Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Type: Fiction
My rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I picked this book up because Joe Hill is Stephen King's son and is this was Hill's first novel.
What I liked about it: Others at Amazon.com posted that this was an "action-packed, face-paced" book. I found it to be neither. In fact, it crossed my mind at one point to just stop reading it. I'm not so sure this book would have been published if Joe Hill didn't have a famous dad.
My Favorite Books of 2009
A good friend recently asked me what my favorite books of 2009 were so here is a summary of my Top 5 books in both Fiction and Nonfiction categories:
Fiction
1. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
2. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
3. The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond
4. Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer
5. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Nonfiction
1. Meltdown by Thomas E. Woods
2. End the Fed by Ron Paul
3. Crash Proof by Peter Schiff
4. The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin
5. The Law by Frederic Bastiat
Fiction
1. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
2. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
3. The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond
4. Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer
5. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Nonfiction
1. Meltdown by Thomas E. Woods
2. End the Fed by Ron Paul
3. Crash Proof by Peter Schiff
4. The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin
5. The Law by Frederic Bastiat
Book 53
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This is Dan Brown's latest novel since The Da Vinci Code. It was widely hyped with an initial first printing of 6.5 million copies.
What I liked about it: If you enjoyed The Da Vinci Code, you may enjoy this one as much, or more. The story and its mysteries are centered in Washington D.C. with more than a few references to our founding fathers. This was definitely a page-turner for me and it did not sit idly on my night stand very long without me finding ways to pick it up and find out what was going to happen next.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This is Dan Brown's latest novel since The Da Vinci Code. It was widely hyped with an initial first printing of 6.5 million copies.
What I liked about it: If you enjoyed The Da Vinci Code, you may enjoy this one as much, or more. The story and its mysteries are centered in Washington D.C. with more than a few references to our founding fathers. This was definitely a page-turner for me and it did not sit idly on my night stand very long without me finding ways to pick it up and find out what was going to happen next.
Book 52
1776 by David McCullough
Type: Nonfiction, History
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I thought this was an appropriate book to end my year's goal to read 52 books in 52 weeks. With all the news this year about government bailouts, massive deficit spending, inflation of the money supply and extremely high levels of unemployment, I found it fitting to step back in time to when our founding fathers declared independence from a tyrannical and oppressive government and then had to fight for their liberty.
What I liked about it: The American Revolutionary War took place over the nine-year period from 1775-1783. This book focuses on the important battles and events that took place only in 1776. During 1776, the war geographically took place in Boston, New York City, northern New Jersey and included Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware into Pennsylvania. Although history never much appealed to me in school, it was a quite refreshing experience to watch as General George Washington attempted to lead an inexperienced and underpaid army against the British redcoats. Overall, it was a good introduction to the Revolutionary War. My next read on this topic will be Angel in the Whirlwind by Benson Bobrick, which is supposed to cover at least some of Washington's harsh winter of 1777-78 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
Type: Nonfiction, History
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I thought this was an appropriate book to end my year's goal to read 52 books in 52 weeks. With all the news this year about government bailouts, massive deficit spending, inflation of the money supply and extremely high levels of unemployment, I found it fitting to step back in time to when our founding fathers declared independence from a tyrannical and oppressive government and then had to fight for their liberty.
What I liked about it: The American Revolutionary War took place over the nine-year period from 1775-1783. This book focuses on the important battles and events that took place only in 1776. During 1776, the war geographically took place in Boston, New York City, northern New Jersey and included Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware into Pennsylvania. Although history never much appealed to me in school, it was a quite refreshing experience to watch as General George Washington attempted to lead an inexperienced and underpaid army against the British redcoats. Overall, it was a good introduction to the Revolutionary War. My next read on this topic will be Angel in the Whirlwind by Benson Bobrick, which is supposed to cover at least some of Washington's harsh winter of 1777-78 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
Book 51
I.O.U.S.A. One Nation. Under Stress. In Debt. by Addison Wiggin and Kate Incontrera
Type: Nonfiction, Business & Investing
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I first heard about the documentary of the same name. This book was written after the movie was made. I understand the movie was originally based on the book, Empire of Debt by Bill Bonner.
What I liked about it: The book is split into two sections. The first explains the problems that our nation is in. The second is a collection of interviews with various businessmen, government officials, and others who were featured in the movie. The book supposedly expands on the documentary by highlighting America’s four serious deficits: budget, personal savings, trade, and leadership. At the time the book was released in September 2008 the national debt was $9.6 Trillion. Today, just 15 months later, the national debt is $12.0 Trillion. And that does not include the unfunded Medicare and Social Security obligations. If you include those programs, the total national debt stands at over $54 Trillion...and it grows daily.
You can watch a 30-minute summary version of the documentary here.
Type: Nonfiction, Business & Investing
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I first heard about the documentary of the same name. This book was written after the movie was made. I understand the movie was originally based on the book, Empire of Debt by Bill Bonner.
What I liked about it: The book is split into two sections. The first explains the problems that our nation is in. The second is a collection of interviews with various businessmen, government officials, and others who were featured in the movie. The book supposedly expands on the documentary by highlighting America’s four serious deficits: budget, personal savings, trade, and leadership. At the time the book was released in September 2008 the national debt was $9.6 Trillion. Today, just 15 months later, the national debt is $12.0 Trillion. And that does not include the unfunded Medicare and Social Security obligations. If you include those programs, the total national debt stands at over $54 Trillion...and it grows daily.
You can watch a 30-minute summary version of the documentary here.
Book 50
Busted: Life Inside the Great Mortgage Meltdown by Edmund L. Andrews
Type: Nonfiction, Business & Investing
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I am very interested in the current economic crisis and enjoy reading other people's perspective on what they think caused it.
What I liked about it: There are many contributing factors that led to this economic crisis. The author delves into the loose lending standards especially in the area of sub-prime lending, the financial innovations that were used to sell junk mortgages to sophisticated investors, and the rating agencies who assumed that because housing prices historically always went up that they would continue to always go up. What makes this book a bit more entertaining is that the author is an economics reporter for the New York Times and gets himself into financial trouble with his own mortgage.
I was disappointed that the author blamed many different groups of people but did not lay the ultimate blame on the institution that provided the source of the cash to make it all possible -- the Federal Reserve.
If you're a teacher and leave a big bowl of chocolates in the middle of a room full of 1st graders and leave the room for 15 minutes then come back and the kids are bouncing off the walls, you cannot then say "What happened?" That is exactly what Alan Greenspan, the former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, said about the busting of the housing bubble.
None of the housing boom could have been possible without the Federal Reserve providing the big bowl of chocolate (i.e. money) for those 1st graders (i.e. lenders/borrowers/investors). There's no doubt that investment bubbles can form from time-to-time. But the bubbles will be limited in size to the amount of money available. The Fed essentially made an unlimited amount of money available following the dot-com bust in 2000 and the events of September 11, 2001 by lowering interbank interest rates to 1% from June 2003 to June 2004. Aside from that one-year period, interest rates in the United States have not been at 1 percent, or below, since 1958.
Imagine the bubble which is now being formed by the Fed lowering interest rates to essentially 0% back in December 2008 and holding it at that level ever since.
Type: Nonfiction, Business & Investing
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I am very interested in the current economic crisis and enjoy reading other people's perspective on what they think caused it.
What I liked about it: There are many contributing factors that led to this economic crisis. The author delves into the loose lending standards especially in the area of sub-prime lending, the financial innovations that were used to sell junk mortgages to sophisticated investors, and the rating agencies who assumed that because housing prices historically always went up that they would continue to always go up. What makes this book a bit more entertaining is that the author is an economics reporter for the New York Times and gets himself into financial trouble with his own mortgage.
I was disappointed that the author blamed many different groups of people but did not lay the ultimate blame on the institution that provided the source of the cash to make it all possible -- the Federal Reserve.
If you're a teacher and leave a big bowl of chocolates in the middle of a room full of 1st graders and leave the room for 15 minutes then come back and the kids are bouncing off the walls, you cannot then say "What happened?" That is exactly what Alan Greenspan, the former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, said about the busting of the housing bubble.
None of the housing boom could have been possible without the Federal Reserve providing the big bowl of chocolate (i.e. money) for those 1st graders (i.e. lenders/borrowers/investors). There's no doubt that investment bubbles can form from time-to-time. But the bubbles will be limited in size to the amount of money available. The Fed essentially made an unlimited amount of money available following the dot-com bust in 2000 and the events of September 11, 2001 by lowering interbank interest rates to 1% from June 2003 to June 2004. Aside from that one-year period, interest rates in the United States have not been at 1 percent, or below, since 1958.
Imagine the bubble which is now being formed by the Fed lowering interest rates to essentially 0% back in December 2008 and holding it at that level ever since.
Book 49
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison
Type: Nonfiction, Memoir
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was mentioned as an interesting read by one of my friends on Facebook. I like book recommendations.
What I liked about it: Through some delightful storytelling I learned that some common traits of someone with Asperger's are that they:
- lack empathy;
- say things that are true, but that people don't want to hear;
- are usually the class clown;
- study intently and have a tendency to focus on one subject or topic;
- enjoy playing tricks on people including weaving just enough truth into a story to make it seem plausible;
- are very logical thinkers and don't understand other people's point of view when it doesn't make logical sense to them; and
- enjoy altering stories and rhymes to include their own personal spin.
Sounds very much like someone I know ;)
What this book has reinforced for me is that we are all different and special in our own ways. There seems to be two schools of thought on Autism and Asperger's. Some individuals seek a cure and others believe Autism should be tolerated as a difference and not treated as a disorder. John Elder Robison, the author, takes the latter view, at least as it relates to Asperger's. Our minds work in mysterious ways. Sometimes we are given a gift like this author was given to allow the mind to be opened up beyond its conventional way of thinking. It's unfortunate that when something special like that happens, the normal thinkers make fun of, and ridicule, the person for not being more like them.
Type: Nonfiction, Memoir
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was mentioned as an interesting read by one of my friends on Facebook. I like book recommendations.
What I liked about it: Through some delightful storytelling I learned that some common traits of someone with Asperger's are that they:
- lack empathy;
- say things that are true, but that people don't want to hear;
- are usually the class clown;
- study intently and have a tendency to focus on one subject or topic;
- enjoy playing tricks on people including weaving just enough truth into a story to make it seem plausible;
- are very logical thinkers and don't understand other people's point of view when it doesn't make logical sense to them; and
- enjoy altering stories and rhymes to include their own personal spin.
Sounds very much like someone I know ;)
What this book has reinforced for me is that we are all different and special in our own ways. There seems to be two schools of thought on Autism and Asperger's. Some individuals seek a cure and others believe Autism should be tolerated as a difference and not treated as a disorder. John Elder Robison, the author, takes the latter view, at least as it relates to Asperger's. Our minds work in mysterious ways. Sometimes we are given a gift like this author was given to allow the mind to be opened up beyond its conventional way of thinking. It's unfortunate that when something special like that happens, the normal thinkers make fun of, and ridicule, the person for not being more like them.
Book 48
WWW:Wake by Robert J. Sawyer
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: Robert J. Sawyer is one of my favorite science fiction writers. He is the author of Flashforward (5-stars), the novel upon which the new ABC series of the same name is based. This is his latest novel and the first installment in the WWW trilogy.
