May Reading List
May. 31st, 2008 03:50 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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christianreader1. The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield
A month after reading this, I still don't quite know what to say. I count it among a handful of novels published since 2000 that are truly literary works of art. I usually get frustrated with books that ever so slowly reveal the truth, but this - each layer peeled away kept me fascinated and involved in the story. I thought the timing was excellent, and the gothic yet realistic aura wonderfully presented.
2. Quiet, Please, Scott Douglas
It seems that my favorite books all make liberal use of footnotes: Terry Pratchett's oeuvre, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, even The Mezzanine, which I read solely for the footnotes!
And this book, written by a librarian about the absurdities and oddities of working in a library, has such wonderful footnotes.
Also, I think I will force a copy into the hands of any patron who dares utter some variation on the theme "so this must be such a lovely, quiet job, getting to sit around and read all day."
I attempted to read aloud to my mom the section towards the end about the Romantic Spanish Song-Singing Bathroom Man (complete with sombrero and fake cactus) but failed utterly; I'd be able to gasp out four or five words before having to spend several minutes wiping hysterical tears out of my eyes and composing myself enough to read another half-sentence. It was wonderful.
3. More Book Lust, Nancy Pearl
Yet more book recommendations. THIS is why my paperbackswap wish list has maxed out. *sob*
4. Stuffed, Patricia Volk
Different than I expected; I saw it marketed more as a food memoir and it turned out to be more a series of funny, poignant and often bittersweet vignettes about Ms. Volk's (extensive) family - who happened to be in the restaurant business. But I'm not in the least sorry to have read it.
5. Prince Caspian, C.S. Lewis
A re-read before the movie. I think this is probably Lewis' weakest Narnia book. You have to admit it's a little thin on plot.
6. Tender at the Bone, Ruth Reichl
Here I got my food memoir fix at last. Reichl is quite a legend in the food world; restaurant reviewer for the New York Times, editor of Gourmet. I have her next book, Comfort Me With Apples, sitting next to the bed waiting to be read.
7. The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery
I absolutely loved this one! I think it seems more adult-oriented than her other books, perhaps because Valancy is older than Montgomery's usual heroines.
8. The Wallflower #1, Tomoko Hayakawa
If you're looking for a place to start with manga, this probably isn't that place. But then I always did start projects by jumping in over my head.
(Don't ask me what made me start reading a manga; anyone who knows me should be able to confirm the fact that manga is among the Top 100 Things Guaranteed Not To Interest Marie.)
(... Except, of course, that I have this habit of being interested even in things that don't interest me.)
9. The Wallflower #2, Tomoko Hayakawa
Give me an old-fashioned book with lots of text and no pictures any day - yet I found this surprisingly fun. Given some really good examples, I might even like it more. This particular series seems even more melodramatic and silly than the majority of manga.
10. Uncharted Territory, Connie Willis
A space-age novella, clearly not one of her best works, but I loved the use of gender and gender issues (if you've read it, you'll know what I mean). I didn't so much love the non-explanation of terminology. I mean, yes, it's better to show than to tell, and she did a fairly good job for the most part, but it was too short of a book to work effectively. I felt like I had to struggle the whole way through to understand what the characters were doing and talking about.
A month after reading this, I still don't quite know what to say. I count it among a handful of novels published since 2000 that are truly literary works of art. I usually get frustrated with books that ever so slowly reveal the truth, but this - each layer peeled away kept me fascinated and involved in the story. I thought the timing was excellent, and the gothic yet realistic aura wonderfully presented.
2. Quiet, Please, Scott Douglas
It seems that my favorite books all make liberal use of footnotes: Terry Pratchett's oeuvre, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, even The Mezzanine, which I read solely for the footnotes!
And this book, written by a librarian about the absurdities and oddities of working in a library, has such wonderful footnotes.
Also, I think I will force a copy into the hands of any patron who dares utter some variation on the theme "so this must be such a lovely, quiet job, getting to sit around and read all day."
I attempted to read aloud to my mom the section towards the end about the Romantic Spanish Song-Singing Bathroom Man (complete with sombrero and fake cactus) but failed utterly; I'd be able to gasp out four or five words before having to spend several minutes wiping hysterical tears out of my eyes and composing myself enough to read another half-sentence. It was wonderful.
3. More Book Lust, Nancy Pearl
Yet more book recommendations. THIS is why my paperbackswap wish list has maxed out. *sob*
4. Stuffed, Patricia Volk
Different than I expected; I saw it marketed more as a food memoir and it turned out to be more a series of funny, poignant and often bittersweet vignettes about Ms. Volk's (extensive) family - who happened to be in the restaurant business. But I'm not in the least sorry to have read it.
5. Prince Caspian, C.S. Lewis
A re-read before the movie. I think this is probably Lewis' weakest Narnia book. You have to admit it's a little thin on plot.
6. Tender at the Bone, Ruth Reichl
Here I got my food memoir fix at last. Reichl is quite a legend in the food world; restaurant reviewer for the New York Times, editor of Gourmet. I have her next book, Comfort Me With Apples, sitting next to the bed waiting to be read.
7. The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery
I absolutely loved this one! I think it seems more adult-oriented than her other books, perhaps because Valancy is older than Montgomery's usual heroines.
8. The Wallflower #1, Tomoko Hayakawa
If you're looking for a place to start with manga, this probably isn't that place. But then I always did start projects by jumping in over my head.
(Don't ask me what made me start reading a manga; anyone who knows me should be able to confirm the fact that manga is among the Top 100 Things Guaranteed Not To Interest Marie.)
(... Except, of course, that I have this habit of being interested even in things that don't interest me.)
