• Jackdaws - Ken Follett

Again, loved the characters, the events, etc. Everytime I write about Ken Follett I tend to say the same things. I'm running out of new ways to say them.

This text is about a woman in the British SOE during WWII who goes into France and helps organize the resistance groups. The French resistance group fails so Flick must organize an all woman, French speaking team of British SOE rejects and novices to complete a covert opperation with only 3 days of training and a clock ticking quicking to D-day. There's a lot of shooting and torture in this one. I hate that I both like and hate the main vilain. There are moments when you sympathize with him, but you still always hope to see Flick to succeed in the end. Follett is good at creating characters like that. It's entertaining. Read it!

"It's nice to go away, but it's nice to come home." - 58

• The Eye of the Needle - Ken Follett

I enjoyed this book a lot. Once again, I loved Follett's characters. Lucy is such as strong woman. Not necessarily intentionally, but her circumstances force her to rise to the occassion. The climax of the book is a lot more brutal than most of Follett's books. I really don't want to give it away, but the basic plot is that the British are chasing a German spy (die Nadel) that may have (or not) discovered British secrets pertaining to the planning of D-Day. They have to catch him before he contacts Germany.

"They were outside a shop that had a huge empty space where once there had been a plate-glass window. A rough sign, hand-painted and nailed to the window-frame, said, 'Even more open than usual.'

Bloggs laughted. ' I saw one outside a bombed police station: 'Be good, we are still open.'" - 90

• Travesties - Tom Stoppard

I finished reading this a few days ago, but have been too busy to post anything. Anyway, after reading Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead I thought it would be good to read more of Tom Stoppard's plays. The play takes place in 1917 Zurich and is based on the coincidence that James Joyce, Tistan Tzara (the founder of Dadaism) and Lenin were all in the city at the same time. Travesties is written in a form similar to R & G, so expect it to be a bit absurd at times and be ready to say "WHAT THE....!" occasionally. Most of it makes sense, but one or two things just make you shake your head wondering what the guy had to be on to come up with something so random.

"...crucible of anti-art, cradle of Dada!!! Who? What? Whatsisay Dada?? You remember Dada! - historical halfway house between Futurism and Surrealism, twixt Marinetti and Andre Breton, 'tween the before-the-war-to-end-all-wars years and the between-the-wars years - Dada! - down with reason logic, causality, coherence, tradition, proportion, send and consequence, my art belongs to Dada 'cos Dada 'e treats me so..." - 8

"The nerve of it. Wars are fought to make the world safe for artists. Is is never quite put in those terms but it is a useful way of grasping what civilized ideals are all about. The easiest way of knowing whether good has triumphed over evil is to examine the freedom of the artist. The ingratitude of artists, indeed their hostility, not to mention the loss of nerve and failure of talent which accounts for 'modern art', merely demonstrate the freedom of the artist to be ungrateful, hostile, self-centered and talentless, for which freedom I went to war." - 22

"Intellectual curiosity is not so common that one can afford to discourage it." -47

• The Hammer of Eden - Ken Follett

A hippie commune decides to fight the California state government in order to keep their way of life when they've been told that a new dam will be built along their river in Silver City. Soon their home will be at the bottom of a man-made lake if they cannot succeed. However, rather than fight in the conventional terms... they create a terrorist cell and call themselves The Hammer of Eden. The leader of the group steals a seismic vibrator and threatens to create earthquakes (of increasing destruction) until the governor buts a ban on all nuclear projects in California. The FBI must first find out if someone could even cause an earthquake, and then find the group before they can try.

I really liked Agent Maddox's character and her father Bo. The book was really enjoyable and somewhat conflicting. I wanted the commune to keep their land, but I was really pushing for the FBI agent too. There really is that struggle to preserve one's way of life...even though both of their ways are completely at odd with one another.

• The Key to Rebecca - Ken Follett

So, I'm kind of at a loss of words. It's late, I've been working like crazy, and I've mentally shut down since tomorrow - um...today - is the start of my weekend. The book was enjoyable for the most part. However, the character Sonja kind of bothered me. She had a somewhat disturbing event in her childhood that just resulted in a fetish that I really didn't feel like reading about. Minus that one issue I liked the book. I love the kid (Billy) - even though he's a minor character for most of the book - Elene, Vandam, and even Wolff. Plot wise it's another spy verses spy theme. There was a few really good explainations off life in Ciaro during WWII and I found a lot of the information fascinating.

