Spring Reading Thing

Okay, so I haven't posted in forever. But since only about 3 people read my blog, that's okay. :)
I just had to participate in Katrina's Spring Reading Thing since reading is about the only thing I can commit to. Most nights my hubby watches the History Channel while I curl up on the couch beside him and read whatever book I am currently enthralled by.

I just finished The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield which was GREAT, and The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd which is a treasure. I am currently reading Jodi Piccoult's Picture Perfect, but I won't count that. ;) Jodi is my new favorite author-if only she could shell them out as fast as I can read them!

Most of the books I am listing come from my "Books to Investigate" list in my book journal. Which is a great idea, I am having fun writing my thoughts after each book I read. (I added some info to some of the books.) So, here goes in no particular order:

The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian Quote from none other than my favorite writer, Jodi Piccoult: "The story centers on Laurel Estabrook, a young social worker and survivor of a near-rape, who stumbles across photographs taken by a formerly homeless client and tries to understand how a man who'd taken snapshots of celebrities in the 50s and 60s might have wound up on the streets. However, an author's note tells us that Bohjalian conceived this book after being shown a batch of old photographs taken by a once-homeless man; and the actual photos of Bob "Soupy" Campbell are peppered throughout the text. In another neat twist, Bohjalian's resurrects details from The Great Gatsby, which become "real" in the context of his own novel--Laurel lives in West Egg; part of her hunt for her photographer's past involves meeting with the descendants of Daisy and Tom Buchanan." Okay-intertwining the Great Gatsby which I include in the list of best books ever written? Had to check it out.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards-
This stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognizes that his daughter has Down syndrome. For motives he tells himself are good, he makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own. Compulsively readable and deeply moving, The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a brilliantly crafted story of parallel lives, familial secrets, and the redemptive power of love.

**Also, a little side note; Sue Monk Kidd said this was "Absolutely Mesmerizing." Love it!

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon This book is written from the perspective of a 15 year old autistic boy. That is enough to make it an intriguing read in my opinion.

The Rapture of Caanan by Sheri Reynolds

Marley and Me by John Grogan

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah In A LONG WAY GONE, Beah, now twenty-six years old, tells a riveting story. At the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. Eventually released by the army and sent to a UNICEF rehabilitation center, he struggled to regain his humanity and to reenter the world of civilians, who viewed him with fear and suspicion. This is, at last, a story of redemption and hope.

Crunchy Cons: How Birkenstocked Burkeans, gun-loving organic gardeners, evangelical free-range farmers, hip homeschooling mamas, right-wing nature lovers, and their diverse tribe of countercultural conservatives plan to save America (or at least the Republican Party) by Rod Dreher Referred by a friend and it looks interesting: At a time when the Republican Party seems to be fracturing from within, commentator Rod Dreher says it's time for the GOP to return to its roots. And he thinks conservatives could find inspiration from fellow Republicans who embrace a counter-cultural yet traditional conservative lifestyle -- what Dreher dubs "Crunchy Cons."

And may I add, if you have this book from the Grapevine Library, PLEASE RETURN IT. I'm patiently waiting.