Wednesday, December 30, 2009

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.

Monday, December 14, 2009

124. Trouble, Jesse Kellerman

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

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