Books of 2005 -- My Reads

2005 Reading - didn't date much, but I read. Here's the list and some of my reflections.

The Scarlet Letter (Hawthorne) -- I loved revisiting this classic, my life experiences since reading this in high school really made this a different novel.
Road Fever (Cahill) -- Fun little read about driving across the Western Hemisphere - from the tip of South America to the northern shore of Alaska.
The Paradox of Choice (Schwartz) -- Interesting, it seems that the more choices we have, the less happy we may be. Some good insight into why I am so easily confused with all the investment options and drinks available in the world.
Blue Shoes (LaMott) -- I liked the writer's style, but the story was not too compelling.
Without Conscience (Hart) -- Everything you need to know about the sociopathic mind. A bit dry, but perhaps useful. (At least I know I'm not one and you probably aren't one either.)
The Great Influenza (Barry) -- Fantastic history of the 1918 Flu. The third book I've read on the subject. I learned alot of the history of medicine in the US as well as the scope of this pandemic.
I, Fatty: a novel (Stahl) -- I always was always interested in the Fatty Arbuckle story, so I picked this one up. It's a fictional biography which wasn't that well written.
The Well of Lost Plots (Fforde) -- This carries on the Thursday Next series which I just love. Fun and clever, perfect for silly, over-read people like me.
Looking for Mr. Goodbar (Rossner) -- This novel & movie were intriguing to me when I was younger. A pretty good novel about a rather pitiful and dislikable woman. As a dateless wonder, I probably shouldn't have read this.
Bookmark Now (Smokler) -- A collection of essays about the current world of writing. Everyone says the book world is dead, but these writers disagree.
Little Children (Perrotta) -- Good current novel set in suburbia. Good for book groups.
The Island of Lost Maps (Harvey) -- Good non-fiction which combines the history of mapmaking with the tale of a map thief who stole maps all across America.
Kitchen Confidential (Bourdain) -- An insiders view of the restaurant world. A well written and fun read.
Something Rotten (Fforde) -- Another Thursday Next book, this time it's fun with Hamlet.
Blue Blood (Conlon) -- Biography of a 3rd generation New York Cop, who went to Harvard. Though interesting, I thought the writing was uneven - as if it were hurried to press.
The Speckled Monster (Carrell) -- Well researched and written account of the Small Pox and the beginning of innoculation. I just love those disease books.
1491 (Mann) -- Outstanding book! A review of modern research on Pre-Colombian America which offers real insight into the cultures of America. A must read because this isn't the story we got in school.
The Sunday Philosophy Club (Smith) -- I was disappointed in this little mystery. As the first book of a new series by the author of the #1 Ladies Detective Agency novels, I expected something more interesting.

Once again my reading has been all over the place; 8 fiction titles vs. 10 non-fiction. I just seem to pick up whatever looks good, no accounting for consistency. I guess this just fuels my wealth of trivial knowledge and hunger to read more.