I have had several requests for a book list lately, so here is a list of my recent (and a few not-so-recent) reads for myself and my reads for book group.
Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
Wicked was just ok; I liked Confessions a lot more.
Currently I'm reading The Lost Girl by D.H. Lawrence. I am BORED with it. (Sorry, Viv.) I hate the main character. Really.
On my nightstand, FBI girl by Maura Conlon-McIvor. Enjoying it. Slowly. Not sure if that is a good or bad sign.
Also on my nightstand, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. LOVE her. Haven't started this one yet, but I will read it out loud with my kids soon. And if you haven't read Kate's books Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux you must. Really. And no, it is not the same if you saw the Winn-Dixie movie. Because (according to many people who have read the book) it sucked.
I recently finished Bee Season by Myla Goldberg. Ehhhh. I didn't hate it, as apparently many of my friends did, but I didn't love it either.
This week's Newsweek has a piece in it by Indian-American author Jhumpa Lahiri. Her book The Namesake is being made into a movie. I enjoyed that book. She also wrote a collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies. That was okay, too.
We read Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides for book group in December. Hated it.
For July our book was A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. I must confess, Rob owns that book (I bought it for him), but I didn't read it. I would recommend A Walk in the Woods by Bryson, though. He is funny.
I love Patricia Cornwell. Her Kay Scarpetta series is awesome, although the books have left me flat the last few times. I keep coming back because I love Kay, though. She's fiesty.
People have long recommended the Janet Evanovich series to me -- One for the Money etc. but I have now read 2 of them and I sent them out to the world on Bookcrossing because I thought the writing was worse than mine. In junior high. Yeah, not good at all. So if you read those, you're on your own. I warned you.
I loved (in no particular order):
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Roots by Alex Haley
Beach Music by Pat Conroy (actually, everything by Pat Conroy)
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (also his latest, Teacher Man)
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (must read that again)
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Atticus Finch, I *heart* you)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Okay, I have been procrastinating long enough. I *HAVE* to go get some sewing done.
Happy reading!
Mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend. Scrapbooker, family historian, reader, cook, photographer. Volunteer. Political junkie. Springsteen fan. Loves deeply, strives daily to be a cheerful, kind and generous person. Fails regularly. Snarky, judgy and more than a little blunt. Some people don't appreciate my style. If you're one of them, that's ok. Get your own blog.
I have to admit--- I'm having a very difficult time with The Lost Girl. I do have A Prayer for Owen Meany on my nightstand--- and will begin reading after this Monday night.
ReplyDeleteDear Daughter: You continue to TRULY AMAZE me with your infinite knowledge of literature. How you find time to read all you do is beyond me - guess you will always find time to read and learn and for that I admire you. Love, Mom
ReplyDeleteBee Season was just too dysfunctional for me. No way every person in the family could be sooooo messed up. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteWicked was not bad. I liked the concept and was impressed that he tied it all up so neatly. Not going to be my fave of all time, but glad I read it.
Mrs. Hall recommended Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks...I really liked this one, you might look into it.
Bobby and I are in the middle of Despereaux. He is liking it very much. I think this is one he could have read on his own, but it's been good to have some "you and me" time. Plus, he's been reading a lot of stuff for school, and I think he's enjoying a chance to not be in the driver's seat.
I still think you should try JD Robb's (Nora Roberts) series. Naked in Death is the first.
Off to do Sunday stuff...
Good list. I am happy to have contributed to the pile on the nightstand. I want to her how the kids like it.
ReplyDeleteFor whatever reason I missed this post. So sorry about The Lost Girl, and the Bryson book :-( as Tania said, next time I should just pick something less than 80 pages .... I'm thinking Charlotte's Web, but that's more than 80 pages.
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