LEFT neglected by Lisa Genova

When I first started this book I couldn't remember why I ever wanted to read it. I just seemed so unlike a book I would read; a woman pushing all limits trying to juggle a family with three young children and putting in 80 hrs a week into her job as VP of human relations in a huge, international consulting firm. Boring right! But then as I read more everything became more clear. She suffers from a brain injury after a car accident that leaves her with unilateral neglect or hemispatial neglect, meaning her brain doesn't recognize "left", the left side of her body, the left half of her vision, etc. I finished this in one day and really enjoyed reading about how this character learns to slow down and re-prioritize what is important in one's life.

Rating: Slow Clap It.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

This book was interesting and strange; instead of trying to write this one up I thought this quote from publisher's weekly summed up pretty much what I was thinking:

"Murakami likes to blur the boundary between the real and the surreal—we are treated to such oddities as fish raining from the sky; a forest-dwelling pair of Imperial Army soldiers who haven't aged since WWII; and a hilarious cameo by fried chicken king Colonel Sanders—but he also writes touchingly about love, loneliness and friendship. Occasionally, the writing drifts too far into metaphysical musings—mind-bending talk of parallel worlds, events occurring outside of time—and things swirl a bit at the end as the author tries, perhaps too hard, to make sense of things. But by this point, his readers, like his characters, will go just about anywhere Murakami wants them to, whether they 'get' it or not."

It was good and I liked it, I'm just not sure why...

Rating: Donate It.

Deciding on my next trip...

My favorite guide was the National Geographic Traveler. It had the best information about the country and the best photos. It did a really good job of getting me excited about experiencing Vietnam.

If you want really specific information (eg. hotels, train stations to get around, etc.) than Foder's is the way to go.

The New Mexico and Bali book was really hard to get through in terms of how they organized the information. Plus the photos and the font seemed really small...

The Lost City of Z by David Grann

This is an interesting novel about the exploration race of the last century, specifically of the mysteries of the amazon, the (mis)adventures of exploring such a harsh environment and the explorers crazy enough to try it. I enjoyed it all the way through.

Rating: Donate It.

Fall of Giants by Ken Follet

This book was an incredible look into the lives of people living in the early 1900's and the historical political happenings leading up to, during and after WWI. This book is very entertaining and well written.

Rating: Slow Clap It.

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

I read this one again...it's that good.

Rating: Slow Clap It.

Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield

Rob Sheffield takes the reader on a journey as he remembers his life and parallels it with the music that influenced him through the years. This story didn't really connect with me and I found myself waiting for it to be over so that I could start something new.

Rating: Burn It.