From One Book Lover

Happy autumn!  It's been a busy reading summer. I tried to keep the pages turning relatively consistently as the summer progressed, but at times battled  reading ennui .  However, I refused to be thwarted, and managed to get a couple dozen books under my belt under the summer sun — or in the summer air conditioning. Either way, I read. I didn't beat my personal best — that would be  summer 2015  — but I read widely and bravely. Plus, I read  multiple books at a time, so my TBR shelf continues to groan from books begun in the heat of summer. I re-read  The Magicians , because the author will be at this year's  Fall for the Book Festival .    When I originally read it a few years ago, I really wanted to like it. This summer, I can honestly say I liked it, and have just begun reading the second novel in the series.  I discovered some great graphic novels, including one about a young girl with cystic fibrosis and her older s...

August was my month away from most social media (and a few other distractions), so I finished quite a few books. I got into a groove with a few graphic novels. I laughed, I cried, I coveted the skill of illustration. (My stick figures frighten children, so I don't doodle. I take copious notes. Seriously, people, even my less than stellar handwriting is better than my doodles.) I met a few characters I never knew, including relatives of daring adventurers pressed into service in a steampunk world and an impetuous man-child who really needed the very role model he lost. I indulged my new interest in mystery novels with a couple of ridiculously fun novels that featured smart women and their cats. (I could have done without the romance, but at least one of the series isn't too sappy about it.) I read a new novel by an old favorite author — and hated it. I read a book I read once before, a few years ago, and all the while kept wondering why it was so familiar. And, jus...

August is Summer Reading Program go-time! Looking for a good book? E-mail me for suggestions, or pick a title or two from my summer reading list: The Descent Wolf Hall Bone Season The Keeper of Lost Things The Book of Harlan The Clockwork Scarab Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter  The Sixth Extinction See you in September — let's compare our reading list successes then!

My summer reading is progressing deliciously. I continue to savor the wonderful Pride and Prejudice , days after the final words were spoken to me by the lovely Rosamund Pike. I loved that book not just because the audio version was wonderful, but the book itself was amazing. I knew the story from various resources, but each different performance could nowhere nearly match the magic of the original. I suspect I shall re-read this classic more than once in the coming years. Additionally, I think I found another Desert Island Book. But Darcy Love aside (and I mean Elizabeth), I am enjoying the summer. I stay up much later than I should and choose books based on my whim. To date, I have finished the following: Ruined The Burning Page Speaking from Among the Bones The Inexplicable Logic of My Life Big Little Lies Anna Karenina The Lies that Bind My Best Everything Forgotten Bones The Handmaid's Tale Pride and Prejudice I am currently reading: Star Wars: ...

What if we are meant to listen  to classic novels? I asked myself that as Rosamund Pike thrilled me this evening with her reading of Pride and Prejudice , a well-known romance novel with a timeless plot and enjoyable characters. (My personal favorite re-telling is set in India with a cast that included the former Miss World. And elephants. And hijra .)  As I listened to the actress who played Jane in a Hollywood version reading (and appreciate the stuffy and breathy Mr. Collins all the more because of her), I realized the cadence and presentation of the language easily lent itself to audio enjoyment. (Thanks, Audible!) I also thoroughly enjoyed Juliet Stevenson reading  Sense and Sensibility  last year — so much so that I purchased the book to enjoy again.  I have listened to Anna Karenina being read by Maggie Gyllenhaal (but only snippets so far), and was transfixed by the throaty tones of the reader and her obvious affection for the work. David fin...

Summer is in full swing now, and so is summer reading.  Well, it can be.  It should be. (I mean, it's summer!) So, how is your summer reading coming along? My summer reading is ebbing and flowing. When we last met this intrepid reader, I was experiencing a surprising level of book ennui . I could not find my groove. I looked, I skimmed, and yet nothing launched me into the book frenzy I sought. I have completed eight books in seven weeks. Not bad, but I have done better. What am I reading now? The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I read it when it was first released 31 years ago, and it chills me as much — if not more — now than then. This time, I am listening to Claire Danes read it to me, and I am enjoying her narration. When I read the book without her, I still hear her in my head. (Thanks, Claire!) The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes. He makes his case, relentlessly. It's an interesting book, but I think he's trying to trim a bonsai with ...

When it comes to Library Loot, I'm a slacker. Upon reviewing the last few Library Loot articles, I discovered I did not read those books in their entirety. If anything, my eyes are too big for my bookshelf. At any rate, I persist. And who knows: I may read at least one book from this recent looting! First of all, book displays were meant for me to loot. I don't care who the intended audience is, when I'm intrigued, I take a book. The slim volume of Forgotten Bones will be an introduction into slave burial sites — this one in New York. Our past is never very far behind us, and this is an excellent reminder. I also can't wait to delve into the Roanoke settlers mystery — I read about this new book, and about a recent finding announced in the Smithsonian, which makes me very excited. David is a fan of comics, and I thought he'd like to learn more about comic books. Finally, I needed to visit Brooklyn Wainwright again. This will be the third try at read...