This is really good! I probably heard about the book via the previews for the movie. Still haven't seen the movie but the book is great. The theme of the oppressed rising up against morally bankrupt oppressors, set against a backdrop that looks far too much like today's reality TV shows, is a great mix of timeless and timely. Katniss Everdeen is the unwilling but ass kicking heroine. And the fact that she's imperfect makes her an even better role model for today's young readers.

I've never read anything by Goldstein before, but she's got a wicked imagination. The Uncertain Places is a superbly creative blend of fairy tale fantasy and the modern world. My only concern is that some readers may not like this novel because it doesn't end in a pure "happily ever after" scenario. I tore through this book and I think it's just great.

It's All About the Bike follows the author's quest to build his dream bike. Penn mixes in bits of bicycle history as he travels the world visiting the manufacturers of each of the components, from handlebars to tires. It's a short book, and at times I wished he would go more deeply into the history, or learn more about the people building the components for his bike. But its brevity is also a benefit: the story spins smoothly to it's conclusion as Penn rides off into the Welsh countryside on his one-of-a-kind dream bike.

I didn't expect much from this pirate adventure, but I'm happy to say I was wrong. Powers can write! On Stranger Tides is a rollicking story of love, gore, voodoo, and black magic. Totally great and I highly recommend it.

Inferno is a single volume history of the Second World War. Yes, and obviously, it's epic. Throughout the volume, Hastings includes personal anecdotes written by the people involved: soldiers, citizens, victims. The anecdotes bring the history to life better than a simple retelling of battles and strategies ever could.

Naturally I found myself wishing for more detail in numerous places--but there are already great histories of individual battles, fronts, and campaigns out there. I don't see how a 700+ page history of WWII could be any better than Inferno.

I don't remember if I read this when I was 11, or if I only watched the movie. In any case it has been 35 years, so I bought the book for Katie. After she read it, I did. Still so sad!

For the most part, Isaacson's biography of Jobs reads like a series of trivial pursuit answers on the history of Jobs, Next, Pixar, and Apple. Because I've followed the trajectory of Apple since 1980, I already knew most of these anecdotes. Isaacson does provide us a glimpse into Jobs' romantic and family life. The book reinforces that frequently, whether at work or as a parent or a husband, Jobs showed up as an asshole. But we knew that already.

What I'm really missing is any insight into why Jobs was the way he was. What drove him, and how did his internal mechanism work? About the most Isaacson says about this is that Jobs was adopted, and the feeling of having been abandoned never left him. But we knew that too.

So... what up, Walt? Is this a biography or a piece for People magazine? I expected better.

Frazier recounts his experiences and adventures with the Oglala Sioux people, largely on the Pine Ridge reserve in South Dakota. Most of the adventures are centered on his friend Le War Lance, a bit of character and a lot of a drunk. Frazier mixes in a healthy dose of native history along the way. I really like his laid back writing style, and the way that he discusses his own sometimes conflicted feelings toward his friend Le. In the end I can't shake the feeling of tragedy and despair emanating from Pine Ridge, even if the residents themselves don't necessarily share that point of view.

Soon I'd like to read Great Plains, an earlier book of Frazier's.