What I liked about it: This novel explores an intriguing concept: What if the World Wide Web had a consciousness of its own? What if this artificial intelligence had an unlimited capacity to learn? The reason I didn't love this novel and rated it only a 3-star is that there were a few interesting side stories but those stories were left open-ended with some unanswered questions. Perhaps this was by design and this first installment merely sets up the characters and story lines which will be explored in subsequent chapters. We shall see.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: Robert J. Sawyer is one of my favorite science fiction writers. He is the author of Flashforward (5-stars), the novel upon which the new ABC series of the same name is based. This is his latest novel and the first installment in the WWW trilogy.
What I liked about it: This novel explores an intriguing concept: What if the World Wide Web had a consciousness of its own? What if this artificial intelligence had an unlimited capacity to learn? The reason I didn't love this novel and rated it only a 3-star is that there were a few interesting side stories but those stories were left open-ended with some unanswered questions. Perhaps this was by design and this first installment merely sets up the characters and story lines which will be explored in subsequent chapters. We shall see.
Book 47
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I don't recall what prompted me to get this book but I got it through PaperBackSwap.com which I highly recommend to anyone who loves to read. For the cost of shipping a book to someone else (using Media Mail about $3) you can get a book shipped to you from another PBS member. I have completed over 100 swaps and 9.5 out of 10 books that I received were in "like new" condition.
What I liked about it: This book was written almost 50 years ago but could have taken place yesterday. The main characters in the book are living life in suburbia and experiencing the monotonous routine that affects so many. I often say that the hardest part of life is trying not to be bored. Unfortunately, I found myself bored somewhat while reading this book. I would not, however, discourage anyone from taking a read. I think that the overly descriptive narration, although not appealing to me, is something that gives this book its fairly high rating on Amazon.
This book was made into a movie in 2008 starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. While I haven't seen the movie I think the film adaptation of the book could be a pretty good one.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I don't recall what prompted me to get this book but I got it through PaperBackSwap.com which I highly recommend to anyone who loves to read. For the cost of shipping a book to someone else (using Media Mail about $3) you can get a book shipped to you from another PBS member. I have completed over 100 swaps and 9.5 out of 10 books that I received were in "like new" condition.
What I liked about it: This book was written almost 50 years ago but could have taken place yesterday. The main characters in the book are living life in suburbia and experiencing the monotonous routine that affects so many. I often say that the hardest part of life is trying not to be bored. Unfortunately, I found myself bored somewhat while reading this book. I would not, however, discourage anyone from taking a read. I think that the overly descriptive narration, although not appealing to me, is something that gives this book its fairly high rating on Amazon.
This book was made into a movie in 2008 starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. While I haven't seen the movie I think the film adaptation of the book could be a pretty good one.
Book 46
Crash Proof by Peter D. Schiff
Type: Nonfiction, Business & Investing
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I originally planned to give this book to a friend for his birthday. Then I did not see my friend for several months. Then I heard Peter Schiff speak in Valley Forge at a Campaign for Liberty conference. Then I had Peter sign the book. Then I read it.
What I liked about it: This book was written in 2006 and published in early 2007. Just like the YouTube videos called "Peter Schiff Was Right" this book also predicted the housing market collapse and the current economic downturn.
This book explains why sound money is essential and why all fiat (paper) currencies destruct over time. Peter uses lots of real world analogies to simplify economic and business principles to make them very easy to understand. There are fantastic chapters on the origin and function of money, inflation, the real estate bubble, and ways to protect yourself from a stock market or dollar collapse.
I have added this to my "Required Reading List" on understanding the current economic collapse, which also includes Meltdown by Thomas E. Woods and End The Fed by Ron Paul.
Peter Schiff is the President of Euro Pacific Capital and has never been in politics. He has been encouraged to, and has decided to run for Senate in Connecticut. Peter is the type of person we need to replace almost all those currently sitting in Congress.
Note: A second edition of this book was released in September 2009 called Crash Proof 2.0.
Type: Nonfiction, Business & Investing
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I originally planned to give this book to a friend for his birthday. Then I did not see my friend for several months. Then I heard Peter Schiff speak in Valley Forge at a Campaign for Liberty conference. Then I had Peter sign the book. Then I read it.
What I liked about it: This book was written in 2006 and published in early 2007. Just like the YouTube videos called "Peter Schiff Was Right" this book also predicted the housing market collapse and the current economic downturn.
This book explains why sound money is essential and why all fiat (paper) currencies destruct over time. Peter uses lots of real world analogies to simplify economic and business principles to make them very easy to understand. There are fantastic chapters on the origin and function of money, inflation, the real estate bubble, and ways to protect yourself from a stock market or dollar collapse.
I have added this to my "Required Reading List" on understanding the current economic collapse, which also includes Meltdown by Thomas E. Woods and End The Fed by Ron Paul.
Peter Schiff is the President of Euro Pacific Capital and has never been in politics. He has been encouraged to, and has decided to run for Senate in Connecticut. Peter is the type of person we need to replace almost all those currently sitting in Congress.
Note: A second edition of this book was released in September 2009 called Crash Proof 2.0.
Book 45
One in a Million by Kimberla Lawson Roby
Type: Fiction
My rating: 1 star (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I heard the author talking about this book on XM's Book Radio. It sounded interesting.
What I liked about it: I hesitated to spend any time whatsoever writing about this book. It was a piece of garbage. Very bad dialogue between the characters. "Do you want to walk into the kitchen and eat a cookie with a glass of tea with me?" The plot was so weak my six-year old could have come up with it. Don't waste another second on it.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 1 star (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I heard the author talking about this book on XM's Book Radio. It sounded interesting.
What I liked about it: I hesitated to spend any time whatsoever writing about this book. It was a piece of garbage. Very bad dialogue between the characters. "Do you want to walk into the kitchen and eat a cookie with a glass of tea with me?" The plot was so weak my six-year old could have come up with it. Don't waste another second on it.
Book 44
The Law by Frederic Bastiat
Type: Nonfiction
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I came across this book in passing a few times, but I directly became aware of its significance while recently attending a conference which included speeches by Congressman Ron Paul (author of End the Fed) and Thomas E. Woods (author of Meltdown).
What I liked about it: Written in 1850, this is one of the quintessential books on the principles of liberty and freedom. Many of Bastiat's parables are still used today. The best "take-away" from this book is the super-simple way Bastiat describes what would, or would not, be an acceptable law. He writes:
And he writes:
Therefore, if an individual has no right to steal money from his neighbor then a law cannot be imposed which would take money from an individual, for example, via taxation. If an individual cannot compel another to purchase health insurance, then a law cannot compel an individual to buy it either.
Bastiat defined liberty in the following manner:
Bastiat says that,
He goes on to say that,
My favorite passage from the book was, "When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law." Think of a person who believes that life begins at conception and believes that abortion is morally wrong. Now read that quote again. That's a powerful statement.
This is a truly remarkable book which would serve us extremely well if we applied its principles in today's environment. Bastiat's version of what would be acceptable law would not include taxpayer-funded bailouts; requiring citizen to buy health insurance or be fined; and most certainly would not include mandatory H1N1 flu vaccinations.
Type: Nonfiction
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I came across this book in passing a few times, but I directly became aware of its significance while recently attending a conference which included speeches by Congressman Ron Paul (author of End the Fed) and Thomas E. Woods (author of Meltdown).
What I liked about it: Written in 1850, this is one of the quintessential books on the principles of liberty and freedom. Many of Bastiat's parables are still used today. The best "take-away" from this book is the super-simple way Bastiat describes what would, or would not, be an acceptable law. He writes:
"If the very purpose of law is the protection of individual rights, then law may not be used - without contradiction - to accomplish what individuals have no right to do."
And he writes:
"See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime."
Therefore, if an individual has no right to steal money from his neighbor then a law cannot be imposed which would take money from an individual, for example, via taxation. If an individual cannot compel another to purchase health insurance, then a law cannot compel an individual to buy it either.
Bastiat defined liberty in the following manner:
"In short, is not liberty the freedom of every person to make full use of his faculties, so long as he does not harm other persons while doing so?"
Bastiat says that,
"the purpose of government is precisely to secure individuals in their rights to life, liberty, and property."
He goes on to say that,
"Life, liberty and property do not exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men to make laws in the first place."
My favorite passage from the book was, "When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law." Think of a person who believes that life begins at conception and believes that abortion is morally wrong. Now read that quote again. That's a powerful statement.
This is a truly remarkable book which would serve us extremely well if we applied its principles in today's environment. Bastiat's version of what would be acceptable law would not include taxpayer-funded bailouts; requiring citizen to buy health insurance or be fined; and most certainly would not include mandatory H1N1 flu vaccinations.
Book 43
Night by Elie Wiesel
Type: Memoir
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This story about a survivor from the Holocaust caught my eye and has been on my bookshelf for some time. I recently met a young student who had to read the book as part of an English assignment in high school. That interaction caused me to pick it up and read it.
What I liked about it: This is a very sad story told from the perspective of a 15-year old on being taken from his home along with his family to concentration camps. The boy questions how God could allow such monstrous events to happen. I am saddened that such atrocities could happen and that humans could possibly cause so much harm to other humans.
Type: Memoir
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This story about a survivor from the Holocaust caught my eye and has been on my bookshelf for some time. I recently met a young student who had to read the book as part of an English assignment in high school. That interaction caused me to pick it up and read it.
What I liked about it: This is a very sad story told from the perspective of a 15-year old on being taken from his home along with his family to concentration camps. The boy questions how God could allow such monstrous events to happen. I am saddened that such atrocities could happen and that humans could possibly cause so much harm to other humans.
Book 42
The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen
Type: Fiction, Historical Fiction
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I thought the premise of this book and its setting amid the 1918 Spanish influenza was a very timely topic given all the media frenzy involving the so-called "swine flu."
What I liked about it: This is a really well-told tale about the fictitious town of Commonwealth, Washington that quarantined itself from other towns during the outbreak of the unusually virulent and deadly influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1. The 1918 influenza epidemic killed as many as 100 million people worldwide in one year. (The world's population at that time was about 1.6 billion.)
Interlaced within this main story line were other noteworthy topics of the time, including Americans both fighting and protesting World War I and the labor violence of the era. The character of Uncle Sam was born during this period as the U.S. government launched a propaganda campaign unprecedented in scale. Getting Americans to fight against the Germans was quite a task for President Woodrow Wilson when nearly one-quarter of Americans at that time were of German descent.
I thought the author did a fantastic job of developing the characters. It felt like I understood them and could relate to them. Each time I picked up this book I felt like I traveled back in time to 1918 and was there watching their struggles play out in front of me.
Many of you probably have similar stories, but my great-grandmother, Maria Gigliotti, died in October 1918 at the young age of 32 from the Spanish influenza. The story passed down from family members is that she was a nurse and contracted the flu while treating flu patients. After she died at the local Armory where patients were being cared for, her husband and my great-grandfather, Domenico, carried her body back to their home. Rest in peace, Maria and Domenico.
Type: Fiction, Historical Fiction
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I thought the premise of this book and its setting amid the 1918 Spanish influenza was a very timely topic given all the media frenzy involving the so-called "swine flu."
