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3. Into Thin Air: 5*s
READ THIS BOOK! Seriously, just go get it and devote a solid afternoon to it. First off, Krakauer is one of the best non-fiction writers out there and this puppy is a real page-turner. If you're looking for a book you can't put down, this is it. Second, the story itself is chilling (no pun intended) and will likely give me nightmares. Third, I would actually recommend this for a book club. When I told friends I was reading it the most common reaction was, "Man there were some stupid people on Everest that day!" But having read it I don't necessarily know if that was the case, and don't feel anyone can judge how others act at 29,000 feet in sub-zero temperatures where oxygen levels are a third that of sea level. I'd actually like to have that discussion with someone and wish it had been part of my book club. If anyone out there has read it and has thoughts, shoot me a message, I'm eager to get another perspective.

But seriously, just read the book!

Ooops, kept putting up new posts rather than just adding to the same one. Synopsis:
1. Briding the Gap by Alexander George: 4*s
2. Exodus by Leon Uris
3. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer: 5*s
4. (NEW) Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson: 3*s

#4 took about 30 minutes but was really delightful and put a little pep in my step.

Heather wrote: "3. Into Thin Air: READ THIS BOOK! Seriously, just go get it and devote a solid afternoon to it. First off, Krakauer is one of the best non-fiction writers out there and this puppy is a real page-tu..."

I read this one years ago when it first published. What still sticks? The things we, as people not just extreme climbers, let get in the way of better judgement. Sure it's an expensive way to blow $65,000, but do you think Beck Weathers truly feels it was worth his hands?

Heather wrote: "3. Into Thin Air: READ THIS BOOK! Seriously, just go get it and devote a solid afternoon to it. First off, Krakauer is one of the best non-fiction writers out there and this puppy is a real page-tu..."

I read this when it was first published. Devoured it in one evening. What was stupid were the various expedition leaders from all over the world cramming so many people on the mountain at the same window of time. Greed took over and cost lives. And agreeing to let sherpas basically drag rich people with minimal climbing experience. The whole thing just horrified me and I can't believe the author survived - his story was incredible. And yet - he still climbs. That's what got me!

You think this book was good? Check out Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival. Another doozy.

Hmmmm Molly, I agree with you, there certainly was stupidity on the part of the leaders and a complete lack of communication and coordination. The South African team in particular just infuriated me! Hall had solid plans in place going up there, but once you get up the mountain it sounds like all bets are off and people's decision-making skills go out the window.
Would Beck Weathers have paid $65,000 knowing he would lose his hands... probably not. But anyone going up Everest is aware of the risks they are assuming. It may be arrogant but I think it was more curiosity, a sense of adventure, and a sense of self that drove people to climb Everest.
Thanks for the recommendation, looks great!

Also, definitely read Krakauers's Into the Wild. He has such a deft hand with these terrible beautiful stories.

Donna wrote: "Also, definitely read Krakauers's Into the Wild. He has such a deft hand with these terrible beautiful stories."

Agreed - that one was so different from Into Thin Air since he wasn't writing about himself. Haunting.

Donny and Molly, have you read Under the Banner of Heaven? That's my favorite of all his books and one of the more surprising reads. It's a true story and starts with a murder in Utah back in the 1980's and launches into the history of Mormonism. Krakauer's style is so fluid and he's such a great story-teller the book was addictive and I couldn't put it down. It was also inspired good discussion in our book club so I definitely recommend it.

Heather wrote: "Donny and Molly, have you read Under the Banner of Heaven? That's my favorite of all his books and one of the more surprising reads. It's a true story and starts with a murder in Utah back in the 1..."

This has been on my to-read list for years and I never seem to get to it - but everyone I know who's read it says it's incredible.

5. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie: 5*s

This was a bear both in volume and content. It took me a full month to make it through Midnight's Children and I'm still processing everything I read. Initial reaction (since I literally just put it down) is that Salman Rushdie has a wee bit of crazy in him and I love it. I cannot comprehend the commitment and imagination it would take to write a book such as this- it lays bare the author's soul but also the soul of an entire nation. I just got back from India so it resonated with me more than had I read it before going, but the way he writes leaves you smelling the spices and tasting the chutnies and seeing the dirt just as the narrator does. It reads like a father telling a bedtime story to his child and you may even want to read a couple passages aloud to get a feel for the rhythm.

When I told friends I was reading this many of them compared it to 100 Years of Solitude because of its use of magical realism. Not all of these commentators had actually read the book, however, and now that I'm done with it I think they were way off. Yes, both books use magical realism. Both books are epic in scope and tell the story of a family spanning generations. These are just cosmetic similarities, though, because Rushdie has a style and voice and ability to put his finger on the pulse of a moment that is all his own and (I'm sad to say) much more skillful and read-able than Marquez (sorry, GMM, still got love for you).

Read this book but don't rush it, take your time, give yourself weeks months years to read it if need be. It's worth the time and effort. You may also want to have an Indian friend/colleague lined up to answer questions. There are innumerable references to Indian tradition, pop culture, and historical characters that left me a bit lost but a couple friends enlightened me and it made for a much more enriching experience.

