The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

Since it's Christmas-time, I wanted to read something Christmas-y. I haven't read this book since I was a wee beastie, so I broke out the book Saturday. Yep, it's still a fun, good story.

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Bushman

Excellent.

History just isn't something that interests me, especially American history after the Revolutionary War (ancient Greece and Rome are much worse than American history and make me want to poke my eyes out with a spork, but Europe earlier than 1200 AD and Asian history are quite fascinating). Thus, Church history gets folded into the category of "boring" and I generally ignore it. But this book was such the hot item, I gave in and read it. I learned quite a bit from the book. Nothing was particularly shocking; I love studying LDS doctrine, and Church history gets sprinkled in when you study that. However, it provided more detail and context than I'd previously known.

Context is the thing Bushman is quite good with, and it makes all the difference. He provides a contextual interpretation of why Joseph did what he did and how he became who he was. He firmly places Joseph in the human category, and yet as believing readers, we see how he was a prophet despite his humanity. It's inspiring, actually, providing hope to us mere mortals who hope to be great (or even just kinda good and not a waste of carbon).

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Brilliant. This is a kids story, and I would have adored it when I was a kid, but I loved it as an adult, too. It's a short, easy read, as you would expect for a kids story. Like all of Neil Gaiman's books (he is one of my favorite authors, and I read this in my attempt to read everything he has written - I haven't quite been able to convince myself to read his graphic novels, though), this is a tale of an altered, bizarre, fantastic world just a heartbeat away from the world we know. In this case, a young girl finds her way into a duplicate world where the Other Mother has trapped her, some dead children, and her parents. It's a creepy story, and a lot of fun. I'd recommend it for kids and adults.

Plane Insanity by Elliott Hester

Hahahahaha! That's what I thought of this book. Human beings are idiots. And as long as they are not idiots around me, idiots provide good laughter.

The author has been a flight attendant for the past 20 years (I think), and he has seen almost everything. There are, of course, tales of sex in the air, but there is a lot more that he goes into. It provided a few hours of laughter, so I enjoyed the book.

Candyfreak by Steve Almond

Eh. The info about the candy world is actually quite interesting, and I enjoyed learning about the realm of candy makers. However, he takes far too many random diversions that have only the tiniest of connections to the theme of the book. Far, far too many. If he cut those out, it would be a greatly improved book. It would also no longer be a book, but that wouldn’t be a bad thing. With the harsh hand of a good editor, this would make an excellent long article in a magazine like Atlantic Monthly. Also, I find the very casual tone of voice kind of annoying. That tone isn’t entirely out of place considering the fact that this is a book about the author’s obsession with candy and his explorations of candy makers, which is not exactly a serious topic, but still the casual tone just seems to go too far.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Fascinating novel. It's a story told in the first person from the perspective of an autistic teenage boy. The story itself is interesting - he's investigating who killed his neighbor's dog and finds out a much more difficult secret and has to deal with what he learns - but it's also a fascinating character study in how someone with such different experiences thinks. Definitely recommended.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Not bad. Not worth all the hype, but that's what I'd heard. Still, a fairly entertaining read, but the ending was less than satisfactory. There is no way this book could have lived up to its hype, so I tried to keep very low expectations. That's they only reason it was enjoyable at all. Foucault's Pendulum, a book with a similar theme, is much better.

I am baffled, though, why this book seems to be so popular in Mormon circles. I understand being drawn to the idea that Christ was married, as that idea is fair game within LDS theology, but there are so many other ideas in the book that are definitely contrary to LDS theology. As long as you read the book as fiction (which is how I take it) then there isn't a problem. Unfortunately, it seems that people (LDS or otherwise) are up in arms or all excited because they forget that it is a novel, not a history book. Weird.

But not a bad escape book for a few hours.

The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson

I'm definitely going to work my way through all his books. I love 'em. I particularly like his style of travel: wandering. It's the way I prefer to explore when I travel. I'm not really a tour group person. He's got humor. He loves travel. I enjoy his writing. What more could you ask for? This book covered a few months he spent wandering by car around the continental U.S., searching for the perfect small town America. I'd recommend everything by him, even the stuff I haven't yet read.

