Neal Stephenson, Reamde

Neal Stephenson, Reamde. Just too much fun. And made me want to play Skyrim or something. It reminded me of Cryptonomicon in its pace and plot and I enjoyed it so much I just re-read Snow Crash.

Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Certainly precious, and not as hilarious as Everthing is Illuminated. But you know, sentimental is ok if it's convincing and I did love Oskar. I am a sucker for precocious children. I loved his grandmother. I loved the friends he made. I like the letters and the narration - I wish his mother had had a voice. Somehow though, I felt emotionally manipulated and I don't think Foer lives up to his promise.

E. B. White, One Man's Meat

E. B. White, One Man's Meat. I really love E. B. White and he is always a pleasure to read. However, this collection of essays written for serial publication in Harper's from his refuge on a saltwater farm was mildly self-indulgent. That said, I am the child of parents who removed themselves to a hobby farm and raised chickens (while continuing to support the family with a white collar job), and this might be why I kept rolling my eyes.