January Books

I tried this last year to no avail.  I'd really like to keep a going record of the books I read (aside from such literary classics as "That's Not My Monkey" and "Animal Noises" and "Baby Talk" - hehe)

January was a pretty sparse month for literature.  I believe I only completed two books.

The Lampshade: A Holocaust Detective Story from Buchenwald to New Orleans by Mark Jacobson
This was a fascinating book that was not what I thought it would be.  I expected a historical adventure from Point A to Point B in trying to ascertain whether an inherited lampshade found during the aftermath of Katrina was human in orgin and, if so, who it was.  Instead, this was a meandering tale of research, interviews, and travel set against the backdrop of culture, racism, and introspection into the human condition.  All told, it was a really thought-provoking and well-written book.  It's a touch morbid, how could it not be, but I would recommend it to everyone who wants to think a little bit more deeply about what pain humans inflict on one another and how interconnected the human experience truly is.

Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie
I started this book in October of 2009 when living with my wonderful friend Rebekah while Craig was already on the West Coast.  I wasn't too far into it when I moved and thus had to leave it semi-read.  I again picked it up at Rebekah's when the Family Falvo stayed with her in November of 2010 while in town for my awesome friend Lindsay's wedding.  I was within 50 pages of finishing when again I had to leave, thus leaving it mostly-read.  I *finally* remembered to check in out in January of 2011 from our library and *finally* finished it!  Woot!  It was lovely, as most Agatha Christies are. 

I've been mulling over a number of different reading goals this year.  I think the more audacious goal is to read through the whole of Kurt Vonnegut's works and perhaps a slightly fluffier goal would be the same read-through of Agatha Christie.  It remains to be seen what I'll settle on because the list of books to read keeps growing and my time to read is to short with an active child.  :)