What I liked about it: This is a really well-told tale about the fictitious town of Commonwealth, Washington that quarantined itself from other towns during the outbreak of the unusually virulent and deadly influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1. The 1918 influenza epidemic killed as many as 100 million people worldwide in one year. (The world's population at that time was about 1.6 billion.)
Interlaced within this main story line were other noteworthy topics of the time, including Americans both fighting and protesting World War I and the labor violence of the era. The character of Uncle Sam was born during this period as the U.S. government launched a propaganda campaign unprecedented in scale. Getting Americans to fight against the Germans was quite a task for President Woodrow Wilson when nearly one-quarter of Americans at that time were of German descent.
I thought the author did a fantastic job of developing the characters. It felt like I understood them and could relate to them. Each time I picked up this book I felt like I traveled back in time to 1918 and was there watching their struggles play out in front of me.
Many of you probably have similar stories, but my great-grandmother, Maria Gigliotti, died in October 1918 at the young age of 32 from the Spanish influenza. The story passed down from family members is that she was a nurse and contracted the flu while treating flu patients. After she died at the local Armory where patients were being cared for, her husband and my great-grandfather, Domenico, carried her body back to their home. Rest in peace, Maria and Domenico.
Book 41
End The Fed by Ron Paul
Type: Nonfiction, Federal Government
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I was highly anticipating the release of End The Fed, which could be the single most important book for Americans to read in 2009. With the economic crisis in full swing this book gets to the very root cause of how the country got itself in this mess and how we can get out of it.
What I liked about it: I first heard about Ron Paul in October of 2007. Around that time I began to research extensively to try to find fault in some of the things I was hearing him say, such as, we should end the Federal Reserve and we should end the personal income tax. Almost two years later my education, mainly in the area of economics and money, has been greatly expanded because of Ron Paul.
This book articulates in a very readable way for the not-so-financially-literate how the Federal Reserve is at fault for the economic mess we are in today. The book provides the necessary context to understand that creating new money out of nothing devalues all the other money in circulation which causes those dollars to be worth less and for the price of things to increase. It is the inflation of the money supply that later shows up in rising prices. Our dollar today is worth less than 5 cents compared to the dollar in 1913 when the Federal Reserve was created. Some might say, so what? How does that effect me? The deliberate inflation of the money supply and devaluation of the dollar essentially removes one's ability to save dollars. They must invest those dollars in more risky investments in order to try to preserve the purchasing power of the dollar. If 50 years ago your grandfather had enough money to purchase a brand new car and he saved those dollars in a can and gave them to you, you would probably have just enough money to buy the rims and tires only. It is worse for older Americans who are on a fixed income. They see the purchasing power of their dollars decrease every year.
This book provides the philosophical, constitutional and economic reasons that the Fed should be abolished. It also contains a plan for the restoration of sound money. The Federal Reserve System is a cartel of very powerful bankers. This system will not be dismantled without a fight. Americans can play their part by first understanding why the Fed is not a benefit to them or their families.
If you are interested in understanding the mess the country is in today, I highly recommend you read this book. Here are a few excerpts from it.
Type: Nonfiction, Federal Government
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I was highly anticipating the release of End The Fed, which could be the single most important book for Americans to read in 2009. With the economic crisis in full swing this book gets to the very root cause of how the country got itself in this mess and how we can get out of it.
What I liked about it: I first heard about Ron Paul in October of 2007. Around that time I began to research extensively to try to find fault in some of the things I was hearing him say, such as, we should end the Federal Reserve and we should end the personal income tax. Almost two years later my education, mainly in the area of economics and money, has been greatly expanded because of Ron Paul.
This book articulates in a very readable way for the not-so-financially-literate how the Federal Reserve is at fault for the economic mess we are in today. The book provides the necessary context to understand that creating new money out of nothing devalues all the other money in circulation which causes those dollars to be worth less and for the price of things to increase. It is the inflation of the money supply that later shows up in rising prices. Our dollar today is worth less than 5 cents compared to the dollar in 1913 when the Federal Reserve was created. Some might say, so what? How does that effect me? The deliberate inflation of the money supply and devaluation of the dollar essentially removes one's ability to save dollars. They must invest those dollars in more risky investments in order to try to preserve the purchasing power of the dollar. If 50 years ago your grandfather had enough money to purchase a brand new car and he saved those dollars in a can and gave them to you, you would probably have just enough money to buy the rims and tires only. It is worse for older Americans who are on a fixed income. They see the purchasing power of their dollars decrease every year.
This book provides the philosophical, constitutional and economic reasons that the Fed should be abolished. It also contains a plan for the restoration of sound money. The Federal Reserve System is a cartel of very powerful bankers. This system will not be dismantled without a fight. Americans can play their part by first understanding why the Fed is not a benefit to them or their families.
If you are interested in understanding the mess the country is in today, I highly recommend you read this book. Here are a few excerpts from it.
Book 40
Free: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson
Type: Nonfiction, Business, Economics
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: Although the Amazon price for the hardcover is currently $21.59 and the Kindle version is currently $9.99, I received this version "free" during an introductory period around the time of the book's release. Very appropriate given the title, and premise, of the book.
What I liked about it: This book goes through all the different types of "free" models that businesses use and compares and contrasts the "old" free as in "buy one, get one free," which is nothing more than 50% off the price of the item, to the "new" free in which most digital and internet content is free.
The main theme throughout is that the price of technology drops so fast that the marginal cost of digital content is pretty close to zero and businesses need to think about how to convert that "free" stuff into revenue.
The author spends time illustrating how "free" can be turned into revenue. Some web content is given out free in hopes that you will upgrade to a more robust version. Club Penquin, which is an online site for kids to play games, is used as an example. The site is free unless you want to "upgrade your igloo" with furniture or buy a pet for your penguin and then you pay $6 a month. This has apparently been a successful model for Disney, who now owns Club Penguin. In the case of the Webkinz phenomenon, you first need to purchase a stuffed animal and then you receive the "free" web content.
I get the question every now and then as to where I find the time to read so much. In the book, the author talks in general terms as to how people prioritize their time. He writes:
Well said.
Finally, I could not end this review without pointing out that one of my favorite science fiction and horror authors, Scott Sigler, gives out his books for free, first in podcast-form and then, in many cases, in pdf-form. And I have bought every one of his books in paper-form. Why? Because the content is so great that I want to support him (so he keeps writing more good stuff and giving it away free) as well as have a great book in my library for years to come.
Type: Nonfiction, Business, Economics
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: Although the Amazon price for the hardcover is currently $21.59 and the Kindle version is currently $9.99, I received this version "free" during an introductory period around the time of the book's release. Very appropriate given the title, and premise, of the book.
What I liked about it: This book goes through all the different types of "free" models that businesses use and compares and contrasts the "old" free as in "buy one, get one free," which is nothing more than 50% off the price of the item, to the "new" free in which most digital and internet content is free.
The main theme throughout is that the price of technology drops so fast that the marginal cost of digital content is pretty close to zero and businesses need to think about how to convert that "free" stuff into revenue.
The author spends time illustrating how "free" can be turned into revenue. Some web content is given out free in hopes that you will upgrade to a more robust version. Club Penquin, which is an online site for kids to play games, is used as an example. The site is free unless you want to "upgrade your igloo" with furniture or buy a pet for your penguin and then you pay $6 a month. This has apparently been a successful model for Disney, who now owns Club Penguin. In the case of the Webkinz phenomenon, you first need to purchase a stuffed animal and then you receive the "free" web content.
I get the question every now and then as to where I find the time to read so much. In the book, the author talks in general terms as to how people prioritize their time. He writes:
"And where do people find the time? By not doing something else--abandoning things that don't return the same social and emotional reward."
Well said.
Finally, I could not end this review without pointing out that one of my favorite science fiction and horror authors, Scott Sigler, gives out his books for free, first in podcast-form and then, in many cases, in pdf-form. And I have bought every one of his books in paper-form. Why? Because the content is so great that I want to support him (so he keeps writing more good stuff and giving it away free) as well as have a great book in my library for years to come.
Book 39
How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else by Michael Gates Gill
Type: Nonfiction
My rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I grabbed this paperback off my bookshelf and threw it in my backpack while heading off on vacation as a light read on the plane.
What I liked about it: This book has "The New York Times Bestseller" on the cover. I suppose this book was meant to be an inspirational book for those in lousy jobs to get off their butts and do something that they enjoy in life. I just found most of the book to be "woe is me" complaining from a guy who grew up in an affluent family, went to an ivy league school, had a very senior-level position in advertising and then was fired from his job when he likely made too much money and was replaced with a lesser paid person. He then took a job at Starbucks to make ends meet and claims, I think, that this is what he should have been doing all his life. This book came out in September 2007 just before the economy began to tank and well before the unemployment rate began to approach double digits. This guy got a book published because of his story. I think this story will be played out again and again over the next several years as many people will be forced to take jobs well below their skill level just to put food on the table and keep a roof over their head.
Type: Nonfiction
My rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I grabbed this paperback off my bookshelf and threw it in my backpack while heading off on vacation as a light read on the plane.
What I liked about it: This book has "The New York Times Bestseller" on the cover. I suppose this book was meant to be an inspirational book for those in lousy jobs to get off their butts and do something that they enjoy in life. I just found most of the book to be "woe is me" complaining from a guy who grew up in an affluent family, went to an ivy league school, had a very senior-level position in advertising and then was fired from his job when he likely made too much money and was replaced with a lesser paid person. He then took a job at Starbucks to make ends meet and claims, I think, that this is what he should have been doing all his life. This book came out in September 2007 just before the economy began to tank and well before the unemployment rate began to approach double digits. This guy got a book published because of his story. I think this story will be played out again and again over the next several years as many people will be forced to take jobs well below their skill level just to put food on the table and keep a roof over their head.
Book 38
The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
Type: Fiction, Love Story
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This is book #3 in my Love Story Trilogy. If Book #1 (Notebook) was the appetizer and Book #2 (Diary) was the entree, then consider this one (Bridges) the dessert.
What I liked about it: A very loyal reader of this blog (hey, at least I have one reader) was overheard thinking recently that certain books that I have read would be considered "girlie" books. Perhaps s/he was referring to this Love Story Trilogy. I don't necessarily disagree with the comment because our society has conditioned us to believe that emotions associated with love and affection are not "manly" feelings.
Concerning this observation, though, I have the following thoughts:
First, you cannot have a traditional love story without both a woman and a man involved. It's not a one-sided arrangement. A love story would not go very far if only the woman contributed and it wasn't equally reciprocated by the man. So somewhere in that equation there must be passion and romance displayed by the human with the Y-chromosome.
Second, all three of the books in my Love Story Trilogy were written by male authors.
And lastly, the other day my daughter asked me if mermaids are real. My response was that I don't think anyone can prove that mermaids aren't real. Recall that the Velveteen Rabbit asked "What is REAL?" And then the rabbit became Real because the little boy REALLY loved him. I believe that there are people who believe that love is not real. They have not experienced sitting in a fancy restaurant for lunch and holding hands across the table, looking at each other in that intense way. And the waiter smiles, just watching you, hoping he would feel that way sometime. To quote Robert Kincaid, one of the last cowboys, "In a universe of ambiguity, this kind of certainty comes only once, and never again, no matter how many lifetimes you live."
