Be Honest- You're Not That Into Him Either- Ian Kerner

First and foremost, I am completely embarrassed to be including this title in my list of reviews next to books like The Great Gatsby, but since I read it, I guess I feel obliged. I think the pink cover sucked me in. Believe it or not, there is some substance in this book beyond fluffy confidence boosters for women with no self-esteem. Kerner describes, in detail, the chemical processes at work in both males and females as they relate to sex and relationships. Girls, next time you feel psycho over a guy, you can rest easy. You're not actually psycho, you've just got too much oxytocin in your system (incidentally, it's released during orgasm so quit sleeping around). He also includes a brief history on the sexual revolution of women.

I disliked the "wrap-up" sections at the end of each chapter; "'Be Honest' functions as a two A.M. phone call from your best friend, the voice of reality. 'Raise and Reach,' provides some ideas on how to raise your standards and reach for the love you deserve." Yeah, umm, both sections were the fluff I was talking about and a total waste of time. If you read nothing else, girls, do yourself a favor and read the Conclusion (at the end of the book obviously) written by the author's wife. It's hilarious.

Dear Exile- Hilary Liftin / Kate Montgomery

If we are good friends, please, please read this. It is a series of letters written between best friends when one joins the Peace Corps with her husband while the other gets her life together in the city that never sleeps. The back and forth dynamic of two lives in very different parts of the world was spot on and made me think of the lives my friends are living in LA while I'm here in Burkina (i.e., They can't find an apartment for reasonable rent while I can't cook because my propane tank is empty and the whole city is out of gas).

The Motorcycle Diaries- Che Guevara

Not quite the inside scoop on Hell's Angels one might assume, but it was still good enough to be made into a movie. This is the diary of one of two friends who tour South America by motorcycle. It begins in their native country of Argentina in 1951 and the men are in their 20's. It's a quick read as diaries always are. It's a way to see the better part of South America through someone else's eyes. Che's excursion in Peru made me especially happy to be friends with Marco. If you know who I'm talking about then tell him he has to read this.

The Constant Gardener- John le Carre

This is another typical Peace Corps read. Everyone I've talked to that's read it really liked it, but it wasn't my favorite. It had an extremely slow start and never really picked up even after the story started getting good. It basically presents the idea that populations of undeveloped countries are used as guinea pigs for clinical trials before big pharmaceutical companies get approval to sell their drugs in developed nations. The main character's wife was murdered and he sets about to discover why. He learns of scandal and corruption in the pharma biz from as high up as British Parliament and extending down to the drug distributors. It's kind-of-but-not-really like a John Grisham novel but definitely not as quick.

Touching the Void- Joe Simpson

The first half of this book about two mountain/ice climbers was way too technical for a person who knows nothing about climbing. If only I had discovered the glossary of climbing terms in the back before I started reading. The meat of the story starts after the author, Joe Simpson, breaks his leg. At one point, his partner, Simon, is forced to cut the rope Joe is hanging from. Simon is then left to finish the decent alone with the death of Joe on his conscience. The miracle of this true story is that Simpson actually survived the fall and limped, hopped and crawled his way to survival.

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire- J.K. Rowling

This was the longest book in the series so far. It’s also the first time the movie has really strayed at all from the book version, and even so it was only concerning minor details. The build-up of the climax goes until almost the very end of the book before it is revealed who is working at Hogwart's as a traitor for Voldemort. I especially liked that this story validates Harry's credibility as someone special beyond his passive defeat of Voldemort as an infant.

Life of Pi- Yann Martel

The first three-quarters of the book rivaled Kiterunner as one of my favorites, but the last quarter of it was so bad that I don't even know if it even makes my top 10. The first half of the book describes Pi's life in India with his family's zoo and his study of Hindu, Islam and Christianity as a 15 year-old boy. When their ship sinks during his family's (and their zoo animals) move to Canada, Pi finds himself in the unlikely predicament of sharing a lifeboat with an injured zebra, hyenna, ape and tiger. Pi's ability to survive his living situation was completely believable as written. It's when he comes across a man-eating island made of acidic plants that the story takes a turn for the worse. In the final chapter you are presented with an alternate animal-free version of Pi's life's events after the ship sank. And in the end, the author leaves it up to you to decide which was the more believable version.