tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64705154379019427792024-03-05T01:07:46.958-05:00The Plumsock Road Book ClubElizabeth Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019916259737155294noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-72941913652883573392011-07-12T12:22:00.000-04:002011-07-12T12:22:57.196-04:00Vacation readingI was very sensible this year, and took only 5 books along on vacation. To my horror, I read only one. I can't remember the last time I read only one book in that long a time! It's the knitting, I tell you -- it's ruining me as a reader.<br />
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What, you ask breathlessly, was the lucky book? It's a book I'd read before but didn't remember completely: <i>The Year of Pleasures,</i> by Elizabeth Berg. (Sounds like it should be soft porn, but it's nothing of the sort.) I like her work a lot; this one is not the book I remembered and thought I had with me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.<br />
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What did I intend to read? Well, <i>War and Peace,</i> and <i>Nicholas Nickleby,</i> of course! Because those are always on my list, even though I let them stay home this year. And <i>To Kill a Mockingbird,</i> which I last read over 40 years ago. That stayed home, too, by mistake. I treated myself to Ann Patchett's new book, <i>State of Wonder,</i> after Maureen Corrigan waxed rhapsodic over it on NPR, and even that never got out of the crate. I plan to start that one tonight.<br />
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Everybody else? What are you reading (or planning to read) in the vacation frame of mind? It doesn't have to be "respectable."Elizabeth Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019916259737155294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-74435573863916092942011-06-13T12:48:00.000-04:002011-06-13T12:48:07.417-04:00OK, who's read Little Women?Time to wake up everybody!! Let the words "summer reading" fill your hearts with joy, and don't worry about reading responsibly. It would be nice to hear your voices, though. . .<br />
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Question for the day: have you read <i>Little Women,</i> and what did you think?<br />
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I read it for the first time when I was in about 6th grade. I hated it. But -- that was because (1) my mother told me how much she'd disliked it (the power of suggestion is strong!) and (2) the character who dies [not giving anything away, almost everyone knows this] is Beth, and that is what I was called at that time. I went on to read all of Louisa May Alcott's books, and I loved all the others. Take a look at <i>An Old-Fashioned Girl, Eight Cousins,</i> and <i>Jack and Jill.</i><br />
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<i>Little Women</i> (1868) and <i>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</i> (1885) were published not too far apart. When I was a graduate student, teaching freshmen, I taught the two books back-to-back to illustrate how we think about what boys do versus what girls do. My late-20th-century students were fascinated and dismayed. And very uneducated -- one young woman scoffed when we discussed the scene where Jo sells her hair, and asked, in tones of disdain, "Why didn't she just go out and get a job?"Elizabeth Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019916259737155294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-35174250636871750152011-03-16T21:00:00.002-04:002011-03-16T21:34:40.270-04:00Guilty Pleasure - J.D. Robb's EveI've been slowly giving away my books in recent years - probably trying to de-clutter or downsize my possessions as retirement looms on the horizon. A few books remain downstairs; among them: Secret Garden (the copy given to me by my grandmother one summer when I was sick), the Prophet (the chapter on marriage we read at our wedding), the Mists of Avalon, and I Take Thee Serenity by Daisy Newman. <br /><br />But upstairs, in my bedroom bookcase? Ah, this is where my guilty pleasures/series reside within easy reach: the FBI series by Catherine Coulter, the Home Repair is Homicide series by Sarah Graves, the Troubleshooters series by Suzanne Brockmann, and the unforgettable Lt. Eve Dallas series by J.D. Robb. The series is set in NYC in 2058 where the technology has advanced but the crimes haven't changed. The lovers meet, resist, joust, love, and develop over the course of the 30+ books...and I've been hooked since the first one. What can I say? It's a regency romance in a futuristic setting.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-65255180344780765282011-02-07T11:48:00.003-05:002011-02-07T12:00:55.752-05:00Guilty Pleasure - Georgette HeyerThank you, Elizabeth, for the invitation and also the Lauren Willig recommendation. I am always <i>dying</i> for book recommendations!!!