kristin ohlin books summer 2005
books
Completed Reading
Title: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Author: Jonathan Safran Foer Rating: **
It's written in a similar stream of consciousness style as Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time which can get really annoying. The ending was good, but it took way too long to get there.
Title: Interpreter of Maladies Author: Jhumpa Lahiri Rating: ****
Just like "The Namesake" - beautifully written.
Title: Possible Side Effects Author: Augusten Burroughs Rating: ****
Pretty good, but Magical Thinking is still my favorite of his. I did love the story about the friend who had no patience for drivers who didn't obey the rules and would then drive by and show them graphic porn.
Title: Into the Wild Author: Jon Krakauer Rating: ***
Very sad and disturbing.
Title: Into Thin Air Author: Jon Krakauer Rating: ****
Awesome book! I feel like I've climbed Everest without having to risk my life.
Title: Under the Banner of Heaven Author: Jon Krakauer Rating: ****
While the book clearly defines the difference between the mainstream mormon faith and the fundamentalist mormon faith, it focused mostly on fundamentalism. Comparing its leaders who lead according to the word of God, to our own President Bush is a very scary reality. With mormonism being one of the most rapidly growing religious institutions in the world, the author cites the prediction that they will number more than 300 million members by the year 2080 at which point political institutions will be heavily influenced by their views. That concept left me feeling more uneasy than the book's initial topic (the brutal murders of 2 mormons by the Lafferty brothers who are still serving time for their crimes).
Title: The Dogs of Babel Author: Carolyn Parkhurst Rating: ****
Beautifully written. A nice love story with a somewhat sad ending.
Title: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Author: Mark Haddon Rating: **
Kind of cute, but somewhat predictable.
Title: Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories Author: Roald Dahl Rating: ****
A nice collection of some very old ghost stories (one by Edith Wharton!) all extremely well-written.
Title: Second Glance Author: Jodi Picoult Rating: ***
I was taking a break from Jodi Picoult, but I found this in the book box at work. Kind of hard to get into, but a decent read. Better than Vanishing Acts.
Title: The Mermaid Chair Author: Sue Monk Kidd Rating: **
Not as good as Secret Life of Bees.
Title: Crow Lake Author: Mary Lawson Rating: ***
Very well written with good character development, but the end wraps up too quickly and I'm left thinking, "That was it? That was the big secret? This is why?"
Title: The Kite Runner Author: Khaled Hosseini Rating: *****
Beautiful story with hope in the end. Nice style of writing. Kick-ass cover design too. :)
Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Author: J.K. Rowling Rating: *****
So much better than book 5! I'm dying to read book 7 now.
Title: Smashed: The Story of a Drunken Girlhood Author: Koren Zailckas Rating: ****
Author grew up in Bolton, MA right next to where I grew up. Very fun and insightful read.
Title: Vanishing Acts Author: Jodi Picoult Rating: **
O.k., but I need a Jodi Picoult break now.
Title: Bee Season Author: Myla Goldberg Rating: ***
Three different stories going on at once, all to come together in the end. Nice piece of writing. It's coming out as a movie this year!
Title: Name All the Animals: A Memoir Author: Alison Smith Rating: ***
Good writing, but a bit depressing. Makes you think something big is going to happen at the end, but it just changes gears and wraps up.
Title: Mrs. Kimble Author: Jennifer Haigh Rating: ***
Beautiful writing. The main character is an enigma right through to the end.
Title: Plain Truth Author: Jodi Picoult Rating: **
The ending was a bit predictable. Not one of her best books.
Title: The Namesake Author: Jhumpa Lahiri Rating: ****
Beautifully written.
Title: The Time Traveler's Wife Author: Audrey Niffenegger Rating: *****
This is on my list of favorites. I didn't want it to end.
Title: Lullaby Author: Chuck Palahniuk Rating: *
I tried. I quit with about 30 pages to go. It got too weird.
Title: The Pact Author: Jodi Picoult Rating: ****
I couldn't put it down.
Title: Pledged Author: Alexandra Robbins Rating: ****
I really enjoyed this. I would never have joined a sorority myself, but I can see what some girls get from membership.
Title: Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination Author: Helen Fielding Rating: *
Helen Fielding is fired.
Title: Amy and Isabell Author: Elizabeth Strout Rating: ****
Just like looking at myself from the outside....this has shed some light on things that maybe I didn't see so clearly before.
Title: Year of Wonders Author: Geraldine Brooks Rating: ****
I was promised that this would be a good read, but I had my doubts since it's about the plague. Though very descriptive and depressing in parts, all ends well.
Title: Dude, Where's My Country? Author: Michael Moore Rating: ***
Compares the lies of our current president with different types of extra value meals at McDonalds. I love it!!
Title: Middlesex Author: Jeffery Eugenides Rating: *****
Not that it would have been my first choice to read a book where the main character realizes she's really a he, but the writing was superb and the plot was interesting. I can't wait for another Jeffrey Eugenides book!
Title: I Thought My Father Was God Author: Edited by Paul Auster Rating: ***
These are a collection of supposedly true stories submitted from all over the U.S. as part of NPR's National Story Project. Very enjoyable. A couple of them were a little dry or depressing, but some were uplifting and inspiring.
Title: Digital Fortress Author: Dan Brown Rating: ***
Not nearly as clever as The Da Vinci Code or Angels and Demons, but still typical Dan Brown. Easy fun read.
Title: Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year Author: Esme Raji Codell Rating: ***
Generally funny. I know I don't have the patience to be a teacher.
Title: The Da Vinci Code Author: Dan Brown Rating: *****
I'm starting to think all of Dan Brown's book will follow the same formula, but still a fun read. He's so clever!
