• Life of Pi - Yann Martell

I've contemplated this book for years. Every time I walked past it I'd stop and stare at the cover, wondering if it were worth my time. I'd pick it up, flip it over, and read the summary on the back. "I don't know," I'd say. I would flip it forward and backward wondering if it were worth my time. Every time I would put it down and think maybe I'd get it next time. I repeated this process, especially so in the last two years. I finally asked a few people about it in e-mails, but they seemed to respond to every question I had asked except for the one about the book. Apparently it wasn't memorable enough for them to praise it, or tell me it was horrific. Finally, I asked a friend over the phone and she said she liked it. I had this feeling that there would be something good within the pages of the book, but that summary was making me doubt myself. So, with some form of confirmation I finally purchased the book.

I loved it. The discussions on the nature of the beast and religion, this crazy boy who thought it was okay to be Christian, Muslim and Hindu, and of course, this elaborate story of one's life adrift. There were moments reading when I would relate to the character, but more often then not, I just felt like I understood him and his struggle. It was like no other book I've read. (Which is ironic seeing how there were questions about whether or not the author had plagiarized the book from a less successful version of a boy and a jaguar stuck on a boat.) It's worth a read.

"...a tie is a noose, and inverted though it is, it will hang a man nonetheless if he's not careful." - p. 6

• Paper Money - Ken Follett

This was the last Ken Follett book left for me to read. I understand why it's one of his most successful, unsuccessful novels. It was entertaining and worth reading, but you can also see why it wasn't a worldwide hit. It's different from his other books in that there are tons of characters, some of which are good and others are bad, but in this book there is no real hero. No one stands up and saves the day. Events just happen. It seems much more realistic without someone willing to risk everything, maybe they'll put up a fight here or there, but they never fully throw themselves out there and risk it all. Well, maybe one character puts himself out there in the end, but there's nothing heroic about his deeds.

• Unnatural Exposure - Patricia Cornwell

Unnatural Exposure wasn't exceptionally well written, but it was entertaining. Not much more to say about it...

• Two Lives of Charlemagne - Einhard and Notker the Stammerer

This was a good book to read. Einhard takes a historical approach to his writing and gives a background of the Frank, his likes and dislikes, a list of his marriages and children, as well as his will. Notker the Stammerer, a monk, tells multiple stories or anecdotes. He tells stories that emphasize Charlemagne's intrests in religion, education, etc. Unlike Procopius, these two had nothing negative to say about Charlemagne, which means one should question the validity of the stories without further studies. Despite that, they're worth reading.

• Velazquez - Javier Portus

Portus gives a brief overview of the important artistic and personal influences on Velazquez. He doesn't spend much time analysing Velazquez's art outside of the context of who or what influenced the painter. However, he does discuss his royal patronage and the significance of his portraits in relation to that position. It's a quick read, but it's something to start with. I would not recommend using this as your only source on Velazquez though. It doesn't give you a complete understanding of the artist's works.

• The Secret History - Procopius

Talk about someone unhappy with their current government... Procopius assaults Justinian, Theodora, and Belisarius. It reads almost like an E! True Hollywood Story with a little soap opera thrown in. Without a decent knowledge of Justinians' reign it's hard to separate fact from fiction and the over exaggerations.

I find it rather frightening to see how competent government never seems to survive. There's always someone that will come along later and manage things inefficiently. Off course, that's not a suprise to anyone seeing how it seems to be a historically proven process that we will continue to cycle through.

• Roman Society - Henry C. Boren

I really enjoyed this book. It may not be perfect, but it does exactly what it set out to do, provide a history of Roman society. There's a lot of good information in the text, as it provides Roman society within the context of the development and decline of Rome.

• Belly Laughs - Jenny McCarthy

This was a really cute book about the whole pregnancy process. It's not a book that an expecting mother should live by, but it's deffinately something that will entertain you while giving you information about a few things you'll be looking forward to, and hoping to avoid. She's honest about her pregnancy and puts even the most untalked about subjects out there. It might scare some people, but it might help someone realize that they're not alone in all those bodily changes. It's an easy read for someone not looking for anything comprehensive.