I hope you and your families have had a joyful holiday season! Just as quickly as December arrived, it has now passed, and it's time to take a look at what I was reading over the past month:
Triangle by Katharine Weber - interesting story about the oldest living survivor of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire of 1911, and the ways in which people construct the stories of their lives. Good, but at times the characters and dialogue seemed a little too "perfect" to ring true. Rated 6/10. (review forthcoming)
The Lost City of Z by David Grann - truly exciting nonfiction about the quest to find a lost city in the jungles of the Amazon. I was hooked from the start, and it was a thrill to read all the way through. Rated 8/10. (My thoughts on The Lost City of Z)
This Blinding Absence of Light by Tahar Ben Jelloun - intense, powerful read about a man surviving as a prisoner in a hellish prison camp. This was not an easy read, but will be one of my most memorable of the year. Rated 9/10. (My review of This Blinding Absence of Light)
Spiced by Dalia Jurgensen - fun memoir about life and work as a pastry chef. I'm currently talking about this in The Nonfiction Files, so you'll continue to hear my thoughts for the next couple of weeks. Rated 7/10.
The Darkness That Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker - dark, epic fantasy novel that sets the stage for (I hope!) a fantastic conclusion, this first in a trilogy was a great read. Recommended for fantasy fans - if you don't enjoy the genre, I wouldn't tackle this one. Rated 9/10. (My review of The Darkness That Comes Before)
Well, I won't win any prizes for quantity this month, but in general what I read was very good in quality, so I'm happy with that. And now, on to 2010!
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