"'Quickly' meant 'within the next few days'; 'immediately' meant ' tomorrow.' - 375 (on the nomadic concept of time)

• Triple - Ken Follett

So by now it should be obvious that I like Ken Follett's books. Heck, I bought 6 more of them today. However, this is one of my favorites so far. I've really enjoyed them all, but this one is up there with Pillars of the Earth. Mossad, the KGB, Egyptian Intelligence, the Fedayeen, and a little obscure help from the Italian mafia... seriously, this book has everything! Nat Dickstien, a Mossad agent, has to steal 200 tons of uranium without it being linked back to Israel before Egypt can finish developing it's nuclear weapons program. If he fails, Egypt will win the race and the state of Israel, left unable to defend itself from a nuclear attack, would likely be undone.

I loved the main character and the plot, but more importantly I was happy that Follett discussed some difficult topics. Reading about the way Nat was treated during the Holocaust was somewhat gut-wrenching. Your teachers tend to ignore the topic of sexual experimentation on some of the prisoners. In your mind you know it probably happened (if you're a realistic person) and to read it was difficult, but truth is harsh. (Yes, I know that this is historical fiction, but experimentation did happen during the holocaust so he's not making it sound worst than it was.) Now, the context in which he tells you all this I could have done without. Fair warning: everyone of his books have at least one "bedroom " scene. I put bedroom in quotes for several reasons... sometimes it's not in a bedroom, sometimes it's just wishful thinking, other times it's forced on someone unwillingly, or anywhere in between. The scene is this book was by far the strangest and most uncomfortable of all (so far).

"Growing older he had gained skills but not wisdom. In fact, it seemed to him that he knew more and understood less." - 133

"'So are yours.'" -166 (Please tell me if you found that line odd...in it's original context of course.)

"I once knew a man called Wolfgang. He used to say, 'I just take orders.' Then he use to brake my leg." - 52 (Referring to a German Nazi who had broken his leg several times in a concentration camp, Nat emphasizes why one should not blindly follow orders without questioning them if they seem unethical.)

• Code to Zero - Ken Follett

Once again, I really liked Ken Follett's book. This one was really about the development the main character, Luke. He's lost his memory and has to figure out who he is and what he's forgotten. Throughout his day he realizes that he must be a fairly important person and that he's forgotten something BIG! I really liked the development of the character and the book itself kind of reminded me of Dan Brown's Angels and Demons without the clues being specifically laid out. Luke just has to figure it out on his own and with the help of a few friends...

"'You've read George Orwell. Some animals are more equal than others.'" - p. 413

• Jacob Have I Loved - Katherine Paterson

I thought that I hadn't read this as a child, but apparently I did. The nickname Wheeze started to sound a little familiar to me, but apparently the rest wasn't memerable. It's a good little book about finding oneself and finally standing up for what you want. Personally, I thought it was good. Not amazing, but adeequate for getting the point across.

• A Place Called Freedom - Ken Follet

Ken Follet does it again. I haven't found anything by him that I don't like so far. I really loved the main characters in this book and they're put into some really interesting situations. I really enjoyed the book from beginning to end. Ken Follet does a wonderful job of describing the conditions of coal miners, coal haulers, strikes, and riots in the United Kingdom prior to the American Revolution. He also describes the passage of convicts to America, the life of an indentured servant on a tobacco plantation, as well as the fight for freedom. If you need something to read on a plane or on vacation it's great because it's educational without being heavy and textbookish.

• Mussolini's Italy - David Evans

The book has a lot of good information on Mussolini's life and influence on Italy. It's not an amazing book, but it's not a bad one either. Just all the essentials facts that you need.

• The Man From St. Petersburg - Ken Follett

I really enjoyed this book. Ken Follett tends to write historical fiction and this book is about events leading up to World War I. The British are in desperate need of an alliance with Russia prior to the outbreak of World War I and a Russian Revolutionary will do anything to keep that peace from happening. There's the occasional soap opera moment when everything seems to be going wrong and there's always that plot twist, I found it rather entertaining and a good depiction of how young ladies were expected to live in England during the early 20th century. Plus, the book teaches you a little about women's quest for suffrage.

• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Nazi Germany - Robert Smith Thompson

I'm really glad that I decided to read this book. I've continually been given the quick and easy guide to World War II. I knew about the bombing of London, the Luftwaffe, Panzers, Blitzkrieg, Normandy, Hitler's betrayal of the German-Russian Non-Aggression act, Anne Frank, and the Holocaust. I knew that the Germans weren't happy with the Treaty of Versailles and that the German's got his hard by the depression. However, I knew little about Prussia and Otto von Bismark, Hitler's childhood, the founding of the Nazi party, how the Nazi's gained control, why Austria and Poland were so important to Hitler, that Catholics were discriminated against as well, who the major players were in Nazi Germany under Hitler's command, the Sudeten, Chamberlain's mistakes, and Charles de Gaulle's role in all of this. This book really did help by going through all the major events that took place in Nazi Germany. There's obviously plenty more to learn and the ability to go much more in depth. I also need to find a book that focuses on England, Italy, Russia, Poland, etc. during the war, rather than simply the Nazi involvement with these countries. Also, the Pacific Theater is only slightly alluded to in this book. However, I think that this was a great place to start.

• High School Confidential: Secrets of an Undercover Student - Jeremy Iversen

This is one of the best books I've ever read. Jeremy Iversen goes undercover as a high school senior in Emerald Valley, California. While he's there, he witnesses the parties, drugs and alcohol, how students reacted to WASC, the drama that seems so important in their daily lives, suicidal thoughts, as well as how students dealt with the death of one of their own.

For those of you that grew up in the "party" crowds some of the material in this book may not seem as shocking as it was for me. While I always knew there for some kids doing drugs, and a few kids drinking, I never realized that such a large quantity of students participate in the use of drugs and/or alcohol at some point during high school. I won't even begin to explained how shocked I was that sex played as big of a role as it does. I think that anyone who teaches or has kids of their own should read this book. It's easy to believe that your kid isn't like everyone elses and you don't want to fall into that.

The book also shows the incompetancy of some of the teachers in our system and the problems with teachers acting like mature adults and not try to be their best friends, as well as teachers that need to learn to keep their hands off of their students and not sexually harass them. I can't belive some of the things that these teachers said to their students.

• Venice Observed - Mary McCarthy

This was an interesting book. Mary McCarthy shows the side of Venice that you don't necessarily see as a tourist. For instance, the crazy signorina that she stays with who digs through her things and is facinated by her toiletries. I also love that she talks about Giorgione because I love his La Tempesta. There are a few parts of the book that I'm iffy on her choice of organization, but for once I actually learned something different from a survery book. I wish I could get something new out of everything I read.

• The Boggart - Susan Cooper

I read this back in 4th or 5th grade, but I felt like reading it again. I remembered liking it when I was little, but I couldn't really remember what it was about so I decided to read it again. It's a fun and entertaining childrens book. If you have kids they might enjoy it. The story is about a boggart, a very old sprit-like creature that loves to play jokes on humans. He's quite a character and gets some kids in a lot of trouble when their parents don't believe that they're not playing all of the jokes. Remember the days when you got in trouble for something you never did?

• The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain - Maria Rosa Menocal

There were parts of this book that I really loved and then parts that seemed somewhat unorganized. However, the last 2 chapters of the book are wonderful and make the entire thing worth reading. I especially enjoyed the theories of what made this tolerant culture turn on its citizens and create a culture of terror during the inquisition. I also loved hearing her relate Cervantes' Don Quixote to the events in Medieval Spain that led to this distrust of all things "un-Christian."

• The Arabian Nights, Volume II, More Marvels and Wonders of the Thousand and One Nights

While most of these stories are religious in nature, it seems like the second volume is overwhelmingly more focused on the religious parable than the first. There are some great stories in this volume, but if you only have time to read one I recommend the first volume. These stories seem much more repetitive than the first as well. However, I really enjoyed the fables at the end of the story.

