The Horse and His Boy
C. S. Lewis

Daniel and I read together.

The Magician's Nephew
C.S. Lewis

Daniel and I read this together. Obviously, a timeless classic.

4 stars

Pure Drivel
Steve Martin

A collection of humerous essays, some previously published in the New Yorker. Martin has a very specific brand of humor, doesn't appeal to everyone, but I think he's funny.

2.75 stars

The Pleasure of My Company
Steve Martin

Nice quick read. The main character of this novella is both quirky and loveable. By allowing himself to become involved in the lives of others, he is willing to let go of his incapacitating neuroses.

3 stars

Shopgirl
Steve Martin

Daniel and I recently watched the movie version. Normally I would be complaining that the movie doesn't do the book justice, but in this case the film and the book add elements that neither could accomplish alone and combined add to my appreciation of each. The writing has a sort of hazy and clinical feel. Despite the author's reputation, don't expect a humorous book - this one is more of a happy/sad thinker.

Publishers description: "

Mirabelle is the “shopgirl” of the title, a young woman, beautiful in a wallflowerish kind of way, who works behind the glove counter at Neiman Marcus “selling things that nobody buys anymore . . .”

Mirabelle captures the attention of Ray Porter, a wealthy businessman almost twice her age. As they tentatively embark on a relationship, they both struggle to decipher the language of love — with consequences that are both comic and heartbreaking. "

3 1/4 stars

The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love
Oscar Hijuelos

To Read List

The Bean Trees
Barbara Kingsolver


I had forgotten that I had already read this book until I got to the second or third chapter. But, it has been a while, so it feels like reading it for the first time. I love Kingsolver's use of language. If you are comparing this book to Kingsolver's "Poinsonwood Bible" then you will be a bit disappointed. But it is a strong work in it's own right.

3 stars

The Betrayal of Work

I got about a quarter of the way through this one and Daniel made me stop reading. I just got to emotional. I called him into our room and informed him that we were one paycheck away from eviction (which is obviously not true), and Daniel decided it would be better to pull the plug on this one.

On the other hand, this book highlights the difficulty faced by low-wage workers in our country. It's just such a difficult problem, I don't think raising the minimum wage is the panacea that people think it would be. Still, I don't know what kind of approach is reasonable.

3 1/2 stars (based on what I read)