William Ury***I read this for a negotiation class I took. It's a good overview of how to change the dynamics of a competitive negotiation situation.

Nervous Conditions, Tsitsi Dangarembga****The story of a young girl growing up in Zimbabwe. Complex look at woman's place in family relationships and traditional values versus modern times.

The Map of Love, Adaf Soueif****
Set in Egypt, in modern times, but with flashbacks to the early 20th century and the ancestors of the primary characters. There's a feeling of looping through eras, languages, countries, and families.

The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe**
Worst read of the month. All the characters are despicable. Wolfe seems to be trying to make a point about how broken our system is, but seeing how he places equal blame on everyone, the responsibility of any one person or group is negligible.

***all links to Indiebound are affiliate links***

November in Review

Credit

Wow, November.

It's over! No more commitment to blogging every day! No more having to get something up, even though it's late, even though I don't really feel like writing. I'm glad I went through with my plan, but I don't think it was as successful as I had hoped. I certainly posted much more than I've ever done, but the quality wasn't where I wanted it to be. I think my next blogging goal will be to really focus on the quality of each one of my posts. I want to make sure each one is saying something I want it to, not just blabbering on about whatever. Also, I like to focus more on books themselves, and that's hard to do when I'm posting ever day but not reading that many new books.

So what did my month in reading look like?

Here's my November breakdown:
10 books total
8 fiction                      80%
2 nonfiction                 2%
9 female authors        90%
3 work in translation 30%

Those numbers include 3 graphic novels and one audio book.

It was a good month for reading. Only 2 of the 10 books were 3 star reads (which is still plenty respectable), 6 were 4 star, and 2 were 5 star. Not bad at all.

I've got a bit of a goal to read 100 titles before the year is up. That means this month I need to read 8 books. It's certainly doable, especially since I'll probably read Mockingjay (the last book in The Hunger Games trilogy) this evening. Today does start the Goodreads Winter Seasonal Challenge, so I'll be reading books for that, too.

100 is within my reach!

Do you have any reading goals to accomplish before the year ends?

Looking Back: February

I bring to you the second of a seven or so part series, looking back on my 2011 pre-blogging reads.

February was a much better month for reading than January.

Total: 9 books
7 fiction                          78%
2 nonfiction                   28%
5 female authors           56%
3 works in translation   33%

Algerian White, Assia Djebar*** This memoir was good, and I would have enjoyed it more if I had any idea who or what she was talking about. It's the author's recounting of Algeria's struggle for independence,and many of the intellectuals who lost their lives during the events. I definitely want to read more by Djebar, especially An Algerian Cavalcade, which has been on my TBR list for well over a year.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, Alison Bechdel***** Graphic novel about a young woman growing up, coming out as a lesbian, and discovering her father was gay. Really, really good. Bechdel is also famous for the Bechdel movie test, which a film passes if it has 1) Two named female characters 2) who talk to each other 3) about something other than a man. It's scary how many movies fail, big time.

Circle of Magic: Daja's Book, Tamora Pierce****I was running out of reading material and had these on my shelves, leftover from my classroom library days. I had heard Tamora Pierce wrote really strong, well rounded female characters, so I gave these a try. I was pleasantly surprised.
Circle of Magic: Tris's Book, Tamora Pierce****See above.
Circle of Magic: Sandry's Book, Tamora Pierce****See above.

I am the Messenger, Markus Zusak***Disappointing. I really liked The Book Thief, but this was not as strong. Just...enh. Not bad, but not anything I'd read again, or gush over.

Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, Jorge Amado**** Cute, fun story with magical realism elements dealing with what makes the title character a happy wife.

The Death of Artemio Cruz, Carlos Fuentes***This was really well written, but the graphic subject matter got to be a bit much for me. I'd give Fuentes another try, though. 

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, Raymond Carver***I was stranded at the airport and started chatting with a guy in the same position. He was a reader, and insisted I borrow this for the flight home. I read the whole short story collection on a 2 hour flight. It was good, but I wish I had more time with it to better reflect my thoughts.

Assia Djbar. I just really like this picture by Irmeli Jung, so I'm posting it.

Looking Back: January

I started blogging in July, but I started tracking my reads in January. I've reviewed a few of the books I read pre-blogging, but I wanted to do a summary of this years' reads that I haven't talked about yet. Also, I'm interested in doing my normal breakdown as to gender/fiction/translation. So, here goes! This is January's installment, and since I only read four books, it'll be brief.

Total: 4 books
2 fiction                          50%
2 nonfiction                   50%
2 female authors           50%
1 works in translation   25%

Out of Africa, Isak Dineson: One star, aka, I'm ready to send you to prison for writing this.
Dear lord I hated this book. First of all, it's a bunch of annoying ramblings from a white European woman managing a coffee plantain in Kenya. I gave up trying to count all the different ways she compared "the native" to various animals. There are parts where the writing is really beautiful, but it just wasn't worth it. Stick with the movie, if you must visit this story: gorgeous scenery, Robert Redford, Meryl Streep.

Still from Out of Africa. Credit

Bleak House, Charles Dickens: One star.
Yes, I hated this, too.  I read this for my book club, a collection of lawyers who just had to read Dickens' polemic raging against the Chancery court. I predicted pretty much every plot resolution from the first few pages. Static, two dimensional characters, healthy dose of misogyny, way too many coincidences - blerg. 

Eat Me, Linda Jaivin: Two stars.
Honestly, I'm embarrassed to admit I read this. As a rule, I don't read erotica. A friend, who shall remain nameless, passed this one to me, promising that while the first chapter was rather explicit, the rest didn't rise to that level. That may be so, but I can be a bit of a prude when it comes to my books. It was pretty funny in some places, and I thought it was a nice representation of women taking control of their sexuality. If you are into erotica, this probably isn't a bad choice.

