What I'm Reading

“The Gathering” by Anne Enright

In her fourth novel, Anne Enright paints a dark and poignant picture of a family brought together by a suicide. The story begins, "I would like to write down what happened in my grandmother's house the summer I was eight or nine, but I am not sure if it really did happen." What unfolds is both repelling and enticing—a story told brilliantly and beautifully. For example, she describes the girls in the family as a "genetic cul-de-sac." It's no surprise Enright's novel took the Man Booker Prize in 2007.

“Lamb” by Christopher Moore

This controversial book takes a look at Jesus’ life according to Biff, Christ’s childhood pal. The book follows the lives of Biff and Joshua (Christ’s name in the story) as they grow up in Nazareth. It explores their friendships, hardships and victories. (Biff’s first encounter with Jesus is watching him at age 6 bringing a dead lizard back to life.) Biff tells his story while in the midst of writing a fifth Gospel under the watchful eye of a not-so-bright angel who becomes addicted to TV. The book is hilarious; but it’s not for everyone. It’s bawdy, sarcastic and borderline blasphemous. It also is one of the most thought-provoking novels I’ve read in quite some time.

“Date or Soulmate?” by Neil Clark Warren

When a dear friend recommended this book, I winced a little. Sure, like other singles out there, I’m searching for my match. I’ll fess up: I discreetly speed-read through these types of books while I’m at the bookstore. But after a quick look at this book, I decided it was different and bought a copy. It’s written by the founder of eharmony.com and is designed to help single people find a person to love for the rest of their lives. Only time will tell if it ends up in a garage sale.

“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Díaz

Díaz took home the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for this story, which follows the life of a "disastrously overweight ghetto nerd" from New Jersey. The book is funny, heartbreaking and fascinating, especially if you know New Jersey or have an interest in Caribbean history. It is one of the first books to incorporate Spanglish into the text—which becomes a bit disruptive at times. Even so, this is a prize-winning novel and well worth the read.

“The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein

If you love dogs and NASCAR, you may decide this is an all-time favorite. The story is about a racecar driver whose life is spinning out of control. The best part: It's told entirely from a dog's perspective. This book has everything—tragedy, humor, injustice and even danger. After reading this book, one thing will be certain: You will never look at a dog quite the same again.

“The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint” by Brady Udall

“If I could tell you one thing about my life it would be this: when I was seven years old the mailman ran over my head.” This is how the book begins. It pulls you in quick and holds you tight, so set aside a couple of hours of reading time for this one. It is a painfully beautiful story that exposes the best—and worst—in human behavior. Caution: Some content is agonizingly cruel, so I would not recommend this for younger readers.