A week without reading....

I think I just took my first vacation that didn't include a book. A 6-7 hour car trip each way. A week hanging out with a friend - helping take care of a new baby, helping fix up a house so it can be sold. Somehow in the flurry of packing, I didn't pack a book, not one. Not only did I not pack a book, I didn't read the daily paper or keep up with blogs. At one point during the week, my friend did offer up her library, but by then I thought I would see if I could make it to the end of the week.

I have always read. I have been known to take 7 books on a 4 day business trip and finish the 7th on the plane ride home. One of my earliest memories is of making my parents get a new copy of Go, Dog, Go by P.D. Eastman because I left my copy at their friends house a few hours away. I while away road trips lost not in the scenery, but in some fictional life. How in the world did I forget to pack a book?

Lost Light / The Narrows / The Closers - Michael Connelly

Since I enjoyed City of Bones for the fast paced story and easy reading, I decided to make a Bosch marathon of it. After a quick trip to the used book store, I replaced City of Bones and purchased the other holes in my collection - Lost Light and The Narrows. Then, to finish the marathon, I re-read The Closers. A mere three days later, I finished them all.

Nothing spectacular, but good to see the character develop. And it was good to know most of what I was missing. I don't know if I'll re-read them again. But I know my sister wants to borrow them, so they will stay for a while.

Salt: A World History - Mark Kurlansky

This sounded so good - a book about how Salt was used around the world and how it impacted history. This is one of the few books I am giving up on 100 pages or so in. I found the information interesting, but the narrative was very choppy. I have enjoyed non-fiction more lately, so I was surprised by my negative reaction to the book. It felt more like a text book - in 1500 the Venetian government did XXX or in 600 BC the Chinese did XXX. I didn't see the story line - the thread that tied it all together.

I was supposed to read it for book group tonight, but I just don't think it is worth the effort. If the other folks loved it, maybe I'll give it another go. Otherwise, into the donate pile (I might even send it off to the desert).

City of Bones - Michael Connelly

Having finished Zorro before my flight home from NYC, I was not in the mood to start the only other book I brought (a Nick Hornsby). Browsing in the airport bookstore I found a few Connelly books I had missed. Hoping to fill in whatever happened before "The Closers" I picked up City of Bones. It was a tough call, I almost picked up a slew of magazines instead. But I am glad I did. The book filled in a large part of what I wondered about when I read "The Closers". It was a classic Harry Bosch - convoluted crime, personal drama, and of course a clean ending. I read it quickly - finishing it well before the flight was over. I guess I should have picked up "The Narrows" as well.

I would have put it on the shelf, but it got left in the seat back pocket. I really need to do a better job of taking my personal items with me.

Zorro - Isabel Allende

I finally started cracking my Christmas books. I started this one in the airport on the way to NYC for a girl's weekend. It was slow going at first, but the writing was beautiful (as it always is with Allende). I was sucked back into the missionary / settlement life in California. Then it took a turn - taking the story to Spain. This book was so much fun - watching the upbringing that results in the Zorro we all have heard of. I even finished it before heading home. Good thing I travel with girl's who read, they understood.

My only complaint was the lack of chapters. Yes, there were breaks but I really am a chapter kind of girl.

It's on the shelf and available for lending out. I highly recommend it.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Pirsig

I had heard about this book for a while. Something people thought I should read. Higgy's old boss recommended it as well and that was enough for him to buy it years ago. Not enough for him to read it, but it was piled in with the rest of his books. When we went through to clear some shelf space, he decided he was never going to read it. So, it fell into my pile.

I took this book with me on a business trip, figuring I would have quiet time on the plane and in the hotel to read it. Little did I know that I was going to be reading pages over and over again. Either because I was too tired to pay attention (it was some long days) or because the logic was getting a bit confused. I made it to around page 280, but I can't make myself pick it up again. I don't care. I get that he is crazy, but I don't care.

It is going in the box of items to get donated - library or used book store. Just make more room on the shelf.

Ragtime - E.L. Doctorow

As I was reading this book, I was amused because of the overlap in characters between this book and Assassination Vacation. Or course, Emma Goldman has a much bigger role in this book than in the previous one.

I enjoyed the fact that many of the main characters didn't have names; now I won't be faulted for not remembering them. The way the story moves from character to character was very well done, following one character until the next character could take the lead. It was almost like a square dance where you keep switching partners- and oh the blasphemy for saying that about a book that is also highlighting ragtime and the start of jazz.

I started the book because I needed to finish it before Thursday and the first night I was through to page 181, and I finished it the second night. It went quickly and gave me ideas to think about, and made me really think about how far we have come. We still have a ways to go in race relations, but at least we have made some significant progress.

Not sure if I would read it again, I'll probably pass it on.