Introducing… Book Report Friday

As anyone in my family can tell you, I spent the better part of my formative years with my nose buried in a book. So much so that my sisters would tease me about winding up with black ink smudged on the end of my nose. Most of these books were borrowed from our local library.

Somewhere along the way, books became magazines and I spent less and less time reading. I’m not sure why this is. I suppose that schoolwork and other obligations took over. I’ve never stopped reading, but I did stop devouring books at my formerly prolific rate.

Sometime in the past year or so, I rediscovered the simple joy of reading a book cover to cover. I think that part of this is due to the fact that my history classes have inpsired me towards further reading. It’s also partially due to all of the time that I now spend on public transportation. It’s either reading or listening to the crazy woman who likes to tell me about her children.

I’ve been reading history books, short stories, memoirs, fantasy and I even read those vampire books that everyone’s been talking about (My verdict? They were enjoyable in a silly sort of way, but my inner feminist sortof cringed at the basic premise). My mom would yell at me for abandoning the local library, but I’m just doing my part to help our consumer driven economy (either that or I need to stop being lazy and stop at the central branch on the way home). There’s an annex around the corner, but they’re never open when I’m home. I also strongly suspect that their shelves are full of Sweet Valley High books and other trashy novels.

In order to justify my book expenditures (I have a budget! I swear!), I’ve decided to introduce a new feature to this here blog. Book Report Friday! Every Friday, I’ll pick a book that I recently read and write a review about it. It’ll be an eclectic mix, because I have eclectic tastes. I’ll try to keep the books relevant and interesting. And, unless I think that I have something different to say about them, I’m going to try to avoid books that everybody is reading (i.e. we’re not going to be joining Oprah’s Book Club). I’m happy to take requests/suggestions. 

I’m kindof hoping that writing this will help me to keep up my reading and will also force me to write something at least once a week. Hopefully I’ll encourage people to read some good books (or at the very least warn y’all away from the ones that I didn’t like). 

Tomorrow’s book is a classic that I don’t think that most people have actually read (but you’ll have a chance to prove me wrong in the comments section when I publish my “report.” And, like most book report writers, it’s the night before it’s due and I still have a few chapters to read. I feel like I’m back in fourth grade all over again. So, on that note, I’m going to get reading.

What are some books that you’ve read lately? Would you recommend them?