So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane

Not bad. This is a kids book that has been recommended as something that kids who like Harry Potter would like. Though it isn't as engaging as the HP books, this wasn't a bad story. It's about a couple kids who are misfits who decide to become wizards after, having the wizard-type personalities that let them see that there are such things as wizards, saying the oath that gives them the info on how to do wizarding things.

Then they save the world.

Okay, there's a lot that goes on. There's a white hole that gets pulled into our world, and he's just really cute. I want one. And there are these interesting parallel universes.

Anyway, not a bad book. I'm not screaming out to read the rest of the books in the series, but I might.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

SPOILER SAFE -- Loved it. However, this was probably my least favorite book, and that's because the ship was out of control. I get that they are teenagers, but does it really have to play that big a role in the story? (IMO, the answer is no.) It was like mediocre fanfic. I kept expecting JK Rowling to throw in some slash, like many a fanfic-er. Ugh. She also went with the most blindingly obvious matches. I have to say, though, the HP fandom wank has been amusing.

But aside from that, the rest of the story was great. However, with what has been set up, book 7 has to be excellent, or this book will drop down into the category of blech. Just looking at this book, without taking into account what it seems to be building up to, it was a good story. There was a lot more explication than in the other books. Aside from the out-of-control ship, not much happens until the last 200 pages; that's it's greatest weakness (the ship, I mean - the explication was actually interesting). There wasn't much character growth in this novel, though.

Egypt Books

I'm too lazy to list them all, and none were so outstanding as to stand out, so this is just a general entry. They were vaguely enlightening, but I'm now sick of the basic books. They covered hieroglyphics, mythology, and history. I've got a few more that should offer some more indepth info, and that's what I'm after now. I am, however, grateful to Angela to have loaned these to me.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

I wanted to reread this before going to see the movie, but now the movie is out of the first-run theaters, so I may just wait for the DVD. I first read this book long, long ago. I don't know how old I was, but I was quite young and ready to move beyond Ramona the Pest. So I timidly ventured upstairs in the library to the grown-up books (where I'd been many times before, of course, but just to find my parents after I finished in the children's section; this time I was a patron of those books). This book was one of the first grown-up books I read. Of course, "grown-up book" could be debated. All I remembered now was that I liked it.

And having now read it as an adult, I still like it. It's hilarious. A friend was reading it, and she said that this was totally my sense of humor. My goodness, she was right: a little twisted, a little bizarre, and a lot of sci-fi. I wonder if it played any role in shaping my sense of humor, but probably not - it's probably just coincidence. Or a perfect match. Or something. But I love this book.

"The mice will see you now." HA!!!

Everyday Life in Ancient Egypt by Lionel Casson

In preparation for my trip the Egypt later this year, I'm trying to learn all about the history of Egypt (since it is the historical sites we are focusing on during our trip). I'm also studying Egyptian Arabic. I'd like to find a book on modern Egyptian culture, but I haven't come across one yet.

This book, though, is the first in my attempts to learn about what I will soon see. It's an interesting overview of ancient Egyptian life, and I enjoyed reading it. It's short - only 146 pages - and briefly goes over the different parts of society: family, women, the different jobs (doctors, scribes, craftsmen, grunts). It also covers religion and history. That much info, covering all of different ages, means it is definitely an overview/introduction book. However, that's pretty much was I'm looking for at this point, so it met my needs.

Crucial Conversations by several people

Authors: Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler

Well... it was okay. I just find myself rolling my eyes at most self-help books, and this is no exception. I would never have chosen to read it, but it was supervisor-required reading, so I read it. It has some good advice on communication, but the tone is very condenscending, which is an odd choice for a book that is all about how to communicate. I'm afraid I couldn't overlook the tone - I spend the entire book cringing and critical because of it. However, if you can overlook that foolish choice of the authors, it really does have some good info.

It discusses how to not be defensive and focus on what your endgame is. It helps you identify how you sabotage conversations, making them ineffective. Like I said, it really is good stuff. It was just presented unpleasantly.