Eating the Dinosaur, Chuck Klosterman: Four stars.
Have you read Chuck Klosterman? No? You should. His essays are funny and charming. Some are a bit dated, but I don't really care about that. Yeah, he's kind of annoying, and over privileged, but he's got a healthy sense of self awareness, so that takes the edge off.

October in Review

The beginning of the October started off fine, as I finished a few books I started in September. Then  came the dreaded audiobook. Maybe it was a coincidence, but after finally finishing Sidney Poitier's The Measure of a Man, I lost all of my reading momentum. I found I was in the midst of a serious slump. I couldn't concentrate on reading anything remotely taxing. I had a hard time even concentrating on great, insightful posts by my favorite bloggers. 

So what did I do? I started another audiobook. I fell in love with it after ten minutes, and I am comfortable declaring to the world that THE SLUMP IS OVER!!! YAY!!! 

Celebration of Light

I'm almost done with the audiobook, and I read two novellas from Melville House's Contemporary Art of the Novella series (Customer Service and The North of God). Both were four star reads. 

Of course, I need to get through some books if I'm going to have any content this month. In the NaNoWriMo spirit, I've committed to blogging every day for the month of November. No, it's not a novel, but it is a commitment to my writing.

My October reading breakdown:
6 books total
4 fiction                      67%
2 nonfiction                33%
1 female authors        17%
1 work in translation 17%

Those statistics are pretty unusual for me. I normally have a much higher percentage of female authors. However, as I mentioned, two of the books I read are from the Contemporary Art of the Novella series, which is very male dominated. In fact, I want to check and see if there is even one female author. I've got a post brewing about that subject that I'm sure will come out during this month of blogging.

September in Review

No more piles of books for me

Well, September was a very trying month. My reading certainly reflects my scattered state of mind. I only completed 6 books, which is well below the 14 I read in August and the 11 I managed in July. I think that I'll be reading less for awhile. I realized that the majority of my reading time had been during my 45 minute one way subway commute. Now that I'm not living in good ol' NYC, I actually have to drive to work. I'm currently trying an audiobook, but I only listen to that when I'm alone in the car. I'm having trouble getting into it, though. It's only the second audiobook I've ever listened to. I don't know if audiobooks just aren't for me, if they're an aquired taste, or if I simply haven't found the right book.

I am happy to report that I was very pleased with the quality of my September reads. I had three 4-star reviews, two 5-star reviews, and one 3-star. I also read the best book of the year (so far) - A Happy Man by Hansjörg Schertenleib. Go find a copy.

My September reading breakdown:
6 books total
5 fiction                      83%
1 nonfiction               17%
3 female authors       50%
1 work in translation 17%

August Wrap Up

In August, I participated in the Art of the Novella Reading Challenge. The idea was conceived by Frances over at nonsuchbook, with Melville House, the publisher, graciously getting on board. Frances decided to read all forty-two novellas during August, and blog about each one. Fortunately, she realized that not all of us were up to such a challenge, and invited readers to set their own goals.

Originally, I was planning on just reading one book. Then, after looking at the list, and trying to see what I could get from my library, I decided to go for the “Fascinated” level – three books. I’m happy to report that I met my (modest) goal.

I’m glad that I decided to read three novellas. I hated the first one I read – Leo Tolstoy’s The Devil. I posted a review, and emailed it, along with a notice of my participation, to Melville House. I was surprised to get a personalized email back, with some suggestions with books I may like better. How nice! The next book was George Eliot’s The Lifted Veil, which I enjoyed. The best ended up coming last, though, with Sarah Orne Jewett’s The Country of the Pointed Firs. I’m really glad that I stuck out that challenge and read some good books. Oh, and I also ended up winning one of Melville House’s daily giveaways – and they sent me SEVEN books. Seven! I am in seven book heaven.

Okay, so let’s break down my reading:

14 books total
10 fiction                        71%
4 nonfiction                   29%
8 female authors           57%
3 works in translation   21%
(I've also started two more, but they'll be counted in next month's totals).

My favorites this month were The Salt Roads and The Country of the Pointed Firs. They are completely different, but both excellent.

I’ve already posted reviews for most of these, which you can find by either checking the archive to the right, or by going to the Books Read 2011 tab linked at the top of this page. The title will take you to the review, if I’ve posted it. For those that I haven’t reviewed yet – well, they’re coming, promise. Most are half-written jumbles of my thoughts, or they are mulling around in my head, as yet uncommitted to the page (er, screen).  A couple are even finished and scheduled to post J

How was your month in reading? Anything you’d recommend – either to read, or to stay far away from?

July in Review

In July, I managed to complete 11 books. I've already posted about a few of them, and I've got a couple more full length posts coming up. So now, taking the lead from Eva over at A Striped Armchair, I'm going to give you a quick rundown of the rest of them:

Read Under the Banner of Heaven, by John Krakaur, if you're interested in a not-very flattering portrait of the birth of an American religion. Rated***

Read Rebel, by Bediako Asare, if you are interested in mid century writing from Africa and aren't put off by graphic descriptions of violence, and subjugation of women.**

Read The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, if you'd like a sneak peek into the GOP's playbook, or are a fan of The Borgias.***

Read Hotel du Lac, by Anita Brookner, if like you'd like to to cooped up in a dreary, deserted European hotel, making up stories about the few guests who share your plight.**

Read The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follet, if you like thriller-turned-"literature" writers who spend nearly 1000 pages on a topic, with no character development and lots of rape & misogyny.*

Huh. After typing that out, I realized I read some quite crappy books this month. Let's hope August is a bit better! I've already started a couple that seem to be promising. I'll keep you updated!
Oh, and my rating system is posted here.