I seem to be reading a lot of grim Nordic mysteries lately. The latest author I read is Jo Nesbo, whose last book concerns the recurring theme of nazism. I think The Girl books set off this popularity. I've read two by Camilla Lackburg that were absolutely horrifying, and very, very good.
I went to the Chuckanut Writers Conference with agent Andrea Hurst, and another agent there, Kate Folker, and I talked a lot about books we like. I was thrilled that she actually knew about Dorothy Dunnett and Rosemary Sutcliffe, two of my favorite historical novelists. She was reading a political thriller by Charles Cumming that sounded good. When I checked on him at the library, most of his books had a pretty long waiting list, but I did get TYPHOON, which turned out to be one of those books that keep me reading till dawn. Of course, living near the Canadian border means dawn comes very very early.
Actually I have read a couple of real beach reads. Janet Evanovich's 17th, with Ranger, Joe, and Joe's scary grandmother all wanting a piece of our heroine. I'm reading a new Daisy Dalrymple cozy, set, of course, in a country house in England.
My friend Mare loaned me a paperback called Hounded by Kevin Hearne, who immediately endeared himself to me by dedicating the book to his mother. The main character is a 2000 year old druid, who is surrounded by gods, witches, werewolves and vampires, in Tempe, Arizona. Next in the series are Hexed and Hammered. I can't wait.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Catching Up
I haven't gotten my new blog set up, so I thought I'd catch up on the many books I've read-well at least some of them.
Right now I'm reading Phil Rickman's new book, The Bones of Avalon. It isn't one of the Merrily Watkins books, but rather a stand alone(I assume) written in the first person, about Dr. John Dee, astrologer and scientist in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. It's about a search for the bones of King Arthur. I'm not far into it, but already there's a horrible murder in the ruins of Glastonbury Cathedral.
I read Meg Wolitzer's The Uncoupling, a take off on Lysistrata. It's interesting but didn't really grab me.
A nonfiction book that kept me reading till too late is Philip Connors' Fire Season. He spent eight fire seasons in a remote lookout in New Mexico. The book is about being a lookout, but it's also about the evolution of forest management, some notable writers who have had the same experience such as Edward Abbey and Jack Kerouac and Norman MacLean. A wonderful book-the best kind. He's an entertaining writer and I learned a lot.
Right now I'm reading Phil Rickman's new book, The Bones of Avalon. It isn't one of the Merrily Watkins books, but rather a stand alone(I assume) written in the first person, about Dr. John Dee, astrologer and scientist in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. It's about a search for the bones of King Arthur. I'm not far into it, but already there's a horrible murder in the ruins of Glastonbury Cathedral.
I read Meg Wolitzer's The Uncoupling, a take off on Lysistrata. It's interesting but didn't really grab me.
A nonfiction book that kept me reading till too late is Philip Connors' Fire Season. He spent eight fire seasons in a remote lookout in New Mexico. The book is about being a lookout, but it's also about the evolution of forest management, some notable writers who have had the same experience such as Edward Abbey and Jack Kerouac and Norman MacLean. A wonderful book-the best kind. He's an entertaining writer and I learned a lot.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Update
I have lots of books to write about, but I have a new blog:summitloop that I'll be using.It's just starting, so don't expect much
Monday, April 11, 2011
Catching Up
Due to circumstances beyond my control and abject laziness, I'm totally out of date with my list of books. Rather than try to start where I left off, I'll list a few that I've read recently.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is the last of the Steig Larssen books, and the best, I think. The anit-heroine Lisbeth Salander is one of the best characters in contemporary literature. That's going some, but I was engaged by the first book, and sorry to reach the end of the last one.
Next: two favorites of mine:