Still mentally processing everything in that book.... hmm....

Heather wrote: "Donny and Molly, have you read Under the Banner of Heaven? That's my favorite of all his books and one of the more surprising reads. It's a true story and starts with a murder in Utah back in the 1..."

Wow - do I haven't even heard of it. Thanks for the recommendation. I'm going to add it to my to read list right now.

6. The Shack by Wm. Paul Young: 2*s

The premise of this book is really intriguing- if you could spend a weekend with God, what would it entail? Some passages of the book are very heartwarming, but I struggled to get past the awkwardness of the writing and ill-explained metaphysical concepts. It's meant to read like a conversation, but instead it's just confusing. With that said, I am not a religious person (though I am somewhat spiritual), so perhaps someone with a more active religious life and who has spent a lot of time thinking on these issues would find the book more interesting and insightful than I did.

7. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson: 2*s

I really wanted to like this book. Any novel that keeps me up to 2AM because I can't bear the thought of sleeping before knowing the denouement suggests I would recommend it to anyone and that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I did enjoy this book, until the last 100 pages. Yes, this book will make you lose sleep- not just in an attempt to finish it, but also because of some of the disturbing subject matter. And yes, I would recommend this to friends as one of the better crime novels of the past decade. But in good conscience I can't give it more than 2 stars. Why? The last 100 pages are infuriating!!! The primary plot is about a girl who disappeared 30 years ago and her convoluted family. This plot is great. I loved this plot. The mystery is solved 100 pages before the end! When I figured the whole thing out I did a double take to make sure I wasn't mistaken- why and how could there be another 100 pages? The problem is that throughout the primary plot, there is a rarely mentioned subplot that was the pretext for the main plot. It's not particularly interesting, and Larsson waits until the last 100 pages to revisit it and try to make something of it. Had this subplot been interwoven throughout the story it would have been much more readable and enjoyable. As is, it feels like it's hanging out there with no connection to the previous 350 pages.
Along with my plot issues, the characters need some serious work. Salandar (GWTDT) is the only one I felt was 3 dimensional and who I would imagine sitting down with, which is ironic since she's socially incapable and distant. The rest of the characters fell flat and needed some sparkle. The most frustrating of all was the business "villain" who takes up a whole lotta pages but we're never introduced to him or even know what he looks like, what is his story. Does he wear overly starched suits that cut into his neck and demand to be driven around only in white cars? Is he a hipster who wears band T-shirts and ironed jeans to meetings and has Buddy Holly glasses and is an arrogant prodigy? I have no idea who this guy is yet I'm supposed to follow him throughout these last painful 100 pages? Throw me a bone, here!
With that, this is a great book to curl up with during a snowstorm (as I did) when you're stuck indoors, and the mystery plot is really fantastic! Perhaps you can get past these other issues that just left me confused and find it more enjoyable. Good luck!

I didn't like GWTDT. I wanted more out of the finance espionage plot - I'm not sure why he even bothered with that whole part - it was like he was trying to cram 2 major plots into 1 book. I felt like he was good at developing plots but not good ar resolving them - as you mentioned. I didn't like any of the characters - they all annoyed me.

8. Book of Common Prayer by Joan Didion: 2*s

Joan Didion is my moon goddess. Joan Didion makes me want to write award-worthy essays about the crazy crap I see every day, like the four guys in matching red snow suits digging out their car in the parking lot behind my house right now- I'm sure there is some meaning in this scene. Joan Didion is a superb observer of personalities. Joan, you really let me down this book. Charlotte, the main character, is hauntingly real and conceivable. In fact, she reminded me of a couple of people I know. This was the first of Didion's novels I read, and it demonstrates that essayists and prose authors don't always transfer well to fiction. Didion's succinct yet poignant writing style in collections such as White Album and Slouching Toward Bethlehem captured a generation, but they fell short in capturing this story. Would not recommend this, it left me with a slightly tainted vision of my beloved Joan and I really don't want to talk about it anymore....

9. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams: 3*s
The best part of this book was Williams' op-ed piece in the New York Times preceding its debut, speaking about the challenges of success and the importance and inability to avoid struggle in our lives. The essay was inspirational.
Perhaps I just don't like plays. The success of a play too often depends on its performance and reading them as we would a novel is both unfair and often unenjoyable. I enjoyed Williams' style and visualization. Thanks to his skill in setting a scene I felt like I was in the French Quarter hearing the sound of a jazz and the smells of whiskey and sweat. My reason for only giving 3 stars was a problem with the books ethos: there was no hero, no redeeming qualities to any of the characters, and they all made me want to jump into the story and smack them upside the head! I was left wondering what was the positive message of the story, what would make me want to read it? Fundamentally I take issues with book that don't have some sort of romanticism to them, and this was just depressing. It's such a quick read, though, I would recommend it to others and think it will be a good discussion piece for book club.

