Vacationing Student Seeks Book Recommendations

Yesterday Shad was dropping me off at school and we decided to get coffee beforehand. I generally refuse to get coffee at the Starbuckies on 11th street because the crazy lady who works there messes the drinks up more often than not. But Shad has never taken my advice on this issue, so I felt ever-so-vindicated when his drink got screwed up three times and fifteen minutes later we had to go somewhere else to get the coffee. For those of you who are aware of (or indeed, have been the beneficiary of) my Starbucks complaint racket, know that the genesis of the whole thing was the opening of this 11th street store, which has always been pure crap. I have lodged several complaints against this Starbucks on behalf of myself and my classmates, demanding a mere 50% of the proceeds (i.e. coupons) for my services.

So I ended up in the school library at 1:30 yesterday and found a table on the third floor. It was there that I entered into an amazing time warp. When 1:30 a.m. rolled around, I realized that I had been sitting in the same exact place for an entire 12 hours, having gotten up just once to use the rest room. I didn't even get up to get a drink or eat dinner. I am truly mindblown by this because I am generally such a spaz and get distracted by every little thing; at work I get up once or twice an hour to get a drink, wander around, pee, whatever. Fascinating. I haven't been so focused since the time I experimented with some of G's ADD meds thinking they might help me focus on my exam-studying but instead of studying I stepped outside and went for a 2-1/2 hour walk along the banks of the St. Croix river in the middle of a freezing winter night. I only realized when I returned that it was 10 degrees outside. At the time it felt like the best thing ever. That also was kind of a time-warpy experience. I digress.

Anyhoo...I need some book recommendations, people. I'm leaving town on Monday evening, and will be spending Tuesday - Saturday with my family. We will be on a houseboat for most of the week. I plan to pack a ton of books. Will finally finish God of Small Things. My friend Bruce is loaning me Anonymous Lawyer, which I've been dying to read. Am thinking of also bringing Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Julie, you just finished this right? Is it good?) and The Known World. Am kinda hungry for a good nonfiction, any recommendations? Am also kinda hungry for something that will make me cry my eyes out, not cheesy cries (a la Kite Runner; Atonement), but good, from-the-soul cries (a la Bitter Grounds). Or maybe it's time to read the Grisham. I even got a super-cheesy paperback copy so I can feel especially ghetto when I read it. I've been putting that off like bad medicine. I think I have to read something I already own, though, because once again I have a library fine situation (MIL: I know, I know!). I think I owe the Minneapolis Public Library about fifty bucks. And the Brookdale library is completely out of the question. That fine is at $260, I think. So, any recommendations?

Well, back to work. Am working on a really fun project. Really. Also, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I am finishing up my very last work assignment today.