Ok,
so, here are some books. They aren't really in any order, mildly
alphabetic, but in my opinion you should read them at random otherwise you
might get too much travel writing or too much medical writing all at once!
I read 36 books last year and over 20 the year before that and these are
the winners so far. Unless otherwise noted they are kindle available.
Medical/
Exotic location:
Cutting
for Stone -
Verghese
kindle:
9.99
Story
about a set of twins who grow up in Ethiopia who are left for dead by their
father after their mother dies in childbirth. A surrogate family of nuns
and doctors raises them and as they grow a rift forms that can only be crossed
when they are older. Phenomenal book, written by an Ethiopian born
doctor, it's got some medical stuff and some travel stuff and I think you would
really enjoy it. Also, lots of gynecology, in a cool way, not a
creepy way. 5 stars
Medical/
tale of growing up:
The
Cider House Rules - Irving
Another
Irving book I truly enjoyed (read The World According to Garp pretty recently),
The story of Homer Wells, another orphan, and his lifelong journey to find his
place in the world through travel, work, obstetric practice and a rag-tag
family comprised of a doctor, war vet, nurses, school bully, and more. I
do have some questions regarding Irving's obsession with strange relationships.
Not available on Kindle, made into a movie with Elijah Wood (I think). 5 stars
Funny:
Bossypants - Tina
Fey
kindle:
12.99
Hilarious,
laugh-a-minute rollercoaster of fun. Just read it on a day you feel a
little glum and it will pull you right back to good spirits. 5 stars
Teen
Fiction/Future Possibilities:
The
Hunger Games - Collins
Book
one is my favorite, Kris liked 3, and my friend Katie prefers 2. Read
these when you have a day or three to devote to being lost in books. Even
Kris read them straight through in 4 days. Hard to stop once you have
started and the movie comes out in March so you should get to it before then. 5
stars
World
problems/Globalization/Mental Recovery after trauma:
Little
Bee -
Cleave
kindle:
11.99
This
book will leave you breathless. It is heart-wrenching and
amazing. Just read it, I cried, and I don't cry. He has another book out
but I don't want to read it because it doesn't look like it will even compare
to this one. 5 stars.
Historical
Fiction
The
Paris Wife -
McLain
kindle:
12.99
Kind
of romance novel-esque at the beginning . . . “This was my one brush
with love. Was it love? It felt awful enough. I spent another two years
crawling around in the skin of it, smoking too much and growing too thin and
having stray thoughts of jumping from my balcony like a tortured heroine in a
Russian novel.” All that blah-dee-blah. But it get's better and then is a
fun jaunt through history with Hemingway, his wife, his mistress, his son, etc.
3.5 stars
Travel
The
Sun Also Rises - Hemingway
kindle:
11.99
I
read this right after The Paris Wife and watched Midnight in Paris soon after
that, a very good trifecta. I recommend doing all three within
a month or so of each other as they then give a full look
(Hemingway's perspective, his wife's, and an outsider looking at them at
the time in Paris.) A good idea to do before you leave though as I
really recommend the movie AFTER both books. 4 stars on it's own and
with the other two.
Technology/Future
possibilities
Super
Sad True Love Story - Shteyngart
kindle:
9.99
At
first when I finished I wasn't a huge fan, but over the period of about a month
I could not stop thinking about some parts of this book. It is a
completely plausible idea of our future where social networking takes over and
the idea of leisure, books, grammar, etc. have gone out the window.
Everyone is vulgar and somewhat distressing but once you get used to the
writing style it is a good read. 3 stars at first, 4.5 after it wouldn't get
out of my head.
Food/Travel
Tender
at the Bone -
Reichl
kindle:
11.99
One
of my favorites in the last two years, I gobbled it up like I would some of the
recipes she includes! You will be jealous of her life and of her cooking
skills. 5 stars.
BONUS
BOOK!
A
Dirty Job -
Moore
kindle:
9.99
I
read this a long time ago (High School) and it is still one of my favorites, a
funny novel with magical aspects as well as a fun tour of San Francisco!
