Recently Read

While I wait to hear from the shelter (whistling aimlessly) (FIVE DAYS?), let's do a Recently Read.

As always, skip it if you want to.



1. Listening is an Act of Love - Edited by Dave Isay. True stories from the StoryCorps project. Interesting, but not as compelling as a similar book, "I Thought My Father Was God" from the NPR Story Project.

2. Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady by Florence King - Memoir. This woman obviously thought she was the smartest person around, which irritated the hell out of me. I didn't finish it.

3. No Biking in the House by Melissa Greene - Memoir about a family who adopted several children from foreign countries - Interesting and funny.

4. You Can't Drink All Day if You Don't Start in the Morning by Celia Rivenbark - Funny essays about the South - cute. I also read Belle Weather by the same author, which was just meh.

5. Bronx Primitive by Kate Simon - Memoir of a young girl growing up in the Bronx in the twenties - Interesting for the period detail.

Let's do some movie reviews! "Salesman" was a doc made in the sixties about door-to-door Bible salesmen - I thought it'd be interesting, but it was boring. Similarly, "Bingo: The Documentary" was about as exciting as it sounds. At least it was only an hour long.

One more book:

6. Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith - Novel about an Appalachian woman - told entirely in letters-to-friends format, of which I am not fond. Still, it was an entertaining book.

I have just started "Full Dark, No Stars", by Stephen King, for which I have high hopes. And I STILL have not read "The Help", which ... I guess it's a little late, seeing as how the movie version is now coming out, but then again, I probably won't see the movie either, so maybe it's not too late for the book ... has anybody read it? Is it any good? Any other good books out there?