What I Read on My Summer Vacation, Part II:

A Personal Devil by Roberta Gellis: I am not sure where I picked this mystery up, but the main "detective" is a medieval English whoremistress named Magdalene. The story was surprisingly good and I liked the details of daily life. Good beach read and I will look for others in the series.

Eats, Shoots, and Leaves by Lynne Truss: This audio from the Reading Room is the original BBC series on punctuation and is quite entertaining and informative--here is a fun, online quiz based on the book. I'm probably the last person on earth to discover this but the title refers to a joke about a panda. The author was originally outraged and inspired by all of the misspelled signs in the world.

• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: This is a wonderful and moving book. Set in Afghanistan and the United States, the story revolves around Amir, the son of a wealthy and larger-than-life father, and Hassan, his servant and best friend. The descriptions of political turmoil and daily life in Afghanistan were eye-opening and the character development was masterful. This was one of those rare reads that I had to stay awake to finish. Kite Runner is heartbreaking in several ways--the failings of human character, the horror of "collateral damage," and the triumph of love. Get on the reserve list for this one.
  
• Sand in My Bra by Jennifer Leo: Short essays on travel by women. Most interesting so far were Ellen DeGeneres' account of how she copes with fear of flying and the title essay about The Burning Man festival. So-so, easy to pick up and put down.
  
• Book Lust by Nancy Pearl: Nancy Pearl is the model for the famous librarian action figure and writes various readers advisory columns. This book wasn't quite what I expected, but is quite a useful tool for those seeking book suggestions. The entries are very brief, almost list-like, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Looking for "Great Dogs in Fiction?" "Pawns of History?" Lots of categories and lots of suggestions.
  
• What have you been reading? Share by posting a comment below.