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The Fortune Cookie Chronicles

Thu, 01/05/2012 - 10:47pm — Kristi
Author: 
Jennifer 8 Lee
Started: 
December 20, 2011
Finished: 
January 4, 2012

I liked the book, but it seemed rather scattered to me, and it didn't completely hold my interest to the end.

I was especially interested in the chapter that goes into the history of fortune cookies in San Francisco and Los Angeles - parts of it described Japantown people and businesses, which I found fascinating because they're so near by and so familiar.

Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure

Sat, 08/21/2010 - 10:15am — Kristi
Author: 
Matthew Algeo
Started: 
August 16, 2010
Finished: 
August 21, 2010

Original notes:

I'm really enjoying this so far. I dream sometimes about taking a nice long road trip, and it's a pleasure to take this one vicariously.

After finishing:

Heart Conditions

Sun, 01/10/2010 - 2:26pm — Kristi
Author: 
Sara Lewis
Started: 
January 3, 2010
Finished: 
January 7, 2010

This was a pleasant read. The main character, Alice, was likable enough (although I was occasionally impatient with her over-accommodating ways early in the book), and I enjoyed the plot's journey - I was slightly surprised by Alice's ultimate career shift, and there were a number of nice moments along the way.

Not a huge favorite, but enjoyable.

The Thin Place

Sun, 01/10/2010 - 1:48pm — Kristi
Author: 
Kathryn Davis
Started: 
October 18, 2009
Finished: 
November 26, 2009

I picked this up while browsing the fiction shelves at the library. The cover illustration is beautiful and intriguing, and the plot description on the flap drew me in enough to check it out.

What enchanted me was the writing. Davis is poetic and mystical and simultaneously precise and clearly descriptive. The striking language is never gratuitous; Davis keeps the story unfolding.

I think this may be a book I need to own, just so I can reread the beautiful sentences, to revel in them, to learn from them.

Then She Found Me

Mon, 08/17/2009 - 8:54pm — Kristi
Author: 
Elinor Lipman
Started: 
August 16, 2009
Finished: 
August 17, 2009

Well, that was one of my fastest reads in a while. It's nice to be able to sit and read for hours at a time. It's a luxury I hope to indulge in more often.

I enjoyed this book more as it went along. At the start, I didn't like Bernice, and I started longing for a book with likable characters. By the end, though, I liked nearly everybody.