• Arabian Nights: Volume I, The Marvels and Wonders of the Thousand and One Nights

I really enjoyed this book. Most of the stories were really interesting. It was great to be able to read the original versions of Sinbad, Ali Baba and the Forty Theives, Aladin and other tales that you've heard in various terms over the years. I thought about just reading a day at a time, but the days are so short that you can't really get into the stories without just continuing on with the tale. There should be something to interest everyone in this book. You can tell that it's been inspired by oral traditions and epics, but it doesn't drone on with lists like epics do.

• Renaissance Europe: Age of Recovery and Reconciliation

I read most of this in my Renaissance course in college. (Apparently I read more of it than I thought I had so there was only a little that I hadn't read before). Anyway, after re-reading...

It's a good "text" book. It covers most things and goes a little more indepth than a survey text. However, there are a lot of places that read like a survey. While I prefere books that focus on one or two specific events or people, this one's not bad. It provides a lot of books for suggested reading which I really like.

• The Judgement of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade that Gave the World Impressionism - Ross King

This is a wonderful text. ...as are most texts written by Ross King. I found the juxtaposition of Meissonier and Manet to be an effective way to show the atmosphere of the art world in Paris and the struggle over depicting the glories of the past or the daily events of their time. King compares the two artists like Leonard Shlain combines Art and Physics.

Not only did King portray the art world in the second half of the nineteenth century by discussing the artists, the salon, and the major patrons, but he did an excellent job of providing his readers with an idea of the social and political atmosphere of the times.

This is one of those books that you hate to finish because you become entralled in the era and the people involved. (It's even harder to finish when you've already read all of King's books and you have to wait for more).

• Greek Society - Frank J. Frost

Overall it's a good book that gives you an overview of greek society, as well as a look into the life of certain characters in greek history (some famous, others not so much). Occassionaly I questioned it's organization, but the factual information is there.

• A Brave New World -

"Progress" isn't always progress. Social conditioning, genetic manipulation, mass "participation" so to speak... (wink wink). It's an interesting book that's worth reading. For some reason it reminds me of a mix of 1984, House of Stairs, and Lord of the Flies all in one book with a few added elements. Does anyone else see that?

• The Toa of Pooh - Benjamin Hoff

This is a cute little book that's about Eastern Philosophies. However, it uses the context of Winnie the Pooh in order to educate you on Toaism, rather than the typical text. It's nice if you just want the basics or something to entertain you that's not to deep. If you're looking for more, then try a different book.

• Pygmalion - George Bernard Shaw

This was a really good play. I had to read it since I have to teach it to others, but I'm really glad I did. There's something about the way Shaw builds the characters that I really liked. Eliza's not really likeable, but neither are a lot of the other characters in the book. However, the unlikability of the other characters was balanced by Pickering who was easy to like. Of course, I liked the crudeness of the other characters since it created an interesting dymanic. I think I liked it because of its differences.

"Making life means making trouble." -127

• Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson

I never read this in elementary school. The 5th graders did while I was in 6th grade so I just missed it. I thought that since the movie was out I shoud read it before going to see it. It's a really good book that focusing on friendships and feeling accepted by others. I couldn't believe the ending since it was something 5th graders would read. It was a little heavy. But, in the end there's that moral lift when the main character "overcomes" and learns from prior events. I recommend it if you just need something small to get away from the text book reading.

• Art and Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time, and Light - Leonard Shlain

There's a reason why Leonard Shlain is my favorite author. His books are informative and interesting. I tend to get bored reading about things I've already read about five times before, but Shlain manages to actually present the information in a unique way by juxtaposing it with something like physics. It's worth the read. I started in high school and got side tracked half way through so I started the book from the beginning since it's not exactly light reading. For once in my life I wasn't bored re-reading a book that's not The Agony and the Ecstasy.

• The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

I've only been reading on breaks at work so it's been taking me a while since that's only about 15 minutes 3-4 times a week. Hopefully now that all the wedding stuff is starting to die down I'll be able to read more again, but I almost doubt it since I'm getting ready to embark on two scrapbooking adventures.

Anyway, I loved this book. I loved the theme, the imagery, the characters, the conflict... It was a good classic adventure. Don't expect it to be just like the most recent movie they made on it though. It has a lot in commom, but the movie leaves out a lot and gets a little overly dramatic with some scenes and miss the concepts from the book completely. I really recommend this one.

