I finished Cloud Atlas, and in the end, I did enjoy the matroyska analogy and how all the stories fit together, but it's still not enough to make it a permanent addition. Also, being hit over the head with how badly vulnerable people are treated was a downer.
Next up was Eat, Pray, Love. I didn't know anything about it other than that it was an Oprah book club pick, and I was a little leery of all the accolades. I admit that I had it in my mind that it would be self-indulgent and pretentious. I was right about the self-indulgent (but really, that could be said for any memoir), but it's definitely not pretentious. And some of it was interesting, especially the parts set in India. But I couldn't get past my dislike for the narrator personally. She just seemed to enjoy being a flake. I get self-deprecation, but this is another one that isn't going to get onto the bookshelf.
Right now, I'm reading Eighty Days, which is the story of Nellie Bly's race around the world. I discovered Nellie Bly when I was about 12, and she fascinated me. The idea of this crusader going undercover to expose wrongdoing was very appealing to me (her first New York assignment was to get herself committed to an insane asylum). What I didn't know (or maybe forgot) was that another young female reporter left New York at the same time, going West instead of East, also trying to beat the world record. I haven't finished it yet, but I'm enjoying it. It's not a novel, and a bit slow at times, but it is interesting.
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