#18: Hell's Angels

The last thing that I expected when I picked out a novel by Hunter S. Thompson to read was for it to be a very logical,sane, piece of non fiction about the Hell's Angels biker gang. But that is exactly what I got when I picked up and read Hell's Angels.

Thompson apparently spent over a year hanging out with these men whom he refers to throughout the book as "outlaws." This was in the 60s and the gang had already been around for at least a decade by that time. However, they were still gaining notoriety and making a name for themselves as a biker gang. Even then, they were still the largest.

It is quite interesting to hear the 1960s perspective on the Hell's Angels. At that time, they were not the motorcycle gang that we all know in this day and age. But, they were still outlaws and they were becoming the gang we know today. Especially to hear about them from the point of view of an outsider that they were letting in is interesting.

It was very shocking for Hunter S. Thompson to be the more logical, law abiding character in a book. It truly says something that he was the voice of reason and the one who fit in the most with society. After reading and watching Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hell's Angels is a nice return to reality for Thompson.

The book is well written, obviously very well researched and I would consider it a good read for almost anyone. There are many elements including; drugs, motorcycles, action, friendship, and facts. These all lead to the book being very readable.

#17: The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray is my all time favorite book. I first discovered it during my senior year of high school and I was instantly entranced by it. Since then, I have read it almost yearly and loaned it out to any person who has not discovered the magic of Oscar Wilde.

This is a book about a young man who makes a wild wish that a painting of him should grow old instead of him growing old. His wish comes true and he spends years watching his portrait age and show signs of all of his misdeeds. He becomes a truly cruel, bad person. He is guilty of doing horrible things to other people, yet his face looks as young and innocent as an 18 year old boy.

The Picture of Dorian Gray also explores the relationships Dorian Gray has with the friends who molded him into the person he becomes. This focus on the relationships gives a good picture of 19th century British society and the way that men in that time related to one another. It also comes very close to mirroring Oscar Wilde's relationships with men. Without saying it, the book makes it seem possible that at least one of the men has homosexual feelings for Dorian Gray.

One of the reasons that I love this book so much is that it is so dark and seems so taboo. It is not hard at all to see why writing it caused Oscar Wilde to be ostracized. It must have seemed very scandalous at the time for someone to approach such a subject. It really is fascinating to me that such a book that was shunned and thought inappropriate for its time has become such a classic. It is an amazing character study and a book that I believe everyone should read at least once.

#16: The Cracker Factory

I must admit that this is not a new read for me. The Cracker Factory is an old favorite that my mother recommended to me after she first joined AA and got sober. I read it the first time when I was in high school and I have read it several times since then. This reading was probably my fourth or fifth, but it never gets old.

The Cracker Factory is the story of Cassie Barrett. She is a housewife in her late twenties. She has three kids, a husband, a meddling mother, a lover, a twin brother, a shrink, and she is a raging alcoholic. Throughout the book, Cassie is in her second stay on the seventh floor psychiatric ward of her local hospital, which she refers to as The Cracker Factory.

Cassie is tormented by the feeling that she has lost herself to her life and the feeling that she may have possibly chosen the wrong life. Because of this, she drinks. And when she drinks, things in her life get worse. This has led her husband to commit her, even though he and her mother are not entirely sure that psychiatric care will help with her problem.

The wonderful thing about The Cracker Factory is that it is written in the first person, from Cassie's point of view, and Cassie is a wonderful character. She is wonderfully sarcastic and completely honest. If I didn't know any better, I would say that the author who created her was an alcoholic or at least knew one intimately.

All of Cassie's adventures and thoughts are worth reading. You'll find yourself cheering for her and hoping that she makes it out of the psych ward without her drinking but with her personality still intact. I think that every woman who has ever been or loved an alcoholic should read this book. It is truly one of the best I have ever read.

#15: Public Enemies

Being a history major, I must say that I loved this book. That being said, I don't feel like it is the book for a casual reader or for someone who does not truly enjoy history.

