Digging to America by Anne Tyler

Actually started this book as a Book on CD on a long drive. After listening to 60% of the book, the next disc was scratched which was devastating with hours left in the drive and a serious connection to the characters. I am not normally a fan of books on CD, but this is a good one. This was my introduction to Anne Tyler and I am very much looking forward to reading more of her novels.

The story of international adoption and the story of two families dealing with their new babies is a beautiful discussion of culture, family, love and "American". I would highly recommend this book, although I will warn you that you may not be able to get anything else accomplished after you start it.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien

As I read these books I cannot quite fathom why I avoided fantasy books as a kid. I will admit that I was willing to attempt to read these books as an adult BECAUSE OF my enjoyment of the movies. I cannot recall ever reading a book because I had watched the movie, and I have avoided watching certain movies because I don't want my mental images tweaked by Hollywood. But I know that without having watched the movies I would be hard pressed to keep many of the characters or locations clear. And truth be told I don't really mind picturing Viggo Mortensen or the beautiful New Zealand landscapes from the movies.

I started reading Book One on vacation in a log cabin without electricity surrounded by bucolic harmony. My passion and eagerness to read Two Towers and Return of the King has certainly diminished as I returned to modern life but I can imagine reading them again in a couple years.