The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham (#30, Nonfiction)

I've never really been a huge fan of John Grisham. I can give or take him. I liked some of his older books, The Firm, The Pelican Brief, and then I was pleasantly surprised with The Runaway Jury. But, I honestly haven't read him in years.

Someone suggested I read this one. I'm not sure how I feel about Grisham and nonfiction. I diligently read the first 200 pages, then got bored and skimmed through about 150 pages and then actually continued reading the end.

The book made me mad though. I really can't believe that based on the evidence and information that the prosecution put together that four men were/are on death row. Although, I'm trying to also realize that the book begins and ends from one, and only one perspective--innocent men put in jail for a crime they didn't commit. So, it's hard to be objective about any of the details when I went into it knowing he was not guilty.

After going to law school and learning about Constitutional law and criminal procedure I really can't believe how sketchy the police and prosecutor in the case acted. I guess I didn't realize that detectives actually pulled out all those Law and Order moves like good cop/bad cop and keeping people isolated for so long that they final confess just to get out of there!

Way to go detectives of Ada, OKlahoma, awesome job of letting the real murderer get away with it for almost 20 years.

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (#29, Fiction)

After a veerrrry long pause, I have finished off the Dark Materials trilogy.

With the holidays quickly approaching I have been thinking about what gifts I should get for my nieces and nephews. Although Celia is only in first grade, she is already reading chapter books, and I have been trying to think of books that she might enjoy. This series came to mind before I started the third book. I knew it was probably too mature for her, but man, after the third boy, heck no! There was a lot of evil in this one! It was pretty intense. I didn't know if I could handle the part where Lyra and Pan had to separate from each other!

I definitely enjoyed the book, and the series as a whole. I think the first book was my favorite though. By the third book there were just so many characters and so many loose ends that had to be tied up, it got a little confusing at times. And, honestly, I still don't entirely get why the "dust" stopped leaving the world when Lyra and Will got there. Although, I guess it was pretty late when I finished the book, maybe I missed something. I'm also torn about the ending--for a young adult book it was really intense! Lots of death and hard and important decisions that needed to be made.

Overall it was really good....now I am pretty excited to move on to my next young adult series--Twilight!!!

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace. . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (#28, Nonfiction)

Another amazing book here. Very similar to Mountains beyond Mountains.

Greg Mortenson is as selfless as a person can be with an amazing story. The book is excellently written and never dull.

I am pretty much at a loss of words for what to say. It's an inspiring story, and I believe that all of the work he is doing in Pakistan and Afghanistan will make a difference for future generations.

Anything the United States can do to foster better relationships with the world is a good thing, and Greg Mortenson is leading the way.

Hidden in the Shadow of the Master: The Model-Wives of Cezanne, Monet and Rodin by Ruth Butler (#27, Nonfiction)

So much for reading another 50 books this year. Sad.

Although I'm not a fan of blogging in general, this blog has many positive and interesting facets to it. Obviously, it's cool to keep track of all the books we have read. I probably couldn't name the last ten books I read without forgetting at least a couple, so thumbs up to an up-to-date list of what I've read. Secondly, I like seeing what steph has read. It is a good way to find new books to read and to know exactly what to expect from them, and it helps with recommending books to others. And finally, and completely unrelated to reading, I like having a timeline of my life. Steph--you know how I always like to play the game, "the last time I was here was..."? Well, I like looking through the books I have read, and I can remember exactly where I was, what I was doing, who I was dating, what game was on in the background, so forth and so on. I like having the very G-rated story of my life documented for me to remember how different things were last November, as I was reading One-Hundred Years of Solitude and The Pesthouse.

Digress much?

About the book. I'm a huge fan of artwork, specifically artwork from the late 19th century, so I was pretty psyched about learning more about some of my favorites (monet being my all-time favorite artist). The book was....eh. The writing wasn't great, but nowhere near as painful as Nim Chimpsky. I do find it amazing though to read about the poverty that these artists endured through a large portion, if not all, of their lives. And today they can be found in all of the most prestigious museums.

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini (#32, Young Adult)

I was disappointed by what was supposed to be the third and final installment of the Inheritance trilogy. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to learn halfway through the book that there was too much to fit in and that instead of finishing the series with Brisingr, Christopher Paolini will be writing a fourth book. 

I suppose I shouldn't be annoyed by this but for some reason I am. I struggled to maintain interest in this book and was actually hoping to be done with the series. I am not overly attached to these characters and sadly I find Paolini's writing skills to be lacking. Will I be able to plod through another book to get the answers? Maybe. 

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (#31, Classic)

Finally, a book that is not of the self-help/young adult category. I have been reading too many of those lately and thought it would be good to read something of substance. Enter Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo.  I really enjoyed this classic masterpiece, despite knowing the story before reading the book. I saw the movie back in 2003--I remember the day exactly because it was spring break freshman year and my new boyfriend called while we were watching the movie. I took the call and never finished the movie. Needless to say, I was very eager to find out how it would all end. Would the Count get his revenge? Would he find his lost love and find happiness? Would he confront his enemies and repay them for ruining his life? 

I did notice one thing while reading my first Dumas novel. He uses the phrase, "blow out his brains" quite a bit. Anytime one of the characters ponders suicide, the only way it is referred to is as "blowing out" one's brains. Perhaps there was a problem with the translator and in French this phrase sounds better. 

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (#26, Nonfiction)

I'm not really sure what the correct adjective to describe the book would be.... amazing just seems wrong because to me it implies more happiness.... and well, heartbreaking doesn't fit either because although at times it certainly broke my heart, the book made me laugh almost as much as it made me cringe in sadness.... unbelievable...does that work? well, for me it does, but I assume that there are many people in the world who can relate very personally to the story....

Maybe I will come up with the perfect word eventually, but wow, this book is quite the memoir. I think the part that got to me the most is at the beginning when he is retelling his childhood and starting at the age of 4 he was already acting in a parental capacity to his 3 (yes 3!!!) younger brothers. All I could think about was my 4 year old nephew... there is no way!!!

Once again, thanks Mom, thanks Dad, for the food, the clothes, the house, the education and for making me aware of the fact that I had it good.