The War on Crime that occurred in the 1930s and spawned the birth of the FBI is an era that has always been of great interest to me. I love crime history and I truly feel that most of the time the truth is much more amazing than fiction. In this case, I think that truer than ever before.

Public Enemies is not a bit of light reading. The author had to have combed through FBI files and historical accounts very thoroughly and for a very long time in order to piece together this work. He does a wonderful job of reporting the true events of the war on crime. The book is written in chronological order. It is broken into certain periods (i.e. September 18, 1933-October 23, 1933), with sections within each period devoted to each gang or set of public enemies. Because of this, it can be hard to keep up and since each gang had multiple members who came and went as well as multiple accomplices and allies it can be hard to keep things straight. I am very historically minded and am very good with chronology but I found myself flipping back many times to clarify previous events and make sure I was correctly understanding which person was a member of which gang.

One of the most amazing things about Public Enemies was that it enlightened me to the fact that several of the criminals whose names we hear today and that we think must have really done something memorable, really didn't. They have the notoriety that they do today because of rumors and movies and not truly because of their own actions. It is also very interesting to read about the mistakes the FBI made and the hard lessons that the agents had to learn in order to grow into the agency that the FBI is today. At points, it is almost laughable that the war on crime went on for so long because of such silly, embarrassing mistakes.

It was obvious to me that Public Enemies was written by someone who truly appreciates history and the roles of the players in the war on crime in this extremely important chapter of U.S. history. This book is written by someone who did not want to further sensationalize, vilify, or glorify anyone. It was written by an individual who is well aware that the criminals and the officials who participated in the events within the book were nothing more than humans, but that being human did not mean that they couldn't be capable of greatness.

#14: The Handmaid's Tale

I had been wanting to read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood for months. I knew that I was going to love it, so I didn't want to borrow or check it out and I couldn't find a cheap copy of it to purchase. Then, about a month ago, divine intervention occurred and I received a copy as a gift.

I must say that this novel was well worth the wait and that I was correct in assuming that I would want to own my own copy. I have a strange, eerie fondness for dystopia novels and this is one of the best ones that I have read. I think that what really gave it the edge is that it is told entirely from the female perspective in a dystopia where females were certainly the greatest sufferers. It's chilling to think of the possibility of Margaret Atwood's fantasy becoming reality.

The Handmaid's Tale is told from the perspective of Offred, a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. Offred is old enough to remember the time when she made her own money and had a family of her own that she loved. She grew up and lived in a world similar to the one that we live in today. However, while Offred was still young enough to bear children things changed very greatly. Offred now has one job. She has sex with her "boss" every month in an attempt to get pregnant so that he and his wife can have children. Women in Offred's new world are not even allowed to read. She is, for want of a better word, nothing more than a sex slave.

One of the things that the book focuses on is Offred's desire for knowledge about the rebellions that are occurring. She is very curious. She believes that maybe her child and her husband are out there somewhere, just a rebellion away from her. However, traitors are arrested and sentenced to death. She must be very careful about her curiosity. She cannot be certain of who to trust and her role is such than she seldom speaks to anyone. So she has to even be careful of being seen talking.

Many things happen throughout The Handmaid's Tale that left me wondering how any society could ever become like the one described. At times it is evident that even her "superiors" are unhappy. The wife of the Commander, who is essentially her boss, seems discontent as does the Commander and many of the other people of lesser status that she encounters throughout the tale. This was a book that definitely left me thinking. The story and the characters haunted my dreams for several days after I finished reading. It is a book that provides much food for thought. I would recommend it to almost anyone.

#13: Motor Mouth

I am not usually a reader of what could be referred to as "trashy" novels. They just don't appeal to me on many levels. I enjoy reading books that make me think and that I don't get embarrassed telling people about. However, I borrowed this book thinking that it was something else and I ended up really enjoying it. I think that sometimes I read books that weigh on me very heavily. The characters from The Pilot's Wife still run through my head quite often and I think about Middlesex a lot as well. It was nice to read something that was light and frivolous.

