130. In Praise of Slowness, Carl Honoré

An entertaining and enlightening survey of the Slow movement: Slow Food, slow sex, slow schooling, slow work, slow music. . . a slower, better life.

My second break with the 25-Word Rule. In Praise of Slowness may not be my last book for the year, but I think it will be my last entry in this blog. It's been interesting exercise in conciseness, not to mention seeing how many books I read, but Honoré has made me look at the down side. Numbers start being important -- and they aren't. I find I reject magazines in favour of books because it will affect what I can post. Length and difficulty begin to count -- negatively. The blog frequently feels like a chore since I already am listing the books on Book Mooch and, occasionally, Book Crossing. Maybe if I feel strongly about a book, it can be logged on my regular blog.

129. Blind Eye, James B. Stewart

Investigation into how doctor managed serial killings over many years. And, incidentally, how doctors are too arrogant to listen to nurses or patients.

128. Shadows in Bronze, Lindsey Davis

No. 2 in Falco series. The pleasure in these is still sense of place, although the mysteries are O.K.

127. Paris Was Yesterday, Janet Flanner

Short dispatches to the New Yorker on the doings of the beautiful people (not necessarily rich) in Paris from 1925-1939.

126. The Next Century, David Halberstam

Written in early 90's, prescient portrait of new century.

125. Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth, Xiaolu Gue

Young girl leaves country for life in Beijing. Fun and interesting if real portrait of Chinese youth.

124. Trouble, Jesse Kellerman

Still writes well and drags you into his plots, but I'm not into sado-masochism. Gave up half-way.

123. Robert Kennedy and His Times, Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

Schlesinger was too enamoured of the Kennedys and it was too soon (1978) to write an objective biography. Gave up early.

122. Love, Lies and Liquor, M. C. Beaton

Agatha Raisin. Either Beaton had writers block when starting or someone else wrote the opening chapters. Worst written, best plot. Murder, dope, gambling, robbery, action.

121. The Widening Gyre, Robert Parker

Political blackmail, sex, cocaine, and discussions of self and love from Spenser.

120. It Must've Been Something I Ate, Jeffrey Steingarten

Another volume of food erudition from the food editor at Vogue. He does get anal about pot-au-feu, but he's entertaining.

119. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace. . . One School at a Time, Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin

A must-read about the power of education and the determination of one man to educate the children of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Read and help.

118. The Women of Brewster Place, Gloria Naylor

"A novel in 7 stories" about Black women, but these women are more Universal than Black. American Book Award winner.

117. Blood Relatives, Ed McBain

The most excellent thing about police procedurals is it doesn't matter if you guess whodunnit. It's the procedure -- and the writing -- that counts.