About A Book (or three)

I've haven't been updating recently. Just been busy volunteering, putting things in order for fall and more work now that I've been designing Business and Commentary front almost every night.

So I'll post later about Friday's charity, but right now I'm behind on my books updates. And I passed and will surpass my reading goal of 15 books this summer. I'm on No. 16 right now.

I've read three books in the past two weeks, loved two of them but wasn't a big fan of the third.

"Rise and Shine" by Anna Quindlen (two stars)
I didn't dislike this book, but wasn't really a fan of it either. It's the story of two sisters living in New York. One is the famous host of a morning news show (A 'Today Show' type thing) and the other is a social worker. The book is basically about the relationship these two very different sisters share. The characters were OK, and I especially liked the son of the TV show host. But there wasn't anything I greatly liked about the book. Quindlen gave great insight to the social worker sister because she was the narrator, but I didn't feel like I really understood the other characters as well. The climax was also anti-climatic and I didn't like the way it happened and then was sort of swept under the rug.

"Sex, Drugs, and Cococa Puffs" by Chuck Klosterman (three and a half stars)
I thought this book was great, and just tore through it. Klosterman writes pretty much stream of conscience so the flow of the book was very quick. It's basically just his thoughts and opinions on pop culture, and everything from basketball to dating to journalism. There were a few sections, such as the basketball one, that I skimmed over because I just don't have much interest in the sport. But there were others I just found myself nodding my head along to. I also don't normally laugh out loud while reading, but this one did produce a few verbal 'he he's' from me. But his knowledge of pop culture is extraordinary and the chapter on journalism spot on. Reporters really aren't biased -- the story just depends on who calls back first, and the people who bother to call back at all.

"Love, Rosie" by Cecelia Ahren (four and a half stars)
Ahren is the Irish novelist who wrote "P.S. I Love You." So, as you could probably deduce, "Love, Rosie" is 100% chick lit. And I really enjoyed it. It's the story of a girl named Rosie and her childhood best friend, Alex. It follows them as they grow up together, grow apart from one another and find each other once more. Basically, it's a story of the power of friendship and love. The one thing that I wasn't sure I would like about the book is the way it is written. The book is told solely through correspondences between Rosie, Alex and their friends and family. It's letters, e-mails and IMs. A book for the technology age for sure. I've seen a few like this, in particular by Meg Cabbot, and have always shied away from that type of novel -- I felt a story couldn't be told only through correspondence.

But I was wrong. Ahren did a fabulous job of capturing the true essence of each character and giving all the information and background needed without any explanation except for the words written by the characters to each other. But what really made me love it is the fact that I can relate to the way it is written. The book made me think about those friends that I am no longer able to see, and thus communicate with only through the written word -- in letters, e-mails and instant messaging. And looking back at those e-mails and IMs, there really is a story to uncover. And the book, although fiction, gives me hope that those friendships will continue to grow in years to come Maybe someday those people will once again come back into my life, and as more than words on paper or a computer screen.

Now reading: "The Little Book" by Selden Edwards (really liking it so far!)