Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Rocky Mountain News favorite books of 2006

Several books in the "page 69" series earned a listing among the Rocky Mountain News favorite books of 2006, including:
Augusta Locke, by William Haywood Henderson
Set in the early 1900s, Henderson's emminently readable tale revolves around Gussie Locke, who leaves her Greeley home as a young girl, becomes pregnant and raises her daughter on the Western plains in a hard-scrabble existence.

The Good, Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood, by Sy Montgomery
A heartwarming account of the 14 years Montgomery spent raising her pet pig, Christopher Hogwood, from runt to 700- pound local celebrity.

Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City, by Jed Horne
An editor of The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune offers an epic look at the destruction that Hurricane Katrina wrought on New Orleans and paints a devastating picture of governmental breach of faith.

Who Are You People?: A Personal Journey Into the Heart of Fanatical Passion in America, by Shari Caudron
This funny, insightful book explores the lives of Barbie-doll collectors, tornado chasers, board-game aficionados and other fanatics, offering a peek into these unusual worlds and revealing a subset of folks who are simply looking for a place to belong.
Among the many other titles which caught my eye:
Anonymous Lawyer, by Jeremy Blachman
Harvard law grad Blachman skewers his profession with slash-and-burn ferocity in his often hilarious first novel, told through the anonymous blog and emails of a lawyer at a prestigious law firm who exposes the miserable realities of day-to-day life at the top and confesses his many, many sins.
--Marshal Zeringue