"Resist the temptation to struggle"

Welcome to my bookshelf. If it's available and you want it, PM me.

There are a few books I would recommend to everyone:

The Top 5:
1. Jayber Crow--Wendel Berry
2. The River Why--David James Duncan
3. Empire Falls--Richard Russo
4. Lord of the Rings---JRR Tolkein
(well, maybe not *everyone*)
5. Ordinary People--Judith Guest
Honorable Mention:
A Tale of Two Cities--Charles Dickens
The Brothers K--David James Duncan
Moby Dick--Herman Melville
Foundation (the whole series)--Isaac Asimov

I am Currently reading:


Recently Finished:
The Curious Case of the Dog In the Night -- Mark Haddon
Excrutiating, but short. You'd think he'd have accidentally put something interesting in there. Not so. 2/10
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell-Suzanna Clark
Rival magicians of the title save England. Delightful! For lovers of Jane Austen and Tolkein. 8/10
The Time Traveler's Wife--Audrey Niffenegger
Intriguing on a lot of levels. Romantic, tragic, lovely. Really a surprise. 8/10
I Know This Much Is True--Wally Lamb
A man's interactions with his mentally ill twin brother. Not as good as I had hoped. 5/10
True Notebooks--Mark Salzman
A writer visits juveniles in prison. Not as cliche as you might think. Features a lot of writing by inmates.(6/10 stars)
Desire of the Everlasting Hills--Thomas Cahill
A little historical background on the writers of the New Testament. (5/10 stars)
The Stand--Stephen King
My first King. Not his creepiest, I've heard, but plenty creepy for me. (7/10 starts)
Nobody's Fool--Richard Russo
Not as good as "Empire Falls," but a pretty entertaining read. (7/10 stars)
The Pilgrim's Progress--John Bunyan
An allegory about the journey of Christian discipleship. (6/10)
Never Cry Wolf--Farley Mowat
Best book yet this year. Walden with a sense of humor. (9/10 stars)
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven--Sherman Alexie
Short stories about Native Americans. Tragic and honest. (7/10 stars)
Angels and Demons--Dan Brown
Hokey science. Hokey love story. What did I expect, I guess? (2/10 stars)
Heart of Darkness--Joseph Conrad
Something to think about. (7/10 stars)
Walden--Henry David Thoreau
Is he living on the same planet as me? (4/10 stars)
Going After Cacciato--Tim O'Brien
A Vietnam war novel but deeper than that. (6/10 stars)
Confederacy of Dunces--Toole
Very funny. Wish it had meant something. (7/10 stars)

Bookring, rays, etc.
Heart of Darkness bookray:
carolyn81-Germantown, MD
fingerart-Romsey, England
tuz-Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Eucalia-Sacramento, CA