January 2007 - What are you reading?

I recently started reading Lamb by Christopher Moore but my attention was diverted by a wonderful Christmas gift I received from one of my goddaughters. The diversion is 1001 Books to Read Before You Die and offers a wealth of information on classics old and new.

I'm having great fun with this book in noting how many of the suggested reads I have already read or own, in addition to moving around some titles on my "must read" list.

1001 Books is definitely a keeper!

I'm reading, or actually looking at "Postcards From Mars" by Jim Bell -- it includes pictures taken by the Mars Exploration Rovers, and it is definitely a "wow" book. The pictures are extraordinary. Also I just finished "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards which came to me highly recommeneded, but it didn't grab me as I expected it would.

I agree with Diana that "1001 Books To Read Before You Die" is a wealth of suggestions of books to read, if you are looking for ideas of new (or actually old) things to read.

"Lamb" is a hoot (unless you're really conservative!) and I hope Diana gets back to finish it!

I received a wonderful "children's" book for Christmas: The Goat Lady. It is a story written by the children of the illustrator. The "illustrations" include a series of portraits the artist had done of the real life person before the book was written.

http://www.tilburyhouse.com/Children's%20Frames/child_goat_lady.html
or the artist's web page: http://www.janebregoli.com/

There is one illustration of the goat lady ala Whistler's Mother style with the added interest of a white doe goat looking at the lady. Her paintings remind me of Andrew Wyeth's work.

Very sweet and the story is true.

Reading plays? That is a challenge. Some of the other books mentioned here will land on my hopelessly long to-read list...

Right now I'm flipping through Back to Basics: How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills. It is a Reader's Digest how-to book and is both informative and inadvertently hilarious, because I've got the 1981 printing in hand. Not sure where Michael Wells found it but I'm glad he loaned it to me.

Although it looks like the book has been updated as recently as 1997, this version is very 70s (the illustrations say it all) and very hippie and you know that cracks me up. Need to learn how to spin and weave your own fabric? Maybe you're looking for specifics on beekeeping and raising livestock in your backyard? This book has got it. I should craft a full-on review because this is a *gem*.

Have started reading Big-Box Swindle by Stacy Mitchell. It's a compelling look at how big-box retailers have changed the physical, economic and social landscape in the US and around the world. It's been an eye-opening read so far.

I am reading "White Like Me" Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son by Tim Wise. I have read "Black Like Me" by Howard Griffin and my first thoughts were, what the heck can this be. This is an eye opening and candid account of a white man addressing racism through his experiences from birth of the white privilege he experiences, and how we all participate in racism, most of us unknowingly. I think this book should be added to school's reading list from junior high to colleges.

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So Far this year.
I have read
Clive Barkers "Galilie"
and
Douglas Adams "Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul"
next I think will be
" In Cold Blood "

I just read "Memory Keepers Daughter." I read "I Mona Lisa" and really enjoyed it. I read "Alburquerque" by Rudolfo Anaya. I think those are the three I've read so far this month.

I run out of books too fast though so end up re-reading things.
Today I picked up "The Divide" by Nicholas Evans (author of the "Horse Whisperer"). I'm not too excited about it though. It's a great book but just doesn't have the kind of intricate plot that's exciting to re-read. His books are more on how events shape people and relationships.

I really enjoyed "The Shadow of the Wind" - which I read right around Thanksgiving.
I just finished reading Maureen Corrigan's memoir "Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading" and found it both informative and engaging. She is occassionally a bit more academic than one might like, but as a whole the book is great. She is a book reviewer for NPR's Fresh Air.

I am currently reading "Arther adn George." I'm not quite far enough into it to know if I will really like it or not.

I counted up my personal little reviews of books I have read and found that I read 48 books in 2006. I may have to really get busy if I want to beat that number this year.

What a cool group this is!
I just finished 3 books I enjoyed: "The Grace That Keeps This World," by Tom Bailey (off to a slow start but gripping by the end), Ken Bruen's "Vixen" (London mystery with a killer -- I mean that -- roster of cops), and an old favorite, "Range of Motion" by Elizabeth Berg, which I hope will hold me over 'til the spring, when her new books is released.
I enjoyed "Shadow of the Wind" and "Memory Keeper's Daughter," too -- it's always good to find a new author you'll look for again.

I'm working on "Sweet and Low" by Rich Cohen. It was reviewed by Euan Kerr on Minnesota Public Radio. I also heard Rich read from it and it is a pretty fascinating picture of a rather warped family. I'm also listening to books vie Audible.com, but you didn't ask about that. Thank goodness for the "faster speed" option on my MP3.

I finished "Arthur and George" yesterday. It is an interesting fictional account of the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - author of the Sherlock Holmes stories. The George in the title is George Edalji, a man who was wrongly convicted of a crime in England and whose life crosses paths with Doyle when the latter decides to try to solve the case. Parts of the book are very engaging and some sections drag a bit with too much detail.
I've now moved on to "Inheritance of Loss".

I recieved so many great books for Christmas that I could not decide which to read first. So, I've started all of them at once. I'm reading "What is the What" by Dave Eggers. Eggers interviewed a young man who survived and fleed the conflict in Sudan. He then immigrated to the US. In typical Eggers style, the interviews were real but the story is fictionalized. I really like Eggers work and I can't put this book down. It is powerful, disturbing, moving, shocking and simply humanistic all at the same time. I quickly gobbled up "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield. I'm slowly reading Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants" although I haven't picked it up in a few weeks. I'm also reading Margaret Atwood's new book of short stories, "Moral Disorder". Atwood is one of my all time favorites.