footnotes in gaza

I read "Footnotes in Gaza" - a graphic journalistic book about a massacre of 111 Palestinians in 1956. Joe Sacco is a comic book war correspondent. It was quite wrenching and piqued my interest in the Palestine/Israeli conflict. I have been to Israel and learned about the history from their point but this incident was new to me. It's so desperately sad as a topic and brilliantly portrayed in graphic form. I may read his other works as well. I find the graphic novel is a good way to make a story fresh.

On a completely different note, I read "The Secrets to Happiness" by Sarah Dunn. I loved her previous novel "The Big Love" and lapped up this book as well. She enlarges the cast of characters - including a somewhat unlikeable guy named Leonard with drug issues - and it's mostly about Holly's relationship with the man that her friend Amanda had an affair with. Anyway, it was witty and enjoyable.

food rules

I read "Food Rules" by Michael Pollan. It's a list of memorable standards for what to eat. I thought it was indispensible. Spend as much time eating your meal as you did cooking it. The whiter the bread, the sooner you're dead. Don't get your fuel from the same place your vehicle does.

"Homeport" by Nora Roberts is a romance novel I read in college and wanted to read again. It was very enjoyable - redhaired art historian falls in love with art thief and they have to find the killer... It's a Snickers for the brain.

"One Hundred Demons" by Lynda Barry is a comic about things she is ashamed of - I actually put it down because the first discussion was about fleas. Just distasteful.

"In The Town All Year Round" by Rotraut Berner is a utterly delightful picture book with colored pencil drawings of a happy, picturesque, busy town. People go to the park, to the train station, chase a dog, have a birthday party. It's totally adorable and I want to move into this friendly German town!

Currently I'm reading "Cutting for Stone" by Verghese. It's already amazingly good.