Motor Mouth follows Alexandra Barnaby, an engineer and Sam Hooker, a race car driver on an adventure involving illegal NASCAR technology, an inheritance dispute, and murder. "Barney" and Hooker are ex lovers who still have a thing for each other. They also work together. After Hooker loses the last race of the season, Barney finds out that the winner may have been a party to cheating. Through a series of events, she and Hooker get tied up in the whole mess and wind up in way over their heads.

Throughout the story, they are accompanied by a very large dog and two middle aged Cuban women from Miami. They all work together, and get in a lot of trouble, in their attempt to unravel the mystery and get themselves out of harm's way.

Motor Mouth is a lot of fun to read. It was very simple and didn't demand a lot of thought. However, it was not a wonderful piece of literature and I probably will not be checking out any future "Alexandra Barnaby Novels." However, if anyone is looking for a mindless read this would be a wonderful choice.

#12: The Heretic Queen

The follow-up to Michelle Moran's Nefertiti is a wonderful read. It is just as exciting and just as much of a page turner. The Heretic Queen follows Nefertiti's niece, Nefertari. Nefertari was one of the wives of Ramesses. She became his chief wife and is depicted as being the love of his life.

Moran ties the two novels in together by causing Nefertari's reputation and rise to power as being tainted by the actions of her aunt, Nefertiti. Because Nefertiti and her husband were heretics, the people of Egypt believe that Nefertari is as well and that having her in a seat of power will bring misfortune to Egypt. She must work very hard, as the wife of the Pharaoh, to gain the support of the people.

The Heretic Queen follows Nefertari as she falls in love with Ramesses, begins to change into a woman ready to be married, navigates her way through life as a Princess, tries to gain the power of being Chief Wife to Ramesses, and above all fights for the man that she loves.

The twists and turns and obstacles that she faces are what really makes this story fascinating. It's a really riveting read. I think that a part of why I enjoyed both of these novels is that they revolve around periods of history that I do not know much about. They sparked an interest in something new and kept me entertained. Both books were borrowed and now I think that I definitely need to add them to my permanent collection.

#11: Nefertiti

I really love reading historical fiction. I am a very passionate history major, so it is just a perfect fit for me. However, I don't know much about ancient Egypt. I enjoy it, but it isn't a part of history that I can discuss while asserting a lot of confidence and knowledge.

I received Nefertiti as part of a book swap that I did with another mom and when I saw the cover and read the description I didn't initially get too excited about it. However, I had trouble sleeping the night before last, so I went ahead and picked it up. I started at about 9 p.m. I then proceeded to stay up all night and finish Nefertiti at around 11 a.m. yesterday. It was a wonderful book. It made me decide to do more reading about Nefertiti and the dynasty that she was a part of.

Nefertiti is told from the perspective of Nefertiti's little sister and it chronicles her marriage to a young, heretic Pharaoh, their rise to power, their execution of their plans, and their eventual downfall. A large part of the story is how influential Nefertiti was on her husband and how important it was to the well being of her family that she be a successful wife to the Pharaoh. It also details how her position affected her and molded her from a young girl to an adult in a very powerful position.

Anyone who read The Other Boleyn Girl and enjoyed it would definitely enjoy Nefertiti. As would any lover of Egypt, historical fiction, love stories, dramatic stories, stories with a lot of different aspects, and pretty much anyone who loves to read. It is a very good, well written book that is deserves a chance from any reader.

#10: Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea

After reading the first Chelsea Handler book, I was very happy. After reading Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea I was ecstatic. Chelsea Handler is even more funny in print than she is on television.

The way that she delivers the stories is a huge part of what makes them so funny. I'll be honest, some of the situations are not that far out of the ordinary. It's the way that Chelsea handles them that makes them so remarkable.

