Rant by Chuck Palahniuk

I tried. I tried to read this book for months. I couldn't get through it. I was kind of hoping that everyone would forget that I was supposed to read it and maybe I could get away with not reading it at all. It didn't really happen that way.

Let me tell you what I did like about it. It's not a regular book. It's told in interviews and really has no plot, just stories that people tell about this person. I really enjoyed that view into his character and the way people thought about him and what he had done.

Now, let me tell you what I didn't like. Everyone in the book had a different name for the guy. It would be like interviewing my mom and her calling me one thing (I won't tell you her nickname for me) and then talking to my best friend about me, who calls me something completely different, and then asking my co-workers about me, and they use my proper name. It was very confusing.

Then there are these little symbols after the names of the people speaking. They aren't really explained and I didn't really know what they were doing there or what they meant.

I think I might not be a Chuck Palahniuk fan. I know, it's a curse to not like such great literature, but it's something I think I can live with. I promise, one day, there will be a book I will like.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

*Spoiler Alert* I will tell you the whole plot in this post!

Chick lit is a great escape for those of us who read a lot of different books. I have to say, sometimes I really like to read books that I don't really have to think about. This was not one of those books. I did not like this book at all.

Rebecca Bloomwood is dissatisfied with her life, her job, and, well, pretty much everything. She starts the book badly by getting credit card bills that she can't afford. At this point, I'm sure I'm supposed to feel sympathy for her, but I can't. She decides that to fix this, she needs to buy more things and the book just gets worse from there. She dates a guy who she hates just because he has money. Then she looks through his checkbook while at dinner. Again, I'm sure I'm supposed to feel sorry for her, but I don't. She consoles herself by spending more money. She has no idea how to fix her problems and does not succeed in doing anything but getting herself in deeper with her problems by running her mouth and not listening to anyone. Oh, and running up her credit cards.

In the end Rebecca Bloomwood is a girl I would never be friends with, can't identify with, and grew to dislike. I'm sure Sophie Kinsella didn't mean for this to happen. The only redeeming quality of the book was that is was easy to read and fairly well written. I am sure she has written other things that I might enjoy. Perhaps I will pick up one of those someday.