Somehow the draft of this old post finally reappeared, though half of it is gone. So below you will find a small sampling of the books I read this summer. More recently though I finally read "The Rule of Four." It was worth the wait, and I thoroughly apologize to those who were trying to check it out of the WBF library last week. I know how frustrating it is to try and get this book. If you haven't read it yet, and plan to, my only advice is practice saying "Hypnerotomachia Poliphili" for a few weeks before you do so.

At this point in time, I am not reading as many novels as in the past. My reading selections have been veering toward the non-fiction section, as I prepare to take the GRE's. No I do not consider this studying on Shabbos! I chose my major because I find it interesting, and I choose my Shabbos reading because I find it interesting, so no conflict there. Now if you want to talk about whether one should be reading secular works on Shabbos at all, well that's an issue to discuss with your local orthodox rabbi.

So without further ado - here is my take (originally written several months ago) on a few of my simmer reading projects...

Anyone who knows me, knows that my weekend afternoons in the summer are generally spent reading. This summer was no exception. For those who also enjoy a good book, here's a brief rundown of what I have been reading...

The Coffee Trader By: David Liss I loved reading Liss's The Conspiracy of Paper and he didn't disappoint me with the Coffee trader. While set in the 17th Century Amsterdam, I found many of the daily dealings and issues every bit as applicable today. This book was hard to put down, and I will never look at my morning cup of coffee the same again.

White Coat: becoming a Doctor at Harvard Medical School By: Ellen Lerner Rothman, MD All I can say is Ugggh!!! How a woman who writes like this got through Harvard I will never know.

The Outside World By: Tova Mervis
This book is about a very "Modern Orthodox" family who's son becomes more religious and marries the "Yeshivish" daughter of a childhood friend. I found the characters a little too stereotypical, however I enjoyed this book. Especially given my diverse background, I felt that I could relate to all of the characters a little. This was definitely a good read.

Sorry - but that's all that survived. Perhaps I will find the time to write about all of the other wonderful (and not so wonderful) books I read last summer, but don't hold your breath.

Jenn