On the prowl for a good read
by Features Editor Shelah Miner
The temperature is supposed to hit 90 this afternoon. In my mind, the first 90-degree day signifies the official beginning of summer, no matter what month it is. For me, an ideal summer is all about a comfortable lounge chair, a good pair of sunglasses, and a stack of books from the library taller than my youngest child.
In order to prepare that stack of books, I scour bestseller lists, look for editors’ picks at Amazon.com, peruse Goodreads and take my blackberry into Barnes and Noble and write down the names of all the titles that look intriguing. I used to subscribe to the New Yorker and get email updates from the New York Times book reviews, but eventually I found both of those overwhelming. I can read half a book in the time it takes me to read one of the New Yorker reviews. But my best source of books worth reading has always been my friends. So there’s where you come in: what’s the best thing you’ve read in the last six months?
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May 4th, 2009 at 11:13 am
In the name of sharing, if you want to see what I’ve been reading lately, here’s a list: http://shelahbooksit.blogspot.com/search/label/books
May 4th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson
May 4th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
The one very best? This has been a good six months, so I can’t do that, but here are a few of the best.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
The Reindeer People
The Sparrow
Interpretor of Maladies
Garlic and Sapphires
Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper
May 4th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Ooh, Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper looks right up my alley. I loved the Ruth Reichl series too.
The Other Side of the Bridge looks really great too. Did you Crow Lake first? If so, would it be necessary to do so?
May 4th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
I’ve been in grad school for the last six months, but still read a few good things mixed in there with the literary theory. I loved Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros and Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather. Have you read anything by Virginia Sorensen? Signature Books re-released a few of her books and they are all fabulous. Where Nothing is Long Ago is good if you are into memoir, and I also particularly liked The Evening and the Morning. I post what I’ve been reading on my blog as well, under the label ‘books’
May 4th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
I recently read Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos and loved it.
May 4th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Not in the past 6 months, but The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss was one of the best books I’ve read in several years.
Also, the trilogy starting with The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie was incredible, even if you don’t like the genre. I mean that.
May 4th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Last year I started re-reading the books I was forced to read in high school and college, but hated. I found that with a few more years under the belt, I really enjoyed most of them. “Catcher in the Rye” still stunk, but “Death Comes to the Archbishop” was such a revelation that I read everything in our library by Willa Cather. I’m in the Illiad now and find it much more boring than I did in high school, but I’m seeing more in the characters.
May 4th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
In the last week: Kathryn Lynard Soper’s _The Year My Son and I Were Born_.
In the last six months: For light reading _Every Soul a Star_ and _A Mango-shaped Space_ by Wendy Mass. For heavier reading _A Thousand Splendid Suns_ by Khaled Husseini.
Not in the last six months but always have to recommend: _The Undertaking: life stories from the dismal trade_ by Thomas Lynch. _The Omnivore’s Dilemma_ by Michael Pollan.
May 4th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Sheila, we read so many of the same books it kills me. It’s like you’re my Goodreads wondertwin. Activate!
May 5th, 2009 at 10:43 am
In the last 6 months:
The Middle Place, by Kelly Corrigan
Dreamers of the Day, by Mary Doria Russell
Mudbound, Hillary Jordan
The Zookeeper’s Wife, Diane Ackerman
The Heretic’s Daughter, Kathleen Kent
May 5th, 2009 at 11:47 am
You all seem like heavy literature readers – I like a good classic, but theses days I make a bee line for the SF/F followed by the kids/teen books. I have enough real life stresses so I’m not a fan of contemporary lit – I don’t need to read about some dysfunctional life, I have one of my own. I like the Hero stories. So here ya go – the Fluff Reads.
The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman (Newberry winner this year) I love Neil’s short stories, but stay away from American Gods.
The Art Thief – Noah Charney
Chalice – by Robin McKinley.
Immortal Prince – J. Fallen. yes, it’s SF, but the opening pages had me in stitches.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Austin & Smith
City of Bone. City of Ash. City of Glass – 3 books by C. Clare
Inkdeath – Cornelia Funke
I just started Girl with No Shadow. The sequel to Chocolat by Joanne Harris.
The poetry of Czeslaw Milosz – I hadn’t bought poetry in 10 years, but a friend lent me his works and I had to own them so there at least one serious read.
NON-FICTION
I always recommend the following when asked about reads
Dance of the Dissident Daughter – by Sue Monk Kidd
When Things Fall Apart – by Pema Chodron.
May 5th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Fiction:
Cage of Stars
Papa Married a Mormon
Mama’s Boarding House
Saints
Sci/fi:
The Price of the Stars
By Honor Betray’d
Starpilot’s Grave
Rimrunners
Finity’s End
Cyteen
Hellspark
Anything by Lois McMaster Bujold.
Fantasy:
Anything by Lois McMaster Bujold, especially:
“Curse of Chalion”
“Paladin of Souls”
The “Vlad Taltos” books by Steven Brust
Snow White and Rose Red
Sister Light, Sister Dark
Tam Lin by Pamela Dean
You can look me up on Goodreads also.
May 17th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
I’m enough of a fan that I recognize where Seth has added new sentences or rearranged things, but loose enough that I’m not at all offended that he trifled with the work.
Laughed Out Loud. Handed it over to my 14-year-old.
I also loved “The Year My Son and I Were Born,” which managed to live up to the months I waited to get my hands on it.
I’ve been subscribing to Analog etext to get new science fiction. I love me a good science fiction short story.
I discovered Edna Ferber’s Emma McChesney books, like Roast Beef Medium. The 1913 stories of the career a smart savvy divorced mother (alcoholic husband) who rises from stenographer to traveling salesperson and beyond. Entertaining, funny, and satisfying to my feminist interests.