Quick list of books I've read AND loved in the last six months...

I don't have time to do in-depth reviews, but I can definitely recommend these:

• Steve Jobs - not fantastic, but worth the read
• The Submission - very contrived premise, but solid characters and a nuanced story
• The Lost City of Z - fascinating
• Mission Al Jazeera - love this as I'm a huge fan of AJE and Josh is a great guy and a fantastic journalist and writer

Typekit @typekit

Typekit @typekit, a photo by donlbe on Flickr.

Ooooh, I love corporate signs - when they are done right.

Hugo using a knife. First time I've seen that.

Hugo using a knife. First time I've seen that, a photo by donlbe on Flickr.

I love this picture. He just picked up the knife and fork and went for it. Yes, he's a lefty.

I asked him if he had tried that before at school - "nope, never."

Some yummy mud :)

Some yummy mud :) cc @rcarver, a photo by donlbe on Flickr.

Testing out the share this functionality on flickr. Let's see how things are formatted, etc.

Quick Book Reviews - The Big Short & The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

As always, Michael Lewis' books read like fiction - both because they seem unreal and because they are pseudo page turners. The Big Short features rich / juicy characters and is an absolute must read for anyone that cares about the future of the global economy. 

A large percentage of scientific research is based on Henrietta Lacks' cancer cells. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks chronicles the history of the "HeLa line" and explores the moral issues surrounding tissue research. However, while fascinating, what sets this book apart is the story of Henrietta's family. The author profiles the family and tries to answer some of the following questions: How did they learn about their mother's cells? Are they angry? Are they proud? Have they benefited in any way?  Etc., etc.  

Quick book review - By Nightfall

After listening to an interview with the author on NPR, I decided to read By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham.

I found it to be very well written and a good character study. I loved the exploration of the main character's life, and while I wasn't as fond of the actual storyline, I still recommend it quite highly.

Quick book review - City of Thieves - thanks to @davidman for the rec.

City of Thieves is fantastic - it's rare that a book can be both a bit of a page turner and have insanely rich character development. Additionally, while I typically don't like period pieces, the WWII setting didn't bother me at all. So, just read it...

City of Thieves: A Novel