Books and more books

As I enthusiastically enjoy these last few weeks of rest and relaxation before heading back into the workworld, I have lots of time to do what I love to do best - read. Here are some of my latest reads and what I thought of them (in no particular order):

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life Amy Krouse Rosenthal
http://www.encyclopediaofanordinarylife.com/
I loved this book! In fact, at times I felt as if this woman read my mind, or at least had the exact same brain processes I have. I laughed out loud several times. And the book's style is inventive, too, which doesn't always work but really works here. Must read.

The Wonder Spot Melissa Bank
I really enjoyed this one. I think she could have done a better job in terms of timeline - it doesn't make much sense why she goes from 10 years old to 18 years old. Especially when, at age 22, she references her best friend from those intermittent years. It has a little bit of a Sex and the City vibe, although much less stylish (in a good way), and on occasion I felt like I was reading a series of short stories turned into a novel. Maybe that is because of the timeline issue but also because of strange references she makes in later chapters to things she already told us, but as if she hadn't told us already. You know what I mean? Nonetheless, I enjoyed it. Read the entire book on my flight from Denver to SFO.

The Book of Joe Jonathan Tropper
I liked this book. It was a bit Empire Falls but still I liked it. For sure I did not love it.

Prep Curtis Sittenfeld
I did not want to like this book, mostly because I hate the fact that the author's name is Curtis and yet she is female. She used to write for Salon.com, my favorite web site of all time, and I never quite loved her work. But I was in need of a read and Robyn liked it so I thought I would give it a whirl. Much to my surprise (and somewhat to my dismay) I actually liked it. I mean, the main character is pretty annoying - she is so insecure and spineless that after about 100 pages it gets really old listening to her drivel. But the story is pretty good. And what woman doesn't like to read a book that mirrors back to her some version of what she suffered as a teenager? So in that sense I liked it. And it is an easy, quick read.

Ayelet Waldman reads way more than I do. I am not sure how she does it, especially considering she has all those kids and a husband to pay attention to (although I heard he and the nanny do way more of the child rearing than she does). Well, good for her. Seems we have the same taste in books so I will be using her site as a "what to read next" guide.