The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Very interesting. His almost-final declaration that, "See, there's absolutely nothing wrong with kids experimenting with drugs," was eyerollingly stupid (okay, so their chances of getting addicted are small, but that's hardly the only reason it's not such a good idea), but that's the only thing I remained unconvinced about in the entire book. Definitely a good read.

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

Loved it. But I've loved everything of his I've read. I love the travel/comedy mix. And as someone in book club pointed out, he's writing about common, normal things; he doesn't experience anything extraordinary on his travels. However, he manages to make it seem fascinating and fun. That's quite a skill. (Also, this is technically a re-read for me, but it was just as fun to read it this time around as the first time.)

Dreams of My Father by Barack Obama

I expected to dislike it. I'm sick of hearing about Obama. But it's actually quite interesting.

Bonds That Make Us Free by C. Terry Warner

Pretty good. Probably would be better if I had a husband and kids I could use it with. It makes sense, though.

Chindi by Jack McDevitt

I liked it. I could not in good conscience call this quality literature, but it was enjoyable fluff of the sci-fi persuasion.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Loved it. Gaiman is my favorite author, so the chances I would like it were high. It's a kid's book, so it's a quick, easy read, but it's plenty enjoyable for adults.

The Engines of God by Jack McDevitt

Mediocre science fiction, to be sure, but I enjoyed it.

The Shack by Wm. Paul Young

Meh. Maybe it's just too allegorical for my tastes, but this one didn't do anything for me. I didn't hate it, but... meh.

Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? by Thomas Kohnstamm

I liked it a lot, even though the author is clearly a fool.

The City by Joel Kotkin

I liked it. It's a short, concise overview of cities. Definitely a survey book, not anything indepth, but it's a good introduction.

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

I enjoyed it. I find Taoism interesting, and this is an interesting way to approach it.

Elsewhere, U.S.A. by Dalton Conley

Subtitled, "How we got from the company man, family dinners, and the affluent society to the home office, blackberry moms, and economic anxiety."

Meh. Interesting enough to read, but I'm not sure I'm convinced.

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Loved it! I didn't expect to love this book - romance during a hostage situation - but I did. The author is incredibly talented at working with language. For much of what I've read lately, language is a tool. In this book, language is an art. It was like reading an orchestra. And I loved the story as well. I'd never read anything by her before this one, and now I have two of her books in my to-be-read pile.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. Highly recommended.

This is the non-fiction story about Greg Mortenson, who stumbled into a small, remote Pakistani village after a failed attempt to climb K2 in 1993. Separated from his group, sick, and exhausted, Greg was impressed by the kindness he received. While there he saw kids sitting outside on the frozen ground, writing in the dirt with sticks, trying to have school without a building or even a teacher. Wanting to do something to repay the kindness, he promised to return and build them a school. With that promise, his life took a sudden turn. He did build that school, and then went on to form the Central Asia Institute. According to the website, "As of 2008, Central Asia Institute has successfully established 64 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which provide (or have provided) education to over 25,000 students, with a emphasis on girls’ education."

Very inspirational book. Well written. Interesting. I can't say enough good things about it. Highly recommended.

"In times of war, you often hear leaders - Christian, Jewish, and Muslim - saying 'God is on our side.' But that isn't true. In war, God is on the side of refugees, widows, and orphans." (page 239)
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Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Meh.

I read Twilight because it was picked for this month's book club, though I've been thinking of picking it up for a while now anyway. I enjoy young adult novels in general, and I love vampires, so I expected to love this. And I didn't. I'm so disappointed. Three-quarters of it was boring, just the two of them (mostly Bella since it was from her perspective) pining over each other. That's it. I hate romance novels, and that's basically all this was - a Harlequin romance novel without all the sex. Blech.

It's also poorly written. Very poorly written. And there is no real character development. Bella is beyond annoying, and all she does is pine after Edward. That's it.

I did somewhat enjoy the parts where we finally find out how the vampire thing works, and the parts where Edward's family came into play. I sort of liked the last part where things were actually happening. So it wasn't a total loss, and I didn't loathe it or anything like that, but... I was disappointed.

Not recommended. I'll skip the sequels and also the movie unless it gets fabulous reviews (based on the limited previews I've seen, though, it looks pretty bad).

This review from Amazon is pretty much a perfect reflection of my thoughts on the book: Click Me.

Just added!: For highly entertaining chapter synopses. I suggest To Try a New Sword on a Chance Wayfarer.
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