<div><br /></div><div>My guilty pleasure is Georgette Heyer. Here's how I was introduced to her: </div><div><br /></div><div>When I was growing up, my local library was the <a href="http://jkl.mclinc.org/">Jenkintown Library</a> - tiny, dark, built in 1836. The librarian was a formidable and stern young lady named Edith Prout. I would go in every week and check out a tower of books, take them home and put them on my bed and then read them one by one. Well, eventually, since the library was so small, I had simply read nearly every book in the children's and young adult section. I must have looked forlorn one day, because Edith took me aside and said, "Do you need a recommendation?" and I said, yes please. She took me over to the adult section (thrilling! because I was 11 or 12 at the time) and handed me "These Old Shades" by Georgette Heyer. Done and done! I looooooooved Georgette Heyer. Her books were funny and smart and elegantly-written, and the romances were just chaste enough and just mildly racy enough to make them appeal to my 11-yr-old heart. Edith Prout never ceased to chide me about my voluminous late fines and only occasionally granted me a smile, but I am eternally grateful to her because she introduced me to Georgette Heyer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fast forward 30 years. Because I lived nearby, I had checkout privileges at all the local libraries. My parents still lived in Jenkintown and one time while visiting them I decided to take my 4-yr-old son to the Jenkintown Library to look at their children's books. I walked in the door (I have not been there in 30 years or so at this point), and I hear a voice say, sternly and matter-of-factly, "Hello, Diana." It is Edith Prout, still behind the desk, never missing a beat, as if I had been in every week like I did when I was a teenager!</div><div><br /></div><div>I still turn to Georgette Heyer when I'm in between weightier tomes or when I need a break, mentally. My favorites are "Sylvester", "Arabella", "The Devil's Cub". And of course, "These Old Shades", the book that started it all.</div>dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00893671731903195817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-73173714825428191612011-02-07T11:34:00.000-05:002011-02-07T11:34:44.173-05:00Guilty Pleasures: Lauren WilligA long time ago, when I was working in bookstores in Maine, I had a coworker friend (you know who you are) -- a smart, educated, interesting woman -- who was hooked on Regency romances. One of the perks of working there was that you could borrow books to read, ostensibly so you could sell them better, but really because they paid us so little that they felt they had to offer something, anything, to make it a little bit better. Well, I thought, here's a person with a brain who loves these books, so let me give them a try. And they were fun -- silly, but fun, and many of them were quite well written. Time passed, life changed, and I hadn't read one for literally decades. <br />
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Then, about 5 years ago, another friend let me borrow <a href="http://www.laurenwillig.com/">Lauren Willig'</a>s first book, <i>The Secret History of the Pink Carnation. </i>It took me back to that era of English history, but so much better! The historical adventure/romance is framed by a contemporary plot involving an American grad student desperately in search of material for her dissertation, a handsome Englishman, a mysterious family archive. . .<br />
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I gobbled up each of the subsequent books the minute it came out. But I'd kind of forgotten about them until a Facebook friend "liked" Lauren Willig and led me to her newest, <i>The Orchid Affair. </i>Completely satisfying. I think it's the 7th one of the series, and you really should read them in order, if possible.<br />
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Willig knows how to tell a story; these books fall firmly in the category "intelligent fluff," and are a far better use of your time and brain cells than TV.<br />
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So confess -- what are your guilty pleasures (we're talking books here).Elizabeth Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019916259737155294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-53452578026649665262011-01-14T19:44:00.000-05:002011-01-14T19:44:15.716-05:00Time to reboot!A friend asked me today if I'd read anything good recently. And I know I have, but can't remember what it was.<br />
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So, Thanksgiving is over, December has come and gone, and we're almost halfway into January. Normal life can resume. Please, everybody, tell me something to read!!Elizabeth Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019916259737155294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-34336002174686488802010-11-13T21:27:00.002-05:002010-11-13T21:36:37.548-05:00Graphic novel, anyone?I've registered for a course this spring on graphic novels - never read (have I even seen?) one. Have you read any? <br /><br />I'm still working my way through the Doc Ford series set in Florida; however, "working" isn't really an appropriate word to use, since they are such fast reads. Fun to watch the characters develop with each book (there are 17 and I'm beginning #6). Then just before we leave for Key West, I will re-read a Hemingway title....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-70259610547270247592010-11-11T10:33:00.000-05:002010-11-11T10:33:17.955-05:00The Beekeepers ApprenticeI just finished reading<b> The Beekeepers Apprentice </b>by Laurie R. King. The book is long, written in the style of a Victorian novel and set in the English countryside. I must admit I nearly gave up reading this book, the first quarter is so slow and the set up is painfully plodding. I did read the entire book and no, I will not read the rest of the series.<br />
