Return of the Bird Tribes by Ken Carey

Evidently this lyrical and mythological tale has a cult following. For me, it was a hard book to read because I am not fond of fantasy and don't like the idea of angels (which in this case are birds.) I can admit to unknown forces in the universe, but to anthropomorphize them seems silly. However, beneath the mythological fluff of Carey's work there is a solid base of spiritual insight, summed up nicely on p. 169: "... all creatures inhabit and live within a single field of shared consciousness ... all are projections of a single Being ... all of us ... are differentiated aspects of one conscious and coherent whole." I am glad I pushed myself through Return of the Bird Tribes, but will probably not recommend it to others because the mythology is a little too woo-woo (not to say distasteful) to me.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

Silas is a black deputy sheriff and Larry is a white mechanic in a small Mississippi town where their separately lived adult lives hide the fact that as young boys they were close friends. A lonely odd duck, Larry was blamed for the unproven death of a girl who went missing some twenty years earlier. The men's lives begin to come together after a second girl disappears. Larry, once again, takes the blame, and Silas takes on the task of solving the crime. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter not only gives us a good who-dunnit, but also impels us to think about social ostracism, race relations, and male friendship.

Apron Anxiety; My Messy Affairs In and Out of the Kitchen by Alyssa Shelasky

For a true inside look at what goes on the the life of a single woman in her twenties and thirties, Shelasky's memoir is excellent. Readers are in the mind of an energetic and witty young woman whose post-college adventures sound a little like Bridget Jones Diary. We hold her hand as she bumps through various romances always hanging on to her long established identity as a writer. Her career has her associating with famous people and sophisticated events, and this is fun to watch. But the crux of her life during this period is her relationship with a young man she refers to as The Chef. A fun read with some good recipes buried in the text.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Covering both the personal and professional, Isaacson gives his readers a well rounded look at the famous Mr. Jobs. This biography is neither overly sympathetic nor too critical of its subject. Apple's founder is described as a harsh and difficult person at times and Isaacson struggles to understand his complex personality. In doing so he portrays a brilliant college drop-out who is an impeccable craftsman and loves being at the intersection of engineering and the arts. The book is a tad too long, but Isaacson has done a wonderful job with what must have been mountains of information. Jobs cooperated with his biographer and lets his portrait show the painful and not-so-nice aspects of his personality and life.