#73: Read 30 books, part V

#21: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon



This was a re-read of a book I read in college, for my Special Education class. It's written from the point of view of a teenage with autism who is writing a mystery novel about his investigation into the murder of his neighbor's dog. It's a good look into how the mind of person with autism might work.

#22: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.



I borrowed this after I found it in the back seat of my friend Melissa's car. I really liked it, I'm a bit afraid to watch the movie because I feel like it's going to be not nearly as awesome (I mean, it's got that guy from Twilight in it, I don't know how to take it seriously). I love elephants (see upcoming tattoo post for reference), and I love circuses in theory. I love the imagery, especially from the early 20th century, just not the reality of the lives it creates for the animals. But, whatever, the story is good, I love the twist at the end. If I'm remembering it correctly, the story was based on a few real elephants.

#23: Buffalo Lockjaw by Greg Ames.

This book was okay. It was about a guy returning home, dealing with his mom who has early-onset dementia, and contemplating assisted suicide.

#24: Zorro by Isabelle Allende.



I don't know why, but this book took me fooooooreeeeverrrr to read. I started it in November and didn't finish it until the start of February. Robert kept making fun of me, but it was very small print, and a lot of pages! It is basically the back story to Zorro. I just couldn't really get in to it (another reason why it took me so long to read).

#25: The Hunger Games by Suzanna Collins



Yep. I got addicted too.

#73: Read 30 books, Part II.

The second five books:

6.

Amazing Grace by Johnathon Kozol. This is the second book of Kozol's I've read. It is a look at the lives of children living in the South Bronx, exploring issues like education, drugs, crime, living conditions, religion, etc. It was very good, but also pretty disheartening. It's hard to read about all of these problems, and not know any of the solutions. I developed a lot of white guilt whilst reading this book, realizing that just by existing, I contribute to these situations.

7.

Secret Lives of U.S. Presidents by Cormac O'Brien. I read this book over the summer, mostly while on a cross-country road trip with my mom. My mom and brother also read some of it during the vacation. (It also prompted my mother and I to try to name all 44 presidents. We missed 9. "You forgot Jimmy Carter--you were alive then!" "Yeah, I was, I think I even voted for him!") As a history dork, I totally loved it. I am a suck for silly, random factoids about historical figures.

8.


Bad Sex: We Had It So You Don't Have To by the writers of Nerve.com. This book is pretty much what it sounds like. It was enjoyable. A good summer read.

9.


The Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut. This was a re-read. A very quick re-read. I read it in a day and a half. Vonnegut is one of my favorite writers, and this is sort of an autobiography of his, with his usual random reflections on life.

10.


When You and Your Mother Can't Be Friends: Resolving the Most Complicated Relationship of Your Life by Victoria Secunda. This was passed on to me by my mother, who found it very helpful to reflect on issues in her relationship with her mother. I read it, but didn't relate to really anything, since my mom and I have a pretty good/totally awesome relationship. But, I guess, it was interesting from a sociological point of view, learning about the different types of mother/daughter relationships, and what kind of people those relationships create.