Okay, so I figure that at the end of each month I'll post up the reviews of books I've finished. As always, my all-time faves and current books can be found here and is on the link list on the right!

Picked up a bunch more at work today... my stack of "to read" books (these are ones that I physically have in my possession) is getting huge. :P


11/16/06
Sightings: The Gray Whales' Mysterious Journey - Brenda Peterson and Linda Hogan
Two authors recount their time spent following gray whales along their migration route. Interesting, and they had a great perspective on the Native American relationship with the whales and the Makah whaling controversy. At times it got a little too spiritual (to the point of me being rather lost) but it's a decent read.

11/11/06
Marley & Me - John Grogan
As someone who has a rather excitable labrador retriever, I LOVED this one. So many times I found myself laughing and being reminded of my own dog having done something similar. I think that was a lot of the appeal to me - Marley might be neurotic in the extreme, but his wily tricks seem so universal, something that many dog owners can relate to. Very touching story, and highly recommended!

11/10/06
The Confessions of Max Tivoli - Andrew Sean Greer
This one was fascinating! If you like more of a drama/old-fashioned love story, this one puts a new twist on the story. The protagonist is a man that lives his physical life backwards - born as an old man, slowly growing towards a child. Along the way, he falls in love with a young woman and gets a new chance at love each time he meets her because she doesn't recognize him. Some great plot twists keep it really engaging!

10/29/06
Kingdom Keepers - Ridley Pearson
A very oddly-entertaining book. Written for teenagers, it centers around five kids chosen to be holographic hosts at WDW's Magic Kingdom. They soon learn that there was an ulterior motive to placing them in the parks - namely, a showdown with the forces of evil. It really kept me hooked, and it was fun reading about their advetnures in the park after dark. Asie from some rather nightmarish images (I will never see "it's a small world" the same way again) my only real complaint is that the author, despite his claims of Imagineering contacts and backstage tours, can't seem to get details right - he can't even get the name of "Fantasmic!" right, or how the show's climactic scene works. And the fact that he uses numbers in the "VMK" chats was distracting, but I suppose that's something only a Disney geek (or VMK junkie) would know. And the Utilidors does not have an entrance by Big Thunder Mountain. Just sayin'. Anyways, a good, quick read, if you're just looking for entertaining filler.

10/27/06
Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
My biggest impression? Think Dogma-meets-Hitchhiker's-Guide. It was absolutely hilarious! The ending was kind of a disappointment (it just felt lacking and rather confusing) but on the whole the book was well worth the read!

10/25/06
The Summer of Cecily - Nan Lincoln
Nan tells the story here of a summer she spent raising an orphaned harbor seal pup in Maine. A quick read, and a cute one - it's fun to read how your average family would react to having a seal in the house! A bit on the short side, but a good one- or two-day book.

10/21/06
Mirror Mirror - Gregory Maguire
A retelling of Snow White, put in the historical context of early 16th century Italy. Like Maguire's other novels, it is a bit more gritty and real than your typical versions of fairy tales, but very well-written!