The Monk Downstairs by Tim Farrington

Well, I've been staring at the computer screen for about 5 minutes now trying to figure out what to write about this book. All I can come up with is, It was okay. I liked the relationships, I liked the characters, but the story line just didn't blow me away. Contrary to first impressions gleened from the title, the characters were very real and down to earth. A so-so read.

Naked by David Sedaris

Very funny in parts, although I did find David slightly pretentious and hard to believe. I'm not big on the short story format, and wished for some sort of chronology. But then again some parts were so funny I forgot I cared. There were lots of interesting characters. I liked the parts about his childhood the best, especially the lightswitch licking.

Top 5 of 2006

Here's my favorite reads of 2006!

1. Eventide by Kent Haruf. I loved Plainsong and was amazed to find I liked the follow-up even more!
2. Boy's Life by Robert McCammon. The most imaginative book I've read since childhood. Thanks for the recommendation Dad!
3. These is My Words by Nancy E. Turner. Never thought I'd like historical fiction until I read this book. Sarah is one of the best heroines I've ever read.
4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. A fascinating, and sometimes difficult read.
5. I couldn't decide between The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Mitch had me crying and Mark had me laughing!

Boy's Life by Robert McCammon

Wow! Loved it! This is the perfect kind of book for me. It's like a great children's fiction book written for adults. I'm so jealous of Robert McCammon, because he seems to have never lost that awesomely powerful child's imagination. I can remember the day I realized I didn't have it anymore, and how sad it made me feel. This book makes you remember exactly what that was like. It was extremely entertaining the whole way through. I can see why it's one of my Dad's favorites, because he is also a kid at heart.

The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore

Freaking Hi-larious!! I really loved it. I love the way he writes. Here's one of my favorite lines. Noone knows why, but second only to eating the brains of the living, the dead love affordable pre-fab furniture. And he narrates everyone, including a dog, a fruit bat named Roberto, and one of the character's crazy in your head kind of voices. If you need a holiday pick-me-up, this is it.