Reading Frenzy - Part 2

I didn't realize how much reading I've been doing this summer until I decided that I would blog about all the books I've been reading in the last month or so. Here's 3 more:

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk


When I first started reading "Choke," I was totally entranced. I loved how "real" the book seemed - I didn't want to put it down. Unfortunately, about halfway through I got the impression that the author's purpose in writing had gone from entertaining the reader towards SHOCKING the reader. But I kept reading and the book redeemed itself - in fact I just LOVED this book. But I definitely would NOT recommend this book to "normal" people because it's sure to offend!

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch


This book is the definition of a "quick read." I figured that it would be a tear jerker (it's about a professor with pancreatic cancer) and even though I did cry whenever he talked about his family, it wasn't as emotional to read as I expected. I especially enjoyed the chapters where he gave advice on living - very inspiring.

The Center of the Universe: A Memoir by Nancy Bachrach


Don't judge, but I think I love memoirs because it's like watching reality TV or even reading someone's blog archives.

I had never heard of this book when I picked it off the "New" shelf at the library. I was intrigued by 1)The bright pink cover; 2)It was a memoir; and 3)They compared Nancy Bachrach’s writing style and humor to that of David Sedaris.

I wasn't disappointed. Here's what the Toledo Library's website has to say about it: "Nancy Bachrach's stunning debut is a darkly comic tale of genius, madness, ineptitude, and collateral damage; a hilarious, mordant memoir about her mother, whose medical history reads like the chapter headings of a psychiatric manual and ends so improbably that it could only be the truth. It is a brilliant, beautiful story of the haphazard tyranny of an accident and the serendipity of love."