2008 Books: 7-9

Before I fall too far behind, here is a quick reading update:

7. The Colorado Kid by Stephen King (184 pp)
I really enjoyed this short novel by King (my second time reading this book), his contribution to the Hard Case Crime series. A young college graduate takes an internship at a small island paper off the coast of Maine. Her two elderly mentors draw her into the tale of a man found dead on the beach some years before. As always, King nails the dialogue and the setting and his characters are people I can see having a beer with quite easily. This story gets surprisingly deep into our need to know “why.”

8. The Ruins by Scott Smith (528 pp)
Pacing/character issues aside, this was a claustrophobic (in a good way), heart-pounding read. A group of friends decides to leave the sunny beaches of Mexico for a day trip into the jungle to find some ruins. Big mistake. I wanted to smack the main characters numerous times, but the sometimes annoying mix of personalities sets up their downfall perfectly. The suspense kept me turning the pages. This was a good airplane read, but I am passing this book on with no regrets.

9. Where The Heart Is by Billie Letts (384 pp)
After seeing this movie countless times (it’s always on tv and I always get sucked into it- I know…), I thought it was time I read the book it was based on. Novalee Nation, seven months pregnant, is left behind at a Wal-Mart by her shiftless boyfriend. She is friendless and alone at the start and lives in the Wal-Mart for two months. The story follows her as she gives birth to her daughter (in the Wal-Mart, natch), meets the townspeople and starts a new life. You know, the movie isn’t that bad and neither is the book. Yes, I admit it.

Total Pages Read: 2,747

I have too many books going at once right now. I need to concentrate on one book and finish it before I pick up another one. I never did finish The Religion before I had to return it to the library because I didn't just stick with it. I do want to finish that at some point, preferably before I forget the plot.

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