9. The Wallflower #2, Tomoko Hayakawa
Give me an old-fashioned book with lots of text and no pictures any day - yet I found this surprisingly fun. Given some really good examples, I might even like it more. This particular series seems even more melodramatic and silly than the majority of manga.
10. Uncharted Territory, Connie Willis
A space-age novella, clearly not one of her best works, but I loved the use of gender and gender issues (if you've read it, you'll know what I mean). I didn't so much love the non-explanation of terminology. I mean, yes, it's better to show than to tell, and she did a fairly good job for the most part, but it was too short of a book to work effectively. I felt like I had to struggle the whole way through to understand what the characters were doing and talking about.
11. The Spy Who Loved Me, Ian Fleming
The most unusual of the Bond books, told as it is by the Bond girl herself. (FYI, apparently the movie by the same name has almost nothing to do with Fleming's novel except for the names of the main characters.) Bond doesn't even make an appearence until halfway through the book. I'm not sure if he wrote it to silence the critics who complained that his portrayals of women were flat and unrealistic, but I think does help his cause.
12. Little Lady, Big Apple, Hester Browne
A little bit of chick-lit: the English Melissa (aka Honey) spends time in NYC with her boyfriend, who spends all his time being distracted, unemotional, and too busy for her. It takes her almost the entire book to realize this is a problem. *eye roll* The first book (The Little Lady Agency) was funny and clever, this one was largely just frustrating. See #14 --
13. Twilight, Stephenie Meyers
First Harry Potter, now Twilight ... it appears that I have fallen headfirst into another YA popular fiction series. But seriously - Edward!
14. The Little Lady and the Prince, Hester Browne
Con't from #12: but this one was much better! Busy Boyfriend is still around, but his influence grows less and less as the book goes on - Prince Nicky provides some comic relief, but it's Nelson who shines, and rightly so. A completely suitable ending is had by all. Except maybe Busy Boyfriend.
15. Rhett Butler's People, Donald McCaig
The Gone with the Wind time period plus several years before and after told from Rhett's point of view. I had grave doubts going into this, but all in all I approve of most of the plot details; it was just the staccato-yet-plodding writing that bored me.
16. Dickens' Fur Coat and Charlotte's Unanswered Letters, Daniel Pool
A lovely look into the literary scene of England in the 1800s.
17. The Diana Look, Sue James
Oh dear, this was such an '80s book. Liberally illustrated with photos of the princess, it doles out hints and tips for building a practical and stylish wardrobe; tips that are largely useless now that big shoulder pads and puffed sleeves are out. But it was interesting to note a few of her outfits that have stood the test of time and would look as stylish today as they did in 1986.
18. The Hidden Art of Homemaking, Edith Schaeffer
Good, and yet I found myself underwhelmed, probably because I went into it with higher expectations than I should have. I fully support the idea of making beauty and art in everyday life and everyday things, but I hoped for a little more discussion of the theory and a little less of practical examples, since this mindset must be applied so individually and very few ideas that work for one household will work in another.
19. Final Destinations: a travel guide for remarkable cemeteries (multiple authors)
Why yes, I do read cemetery travel guides! This one was great because it included interesting anecdotes and information about each cemetery.
The most unusual of the Bond books, told as it is by the Bond girl herself. (FYI, apparently the movie by the same name has almost nothing to do with Fleming's novel except for the names of the main characters.) Bond doesn't even make an appearence until halfway through the book. I'm not sure if he wrote it to silence the critics who complained that his portrayals of women were flat and unrealistic, but I think does help his cause.
12. Little Lady, Big Apple, Hester Browne
A little bit of chick-lit: the English Melissa (aka Honey) spends time in NYC with her boyfriend, who spends all his time being distracted, unemotional, and too busy for her. It takes her almost the entire book to realize this is a problem. *eye roll* The first book (The Little Lady Agency) was funny and clever, this one was largely just frustrating. See #14 --
13. Twilight, Stephenie Meyers
First Harry Potter, now Twilight ... it appears that I have fallen headfirst into another YA popular fiction series. But seriously - Edward!
14. The Little Lady and the Prince, Hester Browne
Con't from #12: but this one was much better! Busy Boyfriend is still around, but his influence grows less and less as the book goes on - Prince Nicky provides some comic relief, but it's Nelson who shines, and rightly so. A completely suitable ending is had by all. Except maybe Busy Boyfriend.
15. Rhett Butler's People, Donald McCaig
The Gone with the Wind time period plus several years before and after told from Rhett's point of view. I had grave doubts going into this, but all in all I approve of most of the plot details; it was just the staccato-yet-plodding writing that bored me.
16. Dickens' Fur Coat and Charlotte's Unanswered Letters, Daniel Pool
A lovely look into the literary scene of England in the 1800s.
17. The Diana Look, Sue James
Oh dear, this was such an '80s book. Liberally illustrated with photos of the princess, it doles out hints and tips for building a practical and stylish wardrobe; tips that are largely useless now that big shoulder pads and puffed sleeves are out. But it was interesting to note a few of her outfits that have stood the test of time and would look as stylish today as they did in 1986.
18. The Hidden Art of Homemaking, Edith Schaeffer
Good, and yet I found myself underwhelmed, probably because I went into it with higher expectations than I should have. I fully support the idea of making beauty and art in everyday life and everyday things, but I hoped for a little more discussion of the theory and a little less of practical examples, since this mindset must be applied so individually and very few ideas that work for one household will work in another.
19. Final Destinations: a travel guide for remarkable cemeteries (multiple authors)
Why yes, I do read cemetery travel guides! This one was great because it included interesting anecdotes and information about each cemetery.
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Date: 2008-06-01 12:39 am (UTC)