The Post In Which I Explain I Have Not Fallen Off The Face Of The Earth

I have not fallen off the face of the earth.  I have been busy.  But I have also been reading.

Here's what I worked through during my unanticipated blog hiatus.

Esperanza Rising :  A lovely children's book about a little girl who has to deal with the death of her father and loss of her family's plantation.  She moves from Mexico to California and learns how to survive in a new country.

Acts of Faith :  I read this many years ago and loved it.

The Godfather :  This was also a re-read.  I love the book for the details but I still love the movie even more.

Super Sad True Love Story: A Novel :  Gary Shteyngart is simply brilliant.  This quirky, dystopian love story made me laugh out loud many times.

Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival :  This is Anderson Cooper's memoir.  I really like Anderson Cooper's reporting and think he's an excellent journalist.  In this book he tells the story of his father death and brother's suicide.  He also tells a lot of sad news stories.  The book reveals very little about who Anderson really is and what makes him tick.  I am starting to think news journalists are kind of depressed and cynical people.  This book confirmed my theory. 

Bunheads ; This is going to be a TV show.  Watch it.  The book was thoroughly enjoyable.

Songs in Ordinary Time :  I almost passed on this book since it had a big Oprah seal on it.  I tend to really love or really hate her book choices so it's always a game of chance.   This one was a totally pleasant surprise. The story focuses on a family in a small town dealing with alcoholism.  While it's sad, it is told with rich detail and though long, there were times I could not put it down.

Los Angeles Stories (City Lights Noir) :  A book of short stories about people living in Los Angeles during the 30's and 40's.

Legacy (Harlequin Teen) :  This Harlequin teen romance was surprisingly very good.  Calya Kluver's first book is well written and interesting.  I am looking forward to reading the 2nd book in this trilogy.