From the Stacks Challenge: Book #1

Slowly but surely I'm reading through my Stack. I finished Heaven Lake by John Dalton over the weekend. I had started this book about a year ago and then set it down. I'm glad I picked it back up. It was a great story once I got into it and got used to Dalton's story-telling style. He unfolds the plot and characters so gradually that you almost don't realize what's happening until you're in the middle of it. It's a pleasant surprise, despite the work it takes to get there. My favorite part of the story is the cultural discovery that the main character goes through. His travels are interesting, to say the least, and the emotional, spiritual and intellectual evolution he goes through as he treks across China is a wonderful illustration of humanity at its best and worst. If you're ok with a slowly developed story, I'd recommend you add this one to your To Be Read list.

I'm also halfway through Tough Choices by Carly Fiorina. I started it around the same time as Heaven Lake. I'm normally not a double-fisted reader, but it's not too bad when I'm reading one novel and one non-fiction book. At least that way I don't get plots confused. So I'm now that I'm done with Heaven Lake, I'm probably going to start The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult. I feel like I'm making more progress if I'm working on two books at a time. It might not actually get me through them faster, but at least I feel more productive.