10. A Passage to India- E.M. Forester: 3*s
Since I'm on an India-kick, this book seemed obligatory. I was impressed that Forester captured so many of India's contradictions in such a relatively short book, and reminded that these internal identity struggles go back before independence, even before the British. I've always been a fan of Forester's style, but he tends to fall short on plot and the book was very slow going, especially towards the end. The last 50 pages felt like 500.

11. Letters on Life by Rainer Maria Rilke- 4*s
Though not as crisply written nor as deeply inspirational as "Letters to a Young Poet," this collection of snipets from Rilke's vast correspondence do capture his general philosophy on life and offer words of wisdom for nearly any dilemma. While reading this, I came to think of the book as a User's Manual for Relationships, from friendships to family and obviously love. Love is the lasting message of the book. If you are capable of emotions, of feeling things very deeply and truly, which usually requires periods of solitude, then you are capable of anything and can suck life to the bone. Translational issues are usually my biggest gripe with Rilke, but this was one of the most successful I've ever read, though the sequence didn't always flow and some of the organization seemed off. Regardless, I recommend this to anyone as bedside reading. Don't necessarily read it sequentially or as you would other books, which is what I did, but I think it would be better read if you left it lying around, and flipped through it from time to time or when you found yourself in a pickle wondering, "What now?"

12. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink- 5*s
Satisfying. That is the first word that comes to mind to describe this book. It is rich and satisfying and utterly complete in its poignancy. There is nothing superfluous, no frilly extras in language or characters or scenes. Every detail is precise and simple. Very German, actually.

Time weaves in and out of itself, but not in a way that is confusing or difficult to follow, but as if that's how the whole thing happened and things like age and years don't really matter. This is one trait of the book that was lost a bit in the movie, though the latter is brilliant on its own.

If you are in a book club, I would HIGHLY recommend this. I will likely suggest it for one of mine, since I'm aching to talk about the millions of things left running through my head after I finished the last page. Nothing is left uncovered: love, sex, forgiveness, family, career, truth, God, good, evil, even German philosophy from the practical to the romantic and the pious. This is a quick and easy read that leaves you full and satiated at the end- not like a slice of chocolate cake, since I wouldn't call it "sweet," but more like a really strong warm cup of tea to wrap your hands around and mull over for a few hours. Though I anticipate this story staying with me for far longer than that.

13. A Small History of the World by E. Gombrich- 2*s

Written like a bedtime story for children, this book reawakened my curiosity about history and subsequently increased my "to read" list. It's a book I will certainly save to some day read to a child. It was an enjoyable easy read, but "just ok." For a quick and dirty summary of world history, it's quite good, but perhaps that just isn't the type of history book that appeals to me.

One of the most intriguing and enjoyable aspects of the book is the story of it's author and the iterative process of how the latest version came to appear on bookshelves. Gombrich's German slant comes through many times throughout the book, particularly in his veneration of Germanic tribes and customs, which is to be expected and not necessarily "bad," just a skewed view of history (as all views of history are, I suppose). His first version of the book only goes up to the end of WWI, when he was living in England, and clearly bitter about the denouement of the war. Years later he wrote an additional chapter for the book covering WWII and the Cold War, and explained the history he experienced first hand and the development of German identity during that time. For this reason, and because of his philosophy about what history means and where we fit into it, the last two chapters were my favorites and left me with a nice warm fuzzy feeling about progress, change, and the ebb and flow of time.

14. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse- 5*s
I reread this book for the fifth time as part of an effort to revisit my five favorite books of all time and determine whether or not they are still favorites. This one might not be in the top five anymore. The writing is simple, beautiful, and easy. The plot is both mystically obscure yet personal at the same time. The entire experience of reading this book felt like sitting beside a river, watching the water flow by, with a warm breeze enveloping you and tinkling the trees. For these reasons I still give it five stars. So why would I take this out of my top five of all time?

The great thing about books is that every time you read them you remember them based on where you were in your life at that point in time. The first time I read this book I was a junior in high school, feeling out what I "wanted to be when I grow up" and what type of a person I was. The subsequent times I read this book were either in college or when I was going through a difficult phase in my life. Every time it left me with uplifting words of wisdom that stayed with me. This time was different. I read the book more critically, and although I found few flaws I can't say I wholeheartedly agree with the philosophy it promotes. It left me feeling a bit detached from the world, as if we should give up striving for greatness or fighting for what is good and right. I still very much agree with the theme of self-exploration and living the inquisitive life. But the nuances to achieving Siddhartha's version of nirvana and what that life looks like- I can no longer say it's the life I would want for myself or that I agree with it. That's a first for me.

With that said, I would recommend this book to anyone. First, it's short, curl up with it on a rainy afternoon and you'll get through it in an hour or two. Second, it leaves you thinking. Any book that begs questions of us gets a gold star in my book. Third, I think Hesse is one of the greatest writers of the 20th century and a classic German philosopher. If you want good writing with layers of depth in a lean and simple story, this is the book for you. I only wish I could read German....

15. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks- 2*s

Channing Tatum is the one and only reason I read this book. I've got a thing for him, you see, and since he's in the movie version of this book I felt compelled to read the book before the movie. Otherwise I stay as far away from Nicholas Sparks as possible. I'll report back on whether or not Channing Tatumness can save this story on film.

16. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry- 4*s

Heather wrote: "15. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks- 2*s

Channing Tatum is the one and only reason I read this book. I've got a thing for him, you see, and since he's in the movie version of this book I felt compe..."

From the sublime to the ridiculous in two posts. Cudos. And there is not enough Channing Tatum in the world...

Heather wrote: "15. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks- 2*s

Channing Tatum is the one and only reason I read this book. I've got a thing for him, you see, and since he's in the movie version of this book I felt compe..."

I do that, too, and then if there is a movie, it's sometimes disappointing to actually see the person playing 'my' favorite character...the most recent was Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. I had it so solidly in my mind, the image of a friend of mine as the 20-year old ODD, that when I saw a short clip of Koontz' latest Odd book on his website (that I imagine he dramatized for publicity) I was put off by the youth of the main character compared to my friend's looks. But that's the risk of identifying a character too much with someone I know...it makes it nice to have an image in mind, but jarring if it doesn't match someone else's idea of reality. I imagine it is easier to get past this when the 'someone else's reality' is already the given, and you can just get on with the vision.

17. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin- 5*s

This book illuminated my criteria for judging books: does it show respect for the English language, does it "play," and does it leave you thinking about your own life? Gretchen Rubin achieved all these traits with aplomb in this record of her year spent trying to cultivate happiness in her life. The book falls in the ubiquitous category of "not quite self-help books for women," along with Anne Lamott, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Helen Fielding, but it adds something new to the dialogue and is unique to a fiery, competitive character like Rubin.

First, Rubin's writing style is crisp, succinct, and there are a few of her own happiness gems tucked in with the quotes of "great thinkers" like Samuel Johnson and Thoreau. For example, "Enthusiasm is more important to mastery than innate ability." You can read this book in a week and feel more organized, inspired, and (yes) happier.

Second, the book is playful. You get a sense for Rubin's genuine curiosity about her subject matter, which is infectious at times. I'm guessing she is a speed reader, but I had a playful mental image of her sitting in the NY Public Library poring over books about Saint Therese with a childlike smile on her face. The chapters on money (July) and attitude (November) were my favorites.

And third, I thought about this book every day and for long periods of time when I was away from it. I can't say that about many books I've read, can you? My inner monologue sounded more and more like Rubin's voice, I thought about traits like fostering memories and being a better listener, and I contemplated what my own Happiness Project would look like. Reading 50 books in a year is definitely one step of that project.

I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone, and I can't think of a single man I would recommend it to. Most men I know don't go for this introspection genre or "projects" in general (there is no male equivalent for Eat, Pray, Love that I know of). One of my criticisms is that Rubin comes across as stiff at times. I couldn't relate to her the way I would to Anne Lamott. I don't imagine the Rubin house has dirty dishes in the sink or bras drying in the shower or dust bunnies in the deepest recesses beneath the couch. To write a book like this requires discipline and exceptional organization, the wellspring of which remains a mystery to me, the reader. Still, that is something else to ponder and would make for a great book club discussion.

Heather wrote: "(there is no male equivalent for Eat, Pray, Love that I know of)."

Sorry, not really replying to your review but I came across this book on GR: Drink, Play, F@#k: One Man's Search for Anything Across Ireland, Las Vegas, and Thailand by Andrew Gottlieb. I haven't read it but I guess it's sort of an equivalent to Eat, Pray, Love.

It (Gottlieb's book) sounds like a male thing, especially the 'F@#k' part...oh, I know, my cynicism is showing, and I don't think ALL males are like that...in fact, I guess that book is also a one-person's experience offering, like 'Eat, Pray, Love' was, but...definitely would be a turn-off to me in my present state of mind.

18. Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin- 2*s

"Skinny Bitch" is chick lit meets The Jungle. Parts made me laugh out loud, especially the chapter titled "Pooping." The book's light, fun tone makes it more like a conversation you would have with that super skinny friend over caffeine-free herbal tea on a Sunday morning, if you have such friend and would ever ask her, "So how are you so thin?" The reader can hear the authors' voices as they attempt to smack some sense into you, and yes, most of their advice is common sense things we've been told over and over again, but the way they do it might just stick with me more than other diet books written by some middle-aged male physician I can't possibly relate to.

I would love to give the tone of the book 5*s, but the shpiel about animal cruelty was so hippie-anti-government-PETA-infused I couldn't quite get past it. Don't get me wrong, the book makes a great case for going vegan and I will certainly think twice next time I go to the supermarket to buy the economy pack of Purdue chicken. But one of their favorite phrases in reference to the food industry is, "Trust no one." Something tells me these girls weren't the types to watch the X Files growing up so they don't realize how ridiculously paranoid and conspiracy theorist this sounds. This book is a socio-political manifesto, not against the war in Iraq or proving the existence of Area 51, but against slaughterhouses and cutting off chicken beaks, so just be forewarned. Chapters about how we treat the animals we later consume are haunting. One chapter is almost entirely lifted from "Slaughterhouse" by Gail A. Eisnitz with anecdotes of cockroaches in chicken factories, ripping cow limbs, and beating affectionate pigs with a baseball bat. Yeah, it's pretty rough.