Whether she is calling her dad "Bitch Tits" or calling midgets "nuggets" Chelsea is always involved with something laughable and worth a mention. This is a book that I now feel that I must purchase and proudly display on my book shelf.

I would recommend this book to anyone with a sense of humor. Age, sex, sexual preference, size, race, etc. do not matter. I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying Chelsea Handler's memoir.

#9: My Horizontal Life

The fact that I finished this book in one day should speak volumes about how good it was. I love Chelsea Handler. I watch Chelsea Lately all the time and I think she the funniest thing on the E! Network, second only to Joel McHale.

In My Horizontal Life Chelsea regales the reader with several hilarious stories of her one night stands. The ironic thing is that many of her tales do not actually result in sex. However, she really gets herself in some extremely uncomfortable situations. One of them involving a very acrobatic, possibly underage, cruise-line actor.

I have a very different sense of humor than most people. I love to laugh but I usually do not find myself laughing at the same things as other people. However, I laughed out loud all day yesterday while I was reading this book. In my mind, I could just hear the way that Chelsea Handler would have said some of these things. That made it even more hilarious and fun to read.

My Horizontal Life is never going to be considered as one of the classics. But I definitely consider it a must read. Men and women both will be able to find it hilarious. I think that Chelsea Handler just might be the female Tucker Max.

#8: Lost

I guess I should start this off by saying that I really did not like this book at all. When I saw it on the shelf at the bookstore and picked it out, I was initially very excited. I loved Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and so I figured that the author couldn't steer me wrong and I happily purchased Lost. Now, as a result of my faith, I feel like I wasted a week of my life on a horrible book.

Lost is the story of Winnie Rudge. She believes that one of her ancestors is the basis for Ebenezer Scrooge and while she is staying in his former home in London, she begins to believe that he is haunting the place. This sounds like the makings of a pretty good story. However, Lost goes from a very promising haunting story to Winnie alienating herself from everyone to a weird old lady doing crazy things in her house to a possession to an adventure while possessed. The story drags in all of the wrong places and then abruptly switches gears and starts to drag again.

I suppose that it could be said that the mystery reveals itself throughout the story but it feels more like the mystery changes throughout the story in order to make it easier to write. The characters are undeveloped and shallow while the plot seems confused and messy. All in all there isn't much else to be said about this novel. It wasn't good and it wasn't very readable.

#7: The Time Traveler's Wife

I just finished this book tonight and I had to come downstairs and post about it right away. It is really a touching and worthwhile read. But, I do need to admit that it can be vague and slow at times.

The Time Traveler's Wife is the story of Henry and Clare. Henry is a Time Traveler. He has no control over his ability and tendency to travel through time. One minute he is there and the next minute he is in another place and another time. He has a tendency to travel into his own past and to places where significant events in his life occurred or times involving people who were significant to him. However, at times his travel is completely random. Clare meets Henry as a little girl. She is barely school age when he turns up, naked, in the meadow next to her childhood home. From then on, she encounters Henry (at various stages of his own life) throughout the rest of her childhood. They go on to get married. The Time Traveler's Wife is the story of their lives together. How it began, how it worked once they were married, and how it all ended.

One of the marvelous things about this novel is that way that it forces the reader to ponder the concept of time and to think about the possibility of time travel. There were points when I had to put the book on my chest close my eyes and realize how a certain event was possible and what that would mean about time. It is by no means a story that will give you a headache because you are trying so hard to figure it out, but it does manage to make you think.

Throughout the story you become very attached to Henry and Clare. Mostly in a sense that you are really hopeful for them. They are in a less than ideal situation. It seems like there are more hurdles and dangers than there are benefits but you just find yourself cheering them on and hoping that they will beat the odds. There are also points when you want to turn back time for them and you really sympathize with them. It's a really beautiful, difficult, and touching love story and it is very much worth a read.

