The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

I re-read this for the first time in 20+ years by reading it to my daughter.

I’d forgotten how superior the book is compared to the movie.

Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan

Took me a while to get through this, but I really enjoyed it.  The ending surprised me – I did NOT expect things to turn out the way they did.

I’m going to have to read more Amy Tan – this was my first one and I loved the lyricism inherent in the language, though it was sometimes a bit much to wade through.

Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris

(a Hannibal Lecter book)

I was pleasantly surprised by this book – I was thoroughly disappointed with “Hannibal” (the violence was more over the top, less eerie), and this, while still no “Red Dragon” or “Silence of the Lambs” was far, far better than “Hannibal”.

Dance with the Devil by Sherilyn Kenyon

(a Dark Hunter novel)

Mildly entertaining story with a promising premise, but really bad, florid, overwrought writing and lackluster sex scenes.

The Gate to Women’s Country by Sheri S. Tepper

Read this for my book club – hard to form my own opinion since I heard everyone else’s before I finished it.

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I think I liked this.  I might even recommend it.  It’s a bit heavy, and the jumping through time and memory was annoying as all get out, but overall a good book.

On Writing by Steven King

I’ve never been a huge King fan, but everyone kept telling me this was a good one, so I picked it up.  I found myself more interested than I thought I would be in the “backstory” portions of the book, and impressed with the practical grammar/writing section.  It’s as much (more, actually) memoir as it is writing book, but its not a bad little read.