I would put this in a category with Fast Food Nation or Omnivore' Dilemma more than with the diet or self-help books. If that is your cup of tea, give it a read.

19. The Places That Scare You by Pema Chodron- 2*s

"The Places That Scare You" is a readable primer on Tibetan Buddhist practices. The author isn't particularly personable, and I would have liked to get more a sense of how she came to Buddhism and what her own personal experiences are. She wasn't very giving as a teacher, in that sense, however her tone was patient, kind, and direct. Parts of the book were challenging and pushed my logical boundaries, which I should have expected considering the topic. The author also repeats herself ad nauseum, so while it is a nice slim 120 pages, it could have just as easily been a couple bullet points on a power point slide. And since she did not add a personal element, it would have delivered the same message. The Dalai Lama is a better read on this subject, who I would prefer any day because his writing is more concise, clearer, and generous.

20. This I Do Believe by Lilienthal- 4*s

My knowledge of Lilienthal was limited to his role as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and a leader in one of the first attempts to levy international control over nuclear weapons. With that in mind, this book was not what I expected but nonetheless a pleasant surprise.

Written in 1949, the book captures both its own era, along with the legacy of American identity, and themes that still ring true today. Lilienthal's ideology is seemingly full of contradictions: he is opposed to big government, in favor of social welfare, believes Americans are driven by faith in God, argues that all men are reasonable beings, advocates conservation, but promotes further exploitation of our natural resources. The more I read of this book the more I realized these are not contradictions, we just tend to oversimplify the issues and fail to fully understand their complexities, and thus fail in our quest to solve some of the most challenging issues because we never bother to set out on such a quest and instead settle for the "easy answer." He uses nuclear energy as one of the best examples of the good and the bad in both nature and government: I'll spare you the diatribe, but it's an interesting thought. In the age of the Red Scare this book was a tremendous act of courage.

"Dignity" is the single word I would use to describe this book. Above all else, Lilienthal advocates for promoting human dignity, which is the foundation of democracy. And America, as a nation, cannot progress unless we turn our attention to ensuring all Americans have opportunity, for opportunities breed self-esteem, which breeds dignity. At the dawn of America's rise to superpower status, when everyone was consumed by an ideological war, his words offer a practical way ahead which I, for one, wish this country had pursued instead of McCarthyism, fear mongering, and continued social injustices.

Would I recommend this book? Hell yes. Good luck finding it, though, so check your used bookstore. Now I'm going to rock out to "America, F*ck Yeah!" and get this out of my system before my foreign friends stage an intervention.

21. The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov- 5*s

Oh yes, this is still my favorite book of all time. I have little doubt that this book was a labor of love in the most extreme sense for Bulgakov. It is playful, fanciful, and he weaves characters and words like a musician would play with chords and phrase to create a symphony. But it is also agonizing at parts, as though words had to be yanked and pulled from him to make it onto the page.

The story behind the story makes it all the better. From the little I know, Bulgakov burned his entire first draft of the novel, believing it could never be published by a regime as oppressive as the Soviets and he would rather live without knowing it existed. His life under communism was torturous and he was forced to take on all types and levels of positions just to feed himself. At some point, luckily for us, he decided to rewrite the novel from memory, much as the Master does in the novel with his own story of Pontius Pilate. The version we have today was never finished, as Bulgakov worked on it for over a decade but didn't complete it before his death. It's clearly an unfinished novel, with threads left hanging and lots of questions remaining. To me that made it feel more raw, like the reader could have a personal understanding of the writer, which is so rare in literature today.

I re-read this one as part of my project to re-read my five favorite books. I also read it for a book club, so am anxious to hear others' thoughts and if I am alone in being awed and inspired by the novel.

Oh, I LOVED Master and Margarita! What a wonderfully crazy book :)

22. Persuasion by Jane Austen- 5*s

Ring the alarm, mama's got a new favorite book! Well, M&M is still number one, but this one has broken into my top five and edged out Siddhartha. Sorry, Herman.

Scrumptious! This book is positively scrumptious! It's far less dialogue than most Austen novels, and much more of a character study and examination of human interactions. Most of the characters remind me more of reality TV than Edwardian-era ninnies. I would love to see Mary Musgrove and Sir Walter on the Jersey Shore, talking trash about The Situation.

Jersey Shore aside, I found this book particularly personal both to Austen and to me (I'm the same age a the main character and many of my circumstances resemble hers). Austen veils her heroine's emotions a bit more than in Pride and Prejudice, but is more honest and judgmental than Emma, while at once being astonishingly generous in alluding to her own hopes and dreams. Anne Elliot is easily my favorite Austen heroine. She's the type you want to have as your best friend: trustworthy, a good listener, gentle, strong, and self aware while also being perfectly attuned to her environment. She knows everyone's faults and true character, but loves them all nonetheless.