If you liked this book, you might also like A Thousand Country Roads by Robert James Waller, which is the sequel to The Bridges of Madison County.
Type: Fiction, Love Story
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This is book #3 in my Love Story Trilogy. If Book #1 (Notebook) was the appetizer and Book #2 (Diary) was the entree, then consider this one (Bridges) the dessert.
What I liked about it: A very loyal reader of this blog (hey, at least I have one reader) was overheard thinking recently that certain books that I have read would be considered "girlie" books. Perhaps s/he was referring to this Love Story Trilogy. I don't necessarily disagree with the comment because our society has conditioned us to believe that emotions associated with love and affection are not "manly" feelings.
Concerning this observation, though, I have the following thoughts:
First, you cannot have a traditional love story without both a woman and a man involved. It's not a one-sided arrangement. A love story would not go very far if only the woman contributed and it wasn't equally reciprocated by the man. So somewhere in that equation there must be passion and romance displayed by the human with the Y-chromosome.
Second, all three of the books in my Love Story Trilogy were written by male authors.
And lastly, the other day my daughter asked me if mermaids are real. My response was that I don't think anyone can prove that mermaids aren't real. Recall that the Velveteen Rabbit asked "What is REAL?" And then the rabbit became Real because the little boy REALLY loved him. I believe that there are people who believe that love is not real. They have not experienced sitting in a fancy restaurant for lunch and holding hands across the table, looking at each other in that intense way. And the waiter smiles, just watching you, hoping he would feel that way sometime. To quote Robert Kincaid, one of the last cowboys, "In a universe of ambiguity, this kind of certainty comes only once, and never again, no matter how many lifetimes you live."
If you liked this book, you might also like A Thousand Country Roads by Robert James Waller, which is the sequel to The Bridges of Madison County.
Book 37
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
Type: Fiction, Love Story
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This is book #2 in my Love Story Trilogy.
What I liked about it: I was again treated to rough-cut pages, but only in the trade paperback edition. (The hardcover has straight-edge pages.) I also enjoyed that this book was written in the epistolary form. In this case, as the title suggests, most of the book consists of diary entries.
Near the beginning of the book we learn the story of the five balls:
This life lesson is a theme that is returned to throughout the book and will stay with you long after.
This book explores many different forms of love, including the love between a man and a woman and the love between a parent and a child. The main character spends most of the book trying to understand how her recent perfect relationship seems to have suddenly come to an end. Hint: The answer is in the diary.
Type: Fiction, Love Story
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This is book #2 in my Love Story Trilogy.
What I liked about it: I was again treated to rough-cut pages, but only in the trade paperback edition. (The hardcover has straight-edge pages.) I also enjoyed that this book was written in the epistolary form. In this case, as the title suggests, most of the book consists of diary entries.
Near the beginning of the book we learn the story of the five balls:
"Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are called work, family, health, friends, and integrity. And you’re keeping all of them in the air. But one day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls - family, health, friends, integrity - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered. And once you truly understand the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginnings of balance in your life."
This life lesson is a theme that is returned to throughout the book and will stay with you long after.
This book explores many different forms of love, including the love between a man and a woman and the love between a parent and a child. The main character spends most of the book trying to understand how her recent perfect relationship seems to have suddenly come to an end. Hint: The answer is in the diary.
Book 36
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Type: Fiction, Love Story
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: After posting back in July about what I refer to as my Love Story Trilogy, I read three other books and the whole time I was reading them all I was thinking about was re-reading the Love Story Trilogy.
What I liked about it: I love rough-cut pages, which this hardcover edition has so you're in for a treat right off the bat. This story of love-lost-and-found-again is so simply told and yet has such a dramatic impact. What amazes me most about this book is the length. This is a very short read by comparison to most books. Sparks uses simple settings and simple conversations to tell the story. Yet nothing is missed. The story is not cluttered with unnecessary descriptions but stays close to what is most important -- the deep, profound and timeless love that Noah and Allie have for each other.
If you love the characters of Noah and Allie, you might also like The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks, which is the sequel to The Notebook.
Type: Fiction, Love Story
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: After posting back in July about what I refer to as my Love Story Trilogy, I read three other books and the whole time I was reading them all I was thinking about was re-reading the Love Story Trilogy.
What I liked about it: I love rough-cut pages, which this hardcover edition has so you're in for a treat right off the bat. This story of love-lost-and-found-again is so simply told and yet has such a dramatic impact. What amazes me most about this book is the length. This is a very short read by comparison to most books. Sparks uses simple settings and simple conversations to tell the story. Yet nothing is missed. The story is not cluttered with unnecessary descriptions but stays close to what is most important -- the deep, profound and timeless love that Noah and Allie have for each other.
If you love the characters of Noah and Allie, you might also like The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks, which is the sequel to The Notebook.
Book 35
Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I happened across this book in my public library's used bookstore where all hard and soft cover books are just $2. Some of the books are ex-library books and others are donations. Most of the books are in like-new condition. The library itself and this bookstore are a real treasure in the community.
What I liked about it: I initially felt like rating this book a 2-star as I really did not like the writing style. It seemed more like random thoughts and anecdotes thrown together than much of a story. However, upon further reflection, I upgraded it to a 3-star because there are some interesting themes throughout the book which are actually quite cleverly woven in.
The basic premise of the book is the timequake, a period of time when the universe stopped expanding and actually shrunk back 10 years requiring everyone to live those 10 years over again. However, everything that happened during the first 10 years happened again during the second 10 years. No one could change a single thing. It was as if everyone was on auto-pilot just going through the motions. For me, this elicited the following two questions: (1) How many people live their lives every day as if they are on auto-pilot? (2) What if we think we are living our lives the way we want to but there actually is no freewill and we cannot change anything that is already suppose to happen?
In chapter 6, there is a question, "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?--every, every minute?" I do not think many people spend the time to realize how precious life is.
In chapter 10, Vonnegut tells us about his Uncle Alex, the Harvard-educated life insurance salesman who said, whenever life was good, "If this isn't nice, what is?" I do not think we remind ourselves how nice life is when it is actually happening.
In chapter 27, Vonnegut's alter-ego Kilgore Trout says, "The main thing about van Gogh and me is that he painted pictures that astonished him with their importance, even though nobody else thought they were worth a damn, and I write stories that astonish me, even though nobody else thinks they're worth a damn." This interested me as it seems that so many people do things based on how others will perceive them and not so much based on whether or not it will make them happy.
Finally, in chapter 57, Vonnegut simple states, "We are here on Earth to fart around. Don't let anybody tell you any different." Nice.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I happened across this book in my public library's used bookstore where all hard and soft cover books are just $2. Some of the books are ex-library books and others are donations. Most of the books are in like-new condition. The library itself and this bookstore are a real treasure in the community.
What I liked about it: I initially felt like rating this book a 2-star as I really did not like the writing style. It seemed more like random thoughts and anecdotes thrown together than much of a story. However, upon further reflection, I upgraded it to a 3-star because there are some interesting themes throughout the book which are actually quite cleverly woven in.
The basic premise of the book is the timequake, a period of time when the universe stopped expanding and actually shrunk back 10 years requiring everyone to live those 10 years over again. However, everything that happened during the first 10 years happened again during the second 10 years. No one could change a single thing. It was as if everyone was on auto-pilot just going through the motions. For me, this elicited the following two questions: (1) How many people live their lives every day as if they are on auto-pilot? (2) What if we think we are living our lives the way we want to but there actually is no freewill and we cannot change anything that is already suppose to happen?
In chapter 6, there is a question, "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?--every, every minute?" I do not think many people spend the time to realize how precious life is.
In chapter 10, Vonnegut tells us about his Uncle Alex, the Harvard-educated life insurance salesman who said, whenever life was good, "If this isn't nice, what is?" I do not think we remind ourselves how nice life is when it is actually happening.
In chapter 27, Vonnegut's alter-ego Kilgore Trout says, "The main thing about van Gogh and me is that he painted pictures that astonished him with their importance, even though nobody else thought they were worth a damn, and I write stories that astonish me, even though nobody else thinks they're worth a damn." This interested me as it seems that so many people do things based on how others will perceive them and not so much based on whether or not it will make them happy.
Finally, in chapter 57, Vonnegut simple states, "We are here on Earth to fart around. Don't let anybody tell you any different." Nice.
Book 34
Miracle on the 17th Green: A Novel about Life, Love, Family, Miracles ... and Golf by James Patterson and Peter de Jonge
Type: Fiction, Sports
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I feel like I've been in a reading slump for the past 5 weeks so I was looking for a light, quick read to jump start my reading engine.
What I liked about it: This is a makes-you-feel-good type of book. The story is about a down-and-out guy in a dead-end job with a failing marriage that discovers that he is playing the best golf of his life and tries to qualify for the PGA Senior Tour. The book left a little smile on my face when I finished.
Type: Fiction, Sports
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I feel like I've been in a reading slump for the past 5 weeks so I was looking for a light, quick read to jump start my reading engine.
What I liked about it: This is a makes-you-feel-good type of book. The story is about a down-and-out guy in a dead-end job with a failing marriage that discovers that he is playing the best golf of his life and tries to qualify for the PGA Senior Tour. The book left a little smile on my face when I finished.
Book 33
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Type: Fiction
My rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This is the fourth and final book in the Twilight series.
What I liked about it: I liked very little about this book. I read the first book in the series, Twilight, in very early 2008 and thought it was a very good 4-star read. I didn't care for the second book (3-star) or third book (surprising, I rated it 4-star) very much and, therefore, I held out reading this last chapter of the saga. When asked why I had not yet read the final book, my response had been that "I wasn't sure I wanted to know how it all ended" but I knew the more appropriate answer was "I didn't want to be disappointed yet again and further forget that the original Twilight story was actually very good." The story line was very thin, the book dragged on and on, and the ending was predictable. I almost gave up on the book completely a few times but stuck it out and finished it. Good riddance. I am very happy that this series struck a chord with so many young readers as I am always thrilled to see kids and adults who are excited about reading. I would definitely encourage anyone to read the first book in the series. (It was my first vampire novel ever.) After that I leave it up to the reader to decide to continue on, or move on.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This is the fourth and final book in the Twilight series.
What I liked about it: I liked very little about this book. I read the first book in the series, Twilight, in very early 2008 and thought it was a very good 4-star read. I didn't care for the second book (3-star) or third book (surprising, I rated it 4-star) very much and, therefore, I held out reading this last chapter of the saga. When asked why I had not yet read the final book, my response had been that "I wasn't sure I wanted to know how it all ended" but I knew the more appropriate answer was "I didn't want to be disappointed yet again and further forget that the original Twilight story was actually very good." The story line was very thin, the book dragged on and on, and the ending was predictable. I almost gave up on the book completely a few times but stuck it out and finished it. Good riddance. I am very happy that this series struck a chord with so many young readers as I am always thrilled to see kids and adults who are excited about reading. I would definitely encourage anyone to read the first book in the series. (It was my first vampire novel ever.) After that I leave it up to the reader to decide to continue on, or move on.
