The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

I feel this is a pointless book review to write, since so many people practically worship the book and its cult status means there is tons and tons of information available.  But for people who aren't in love with the movies and have never dressed up like a wizard or hobbit and don't want to (like me), I will include a review of this book, which was number 4 on the Modern Library reader's list of 100 best English-language novels.  The trilogy is actually quite entertaining. although I found the second book a little slow at times.  You can enjoy these books without being a huge fan.

Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard

This is a good book, but it is also really long.  There are all sorts of places where it feels like the story could naturally end, but Hubbard keeps going.  Luckily when he keeps going he actually has something more to say, so it's all right.  I recommended this book to my 12-year-old son, who loves fantasy and also enjoys science fiction.  He liked it so well, he has read it twice.  In this story, an alien race has taken over the earth and has been ruling it and stripping it of resources for 1000 years.  There are only a few humans left here and there in the mountains.  One of these humans, Jonnie Goodboy Tyler, ventures into the lowlands and is captured by the security chief of the Psychlos.  It is an interesting read, although don't expect it to be believable or realistic.  I really enjoyed it, so I'm going to say it is worth the time, but be aware it takes a loooong time!

Soul Circus by George P. Pelecanos

Pelecanos writes pretty intense crime novels.  They have some language and sex and lots of drugs and violence.  Just so you know!  This particular novel is another about Derek Strange of Strange Investigations and his experiences investigating in Washington D.C.  Pelecanos is very knowledgeable about the D.C. area.  He presents a city you never see as a tourist that feels very realistic and believable.  In this book, Strange is finding testimony to help defend a drug king, not because he is innocent but because Strange doesn't believe in the death penalty they are seeking for Oliver Granville and because he feels responsible for the death of Granville's father years before.  Pelecanos writes a lot about the "gray area" and this book follows that pattern.  Strange loses someone close to him to a violent death, so it is sad.  It's a fairly quick and definitely easy read.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

This is a great book, although it has some really boring passages.  There is one particular part when John Galt is expounding his views in a radio speech that is so long!  Rand is very passionate about capitalism and the idea that individuals striving for their own good is the ideal and will help society the most.  She goes even farther with this thought in this book than in her earlier novels, even claiming that love comes from someone's actual worth and value and changes if you meet someone who is "better" than your previous love.  It is a very interesting read, even if you don't completely agree with Rand's views.  (like me!)  The story has all sorts of aspects and will pull you in, regardless of your particular interests.  It is worth the time, but be aware that it is a lot of time!

The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington

This is the story of the Amberson family and how they go from ruling a town to being nothing much in a city.  Their aristocratic fortunes decline as the industrial revolution arrives and men of action become the new aristocracy.  When I started this book, I found it a little dull and thought it would take me a long time to finish.  I quickly became very involved in the story and didn't want to put it down!  So don't give up if it takes a while for the story to grab your interest.  It is a story you will find yourself thinking about even after you've finished the book.  It's worth the time.

The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain

What a fantastic read!  It reads somewhat like a traditional crime novel, but it has such a sophisticated twist, that it is really something more.  Frank, a drifter, becomes involved with Cora, a married woman, and the two conspire to kill Nick, her husband.  It is really short and a very fast read, so it's ideal for most situations.  Easily worth the time.

Sophie's Choice by William Styron

This is a very sad story.  The narrator, a very young man who is trying to become a writer, meets a young woman and her boyfriend after World War II.  The woman, Sophie, is from Poland and survived a concentration camp.  The boyfriend, Nathan, is a charismatic individual with mental and emotional challenges.  The narrator, Stingo, becomes very involved with this couple and their story.  The book is written in the perspective of Stingo looking back in the past.  The plot eventually hinges on a decision that Sophie made when she first entered the concentration camp.  It is an excellent read.

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

This is a fun read.  I had my 12-year-old son read it, too, as it seems particularly suited to boys around that age.  It reads really quickly and is easily worth the time it takes.

Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad

I must confess I read this book in high school, which was 15 years ago, but since it's on the Modern Library's list of 100 best English language novels, I wanted to include at least something.  I don't remember it well, but I know I found it pretty dull.  (That may be different as an adult.)  From my experience, I don't consider it worth the time it takes to read.

Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

"Angle of repose" refers to the point where dirt settles and becomes stable after being dumped.  It is an excellent title for this book, and I love its uniqueness.  The narrator is a wheelchair historian who is telling the story of his grandparents.  The book also includes looks at the narrator's own life.  For most of the book, I was much more interested in the grandparents' story and was impatient to get back to it when the narrator sidetracked to his own life.  At the end of the book, though, you learn some things that made me much more interested in the narrator's life and that connect him intrinsically with the lives of his grandparents and explain his interest in their story.  I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.  It's definitely worth the time.

The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow

This book follows the life of Augie March from a young man through late adulthood.  I didn't like it much.  The writing has a definite literary style, one that I didn't enjoy, and it seemed a bit disjointed.  The story didn't really capture my attention fully, and I felt like it went on and on and on.  This book isn't worth the time it takes to read.

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

It has been a while since I read this book, and I can't remember any specific impressions other than I really liked it, especially the end with the final visit to Brideshead, an estate belonging to the main character's friend's family.  I put it on my list of read-agains, which isn't very long.  It's definitely worth your time.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

I liked this book and really enjoyed reading it, even though I also found it quite strange.  It seems like such an unusual teacher-student relationship between Miss Brodie and her six select students.  It is believable, though, because Miss Jean Brodie is a truly unique and strange woman in every other way as well.  Miss Brodie teaches at an all girls' school in Edinburgh, Scotland.  She adopts six girls as her special interests, and these girls become known as the "Brodie set."  They continue to be influenced by Miss Brodie for their whole lives.  It ends somewhat sadly by a betrayal that ends up with Miss Brodie being fired from her school.  It is a quick read and is worth the time.

Fathers and Sons by Ivan S. Turgenev

Unlike most of the Russian novels I have read, this was actually a pretty short book and a fairly quick read.  Like most of the Russian novels I have read, it sometimes ventures into philosophical or political discussions and is a little depressing.  It does, however, have a happy ending.  The book, as you would expect, is about the relations between two newly-graduated university students and their respective fathers.  In these limited interactions, though, it actually explores the differences between the generations.  It is sad to see the fathers (and an uncle) as they try to be close to their sons, while the sons feel the older generation could never understand the modern world and the modern ideas the sons have embraced.  I would love to have my son read this!  It doesn't have the power of Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, but it is definitely worth the time.

The Careful Use of Compliments by Alexander McCall Smith

This is a book in the Isabel Dalhousie series, my favorite series of McCall Smith's.  Isabel Dalhousie is a moral philosopher who solves mysteries.  Unlike many amateur sleuths whose lives seem to be full of murders and bodies, she usually solves rather small mysteries that seem much more true to life.  She is an intelligent and well-read character, which makes for intelligent stories.  I enjoy her references to poems and philosophers.  If you have read previous Dalhousie stories, you may be surprised (as I was) at the time lapse between the last book and this one.  In this particular story, Dalhousie has a young baby, which is a big lifestyle change from the previous books.  She bids on a painting at an auction that she later suspects of being a forgery and looks into the painting's provenance.  As always in these books, the description of Edinburgh, Scotland is fantastic.  She also ventures to an island for a long weekend, and it made me want to add the islands to my wishful-thinking Scotland trip.  A clever, witty book that is definitely worth the time.