Yet again, a movie prompted me to read this one. I've read three other Austen novels and enjoyed them, though they seemed a bit girly for my tastes. I read wonderful reviews of the 1995 version of this movie, but per my cardinal rule, wanted to read the book first. Now I'm off the watch the movie, too bad it doesn't have Channing Tatum... or Paulie D.

23. Peddling Peril by David Albright- 1*

One star, ouch! This may be my first one star ever. Admittedly, I read the last bit of this book after Persuasion, so perhaps it was an unfair comparison. Wait, let me think... nope, this book is really that bad.

On the up side, it's incredibly well researched. If you want minutiae detail of the AQ Khan network then I would commend this book to you. Also, if you are researching a specific cell within the network or a specific country, such as South Africa, Libya, or Iran, this book may also interest you. I thoroughly enjoyed the 10 pages on Iran, for example. As a researcher, I'm in awe of the depth of detail Albright's researchers went into (because let's be honest, he did not do all this research himself and I would guess he has a couple ghost writers who summarized their findings). I'm sure these researchers are still addicted to the caffeine required to research this book, and are now reveling in their well deserved glory of finishing the book. Oh, right, they don't get any of the glory.

On the down side, I have a laundry list of issues with this book, both substantive, philosophical, and editorial, but I'll limit myself to the most obvious and the criticism most likely to be of interest to anyone who bothers to read my summarizes: this book is un-readable. I feel a bit guilty including it in my 50 books list, since I really skimmed it after the first 75 pages. The level of detail is mind numbing. It isn't a story, it's a grocery list of factoids, names, companies, and random pieces of knowledge that contribute nothing to your overall understanding. There are over 100 pages of footnotes and the book itself is just over 200. Every single sentence has a footnote. Perhaps Albright was trying to make the point that this network was very intricate, well-woven, and mysterious. Got it. Move on. Tell me a story! I never picked up the story's thread and just kept getting lost and confused and bored. Who knew?! Nuclear terrorism can be boring!

Admittedly, I am not a nuclear expert, though I do work on nuclear weapons policy every day. So perhaps a PhD student would soak up this book. But for the average reader looking to better understand nuclear smuggling who might peruse this book in Barnes and Noble, I say to you, dear reader: PUT IT DOWN! RUN, DO NOT WALK, RUN AWAY FROM THIS BOOK! I would instead commend to you the following: The Nuclear Jihadist, On Nuclear Terrorism, and Overblown (my personal favorite).

This is a major challenge with non-fiction: authors who get so wrapped up in their research that they are terrified to omit one fact. Those facts are often hard won and I commend the individual who took the time to interview some of the unsavory characters from the AQ Khan network and the hardworking researchers who tracked down these details. But what separates great nonfiction from mediocre from tripe is what details make the cut. Perhaps Albright's editors are just as guilty as he is, but when your name is on the glossy book jacket you get to take the heat.

Since I've already gone off on my tangential rant about level of detail in nonfiction, allow me to give the best example of this: Ghost Wars VS the Looming Tower. The former is in the same vein as Peddling Peril. It's about 300 pages longer than need be, is slow going, and doesn't read like a story. It reads like a PhD dissertation where the author is trying to impress you with the random *ss sh*t he found. The latter, however, the Looming Tower, is a masterpiece in contemporary nonfiction. The reason I compare these two books is because they are on the same exact topic, share sources, and won the Pulitzer in successive years. The Looming Tower reads like a spy thriller- I stayed up until 3AM with that sucker and devoured every since word.

With that, off in search of more worthy nonfiction. Any suggestions are heartily welcome.

Persuasion is my favorite Austen by far! It is so beautifully written with such memorable, vivid characters..

The movie is great too...love Amanda Root and Ciaran sp? Hinds

What a Girl Wants by Kristin Billerbeck- 0*s

I'm not including this in my 50 books a year tally, because I couldn't read past page 10. Yes, it is that bad. I suspect it was actually written by a 5th grader. Lesson learned, skim the first 10 pages of a book before buying it. But it did get me thinking....

The reason I picked this book was because I feel the need for some good, decadent, sugary chick lit. Anyone have recommendations? I love Marian Keys and Jemima J is one of my top five favorite books ever, but I've read these dozens of times because I haven't found any newer chick lit that can even compare. Most of the more recent stuff makes me roll my eyes and I pick fights with the characters: I will kick the living sh*t out of Darcy from "Something Borrowed" if I ever see her on the street... or if she were real, of course.

SOMEONE GIVE ME GOOD CHICK LIT!!!

24. Siege of Mecca by Yaroslav Trofimov- 4*s

A well-crafted and fast-paced story, this accounting of the 1979 siege of the holiest site in Islam is one of a kind in many respects. Most obviously, it is one of the only books focused directly on the siege itself. Other books such as Ghost Wars and the Looming Tower cover the siege peripherally, as part of the bigger story of the rise of al Qaeda and militant Islam. Aside from scope, the book is also unique in that it's extremely readable and engaging non-fiction. It's selective in its sources and free of distracting footnotes or internal comments about sources of conversations with the cast of characters. It reads like something between a news report and Tom Clancy thriller. Perhaps most importantly, it's unique in shining a spotlight on one of the most secretive regimes on earth. It lists the major actors in Saudi politics and spans from the Kingdom's beginnings to its delicate balance of Western materialism and pious religion to its inextricable and undeniable links to extremist Islam.