So... mostly recommended.

Still Life With Crows by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Pure fluff, but I really like these authors. I'm definitely a fan. It's a fun suspenseful tale of strange, ritualistic murders in a small farming town in Kansas. FBI Agent Pendergast comes to town on "vacation" and tries to help the local police figure out who the killer is. It's creepy. It's fun. It has an interesting ending. Sure, it's fluff, but it's a fun ride.

I liked it :-)

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

Well, I haven't been able to eat ground beef since reading this, but that's pretty much the only long-term change this brought to my life. I'm not really bothered by the business practices it exposes, but that's probably because I already knew most of it. Yes, capitalists will do anything (or almost anything for the ethical few) to get to the top and stay there. And the reality is, I'm not as bothered by that as maybe I should be.

The book did, however, strengthen my vegetarian desires, which were already strong to begin with. I just find meat kind of gross and I feel sorry for the horrible conditions and deaths through which the animals suffer. This merely brought all of the images back to my current memory. I haven't completely stopped eating meat - though, like I said, ground beef is totally out of the question - but I have greatly cut back on my intake of meat (which was already pretty low anyway).

One of these days I've just got to take the final step of cutting all meat out. I did it for a while, but then I started craving meat after half a year or so. So maybe my current method of eating meat very rarely works well enough.

Anyway, I recommend the book. It's interesting and enlightening.

This is the Way the World Ends by James Morrow

Interesting read. It's a little dated, as the world ends due to a nuclear war between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., but that's easy to overlook because the politics really doesn't play a big part in the story. The story is about the trial of the last humans alive. These people are held responsible for the end of the world by the "unadmitted", those who should have been born but were not because their ancestors died.

I grew a little bored during the trial part of the story and started to skim a bit through part of it. The characters aren't as developed as they could be, so I didn't really care about their fate. However, the premise and plot were interesting enough that I enjoyed the book.

It's an easy read, but it was depressing. After all, it's the end of the world.

Earlier reads

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip

Wonderful book! This fantasy novel is an easy read (I imagine a lot of jr. high kids read this), but it is a beautiful story. It is the tale of a girl with the gift to call and speak to magical animals. Except for her beasts and a witch down the mountain a ways, she lives a very isolated life. Then a baby boyis brought into her life to raise. And then a man enters her life. That's all I'll tell you. Definitely read this book. Great story. I must read more by this author.

The Fat Girl's Guide to Life by Wendy Shanker

I can't remember what led me to buy this book, but it was interesting, so I'm glad the book muses led me to it. Before I started reading, I thought it was fiction, but it's not. Definitely non-fiction. It is the writings of a Fat (read the book to understand the meaning of the capitalization) woman, andcontains her thoughts on the insanity of the weight-loss industry, Western (mostly American) views of bodies, and, well, all things fat. She means to free herself of all the bad things of that world and just accept herself for what she is (healthy - she works out a lot - but not thin), but she doesn't quite succeed judging by her tone and a fair amount of flip-flopping. I disagree with some of the "facts" she puts in there, but I like the message she is trying to convey: why are we destroying ourselves for a body we'll never have? Focus on health. It was an enjoyable read.


Staying Power : 30 Secrets Invincible Executives Use for Getting to the Top - and Staying There by Thomas A. Schweich

I read this under recommendation from my supervisor. It contains nothing particularly in-depth, but it is a fairly entertaining read. However, I found it turned me off of capitalism. The disturbing twist of priorities - and trying to sell that twist in priorities as a good thing - was in unintended aspect of the book. Actually, it considers itself to be pretty much the opposite; it intends to be the rah!rah! of capitalism, inspiring budding capitalists. But it just came off as very wrong to me. I have no problem with the acquisition of wealth and success - I seek out such things myself. But the methods to get there (as espoused by this book) shut out the important things of life. The priorities are wrong. Obviously some people have no problem with priorities in that order. I, however, do. So overall, this book is an ironically damning view of capitalism. For what is essentially a fluffy book, the view of capitalism is disturbing and strong.

Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer

A very enjoyable read. I saw the movie a long time ago and barely remember it, but I think the movie only covers a tiny portion of the book and alters that tiny part quite a bit. So, from that misty recollection, I would say the book is much better. I read the book already knowing a fair amount about the politics involving Tibet and China, and this gave a nice backdrop of culture to that through the nonfiction tale of simply a grand adventure.


The West Wing Script Book by Aaron Sorkin

What obsessed fan wouldn't like a book of scripts? I only wish it was longer. But we get six scripts from seasons 1 and 2, along with short introductions to each episode. It's fun to read the scripts and see the episode in your head.


Hiroshima by John Hersey

I can't say "incredible read" because that seems too crass. It was chilling and sad and a fascinating personalization of the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima. Everyone should read it. It's very short - 150 pages - but it contains a lot in those pages. A nonfiction book, it follows the events the day of the bombing and then the hours, days, and years afterward for several people. It turns the events from just a long-ago occurrence read about in history books into something real and alive.


In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

This one wasn't as funny as the Europe one (though it's got a few hilarious pieces), but it was quite enjoyable. Since I recently went to Australia, it was fun to know exactly what he was talking about some of the time, and the rest of the time I thought, "Ooo, next time I go, I need to check that out." Overall, a very pleasant read.


Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson

Wonderful! His sense of humor is so much like mine. I laughed often and was in hysterics several times (Mom thought I was choking the first time). I'll be seeking out other books by him. He also throws in some random, yet entertaining, tangents, and also tosses in some things that make you think. He also travels the way I like to travel - just wandering around the towns/cities. If I ever get around to seeing Europe, that's the way I'll see the sights - wandering. Some of the stuff is outdated. It was published in 1992 and it's based on his travels a year or two before that; a lot has happened since then in a couple of the countries he went through (like Yugoslavia). So as a tourist guide, it's not too useful. But then, that's not what it was written for. It wonderfully illustrates the variety of cultures that make up Europe, clearly letting us know that the continent is far, far from homogenous.


Phantoms by Dean Koontz

A pretty good read. Nothing amazingly wonderful, nothing distracting. It's a good book for when you just want to be entertained.


Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Loved it. He is now one of my favorite authors. I love the odd worlds he creates. They are bizarre stories, fascinating characters, and a plain good read. More! More!


Thunderhead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Good book. The story was engaging. No distracting writing or anything. I liked all the mystery and archeology stuff. It made me want to look up more info about the Anasazi and learn more about them.


American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Loved it. Man, this writer is so good I could cry.


The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Excellent book. It is about the aftermath of the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl... from the perspective of the girl in heaven. Unique premise. The girl watches her family and friends as they deal with the incredible horror of what happened to her. It is well written and engaging, and it isn't a difficult read. Obviously with a topic such as rape and murder, it isn't a light, happy read, but it ends with hope and closure so you aren't totally bogged down with depression when the book is through. I definitely recommend it.


Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Loved it. Don't have much else to say because you've probably already read it yourself, and if you haven't, then you probably don't care anyway. Oh, except... what was with the messed up punctuation?


Bless the Beasts and Children by Glendon Swarthout

Depressing novel about a group of abused/neglected kids dumped by their parents at a summer camp where they are rejected by their follow campers. The novel covers one night (with flashback scenes to other days of camp or of home) when they leave camp and go on a mission involving buffalo. Apparently a lot of people read this book in junior high, but I had never heard of it. It was selected by my book club, so I read it. Definitely worthy of discussion with a junior high class. But depressing.


Are You Hungry, Dear? by Doris Roberts and Danelle Morton

This is the autobiography of Doris Roberts, who plays Raymond's mother in the show Everybody Loves Raymond. Buying this book was an impulse buy after reading a good review of it and then being weakened by a trip to the dentist. I regretted buying it soon afterward, but read it anyway. And I liked it! I'm not really a fan of Ms. Roberts; I liked her in Remington Steele when I was a kid, but I don't watch Everybody Loves Raymond. But I still liked the book. It was interesting to see some of the sadness of her life, the joys of her life, and how she got to where she is. It opened up the world of theater and acting for me a bit, totally convincing me that it is not the world for me (not that I though it was, which is why it is not where I've taken my life, but the book confirmed my decision). She ends each chapter with a recipe. Some of them looked good and I may try them sometime. I definitely recommend the book if you are a fan. If not - like me - it's still a pretty good read.


