Books I've recently read

Of the last several books I've read outside of book club, here are my favorite four:

Michael Byers' Long for This World
A rich and touching story about a doctor who thinks he might be able to save a young patient...by circumventing the FDA and risking his career. This is the first time I've devoured a novel about medicine.

Mary Roach's Stiff
Oh my gosh, speaking of novels about medicine...this nonfiction portrayal of the "lives" of human cadavers is outrageous and (believe it or not) hilarious. I think it's my current all-time favorite book.

Anonymous & Imogen Edwards-Jones' Hotel Babylon
A (mostly) non-fiction account of the absurdities that go on behind closed doors - and sometimes right there in the lobby - of an upscale British hotel. The establishmant name has been changed to protect the innocent, but who cares? It's fun!

Jennifer Finney Boylan's She's Not There
The raw first-hand account of Professor Jim Boylan's "transition" to a woman, with ample checking-in with family and friends for their reactions. I was inspired to pick this up after feeling so much compassion for the hero(ine) of Middlesex.

Meanwhile, I recommend avoiding these:

Kim Wong Keltner's The Dim Sum of All Things
Amulya Malladi's The Mango Season
Carolyn Parkhurst's The Dogs of Babel

While these are all very different books, I found myself unimpressed with their weak leading characters. I don't mean they were poorly defined; I mean they had clearly defined but oh-so-weak personalities. I'm most disappointed that I didn't like Dogs, because I'll buy any book that promises a crime solving canine!