Title: The Lady and the Unicorn Author: Tracy Chevalier Rating: ***
I was susprised to find out she had another book out when I was at the bookstore last Wednesday. I picked this up and finished it in less than a week. It's not my favorite of her four, but is still good.
Title: How to Lose Friends & Alientate People: A Memoir Author: Toby Young Rating: ***
A little hard to get into (history of Vanity Fair etc...), but very good throughout. A lot of interesting celebrity knowledge. Especially liked the part where he used the term "shouty crackers" which is Hugh Grant's phrase for a hissy fit.
Title: Lucky Author: Alice Sebold Rating: ****
An enlightening read.
Title: Angels and Demons Author: Dan Brown Rating: ****
Not the usual type of fiction I would read, but it came recommended from a friend, so I read it. It was surprisingly good. Lots of references to art which brought back memories of art history classes in college. Very suspensful! I have The Da Vinci Code in my hands now and can't wait to get to it.
Title: Saul and Patsy Author: Charles Baxter Rating: ****
Yet another beautiful piece of writing by one of my favorite authors. The way he puts words together gives me a greater appreciation of the English language. The sentences flow very well and paint a clear picture of the plot. Very enjoyable read.
Title: You Shall Know Our Velocity Author: Dave Eggers Rating: *
I tried. Really I did.
Title: My Forbidden Face... Author: Latifa Rating: *****
As close as one can get to understanding what it is to live in the horror of Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Told by a young girl under the alias of "Latifa", the story covers several wars, power struggles, the ever-changing laws and freedoms of a country governed by many, and a candid perspective of the depression and fear experienced by females in particular.
Title: The Virgin Blue Author: Tracy Chevalier Rating: ***
Not as good as her previous novels, but decent history, good plot.
Title: Dry Author: Augusten Burroughs Rating: ****
This was good, but not quite as entertaining as Running with Scissors. It's actually a little depressing since it's about the author's experience trying to be sober.
Title: Harry Potter 5 Author: J.K. Rowling Rating: ****
Ahhh...now I'll have to wait another 2 years for book 6 to come out. :( I'll just have to read 1-5 all over again!
Title: I'm a Stranger Here Myself... Author: Bill Bryson Rating: **
Not as good as A Walk in the Woods, but has its funny moments. It's a new perspective on the things we take for granted and/or tolerate in America.
Title: A Walk in the Woods Author: Bill Bryson Rating: ***
Very humorous! He takes a subject which might not be of interest to a lot of people (hiking the Appalachian Trail), but makes it interesting through his run-ins with hikers and "townies" along the way.
Title: Running with Scissors Author: Augusten Burroughs Rating: ****
This author reminds me a little of David Sedaris with his dry, sarcastic humor. Can't wait to read the sequel!
Title: Falling Angels Author: Tracy Chevalier Rating: ****
This was slightly hard to get into, but maybe that's because I just didn't have a lot of time. Once I got into it, and could keep track of all of the characters, it was a great read!
Title: The Lovely Bones Author: Alice Sebold Rating: ***
Loved it from the beginning. Couldn't put it down until the last 40 pages or so. The ending was somewhat disappointing after having been in suspense for the rest of the book.
Title: The Secret Life of Bees Author: Sue Monk Kidd Rating: ****
A beautiful story!
Title: Girl with a Pearl Earring Author: Tracy Chevalier Rating: ***
Excellent! Very descriptive and captivating. A quick read.
Title: Catch Me If You Can Author: Frank Abagnale, Jr. Rating: *****
I saw the movie first and then had to read the book. It answers a lot of questions the movie doesn't. A really fun read!
Title: Good in Bed Author: Jennifer Weiner Rating: *
What was I thinking?
Title: Possession Author: A.S. Byatt Rating: *****
This can be a difficult book to get into, but it's worth it! The writing is very descriptive and very well researched. Lots of references to mythology and art and literature. Some of the poetry is long and tedious, but the plot is thick and satisfying. Half of the book is in story format while the other is correspondence between the two writers. Really gives a look into each character's personality. I felt like I knew all of them well by the end of the book. One of my favorites! Don't bother with the movie. It sucked.
Title: Holidays on Ice Author: David Sedaris Rating: *****
Being a HUGE David Sedaris fan, I loved this book! Definitely a favorite.
Title: Jenny and Jaws of Life Author: Jincy Willet Rating: *
David Sedaris recommended this book and actually wrote the foreword, so I thought it would be great. I was kind of disappointed. Parts are funny, but for the most part, the stories are just depressing.
Title: A Feast of Love Author: Charles Baxter Rating: ****
Excellent book! The characters are well-developed. You get a good sense of how they all relate to one another. There are multiple storylines in this book, but the message is all the same. A very nice piece of writing.
Title: A Relative Stranger: Stories Author: Charles Baxter Rating: *
Though I like Charles Baxter's novels, I was not crazy about his short stories. There's an element of surprise to all of them, but the messages are not always clear.
Title: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Author: Dave Eggers Rating: ****
Very cool book! It's non-fiction trying to be fiction. It's almost journal-like with drawings, diagrams, and its honesty. I can't wait for Dave Eggers to write another book!
Title: About a Boy Author: Nick Hornby Rating: *****
This is probably my favorite Nick Hornby book. Everyone who has ever been bullied or made fun of in school can relate to the main character.
Title: How to Be Good Author: Nick Hornby Rating: ***
A decent book. It's full of Hornby's typical sarcasm. I was a little unsatisfied at the end.
Top »
Top 5
Magical Thinking
Augusten Burroughs
The Time Traveler's Wife
Audrey Niffenegger
Feast of Love
Charles Baxter
Middlesex
Jeffrey Eugenides
Naked
David Sedaris