"The Goldfinch" By Donna Tartt

Coming of age story that I wish I had written the review right after I read it, but it has almost been 2 months now. This story has so many layers (like an onion, but it doesn't stink). I really loved the author connecting actual art into a fictional story. There were sections of the book, mainly aspects of the main character that I didn't enjoy, but I thought the overall book was good. A few people that have read this book talk about how it goes on and on as if there is too much backstory. I agree that while you are reading this book, you can feel that way at times, but I also think the journey is part of the message in this book and it wouldn't be the same without it.

There are so many connections to birds and bird-like movements in this book. There is much discussion of death/decay, right from wrong, and the general idea of the meaning of life. This is not a light read, but it is intriguing and thought-provoking.

A few Excerpts:

"[the artist] He’s telling you that living things don’t last—it’s all temporary. Death in life. That’s why they’re called natures mortes. Maybe you don’t see it at first with all the beauty and bloom, the little speck of rot. But if you look closer—there it is."

"To understand the world at all, sometimes you could only focus on a tiny bit of it, look very hard at what was close to hand and make it stand in for the whole"

"All things fall and are built again." 

"The Broken Gun" By Louis L'amour

This book felt a little different from the majority of L'amour's books that I have read. It was set in modern day, but was still part of a story from the past. Part western, part action/adventure, and part mystery... this book has a little something for a lot of people. I really enjoyed it and it was a fast read.

A quote I enjoyed:

"Here and there some latecomer had dug into the piles looking for treasure, but there is no treasure to be found there except the treasure of wonder, and for that no man need dig…unless he digs within himself." – Louis L'amour in "The Broken Gun"

"Inferno" By Dan Brown

This book was amazing. It was a page turner starting on page 1! I'm wondering why I haven't read all of Dan Brown's books... this was my second or third.