The Lost Symbol

I finished this novel today. It took me quite a while to actually read it because it seemed that it went on a little long. The book was based on uncovering Masonic secrets and highlighted the intelligence and code-breaking skills of Robert Langdon, who was previously seen in Angels and Demons and The Davinci Code. I really do like these books. I like to feel like I am solving a puzzle and am part of the adventure. The books seem to be slowing down, though. The action is not as dramatic as it was before and at a certain point, I am able to put down the book. To prove this point, I started reading this book the day it was released and stopped shortly thereafter, only to pick it back up this week.

Do I recommend this book? Maybe. It isn't a horrible read, but it is a long slow ride.

Falling Angels

When I started reading this book, I was shocked by all the sexual imagery and themes. When I got to the middle of the book, this abruptly stopped. The book was just strange. There were women fighting for the vote, children growing up, murders, affairs, and all sorts of strange things. I just did not like the book. I finished it and was ready to take it to work and drop it off immediately, but I waited until the next day.

I do not recommend this book at all and I have some hesitation about reading anything by Ms. Chevalier because of this book.

Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin

When I'm reading a really good book, I sometimes forget that I am not the main character. Last night, when I was reading a certain section of the book, I was overtaken by this sense of betrayal and sadness. I felt hurt and wronged. I was the main character, Rachel,  until I woke up this morning and went to work. When I got home, the excitement was building because I knew I could get back to the book. I jumped back into the book this evening and finished it. I was glad with where things went, but there was no happy resolution to the conflict that was presented. I suppose that is where the sequel, Something Blue, comes into play.

I highly recommend this book. When I read it, I experienced every emotion that Rachel did. I fell in love, felt scared and alone, felt happy. I related in a way that isn't always so easy. I want to give this book to my sister, but I also want to keep this book. It was  so much fun and so relaxing. This book was like taking a great spa day for me. I really, really liked it.

Sloppy Firsts

I started this book at the beach and finished it up today while a storm raged outside. The main character, Jessica Darling, is the same age as me, but this book is set during our sophomore year. I will go ahead and say I wish I had read this when I was in high school. I identified with Jessica in so many ways. The feelings that she describes related to Marcus Flutie, one of the leading male characters, remind me of the feelings for my high school crush. I cringed with her during the embarrassing moments, felt sad with her, felt unbelievably hopeful that her life would be great. The book was late '90s at their best. I wish I had my Delia's and Girlfriends catalogs again to really immerse myself in the times. It was a great time in life and I am so glad this book was here to take me back there. I want to pass it along to someone, but I don't know who. The book is slightly sexually explicit and there is a lot of cursing, so I can't really give it to one of my kids, but I don't know if my friends want to reflect on high school. Maybe a friend I'm having lunch with tomorrow will want to read it.

Verdict: Generation Y, read this book. You know you miss high school. Go back for a couple hours.

Love Letters: Perfect Strangers

I read this book in a couple of hours. I bought it because I thought it would be a good book to share with a kid of mine who has gotten herself into some sticky situations sharing letters with people she does know. I did end up giving it to her.

The book was highly predictable. It had the same basic plot as any teen romance. The girl has a problem. There are two guys who are main characters in her life. She has to make a decision that will land her love. Blah, blah, blah. It was a fun read, but nothing I plan on reading again.

Bottom line: If you have two hours to spare and you need to get away for a bit, read this book. Then again, if you have two hours and you want to read a cookbook, go bicycling, or garden, do that instead.

The Dress Lodger

I have tried to read this book for several years. I would start it and then put it down. This happened multiple times, but finally, on my vacation, I decided I was going to finish this book. I read and read, one the beach, on the balcony, in bed, but finally, I finished the book. It was a strange book, a book about a prostitute and a physician who harvested dead bodies, all in the midst of a cholera outbreak. The book reminded me of The French Lieutenant's Woman. I didn't enjoy that book very much, but I was able to see the enjoyment of The Dress Lodger. It was an emotional book, and it seemed to allow the reader to be omnipotent and observant. I saw all these hidden elements, repeated thematic symbols, the rat, the eye, the blue, all of which put me back in graduate school and inspired me. I was ready to write a paper about what I read, though I don't think I really will. I think this book is one that should be read, but pace yourself. It takes a while.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

I found this book at a Goodwill on my way to a relaxing weekend. I read it in a few hours as I listened to the waves crash on the beach. It was fun and easy and cute. I really liked seeing the character evolve and I do plan on passing this on to a kid I work with. It is accessible to a weak reader and it is entertaining. I even developed a game with a kid of mine based on the cheese touch that is fun to play in the pool. It is basically tag, but we can yell "Cheese Touch" loudly instead of "tag." I highly recommend this book.