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The story picks up with Sherlock Holmes living a quiet retirement in the countryside, keeping bees and writing treatises on all things detective. He meets a young woman, newly orphaned and becomes her mentor. They have a number of adventures and solve a series of crimes. The characters both detectives and villains are impossibly brilliant, just as you would expect and the scenes of British countryside make me want to travel. Still, I will not give this book any endorsement, save your reading time for something more entertaining.<br />
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I recently finished <i>listening to </i><b>Russian Winter </b><span class="by smallText">by</span> Daphne Kalotay<b>. </b>This is a love story about a Russian Ballerina, her life, the Bolshoi and her defection. Each chapter starts with a description of a piece of jewelry she is auctioning off and then within the chapter you find out how she came to have that bauble. Pretty good story, I would read another book by Ms. Kalotay.<br />
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I'm currently reading the second book of a series about Mrs. Pollifax, <b>The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax. </b>I'll let you know what I think!Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287579717222860177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-23293877289929863312010-11-06T23:52:00.002-04:002010-11-07T00:09:45.770-04:00More All Time Favorite BooksFirst, a confession: I just discovered the last several posts to the blog. Now I'm posting two of my own (plus a comment) in my extra hour this weekend . . . What's funny is that I was walking with Elizabeth and commented that no one had posted on this blog for a long time, and she said she had just urged people to write what they were reading. I remembered a post of hers a couple of weeks back and said I had commented, but she said no. I was confused. Well, it turns out that when I was refreshing the blog (I left a tab open with it) I was just refreshing the October page, so I didn't get any of the November posts. Argh!<br /><br />My all-time favorite book is East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. Rachel put Grapes of Wrath up as one of her all-time favorites. I read that in high school, and it started my Steinbeck phase. I read most of his books then. About two years ago I was looking for a book to read at the library, and decided to look on the Oprah's Picks shelves. I found East of Eden, and realized there was a Steinbeck book I had never read. I loved it (well, at least after the first few hundred pages where not much seemed to happen). It really made me think about what's important in life.<br /><br />Some other favorites:<br /><br />To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. I love everything about this book.<br /><br />The Left Hand of Darkness, and The Dispossessed, by Ursula Le Guin. Another author I fell in love with in high school.<br /><br />The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls. A fascinating memoir of life as a child of parents who were a bit crazy, lived a very poor lifestyle, and ran from one place to the next to escape debt or other trouble.<br /><br />Leaving Mother Lake, by Yang Erche Namu and Christine Mathieu. See other post about this one. No, I don't read a lot of memoirs, but they do seem to number among my favorites.<br /><br />Hmmm . . . interesting . . . all of these authors, except Steinbeck, are women . . .Lisa Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12796471816156023507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-12947699535181591382010-11-06T23:41:00.002-04:002010-11-06T23:46:11.763-04:00Book Club group reading suggestionElizabeth suggested that maybe in the winter we might all read a book and discuss it like a real book club (which I've never done, BTW). I thought we could start making suggestions about a book to read.<br /><br />One suggestion I have is "Leaving Mother Lake" by Yang Erche Yamu and Christine Mathieu. I read it a few years ago (and would be happy to read it again). It's about a girl in a remote Chinese culture, the Mosu, which is a matrilineal society (women make most decisions). I found it to be a fascinating look at an isolated, unusual culture, and a well-told tale of a girl breaking away from the bonds of her family and her culture. Here's a nice review:<br />http://www.sawnet.org/books/reviews.php?Leaving+Mother+Lake<br /><br />What are some books you might suggest?Lisa Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12796471816156023507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-44867779502139075462010-11-03T11:13:00.002-04:002010-11-03T11:20:04.450-04:00All Time Favorite BooksSince I’m not reading anything all that compelling at the moment, I’m curious to know what books are your very favorites of all time. Bonus points for convincing me to read them too!