Ryan Mac’s Comments (group member since Nov 13, 2008)

Ryan Mac’s comments from the Challenge: 50 Books group.

Unconditional Parenting - Alfie Kohn

It took me awhile to get through this one--not a big parenting book guy.

16. Deeper - Roderick Gordon/Brian Williams

Deeper

15. Traffic - Tom Vanderbilt

Traffic Why We Drive the Way We Do

Interesting book!

14. Handle with Care - Jodi Picoult

Not bad, but not her best work. Somewhat predictable and too many convenient coincidences. The usual twist in her stories wasn't there...or I've read too many of them and see through her attempts at surprising the reader.

13. The Silent Man - Alex Berenson

12. Messenger - Lois Lowry

I think that I have my YA fantasy/fiction fix for now. The third book in "The Giver" series. A very quick read (I finished this one in about 90 minutes).

11. Gathering Blue - Lois Lowry

This is the "companion book" to the Giver. Now I HAVE to read the third book in the series, Messenger.

Gathering Blue

Congrats on getting through Catch-22. I have tried to pick this book up several times and have not been able to get past the first 150 pages or so.

10. Buy, Buy Baby - Susan Gregory Thomas

A well written (and sometimes depressing) book about babies and our consumer culture.

Buy, Buy Baby How Consumer Culture Manipulates Parents and Harms Young Minds

Wow--it has been awhile.

9. Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchet

It took me awhile to get into it but it was a funny book.

8. The World of the Golden Compass - edited by Scott Westerfelt

Literary criticism from young adult and fantasy writers about the His Dark Materials series. I need to stop reading literary criticism--just not a huge fan.

7. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim - David Sedaris

Pretty good set of essays from David Sedaris--Me Talk Pretty One Day is better though.

6. The Giver - Lois Lowry

A quick read and a great book!!

5. Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut

Another weird one but I checked this one out from the library already so I thought I would get through it.

erin wrote: "Slaughterhouse-Five is alright - kind of odd and weird. Read Welcome to the Monkey House if you want some good Vonnegut."

I'll add it to my list. Thanks!

4. Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut

This book was okay. I have another Vonnegut book in my pile (Breakfast of Champions) that I'm going to try as well.

Finished book #3 tonight:

3. Supreme Conflict: The Inside Story of the Struggle for the Control of the Supreme Court - Jan Crawford Greenburg

Good book for the legal junkies!

I read 65 books last year and hope to read at least that many again. So far, I have finished two:

1. Salem Falls - Jodi Picoult

2. The Ladies of Grace Adieu - Susanna Clarke

Both pretty good books!