Empire Falls

A friend loaned me Empire Falls by Richard Russo over the summer. I brought it back to Abu Dhabi with me and opened it up a few weeks later. Finally... I've finished.

The story of Empire Falls is the story of a small once robust New England town that is diminishing each day. Not too much happens in Empire Falls but it all seems to be orchestrated by the wealthiest resident, Mrs. Whiting. The protagonist, Miles Roby, feels the weight of Mrs. Whiting the most. As the story unfolds, Russo reveals deeper connections between the townspeople.

This story felt a bit like a meander to me. Perhaps it's that I was only able to read small bits at a time and never fully felt absorbed. I kept at it, enjoying the mellow storyline enough. Finally, near the end of the story a big event occurs that was able to hold my attention.

Recommedation: It's a Pulitzer Winner, but not for me.

Books of 2010

Ouch. This blog fell into such a deep sleep that it rolled off the bed and kept on snoozin'.

Oh, and I failed again. I should have read 62 books to beat 2009's reading list. Do I get credit for my actual count being the reverse? No?

Only 26 books in 2010.

I like to think I'm really just setting myself up for success in 2011. Surely I can read 27 books this year. Surely...

Here are my books for the year:

1. Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore (280)
2. Fluke or I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore (383)
3. The Private Diaries of Catherine Deneuve: My Life Behind the Camera with Luis Bunuel, Francois Truffaut, Roman Polanski, and Lars Von Trier by Catherine Deneuve (164)
4. Raise High the Roof Beams, Carpenters by J.D. Salinger (92)
5. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey (432)
6. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (272)
7. The Other Hand by Chris Cleave (374)
8. Towelhead by Alicia Erian (319)
9. Flush by Carl Hiaasen (295)
10. My Friend Leonard by James Frey (375)
11. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (288)
12. Love in a Headscarf: Muslim Woman Seeks the One by Shelina Zahra Janmohamed (263)
13. Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby (249)
14. Population: 485 Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time by Michael Perry (234)
15. Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived by Ralph Helfer (325)
16. Arthur & George by Julian Barnes (505)
17. Barcelona Plates by Alexei Sayle (215)
18. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire (495)
19. Misconception by Ryan Boudinot (214)
20. Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk by Tony Dushane (214)
21. Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl (514)
22. Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson (259)
23. The Horrific Sufferings of the Mind-Reading Monster Hercules Barefoot: His Wonderful Love and His Terrible Hatred by Carl-Johan Vallgren (282)
24. The 19th Wife: A Novel by David Ebershoff (514)
25. Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer (270)
26. May Contain Nuts by John O'Farrell (392)