Long book…..but worth reading so far. I am about 2/3 through. The story is engrossing and entertaining. I had to do research to try and figure out how much of it is fact vs fiction. The author went through many of the experiences he writes about, but claims the characters are all fictional—so it is a mix of fact/fiction. Well-written, overall, and very worth reading.

I highly recommend reading this book!

The story of Greg Mortensen’s quest to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan is simply amazing. This is one of the most inspiring and uplifting books I have ever read.

I am craving Killer Shrimp—a small chain of restaurants in s. calif that serves only shrimp 3 ways (in broth w/ bread, w/ rice or w/ pasta). It is hot and spicy and sooooooo good. I haven’t had it in years but can almost taste it now.

This was not my favorite Picoult book, but it is worth reading. Especially timely with the recent Virginia Tech shootings. I am torn between a morbid fascination with the subject and a desire to avoid the topic altogether. One of my friends and neighbors has a son who is at Virginia Tech and was nearby at the time of the shootings. It has shaken them to the core, understandably. Anyway, the characters in the book did not grab me as much as some of her other books. The ending did not do justice to the time spent on developing some of the characters—it came too fast and seemed incomplete. I do find myself looking at my son and his friends now (5 years old) and wondering about how they will all turn out later on. What mistakes am I making? Do I worry too much or not enough about my son? The one thing I love about Jodi Picoult’s books is that I do pause and THINK about the topics she presents. She does a good job of presenting issues from all angles—so from that perspective I think it is worth reading.