Books

9. The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman
So this was my second read of this trilogy. Last time I really really disliked the final book, but this time it was my favorite. Very strange. I don't know what is going on with that.

10. The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner
A mysterious benefactor in my apartment building is responsible for me reading Jennifer Weiner. We have a spot where people leave books and things they no longer want, and i have gotten nearly every Jennifer Weiner book I have read from here. It is great! This one is a collection of short stories. They are all really good, and I was able to read them straight through which is something I can't often do with short stories.

11. The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld
Another kind of chick lit book, free from mysterious neighbors. I didn't really like this one. It follows one woman's issues with men from about high school until her late twenties. I liked the end, and it has a good message, but I didn't really like the writing style. It was kind of choppy and abrupt, but not in a good way.

12. Austenland by Shannon Hale
This is a really fun book about a woman obsessed with Pride and Prejudice who goes to a kind of theme park in England where she lives like an Austen character for 3 weeks. It was neat to imagine such a theme park, the main character was really engaging, and it was a fun read.

13. Madam Secretary by Madeleine Albright
I think I first realized my great love for Madeleine Albright when I read that she said Xena, Warrior Princess was her hero. This was my third try in getting through this autobiography, although that is not because it is a bad book, it is just very long and can get depressing with all the war and stuff. BUT it is very very good. It is well written and interesting and cool to read about Albright and her explanations for all kinds of world events. This book made me admire her even more.

14. Last Chance Saloon by Marian Keyes
Another freebie. This author is apparently somewhat credited with starting the whole "chick lit" genre. I did not really like this book though. I just may be tired of reading about women turning 30 and freaking out about get married. I thought most of the characters in this book were stereotypes and that it was very formulaic.