Three Cups of Tea

Three Cups of Tea
By Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
9781400102518 (book on CD)

Amazing. I was completely blown away by this guy. Some things he did were a bit well, stupid in retropect! But 1- hindsight is 20/20 and 2- was good that he admitted it in his book, he could have glossed over things. Just found out there's a sequel coming out in December, can't wait!
9/10

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Can You Ever Forgive Me? Memoirs of a Literary Forger
By Lee Israel
9781416588672 129p

Thought it would be better, more interesting. Basically, her cat gets sick and to pay the medical bills she forges a letter. You know, instead of waitressing or working in a bookstore or as a bartender or any of the other multitude of second jobs available in the city. So, she forges a letter, sells it, the cat gets better without treatment. And she decides to start forging more letters, tons in the next few years, making her living at this. Steals letters from libraries and replaces them with fakes. She's suspected, hires an accomplice, they're both caught, she's let off with probation. Umm, huh? #1- she's still saying it was the poor cat that led her to it in the first place, having to get him care. Yet she didn't, because he got better! She just liked the money. #2- why not get a real job? #3- spent all that energy and imagination on other people's letters, she could have even found a writing job with that effort. #4- she barely brings any other people into it, she's pretty egotistical. #5- barely thinks she did anything wrong, actually only seems to give lipservice to that and doesn't think she did any wrong. (ie when she talks at the end about the dealers coming out ahead money-wise. She doesn't seem to realize that people lost money on her antics, whether it was the dealers or someone else doesn't matter, the money came from somewhere.)
Okay, fed up with her, I'm done.
6/10

Hide in Plain Sight

Hide in Plain Sight
By Marta Perry
9780373442553 247p

Wasn't completely sure who it was, that was definitely a good thing! Usually I can figure out who it is and it's not as interesting to me.
8/10

Cathedrals of the World

Cathedrals of the World
By Graziella Leyla Ciaga
9788854401785 211p

Surprisingly, I liked the modern buildings slightly more, with St. Mary's Cathedral in Toyko being my favorite. The book itself is good, but superficial. There is a lot of information crammed into each 4-6 page summary, maybe too much. And sometimes things were talking about (ie a belltower or window) and there was no picture of it, which was slightly annoying. But the pictures that were included were beautiful!
8/10

Becky: The Life and Loves of Becky Thatcher

Becky: The Life and Loves of Becky Thatcher
By Lenore Hart
0312373279 371p

I have to reread "Tom Sawyer". But it seemed like too often, this novel said something like "Mark Twain got this part wrong." I like books told from other characters perpectives or sequels written by other authors. But not when they contradict the original too much.
7/10

High Noon

High Noon
By Nora Roberts
467p

One of her best, I think. Negotiating is an interesting profession to read about. And I liked all the secondary characters. I thought Duncan would figure out how to "cure" her mother, was glad when that didn't happen, would have been too much. Wanted to know more about why she couldn't sell the house, though, what kind of legal things could enforce that. Wasn't really made clear.
9/10

Angela's Ashes

Angela's Ashes
By Frank McCourt
0684874350 363p

Wow. One of the best, if not the best, autobiographies I've ever read. What a moving childhood and really, he pulled himself out of literally nothing to make a life for himself. Very inspiring, yet honest too. I'm assuming honest, I've never heard he made things up like other writers. He didn't sugarcoat the things he did to make the money to get to America or anything else.
9/10

Brideshead Revisited

Brideshead Revisited
By Evelyn Waugn
315p

Really liked some parts, sort of liked others. Didn't like people just disappearing and only hearing about them after, not seeing them. Definitely interesting how their lives intertwined so much, how much things change over the years, the people who weren't important become the center of your world and then shoot off again.
8/10

The Glimpses of the Moon

The Glimpses of the Moon
By Edith Wharton
via gutenberg.net

Beautiful and haunting. I really liked the storyline, what a good idea. Been done before, of course, everything has. But it was done so beautifully here, I really felt for Susy especially but also for Nick. I don't think I have to wonder what will become of them, for Ms. Wharton makes it pretty clear how they will survive and even thrive.
9/10

A Little Fate

A Little Fate
By Nora Roberts
0515137812 292p

3 short stories, all interesting. Good characters, very quick reads.
8/10

Tribute

Tribute
By Nora Roberts
9780515146363 433p

Nothing too special, very well told and intricate story, as usual. Good characters, I like that most of the book was the HGTV aspect- redoing the house- and not the Lifetime movie mystery aspect.
8/10

eat pray love

eat pray love
By Elizabeth Gilbert
1415926700 12 hrs, 40 mins (book on CD)

I really tried to like her. I grasped at every good thing- especially the house for her friend- and yet I couldn't like her. All I could see was self-centerdness. Which is usually fine in these books, since it is a memoir after all! But she seems to think she's found the secret to everyone's world. Even buying the house- it was for her friend. And her celibacy vow lasted about as long as it took for someone to want to sleep with her. No, wait, it lasted 24 more hours after he told her he wanted her. Wow, such self-restraint. And, as an aside, every time she said "Richard from Texas", I wanted to yell "He's the only Richard in the book, stop qualifying it!" Actually, it's possible I did yell that once or twice. I thought I'd get descriptions of the countries, too, unfortunately I got to learn about her inner mind more than anything- not a place I'm that interested in. And we leave her at the end of her year of learning and growth pretty much where she started: ignoring almost everything else in her life to follow a man around, fitting her life around his and her viewpoints around his. What was this year supposed to teach her?
6/10

The Lost Quilter

The Lost Quilter
By Jennifer Chiaverini
1416533168 336p

Her best yet. Was both sad and happy at the ending, for different aspects. Great characters and yet another piece of the Elm Creek puzzle.
9/10