The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I always thought this book was called The Beautiful and the Damned and was surprised to realize the second "the" wasn't there.  The actual title certainly takes the suspense out of the story.  Obviously, it isn't going to end happily or well when they are damned.  It isn't a cheerful book as none of the character come off particularly well, and all of the characters make bad choices and end up worse than they were in the beginning of the story, but it is particularly bad for the main character of Anthony Patch.  His life of dissipation definitely catches up to him in a big way, although he apparently doesn't see it.  The other main character is his wife, Gloria.  She is described as the most beautiful woman any of the character have ever seen.  As such (considering the title), I expected her to end very poorly.  She seemed to escape mostly unscathed, though.  She did age a little, which was devastating to someone as focused on her looks as she always seemed to be, and her personality became a little less self-contained and haughty as they faced challenges.  The biggest indication that she has suffered and changed is when a young woman at the end of the story comments that she seems "sort of dyed and unclean."  Earlier in the story the young Gloria comments about how this rare and indefinable quality of "cleanness" is the most important trait a person can have.  But it certainly isn't an obvious form of being "damned."  It is a great book and an excellent demonstration of Fitzgerald's particular talents.  It is certainly worth the time it takes to read.

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

I like Hemingway's short, concise style, even though he can sometimes be too "masculine" for my tastes.  This book doesn't get bogged down in being manly, though, so it is excellent.  It tells the story of a soldier and his love.  It has a sad ending, so be prepared!

A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes

Although it is very interesting and well-written, I didn't love this book because I am a mom.  In the story, a group of children end up stranded on a pirate ship.  One endures sexual abuse (not explicit, thank goodness!) and one ends up killing an innocent man and later contributes to the execution of the pirates by lying about it.  I wouldn't want my kids to read it until they're much older.  I did like it, in spite of the way the kids were treated and behaved, so it's obviously a pretty good book.  It isn't very long either, so it's definitely worth the time.

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

This is a great book and very realistic.  I found myself getting frustrated with Lily, the main character, because she kept making stupid choices, and since I liked her, I wanted her to be smarter.  It drew me in, and I was very involved in her story!  It is a manners-type novel and deals with New York society in the late 1800's, so if you don't like those type of books, don't read Edith Wharton.  It's definitely worth the time, but be aware that it isn't a short read.

Main Street by Sinclair Lewis

This book got very long to me.  I enjoyed it and read steadily for a bit more than the first half, but then I was ready for it to be done.  It was just too long for what it was.  It tells the story of an up-and-coming young lady who marries a doctor from a small town.  They move to the small town, which is really one of the main characters in the book, and then it follows their lives there as she tries to improve the town and adjust to the man her husband is in his small town.  (I originally come from a small town, and I don't think they're as ignorant and lacking in intellectual stimulation as this town seems to be.)  I would have really liked it if it had been condensed.  Even coming back to it after a break, I was tired of the story.  Not worth the time.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

When I first started this book, I thought I would never get through it.  The author has invented his own slang language that the first person narrator and all his friends use.  At first it was hard to understand and interfered with my reading of the story.  It doesn't take long, though, before it seems you've heard it for ages and it flows seamlessly into the rest of the narrative.  This book is full of sex and violence, which isn't my favorite, but I still got involved and had a hard time putting it down.  The last chapter is strange and doesn't feel particularly connected to the rest of the book, although it does give it an optimistic ending.

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

I know I'm supposed to love this book, but I want this blog to be for real people (like me!) and not just people who love literature and literary styles.  And I don't love this book!   (I don't even like it.  I know, I know, it's practically un-American of me.)  It has hardly any story.  It has a lot of swearing, which I found distracting from the story line when I first started reading it.  I ended up feeling very sorry for the main character, who to me just seemed bi-polar and in need of treatment, which is not what the book is supposed to be about.  It is really short, though, and a quick read, so I think it is worth the time to read, if only so you know what people are talking about when they mention it!

The Wapshot Chronicle by John Cheever

This book follows the lives of the Wapshot family in a New England village.  I found it mostly interesting and entertaining, although it had some parts I didn't like. ("Now we come to the homosexual part of the story . . ."  What a strange narrative voice in the middle of the book!)  It does have some language and explores bisexuality, so be aware of that.  I prefer my books squeaky clean, even if it is a classic.  I would never take the time to read it again, but I'm glad I read it once.

