More About Books

I've been at home for the past three weeks with a fractured knee cap, so, as you may imagine, I have been doing lots of reading. Some teen books, some adult. Ones I've especially liked are Slam by Nick Hornby (teen) about a young man whose life revolves around skating (on a board, not the ice), until, at 16, his girlfriend finds herself pregnant. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie (also teen) was a pleasant surprise. The cover and the title didn't appeal to me, but the story is charming; profound and funny at the same time, while taking on a number of serious issues with a light touch (alcoholism among Native Americans for example). On a different note, I read and enjoyed the adult memoir by A.J.Jacobs called The Year of Living Biblically. With the writing of this book in mind, Jacobs set out to follow all of ther directives in the bible for one year, turning him from an average American into a white robe-wearing weirdo with a flowing beard who refuses to touch women. His attempt to determine what the bible requires of him takes him to the Amish, Christian evangelicals, orthodox Jews and eventually Jerusalem. He is both irreverant and sincere, and I enjoyed accompanying him on his year of discovery.