Bookdwarf

I thought I would at least recap some of the books I’ve read so far this year. I’ve managed to finish 8 books so far in 2007. Here’s the list:

• Mergers and Acquisitions by Dana Vachon—I hate to say it, but this book seemed like a Bret Easton Ellis knock-off.
• Third Girl From the Left by Martha Southgate—I really liked this book. It’s told in three parts, each from a different characters perspectives. Good writing and good story.
• Bento Box in the Heartland by Linda Furiya—Memoir of growing up the only Asian people in the 60s in Indiana. Not bad, a little bland.
• Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee—Great debut novel told from the perspective of first generation immigrants from Korea. The main character graduates from Princeton, but has trouble finding a “real” job that pleases her parents.
• Mistress of the Art of Death by Arianna Franklin—I liked this historical mystery set in Medieval Cambridge. It was a fun read.
• A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah—This one was not so fun, more in the heartbreaking category. You might have read the excerpt in the NYT Magazine a few weeks ago. It’s also the next Starbuck’s pick or something.
• Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux—It took me a while to finish this book, not because I didn’t like it, but because I kept getting interrupted. It’s Paul Theroux at his crankiest. I like the guy, at least he knows he’s a crank, right?
• Twins by Marcy Dermansky—Man, this book is crazy. I loved it. Each chapter alternates between the twins’ perspectives. One appears good and one appears bad, but that’s all surface. It’s a fucked up story and I finished it in a day.