From Here to Eternity by James Jones

A great World War II novel.  It has the "inside information" about conditions in barracks and army life that you expect from a war novel along with more personal plot lines.  It follows the stories of a few members of one company, so you get different view points of some of the same events.  It is a bit sad, so don't read it when you're looking for something cheering.  It is very well written and a great story, so definitely worth your time!

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

This is an absolutely fantastic book!  The title is misleading, as the story follows the life of a Christian missionary in the pioneer west and death doesn't figure much in the book until the very end.  Cather is a great writer and has the ability to make you see the frontier and feel like you were there.  Definitely worth the time!

The Moviegoer by Walker Percy

This book gets a lot of praise, and I've heard many people claim it affected their whole life, so I had really high expectations when I started it.  And at first, I was very disappointed.  It isn't really a story and has only a very loose plot, which isn't something I generally like.  It never developed a plot line, but I got involved in it, anyway, and ended up really enjoying it.  (But did it greatly affect my life?  Not a bit!)  Definitely worth the time.

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Wharton does a spectacular job of depicting New York high society in the late 1800's.  This setting was one of my favorite things about this novel.  The story line is occasionally soap-operaesque, but it is still entertaining.  Then ending is rather sad, so be prepared.  I enjoyed this book, but it sometimes got rather long, and I ended up reading some fluffier material before I finished it.

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

This is one of the first of the "hard-boiled detective" stories and is a wonderful example of the genre.  It's the most well-known of Hammett's Sam Spade stories.  I am a big fan of mystery and detective stories, and I really enjoyed this one.  It almost seemed facetious at times, since the genre has been imitated so much and practically turned into a joke, but that only added to its entertainment value.  It is a short book and a very quick read.  Easily worth the time.

Smoke Screen by Traci Hunter Abramson

Smoke Screen  by Traci Hunter Abramson

This is a niche book by a Latter Day Saint author and published by an LDS publisher.  Most of the time, I dislike books like this because they aren't very good and wouldn't be published if they weren't for a small, unique group.  Abramson, however, does pretty well.  (Except for her Undercurrents series.  Avoid them if you care at all about how well a book is written!)  This book isn't believable, but it is still entertaining.  The dialogue is frequently very stilted, which makes the romance hard to believe because who could fall in love over crumby conversations?  But it is 100% clean, which is nice and it's a quick, fluffy read when you have a little bit of down time.

The Rainbow by D H Lawrence

The Rainbow  by D H Lawrence

I didn't like this book, which is why I still haven't read the sequel!  I'm not a big D H Lawrence fan, though (or even a little one), so if you are you may want to ignore my opinion.  This book is very focused on sexual drives and the characters' growth and fulfillment seems to be based entirely on it.  It is a view of life I don't share, which is probably why I didn't enjoy the book.  I even found myself skim-reading occasionally, something I only do when I'm desperate to finish a book!  Not worth the time.

Nostromo by Joseph Conrad

Nostromo  by Joseph Conrad

This story takes place in a fictitious South American country and follows the exploits of the incorruptible man of the people, Nostromo.  It has a sad ending after the incorruptible becomes corrupted.  I enjoyed this book.  The main characters are well-developed for a Conrad novel.  I liked reading about an unusual setting.  Worth the time.

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

The Sun Also Rises  by Ernest Hemingway

This story follows a group of ex-patriates as they travel in Paris and Spain.  Their behavior is rather decadent, so be prepared for talk of promiscuity, drinking, etc.  I like Hemingway's sparse writing style, although this probably isn't one of my favorites.  (In academic circles it tends to be considered his best, but I am more concerned with entertainment!)  It isn't too long, which is nice.

Point Counter Point by Aldous Huxley

Point Counter Point  by Aldous Huxley

This book wasn't very memorable for me, so I can't give it super high marks.  I think I enjoyed it, but since I don't really remember it well, you're pretty much on your own for this one!