#6: The Five Love Languages

I am not a big reader of self help books. However, about 2 years ago I heard some wonderful things about a self help book called, "The Five Love Languages." My husband had recently left for basic training and I was ready to read myself through the coming months. I figured that a book on how to maintain positive communication of love would be useful for us since we were in the first stage of what could be a pretty long separation. Admittedly, it took me almost 2 years to read the book that I purchased. But since that 2 years happened last week I can safely say that I am very glad that I did.

My husband and I are very happy. We have a healthy relationship and we love each other very much. I think that for the most part we both feel loved and satisfied with our relationship. After reading this book, I feel that we could probably increase the happiness that we feel. And I definitely feel better about my ability to make sure that my husband feels loved.

"The Five Love Languages" is all about the different ways that different people express love. It is about finding your own love language and your spouses love language and learning to speak them both so that both parties feel loved and content in their relationships. The basic principle is that we often do for our mate what we would want done for ourselves. However, if our mate speaks a different love language than we do they might not realize how often and how amazingly we are showing our love for them.

This book was both an interesting and easy read. It could be read easily within the space of three or four days. It was written in a language that I could understand and not for one second did I feel bored by it. I would recommend this book to any and all couples. The ones that are struggling or feeling unloved would benefit immensely and the ones that feel happy and confident would feel reinforced, invigorated, and enlightened.

#5: Lullaby

Chuck Palahniuk can write like no author I have ever read before, but man is his writing style...unique. I have only read one other Chuck Palahniuk book before but I have several more on my shelf in my "to read" pile. I enjoy his really thick plots and I love all of the twists and turns provided by his books. Lullaby was an extremely satisfying read. It even had a magical aspect to it, which is something that I enjoy in books.

Lullaby is the story of a man who discovers that a seemingly harmless book of poetry contains a poem that kills the person to whom it is read. He discovers that the book doesn't even need to be read aloud, it can merely be thought of in order to cause harm. Once he makes his discovery about the poem, the unlikely hero has to decide how to handle it. He now knows the poem so he is a very dangerous person.

The poem only has to flit through his mind and people could die. He also knows that there must be more copies of the book containing the poem floating around in the world. He must decide whether to use his knowledge of this evil poem for good or for evil. Once he decides, he must take action.

Of course, being that this is a Chuck Palahniuk novel, there are many things that complicate the predicament our hero is faced with. He is faced with his own personal demons, the demons and inclinations of the people with whom he associates, and the complexities that unravel when best laid plans go awry.

Lullaby is a page turner from start to finish and is fairly easy to read as well. It contains a true Chuck Palahniuk ending. The only thing that the reader should be warned of is that Palahniuk can be a bit abstract. His plot lines are also not very straightforward, so a certain amount of thought has to go in to the reading of one of his novels.

All in all, Lullaby is an amazing book that I would recommend to just about anyone.

#4: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

I have to start out by saying that I am biased against this book. I have suffered from the mental illness of depression for many years and this book simply hit too close to home for me to really, truly enjoy it. That being said, it was well written and very insightful.

This is a story about a girl who enters a mental hospital at age 16. She is schizophrenic and has invented a fantasy world for herself called "Yr." Her name is Deborah. Deborah is a Jewish girl dealing with adolescence around the time of World War Two. She has to contend with some anti-Semitic incidents and has a serious illness that she was treated for as a child, but for most intents and purposes Deborah is a normal teenage girl with the same type of issues that most teenage girls have.

I like that this book never blames a really wretched past or anything like that for the condition of the main character. It addresses that mental illness can happen to just about anyone. The book chronicles her adventures in the make believe world that she lives in, her experiences going through therapy, and her eventual tentative journey out into the world. It is very raw. It touches on her highs and her lows and gives appropriate credit to her doctor for her role in helping.

It is an excellent portrayal of mental illness. The only problem for me was that it was too dark and too gritty. I am not at a good place in my life for dark and gritty so the book was hard for me to get through. I could only read a couple of chapters at a time and as a result. I definitely think that it is a book worth reading, but I also think that the proper frame of mind and an interest in mental illness would be important in order to enjoy the material.

