The Library

Originally, this section was going to profile some of my favorite books with the intent of persauding you to pick up a copy for yourself. But, man, that proved to be terribly boring! Who wants to see the same list of books languishing next to pitiful reviews that just don't do them justice? So, to make the list more dynamic, this section will feature books that I've bought but haven't gotten around to reading yet. Are they any good? Who knows! Why don't you buy one and let me know!

Anthem: An American Road Story, written by Shainee Gabel and Kristin Hahn
I bought this one for $4.79 (hardcover). It looks like a travelogue, which, combined with the price, is good enough for me!

Survival of the Fittest, written by Jonathan Kellerman
Got this one free from Barnes and Noble. It's an "Alex Delaware" novel, and I really liked the other one he wrote - what's it called again? Anyway, this should be a pretty good thriller.

Hanging Woman, written by Louis L'Amour
I bought this one during my Christmas trip to San Francisco. I don't care much for the Wild West genre, but I thought, "Hey, Louis L'Amour is a really famous writer, so I should at least be familiar with his style."

Heller with a Gun, Louis L'Amour
Same story as above. Just giving the man a chance.

The Continental Op, written by Dashiell Hammett
I read The Maltese Falcon a little while ago, and I really liked the way it was written. It looks like it will be a good mystery novel. I got this one free from Barnes & Noble.

The Lost Continent, written by Bill Bryson
I've read two others by Bryson: Notes from a Small Island and A Walk in the Woods. If you haven't read any of his books, you are just missing out on life. Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but his dry wit is absolutely hilarious.

My Old Man and the Sea, written by David and Daniel Hayes
My girlfriend bought this for me last year, and I've never gotten around to reading it. It's about a father and son trip around Cape Horn in a sailboat. This is another travelogue, which is my favorite genre.

The Rhinemann Exchange, written by Robert Ludlum
Ludlum is one of those authors who thrived on Cold War espionage and conspiracies. I read The Aquataine Progression, which was pretty good, so I'm giving Ludlum another try.

The Bonfire of the Vanities, written by Tom Wolfe
You know, I thought there was no way in hell I was ever going to read this book. I must have seen the movie with Tom Hanks a half dozen times, so why even bother. But I read A Man in Full last summer and loved it. Wolfe makes his prose sound like poetry. He goes into excruciating detail about the most mundane objects, but you love every word of it.

Poland, written by James A. Michener
I'm sure it's a great country and all, but I really don't care one bit about the history of Poland. So why did I get this book? Well, it was only $1 at The Salvation Army. And Michener is a very talented writer. If anyone can make me love Poland, he can.