<br /><br />My very favorites:<br /><br />The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck<br />I actually love everything by Steinbeck (would love to do one of those Steinbeck tours!), but this one in particular has been one of my favorite books since having to read it in 10th grade English class.<br /><br />The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco<br />This is pretty dense reading with all of the digressions into politics and history and religious controversies of the 14th century, but is well worth the effort for a fantastic murder mystery set in a monastic library.<br /><br />Possession by A. S. Byatt<br />This is just an absolutely brilliant book for the way she creates two fictional Victorian writers and a whole body of work for them, and then places them within the real literary world of the day. I also read her most recent novel, The Children’s Book, and think I may have loved it as much as Possession, but will have to reread to make sure.<br /><br />Honorable Mentions:<br /><br />A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith<br />Not entirely unlike a Steinbeck subject, only with an urban setting, female main character, and unambiguously happy ending.<br /><br />Reindeer Moon by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas<br />I’m actually a little embarrassed by the number of times I have reread this book about prehistoric Siberia. I’ve never read The Clan of the Cave Bear, but my anthropologist mother swears that this one is much better.<br /><br />I’m tempted to go on and on! Maybe I’ll do a follow-up with best reads of the past few years because I can already think of a whole additional list.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07979884842141727070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-80040754069835627102010-11-02T14:24:00.000-04:002010-11-02T14:24:13.739-04:00just title and authorOK, we're all busy. And many of us are eating or avoiding our kids' Halloween candy. But I know you have a book open. . .<br />
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so just check in quickly, in comments or in a post of your own, with one book that you're reading right now, just title and author -- and category if you so choose). I'll start:<br />
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The Not-So-Big Life, by Sarah Susanka (nonfiction)Elizabeth Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019916259737155294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-75749265752362137552010-10-23T15:21:00.003-04:002010-10-23T15:23:20.146-04:00Calling all Vonnegut fans:Help me. I just read <span style="font-style: italic;">Slaughterhouse-5</span> and I'm all "I don't see what all the fuss is about." (And please, PLEASE don't say "So it goes.")<br /><br />Is anyone out there? (tap tap) Is this thing on?Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-50424607970670119862010-10-18T19:05:00.002-04:002010-10-18T19:08:16.934-04:00What I'm readingI've spent the year reading a random assortment of books or authors that I've been meaning to read for a while, but somehow never got around to before. (And I've been alternating those with mysteries, which are my favorite escapist reading.) Right now I'm reading my first Dashiell Hammett book called Red Harvest. It's set in a small Montana town and is very noir. I've only started it, but his snappy style of writing is amusing. It's like reading a screenplay for a film starring Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney.Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-56225283931221160462010-10-17T12:13:00.001-04:002010-10-17T12:29:24.947-04:00What I'm readingI'd like to introduce myself and let you know what I've been reading, am reading and will be reading. I'm a knitting buddy of Elizabeth, the Plumsock Road Book Club founder and that's how I've come to be a part of this blog. I live outside of Philadelphia, have two grown kids, a wonderful husband and a crazy dog. I'm a civil engineering designer by trade, not a writer as will become clear as you read this posting. I have three passions: knitting, photography and reading. I do love long walks and sunshine but I don't want this to sound like I'm looking for a date...<br />
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I've just finished reading an Ann Cleeves Shetland series <i>Raven Black, White Nights </i>and<i> Red Bones</i>. These are light-weight, fast reading, murder mystery fiction with most of the characters reading as fairly one dimensional. I enjoyed the Shetland Island setting as well as the romance that runs through all three books. Inspector Perez is a quiet sort-of scattered detective that I found to be endearing. My biggest frustration was that the author pulls out a bit of information right at the end of each book that the reader couldn't have know and that is the key to the murders (and by the third book the bodies really start piling up). Anyhow, they were fun, easy reads.<br />
