A Reading Rainbow...

Butterfly in the sky,
I can go twice as high,
Take a look, it's in a book,
A reading rainbow;

I can go anywhere,
Friends to know and ways to grow,
A reading rainbow;

I can be anything,
Take a look, it's in a book,
A reading rainbow.

-PBS' Reading Rainbow

I've decided to start writing about what I am currently reading, as I have become something of a reading nut since taking a speed-reading course two summers ago.

First, I'll briefly mention the books that I have already read this semester in Finland.



1. Dry: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs.

I started reading this sequel to Running with Scissors (the film of which comes out in the US this month) on the plane to New York on my way to Oulu. The book is a very funny and moving account of Burroughs' fight with alcoholism--from after-work drunkenness at his advertising firm to a crash-and-burn free-fall through a dark world of drugs, sex, and alcohol to a year after a successful stay in rehab. I will warn those of you with dainty minds: the book is definately R-rated. Beware!






2. The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King.

I read the first part of the Dark Tower series, The Gunslinger, this summer at the beach in just over a day. This second installment (in a series of 7) is much better than the first. It is a novel of moderate length and I read it very quickly. King published it in the 1980's, but the 7th and final book was not finished until just about a year ago. A departure for King, this book is blends fantasy and thriller to create a fascinating web-like story that kept me excited throughout.





3. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell.

This non-fiction book examines the Tipping Point theory of epidemics. It explains how any number of epidemics can spread--a disease, a fashion trend, a television show, important news, crime levels, etc. It was much more interesting than I had anticipated and was a very pleasant and quick read. If anyone ever needs to know how to spread an idea quickly, you should check this book out.





4. Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire.

I did not read this book. I cheated. I listened to this book, read by the author, on my iPod. I found it used at Ed McKay's used books in Raleigh over the summer and thought it would be fun. It took for...e...ver. More than 20 hours. There were times when I wished I could just hurry it up and read the blasted thing. Maguire's reading, however, if wonderful. He adds characteristic voices to his readings which brings a lot of flavor to the book. This book, the sequel to the best-selling sensation Wicked, was not nearly as good as the first book. I didn't expect it to be. It was a good book, but not a wonderful book. It lacks some of the heart and emotional pull of the first, but I understand that this book is geared in a different emotional direction, as it focuses on a different character (the Wicked Witch, I'm fairly sure you all know, is deceased). A satisfying ending wraps up a book that is fairly interesting but lacks a certain something. That something--I feel--is that something which makes one care about the characters. I didn't care about any of these characters to any great extent. Even the main character only mildly received any of my concern. Still, Maguire--as always--weaves a beautiful story filled with fantasy and mystery. I can guarantee, however, that this will not become a Tony-winning Broadway musical.


Those are the only books that I have completed at this point. The book I'm currently reading, A Primate's Memoir, and the book I'm currently listening to, Dave Barry is Not Taking This Sitting Down, will be reported on upon their completion. I will also be reporting on any movies that I go see, as I did with The Devil Wears Prada.

That's all for now. Hei hei!

d