#3: I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

Let me just start out by saying that the author of this book, Tucker Max, needs to go to Pueblo, CO. He cannot consider himself such a true drinking master, with his own scale of drunkenness until he goes to Pueblo and drinks with some true Pueblo drinkers. I've yet to meet people that can drink like they can in Pueblo and sadly, I think Mr. Max overestimates himself in this area. Pueblo drinkers can drink for a week straight with only 2 hour windows of passing out. They then arise and continue to drink. This is a common occurrence and this happens with groups of 5-6 people. All of them hang in there for the whole week. It's sad, but kind of amazing.

Onward to my point, the review of this book. My husband and I have read a couple of books aloud together and this is one of them. He doesn't like to read and I do,but he frequently takes interest in books so this is my way of getting him to partake of reading. This is totally a guy's book. However, I am somewhat of a guy's girl, so I really enjoyed it. In fact, it is one of the most hilarious things I have ever read.

One of the best parts about this book is that it is not written in chapters. The stories are all separate and not in chronological order, so the reader can go through it at their own pace and can even skip around. Most of the stories are hilarious. Mr. Max seems to get himself into some pretty funny situations and he does not take the most polite or least confrontational ways of getting out of them. He is a sucker for the drama and attention and it lands him in some hilarious spots.

The downside to the book is that Mr. Max does a lot of trash talking to people and he isn't quite as funny as I expected him to be. The situational comedy in the book far exceeds the dialogue. There are entire stories in which the main attraction is his drunken banter with unsuspecting victims, and he is an asshole and obnoxious but he really isn't as funny or creative as he thinks he is.

However, the book is well worth reading. It's refreshing that he doesn't mind admitting to and blatantly being a total jerk. He's candid and uninhibited and he's funny. However, if you are easily offended, have a weak stomach, are sensitive to rudeness, don't approve of excessive drinking, are conservative about sex, or can't laugh at others without feeling guilty I wouldn't recommend reading this book. Also, if the previous two titles I wrote about are right up your alley, this one won't be.

All in all, excellent book. I will read the sequel and will probably go back and re-read certain stories. Mr. Max is an interesting individual and writes well. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who asked.

#2: The Pilot's Wife

Last night I finished reading "The Pilot's Wife" by Anita Shreve, and I woke up still thinking about what I read. Personally, I find that to be the first sign of a good book. I don't always dream about books or wake up still wondering about the characters. When the characters, or any of the aspects of a book, stay with me it is one of the best indicators that I have read something truly unforgettable.

"The Pilot's Wife," is about a woman named Kathryn who is awakened in the middle of the night to the news that her husband was flying a plane that exploded off the coast of Ireland. After receiving this news Kathryn slowly learns that she may not have known her husband as well as she thought she did. The book follows her through the time following his death and through the discoveries she makes about him and how she copes with them.

I found the ending of the book the be both shocking and kind of comforting at the same time. It really made me stop and think. I asked myself how well I know my own husband and what I would have done if I were Kathryn. I asked myself what I would do if I were Kathryn several times throughout the book. I wondered to myself how I would handle it if my husband died and I evaluated all of her decisions, considering whether they would be my course of action or not.

Although there were things that Kathryn did that I would not have done, I still didn't find much fault with the way that she handled things. "The Pilot's Wife" gives an excellent overview of the way that people grieve. It doesn't go through the grief process in a clinical way, it illustrates the process in a very raw manner. No two people grieve the same way and no two people end up in the same place as a result of grief. Watching Kathryn's journey and learning where she ends up is fascinating. It becomes even more intriguing once the truth is revealed and Kathryn has to evaluate everything that she knows and knew about the man that she loved.

