The Weekly Read: 9

Another week, and two more books read. I'm happy to say that I am on track to read 100 books this year, yay! Hopefully I can keep it up.

READ: Bonk | Mary Roach

My expectations were too high for this one. Last spring, I read Mary Roach's first book, Stiff, and loved it. Unfortunately, Bonk just doesn't live up.  It was a much drier and slower read, and overall, I just wasn't as entertained. There were, of course, interesting parts, and Roach certainly goes all out in pursuit of her subject, but in the end, there just wasn't enough to say. This book probably would have benefited from having more studies to talk about, but the problem is, there just isn't that much serious research going on about sex. And despite Roach's claims that it's just as important as other medical research, I remain unconvinced.

READ: Watership Down | Richard Adams

This is a book that under my previous reading system, I never would have finished. If I got bored with a book, I would stop reading it for a while, and never pick it up again. And I would have missed out, because this truly is a great book. The first 20% was slow, and I was afraid the only plot was going to be bunnies hopping from field to field. Guess what? I was wrong. As soon as the group of rabbit refugees reach Cowslip's mysterious warren, things start to get exciting, and the following 400 pages are filled with as much conflict and tension as any action movie. You grow to love these characters as you would any other, human or not. Each one brings different skills and personalities to the group; without each one, the group as a whole might not have survived. This book is not just about rabbits; it's about surviving adversity through perseverance, cleverness, and sheer heart. It's about not compromising on what you know you deserve out of life.  The is one of the books on the Lost List: Sawyer is seen reading it on the beach during a couple of episodes in season 1, and Boone later claims that he brought it with him to read in Australia.  The book's thematic connection to Lost is especially strong during the first few seasons, when a lot of the survivors' time was spent doing just that: surviving. As in the book, the group is full of unique characters that each bring something different to the table, and they must band together to face adversaries that seem at times both mysterious and other-worldly strong. I would definitely recommend this book, and not just to fans of Lost.

That's it for this week. I'm not exactly sure what I'll read in the next week, but I'm thinking of reading a couple of books by David Maine that I've been looking forward to: The Preservationist and The Book of Samson. Happy Reading!