blue_lotus13 | What I've been reading lately

1. The first five Spiderwick books- Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi- I can see why these are so popular with kids. They move quickly, there's no extraneous content and there's a lot of magic in them. I thought they were okay, but nothing amazing. I'd definitely recommend them to someone with a reluctant reader, though.

2. Chindia- edited by an editor at Businessweek magazine- A collection of essays and reports written by writers at Businessweek about the impact that India and China are having on the world economy and global business. I skimmed some parts and read others. I did learn a lot from this book, but found it a bit dry.

3. A great far thing by Libba Bray- The third book in the Gemma Doyle series. I really like this series, but this book was 800 pages long and didn't need to be. Still, it was a fun read and I sped right through it.

4. Pumped- everyone's guide to the Oil patch by David Finch- A short, concise book which deals with the history of the oil patch. Explains oil related terms, oil exploration history, and Canadian and international history about oil. I liked it because it wasn't extremely pro or anti-oil and tried very hard to be balanced. It also focussed a lot on Alberta, was easy to read, and could be read in chunks. Highly recommended, if you're at all interested.

5. An arsonist's guide to writers' homes in New England by Brock Clarke- I thought this was one of the most creative books I've read in a while. It was dark, yet very funny too. Ultimately, it was a story about love, family and loss, but there were also threads about books and reality. Some people would find this too dark, but I really enjoyed it.

6. Skim by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jilliam Tamaki- I read the smaller version of this years ago and was excited for the full length graphic novel. This was really good- it dealt with Wicca, a biracial main character, inappropriate crushes, teen suicide and female friendship. Highly recommended.

7. Regret the error by Craig Silverman- A Montreal based journalist explores the concept of media error, and how it makes the public lose faith in the press. He uses a lot of examples, some of which made me laugh and some of which horrified me. This is very thought provoking. I think it should be required reading for every journalist and journalism student. He also has a popular weblog Regret the error , which I now plan to read on a regular basis.