Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

A historical memoir, which I think points out the problems with this genre. How can one write a memoir for someone other than the author? In this case, the author is writing her grandmother's life, even though she died when the author was only a child.

It reads like a series of anecdotes, and lacks any cohesion. A much better plan would have been to write fiction, and include the modern granddaughter in the story. A good example would be Fannie Flagg's "Fried Green Tomatoes".

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

An intriguing book that tells two parallel stories. The historical fiction of Ann Eliza Young, the 19th wife of Brigham Young in 1875, and Jordan Scott, a gay man kicked out of his fundamentalist Mormon sect. The details revealed about the history of polygamy in the Mormon Church are interesting and insightful, and the modern portion of the book brings everything full circle and reads like the headlines of current events.

The Man Who Loved Books too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett

I bought this book because of the title - since it resembled me a little too much. But it turned out not to be about a man who loved books, as much as a man who had a compulsion to collect books. It could have just as well been about a man who collects guitars, or a woman who collects quilts. It's creative non-fiction, and suffers, like most books in that genre, from having to adhere to fact. It would have been much better as fiction with a different plot.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

An intriguing look at life for women in China before the abolition of foot-binding. Lily and Snow Flower, tow pre-pubescent girls, become laotong, or sort of cross between pen-pals and best friends for life. They also have their feet bound and undergo the cultural discrimination against women of their time. Women are nothing, and girl children are less than nothing. It's a very interesting glimpse of a culture that is, fortunately, gone (I hope).

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

A look at life through the eyes of a autistic teenage boy. Very well written and convincing. Christopher, the autistic boy, sets out to discover the mystery of who killed the neighbor's dog, and in the process overcomes obstacles that seem insurmountable for someone like him. He also discovers secrets about his family that mean little to him, but affect the reader.

Good Faith by Jane Smiley

The real estate novel, and of course it is about greed and corruption. An odd man comes to town - Marcus Burns, and finds everyone willing to go along with his plans to get rich with little effort. Of course, there is quite a revelation late in the novel, which I won't spoil here. It's well written by Pulitzer winner Jane Smiley.