17, 18, and 19...or how I am the most cynical person I know.

Finished three

more books: 
All were good stories, all by authors I love.  Pyramids was again very satirical, and enjoyable to read.  This time Pratchett was picking on the ancient Egyptian culture, and It was hilarious.  Most amusing were the names such as Ptraci, a belly dancer/ concubine and Djellibabie, the country she lived in.  Also the portrayal of Camels as incredibly rude, but exceptional at geometry.  The whole nation was saved by one such creature, who's name was "Old Bastard".  Enjoyable yet again.

Perfect Match was another Jodi Picoult novel.  Sidebar:(I'm using legalese since the main character is a lawyer and the court system features heavily in the novel) My sister met her this week. She got me a signed copy of 19 minutes, and asked Jodi some questions. She also told Jodi that she justified my sister as a reader. "What do you mean" said Jodi.  Bethany responded. "My sister is always telling me what to read.  She can speed read, and finds all these great authors.  You're the only one I've introduced her to"
Ok, this book bugged me.  For many reasons!  First of all the premise was too 'Law and Order ripped from the headlines'. In addition the person reading the book was from Australia and she her accent kept coming through in the worst places like pronouncing Valium with a strong a, like play, not cab.  By the time I was on the last cd (12 of them all together) I literally said "Oh thank GOD this is the last one".  Very glad I'm finished.

The Giver was an excellent book, however I didn't like the ending. Have any of you seen the movie "The Negotiator"  with Kevin Spacey?  In that movie the two main characters have an argument about the western "Shane". One sees it as hopeful, The cowboy hero riding off into the sunset, the other sees it as the sad ending.  The cowboy hero dead on the back of his horse after saving the people.  All depends if you're seeing the glass half full or half empty.
Guess which one I am.
Yeah.  I was all for this book, learning about Jonas's life. Watching him learn to see color, learning to experience love, getting the memories of the community that only the Giver carries.  However, when he leaves the community with the toddler Gabriel in tow, in an attempt to save his life, he embarks on an arduous journey that I believe took his life.
At the end of the movie, Jonas and Gabe are dehydrated, freezing, hungry, and walking up a mountain through snow. Then the ending gets purposefully vague, and yet hopeful, but I don't buy it.
You expect me to believe that just when he was dying that he found the sled of his memories, and slid down the hill to a city of his memories?  Yeah, that never happened.  I think he died.
Because I am the most cynical person I know.
Gaahh.