Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephan Dubner

Wow. This was such a fascinating book that I had to read it at all free moments of camp, and then finish it last night. Levitt is a economist who investigates a series of topics from real estate agents, the KKK, drug dealers, criminals, and the effects of names of children. He has plenty of data to back him up, making the book read more like an interesting case study on each of the topics, and it is not only easy to read, but grabs right out at you. It has very little to say about economics in the more traditional sense, as Levitt himself is a nonconformist one might say... Just fantastic, and I wholly recommend it to anyone. Really really.

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Ah. Recommended by an aunt, found to be wonderful. These are the types of books that I love. Plotline goes like this: All these rich, political people find themselves in a poor country celebrating a Japanese man's birthday, but then they get kidnapped by terrorists within the house. The terrorists want the president, who isn't there, and they keep the hostages for a good while. And what's a book like this without killing? Well you'd have to read to find out all about it. The characters are wonderfully portrayed, well written, and the writing about opera makes me wish I had gone once to see it myself. Oh yeah, they keep an opera singer in the house too, and she sang for the birthday party and then later while they were kept in the house too. An interesting play of characters, if not entirely believable... Great, just great.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

If you knew anything about me, you should have seen this post coming. Note that this book was long, yet I didn't want it to end. Aw. Now another 2 years until the seventh and final book comes out. Since I promised I wouldn't spoil it, let me just say that I was amazed at what happened and leave it at that. Anyone who talked to me about this book before it came out will know that I am deeply sad that they were right and I was wrong, however I'm still hopeful to the end. Stupid stupid characters. The book held my attention well, had it's high and low points, and was all in all better than the past few. Well written, and had a level of more maturity [as it should for we learned all this in "Economics and Children's Literature" class]. But it really was good, great, fabulous even. Read it or .. doom. haha. An interesting twist that no one saw coming and an ending to match all the greatest. Not just another wait...

The Grim Grotto by Lemony Snicket

Another audio book completed. You know how this series is progressing, and this one just matched the others. But the only problem is that this time it's the end for me. Or I'm out of these on audiobook downloaded from somewhere, so now I actually have to find out if there's another one in the series written already... oh boy.

Ya-Yas in Bloom by Rebecca Wells

Ah. If you've loved the other ya-ya books, then you'll like this one too. To recap: the first ya-ya book was awesome, the second (little alters everywhere) was semi-depressing, and sort of ruined the first, becuase it told you how really messed up everyone was. And then we get to this one, the third book -- which was great, and although it goes off onto the 2nd and 3rd generation of the ya-yas, it was great nonetheless. So, if you'd liked the others, you'll like this one too. Yay for the ya-yas.