Not that this is really necessary, but...

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson
The final book (for now) in this series, I think I liked the second one the best, but this was still really good.
776 points

While Mortals Sleep by Kurt Vonnegut
My brother picked this out for me (again). I think I liked the first one I read more, but this was still an enjoyable read, especially if you're a Vonnegut fan. This was another collection of short stories, published after he died.
472 points

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I first heard about this book while doing a research project about libel and slander. Apparently the author is being sued for likeness of character- a women claims that Stockett uses her life stories in the novel without permission. The book has gotten hugely popular since then and there's a movie coming out based on the book. It was a good read, but I'm interested to know the truth behind the court case. I can see both sides of it, and I'm not sure what ended up happening, I'll have to look it up. I'm glad I read this before I saw the movie, something I've been bad at lately.
744 points

Starting Over by Ken Sharp
Collection of interviews with John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and other key players in the production of Lennon's last album before his death, Double Fantasy. This was interesting to me because I love them, so every little fact is fun to read about, otherwise I don't know that others would find this a thrilling read.
472 points


I think it would be great to keep this around as a book club of sorts. Great idea, Matt.

Not that this is going to help me, but...

I just finished Never Let Me Go by Kazou Ishiguro. It is amazing. Haunting is the best word to describe this for me. If not haunting, deeply relatable. I saw the movie before I read the book and I think that while the movie is amazing in its own right, I wish I had read the book first. My favorite book of this challenge.

As an aside, Would you guys want to keep this blog going just as a book "club" thing for book suggestions etc.

I can't believe it's only been a year, and I can't believe that it's been a year at the same time.

488 points

Four days...

and I've only got to read one 14,000 page book..

I haven't updated since January and this is all I remember......

Solar by Ian McEwan
Mostly I read this because I love Atonement, and it was about a scientist who works with solar power, but it ended up being mostly about that scientist screwing a lot of women and getting really fat.
352 points

I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak
Jenna lent me this over winter break, and I really liked it. This Australian teenage cabdriver gets these mysterious playing cards that tell him an address to visit, and at each place, there's something wrong with the people who live there that he needs to fix. Parts are really sad, but cool idea.
368 points

World of Trouble: The White House and the Middle East by Patrick Tyler
I had to read this for my class on US and Middle East relations, and it was basically a history by US president. I really liked it because it presented a complex issue in an easy to understand way, bringing in the personalities of each president and helping me understand what actually goes on between the US and that region.
640 points