Five Perfect Book Covers

One of my favorite books of all time, "The Handmaid's Tale," presents a dystopian future in which the United States government is taken over by a far-right religious faction.

Men loyal to the cause are given positions in the government. Women, on the other hand, are limited in their options — they can be Marthas, Wives, Handmaids, or Hookers with few exceptions. Government officials and their wives need handmaids because of a population crisis in which most women are unable to conceive.

The book tells the story of one Handmaid, her confined life, and how she arrived at this point. Beautifully written, this book is as relevant today as when it was written.

Amazing story. Although I didn't enjoy the writing style, the topic of drug addiction was interesting and really did open my eyes and soften my heart to those affected. A story of growth, family, support, friends and life in general — a great beach read.

This is a premium book. I didn't want it to end and I didn't want to see the characters I loved be hurt. THAT is how you know a book has moved you. To the surprise of more than a few people, this is my introduction to Foer's work and I'm looking forward to reading his other book. However, I'm glad I read this one first as it gave me a chance to read a new style of writing. Its ability to capture what it feels like to love, lose, try, or fail made me remember what is so great about books in the first place. Just as music can sometimes bring an emotion without any words, sometimes the words in books can feel musical. (Does that make any sense?) I guess that's what reading "Everything is Illuminated" felt like to me: a kind of journey full of falsettos, crescendos, staccatos, and everything in between. If you're looking for a book to start off the new year, choose this one.

I have very specific memories of Jurassic Park.

First, it was in hardcover the summer of 1990 — the summer I first worked in a bookstore. It didn't seem to sell too much but the cover was very distinctive.

Second, I was on a weekend trip the winter of 1991/1992 with some friends. One of them literally entered the rental house with his nose in the paperback; he stumbled towards a chair and didn't move until he was done. He read the book in four hours, non-stop.

My sister then picked it up and did the same thing that night. And then I finally did so the next day.

But the story doesn't stop there! The book came home with me; a housemate picked it up and read it straight through. And it turns out he left it on the kitchen counter when he was home visiting his parents and his Mom picked it up late one night and read it straight through until dawn.

So as I think you can figure out by now, while it's not timeless prose, Jurassic Park is definitely one of the most addictive page-turners of the late 20th century. Don't say I didn't warn you. ;-)