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Right now I'm reading Carl Hiaasen's <i>Star Island</i>. Wild, Wacky and Quirky are the adjectives that describe this book to perfection. The chapters are fairly short and I find myself thinking, I'll read one more chapter and then go make dinner, fold laundry or let the dog in. Each character develops slowly as the chapters unfold, layer upon layer. They are not believable (larger than life) but are silly and fun, a fairy tale for grown-ups but without a moral. The author ties up loose ends and then makes another quirky mess as the book goes along. So far it's been a fun read.<br />
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My book discussion group is reading <i>Infidel </i>in November and that's my next read. I'm not sure I'm going to enjoy this book but not all books need to be enjoyed. I'll let you know what I think once I've read it.Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287579717222860177noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-76652883239336702132010-10-16T10:47:00.000-04:002010-10-16T10:47:05.677-04:00a pollOK, I sure hope you're all busy reading, but I bet that's not why it's so quiet. So here's the survey -- which of these is keeping you from telling us what you're reading?<br />
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(1) it's soccer season and if I spend one more minute in the car, I will explode<br />
(2) I'm going to school and if I start to read a good book I'll stop doing my homework<br />
(3) Christmas is coming <br />
(4) I need new glasses<br />
(5) I'm afraid to post because I think I have to write a long, eloquent, thoughtful review<br />
(6) This time of year I'd really rather be outside<br />
(7) There are so many books in my living room/on my bedside table/in my car that I don't know where to start<br />
(8) Other<br />
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So? Elizabeth Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019916259737155294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-80705414857906188602010-10-14T22:40:00.002-04:002010-10-14T22:47:30.962-04:00What I am readingI am listening to The Girl who Played with Fire, the second in the Stieg Larsson trilogy. I'm actually enjoying it more than The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, as it is a better mystery IMHO, with more interesting plot twists. It does have a little too much violence and sex for my tastes, but I look forward to car trips to hear more.<br /><br />I started reading My Antonia by Willa Cather last week, but haven't made it past the second page (very busy . . . which is why I like audio books, I can listen to them when I'm stuck in the car not able to do anything else). I'm trying to read lots of classic books that I never read before. I scoured the library book sale a few weeks ago and bought several . . . I'll see how long it takes me to get through them.Lisa Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12796471816156023507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-23137770893807431412010-10-12T08:14:00.000-04:002010-10-12T08:14:57.147-04:00post-weekend update: what are you reading?<b>Finished: </b><i>Oxygen, </i>by Carol Cassella. Recommended.<br />
<b>Started:</b> <i>Bury Your Dead,</i> by Louise Penny. I'm having a terrible time -- I want to read this book as fast as I can because I can't wait to find out how it all turns out, but I want to read it as slowly as I can so I can savor every word. Read her books in order (the first one is <i>Still Life</i>) so you can get to know the characters gradually, as you would in real life.Elizabeth Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019916259737155294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-19987403010099025872010-10-03T22:45:00.001-04:002010-10-03T22:47:05.281-04:00CommentingCan someone advise me how to comment? I've tried twice and before I submit, it asks me to pick my profile (Google account, Word Press, etc..). I must be picking the wrong one each time. :(<br />EvelynUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-6417612778939905172010-10-01T10:01:00.000-04:002010-10-01T10:01:29.917-04:00How do you manage your to-read list?Starting in 8th grade and continuing through high school, I kept a list of books to read, handwritten (of course -- it was The Olden Days), on lined looseleaf paper. Every time the list reached 100 items, I went back and crossed out those I had read and those that had lost their charm, rewrote the list, and started again. I probably should go back to that system, because I've never found one that works better. If I try to keep a notebook, it's never with me at the library. (I wish my library had a spot on their web site where you could enter things you want to read -- that way I could check on the computer when I'm there.) Carol and Pat are big fans of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">goodreads</a>, but that hasn't clicked with me either. I have joined the iPhone generation, but I can't even remember to add things to my to-read list there!<br />
