  Books Read in 2003 I was hoping to add a couple more to this list before the year ended, but I've given up hope of doing that since I've been busy house cleaning all weekend. I still have more cleaning to do and I also have band practice on Tuesday, so I don't see any reading time anytime soon. So, without any further ado, here is the list of books I've read in 2003: 1) "Helter Skelter" by Vincent Bugliosi Very good, very interesting book. Recommended. 2) "My Point...And I Do Have One" by Ellen Degeneres Hilarious book! I laughed a lot while reading this one.
Recommended. 3) "The Sheppard Murder Case" by Paul Holmes It's a well written and interesting book, but it's outdated and slanted too much in favor of Sam Sheppard's innocence. I did a lot of research after reading it and found that the book left out a lot. I think Sheppard did it. Not really recommended. 4) "The Stand" by Stephen King Very good book!
It's a long one, but it held my attention throughout. I read the regular version, not the even longer unedited version. Recommended. 5) "Death Of A Salesman" by Arthur Miller It's a classic American play. Recommended. 6) "Once A Warrior King" by David Donovan Very interesting book.
It's the Vietnam war through the eyes of an American "Advisor". Recommended. 7) "Proof" by Dick Francis It was like reading a TV murder-mystery. I didn't like the ending much, but otherwise, it was a fairly enjoyable read. Not really recommended. 8) "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley Much different than I'd seen in the movies.
Frankenstein's monster is more human here. Very good book. Recommended. 9) "The Amityville Horror" by Jay Anson I did a lot of reserach on the story while reading it and learned that the whole story has proven to be fraudulent (no surprise there). It's all one big con. The story is pretty creepy though, and if you can overlook the fact that the story is a crock, it might be worth reading.
Still, not really recommended. 10) "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo I have a tough time with this one. I saw the film before I read the book so I was expecting to read about the relationship between Jean Valjean and Fantine but there was nothing there. In the film, they had a relationship, in the book, they really didn't. To me, the relationship is a necessity because it explains why he did what he did for her (rescued and cared for her daughter). I don't know whether or not to recommend the book.
It's a definite classic, it's a great story, and it's a very well written book, but if you've seen the movie, you may be left scratching your head like me. 11) "Lord Of The Flies" by William Golding This is another classic and deservedly so. My niece read it shortly after me and she hated it. Of course, she was expected to pick out and understand all of the underlying subtext whereas I just read it for the story. It's good story. Recommended.
12) "Miss America" by Howard Stern I read "Private Parts" a few years ago and I got a lot of laughs from it. I hardly laughed at all reading this one. It seems like nothing more than an ego-trip and a cash-in on the success of the previous book. Not recommended. 13) "Different Seasons" by Stephen King I loved this book! Great stories!
How many books out there have inspired three different movies ("The Shawshank Redemption", "Apt Pupil", and "Stand By Me")? Definitely recommended. 14) "No Shirt, No Shoes... No Problem! " by Jeff Foxworthy I was expecting a lot more laughs from this one, instead I get more info than I need about his sexual adventures. Not recommended. 15) "Carrie" by Stephen King Good book, very well written.
Recommended. 16) "Dracula" by Bram Stoker Like "Frankenstein", it wasn't exactly what I'd expected. It was pretty neat how it was written, as a series of diary entries from the primary characters. Dracula himself was different than expected too. Very good book. Recommended.
17) "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" by Dee Brown Very good, very moving book. It made me sad, but the stories are important and I think this should be a mandatory read in every high school. Recommended. I have a ton of books on deck for 2004 already, now I just have to set aside the time to read them all! 
