christianreader | (no subject)

1. Hot Water, P G Wodehouse

Wodehouse to me means a relaxing evening with hot tea and toast. Ahhh. I almost never pick up non-Jeeves Wodehouse books on purpose, but this is silly of me, for whenever I encounter one - like this loan from

ruthette - I love them utterly.

2. Deerskin, Robin McKinley

Beautiful, lyrical, tragic ... and the last two pages are so gentle a picture of trust and love.

Some have taken issue with Lissar's reaction, or lack thereof, to her particular trauma, but since the story is a fairy tale (albeit of the darker mold, the type no longer told to children at bedtime) with mythical elements, I had no trouble accepting it for what it was.

2. On Paradise Drive, David Brooks

Part satire, part comedy, part sociological study of what it is to be American. ho ARE Americans? Why do we think and shop and live the way we do? Interesting but nothing too deep. (Bobos in Paradise was better.)

3. The Bonesetter's Daughter, Amy Tan

Just brilliant as usual. If you've never read Amy Tan, please consider giving her a try.

4. Rule Britannia, Daphne du Maurier

For being one of du Maurier's "lesser works", I found this totally engaging! Not another Rebecca by any means, but funny and shocking and tragic and very, very British. Also, I really love "what if?" fiction.

5. Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins

Heartrending, but RIGHT. The ending was the only way it could have been. Rather than listen to me blather hopelessly about it, read this review, which has a uniquely Christian take on the book.

6. The Flight of the Falcon, Daphne du Maurier

Another old du Maurier! I liked it (Italy, hello) but I'm not sure what was so "gothic" about it. Nevertheless I was informed quite loudly by the cover that it is a GOTHIC NOVEL. Okay, then.

7. The Scavenger's Manifesto: a guide to freeing yourself from the endless cycle of buying more and more new (though not necessarily improved) stuffy, and discovering how salvaging, swapping, repurposing, reusing, and recycling can save the earth, your money, and your soul, Anneli Rufus and Kristan Lawson

Random! Not a how-to (most reviewers seem disappointed in this) but rather a celebration of the thrifting/garagesaling/bargain hunting/freegan/and yes, even dumpster diving lifestyles. The authors take themselves a wee bit too seriously. and I obviously don't believe scavenging saves your soul, and I'm not particularly interested in how it saves the environment, but I do think it's FUN. I love repurposing and upcycling in particular.

8. The Bombshell Manual of Style, Laren Stover
This might merit its own post someday soon. :) It's fun and shallow and tongue-in-cheek and beautifully illustrated.

9. Flapdoodle, Trust & Obey, Virginia Cary Hudson
Oh Ye Jigs & Juleps! was a collection of Virginia's writings when she was ten years old. Flapdoodle contains letters to her grown-up daughter, but she's lost none of her wit or ability to make words dance across a page.