#9

Epic. This book was one of Amazons 2013 books of the year for a reason. Thanks also to Uncle Ed for suggesting it. It centers around a family spanning multiple generations in west Texas starting in the early 1800's and carries the reader through present day. The writing is captivating and the family of characters vivid. I might have found my book selection for the book club. 

#8

This is a great book on the history of whiskey and moonshining here in America. There are suggestions for starting your own distillery,  recipes for whiskey based cocktails and even diagrams of all the American distilleries and how they all fit together. After finishing it, I almost want to try my hand at moonshining ( but I wouldn't of course since it's illegal). This book is a valuable resource for both the novice whiskey drinker like myself and seasoned pros who are looking for suggestions on what to drink next!

#7

Finished book number 7 this past week. It is a short story collection that was selected by the Rumpus Book Club for this months reading. It was ok. Lots of different styles of writing that the author tried. Some worked, some didn't. I felt there wasn't much closure in any of the stories. I kept reading hoping that the individual stories would come together at the end somehow. They didn't. Maybe the author would revisit these characters in a future book. Will be interested to chat with the author during our on line chat with him on March 5. 

#6

I originally started this book in the fall of 2012, shortly after it came out. I made it through about half, and just hated it. I didn't understand why it was on many Best Of lists for 2012. I stopped reading it for over a year. At times I would pick it up again and try and read a few pages. I just couldn't. It was awful. Well, I finally picked it up again this month with the intention of finishing it just so I could give it 1 star. But then a weird thing happened. I really started enjoying it. I got into the flow of the story. And finished it within a day of picking it back up. I think it would have helped me and maybe it would help you if you choose to read it, to read the note from the author at the end of the book first. That would have really helped me enjoy the beginning of the book more, and I would have finished it in 2012, not 2014. 

#5

McSweeneys is a publishing house founded by Dave Eggers. This is their quarterly publication. This quarter was a collection of short stories of science fiction and horror stories edited and published by Bradbury and Hitchcock in the 1930's, 40's and 50's. There are also four contemporary authors featured. It's an amazing collection. All the stories in this 448 page collection are solid, but a few of the best include "Night Flight", "Sorry Wrong Number" and the final story in the book "Don't Look Behind You."  Just as Eggers writes in the introduction, please don't read this one until the end. Also read it at night. Alone. 

#4

Finished book number 4 in 2014 yesterday. This was the book club selection for February. I haven't read any of Gaimans books before, so I didn't know what to expect. I guess I would call this a fairy tale for grown-ups. The story is centered around a man who has returned to the street he grew up on and the magicial things that occurred at the farmhouse at the end of the lane. Good book. Quick read. Not worth the $25.99 cover price. More of a short story then a novel. 

#3

The Goldfinch. Amazons 2013 Book of the Year. Finished it late this afternoon. It was an incredible read. Although at 770 pages, it could have been edited down a bit. Especially the last 100 pages or so. Overall though, a very good book, with strong characters, and an outstanding plot.