With that said, there were two small drawbacks that kept me from bestowing 5*s. First, the book left me wanting more. I know, I'm such a whiner- some books have too much information, others too little. I am the Goldilocks of nonfiction. That's what makes a good book great, and Trofimov fell just short. I would have appreciated more information on the personal stories of Juhayman, Bin Baz, and the false Mahdi. Second drawback was that Trofimov clearly had a thesis he was trying to prove. That's to be expected and I'm fine with it, but he was too subtle in his approach. If you're going to press an issue and want to make a political point or identify a lesson learned, either do it overtly and make a strong case or don't do it at all. But since I disagree with his thesis, perhaps I'm just unconvinced and was looking for him to make a better case.

With that said, I would love to read something like this for a book club. It's an event so few Americans know about, yet it reveals so much about current events and the terrorist threat. Educating average Americans about Islam and Arabic culture is one of my pet issues, so opening this topic up to a broader discussion and getting alternate opinions through a book club might just be in order.

Heather wrote: "What a Girl Wants by Kristin Billerbeck- 0*s

I'm not including this in my 50 books a year tally, because I couldn't read past page 10. Yes, it is that bad. I suspect it was actually written by a 5..."

Off the top of my head: Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jennifer Crusie, Jennifer Weiner. And the ubiquitous Nora Roberts is midway through a light & breezy four book cycle about a group of women running a wedding venue.

More chick lit author recommendations for you. Here's some that I've enjoyed in the past. Be sure to look at the book synopsis first, okay??? Be sure that it sounds like a story that YOU want to read. There's a real range here. Some are easy reading, and some more difficult. Some more Women's Lit, some Southern Lit, some magically realistic, some difficult to categorize. I have a taste for British stuff, so you'll see a few authors here that are less known in the USA.

Jane Green
Hester Browne
Meg Cabot
Claire Cook
Katie Fforde
Trisha Ashley
Kristen Higgins (sorry, can't find a link)
Lisa Jewell
Sophie Kinsella
Harley Jane Kozak
Lorna Landvik
Sarah Mason
Anna Maxted
Melissa Nathan
Jeanne Ray
Kathleen Tessaro
Mimi Thebo
Elizabeth Young
Sarah Addison Allen

Heather wrote: "What a Girl Wants by Kristin Billerbeck- 0*s

I'm not including this in my 50 books a year tally, because I couldn't read past page 10. Yes, it is that bad. I suspect it was actually written by a 5..."

Hey! One book that I really loved- a tear jerker and chick lit in the sense that it is about 4 best girlfriends is "The Saving Graces" by Patricia Gaffney. I have tried some of her other books, but they were disappointing. That is the only one I would recommend from her, but it was one I could not put down. I also loved Jemima J.

Heather wrote: "What a Girl Wants by Kristin Billerbeck- 0*s

I'm not including this in my 50 books a year tally, because I couldn't read past page 10. Yes, it is that bad. I suspect it was actually written by a 5..."

Hey! One book that I really loved- a tear jerker and chick lit in the sense that it is about 4 best girlfriends is "The Saving Graces" by Patricia Gaffney. I have tried some of her other books, but they were disappointing. That is the only one I would recommend from her, but it was one I could not put down. I also loved Jemima J.

MB wrote: "More chick lit author recommendations for you. Here's some that I've enjoyed in the past. Be sure to look at the book synopsis first, okay??? Be sure that it sounds like a story that YOU want to..."

Thanks, MB. I, too, typically prefer British authors for chick lit so really appreciate your recommendations.

Stephanie wrote: "Heather wrote: "What a Girl Wants by Kristin Billerbeck- 0*s

I'm not including this in my 50 books a year tally, because I couldn't read past page 10. Yes, it is that bad. I suspect it was actuall..."

Stephanie wrote: "Heather wrote: "What a Girl Wants by Kristin Billerbeck- 0*s

I'm not including this in my 50 books a year tally, because I couldn't read past page 10. Yes, it is that bad. I suspect it was actuall..."

Stephanie, thank you, as well. I just re-read Jemima J (see post below) and have yet to find anything that compares but am anxious to try some new authors. Thanks!

25. Jemima J by Jane Green- 5*s

I re-read Jemima J as the third book in my series of top 5 favorites of all time. That top 5 list has since been revised with Persuasion replacing Siddhartha, but this re-reading firmly ensconced Jemima J's position. At times, I admit, I can be a literary snob. And to be sure, Jane Green doesn't do dialogue like Jane Austen, nor theme like Dostoevsky, nor characters like Ayn Rand, nor plot like Shakespeare, but gosh dang this is a good book. It's "un-put-down-able," and any book that makes you want to stay up late is deserving of some kudos.