April 1865 by Jay Winik

U.S. history is a topic that bores me to tears, so I don't know much about it since I've avoided all but what was required in school. Therefore, this book is an unlikely one for me to read. However, my book club picked it, so I read it. It was beyond excellent. Not only do I understand so much more the horror of the Civil War, I have a greater appreciation for the U.S. (that it wasn't destroyed by the Civil War). The subtitle of the book is The Month That Saved America, and he makes a strong argument that the U.S. could have so easily dissolved had only a few things been different. In addition, I have a greater appreciation for the major players, regardless of the side they were on. The author obviously has a great respect for all of them, and that really comes across in the book. However, the book does not make war seem noble and grand (as well it shouldn't). The descriptions of the horrors of the Civil War are... horrifying. It makes me appreciate peace even more. Highly recommended book.


The Nanny Diaries: A Novel by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

An interesting read. It is also an easy read. No annoying errors or glaring plot holes. I enjoyed it, but at the same time, hated the parents of the boy as much as the nanny (our protagonist) did. What makes it sadder is that it is more than a novel. In things I've read about book, the authors have stated time and again that it is fiction. And yet it is also based on their much experience as nannies. Scary. The book is recommended, though. Light reading, but not really a happy book.


The Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston

The Hot Zone, also by Richard Preston, is one of my favorite books ever. It’s about the Ebola virus (my favorite virus). When I saw this new book of his, I had to get it immediately. This one’s about smallpox. Though I’ve never been particularly terrified of smallpox, this has led to the development a nice raging fear. Well done, Mr. Preston! I love his writing style. It’s very graphic and reads much like a good novel. Also, though it is a scientific topic, he makes it easily readable by a non-scientist. Highly recommended.


Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco

Excellent book. It took me a while to get through (over 500 pages of small print, and around page 250 I had to start over again because I was totally lost). But I loved it. The occult stuff was interesting. Eco's mocking of the occult stuff, of the publishing industry, and of people in general is pretty funny. The story is deeply engrossing. The non-story, random things thrown in there are fascinating. Highly recommended.


The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein

I loved this book when I was in jr. high and read it over and over again. I just re-read it. It's still a very fun read. It's also a very easy read, so if you don't have much time and are just looking for some pleasant entertainment, this is a good choice. It is a 1950s sci-fi book - one of Heinlein's juveniles.


Beyond the Gate by Keith Topping

You can't get this book in North America, but thank heavens for the internet. I bought it from Amazon UK. It's about the TV show Stargate SG-1, which I am obsessed with. Lots of good insider tidbits about the episodes. I've used it to enhance my Stargate website. The editing is questionable; I found at least a couple dozen errors. That's really high. In addition, some of his discussion of logical inconsistencies suffer from those same inconsistencies. That was frustrating. But overall, a very good book. It is frustrating at the lack of Stargate merchandise. I know so many people who are dying to throw money at MGM, but we get nothing out
of them.


Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

I've quite enjoyed his other books, but this one was a painful disappointment. There are few books I outright hate, and this is one of them. The main characters were sniveling idiots. Skipping Christmas is a grand idea. Taking a break from all of the trapping sounds nice. But they don't just do that; they turn it into a nasty, unpleasant experience as they become paranoid and simply stupid. And then when their daughter comes to town unexpectedly, they just throw it all together anyway (why not just tell their ADULT daughter that they made plans to go on a cruise, but she and her fiancé were welcome to stay at the house and play there). And what was with the mysterious stranger? Absolutely nothing happened with him. He was there, but didn't do anything, didn't provide any revelations. There was no point to that character except to annoy the readers. So the point of the novel was totally lost. So... is it a good thing to skip Christmas, or a bad thing? From this novel, you will never know, and you will never gain any insights into forming your own answers. A waste of paper. Avoid it.