The War that Killed Achilles by Caroline Alexander. A close and insightful reading of the Iliad. Scholarly, but not academic. Good stuff.
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New York by Edward Rutherford-big historical novel ala Michener. I read London, Sarum, The Forest and his Ireland sagas...all span the centuries.
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Sniper on the Eastern Front: The Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger, Knight's Cross by Albrecht Wacker
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Don Quixote; by Miguel Cervantes
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I really tried to read this, but it is UBER long
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I just finished Ice To The Eskimos by Jon Spoeltra and am currently reading Outrageous Marketing by Jon Spoeltra
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Yes! Definitely an issue! Have it on my iPhone, been reading a little here, a little there. Have finished part one, just a short way into second half. It tends to drag a bit IMO, and has several areas I have found myself skimming, due to verbosity on the author's part. Basic storyline is enjoyable, but I'm thinking I'm going to have problem finishing this one.
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Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr. Brian Weiss and the Tibetan Book of the Dead by Padma Sambhava(?)
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Just started this one last night.
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Just started Under the Dome by Stephen King. Brand new hardcover that came out last month. Over 1000 pages. SHould keep me busy for a week or two.
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It's a fast read-very entertaining.

I finally finished New York and half way through The War that Killed Achilles but I had a yen for something fluffy so I am reading Four to Score-Stephanie Plum.
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Who's Your Caddy - Rick Reilly
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Gai-Jin by James Clavell
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Took a brief respite from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series after I finished book 6, and read Jim Butcher's Turn Coat (Dresden Files series) -- a good read.

Now I am on to book 7 of the Wheel of Time :-)
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The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov.
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I read the first chapter of Sarum (the part with Hwll the caveman) my freshman year in high school and hated it, probably because it was for a class I hated. Along the way I picked up a used copy of the full book, and about a year ago I sat down to read it. I loved it.
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The Christmas Sweater - Glenn Beck
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2009 is over and I finished off the year with 72 books. Still shy of my goal of 100. The last book completed was The Golden City by John Twelve Hawkes completing his series of the Travelers. Good series but the last one was disappointing. I was looking through the list and thought I would post the stand outs for this year.

The best books for 2009

Drood, by Dan Simmons
I was fascinated by this book and it sparked an interest(or renewed interest) in Dickens and Victorian detective stories. It was one of four books that received the top 5 star rating on my list.

The other three books are by the same author
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson
What a shame this author passed away after writing this series. The best mystery series I have ever read. If you haven't read them, please do. The titles are funky but the content is excellent.

Close runner up with four and a half stars
Darkness Take My Hand by Dennis Lehane
I love it when I find a new author. When I started with Lehane I couldn't stop and read all his books but one. I haven't read Shutter Island because when i do I won't have anymore to read...wah!

There were a few stinkers-books that got only two stars, but one book stands out with only one star...The Shroud of the Thwacker by Chris Elliott. Worse book I finished this year.

On to 2010. The fist book is Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell-almost done with this one-very entertaining writer. The book is about Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley.
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Just finished Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
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"Blink" by Malcom Gladwell. I'm about 50 pages into it and it has kept my attention so far.
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