Monday Recommendations

Monday Recommendation List

Random list of 10 books Monday! I have read and enjoyed each of these enough to flag for a potential personal library purchase.

Be bold and just choose randomly, stick to your normal genre...or step outside of your normal reading zone and try something you usually wouldn’t. You can look up the descriptions at Amazon.com, or search my blog for old posts by entering the title in the little search box in the top left-hand corner and clicking the magnifying glass.

This week-- 10 recommendations (in no particular order):

1. Captive Queen by Alison Weir
2. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
3. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
4. The Metamorphisis by Franz Kafka
5. Walden by Henry David Thoreau
6. The Power of Less by Leo Babauta
7. The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper
8. For Laci by Sharon Rocha
9. Love Your Life by Victoria Osteen
10. The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot

Monday Recommendations

Monday Recommendation List

Random list of 10 books Monday! I have read and enjoyed each of these enough to flag for a potential personal library purchase.

Be bold and just choose randomly, stick to your normal genre...or step outside of your normal zone and try something you usually wouldn’t. You can look up the descriptions at Amazon.com, or search my blog for old posts by entering the title in the little search box in the top left-hand corner and clicking the magnifying glass.

This week-- 10 recommendations (in no particular order):

1. Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh
2. The Hathaway Series (starts with Mine ‘Til Midnight) by Lisa Kleypas
3. Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
4. The Latehomecomer  by Kao Kalia Yang
5. Having It All  by John Assaraf
6. The Hot Zone by Richard Preston
7. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
8. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
9. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
10. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Monday Recommendations

Monday Recommendation List

Random list of 10 books Monday! I have read and enjoyed each of these enough to flag for a potential personal library purchase.

Be bold and just choose randomly, stick to your normal genre...or step outside of your normal reading zone and try something you usually wouldn’t. You can look up the descriptions at Amazon.com, or search my blog for old posts by entering the title in the little search box in the top left-hand corner and clicking the magnifying glass.

This weeks 10 recommendations (in no particular order):

1. For the brains: The Intellectual Devotional by David Kidder
2. Moving tribute: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
3. Surprisingly insightful: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
4. My favorite short story: The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
5. Suspense: Cry No More by Linda Howard
6. Humorous: Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster
7. Sarcastic: The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper
8. Young Romance: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
9. Motivational: Love Your Life by Victoria Osteen
10. Fun Chick Lit: The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot

How Evan Broke His Head

How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets by Garth Stein

This is the story of Evan, a 30-something rock guitarist who finds he has a teenage son when his Mother dies. Evan thought she had an abortion, but instead she secretly had Dean and Evan never knew. Evan and Dean must become acquainted and their struggles are very character driven and emotional. Evan is struggling with his lack of drive and success, at least according to his family. He is also fighting his body as his epilepsy is out of his control. Dean is fighting his grief and anger at being abandoned by his Father. He struggles to understand the decisions his Mother made.

The end is very odd and I’m still deciding what I think about it.

Overall, I could feel Stein’s voice peeking through…while not up to the quality of his later work definitely above average. He hooked me with “The Art of Racing in the Rain.” While I didn’t love this work, I respected it.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

My Rating (out of 5 stars):

5 stars. I loved it! 

Amazon.com Description:

"Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. 

Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals. 

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny's wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoe, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoe at his side. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man."

My Thoughts:

I read the description on the back cover and I was relatively sure that I was going to hate this book.  Told from a dog's point of view, seriously? But I have learned to always try a book before giving up and in this case, I'm so glad I did!

It took me a few chapters to really get into the story, but I ended up loving the richness of Enzo's narration. Insightful, with powerful emotion, Stein allows the reader to feel Enzo's unconditional love and to look at a life through a his unique point of view.

I was sometimes bored by the race car theme, but at times it added a layer of depth to the story. 

Who Should Read This Book?:

This is a good book for anyone! In the mood for a surprising depth of emotion and wisdom? Give this a go.