"Second Hand"

I can't believe I've gone this long without reading this novel. It was written by a friend of a friend. It's a fictional account of the life of an owner of a second hand store. You'd think it would be pretty dry, but the guy has a great sense of humor. I'm about 3/4 of the way through and it's really well written.  I have his other two books on my nightstand and am anxious to launch into them.

"The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared."

What a fun book. It starts just like the title say, when a 100-year-old man leaves the old folks home right before his birthday party. He shows up at the bus station where he steals a suitcase with millions of dollars of drug money. The story jumps back and forth from the present day to his whole, unbelievable and improbable life. Not a deep book, just a joy to read.

"The Art of Racing in the Rain"

I was a little skeptical when I started this book. It's about a race car driver and his family as told through the eyes of their pet dog. The book quickly picks up pace and I found I couldn't put it down. Without giving too much away I'll just say his wife is diagnosed with a brain tumor and things in his life take a turn for the worse. The dog is intelligent, astute, and is quite witty at times. And he believes in the Mongolian legend that when a dog dies, he is reincarnated as a human being. Highly recommended.

"Bottom of the 33rd"

A book about the longest game in baseball history. It may sound a bit off putting. But this is a fascinating book that really grabs you. You don't need to be a baseball fanatic to appreciate it. The writing is absolutely poetic. And the narrative isn't just a recount of the game; the author has a ton of asides as the game unfolds. From the history of the town, the team, and the backgrounds and futures of the players for both teams. His writing style is beautiful. And what I really appreciate, is a writer who know s how to use the word "myriad" properly.

"My Brilliant Friend"

This brilliant book takes place in a rough suburb of Napoli in the early sixties. It's told through the voice of a young girl who really resonated with me. She's super sensitive and has a close bond with another girl her age. This book tells her story from roughly age 10 through 15. As I was nearing the end of the book I realized this is the first of four books. How wonderful is that? I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books. Unfortunately, there are a ton of holds at the library. I just may have to buy these books on-line!

""Commonwealth""

Just finished her latest book and it's outstanding. What can you say about a book who's first sentence is: "The Christening took a turn when Albert Cousins arrived with gin." If you've read any Ann Patchett, you you know she's one of the most wonderful writers in the English language. What I love about her, is every novel she's written is from a totally perspective. And I've found that quite rare in authors these days.

"Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore" by Robin Sloan

What an amusing book. It tells the tale of a young man who gets a job in a mysterious bookstore. It's open 24/7 but almost no-one ever stops in. The shop is filled with ancient books which are hardly ever checked out. Members of a secret society borrow books occasionally, to try to decode the texts they contain. As the book progresses we find out it's all part of a group of scholars who've been working on decoding the books for over 500 years. I won't give away any more of the plot, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.