I was impressed with the style of writing and the way the author played the story out. The story is written to include flashbacks of the marriage and the life before the crash. It brings a very revealing sense to the story, making sure that the reader knows the family before they experienced the loss. It also helps to answer the questions regarding what Kathryn knew and didn't know about her husband and in some sense it also serves to deepen the mystery as the story unfolds.

All in all, I loved the book. I would gladly add it to my collection, would happily recommend it to friends, and would probably read it again someday. It is a book well suited to a woman who enjoys suspenseful books but is not exactly looking for a thriller or a mystery. This book is less about the mystery and more about the people. It will not warm your heart but it will make you think. I think it is a must read for women who love to read.

#1: The Knitting Circle

I just finished "The Knitting Circle" by Ann Hood. It is not the type of book I would have picked up on my own, so big thanks belong to my mother in law for loaning it to me to read.

I think the easiest comparison I can give this book is to the movie "How to Make an American Quilt." So as an easy review, if you have seen that and enjoyed it you should enjoy reading "The Knitting Circle."

For those who actually would like to read my thoughts on this book, here it is. The book is about a group of people who gather together to knit. The main character of the book is the newest member of the circle, Mary. Mary has recently lost her daughter who was only five. When she enters the knitting circle, Mary is closed off and wallowing in her despair. She also has the same idea as most people who are deeply grieving; she thinks that she is the only one who has it as bad as she does.

As Mary learns to knit and begins to learn to make new items and use new stitches, she learns the stories of the other members of the knitting circle. Each of them has their own story. They all turned to knitting to cope with something, but all of their reasons are different. The stories of the other women are interspersed throughout the chapters and filled in by "real-time" chapters that show what is going on in Mary's life.

Obviously, by reading what I have written, it is clear that this is kind of a "chick book." The focus of this book is very feminine. It is about how women can lean on each other to heal, the relationships between mothers and daughters, and grief of the highest level. Another point that is illustrated by the book is that everyone has problems.

Mary looks at the women in the knitting circle with jealousy at first. She thinks that they could not possibly understand her pain and she envies the "perfect lives" that she thinks they lead. She quickly learns that while their problems are different, she should not have judged them so quickly.

"The Knitting Circle" explores all manner of relationships. Mary's relationship with her mother is looked at as is her relationship with her husband. Even her relationship with her co-workers is addressed.

Human relationships can be fascinating. I often find myself looking at people that appear to me to have "perfect" lives and wondering what the real story is. Fortunately for me, I have never been to depths of grief that Mary is dealing with in the book. However, I have my own problems and have had my own hurdles in life. I find that when I read stories like this one, I look back on my life and think of the times that I was jealous of someone for not having my problems. All that it takes is that one moment of reflection to realize that while I have problems, I have many blessings as well. All that it takes is that one moment of reflection to realize that you can relate to the character. It's when you relate, that you begin to get absorbed in the book.

While "The Knitting Circle" is not a page turner in the suspenseful sense, it does make you want to turn to the next page. There is a well-defined element of curiosity for the reader of the book. There is a sense that one of the characters is going to be "revealed" and it's not hard to become anxious to see what will be divulged.


I genuinely enjoyed reading "The Knitting Circle." I will admit that it is not going to become a book that I would read over and over again. However, I would gladly add it to my book shelf and lend it out when a friend needs a good recommendation for a book.

The Beginning

I love to read. I read lots of books and am always reading something new. I even enjoy reading my textbooks for school. Sometimes, I read something that effects me greatly for whatever reasons. There are often times that I really want to write about what I have just finished reading. Since I started blogging about my depression, I have been more and more tempted to blog about the books I read. I have fought the urge to do so, because I feel that it would distract from my purpose on my other blog. However, I decided this morning that the time has come for me to blog about books. Therefore, I will review and write about every single book that I read, right here on this blog. I really cannot predict whether or not anyone will read this, however should people actually do so I would be more than happy to entertain requests and read books that others want me to read. As I said, I love to read and nothing is off limits for me. I am almost done with a book right now, so hopefully I will be posting my first "Book Blog" very soon.