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From n8an

Mysteries and Thrillers

If I've read them, I'll bold them.

( The list )

READ IN 2006

( The list )

51 books this year. That's almost a book a week. I can live with that!

NOTE: Books without links were borrowed from spouse's Half.com store.

( Section III: History )

( Section IV: Memoirs )

I've never been overly fond of biographies, so the lack of bolding on that list is no surprise; but, given how much I like history, I'm rather shocked at how few of those titles I'd even heard of, much less read.

Sometime ago, a fellow BookCrosser (I believe it was n8an) suggested I try Alice Hoffman, saying that she was an author I would enjoy. I finally took him up on that suggestion and grabbed a random title that showed up in spouse's Half.com store. I started it last night and fell in love. The book is The Probable Future. My probable future entails finding everything this woman has ever written.

If that was indeed you, n8an, thank you most sincerely. You have expanded my horizons once again.

Instructions:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 4 sentences on your LJ along with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.
~~~~~~~~~~
On the Ponte Vecchio there is now affixed a tiny plaque whose proud inscription gave me a particular thrill, which I would like to share with you. The inscription reads: "On the 11th August 1944, Freedom, the Sole Dispenser of Social Justice, Not Granted but Reconquered, At the Cost of Destruction, Torture and Blood, Thanks to the Rising of the People and to the Victory of the Allied Armies, Has Taken Her Place in this Palace of our Fathers, Amid the Ruins of our Bridges, Forever.

Coming up: another high-point of your tour. It's off to Rome, just four hours away by train.

Europe on 5 Dollars a Day?
by Arthur Frommer
(1961-62 Edition)

By the way, would anyone like this book? It's a pocket-sized paperback. The cover says it was "prepared for Scandinavian Airlines", so it was probably a give-away for some package tour.

Spouse went yard-saling (sale-ing? sailing? [grin]) yesterday morning. He was out the door by 7:30 am, armed with cash and a willing spirit. I, on the other hand, stayed home and slept an extra hour before getting up and making coffee.

I had just started my second cup when spouse came through the door from the garage, shouting, "Come help me, woman! I have books!"

( And lo, he had books. )

*sigh*
We need more bookshelves. Again.

Winner of Canada's prestigious Governor-General's Award, this is an incredibly intricate novel about a small town and its people. West Gull is in Ontario but could be anywhere in the world where small towns survive. Protagonist Carl McKelvey, who is reminiscent of Richard Russo's characters, particularly Sam Hall in The Risk Pool, returns to West Gull for reasons seemingly unknown to him and others in town. In West Gull, Carl had left an ex-wife and a daughter, a dead mother, an old father, and a reputation as a violent drunk. Hoping to rebuild his life, he reestablishes contact with his seven-year-old daughter, Lizzie, but finds that the memory of his mother, Elizabeth, who touched everyone in town to some degree and who died in a car crash when Carl was at the wheel, is a strong impediment. Now, Carl must put that memory and guilt to rest before moving on. Cohen's novel is packed with humor, desperation, and romance. (Library Journal)

A marvelous jewel of a novel, spare and beautiful and haunting and lush. Carl's efforts to rebuild his life and be a parent to his daughter are presented without filter, with all the joints and seams and ugly places exposed. A very human story, well worth reading. Highly recommended.

A wonderful story told in straightforward language. The author gives us a window into the world of servitude, where choices were few and rights were unknown.

Griet becomes a maid in the household of a wealthy family after her father is blinded and can no longer work to support their family. She captures the eye of the master of the household, the painter Vermeer, for her attention to detail and her sense of color. He soon pays her special notice, creating tension with the other servants, and arousing jealousy in her mistress. Throughout the intrigue and manipulation surrounding her, Griet endeavors to maintain her virtue, her contact with her family, and perhaps even to find a little happiness for herself.

A lovely haunting story, well told. Highly recommended.

Manumitted from madame_urushiol

( Waterstone's Book Meme )

Look what arrived in yesterday's mail!



A gift from marina_wolf!

Thank you, marina. You are a kind and thoughtful human being, and I appreciate you very much.