Love Story Trilogy
I was reminded the other day of probably the best three books I have ever read in a row. I think of them as the "Love Story Trilogy" although they have nothing to do with each other except for the common theme. In my opinion these are each 5-star books but when combined and read back-to-back-to-back it was truly an amazing experience. The books are, in the order that I read them, The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson and The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller. All of these books have been made into movies. Even if you have seen the movies (I have seen them all) or have previously read any of the books, I would highly suggest taking the time (they are all fairly quick reads) to read these books in this order. They each explore in a different way the many profound and deep forms that love takes including mental, physical, emotional, intellectual and everlasting. I hesitate to share any more details for fear of giving away the stories. There is no doubt that I will re-read these books again soon.
Book 32
See Jane Run by Joy Fielding
Type: Fiction, Mystery
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was recommended to me by a very special friend.
What I liked about it: See the posting for Book 31 related to the date June 22. To my surprise in chapter 27 along comes the following sentence, "Hadn't the school calendar listed Friday, June 22 as parent interview day?" Weird. This was the first time I have read Joy Fielding, a Canadian author who published her first book almost 30 years ago. I liked, but didn't love, the book. However, on Amazon over 75% of the approximate 50 reviews rated the book a 5-star. I liked the premise of the story and there were a couple of interesting twists but the middle third of the book dragged a bit for me. I do anticipate giving this author another read.
Type: Fiction, Mystery
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was recommended to me by a very special friend.
What I liked about it: See the posting for Book 31 related to the date June 22. To my surprise in chapter 27 along comes the following sentence, "Hadn't the school calendar listed Friday, June 22 as parent interview day?" Weird. This was the first time I have read Joy Fielding, a Canadian author who published her first book almost 30 years ago. I liked, but didn't love, the book. However, on Amazon over 75% of the approximate 50 reviews rated the book a 5-star. I liked the premise of the story and there were a couple of interesting twists but the middle third of the book dragged a bit for me. I do anticipate giving this author another read.
Book 31
The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: There was a blurb on the cover of this book that caught my attention. It read: Highly recommended for fans of authors like Jodi Picoult and Jacquelyn Mitchard.
What I liked about it: There are no coincidences. I chose this book to take with me on vacation. Before leaving for vacation I bought a new pair of Oakley sunglasses. The glasses I chose were from the Stephen Murray "Stay Strong" collection. Stephen Murray was a BMX rider who crashed on June 22, 2007 while attempting a double back flip. He crushed and shattered vertebrae and is paralyzed from the shoulders down. Before leaving for vacation I realized that the flight was going to be on June 22, 2009, exactly two years after Stephen crashed. So that was weird. However, near the end of this book the main character is getting ready to return home after a very exhausting trip and says, "Tomorrow is the twenty-second of June. Tomorrow I'm go home." Hmmm. Very strange. I believe everything happens for a reason. All our life experiences, no matter how small or inconsequential they might seem, are clues to the bigger puzzle.
The book was really good. The story is about a 6-year old girl that goes missing while walking along a beach one day with an adult friend. The friend engages in a crusade to find out what happened to her. The book was very well written and, while I have yet to read Jacquelyn Mitchard, the story telling and tough subject matter is very similar to Jodi Picoult's style of writing.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: There was a blurb on the cover of this book that caught my attention. It read: Highly recommended for fans of authors like Jodi Picoult and Jacquelyn Mitchard.
What I liked about it: There are no coincidences. I chose this book to take with me on vacation. Before leaving for vacation I bought a new pair of Oakley sunglasses. The glasses I chose were from the Stephen Murray "Stay Strong" collection. Stephen Murray was a BMX rider who crashed on June 22, 2007 while attempting a double back flip. He crushed and shattered vertebrae and is paralyzed from the shoulders down. Before leaving for vacation I realized that the flight was going to be on June 22, 2009, exactly two years after Stephen crashed. So that was weird. However, near the end of this book the main character is getting ready to return home after a very exhausting trip and says, "Tomorrow is the twenty-second of June. Tomorrow I'm go home." Hmmm. Very strange. I believe everything happens for a reason. All our life experiences, no matter how small or inconsequential they might seem, are clues to the bigger puzzle.
The book was really good. The story is about a 6-year old girl that goes missing while walking along a beach one day with an adult friend. The friend engages in a crusade to find out what happened to her. The book was very well written and, while I have yet to read Jacquelyn Mitchard, the story telling and tough subject matter is very similar to Jodi Picoult's style of writing.
Book 30
Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: Lisa Scottoline (pronounced Scot-oh-lee-nee) is a local Philadelphia author and I saw her speak and met her briefly while she was signing books at a Michael Smerconish Book Club event a few years ago. At the time, Lisa had just written Dirty Blonde, which has a portion of the story set in Centralia, PA. Lisa is sometimes referred to as the female John Grisham. She was previously a litigator at a Philadelphia law firm.
What I liked about it: This book felt to me like a James Patterson novel and had lots of little chapters (more than 90) which seems to be typical in a Patterson novel. There is even a blurb on the cover of the book from Patterson. It also felt more like a chic-lit novel than a legal thriller. The story seemed rushed and the ending predictable. But all-in-all it would make for some light summer reading.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: Lisa Scottoline (pronounced Scot-oh-lee-nee) is a local Philadelphia author and I saw her speak and met her briefly while she was signing books at a Michael Smerconish Book Club event a few years ago. At the time, Lisa had just written Dirty Blonde, which has a portion of the story set in Centralia, PA. Lisa is sometimes referred to as the female John Grisham. She was previously a litigator at a Philadelphia law firm.
What I liked about it: This book felt to me like a James Patterson novel and had lots of little chapters (more than 90) which seems to be typical in a Patterson novel. There is even a blurb on the cover of the book from Patterson. It also felt more like a chic-lit novel than a legal thriller. The story seemed rushed and the ending predictable. But all-in-all it would make for some light summer reading.
Book 29
Boggs: A Comedy of Values by Lawrence Weschler
Type: Non-fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I found this book mentioned either in a blog or an article in reference to money and what makes up money and how anyone attributes value to money. This is the story of an artist who draws pictures of money and, as part of his "art," attempts to exchange his money at face value for goods and/or services.
What I liked about it: There were several good comparisons between money and art throughout the book. Art is similar to money in that it has nothing backing it. It is merely the perception that money and art have value.
Although this book was written in 1999 there was a discussion that is very relevant today. On page 92, it is written "Experts calculated that almost half a trillion dollars in value had disappeared from the American economy overnight (sound familiar?) - but what had happened to it, one wondered. Where had it gone? One answer was that it hadn't gone anywhere; it wasn't now in some new place, where we would eventually be able to locate it if we just set our minds to it. Rather, it had in a sense never existed in the first place. There is always something dreamy about great speculative frenzies, and, inevitably, at some point the dreamers awake. It was simply, as many commentators now took to noting, morning again in America."
Type: Non-fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I found this book mentioned either in a blog or an article in reference to money and what makes up money and how anyone attributes value to money. This is the story of an artist who draws pictures of money and, as part of his "art," attempts to exchange his money at face value for goods and/or services.
What I liked about it: There were several good comparisons between money and art throughout the book. Art is similar to money in that it has nothing backing it. It is merely the perception that money and art have value.
Although this book was written in 1999 there was a discussion that is very relevant today. On page 92, it is written "Experts calculated that almost half a trillion dollars in value had disappeared from the American economy overnight (sound familiar?) - but what had happened to it, one wondered. Where had it gone? One answer was that it hadn't gone anywhere; it wasn't now in some new place, where we would eventually be able to locate it if we just set our minds to it. Rather, it had in a sense never existed in the first place. There is always something dreamy about great speculative frenzies, and, inevitably, at some point the dreamers awake. It was simply, as many commentators now took to noting, morning again in America."
Book 28
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was sitting in my library for about 6 months. I think it must have been on a top selling list at one time and caught my eye.
What I liked about it: I wish I would have picked this up and read it sooner. This is a book for book lovers about book lovers. One of the main characters is a world famous writer of books. Another works in a used book store and is an avid reader. This book is a classic example of great story telling. You can almost imagine sitting around a cozy fire and having this story told to you by someone. I found myself carrying this book around so that any free time I had I could crack it open and read a bit. This one kept me up past my usual bedtime each night, which is my internal gauge as to when a book becomes a 5-star pick for me.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was sitting in my library for about 6 months. I think it must have been on a top selling list at one time and caught my eye.
What I liked about it: I wish I would have picked this up and read it sooner. This is a book for book lovers about book lovers. One of the main characters is a world famous writer of books. Another works in a used book store and is an avid reader. This book is a classic example of great story telling. You can almost imagine sitting around a cozy fire and having this story told to you by someone. I found myself carrying this book around so that any free time I had I could crack it open and read a bit. This one kept me up past my usual bedtime each night, which is my internal gauge as to when a book becomes a 5-star pick for me.
Statistics Through May 29
Total Pages Read to Date = 8,489
Total Books Read to Date = 27
Average # of Pages Per Book = 314
Average # of Pages Read Per Day = 57
Total Books Read to Date = 27
Average # of Pages Per Book = 314
Average # of Pages Read Per Day = 57
Book 27
The Shack by William P. Young
Type: Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: When I was in the 6th grade at a Catholic grade school my teacher (a Sister/Nun) was telling the class that if you weren't Catholic and you didn't go to church on Sunday you would go to hell. Being so young and curious and naive, I guess, I asked the very smart Sister what if we (Catholics) were wrong about our God and our beliefs and the Buddhists or Hindus were right, would we then go to hell? I was told by the now really angry Sister that I was possessed by the Devil and was thrown out of the classroom. And so my intellectual curiosity was sparked and thus began my life's journey to understand who God is and what role religion plays in our lives. Since this book has over 1 million copies in print I was curious as to why others found this book interesting.
What I liked about it: At the end of chapter 12, Mack (the main character) asks Jesus, "Is that what it means to be Christian?" Jesus replies to Mack, "Who said anything about being a Christian? I'm not a Christian." He continues, "Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved."
Another very thought-provoking exchange occurs earlier in Chapter 12 when Mack and Jesus discuss religion and institutions. Mack asks, "What about the institution of marriage?" Jesus responds, "Marriage is not an institution. It's a relationship. Like I said I don't create institutions; that's an occupation for those who want to play God. So no, I'm not too big on religion and not fond of politics or economics either. And why should I be? They are the man-created trinity of terrors that ravages the earth and deceives those I care about. What mental turmoil and anxiety does any human face that is not related to one of those three?"
There was something about the marketing of the book that turned me off a bit. The little checklist in the back on how to help them sell more books was a bit cheesy. A good book should be able to stand on its own and not have to be backed by a marketing machine to sell a lot of copies. I do think this is a pretty good book overall.
Type: Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: When I was in the 6th grade at a Catholic grade school my teacher (a Sister/Nun) was telling the class that if you weren't Catholic and you didn't go to church on Sunday you would go to hell. Being so young and curious and naive, I guess, I asked the very smart Sister what if we (Catholics) were wrong about our God and our beliefs and the Buddhists or Hindus were right, would we then go to hell? I was told by the now really angry Sister that I was possessed by the Devil and was thrown out of the classroom. And so my intellectual curiosity was sparked and thus began my life's journey to understand who God is and what role religion plays in our lives. Since this book has over 1 million copies in print I was curious as to why others found this book interesting.
What I liked about it: At the end of chapter 12, Mack (the main character) asks Jesus, "Is that what it means to be Christian?" Jesus replies to Mack, "Who said anything about being a Christian? I'm not a Christian." He continues, "Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved."
