books!

87. Identical Strangers by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein
This is the story of two women adopted as infants, who, at age 35, discover they are identical twins. The book alternates between the twins' voices and is a really captivating read. It is interesting to read about the women's journey and shocking to find out how and why they were separated. I also really appreciated their honesty throughout the book.

At times I found the writing a little uneven, but the voices are so strong and the story so compelling that it was hard for me to put down this book. Recommended for the amazing story, the discussions on "nature vs. nurture" and the voices of the authors.

88. Are You Really Going to Eat That? by Robb Walsh
This is a collection of columns by a food writer who is allegedly called "The Indiana Jones of culinary writing". I think other food writers are more Indiana Jones-like, but there were some interesting pieces in here. The author described fried chicken so well that I actually wanted some (although I've been a vegetarian for 12 years) and he is a chili pepper expert, so those pieces were really interesting.

89. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
I picked this up one night when I could not sleep and needed something to read. I've actually read it many times before, but the last time was probably in college. This is a very well written book with a great main character who I think it is very easy to understand. It was interesting re-reading this now, though, as it definitely didn't resonate with me as it did when I was in high school/ early college. Still, Sylvia Plath is a great writer and this made me want to re-read some of her poems, which I love.