Reading Away

One of my resolutions was to read 24 books in 2005. I’m behind, but I still think I can do it.

Here’s what I’ve read so far:

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime by Mark Hadden
Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
The Deadwood Beetle by Mylene Dressler
Three Nights In August by Buzz Bissinger
On The Road by Jack Kerouac
Cold Comfort by Barton Sutter
Life Of Pi by Yann Martel
Peace Like A River by Leif Enger

If you’re looking for recommendations then I’d say Life Of Pi is at the top of my list. There were one or two spots that were a little slow, but the story is great and the ending is a thought-provoker. “I have a story that will make you believe in God” is the set-up line from the Author’s Note at the beginning of the book (don’t skip this part!).

I’m nearly done with Peace Like A River and it’s a close second. It’s hard to put the book down because the story is so well-told and the plot moves right along. Enger is a Minnesotan, so you know he can write; the story is set in Minnesota, so you know it’s good. It’s Enger’s first novel and I always enjoy reading first novels (Pi was Martel’s second).

Cold Comfort is a collection of essays by a Duluth resident. Eats, Shoots & Leaves is a good grammar book. Three Nights is a baseball book about Tony LaRussa and the Cardinals. On The Road is On The Road, one of those books people expect you to have read. Oh, The Curious Incident is a worthy investment. The Deadwood Beetle is forgettable.

So, eight books in seven months. I’m six books behind with five months to go. Fourtunately, I think I can read three books a month to make my resolution. Wait, that's not enough, so I'll have to read an extra one in December.

Although I have a stack of books I want to read this year (Fight In The Fields, The Kite Runner, The Brothers Karamazov, Islands In The Stream, House Of Sand And Fog, Lolita, A Year In Provence), I will always take recommendations. So, recommend!