In the Picture - Lee Friedlander

What a great collection from the fabulously whimisical photographer.  Seeing Friedlander's self-portraits over a 50 year span makes this book self-biographical.  Always exploring and challenging concepts of self-portraiture, Friedlander has been a huge influence on photography--maybe even moreso today with digital cameras, smart phones, and programs like instamatic.

Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

Modern Photography in Japan - 1915-1040

Let the Great World Spin - Colum McCann

A powerhouse of a book about New York City.  From the man who walked a tightrope between the twin towers in the 1970s to fascinating characters in the city, this book is is exquisite and moving.  McCann is a great writer who has written a great book that examines the pulse of New York.  Highly recommended.

Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami

Train Dreams - Denis Johnson

This short novel is filled with complex emotions, unique characters, and a story that will stays long after you finish the last page--in other words, it is a great book.  I couldn't believe the impact that is achieved in so few words.  It as gritty and tough as the old days on the railroad it encompasses.

White Noise - Don DeLillo

The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien

A novel told in a series of short stories.  It is a war, it is Vietnam, it is ugly, it is surreal, it is real.  O'Brien has written a book that will stop you in your tracks.  Devastating and tender, it is simply superb.

The Sound of Waves - Yukio Mishima

The Maid - Kimberly Cutter

The author claims that Joan of Arc was the greatest woman in history and after reading this book, I don't disagree.  Many have written about this amazing woman, but this novel brings to life the young girl who lead an army.  Cutter sticks to historical facts as she imagines Joan's life in this novel.  It quickly becomes a page-turner even though we all know the story.  The author has a wonderful style and the ability to involve the reader into what is perhaps the most real retelling of this tale.  It is blunt and gruesome in parts, but how could it not be describing that period in time.  An excellent book!

Let America Be America Again - Langston Hughes

This short book of poetry (21 pages) is a stirring collection of Hughes poems about America.  He notes the disconnection of the land of the free not being free for blacks, but remains optimistic that America can be what it dreams.  Langston Hughes is one of America's great poets and this short collection reflects his wonderful skills as a writer.

Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino

There are so many great books, but this one stands out among them for me.  Calvino has a spectacular mind and an ability to express himself in the most fascinating ways.  He seems to define creativity in this book.   This short book encompasses a vast array of thoughts about how we see and experience the world.  By focusing on different visions of a city, in this case, Venice, the author playfully examines the interaction of humans with cities.  Marco Polo sits in deep discussions with Kublai Khan...how can this book not intrigue the reader?  This book belongs on my desert island list.

Thousand Cranes - Yasunari Kawabata

One of Japan's greatest writers tells a complex tale in this classic book.  In a very simple and elegant style, deep emotions and complex human relationships are uncovered.  The Japanese tea ceremony is a focal point and provides a contrast between a deeply calm, reflective space and the many ways humans disturb that seemingly simple state.  Deceptively short in length, this book tells a deeply complex story with many surprises for the reader.

Just Kids - Patti Smith

This book surprised me.  I liked it much more than I expected to.  Patti Smith is a wonderful writer and tells us about a fascinating period in her life.  This autobiographical novel depicts the development of two artists, her and Robert Mapplethorpe, as they seek fame and expression in New York City in the 1970s.  It is a very touching story of friendship and mutual support for artist creativity.  The book also covers the craziness of two young people dedicated to their art while trying to make it in a harsh city.  Filled with many famous people, the book remains true to itself by remaining the tale of two kids holding to their visions. 

Crossing to Safety - Wallace Stegner

I don't know that I have ever read anything by Stegner that wasn't beautifully written and engaging.  This book is no exception.  A simple tale of the frienship of two couples over a period of time, Stegner as usual, is able to create a story that stimulates the reader with his great writing style and ability to create great characters.  I enjoyed this book from beginning to end and found myself smiling at passages expertly composed and drawing into the book.  Another fine example of what made Stegner one of America's great writers.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 - Adobe Press

This educational, "Classroom in a Book" published by Adobe to train people new to Lightroom 3 is excellent.  It includes a CD with photos to use in each of 10 lessons.  The exercises are easy to follow while providing a very thorough demonstration of all of the features of Lightroom 3.  For anyone serious about photography, Lightroom 3 is a must, and this book is a great way to learn the complexities and great tools of this software.

The Lemon Table - Julian Barnes

The Lemon Table is a collection of short stories about aging.  Barnes is inventive with these stories and they are a pleasure to read.  Both amusing and thought-provoking, it is a great collection by a great writer.  These stories are so rich in the breadth of emotion and originality that they often feel like individual novels more than short stories.

Touched by Sucide - Michael Myers

How does one explain the inexplicable? Make sense of the senseless? Speak about the unspeakable? When someone you know and love dies by suicide, these and many more questions--an avalance of questions--take over your life.  Suicide is a death like no other. It is deliberate and chosen. Is it rational? Rarely. Desparate? Always. Ignited by internal pain, suffering and absense of hope? Almost always. And it always leaves behind a legacy of mystery and devastation. Suicide touches you and you are never the same.                                                                                                                              This is an excellent book for those touched by suicide.  In a very straight-forward style it presents a lots of information, dispels many myths, and provides comfort for those surviving.  I like the casual format with a lot of first person stories.

Edible Stories - Mark Kurlansky

You know you are on the edge when you live in Seattle, with nothing more to the continent than Puget Sound. The sound looks like a white-gray sheet of aluminum, often stained slighthly darker by ripples of rain, as though the rain had gotten the water wet. ...If it were true, as was once believed, that you could fall off the edge of the world and be devoured by a giant turtle, Seattle would be a place where that might happen.

I loved this funny and inventive novel told in sixteen parts.  Each part is a stand-alone chapter based on a different edible item.  Original and well-written, it is hard to imagine anyone not enjoying this book.

Edward Weston - Manfred Heiting

Edward understood thoughts and concepts which dwell on simple mystical levels. His own work- direct and honest as it is -  leaped from a deep intuition and belief in forces beyond the real and the factual.

This is a great small compilation of Weston's work in the Taschen Icon series.  It is small in size, but the quality is excellent, especially considering the inexpensive price.  An article on Weston written by Ansel Adams provides insight into this great and ground-breaking photographer.