Bill Bryson's African Diary

Way too short. It's basically the length of a magazine article, but between a hard-backed cover. Still, it's definitely worth a read. I love Bill Bryson's writing.

Judas and the Gospel of Jesus by N. T. Wright

Not what I thought it would be, and with less content than I'd expected, but not bad.

Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain

I read this because I really like his TV show, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. This book made it clear that I never want to meet him. He has an intense hatred for fat people, and he's enough of an ass that there is a chance he would totally be a jerk to my face (I'm fat), but almost definitely behind my back. I don't need to be brought to tears because someone thinks I am repulsive and shouldn't be on the planet.

So I don't want to meet him. But it was nevertheless an interesting read (though not recommended unless you're already a fan of him or his show; it didn't seem like the sort of book that would interest a random reader) and I still really like his show.

Rock, Paper, Scissors: Game Theory in Everyday Life by Len Fisher

Meh.

SuperFreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt

Very interesting. Definitely worth a read.

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

Interesting. I enjoyed learning all about corn. His anti-vegetarian conclusions were eye-rollingly dumb, but the rest of it was good.

Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End . . . by Philip C. Plait

Very fun read. It's basically a general astronomy book using potential apocalyptic endings to explain things. Loved it.

Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense by N. T. Wright

This author came highly recommended by a number of people on an email list I'm on, so I decided to try out some of his books, and this one came up first. I quite enjoyed it, and will definitely continue to read more of his books.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Excellent. I was familiar with HeLa cells, having become one with them during college, but never gave it any thought (nor remember reading anything) about the person they originally came from. That's what this book is about - the woman, Henrietta Lacks, whose cells these were and the repercussions on her family. It was a fascinating read.

NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson, Ashley Merryman

Fascinating. I know this is kind of a random thing for me to read since I don't have kids and likely won't, but I read a review somewhere (not sure where now) and it piqued my interest. If I did have kids, this book would have changed my approach. Since I don't have kids, it's merely very interesting.

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

Incredibly sad. But I'm glad I read it.

The Taking by Dean Koontz

Deliciously chilling. I really like Dean Koontz's books, though I haven't read anything by him for quite a while. However, my mom, who loves his books, strongly recommended this one, so I read it. As I said, it was deliciously chilling. It doesn't quite end as strong as it starts, which was disappointing (because the first half is fabulous), though the last two pages creeped me out again. This one is definitely worth a read, though.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Excellent. Absolutely excellent. A very engaging story that had me staying up way too late to finish it.

One Second After by William R. Forstchen

I love a good apocalyptic tale. The writing was mediocre - not bad, merely a tool to tell the tale, though the occasional sentence made me cringe - but the tale the text told was chilling and engaging. And now, of course, I'm terrified an electromagetic pulse (EMP) will be the end of my happy, electricity-filled existence, and I will die a horrible, miserable death.

So a recommended read!

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

Excellent book. The weakest parts were the ones set basically modern day. I really didn't care what happened to Hanna, and the ending drama felt like it sort of came out of nowhere, like the author thought some sort of twist was necessary. However, the parts in the past, tracing the different little pieces, were so fabulous that they made up for the weaknesses. Lovely prose, too.

Blooming English by Kate Burridge

I LOVED this book. Completely and totally fascinating. Its subtitle - "Observations on the Roots, Cultivation and Hybrids of the English Language" - pretty much covers what it's about.

The Piano Shop on the Left Bank by Thad Carhart

Very good. This is not something I would have selected on my own in a million years - who cares about a piano shop in Paris? - but it was selected by a member of my book club so I read it. To my surprise, I really liked it. It introduced me to a couple worlds I've never given any thought to, and it did so with excellent writing and an interesting tale (it's non-fiction). I'm glad I read it.

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Very good. Gave me some food for thought.