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.

Doghandling by Clare Naylor (#30, Chick Lit)

Ahh chick lit, how I hate thee. Well, that is not true. I didn't hate this book. Clare Naylor's Doghandling seemed a fitting follow up to Why Men Love Bitches, as both books seem to agree that men need to be trained. This theory is not a farfetched one, as I have at least one friend who has admitted to me that she indeed had to train her boyfriend to behave the way she wanted him to. But is this really doghandling? What about people handling? 

Every new relationship features two people with two sets of behavioral patterns. Each person will treat the other person a certain way as long as the other person lets them. Similarly, dogs will behave a certain way as long as they can get away with it. The secret to training a dog? Be firm when setting boundaries and letting them know what behavior is okay and what behavior is not okay. Through a system of checks and balances (treats, kenneling, etc) you guide the dog to the correct behavioral pattern. 

Is this how we girls should deal with guys? Do we really need to employ the same techniques used to train dogs to train our boyfriends? Perhaps. A guy will treat you how you let him treat you. When you aren't being treated how you deserve to be, you definitely have to lay down the law and demand to be treated better. This usually starts with a conversation where you address the wrongdoings. But what about when nothing changes? When talking doesn't work, your actions speak louder than your words and you just might have to treat Brian like Rover. 

Why Men Love Bitches by Sherry Argov (#29, Nonfiction)

This might be the most embarrassing book to post yet. You might be asking some questions at this point. Why did I read this book? More importantly, why did I buy this book? A new friend (and self-proclaimed bitch) recommended it to me. After hearing my stories from this summer and my entire relationship history, she decided that I needed a huge dose of bitch. I am the quintessential nice girl. I shudder to think how in the dark I have always been and how I have been playing a game where I didn't fully understand the rules. 

Now let me straighten one thing out for you. Sherry Argov (who writes for magazines like Cosmo and Glamour) uses the term bitch not in the way you might think. Her "bitch" is not the self-centered crazy woman who cares about no one, gets off on being mean to people, and goes out of her way to put men in their place. Argov's bitch is the woman who is confident, knows who she is, knows what she wants, and is unwilling to put up with the bullshit that men try to get away with. She respects herself and therefore demands respect from the men she dates. Guys who show her less respect than she deserves get the boot. 

There are several instances in the book where Argov uses a table to show the difference between the nice girl and the bitch. I was shocked to see that more often than not I fell into the nice girl category and by Argov's standards I am a textbook doormat. If only I had read this book four months ago! As I said before, I have been playing a game without knowing all the rules. Argov's humorous satire has enlightened me and perhaps the next time I deal with a guy, he might be getting the bitchier side of me. No one wants to date a doormat. 

The Bounce Back Book by Karen Salmansohn (#28, Nonfiction)

Remember back in January when I declared 2008 the year of the self-help book? Well, I am still going strong. I am still reading books that will supposedly help me become a better person. Karen Salmansohn's The Bounce Back Book was an impulse purchase at the book store, but not one that I have come to regret. 

I rather enjoyed this little collection of tips on how to bounce back after going through a rough time.  It read like a magazine--it was fun, colorful, and most of all captivating. My biggest pet peeve when reading these self help books is how they lose steam halfway through. The writing becomes repetitive and boring and I eventually stop caring. Not so with this one. I was excited to open it up every time I got the chance. And while my own problem was not as horrible as Salmansohn's own personal tragedy, I felt like the solutions and tips she offered were still pertinent to my own situation. I will certainly be looking for more of her work and I would recommend this one to anyone who is looking for clues on how to bounce back.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (#25, Contemporary Literature)

When it came time for me to actually make the pick for book club I felt a huge amount of pressure. I've torn apart a few of the books that have been picked, and I didn't want to have book "road kill" on my hands.

Unfortunately, the book club has lots of "rules." Basically I was warned that everyone is too busy to read a classic, or a book of more than 400 pages. They suggested that I pick something that was beach read-y, since my choice fell on the last month of the summer. Ugh. I checked out some best seller lists and tried to find something that fell within the criteria... I fear best seller lists though... and I quickly returned here, and sifted through the books steph has read. And here I found The Shadow of the Wind.

Two glowing recommendations from avid readers--Sarah and Steph. Although, we know about some of Steph's recommendations, and according to Sarah's myspace she loves Phillipa Gregory.... but, I then checked on B&N dotcom and found 50+ reviews--all with 5 stars. Like Steph says in her post, any book about reading already has me intrigued. So, I made the pick. (side note: I got some not so thrilled responses from book club---OMG...it's 480 pages ....)

And the verdict? I really liked it! I wasn't sure if I loved it when I was halfway through, but it continued to grow on me and I found myself at work, in my office, quickly finishing the last 20 pages that I just couldn't wait until tonight to read! For starters it is well written, even if you don't love the story, you can't complain about its structure, word choice, etc. It has a great mystery, and as I am thinking about it I find the writing and storytelling somewhat similar to Margaret Atwood. (thoughts Steph?)

There were points when I was reading at night where I found myself checking under the bed and around corners for the faceless man... just a bit scary! It was a really great story, and I love the message it sends about the importance of reading and the love of books.