• The Ultimate Hitch Hiker's Guide: Five Complete Novels and One Story - Douglas Adams

42.

• Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation - Joseph J. Ellis

I love Joseph Ellis. He doesn't idolize or founders and avoid the negatives like some authors. The book talks about the Hamilton-Burr duel, the decision to place the nations capital on the Potomac, the congressional silence on slavery. Republicans verses Federalists, and the relationship between Adams and Jefferson. Ellis does a wonderful job of providing quotes and refering to source documents to provide background information and to discuss the events and their aftermath. He provides brief, but descriptive looks into different periods during the first fifty years of our nation. Each chapter is like a mini essay, which is a relief from the typical survey.

• The Communist Manifesto - Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

I thought that this was something that I should read at some point in my life. Especially since I'm going to have to talk about it when teaching modern history. Plus, one should always read sorce documents when available. There are a few good quotes in the book and I see how it could appeal to the working class. However, I've also seen what life is like in Communist countries. In an ideal world some of the theories might work, but some people will always take advantage of others when given the opportunity which means that there will never truely be a classless society. The manipulation of the masses seems to be a favorite past time.

• A Short History of Wales: Welsh Life and Customs from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day

This is a cute little book to introduce you to the Welsh people and their history. My grandparents brought it back from Wales for me last year. It's not extensive, but it's a good start for me to at least get a little background on the history of my ancestors. I have two other books on Wales that I'm looking forward to reading. I thought I'd start with the smaller survey before moving on.

• The Decameron - Giovanni Boccaccio

I FINALLY FINISHED IT! I started reading the first days of this book during college, but then put it down when life got busy. The stories are entertainering and you're bound to find a few that interest you at the very least. Common themes include theft, trickery, revenge, adultery, etc. You can read the story straight through or pick it up and randomly choose stories to read. I almost recommend that you do not read it like a normal book. Find a place in a park or sitting on your porch and just pick a day and story. Read 1 or a few and then wait till another day to continue. Don't try to read it all at once. Good luck!

• Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson

It was fun and entertaining. I would have had more fun reading it when I was younger, but it was worth reading. I'd be a good car book or plane book (if the flight's not very long).

• Men To Match My Mountains: The Monumental Saga of the Winning of America's Far West - Irving Stone

Irving Stone is a wonderful writer. Men To Match My Mountains was filled with interesting stories of the west. Emphasising the settling of California, Nevada, and Colorado, Stone covers the Spanish occupation, exploration of the west, wagon trains, gold and silver booms, Mormon settlements, the war against polygamy, railroad monopolies, etc. Some stories are devastatingly sad, while others will have you laughing hysterically (especially circumstances that led to transcontinental railroad tickets dropping from $100 to $1). If you liked The Agony and the Ecstasy or Lust for Life you'll probably enjoy this one as well.

• A Room With a View - E.M. Forster

I saw the movie back in high school and I've always planned to read the book, but didn't get to it until now. I'm partial to books that take place in Firenze so consider that before taking my opinion. =) I really enjoyed the book. I love the charater George Emerson. There's just something about him that intrests me. I also like Mr. Emerson, and Mrs. Lavish. It's pretty easy to guess the pesonality of the characters simply by their name in this book. Mr. Eager, Ms. Honeychurch, Mrs. Lavish, etc. There are times when I roll my eyes at the period gossip, but overall I like the conversations and Forsters writing style. It's short and can be read in a day so even if you don't like it you won't waste to much time and it's a classic that should be read no mattter what.

(Sigh) I long for a room with a view of il duomo.

• 1776 - David McCullough

This was a great book. He follows the conflict between the Americans and British during the year of 1776. He uses sources from both sides to present the events in Boston, New York, and New Jersery during the year. He also briefly covers event in Philadelphia. McCullough writes in an easy to read style that's great for someone who may have not spent much time studying the American Revolution. While the book would still be considered a survey by a historian, it's not like the typical surveys that tend to lack substance. Also, there is an extensive bibliography full of books that would be wonderful to read.