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Oliver Twist  by Charles Dickens

I like this book by Dickens, but I am a fan of his, so take that into consideration.  As usual, it is wordy and very descriptive.  It is also adventurous and full of well-developed eccentric male characters.  It is a little more challenging to read than some of Dickens' other books, so it may not be the best choice for young readers who are new to Dickens.

Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens

Martin Chuzzlewit  by Charles Dickens

This is a good book, but it isn't Dickens' best, so unless you're a fan of his work, it probably isn't one you want to read.  (If you're a first timer, try David Copperfield or A Tale of Two Cities.)  If you already know you can effectively deal with Dickens' descriptions and wordiness, then go ahead and try Chuzzlewit.  It's fairly typical Dickens, since it is the story of a young man and how his life goes.  Dickens apparently thought it was his best book, so I guess I disagree with him!

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn  by Mark Twain

A great coming-of-age book and very entertaining.  This is one of my favorites of Mark Twain's books.  It has adventure, emotion, and humor.  Twain has been criticized because after Huck learns so much and seems to grow up, he reverts back to juvenile behavior with Tom Sawyer toward the end of the book.  It can seem stupid, but the book still stands up as a great.  Definitely worth the time.

The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club or The Pickwick Papers  by Charles Dickens

This was not one of my favorites, and I usually like Dickens.  It has his eccentric characters but not much of a story line.  You read this and that about the members of the Pickwick club, but it never really goes anywhere.  Since Dickens is wordy and long on top of that, this book is not worth the time it takes to read it!

Lilith by George MacDonald

Lilith  by George MacDonald

What a dark story!  I don't love fantasy, so I didn't love this book.  It was just too strange for me.  The main character meets what seems to be a ghost in his library and is led through the mirror into an alternate world.  There is a great deal of focus on death and how great it is to die a "good" death, which I didn't love.  It is fairly short and reads quite quickly, so it is probably worth the time, but it certainly isn't a favorite of mine.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens

The Mystery of Edwin Drood  by Charles Dickens

This book is a bit tricky to review because there are so many different versions of it out there.  Dickens wasn't alive to finish it, so all sorts of people have finished it in all sorts of ways.  The version I read this time was surprisingly well done, although it was still pretty apparent when Dickens' writing stopped and the ghost writer started.  I read a version in the past that wasn't finished well at all; the author wasn't very good at copying Dickens' style.  Unfortunately, I can't find who finished the decent version I read.  In general, I suggest looking for novels where Edwin Drood stays dead and isn't miraculously still alive at the end.  I like Dickens, so I enjoyed this book, but it is his typical style with lots of description and detail.  Worth the time, but be wary of how it was finished!

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

The Moonstone  by Wilkie Collins

I found this book to be a little slow at first, but it picked up as I got involved with the story.  Then toward the end it felt a bit long, and I took a break to read some fluff before I finished it.  (If you don't know, that's something I do to make it through long boring books.)  The middle I really enjoyed, though!  Worth the time if you're looking to read a classic specifically but probably not for straight entertainment.

Threadbare by Monica Ferris

Threadbare  by Monica Ferris

This is one of Ferris's needlecraft mysteries, a series that fits in the "cozy" genre of mystery books, an amateur sleuth investigating crimes.  I enjoyed it, although it wasn't one of my favorites in the series.  If you're new to the books, read a different one first.  It reads quickly and is entertaining, so it is worth the time.

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Midnight's Children  by Salman Rushdie

This is a challenging book.  It is written in first person and as the narrator's mind wanders, so does the story.  Luckily it almost always jumps around in an entertaining way.  Every now and then for a few paragraphs, though, his philosphising is incomprehensible without a great deal of effort and thought.  I found it particularly interesting to learn more about India's history and some of the significant events it it.  It is a good read but will take some time and effort.  Worth it.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women  by Louisa May Alcott

It has been ages since I read this book, but I loved it.  I enjoyed it so much, I read it more than once as well as reading the sequel, Little Men.  It is also great for young readers.  Definitely worth the time.

Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

The Red Badge of Courage  by Stephen Crane

This book is worth the time but partly because it is short and doesn't take a lot of time!  It is very well written and is interesing, but I didn't love it.  I felt it glorified war in some ways, which didn't feel realistic to me, in spite of the realism of the fear and panic the main character experiences during his first battle.  Not one of my favorites.

The Bostonians by Henry James

The Bostonians  by Henry James

I found this to be a surprising book.  Unusually for James, this book centers around a political movement, feminism.  Also, he portrays a greater spectrum of characters and life than is usual in his stories, which tend to be specific and somewhat isolated in their focus.  It was also surprising to me because the author's attitude toward his main characters seems to shift through the story, so at the beginning his sympathy is with one character while he basically makes fun of another, and then it is just the opposite by the end.  And when the author's feelings seem to shift that way, at least for me, the reader's feelings tend to do the same.  I did enjoy it, possibly even more because it wasn't what I was expecting.  Worth the time but be aware that James's books take a great deal of it!

The Palliser Novels by Anthony Trollope

The Palliser Novels  by Anthony Trollope

This is a collection of novels following the lives of one family through the years.  I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it.  Honestly, it wasn't very memorable, and since I read it quite a while ago. . .  I would say it's worth your time if you enjoy political stories or family sagas but not worth the time if you're looking for great entertainment or a life-changing/thought-provoking book.

Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell

Mary Barton  by Elizabeth Barton

This book was a little odd in that the first part of the book is very socially aware and talks a lot about the politics of the area during that era.  Then the last part seems to be more concerned with the personal life and troubles of the main character.  It is a good book, although it sometimes suffers from the fairly common afflictions of Victorian novels of being sentimental and having unrealistic "perfect" characters (Margaret!).  It is worth your time if you're looking to do some serious reading, interested in that particular era, or concerned with the political challenges of Manchester's working class, but it isn't worth your time if you're just looking to be entertained.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies  by William Golding

An excellent book!  It's also a quick read.  This book will make you think and shudder.  It reads very quickly, but you will find yourself pondering it long after the reading part is done.  It can also be distressing, so I wouldn't recommend it for very young readers.  Definitely worth the time!

Nana by Emil Zola

Nana  by Emil Zola

I didn't like this book, but I'm willing to concede that's a matter of personal taste and it is a very well-written book.  It is the long, involved story of the degeneration of a woman.  I found it quite depressing.  Not worth the time!

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

Vanity Fair  by William Makepeace Thackeray

If you are looking for a happy, uplifting book, then this one isn't worth your time.  If you're interested in commentary on society, in being intellectually stimulated, or just reading a sad tale, then it is.  The subtititle of this book is A Novel Without a Hero, and it fits.  There is no character in this story who is truly likeable and not terribly flawed.  I enjoyed it and found it interesting, but at the same time I thought it was depressing and not particularly accuarate.  Apparently I have a rosier view of people than Thackeray!  Be prepared to feel dissatisfied with the world.  Thackeray writes so well that you may find yourself believing in his view a bit even against your own inclination.

The Golden Bowl by Henry James

The Golden Bowl  by Henry James

This was actually the first Henry James book of any length (I had previously read The Turn of the Screw) I ever read.  I don't recommend that.  It felt very long and a bit disjointed.  I put off other books by James on the list because of this initial experience.  Try something else by James first, so you know what to expect from him.  I don't consider this book worth the time it takes to read it.

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

David Copperfield  by Charles Dickens

I have actually read this book more than once I like it so well.  It is Dickens, so it is wordy, and the female characters are weak, but that also means it is detailed and has fantastically eccentric characters to enjoy.  It is one of my three favorites of Dickens' books.  It is a long read but worth the time.

The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

The Portrait of a Lady  by Henry James

This is Henry James, so be prepared for wordiness and lots of description.  It is a great book, though, and one of my more favorite of James' works.  The ending is ambiguous, which I don't love;  I tend to prefer clear resolution.  Worth the time but again it takes a lot of it!

