Want to Read: Richard Barnes - Animal Logic

Richard Barnes photographs things I'd like to photograph: dioramas, animal skulls, bird migrations, nests.

Want to Read: Aimee Bender - The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

A girl who senses the emotional origins of food upon tasting it. Sounds a bit magical.

Want to Read: Tom Bissell - Why Video Games Matter

This book looks interesting - the world of gaming is maturing. Is it capable of real artistic achievement? The review is promising - Bissel is an editor at Harper's, and he teaches fiction - he should have a good perspective.

Want to Read: Vaclav Smil - Global Catastrophes and Trends, The Next 50 Years

Margaret Wente recommended Vaclav Smil. And although I often disagree with Wente's political stance, I love the way she makes me re-think issues. So if she thinks Smil is worth reading, he probably is.

Read: Dan Brown - The Lost Symbol

I might never have read this book if left to my own devices. I did read The Da Vinci Code, but that was due to a misadventure with a Mexican shopping mall, a Spanish-subtitled movie, and a lack of English book selection - I found the plot gripping but the writing wasn't terribly enjoyable.

However, a friend recommended this book because of its history of Washington DC and its landmarks. And since we're about to be spending several weeks there, I thought I'd read it as a primer for sight-seeing - and it worked. I'm much more keen on seeing some of the government buildings than I would have been otherwise.