One Drop: Bliss Broyard

This was a really good book, I wasn't sure in the beginning how is was going to read. It started out with her talking about her dad when he was ill and how he wanted to tell them something important, but kept changing his mind and never did. It then switched to her journey in finding her relatives, whom she didn't know existed, then switching to a chronological journey through her ansesters lives. Once I got into the book it read smoothly and was both touching and intreguing just in the journey of finding out about ancestors lives. It made me want to do some genealogy researching of my own.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao: Junot Diaz

A really good book about Trujillo and the Dominican Republic through telling about a family and the curse that has plagued them. The chapters alternate between telling the story of mother's wealthy family, mother's life with a Trujillo mobster, unpopular heavy son, and abused daughter. oddly enough the narrator is revealed at the end and is the son (Oscar)s only friend and was in love with Lola, the daughter. The book is violent as well as fascinating and leaves you with an unlikely positive feeling. It talks about a lot of Dominican history such as the Mirabel sisters and Anacoana and weaves through the lives of everyday citizens.

Dude, Where's My Country?: Michael Moore

I understand Michael Moore's books are his personal views, freedom of speech etc, but it seems like this one was nothing but speculation for the first half. The second half was a little better, i don't know if it was because I was worn down by that point or he was delivering actual information instead of a one man crusade. Even if I agreed with everything he said, I still think I would be turned off by how he delivers his information. He believes the readers should take his view without question, yes, the president made some huge mistakes, they all have- to err is to be human, yet Moore delivers the information in hindsight making it sound like he couldn't make errors in judgement. His arrogant tone alienated me and I was also raised patriotically where instead of bad mouthing those elected, you are proud of democracy. Just because you have the freedom of speech doesn't mean you should use it to be hateful.

House of Daughters: Sarah-Kate Lynch

This was not a book I would normally pick up, I considered it a "grandma book", yet I finished it with a lot of skimming just because the wine process was interesting. It seemed kind of disconnected as if there were a bunch of ideas that the author wanted to include, but they weren't really lead up to or seemed to flow with the book. Things were haphazardly added and the whole section with Mathilde suffering from depression or whatever was weak. The character development was dry and the book was anti climatic. I also wondered why that cover was chosen since the girls did not fit those descriptions. Not a riveting book nor would I suggest it to someone.

Ghosts in the Fog: Samantha Seiple

The tone of the book seemed like it was written for children, but it's an adult book. It was still something everyone should read though. I knew the Japanese landed in Alaska, but had assumed it was on an uninhibited island and no one was hurt. I was irritated to learn of how the soldiers and government treated the people living there during the war- looting and destroying their homes, and even before war ensued using them as cheap seal skin laborers. After the war the people were left with dilapidated, empty homes, yet still rebuilt their lives with virtually nothing.

The Invisable Wall: Harry Bernstein

An excellent story. It reminded me of Angela's Ashes where you think things have to get better, but difficulties just keep piling on for the family. I felt terrible not only for the children, but for the wife who had to deal with a horrid husband and her teenagers without any help or support. I requested the rest of his books from the library since I want to know what happens with the family you begin to care about. I wonder how many stories like Bernstein's are lost because they were never written down or orally passed down through the family. I was depressed to learn his sister and her entire family passed away within the next several years when they were the ones trying to improve relations in their neighborhood. His writing was superb and you could feel the love he had for his family.

Look me in the eye: John Elder Robison

A really good book about living with Aspergers. John had an interesting life, some of the jobs he had were atypical and how he got them were even more interesting. I liked how the tone of the story was consistent with how he described how people with Asperger's communicate. It was very matter of fact, yet the section where he was talking about his shop was done with excitement. I also liked the dry humor about wondering if he got the perfect wife since she had two sisters and was the middle one.

Wishful Drinking: Carrie Fisher

A good, very quick read. I found her life and family really interesting as well as the tidbits about Star Wars, but her tone bothered me. I was funny throughout, but there were sections where it was as if she felt like she had to be funny and it was forced. What a sad life she has had starting with growing up!