Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford ***

I liked this book, but I found some of the writer's choices in conflict with my preferences (i.e. the way the chapters were broken up was too choppy, too repetitive throughout in general, I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't reading adolescent literature, the hotel mentioned in the title didn't seem to me to be more of a contrivance than an anchor in the story,etc.). But, with that said, it's a sweet story. If you're interested in reading a novel about the Japanese Americans who were persecuted during WWII, I would recommend Snow Falling on Cedars over this any day. But, those who don't like Snow, or who fancy young adult lit (Mom, I'm looking in your direction, here) would probably prefer this book to the other.

Maybe it's because I read it in a week when there was too much to do, so it felt more like I was doing it to do it, not doing it to enjoy it. One of the pitfalls of a goal like this, I think. But, it's just a year, and then I can go back to meandering through books. For now, I just want to prove to myself that I can do it. In any case, it's another book down ... only 35 books left! (Whew - for a moment there I thought I was going to have to invoke my Old Testament segments that I read last year for Sunday School as a "book." Though, come on ... I read a ton of it!)