Adam Bede by George Eliot

Adam Bede  by George Eliot

I found this book a interesting, but a bit slow.  I had to "take a break" (or two!) when I was reading it to read something lighter.  (That does tend to happen with me when I read the classics.)  It was a good story but was sometimes a bit preachy.  Worth the time if you're looking to read a classic, but it's a lot of time and not for the fainthearted!

Franny and Zooey by J D Salinger

Franny and Zooey  by J D Salinger

This is Salinger, so it isn't a linear story or even really a story.  It has a lot of bad language, especially at the beginning, which for me made it a challenge to get to the "story" behind it. It is interesting in an obscure way.  Not one of my favorites but short enough that it is worth the time, especially if you enjoy his type of literature.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

A Separate Peace  by John Knowles

An excellent book!  Be warned it is also sad.  The main character isn't exactly likeable, but Knowles still keeps you involved and sympathetic, a tricky feat!  This is one of those books you can't stop thinking about after you've finished reading it.  It isn't a light read but is definitely worth the time.

The Convict and Other Stories by James Lee Burke

The Convict and Other Stories  by James Lee Burke

The title is a bit misleading.  This is a collection of short stories that mostly take place in southern Louisiana.  It also includes a couple of war stories.  As usual for Burke, they are excellently crafted and the characters tend to be a bit of a psychological mess.  There is some violence, in case that is something you avoid in your reading.  I like short stories because you can squeeze one in whenever you have a few minutes here or there.  These stories are definitely worth the time!

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein  by Mary Shelley

I was surprised by this book.  There is much more to the story than you usually hear or are typically aware of.  I found it interesting, and it even made me think!  (I do enjoy when a book makes me think.)  It is also a fast read when you are short on time.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Mansfield Park  by Jane Austen

I love Jane Austen, so I enjoyed this book even though it's my least favorite of her stories.  The heroine is a little soppy and low on personality.  It still has Austen's characteristic witty dialogue and clever situations as well as realistically portraying society in Regency England.

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Edgar Allan Poe

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym  by Edgar Allan Poe

Not my favorite of Poe's works;  it wasn't nearly spooky enough.  It is a fairly quick read and has some interesting parts.

The Colorado Kid by Stephen King

The Colorado Kid  by Stephen King

I read this book because I like the SyFy series Haven that is based on it.  That was a waste of time because one has basically nothing to do with the other.  If you like figuring out mysteries, this is a book for you as it is tricky and King writes no resolution to the conundrum he proposes.  It is also a very fast read if you have a limited amount of time.

Insatiable by Meg Cabot

Insatiable by Meg Cabot

I read this book in spite of the fact that I don't like vampires because I love Cabot's Queen of Babble books (they are very funny) and I enjoy her Heather Wells mysteries.  I was a bit disappointed, though.  It does have some funny lines/moments.  However, it wasn't up to her usual standard and was a bit predictable.  It did grab my attention enough, though, that I will probably read the next book in the series to see how it goes and if I want to continue reading the series or not.  I will be letting you know.

Some Place to be Flying by Charles de Lint

I am not a big lover of fantasy, but this is a very well-written book.  I enjoyed almost all of it.  The beginning was a surprise to me, since I didn't realize it was so out there.  Then I found it very interesting for most of the book.  I wasn't crazy over the ending, though.  It didn't feel believable even in the context of the story and felt a bit anti-climactic and not completely related to what had come before.  A fairly decent read.

Introduction

About five years ago I started to read the Modern Library's list of the 100 Best Books.  They have two lists, one created by their board and one elected by readers, so this wasn't a small undertaking.  Then I found Radcliffe's alternative list and added those books as well.  I also got a list of the best books of the 19th century's best books.  This blog is going to contain reviews of the books I have read so far (that I remember) and the books that I finish now.  Of course, I can't always read the "best" books, so it will also include reviews of the other books I read.  Since I am a very avid reader, I will be posting regularly.