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Now, it's obvious that operator error is one of my major problems with keeping a book list -- but I'd love to hear how all of you keep track, organize your lists, and find your way to wonderful books.Elizabeth Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019916259737155294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-67250573351870037492010-09-29T12:49:00.000-04:002010-09-29T12:49:16.452-04:00Healer, by Carol CassellaI'm interested in medicine; I'm interested in ethics; and yes, I'm interested in medical ethics. But I also insist that fiction give me a good story. This book is, first and foremost, exactly that, with the other themes running in the background. It's one of those books where you find yourself wondering what the people are up to, and then remember that they aren't real.<br />
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This is Cassella's second novel; I immediately went to the library and got the first one. We won't discuss the fact that she's a practicing anesthesiologist and mother of two sets of twins and still manages to write novels! <br />
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I can't remember what source led me to this book, but if I do I'm going to go back and see what else they recommend.Elizabeth Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019916259737155294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-10956992070354584972010-09-27T21:39:00.003-04:002010-09-27T21:46:55.794-04:00From New Mexico to Key WestI'm planning a family vacation in Key West during the semester break, so I've started looking at what novels feature that location. I've read (and probably should re-read) Nevada Barr's <span style="font-style: italic;">Flashback</span>, and I've just put in requests for the first of Randy Wayne White's series featuring Doc Ford, and the first in the Alex Rutledge series by Tom Corcoran. Anyone read these? Or have other suggestions? <br />EvelynUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-89942057106503497662010-09-24T10:10:00.002-04:002010-09-24T10:10:31.327-04:00I swear I'm not a blog hogbut I couldn't resist sharing the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/24/meanest-book-reviews_n_736922.html">5 meanest book reviews ever.</a>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-71570641869530742072010-09-24T06:59:00.002-04:002010-09-24T07:11:27.920-04:00Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth StroutI stayed up last night to finish "Olive Kitteridge," by Elizabeth Strout. Being unable to sleep without devouring the rest of the book is a reliable sign that I loved said book, which I did. It's a good thing, too, because I do have the annoying habit of not always liking books that get a lot of buzz or that are recommended to me by a lot of people whose opinions I trust. (See, e.g., "The Guernsey Literary...." and "Lovely Bones")<br /><br />"Olive Kitteridge" is a series of thirteen interrelated stories set in a small town in Maine. They are organized in chronological order. In all of them, Olive is a character, although she sometimes appears as the main character and at other times is more peripheral. But throughout them all, we learn about another facet of Olive's character and personality. I tend not to gravitate toward short stories, but these are so beautifully written, and they are linked so well, that this really is an example of how a book can effortlessly straddle both the novel genre and the short story genre. <br /><br />At first I didn't really like Olive. In one story in particular, she exhibits a cruelty that I found baffling. But as the story wore on, and her personality become more faceted, I came to like her. Strout does a great job of showing how Olive's experiences have shaped her, and it's hard not to admire Olive's moxie, even as Strout alludes to Olive's shortcomings as a person, particularly with regard to her role as wife and mother. By the end, I was rooting for Olive, and without including any spoilers, let's just say the last chapter/story nearly brought me to tears (in a good way).Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470515437901942779.post-13724168394618341292010-09-23T11:25:00.002-04:002010-09-23T11:34:31.625-04:00Dark and Stormy NightsLast night I finished (and loved—why have I not read this book before?!) Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables. I thought his (very long!) descriptions of the setting and characters were quite wonderful. I enjoyed the gloomy old house and family curse so much that I’m planning to stick with a gothic theme for the month of October. Next up is going to be a re-read of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Edith Wharton's ghost stories, and an A. S. Byatt book of short stories entitled the Little Black Book of Short Stories, whose back cover promises “shivers”. Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is an old favorite that I read every other year or so around Halloween. While I make it a point to avoid reading anything truly horrifying, I do love just a bit of old fashioned spookiness this time of year.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07979884842141727070noreply@blogger.com0