Inferno by Dan Brown

Professor Langdon's back, puzzling through his next cryptic treasure hunt to save the world; this time, he's trying to prevent a plague inspired by the 14th century epic poem by Dante Alighieri.

I'm a sucker for these books - they're the perfect mix of contemporary issues with geeky art and history knowledge that strikes a chord with me. Plus, I can't ever seem to set the book down because Brown ends even the shortest, two-page chapters with some kind of cliff-hanger that keeps you going.

To admit that I read this book over 4 days doesn't mean that it isn't read-it-in-one-sitting material - only that it's 460 pages long. Over those 4 days, I was totally sleep-deprived due to late-night reading binges - I just didn't have the time to stay up and binge.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This is the kind of book you don't want to end; the kind of book you hope-with-your-fingers-crossed she's writing a sequel because you want to know what happens next to these people. The kind of book you're so emotionally invested in each of the characters that you cheer, you cry, and you want to jump right into the story and strangle somebody for treating them wrong.

Let's just say I enjoyed the book, OK?

This historical novel is set in 1960's Jackson, Mississippi. The main characters are all either privileged white women or their black housekeepers. The story's a nice mix of good and bad situations (like real life) that show the multi-faceted relationships between women of all colors.

Stockett's book was 2009's sleeper hit-of-the-year, and it's been enjoying a second surge in popularity now that they're casting for the movie version. I listened to the audiobook, a multi-cast recording with four narrators, which I give a double-thumbs-up.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

This month's book club choice - and a good one at that ... although I find we have less interesting conversations when we all enjoyed the book.

I actually listened to this one, and liked it so much I then went online and bought a paperback copy for my own collection. I think it'll be the kind of book to reference back to at a later date, as a refresher on the points you really wanted to implement in your own life.

I won't go into too much summary detail because everybody knows about this one: dying man gives lecture on how to live life. I'd read about it, and purposely avoided it because I was afraid it would be a piece of treacle fluff - but I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed it.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Dan Brown totally plays into my "readers OCD" - I swear he writes these books with people like me in mind. I *cannot* put a book down until I'm at a "stopping point" (ie: section break, chapter end, etc.). But Brown ends every chapter in a cliffhanger, thereby preventing me from EVER putting the book down. Until the end.

I thought this book started a little slow. I found myself thinking, "hmm. Apparently the speech he was supposed to give - he's going to stand around and give it to the police." But once they actually left the rotunda and got walking, the action picked up for me.

And again, I finished a Dan Brown book in the wee hours of the AM.

I really liked the theology of this book - the melding of the science vs. religion arguments into a habitable belief system was satisfying to me.