Inflatable Sheep

I just looked at the bookish sheep entries and realized I haven't shared some wonderful books that I've read this year. So, for the bookworms in the crowd, I can recommend the following:

1. The Glass Castle - Jeanette Walls
   I loved the way the author doesn't blame her parents for her unorthodox upbringing, but looks at the positive side of things.
2. Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
   I've been following Kazuo's literary progress since the exquisitely painful “Remains of the Day.” In this one, he tells of a group of schools in England where they basically raise children to be donors for the rich.
3. The Noodle Maker- Ma Jian
   A writer in post-Tiananmen China tells stories he would create if he had the courage.
4. Bad Dirt: Wyoming Stories 2- Annie Proulx
   Annie writes great short stories, scraped clean of artifice and some with a bit of sci-fi thrown in.
5. Almost Like Being in Love - Steve Kluger
   It's a pleasure to read Steve's stories. After reading the funny and touching “Last Days of Summer,” I had to read this one also. A love story told via email, stationery, attorney notes, and Faculty Search Requests at a college library. Works as well as the flurry of letter writing in “Dangerous Liasons,” but without all the nastiness and vile intrigue.
6. The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri
   Wonderful multi-generational story of a young couple who moves to the U.S. from India. You find out the importance of names and family ties. I also read her collection of short stories, “Interpreter of Maladies,” which was good reading, but in some ways kind of a repeat telling of the book.
7. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
   Set in nineteenth century China, two young girls become “old-sames” for life. You follow them through foot binding (ouch), marriage, children, war. Poignant ending.

I've read more good stuff, but I started a “Great Book Lunch” at work where like-minded bookworms swap their great books, so I don't have some of the books I read. I highly recommend starting your own Great Book Lunch. You get great recommendations, a chance to view books you might have passed by, and it's free!