the book thief

I just finished this book today. All I can say is that The Book Thief is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The best. Narrated by Death, this book is the story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl living with her foster family in Nazi Germany. It captures the fear of living in Germany under Hitler's reign but also the power of words and their ability to carry Leisel through her hardships.

I cannot begin to convey the beauty of this book. Provocative and haunting, you will not be able to put The Book Thief out of your thoughts. If you only read one book in 2010, it should be this one.

a thousand splendid suns

If you loved Kite Runner, you will LOVE Khaled Hosseini's next book even more. A Thousand Splendid Suns is a beautiful story about two women's struggle in war-torn Afghanistan and the way their lives are interwoven. They find strength in each other as they face the trials of life in a stifling and misogynistic country.

A boy in my freshman English class proclaimed this book is the best book he has ever read, so I had to read it. Not many 14-year-old boys speak that passionately about literature, so I knew there had to be something to it. I could not pull myself away from it. It is rich with history and draws the reader into the heartbreaking yet inspiring lives of these women and their families. A Thousand Splendid Suns is a gorgeous book. I got the newly published fall 2009 edition with amazing photos of modern-day Afghanistan and I highly recommend you pick this one up too.

the lost symbol

I'm a little embarrased to say I read this one. Davinci Code and Angels and Demons were entertaining, even though I cannot for the life of me distinguish between them in my memory. I felt kind of obliged to read Dan Brown's latest. Everyone was doing it so I guess I had to, right?

Turns out, I felt like I was reading the same book again, in spite of the completely different plot. It was entertaining but nothing you have to read. A bit twisted and disturbing at times, it keeps you interested and is a very quick read due to the ridiculously short chapters. Would be a good beach read or one to keep you entertained on the train to work each day. Other than that, not much to write home about.

blink

Blink was my third Malcolm Gladwell book (not including What the Dog Saw, the one I tossed aside after a few chapters of boredom). I loved Tipping Point and Outliers, so I thought I'd like this one too. Blink is about "the power of thinking without thinking". Sounds like something we could all use, especially when sleep-deprived and time-deprived. I can barely find time to do the laundry or hit the grocery store. A little thinking without thinking would be nice right about now.

I probably would've liked this book more had it not been my third Gladwell book in six months. They all just start to blend together, and I felt like I had read this one before. So, I highly recommend Malcolm Gladwell, just not all at once.

superfreakonommics

I was a huge fan of Freakonomics, so I dove right in when Dan gave me the sequel for Christmas. Levitt and Dubner dispel what they view as global warming myths while recommending some common sense solutions, they encourage suicide bombers to buy life insurance, and they unravel the economics of prostitution. Loved this book as much as the first, which is rare for me.

open

As some of you know, I have been a fan (from the word fanatic) of Andre Agassi since I was 13 years old. Why I have loved him has evolved over the years. As a 16-year-old, I respected his rebellious image and wicked backhand. As a 34-year-old, I now respect the grace with which he left the game. Dan and I witnessed his final match at the U.S. Open in September 2006. It brought many spectators to tears, including me.

So, when Agassi's highly-awaited memoir hit the book stores, I knew I would need more than a couple free hours. There is no way I would be able to put it down, and boy was I right.

Open is a painfully honest, oftentimes funny memoir of one of tennis's greatest players. Agassi openly discusses his hatred for tennis, his meth use, and his failed relationship with Brooke Shields. He tells of his heartbreaking years at Bolletieri Tennis Academy and the abusive relationship with his father. He also reveals some less than flattering things about other tennis legends like Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras.

Whether you're a tennis fan, or a sports fan for that matter, is not important. This is a book about life and one anyone will enjoy.