-- Recent Reads --

The Corrections
Jonathan Franzen, 2001
A dysfunctional, quirky and very real family story that displays harmony, personal anguish, humor and an ending that left me weeping.  But also upbeat.  Yes, you can have it both ways.  An emotional, taut and excellent read.  Franzen is somebody to follow.

The Enchantress of Florence
Salman Rushdie, 2009
Yes, that Salman Rushdie.  He who had a fatwa on his head for years after writing 'The Satanic Verses' in '88.  He is a vivid and colorful storyteller but peculiar in style.  I felt as if he was talking down to me.  Oh well, off with his head.  This will challenge you in an intellectual way but still very entertaining.

Benjamin Franklin : An American Life
Walter Isaacson, 2003
By no means boring, this biography by Isaacson tells us stuff about Ben that you didn't get in high school.  But what else is new?  This is one man who shaped America, possibly more than any single person.  Tons more interesting than the John Adams book, not the cable presentation.  I will read Einstein's bio by this author as soon as I can.  Supposed to be scary good.

Childhood's End
Arthur C. Clarke, 1953
Everybody knows Clarke as the author of  '2001: A Space Odyssey' in '68.  But this overlooked gem by one of the top five sci-fi writers ( in my humble opinion), will have you guessing and wondering long after you've finished reading it.  Discussions about 2012 collide in this fast-paced, 200+ page novel.

Riven Rock
TC Boyle,1998
If you haven't read any TC, get out your reading glasses and read.  He transforms this simple nonfiction story (with maybe some fiction?) about the mental state of one powerful 1800's tycoon into a humorous romp.  Anything Boyle writes, please read.

American Goliath
Harvey Jacobs, 1997
The Cardiff Giant.  General Tom Thumb.  P.T. Barnum.  Another possible bending and blending of a real story into a sometimes uneven read.  However, fun as hell and compelling.  Jacobs hasn't done much but his '09 book, 'Side Effects' sounds enticing.