• Sex, Time, and Power: How Women's Sexuality Shaped Human Evolution - Leonard Shlain

This was a wonderful book. Shlain is one of my favorite authors because he frequently presents multiple positions on an issue. The book's topic is simply stated in its title and focuses on the development of early humans and frequently juxtaposes these developments with those of other animals. The book is organized just like The Alphabet Verses the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image, which I highly recommend, and was written because Slain felt that he needed to finish clarifing his stance in the early chapters of AVG. Even if you don't agree with all of Slain's theories, which he is great at stating when they're his theories verses theories that are universally accepted, there are a lot of interesting tid bits and quotes that can be found in the book.

Let me know if you're undertaking this one. I'd love to hear your opinions.

• The Balkans: A Short History - Mark Mazower

I got one or two good quotes from this book, but besides those it wasn't amazing. It was rather boring to be honest. I don't know if this is the book that put me off reading for a while or life just got busier than normal. I guess I'll find out when I try to start reading something else.

The one good part of this book is an explaination of cooperating Christians and Muslims living near border territories. Friends would often make pacts and become "brothers" and vow to save one another when necessary.

• Poland (Enchantment of the World) - Martin Hintz

I liked this one, better than the book on Hungary, but less than the book on Romania. The last chapter was a day in a life story that just kind of killed it for me. It's nice to actually know something about Poland now since I have a friend who lives there. Eventually I hope to visit her, but that might take a while. The library really needs to get better books on European countries. I think that I'm going to have to get a card to the university library.

• Romania (Enchantment of the World) - Terri Willis

This was a fun little survey of Romania that provides the reader with some general ideas about the country without going in depth. The pictures are beautiful and make me want to visit Romania and study it's history in a more academic text. I like this series much better than the one on Hungary. It's better organized and doesn't constantly repeat itself.

PS - I haven't been in a reading mood recently so until I get back in it I'll be taking my time on the books.

• Cultures of the World: Hungary - Robert S. Esbenshade

It's a nice little cultural introduction book on Hungary, but if you're looking for substance find a bigger book. There are some good pictures and some good info on society during communist rule, but it's just an intro book so, again, don't expect too much. Teachers might find it good to have around the room so that students can look at it though.

• The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

This was definitely light reading. I enjoyed the book and I got a lot of good quotes out of it. The main theme is beaten into you so if you miss the message to follow through with your dreams you're ... well, you're not processing things properly. I don't think it's a literary marvel, but if you're ever in need of an extra boost because you're afraid of something then this book could come in handy.

• The Divine Comedy: Inferno (Vol 1)

I've always wanted to read the Inferno, but I never got around to it for some reason. Finally, I found a book that had the original Italian on one side with the translation on the other, plus a bunch of extra stuff at the end of each chapter and then even more at the back of the book to break it down. I think that I was expecting a lot more out of this book since you hear so much about it, but maybe that's becasue I stll have two more books to read in order to finish The Divine Comedy. (I'm not saying that it was bad, just that I expected it to be amazing.) Thinking of the book in the context of the society in which it was written I can see why it was so popular.

• The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

This was such a fun read! I never wanted the story to end. It has a perfect mix of history and adventure that made me love the book. The Historian is another Dracula hunt, but this one is much different than the rest. It's easy to get behind the characters, to picture yourself traveling to amazing locations and researching in some of the best libraries. This is definitely one of my favorite books. I just wish it never ended. I think this is one that I'll reread in a few years.

• Dracula - Bram Stoker

I'm a scardy cat so I put off reading this for a very long time. However, it wasn't really scary. For the most part I kept imagining the characters as those in Mel Brooks' Dracula: Dead and Loving It. It's hard to get freaked out when you're imagining spoof characters. However, there was a part that did kind of get to me because it had to do with wolves and I read it at 3am with every dog in the neighborhood going off. Besides that it was all rather disapointing. By using journals, Bram Stoker had an interesting way of being able to switch perspectives while still using the first person. While that was interesting, the final scene felt like he was simply ready to finish the book and it was written without as much detail or adventure as one might assume was coming.

• Never Have Your Dog Stuffed And Other Things I've Learned - Alan Alda

The book was fun and interesting. It's a light read, but Alda has a lot to say. He writes about his life and the things that have affected him, and most importantly how they affected him. I've always been a fan of Alan Alda (I named a cat Hawkeye recently) and this book just reinforced my ideas about him. He's amazingly intelligent and just as OCD, if not more, about planning things out and being prepared so that he knows what he's talking about. I know that one of the main reason he writes the book is to overcome the urge to let the past rule your life rather than the present, but I think that the most important thing I got from the book is that it's okay to adapt yourself according to the situation if you find a way to do it without losing yourself in all of the adaptions.

