Halfway Down the Stairs

Have I mentioned yet that I am a list-writer? Also, that I am a voracious reader? (Seriously, I read in the mornings while I am drying my hair, I ALWAYS have a book on the treadmill, I fall asleep each night with a book on my chest, I will sometimes knit while I read.) At the beginning of this year, I decided that I was going to try to read a book a week. In order to track this goal I was going to keep a LIST! On this list I was going to record the book title and author, the date I finished reading it, and a short "blurb" of my general feeling towards the book. I started counting at 52 going backwards. As of August 3, I am down to book number 14! If I continue at this pace, I will finish at 59 books for the year. I am not counting books on tape that I listen to during my morning walks either.

To give a little variety to my posts, I am going to share my list with you - two to three books at a time. I hope no one takes offense at honest opinions - we all have them and are all entitled to them. Vive la difference! Without any more fuss, here are books 52 to 49:

52. The Ghost of Hannah Mendes by Naomi Ragen (1/7/06)
Catherine da Costa, the last in a long line of Jewish woman maintaining her faith and her heritage, has just been informed she has six months (at the outside) to live. The conviction comes crashing home to her that she has not passed on the importance of her family heritage. A great grand ghost comes to her to inspire her to hand down the family history to Catherine’s two granddaughter, Francesca and Suzanne. Thus the three women embark on a multi-continental journey to find their family’s past, in the form of ancient manuscripts, accompanied by the ghost of their ancestors.

I loved the story when it flashed to the past and told the historical parts of the story. The painful history of the Jew race - so heartrending. In contrast the modern parts of the story felt almost bodice-ripper in style and content. Nonetheless, I was anxious to reach the conclusion to discover if Francesca and Suzanne actually wound up with their men.

51. Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde (1/14/06)
This is the fourth in a series about Jurisfiction officer Thursday Next, her sometimes nonexistent husband, Landon, and their son Friday. She has adventures in and out of the fictional world. Jasper Fforde’s writing is very clever in how he pulls characters out of classic fiction. Emma Hamilton and Hamlet have a torrid affair.

This book, while still very entertaining, felt like Mr. Fforde was pulling his last writing muscle to wrap this story up. It felt as is he had moved on and was pulling Thursday and her world along with him.

50. Resistance by Anna Shreve (1/21/06)
I can count rereads can’t I? (I was halfway into this book when I realized I had read it already, but I couldn't remember how it ended, so I decided it should count.)

49. State of Fear by Michael Crichton (1/28/06)
I can’t remember what I was supposed to be “afeared” of. Oh yea, the media, it sucks. Don’t believe anything anybody tells you, except Michael Crichton, he tells the troooooth. Very, very, very preachy and I felt like Michael Crichton had a HUGE hidden agenda of his own. Bleah.

Happy Reading all!