Another very thought-provoking exchange occurs earlier in Chapter 12 when Mack and Jesus discuss religion and institutions. Mack asks, "What about the institution of marriage?" Jesus responds, "Marriage is not an institution. It's a relationship. Like I said I don't create institutions; that's an occupation for those who want to play God. So no, I'm not too big on religion and not fond of politics or economics either. And why should I be? They are the man-created trinity of terrors that ravages the earth and deceives those I care about. What mental turmoil and anxiety does any human face that is not related to one of those three?"
There was something about the marketing of the book that turned me off a bit. The little checklist in the back on how to help them sell more books was a bit cheesy. A good book should be able to stand on its own and not have to be backed by a marketing machine to sell a lot of copies. I do think this is a pretty good book overall.
Book 26
A Gift to My Children: A Father's Lessons for Life and Investing by Jim Rogers
Type: Non-fiction, Business & Investing
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I think Jim Rogers is one of the "smart" guys in this economic downturn and I enjoy listening and reading anything he has to say. Jim made enough money to retire by age 38 and then went on two multi-year trips around the world, one of them on a motorcycle. He did this in order to gain a real micro (not macro) perspective on the world.
What I liked about it: This book might be more interesting to someone who is new to Jim Rogers but, for me, it was a rehash of his philosophy on investing and on living. It is a short book, just 85 pages, and can be read in one sitting.
Type: Non-fiction, Business & Investing
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I think Jim Rogers is one of the "smart" guys in this economic downturn and I enjoy listening and reading anything he has to say. Jim made enough money to retire by age 38 and then went on two multi-year trips around the world, one of them on a motorcycle. He did this in order to gain a real micro (not macro) perspective on the world.
What I liked about it: This book might be more interesting to someone who is new to Jim Rogers but, for me, it was a rehash of his philosophy on investing and on living. It is a short book, just 85 pages, and can be read in one sitting.
Book 25
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was mentioned as a "favorite" by more than one person to me recently. It is ranked second in the Modern Library's list of the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century. It's set in the roaring 20s as American society enjoyed unprecedented levels of prosperity as the economy soared just prior to the start of the Great Depression.
What I liked about it: I found it interesting that this book did not get much acclaim when it was published in 1925. In fact, it wasn't until the 1960s, after Fitzgerald's death, that it gained its popularity. I'm in the camp with the reviewers from the first 20+ years. I think I was better off having read it but I didn't find anything terribly fascinating about it. I didn't particularly like the overly descriptive sentences that use lots of extra words to describe something that could be expressed in much simpler terms.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was mentioned as a "favorite" by more than one person to me recently. It is ranked second in the Modern Library's list of the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century. It's set in the roaring 20s as American society enjoyed unprecedented levels of prosperity as the economy soared just prior to the start of the Great Depression.
What I liked about it: I found it interesting that this book did not get much acclaim when it was published in 1925. In fact, it wasn't until the 1960s, after Fitzgerald's death, that it gained its popularity. I'm in the camp with the reviewers from the first 20+ years. I think I was better off having read it but I didn't find anything terribly fascinating about it. I didn't particularly like the overly descriptive sentences that use lots of extra words to describe something that could be expressed in much simpler terms.
Book 24
Testimony by Anita Shreve
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: The only other book by this author that I have read was The Pilot's Wife, which I thought was just OK but good enough that I vowed to read something else by her. This is her latest novel and I thought it sounded pretty interesting -- a sex scandal at a private school in Vermont.
What I liked about it: I thought I would like the storytelling from the perspectives of multiple characters but the use of this technique in this book made the characters hard to follow. At the very end, I unsuccessfully tried to flip back through the book to even determine the significance of one of the characters. The novel is also told from multiple narratives - in the first, second and third person - which also made it a bit choppy for me. The story was fairly well told and seeing the tragic events transpire from multiple points of view (just too many points of view) was interesting. The novel explored the characters dealing with the consequences of their actions and forced them to examine the "what ifs" as in "what if" he didn't do this or "what if" she didn't do that. In the end, for me I really want to like this book but, like The Pilot's Wife, I thought it was just OK.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: The only other book by this author that I have read was The Pilot's Wife, which I thought was just OK but good enough that I vowed to read something else by her. This is her latest novel and I thought it sounded pretty interesting -- a sex scandal at a private school in Vermont.
What I liked about it: I thought I would like the storytelling from the perspectives of multiple characters but the use of this technique in this book made the characters hard to follow. At the very end, I unsuccessfully tried to flip back through the book to even determine the significance of one of the characters. The novel is also told from multiple narratives - in the first, second and third person - which also made it a bit choppy for me. The story was fairly well told and seeing the tragic events transpire from multiple points of view (just too many points of view) was interesting. The novel explored the characters dealing with the consequences of their actions and forced them to examine the "what ifs" as in "what if" he didn't do this or "what if" she didn't do that. In the end, for me I really want to like this book but, like The Pilot's Wife, I thought it was just OK.
Book 23
Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I discovered Jodi Picoult just over a year ago while lying poolside vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. While pondering which refreshing drink to order next, I heard sniffling next to me and turned to find my ravishing wife crying while reading My Sister's Keeper. I asked her what the book was about and knew immediately that I had to give this author a try. That was an incredible 5-star book. My next Picoult novel was Nineteen Minutes, which became my then favorite until I read The Pact, which then moved to the top spot. When I began reading Change of Heart, I told myself that this wouldn't be my new best Picoult novel since it didn't make sense that each one I read became my new favorite.
What I liked about it: This may very well be my new favorite! Jodi Picoult has an unbelievable ability and gift to tell a thought-provoking story that stays with you, not only during the time you spend reading it, but well afterward as well. This novel explores the death penalty and the Gnostic Gospels, including the Gospel of Thomas. It was quite interesting to learn that the inclusion of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Christian bible were an editorial decision made over 2000 years ago while the other known gospels at the time were declared heresy. It is believed that, had this decision to standardize the Christian faith not been made, Christianity could have died out from all the infighting. One of my favorite passages from the book was "Sometimes we see what we want to, instead of what's in front of us. And sometimes, we don't see clearly at all." Regardless of which Jodi Picoult novel is currently my favorite, I am hereby crowning Ms. Picoult as my favorite author!
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I discovered Jodi Picoult just over a year ago while lying poolside vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. While pondering which refreshing drink to order next, I heard sniffling next to me and turned to find my ravishing wife crying while reading My Sister's Keeper. I asked her what the book was about and knew immediately that I had to give this author a try. That was an incredible 5-star book. My next Picoult novel was Nineteen Minutes, which became my then favorite until I read The Pact, which then moved to the top spot. When I began reading Change of Heart, I told myself that this wouldn't be my new best Picoult novel since it didn't make sense that each one I read became my new favorite.
What I liked about it: This may very well be my new favorite! Jodi Picoult has an unbelievable ability and gift to tell a thought-provoking story that stays with you, not only during the time you spend reading it, but well afterward as well. This novel explores the death penalty and the Gnostic Gospels, including the Gospel of Thomas. It was quite interesting to learn that the inclusion of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Christian bible were an editorial decision made over 2000 years ago while the other known gospels at the time were declared heresy. It is believed that, had this decision to standardize the Christian faith not been made, Christianity could have died out from all the infighting. One of my favorite passages from the book was "Sometimes we see what we want to, instead of what's in front of us. And sometimes, we don't see clearly at all." Regardless of which Jodi Picoult novel is currently my favorite, I am hereby crowning Ms. Picoult as my favorite author!
Book 22
The Desert Has No King by Frederiko Aguilar
Type: Fiction
My rating: 1 star (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I thought this was going to be a really good book about a kid who grew up gambling, became a bookie, got involved with (on the wrong side of) the Mafia and then escaped to Las Vegas to start a new life.
What I liked about it: Nothing. The spelling and punctuation throughout the book was horrendous. The dialogue between characters was awful. This author is no John O'Hara. There was absolutely no plot worth mentioning. Just when I thought the book might redeem itself at the end and pull some minor story lines together, the author just stopped the story and mentioned a sequel. What a piece of garbage. I cannot believe this author is trying to sell this book for $17. Thankfully I picked my copy up as a free e-book for the Kindle. I guess you get what you pay for. In my case, it was a total waste of time. The author should pay me.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 1 star (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I thought this was going to be a really good book about a kid who grew up gambling, became a bookie, got involved with (on the wrong side of) the Mafia and then escaped to Las Vegas to start a new life.
What I liked about it: Nothing. The spelling and punctuation throughout the book was horrendous. The dialogue between characters was awful. This author is no John O'Hara. There was absolutely no plot worth mentioning. Just when I thought the book might redeem itself at the end and pull some minor story lines together, the author just stopped the story and mentioned a sequel. What a piece of garbage. I cannot believe this author is trying to sell this book for $17. Thankfully I picked my copy up as a free e-book for the Kindle. I guess you get what you pay for. In my case, it was a total waste of time. The author should pay me.
Book 21
A Shortcut in Time by Charles Dickinson
Type: Fiction, Time Travel
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I love time travel stories. I found this book pulled from circulation from my local library, perhaps never been read.
What I liked about it: I grew up fascinated by the capabilities of the flux capacitor in Back To The Future. It was many years later that I learned that plutonium cannot create enough energy to make time travel possible. This book definitely has the possibility of being a 5-star. However, my all-time favorite time travel story is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, which is being turned into a movie to be released in August 2009.
Type: Fiction, Time Travel
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I love time travel stories. I found this book pulled from circulation from my local library, perhaps never been read.
What I liked about it: I grew up fascinated by the capabilities of the flux capacitor in Back To The Future. It was many years later that I learned that plutonium cannot create enough energy to make time travel possible. This book definitely has the possibility of being a 5-star. However, my all-time favorite time travel story is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, which is being turned into a movie to be released in August 2009.
Book 20
The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin
Type: Nonfiction, Business, Money & Banking
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I have been searching for a clear explanation of what the exact purpose of the central bank in the United States (the Federal Reserve) is and why we need it.
What I liked about it: It is worth noting that the Federal Reserve System is our nation's fourth central bank. The previous three collapsed. It is also worth noting that having a central bank is the fifth criteria in Carl Marx's Communist Manifesto. The first third and last third of Creature are absolutely fascinating stuff written like a mystery novel. The middle third includes a lot of history, which got a little tiring for me, but I understood why it needed to be included. When things are done in secret, you know that something is going on that someone doesn't want you to know about. The Fed was created in 1913 following a secret meeting a few years earlier on Jekyll Island off the coast of Georgia (ironically 1913 was the same year the income tax started, which interestingly is the second criteria of the Communist Manifesto). Today the Fed operates in secrecy and is not subject to audit. This book exposes the Fed for what it is and demonstrates the devastating effect the Fed has on debasing our currency and reducing our purchasing power. Three other books on this subject that are worth reading, all written by Murray N. Rothbard, include: The Mystery of Banking, What Has the Government Done to Our Money, and The Case Against the Fed.
Type: Nonfiction, Business, Money & Banking
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I have been searching for a clear explanation of what the exact purpose of the central bank in the United States (the Federal Reserve) is and why we need it.
