14: Word Freak, Stefan Fatsis

Recommended by Ken in his blog or book somewhere, and Jai has challenged me to an online Scrabble game (on facebook, of all places), so this seemed like a good pick. And luckily it indeed is good enough to read cover-to-cover in one labo(u)r day weekend. (With Audrey in Orange County I have nothing better to do than read and clean the apartment—guess which one doesn't get done?)

Does the author's obsession with his ranking become annoying? Yes. Does his slip-up about "creating more neurons" make me scoff? Naturally. By the end of the book, am I reminded of James McManus's attitude in Positively Fifth Street? Yes (and, no, that's not good at all, people). Did it make me want to play Scrabble? Indeed it did, and that's enough for me.