So Many Books, So Little Time

From Goodreads:  Jen Lancaster hates to burst your happy little bubble, but life in the big city isn't all it's cracked up to be. Contrary to what you see on TV and in the movies, most urbanites aren't party-hopping in slinky dresses and strappy stilettos. But lucky for us, Lancaster knows how to make the life of the lower crust mercilessly funny and infinitely entertaining. Whether she's reporting rude neighbors to Homeland Security, harboring a crush on her grocery store clerk, or fighting-and losing-the Battle of the Stairmaster- Lancaster explores how silly, strange, and not-so-fabulous real city living can be. And if anyone doesn't like it, they can kiss her big, fat, pink, puffy down parka. My Thoughts:  I love Jen Lancaster!  She is absolutely hysterical and her sarcasm just blows my mind.  This is the third book of hers that I have read and I would never have started reading her books if someone had not given me Bitter is the New Black in a book exchange...

From Goodreads:  In a contested, lawless region between Moldova and Ukraine known as Transnistria, a tightly knit group of "honest criminals"—exiled there by Stalin-live according to strict codes of ritualized respect and fierce loyalty. Here, tattoos tell the story of a man's life, "honest" weapons are separated from "sinful" ones, and authority is always to be distrusted. Beyond the control of any government and outside the bounds of "society" as we know it, these men uphold values including respect for elders and an unwavering adherence to the truth with passion-and often by brute force.  My Thoughts:  As someone who is intrigued by all things Russian, this was a really interesting read for me.  I won it on Goodreads and really didn't know what to expect when I started reading it.  I honestly don't know how much of it is fact and how much is fiction (the author's note says some tales are made up) but the author provides t...