What I liked about it: It is worth noting that the Federal Reserve System is our nation's fourth central bank. The previous three collapsed. It is also worth noting that having a central bank is the fifth criteria in Carl Marx's Communist Manifesto. The first third and last third of Creature are absolutely fascinating stuff written like a mystery novel. The middle third includes a lot of history, which got a little tiring for me, but I understood why it needed to be included. When things are done in secret, you know that something is going on that someone doesn't want you to know about. The Fed was created in 1913 following a secret meeting a few years earlier on Jekyll Island off the coast of Georgia (ironically 1913 was the same year the income tax started, which interestingly is the second criteria of the Communist Manifesto). Today the Fed operates in secrecy and is not subject to audit. This book exposes the Fed for what it is and demonstrates the devastating effect the Fed has on debasing our currency and reducing our purchasing power. Three other books on this subject that are worth reading, all written by Murray N. Rothbard, include: The Mystery of Banking, What Has the Government Done to Our Money, and The Case Against the Fed.
Book 19
Between Friends by Debbie Macomber
Type: Fiction, Chick Lit
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I came across this author on the Facebook profile of a friend from high school. I choose this particular book because it was written in the epistolary, or scrapbook, form which uses letters, newspaper clippings, diary entries and e-mails to tell the story. The Color Purple by Alice Walker was a very popular book written in this form.
What I liked about it: The author created and developed two characters throughout the novel that you really felt like you got to know and understand. You wanted to know what happened next in their lives and didn't want the book to end.
Type: Fiction, Chick Lit
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I came across this author on the Facebook profile of a friend from high school. I choose this particular book because it was written in the epistolary, or scrapbook, form which uses letters, newspaper clippings, diary entries and e-mails to tell the story. The Color Purple by Alice Walker was a very popular book written in this form.
What I liked about it: The author created and developed two characters throughout the novel that you really felt like you got to know and understand. You wanted to know what happened next in their lives and didn't want the book to end.
Book 18
Against Medical Advice by James Patterson, Hal Friedman, and Cory Friedman
Type: Nonfiction, Medical
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This is James Patterson's first nonfiction book. The story follows Cory Friedman through his childhood as he is treating like a guinea pig by multiple doctors who give multiple diagnoses with multiple treatments and lots and lots of drugs.
What I liked about it: This is a fascinating, but sad, true story about the doctors who "practiced" medicine on this kid until he finally said enough is enough.
Type: Nonfiction, Medical
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This is James Patterson's first nonfiction book. The story follows Cory Friedman through his childhood as he is treating like a guinea pig by multiple doctors who give multiple diagnoses with multiple treatments and lots and lots of drugs.
What I liked about it: This is a fascinating, but sad, true story about the doctors who "practiced" medicine on this kid until he finally said enough is enough.
Book 17
She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom Of Cassie Bernall by Misty Bernall
Type: Nonfiction, Religion and Spirituality
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: The 10th anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine was on April 20, 2009. The topic of school shootings is one that intrigues me. I wonder what happens to kids that can make them want to kill other kids.
What I liked about it: This was the story of one of the girls who died that day. Unbelievably, years earlier, Cassie Bernall, wrote notes back and forth to a friend about killing her own parents. In a recently released book about Columbine, one of the reporters who researched the Columbine story for the past 10 years discovered that story behind the name of this book (that Cassie was murdered because she was asked by her killer if she believed in God and was shot in the head when she said "yes") did not actually happen, but was one of the myths that sprung up after the shootings. Irregardless, this is a sad story about a senseless killing.
Type: Nonfiction, Religion and Spirituality
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: The 10th anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine was on April 20, 2009. The topic of school shootings is one that intrigues me. I wonder what happens to kids that can make them want to kill other kids.
What I liked about it: This was the story of one of the girls who died that day. Unbelievably, years earlier, Cassie Bernall, wrote notes back and forth to a friend about killing her own parents. In a recently released book about Columbine, one of the reporters who researched the Columbine story for the past 10 years discovered that story behind the name of this book (that Cassie was murdered because she was asked by her killer if she believed in God and was shot in the head when she said "yes") did not actually happen, but was one of the myths that sprung up after the shootings. Irregardless, this is a sad story about a senseless killing.
Book 16
Pacific Avenue by Anne Watson
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This was another published author giving her work away for free on the Kindle. This book caught my attention because the author employs a writing style that I enjoy, which is to have the story told from alternating perspectives.
What I liked about it: The story took place in the 1970s and explored thought-provoking topics such an interracial relationships and injured veterans returning from Vietnam. The author created interesting characters, places and events that made the story enjoyable.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This was another published author giving her work away for free on the Kindle. This book caught my attention because the author employs a writing style that I enjoy, which is to have the story told from alternating perspectives.
What I liked about it: The story took place in the 1970s and explored thought-provoking topics such an interracial relationships and injured veterans returning from Vietnam. The author created interesting characters, places and events that made the story enjoyable.
Book 15
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Type: Fiction
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I noticed that someone in my friends network on Facebook commented about how they couldn't finish this book because it "freaked" them out. I am intrigued by someone who can put into words something which has the ability to hit an emotional chord with its reader.
What I liked about it: The story is about a girl who dies and goes to heaven and then watches as her family continues on with their lives. This is definitely a pager-tuner. It is part crime story, part ghost story, part family drama. This had the makings of a 5-star book until the last 25% after which, without giving away the plot, it took a bit of a turn and contained a few hokey events. This book is being made into a movie to be released in December 2009. While I generally do not like movies that are adapted from books (the exception being The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, which I thought stayed very true to the book), I think that this could turn out to be a really good movie.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I noticed that someone in my friends network on Facebook commented about how they couldn't finish this book because it "freaked" them out. I am intrigued by someone who can put into words something which has the ability to hit an emotional chord with its reader.
What I liked about it: The story is about a girl who dies and goes to heaven and then watches as her family continues on with their lives. This is definitely a pager-tuner. It is part crime story, part ghost story, part family drama. This had the makings of a 5-star book until the last 25% after which, without giving away the plot, it took a bit of a turn and contained a few hokey events. This book is being made into a movie to be released in December 2009. While I generally do not like movies that are adapted from books (the exception being The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, which I thought stayed very true to the book), I think that this could turn out to be a really good movie.
Book 14
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Type: Fiction, Religion and Spirituality
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was recommended by a special friend who reminds me of me. He is on a journey, both physically and spiritually. He left the secure confines of home about 2 months ago with just a backpack and an open mind. You can follow his travels on his blog at: http://peregrine13.wordpress.com/
What I liked about it: I think I spent more time reading the words than absorbing the meaning. This goes back in the to-be-read-again pile. I think there is more for me to extract from this book.
Type: Fiction, Religion and Spirituality
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was recommended by a special friend who reminds me of me. He is on a journey, both physically and spiritually. He left the secure confines of home about 2 months ago with just a backpack and an open mind. You can follow his travels on his blog at: http://peregrine13.wordpress.com/
What I liked about it: I think I spent more time reading the words than absorbing the meaning. This goes back in the to-be-read-again pile. I think there is more for me to extract from this book.
Book 13
Caught Stealing by Charlie Huston
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This was another free Kindle book but this was from a published author who, in this case I think, gave away his book for free in hopes to attract a new audience. This was his debut novel and is part of a trilogy along with Six Bad Things and A Dangerous Man.
What I liked about it: The story is very fast-paced with a "what's going to happen next" feel like the television show 24. Lots of killing and swearing. Not a lot of big words. This novel will never make it on a Books That Changed the World list but it was a fun read and I may even check out the next book in the series.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This was another free Kindle book but this was from a published author who, in this case I think, gave away his book for free in hopes to attract a new audience. This was his debut novel and is part of a trilogy along with Six Bad Things and A Dangerous Man.
What I liked about it: The story is very fast-paced with a "what's going to happen next" feel like the television show 24. Lots of killing and swearing. Not a lot of big words. This novel will never make it on a Books That Changed the World list but it was a fun read and I may even check out the next book in the series.
Thanks, Mom!
Around the end of February (or beginning of March) my Mom asked me what number book I was on. She was also reading and tracking her books in 2009 and the last time we discussed she was beating me by a book, or two. I believe she was on number 9 and I was on number 7. When I told her I was on number 12 she asked, "Are you reading little books?" In my mind this translated as "I'm not buying what you're selling. Prove it." I think my Mom occasionally wonders how I got the way I got. I truly thank her for always challenging me! I went back to the 20 books I read through mid-April and the pages totaled more than 6,500, or about 325 pages per book, which I would characterize as an average-size book length. I hope my Mom doesn't think those are "little" books. Otherwise, I may need to step up my game!
Book 12
Surviving the Fog by Stan Morris
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I picked this up as a free Kindle book from an unpublished author. The story was about what would happen to a group of kids at a summer camp if the adults left and they had to fend for themselves.
What I liked about it: I read this book at the very end of February and my notes say that I ranked it a 3-star although I specifically recall staying up later than usual each night to continue reading it, which is my typical gauge as to whether I like a book...does it keep me up at night? I guess I would give it a very strong 3-star and would probably read something else from this author in the future. The story had a Lord of the Flies feel to it. It had a nice plot and overall was an enjoyable read.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I picked this up as a free Kindle book from an unpublished author. The story was about what would happen to a group of kids at a summer camp if the adults left and they had to fend for themselves.
What I liked about it: I read this book at the very end of February and my notes say that I ranked it a 3-star although I specifically recall staying up later than usual each night to continue reading it, which is my typical gauge as to whether I like a book...does it keep me up at night? I guess I would give it a very strong 3-star and would probably read something else from this author in the future. The story had a Lord of the Flies feel to it. It had a nice plot and overall was an enjoyable read.
Grading System
I rate each book I read with the following very simplistic scale of 1-5 stars:
5 star- Must read (these are books that I generally recommend to others)
4 star- Worth reading
3 star- Good enough
2 star- Not good enough
1 star- Waste of time
I was curious as to how my ratings break-down by each category so I went back and reviewed the ratings I gave to the last 150 books I read. Only 15% received the highest 5-star rating, about 39% were rated 4-star, 37% rated 3-star, 6% rated 2-star and 3% were rated just 1-star.
I used to feel as though I had to finish each book I started but realized that some just are not worth the trouble. If I were to read 50 books a year for the next 50 years, I would only be able to read 2,500 books. With the limited amount of books that I will ever be able to read, I occasionally have to put aside that one book that just isn't worth the time. The last such book that I did not finish was The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King.
5 star- Must read (these are books that I generally recommend to others)
4 star- Worth reading
3 star- Good enough
2 star- Not good enough
1 star- Waste of time
I was curious as to how my ratings break-down by each category so I went back and reviewed the ratings I gave to the last 150 books I read. Only 15% received the highest 5-star rating, about 39% were rated 4-star, 37% rated 3-star, 6% rated 2-star and 3% were rated just 1-star.
I used to feel as though I had to finish each book I started but realized that some just are not worth the trouble. If I were to read 50 books a year for the next 50 years, I would only be able to read 2,500 books. With the limited amount of books that I will ever be able to read, I occasionally have to put aside that one book that just isn't worth the time. The last such book that I did not finish was The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King.
Book 11
Summer's Path by Scott Blum
Type: Fiction, Spirituality
My rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: It looked like it was going to be an interesting story about a guy who was going to die and someone (an angel?) who was sent to make his transition easier.
