The Thirteenth Tale

I read this book immediately after finishing The Pillars of the Earth. Normally, after finishing such a good read, it will take me some time to get into another book. But this one happened to be laying around and I picked it up. I had started to read it before, but it didn't draw me in. I thought when I picked it up that it would be perfect since it wouldn't draw me in.

I was wrong.

Within a few chapters I was completely absorbed, and once again fell into another reading marathon. The way this book teases you with its strict adherence to following the story (the story within the story) keeps you running after the carrot, believe me.

Loved it.

The Pillars of the Earth

LISA: Wow. Is all I can say. This book is long, it takes hours and hours and hours and hours to read. And it is near impossible to put down. What that equation turns into is a lot of sleepless nights and bleary eyes!

It is epic, it is historical fiction at its best. Seriously, could hardly put it down.

A MUST read!

Never Let Me Go

This book is very well written and easy to read. Keeps you interested. I can't really talk about the book because the whole point is that you don't know what's going on but it's a good read. It is all fiction but the ideas it suggests are very thought-provoking and almost to the point of being disturbing.

Bitter is the New Black

This book takes a while to get into becuase it is exactly what the title suggests which is a spoiled female (Jen) who loses her job and doeesn't know what to do with herself becuase she then can't afford her designer accessories and expensive salon days. Then her boyfriend loses his job and they have to move out of their exorbitantly priced apartment with teh private roof deck, etc. But once you get past all of that annoyingness it is actually a very pleasant and humorous read. I enjoyed the dynamics of their relationship (and the fact that they got married so she could get her parents car!) and I enjoyed seeing how they were able to support each other and find the humor in their situation even at the worst of times. Jen warmed up to me when it didn't even take a second thought for her to sell every single designer piece she had the second she found out her husband had stopped taking his depression medicine (and this is just an example, they were without an incoem for easily a year and they got to the bottom of the barrel).

I think my favorite thing about the book though was that Jen never ever stopped being herself through it all. When she got really bored and frustrated she created her own website and started ripping on the companies that were denying her positions. She had posts about dumbing down her resumes, the hippies living below, everything. Well written and humurous (unique with the use of footnotes). A good beach read.