Loosely based on the cliche cheesy and overused Cinderalla story, Jemima J is a fairy tale in its own right that left me briskly turning pages, sighing in delight, and feeling like a big warm blanket had been wrapped around me. Like Cinderella, it has cheesy parts and there are even passages where the switching dialogue could be disastrous, but it flows naturally, like a conversation with a good friend and you're just dying to hear more. Perhaps this is one of my favorites because I relate to Jemima more than most other chick lit heroines (who I typically find nonsensical and pathetic), but what are books for if not learn thing or two, whether it be about ourselves or the world around us, in a well-told story?

Thanks to everyone who gave me more chick lit tips. I'll start stocking up for summer!

And almost forgot: YAY!!! I made it to the halfway point of the 50 books goal!!! (input mini-celebration dance of your preference)

26. The Forever War by Dexter Filkins- 4*s (sort of)
Why sort of 4*s? Because I actually wanted to give this bad boy 5*s. The Forever War is incredibly brave, well-written, and non-put-down-able. I nicked one star because the book devotes less than 100 pages to Afghanistan, and over 200 to Iraq. I accept that this is because of Filkins' rotation and exile from Afghanistan, but I really would have liked to read more about that wedge of the "forever war." It needed a bit more beef.
I mean this in a good way, but sweet heavens is this a tough book. The descriptions are so vivid, so personal, I got anxious and nervous going through these experiences with Filkins. The first few passages about body party, dead bodies, and suicide bombs were a bit tough, but eventually you realize- this is war. And no amount of strategic bombing or hi-tech weaponry can prevent real war from happening. I felt a bit guilty by the end when I was thinking, "OK, another suicide bomb and 11 dead, arms detached from bodies, what next?" But I think Filkins wanted the reader to experience that, because it's what he admittedly experienced. Thanks to his guts and exceptional prose, Filkins made the Iraq war more real for me than any other book, TV image, or movie (even Hurt Locker).
Filkins himself is part of the reason I loved the book. What an enigmatic character! To have the arrogance to go into battle with the troops and cheat death countless times; to give complete abandon to your own safety and comfort for the sake of a story; to risk it all just to get the truth out there from on the ground- I am not romanticizing here, this is what the Forever War accomplishes. Filkins puts so much of himself into the stories that you get a sense of who he is, why he does this, and what it means to him. Occasional sections are about his runs, which he admits are his outlet for feeling human, for feeling anything, really. The acknowledgements sections is particularly poignant and shows this is a man with close friends, respect for others, and fully aware of what he sacrificed and lost in order to chase the forever war (read the very last acknolwedgement, it had me near tears). It's insight into not just Filkins, but so many of the people who return to battle and get a high off of war, much like the main character in the Hurt Locker.
The book also opened up more philsophical questions such as: "Does our character or our experiences determine who we are?" But I'll save that for my friends and a bottle of wine.
Absolutely recommend this book, but please go into it with an open mind and get past the gore. It's well worth it.

27. Faith, Reason, and the War Against Jihadism: A Call to Action by George Weigel- 1*

This book isn't even worth a full review. It's irrational, poorly written (I hate sentences that go on for an entire page), and represents everything I hate about U.S. politics and narrow-mindedness. He basically just recites James Woolsey statements and doesn't even have anything original to contribute to the debate. Epic fail, George!

28. Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Like- 5*s

Part of my 50 books a year is re-reading my top five, and this was one of them. And it remains one of them. I think of this book as a mini-Bible at times, small enough to fit into your back pocket or purse, but you can flip to any page and it feels as though Rilke is speaking to you directly. As if he's sitting across the table from you, over a glass (or bottle) of red wine and you're just contemplating the great mysteries of life and solving the puzzles of your inner self. I'm not one for self help books, but if anyone out there is looking at things like Tony Robbins, put him down and read Rilke. The prose is lovely and natural, and even though he talks about philsophy and some esoteric topics, it's an easy and enjoyable read, and I was always excited to turn the page and see what came next. It's one of those books where you want to savor ever single word and wish there was a bit more.

In terms of Rilke's philosophy, it's not for everyone. Parts of it ring of Ayn Rand, others of Herman Hesse, and others of Barack Obama (yes, really). He promotes a life of solitude, not necessarily physically secluded from others, but focused on self reflection and understanding yourself, setting your own rules, defining yourself and your standards. It's a great read for tough times, in that sense. However, I know some people abhor self reflection and consider it a waste of time, so they may not agree with Rilke. I'll save my personal thoughts on such people, because I try not to be a complete literary snob. Epic fail.

29. Annihilation from Within by Ikle- 2*s

Ikle, here's a tip: stick to journal articles and monographs. The introduction to this book was wonderful and made a great argument explaining current global conflicts in terms of technology clashing with cultures and religions that are inflexible to progress and science. It was a thought-provoking idea that I've enjoyed mulling over. The rest of the book is completely unnecessary, however, and added nothing to the debate. The introduction should have just been a stand alone journal article rather than a drawn out mini-book that cost $14.95.