What I liked about it: This was the first book I read on an Amazon Kindle 2. I have since read 5 books and downloaded over 100 free books. Lots of the classics are free and many authors give away their works for free either because they want the reader to like and buy more of their works or because they were never published and want to gain recognition. The cost of the device is pretty steep at $359 but overall I give the Kindle two thumbs up. The e-ink technology makes it appear as though you are reading an actual piece of paper. There is no back-light (you can't read in the dark with it) so there is no eye strain and less battery drain. The battery last for almost a week of reading. You can store over 1,000 books on the device and it weighs only 10 ounces so it's super easy to read from and carry with you anywhere. It comes with free wireless so you can surf the internet anywhere, anytime. It can also read any book back to you with its "text-to-speech" technology but the voices are a little creepy (especially the male voice). There are rumors that Amazon is already working on a Kindle 3 with a large screen.
Type: Fiction, Spirituality
My rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: It looked like it was going to be an interesting story about a guy who was going to die and someone (an angel?) who was sent to make his transition easier.
What I liked about it: This was the first book I read on an Amazon Kindle 2. I have since read 5 books and downloaded over 100 free books. Lots of the classics are free and many authors give away their works for free either because they want the reader to like and buy more of their works or because they were never published and want to gain recognition. The cost of the device is pretty steep at $359 but overall I give the Kindle two thumbs up. The e-ink technology makes it appear as though you are reading an actual piece of paper. There is no back-light (you can't read in the dark with it) so there is no eye strain and less battery drain. The battery last for almost a week of reading. You can store over 1,000 books on the device and it weighs only 10 ounces so it's super easy to read from and carry with you anywhere. It comes with free wireless so you can surf the internet anywhere, anytime. It can also read any book back to you with its "text-to-speech" technology but the voices are a little creepy (especially the male voice). There are rumors that Amazon is already working on a Kindle 3 with a large screen.
Book 10
Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer
Type: Fiction, Science Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: Robert Sawyer is one of my favorite science fiction writers.
What I liked about it: Another 5-Star! I really enjoyed the premise of the book in which Neanderthals have develop a completely different civilization in a parallel Earth universe and then crossed over into our universe. If you have never read Robert Sawyer this would be a great one to start with although I think Mindscan (4-star) and Flash Forward (4-star) are very well written books as well.
Type: Fiction, Science Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: Robert Sawyer is one of my favorite science fiction writers.
What I liked about it: Another 5-Star! I really enjoyed the premise of the book in which Neanderthals have develop a completely different civilization in a parallel Earth universe and then crossed over into our universe. If you have never read Robert Sawyer this would be a great one to start with although I think Mindscan (4-star) and Flash Forward (4-star) are very well written books as well.
Book 9
Meltdown: A Free-Market Look at Why the Stock Market Collapsed, the Economy Tanked, and Government Bailouts Will Make Things Worse by Thomas E. Woods
Type: Business, Economics
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: Tom Woods is a senior fellow at the Ludwig von Mises Institute, which is the research and educational center of classical liberalism, libertarian political theory, and the Austrian School of economics. I have a passionate interest in Austrian economics.
What I liked about it: 5-Star book alert! I am a very tough grader and will typically only rate about 10% of the books I read each year as a 5-Star. This book is an excellent read about what caused today's economic collapse, what the Federal Reserve's role was in it, and why the bailouts will make things worse. It is written in very plain English that the average person can read and understand. I would highly recommend this if you are looking for a book to help you understand just what exactly happened and what could continue to happen if real change is not soon undertaken.
Type: Business, Economics
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: Tom Woods is a senior fellow at the Ludwig von Mises Institute, which is the research and educational center of classical liberalism, libertarian political theory, and the Austrian School of economics. I have a passionate interest in Austrian economics.
What I liked about it: 5-Star book alert! I am a very tough grader and will typically only rate about 10% of the books I read each year as a 5-Star. This book is an excellent read about what caused today's economic collapse, what the Federal Reserve's role was in it, and why the bailouts will make things worse. It is written in very plain English that the average person can read and understand. I would highly recommend this if you are looking for a book to help you understand just what exactly happened and what could continue to happen if real change is not soon undertaken.
Book 8
The Great Housing Bubble: Why Did House Prices Fall by Lawrence Roberts
Type: Nonfiction
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I wanted to see what this guy's opinion was as to why he thought house prices fell.
What I liked about it: This is a great book if you are interesting in getting a tutorial on the basics of how house prices are (or should be) determined. I found it extremely interesting that a product was sold at the height of the bubble called an Option ARM. This product gives the borrower three different payment options each month: (1) fully amortizing payment (i.e. like your typical 30-year mortgage where each payment contains a portion toward interest and a portion toward principal), (2) interest-only payment (meaning your principal never decreases), and (3) a negative amortization payment. The last one was a surprise to me! It means that the payment you make is not enough to cover the interest owed so the principal balance increases each month. Someone forgot the "common sense" test when devising this "innovative" lending product. The author says that studies have shown that when borrowers were given these choices, 85% of them chose option #3. Amazing!
Type: Nonfiction
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I wanted to see what this guy's opinion was as to why he thought house prices fell.
What I liked about it: This is a great book if you are interesting in getting a tutorial on the basics of how house prices are (or should be) determined. I found it extremely interesting that a product was sold at the height of the bubble called an Option ARM. This product gives the borrower three different payment options each month: (1) fully amortizing payment (i.e. like your typical 30-year mortgage where each payment contains a portion toward interest and a portion toward principal), (2) interest-only payment (meaning your principal never decreases), and (3) a negative amortization payment. The last one was a surprise to me! It means that the payment you make is not enough to cover the interest owed so the principal balance increases each month. Someone forgot the "common sense" test when devising this "innovative" lending product. The author says that studies have shown that when borrowers were given these choices, 85% of them chose option #3. Amazing!
Book 7
Smoke Screen by Kyle Mills
Type: Fiction, Mystery
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: The book had an interesting premise. The tobacco industry was about to lose its largest class action lawsuit, which would permanently bankrupt all the tobacco companies. Before that happens, the industry shuts down all plants and recalls all products until they are provided with immunity from all such future lawsuits.
What I liked about it: The plot was just good enough to make this an enjoyable read. There was some interesting references to the history of the tobacco industry.
Type: Fiction, Mystery
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: The book had an interesting premise. The tobacco industry was about to lose its largest class action lawsuit, which would permanently bankrupt all the tobacco companies. Before that happens, the industry shuts down all plants and recalls all products until they are provided with immunity from all such future lawsuits.
What I liked about it: The plot was just good enough to make this an enjoyable read. There was some interesting references to the history of the tobacco industry.
Suggestions Welcome!
I am open to hearing about your favorite book. I love being introduced to new authors. If you feel so compelled, drop me a comment and let me know your favorite book or favorite author.
Books 4-6
Book 4
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Type: Nonfiction, Religion and Spirituality
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was mentioned in a program I was watching and I recall that I had read it back in high school. I think it was required reading in a Theology class.
What I liked about it: A good part of the book describes Frankl's imprisonment in Auschwitz and other concentration camps. I found it very humbling to consider what this one man went through. This book can really take you to a very basic level and have you consider what is really important in your life and what it is that defines you.
Book 5
The Quickie by James Patterson
Type: Fiction, Mystery
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: After that last read, I needed something a little less complex.
What I liked about it: This is true Patterson. Fast paced. Interesting plot with lots of twist and turns. A good page turner. For anyone who hasn't read Patterson, this would be a good one to start with although my all-time favorite by Patterson is Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas.
Book 6
Sail by James Patterson
Type: Fiction, Mystery
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: Since the last book took about 3 days to read, I figured I'd get ahead of the curve a little by knocking out another quickly.
What I liked about it: This barely registers a 4 star. It's not as good as The Quickie but somehow I found myself flipping pages and staying awake a little longer each night to see what would happen next.
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Type: Nonfiction, Religion and Spirituality
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was mentioned in a program I was watching and I recall that I had read it back in high school. I think it was required reading in a Theology class.
What I liked about it: A good part of the book describes Frankl's imprisonment in Auschwitz and other concentration camps. I found it very humbling to consider what this one man went through. This book can really take you to a very basic level and have you consider what is really important in your life and what it is that defines you.
Book 5
The Quickie by James Patterson
Type: Fiction, Mystery
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: After that last read, I needed something a little less complex.
What I liked about it: This is true Patterson. Fast paced. Interesting plot with lots of twist and turns. A good page turner. For anyone who hasn't read Patterson, this would be a good one to start with although my all-time favorite by Patterson is Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas.
Book 6
Sail by James Patterson
Type: Fiction, Mystery
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: Since the last book took about 3 days to read, I figured I'd get ahead of the curve a little by knocking out another quickly.
What I liked about it: This barely registers a 4 star. It's not as good as The Quickie but somehow I found myself flipping pages and staying awake a little longer each night to see what would happen next.
Books 1-3
Through mid-April I have completed 20 books. Therefore, over the course of the next few posts I will get caught up to date. Without further ado I present to you books 1-3:
Book 1
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I don't read much Grisham but this one seemed like an intriguing premise. A down and out ex-NFL football quarterback is offered the starting spot on an Italian football team for a very small salary.
What I liked about it: I liked the references to places in Italy and a few of the scenes which focused on the detail surrounding the meals (the wines, the meats, the cheeses) which are an important aspect of the Italian culture. Overall it's a nice football story woven around what is meaningful in life.
Book 2
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Type: Fiction
My rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was recommended to me by a business associate. Over luch one day he raved about how this was the best book ever.
What I liked about it: It was not the best book ever. However, about 50% of the reviews on Amazon give this book their highest rating so maybe it was just me. Perhaps if you go into reading it without thinking it will be the best book ever, your experience will be better.
Book 3
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Type: Fiction
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I think the first book in the series, Twilight, was recommended to me by a co-worker. Twilight was my first vampire novel. I give Twilight a 5-star rating.
What I liked about it: I liked it better than New Moon (book 2) but not as much as Twilight. The final chapter, Breaking Dawn, sits in my library. I want to know the ending and yet I don't what to know the ending. Don't tell me. I really enjoyed reading my second vampire book, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, which was written in 1954.
Book 1
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I don't read much Grisham but this one seemed like an intriguing premise. A down and out ex-NFL football quarterback is offered the starting spot on an Italian football team for a very small salary.
What I liked about it: I liked the references to places in Italy and a few of the scenes which focused on the detail surrounding the meals (the wines, the meats, the cheeses) which are an important aspect of the Italian culture. Overall it's a nice football story woven around what is meaningful in life.
Book 2
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Type: Fiction
My rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was recommended to me by a business associate. Over luch one day he raved about how this was the best book ever.
What I liked about it: It was not the best book ever. However, about 50% of the reviews on Amazon give this book their highest rating so maybe it was just me. Perhaps if you go into reading it without thinking it will be the best book ever, your experience will be better.
Book 3
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Type: Fiction
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I think the first book in the series, Twilight, was recommended to me by a co-worker. Twilight was my first vampire novel. I give Twilight a 5-star rating.
What I liked about it: I liked it better than New Moon (book 2) but not as much as Twilight. The final chapter, Breaking Dawn, sits in my library. I want to know the ending and yet I don't what to know the ending. Don't tell me. I really enjoyed reading my second vampire book, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, which was written in 1954.
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