More books...

A new stack of books to read.  Of the pile I can say that I'm very much looking forward to two of them, one I'm reading for research, one because it was recommended, one because I read the first and feel I have to read the second, and two because I love the authors.  (I had to make sure this totaled to seven.  Since it took me two months to read the four previous books, this may take a while.

Of the previous stack here are some quick reviews:

1. The Omen Machine - I love Terry Goodkind's writing, really love the characters, and love the world they live in, but the "child in peril" theme in this one was upsetting.  I finished it, but skimmed through the last hundred pages.
2. Ten Second Staircase - I feel like Bryant and May are old friends now.  Christopher Fowler's wit is unlike any other author - sly, biting, and surprisingly human.  I really enjoy these for both the personal character drama and the mystery.
3. Let's Pretend it Never Happened - Just about the funniest book I've read in a very long time.  I felt like I knew the author, like she knew me, and even though our lives couldn't be more different it was shocking how similar our view of the world is.  I've since purchased this book for people and recommended it to everyone I know.
4. The Dirty Streets of Heaven - I love Tad Williams.  I've read most everything he's written.  He makes worlds come to life.  I wanted to like this book and it wasn't that I didn't enjoy it, but the angels and demons mythos seemed frustratingly similar to shows like Supernatural.  This, of all his books, was decidedly male and at times it disconnected me to the story.  I think it had something to do with the first person aspect.

I'm also reading a book called Quiet and I think it is quietly changing my life.  I've tried talking about it with people, but I think it is affecting me on such a personal level I'm doing a poor job of expressing how much I love it.  Here is a snippet of what it has done for me - I've always thought of myself as being "disabled" when it came to meeting people, mingling at parties, or conversing with more than one person at a time.  I'm disturbingly awkward.  I make people uncomfortable.  And I leave feeling distraught.  It takes me days to recover from a social gathering.  I've fought with myself my whole life about this and tried to be more like the people in my family who aren't socially awkward, only to fail each and every time. But why am I failing?  Because I'm not built that way.  I'm not inspired by the social interaction some people crave.  My spirit is made stronger by quiet interactions, one on one conversations, or time alone. I'm not deficient, I'm just different.  And in that difference comes strength.  I am a work in progress, but at least I've found a book about people like me.  (Very quiet people...which is probably why I've never found them before...make some noise people...forget I said that...you're fine the way you are...truth...I'll stop talking now...)