Book Blather

I haven't done a book post in a while, so perhaps that would be something worth blogging about that doesn't require too much abstract thought.

I spent my Barnes&Noble gift certificate the other day. Every penny. In a disconcertingly short period of time. It was a pretty substantial amount, and I know husband thought it would last me a while. But I'm a complete and total book whore. I have no control when it comes to books.

My TBR list is about a mile long and I'm not a good library person. I check out 40 books at a time and then forget to take them back. I rack up huge fines and then have to pay them off in small increments. I think I am responsible for the new furniture in the main lobby.

But I tried to be a savvy shopper. I was thrilled to see several of my choices in the bargain section, which I always make a point to peruse thoroughly. It's amazing what you can find sometimes. It's there that I usually find my non-fiction just because I like the subject matter/pictures books. On this trip I found a book about the Louvre that I had been coveting had been relegated to the bargain bin, and I snatched it up for $15. This is a huge book with tons of beautiful photographs and a very detailed history of the museum. I was totally stoked.

You may have gathered that in addition to being a book whore I am a complete nerd.

I was really pleased to see a new display of noteworthy selections of both classic and contemporary literature. So instead of digging through the entire fiction section searching for those literary gems, I could simply browse the rather sizeable display and be reasonably assured of making a good choice.

Here's what I ended up with:

Cold Sassy Tree; Olive Anne Burns
Cat's Eye; Margaret Atwood
Shoot the Moon; Billy Letts
Mercy; Jodi Picoult
Sophie's World; Jostein Gardner
Wideacre; Phillipa Gregory
Persuasion; Jane Austen
Bleak House; Charles Dickens
Faithless; Karen Slaughter

I always try to choose a nice mix of brain candy and brain broccoli and I think I have accomplished that. I must confess that every single time I go into a book store, I pick up either Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged and put them down, at least a dozen times. I am incredibly intriqued, but hopelessly intimidated. Depending upon whom you talk to, Ayn Rand was either a genius or a nutcase. Regardless, if I were to find myself incapable of understanding her, I should feel very stupid. It's a feeling I try to avoid. Perhaps someday I will screw up my courage.

If you're looking for some good summer reading, here are my suggestions:

Peace Like a River; Leaf Enger - I absolutely LOVE this book. It is the perfect blend of wit and whimsy, with wonderfully rich characters and a really clever, engaging story. There is a spiritual element to this book, but it is not terribly pervasive, only tentatively...hopeful. This is like candy coated brain broccoli.

Pillars of the Earth; Ken Follett - Another that I could read over and over again. This book is very, very different from the standard Follett spy/intrigue/murder fare. Its a very well researched and incredibly detailed historical novel, set in the 12th century and centered around one man's desire to build a cathedral. I know, it sounds very dry, but it's not. Trust me.

Of Mice And Men; John Steinbeck - This is my very favorite Steinbeck novel. This novel was written in 1937, but I feel like Lennie and George could walk through my door today. Steinbeck is an absolute genius of character development. I've probably read this book fifteen times and I still cry every time.


The Descent; Jeff Long - This is pure brain candy, but it's a very high quality confection. Like...literary Godiva. It's an anthropological thriller, which is sort of a contradiction in terms, but it's really a quite stunning mix of fantasy and reality that plays upon one of man's darkest fears; subjugation.

Thunderhead; Preston and Child - A page turner in the truest sense. Again, it is a mix of anthropolical fact and mystery thriller. It's slightly less fantastic than The Descent, although no less captivating. If you enjoy reading about other cultures, lost civilizations and the like, then don't miss this one. And really, you can't go wrong with Preston and Child. They deliver wonderfully gripping, deliciously gruesome and cleverly constructed novels time and time again.

Sex With Kings: 500 Years Of Adultery, Power, Rivalry and Revenge; Eleanor Herman - This is a completely absorbing novel about the very complex and precarious existence of the many royal mistresses. It's an amazing glimpse into the power they weilded while still being essentially powerless. The intricacies of royal infidelity are explored in depth from Madame Du Pompadour to Wallace Simpson. Delicious.

Girls of A Tender Age; Mary Anne Tirone Smith - Though one of my favorite genres, the art of memoir is not as easy to affect as one would think. Too often it is self-indulgent, sensationalistic blather (A Million Little Pieces, anyone?). But Tirone-Smith tells the completely engaging story (murder, familial discord and resentment, religious zeal and subsequent disenfranchisement, the dissatisfaction of an unfulfilling 1950's pre-feminist existence) with a straightforward but not unemotional voice that is both refreshing and totally captivating.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down; Anne Fadiman - WOW. This book blows me away each and every time I read it. It is the factual account of a doctor who encounters a Hmong family with an epileptic child, and the ensuing difficulty in treating the child due to the yawning chasm of cultural divergence. There is much fascinating insight into the Hmong culture and their beliefs and how they are thoroughly at odds with American medical practices and our own culture as a whole. Don't miss this one.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn; Betty Smith - Since I first read this book at 13, Francie and Neelie have been much, much more than characters in a book to me. This book is simply stunning. It's like...Angela's Ashes but with more heart, more pain, more everything. You want Francie and Neelie to make it, to overcome. And you are left feeling that somehow, they will.

Obviously, I could go on, and on, and on with book recommendations, but I will stop for now. If you'd like to leave some of your own recommendations in my comments please do so. I'm always looking for something new and wonderful to read.

Happy Reading!