Books in the Queue, Books in Review

**My thoughts go out to all those who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy. I can only imagine what you're going through.  Stay safe**

After kind of a lull this summer, I have been reading up a storm lately.  This probably has something to do with the inconsistent and often crappy weather we’ve had.  At least I’m getting a lot of good reading done.  Here’s what I’ve enjoyed:

Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery:  I saw someone mention these books on Instagram a while back and although I remember loving them as a kid, I can’t really recall much else.  Anne was...a plucky orphan?  Or is that Pollyanna?  I was delighted to find that my library had copies (in the children’s section, but that’s ok with me) and plowed through them each in about a day.  They’re delightful, and I’m currently waiting for the next book (3 of 8, I think) to become available.  Sure, it’s not high literature, but it is charming and fun.  

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling:  Listen, I wanted to love this book.  I LOVE the Harry Potter books and was excited to see that Rowling was venturing into literature for adults.  But...I didn’t love it.  First of all, the book is kind of depressing.  Second of all, none of the characters are especially likeable except for maybe the one that dies in the first 10 pages.  Third, the woman is nothing if not extremely verbose and wordy.  This book could have been half as long and just as good.  It’s like no editor anywhere would ever dare to cut some of her prose, and her books balloon to twice the size they need to be.  This is one of the only complaints I have about Harry Potter too, especially the later books.  Anyway, despite all those quibbles, I liked this book well enough to finish all one million pages in about three days, so it’s compelling and worth a read if you like modern British literature.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed:  This book was heartbreaking, inspiring, hard to read, and incredibly compelling.  I couldn’t put it down.  It’s not for the faint of heart--Strayed talks in depth about her grief over her mother’s death, her own drug use, and lots of sex--but it’s also so, so good.  I loved it.

The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle:  I grew up watching professional cycling like most people in America grew up watching football or basketball.  My parents have been cycling since college, and even used to compete in local road races.  When I was a little girl my mom crashed and broke her collarbone in a race, which my dad then quit prematurely (on his way to an age-bracket win) so he could ride in the ambulance to the hospital with her.  Cycling is a big deal in my family.  It is with this preface that I want to review The Secret Race.  If you’re at all interested in the sport, I highly recommend it.  If you’re not interested in the sport, I still recommend you read it.  It’s gripping.  You probably just won’t recognized a single name except Lance Armstrong’s.  The book, which is about the world of professional cycling, the doping issue, and Armstrong, is a fascinating behind-the-scenes glance at just what it’s like to be a world-class cyclist.  Bottom line:  everyone dopes, here’s how they do it, and what would you do in their situation?  After reading this book, the answer to that question definitely changed for me.  I think it’s especially relevant in light of the latest accusations against Armstrong, which he has declined to fight.

So what have y'all been reading?  What should I add to my list?