The Sunday Salon: Three Books in Three Weeks?

I've been a s-l-o-w reader lately, and suddenly I am faced with the need to read, and quickly! I have three new books that are in high demand at our local library, which means they won't be able to be renewed: The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver; Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger; and Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol.

I really only have about 50 pages left in The Lacuna, and I intend to do some serious lounging and reading on this rainy afternoon. I was afraid that I wouldn't have a terribly positive review of Kingsolver's most recent, but I've read the stage at last that I am anxious to pick it up and start reading. The book definitely isn't as riveting as The Poisonwood Bible or her earlier works, but I'll be able to happily recommend it.

I hope to get to Niffenegger's book by tomorrow and get that read this week. My biggest challenge will be staying awake for more than 15 minutes each night when I go to bed to read. I may have to start drinking coffee after dinner…

That leaves Dan Brown's new book. I anticipate that this will be a fast and easy read after being mentally challenged by Kingsolver and Niffenegger. Brown's all about plot for me; it's not about the careful turn of a phrase or the poetry of prose. And that can be a good thing every now and then.

The one new release I've got to get my hands on is John Irving's Late Night in Twisted River. Perhaps that will be my first book of the new year. And I must say, Irving would be a great way to start a new year of reading!