5. Olive Kitteridge

Olive Kitteridge Elizabeth Strout

February 2010

I'm slightly torn about how I feel towards this book. While I enjoyed Strout's interesting approach to telling a fictional narrative.... she tells us 13 different stories about people in a small Maine town, and each story gives us either a glimiar or a deep understand as to who Olive Kitteridge is... I think that is the only reason why I did enjoy it. Otherwise, most of the stories were quiet depressing and rarely uplifting. Although it seems hard to believe that everyone in the town has sad secrets, it probably isn't all that unlike reality. All-in-all a good book but not a very happy one.

4. Lone Survivor

Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell
January 2010

This is by far the best book that I have read in a very long time. Its one of those books that I kept passing up in the store for other things, but eventually someone at work recommended it. And I am so glad that they did.

This is the true story of a 4 man Navy SEAL team that is a on a reconnaissance mission in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan and finds themselves battling over 200 highly trained and armed Taliban fighters. It ends up being the largest loss of life for the Navy SEALs in any one combat mission. Luttrell being the only survivor of the mission.

I don't want to give away anything in the book so I'll end the synopsis there. I really recommend it to everyone. It gives you an in depth view into what many of the men and women in our armed forces are doing while in Iraq and Afghanistan. Luttrell also provides a detailed description of the process one undergoes to become a Navy SEAL. I have always had extreme respect and pride for everything that our soldiers do overseas, but some how this book seems to have strengthened those feelings.

3. Dear John

Dear John Nicholas Sparks
January 2010

This was a book that my sister picked up to read during our vacation and I decided to read when she was done. I'm really glad I did. I have obviously read The Notebook, but for one reason or another never read another Sparks book until this one. It added a definite change of pace for me since I never read "love stories," or at least not the kind that Sparks writes.

My only complaint is that throughout the book I began to feel like a completely inadequate person. Sparks can take a character and describe all of their imperfections in a way that make them seem like a completely perfect person. My roommate set me straight we she said, "Please! You canNOT compare yourself to a Nicholas Sparks character!" haha... I guess she's right. Either way great little story, fun read, will definitely read more Sparks books!

2. The Lost Symbol

The Lost Symbol Dan Brown
January 2010

This is the fourth Dan Brown book I have read. The only one that I haven't yet is his first one, Deception Point.

I enjoyed this book simply because it took what Dan Brown always does and put it in the United States (Washington D.C. to be exact). I found it fun to read about our founding fathers and even the landmarks in our nations capitol. My only complaint is that all of his books are starting to feel the same, or at least the ones with Robert Langdon as the main character. I almost wish he would have developed a different character so that it wouldn't feel like more of the same. (FYI Robert Langdon was the main character in Angels and Demons and The da Vinci Code)

Either way, as always expected from Brown it was a fun and entertaining read.

1. The Diary of a Young Girl

The Diary of a Young Girl Anne Frank
January 2010

This is one of the first times that I have ever re-read a book. I know I read this at some point in middle school, though its hard to say exactly when. My parents went to Amsterdam this summer and visited the Annex house and picked up this book while they were there. I figured it wouldn't hurt to read it again.

I'm really glad I did because I didn't remember much about the details within the book so it was virtually like reading it for the first time. I don't remember being all that effected by Anne's attitude towards her family and some of the other people in hiding, but this time around I was slightly shocked by her dislike of so many people! I guess I probably felt a lot of the same things when I was around fourteen years old as well.

35. Lush Life

Lush Life Richard Price
December 2009

Last book of 2009! I cannot believe that I've read 35 books this year, when initially my goal of 20 seemed like a long shot.

I am super glad that I picked this book up. It was on Time Magazines list of top 10 fiction books of 2008, so the cover caught my eye in the store. At first I was nervous about it because more often than not I am disappointed by the "must reads." But this one lived up to its widespread expectations.

I rarely read murder mystery/ detective type novels, so this was a great change of pace for me. Price has written three other books and I assume they will be just as interesting and captivating.

34. The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger
December 2009

Another book that I can't believe I was never required to read growing up. I'm glad I finally did though, so at least I can hold my own if it comes up in a conversation. I'm still undecided on if I liked it or not. It kind of felt like it was just constaint complainsts about everything in his life. Though I guess Saslinger addressed that with the final conversation that Holdan had with his sister. I think Pheobe, the sister, is supposed to be everyone's favorite character, because she was certainly mine.

Rumor has it that Salinger has written another book and it will be released upon his death. I hope its true and I will read it for sure!