Books I Read in '09

This was an interesting and quick read. The author offered original perspectives on the use of math and economics principles in real world situations. It's stories were captivating in their own right, such as the one about sumo wrestling, and the book has a lot to teach. Some stories were a little lack luster and long winded, but overall I'me very glad I read this bestseller.

I loved this 'graphic novel'. It had a lot of great themes, and really makes you think. The characters are amazing, they show the human side to super heroes. The dialog was fantastic, especially in the awesome ending scene. And to top it all off, Dr. Manhattan is one of the coolest characters ever. He is extremely god like in his abilities, and it is very intriguing to see the world from his point of view. The chapter where he jumped around from decade to decade was spectacular. Overall: Very cool.

This book offered a great perspective of the great generation. It showed the value of hard work, honesty, and values in life. The first half chronicled Tim's early life and growing up with an awesome dad. The second half focused on Tim's career and political life, which I found really interesting. I love reading about politics from a personal perspective, not a biased book with an agenda. Stuff like this book make me want to go into politics.

I was really surprised by this book. I had no idea what to expect, but was fascinated by this womans story of trying to cope with life after a head injury. It was really interesting to read about all the struggles they have, and how suddenly simple tasks are almost debilitating. It also was moving to read about her problems with identity and learning to accept her new self and not hold herself to her old standards. I expected a feel good ending where she goes back to being a doctor, but was surprised by the reality of her injury and found myself proud of her accomplishments.

I liked this book alot at times, but found it a bit long at times. I really didn't enjoy the very beginning, because I couldn't see where it was going. Once it delved into the religious yearnings of the young Pi, though, I was really interested. I loved reading about him delving into Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. His journeys on the boat where fun to read about for a while, but i felt it took up too much of the book. The ending was also very interesting, giving the Japanese men the choice between the 'real' and the 'believable' stories, which has a lot of religious implications.

Finished: June 8th.
I read this under recommendation from my high school math teacher, and found I did not like it at all. The book focused way too much on newspapers, it came back to the topic every few sentences. It didn't delve into the interesting topics nearly enough, such as the statistical implications of SAT scores, etc. It also didn't offer much of a new perspective, and lectures too much on good journalism practices to be a fun read for normal folks. (I much preferred Freakonomics)

Finished: June 8th.
This was a perfect before bed read. I was able to pick it up and read a chapter or two before bed, but found I never wanted to put it down. Bryson expertly includes interesting history of the Appalachian trail with this own narrative, the transitions were seamless. His story gave me a brand new perspective on the trail and on conservation in America.

Started: June 10th.

Started: June 11th.
Just from reading the prologue, I know I am going to LOVE this book.