• The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield

I expected a little out of this book, but I didn't expect to really be drawn into it as I read. However, it managed to captivate me. I really enjoyed reading this book. It's about a lady who gets asked to write a biography of a famous author. The author is notorious for lying to the press and the public about her life and the lady worries that the author won't be honest with her. However, after a few false starts, the woman begins to tell her her story. A story that no one would have expected. A story that's amazingly interesting and kept me entertained. I even read it at the Trace Adkins concert until the sun went down and I was left to stare at drunk middle aged people and wonder why they were so immature.

• Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America and American in Iran - Azadeh Moaveni

This is a great book for someone looking to understand the emotional ordeals that face living in America as an immigrant. (Mind you, she's a legal immigrant, or an emigre to be more specific.) She struggles with issues of trying to fit in while her parents struggle to hold onto their own culture. Then, feeling like she doesn't fit in 100% in America, she travels to Iran only to find out that her home culture is also foreign to her. She struggles with the realization that she'll never fully fit in anywhere and that she'll have to come to terms with that. It's a great book. If it weren't for one page, I'd use it in a high school class, but parents would freak over that one page so I can't. I wish they'd realize that there kids have already heard this stuff before and be okay with it as long as the book wasn't teaching them how to do something, or advocating doing it... It just alludes to something that would set off most parents. But, since you're all adults...READ IT!

• The Mediaeval Church - Marshall W. Baldwin

The visual organization of the book isn't pretty, but the information is good for someone looking for an introduction to the Medieval church. It's one of those supplemental books that help when someone needs a few gaps filled, or else to get the basics. I'd put a pic up, but they didn't have one. It's an older book, but I can steal bits and pieces for a lecture later in life.

• The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana - Umberto Eco

I'm not sure about this one... There were moments that I loved and moments where I was just kind of reading just to get through. The main character has lost his episodic memory and must attempt to sort through the tangible things of his past. Sometime's it's really intersting sorting through the guys things, and other times I got a little bored. As I said before Umberto Eco's a little pedantic and this time it was harder to get through for me. Maybe it's because it's my third Eco book in a row, or maybe just because it's not taking place in the Middle Ages. Honestly, I'm not sure... I loved the beginning of the book and I loved the stories of this guys past as he starts remembering what's happened to him. Everything else I'm still debating on.

• Baudolino - Umberto Eco

Wow... I don't even know where to begin. I got more than I ever expected out of this book. I think it was a great choice to fulfill the goal that I set a few months ago (It's my 12th book). The main complaint that I hear about Umberto Eco is that The Name of the Rose started out to slowly, or that he's pedantic (which I happen to like). I think that this book will suprise those people. It starts out much faster and his love of details is integrated nicely thoughout the book so that they flow with the pace of the particular event.

The overall setting of the book is the Middle Ages during the Crusades. The main character, Baudolino, is closely associated with Frederick Barbarossa. Baudolino likes to tell lies and these lies lead to all kinds of adventures, the primary adventure being the search for the kingdom of Prester John in the East.

The story begins normally enough, but at some point you're thrust into Baudolino's (or Eco's) version of Middle Earth. Things start to get a little strange and reality is altered. There's adventures, debates, passion, ... it's just an interesting read. Plus, I think this book has the best last sentence I've read so far. Give it a try. The longer you stick with it the more involved you become.

• Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong - James W. Loewen

I really enjoyed this book. Loewen studied 12 of the most common high school American History texts and then analyzed their historical accuracies and inaccuracies, as well as their omissions, tone, and audience. I noticed a huge difference between the history presented by my college profesors and the history that I had learned in K-12. I had always wondered why, and this book really talks about those differences and the reason why authors writing for high school students present more biases than those for college student (not to say that college texts aren't bias). He talks about Columbus, Thanksgiving, slavery, the Civil War, Civil Rights Movement, and other issues. Most of these chapters are really interesting and I think that most of you would enjoy reading them, even if it's just to stir up a little debate. =)