Pick it up and read

I love, love, love reading. That's probably why I majored in English in college. I have tons of books on my shelves, some that I've never even read. I also have a collection of my favorite author, Sidney Sheldon. Anyway, I've picked out three fiction books that I've recently read that are interesting reads. Enjoy!

FlashForward by Robert J. Sutton
I'm currently in the process of reading this book and so far I'm very impressed. I've been following the series on ABC, but it's always interesting to compare the TV/Movie to the book. Surprisingly, this has definitely stood up to the challenge, as it's just different enough from the series to be engaging.

The book, unlike the series, focuses on a freak event that occurs one day where the entire human population blacks out for under 2 minutes and sees a glimpse of their "future" in 20 years (the series does a FlashForward of 6 months).

The book makes the reader think. What would the reader do if this situation occurred? What kind of ramifications would it have for different people? Some may be comforted, some disturbed, some might not have a FlashForward at all.

I recommend this book because it's an easy and fast read, but it'll definitely get you thinking.


The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Most people have seen this movie (which is actually my favorite). It's another case of the book and the movie both being good because the movie is just different enough from the book.

For those not familiar with the story, "Let me 'splain. No, no, there is to much, let me sum up."

Buttercup thinks that her true love, Westley has died at the hands of a pirate. So she agrees to marry a Prince (who is marrying her to start a war). She is kidnapped and, surprise!, her beloved rescues her only for them to be torn apart again. Westley dies (again), but comes back to life just in time to storm the castle with a Spaniard and a giant from Greenland to be reunited with his love.

The thing that I love about this book is that it's written as a book within a book, which is a real treat and something you have to read to truly understand and appreciate.


The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Okay, so Dan Brown has been hyped up a lot with the success of The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons (and I'm sorry to say, the movies didn't live up to my expectations). Working at a bookstore, the two most common questions I got were, "When is Da Vinci Code coming out in paperback?" and "When is Dan Brown putting out a new book?" Finally, Robert Langdon's third adventure is here.

I'll be the first to admit that Brown's style is written for the everyday person, but he tells a great story.

Langdon is tricked into coming to Washington D.C. to help find a hidden key to infinite wisdom that's been guarded by the Free Masons for hundreds of years.

Touching on history, science, and art, Brown has created a page turner and wraps things up with a nice ending. If you're looking for a nice thriller and don't mind a little blood, and a little Googling to look up the art and locations he describes, then this is a great book for you.