A Pirate Looks at Fifty- Jimmy Buffett

I’m not quite the parrothead I one day aspire to be, but even so, I still couldn’t help thinking how full of himself Jimmy Buffet is. The entire book is like a tribute to himself and all of the things he’s been privilege to (almost all material things). He talked way too much about all of the planes he’s purchased and went on to describe minute details of his flights (i.e., I did a safety check before taking my seat in the pilot’s chair). This was another case where I just couldn’t relate to anything I was reading. I think only the die-hard fan could appreciate this book and that’s just because he’s crazed in his obsession of Mr.Buffett.

Dispatches From A Not-So-Perfect Life- Faulkner Fox

Yawn….It’s not to say that life for a woman with a husband, child and house isn’t interesting because I’m sure it is, but this woman’s story was booooring. She talked about how she and her feminist husband had made a plan where they would equally share childcare and household responsibilities, but the reality was actually quite different. She was still doing the lion’s share of the house cleaning and childcare (to the point that she started making a miles plan for all the work she did to earn herself a break). She goes back and forth a million times trying to figure out why and how this happened. I think she determined that it was mostly her fault for not being more greedy with her time because she was a freelance writer who worked from home and felt guilty choosing her work over her family. Even though I couldn’t relate to this woman’s story on any level, I do think I gained insight into the lives of some of my friends and understand a little more what they’re going through. Now if they could only understand what it’s like to be a single, dating woman in her late 20’s we might just have something to talk about.

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood- Rebecca Wells

Let’s here it for the girls! This is the sequel to Little Altars Everywhere (the book most of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood movie was based on). This story focuses more on Vivi and her life growing up and how the Ya-Ya Sisterhood was formed. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading and definitely recommend to all of my girlfriends.

Let my people go surfing (the education of a reluctant business man)- Yvon Chouinard

I’m sold. Where do I sign? In this book, the founder and owner of Patagonia Inc., details the history of the company and it’s philosophies (from production to human resources). He is fiercely passionate about environmental activism to the point that it seems to have shaped his religious and political views, and he shares it all in the book.

An active outdoorsman, Chouinard founded Patagonia accidentally when he started developing climbing gear for his own personal use before it even existed anywhere else. As climber friends started requesting his gear the demand mandated a more formal operation which evolved into the Patagonia you know today (well….for climbing equipment it‘s Black Diamond Ltd.).

I happened across this book after a segment on NPR about the corporate culture at Patagonia piqued my interest in working for the company. After reading it I am more determined than ever to land a job there. Contacts anyone?

Marching Powder- Rusty Young and Thomas McFadden

An amazing true story of a British drug trafficker arrested in Bolivia. He was assigned to San Pedro prison in La Paz where inmates lead nearly normal lives. Wives and children are allowed to stay the night with their husbands/fathers and leave the prison at will. Inmates are required to buy their own prison cells which more resemble apartments.

San Pedro prison is also where some of the best cocaine is manufactured. The narrator, Thomas, describes it all in detail. He also talks about how he fell into becoming a tour guide for the prison which was listed in Lonely Planet as a place to see. It was an absolutely fascinating book and a quick read. Definitely something I wasn’t ashamed to be caught reading at the airport.

Whiteman- Tony D’Souza

Another out of Africa book and typical Peace Corps read. This book is a fictional story about an NGO worker in Cote d’Ivore during tribal conflict. Most of the story the narrator recounts his village life and the goings-on there. Like many of the other books I read I felt as though I was reading about my life here….only this was written from a guy’s perspective and their lives are a little more….how would I describe it? “Colorful” than the lives of us gals. In any case it was a decent story and a I’d recommend it to guys and girls alike.

The Lost Continent- Bill Bryson

Yep. I liked Bill Bryson so much that I went ahead and read another book of his. This is his witty take on America as he takes a roadtrip across the country in search of the perfect small town. His descriptions of some towns are dripping with sarcasm that will make you laugh out loud, but during the parts of his trip he was bored, he bored me the reader as well. I guess that's fair enough. I liked best reading his thoughts on places I have actually been. I was laughing hysterically at his description of Mackinac Island. And for my LA friends, I can't resist including his bit on it here:

As I was so close to Los Angeles, I toyed with the idea of driving on in,
but I was put off by the smog and the traffic...I think it's only right that
crazy people should have their own city, but I cannot for the life of me see why
a sane person would want to go there.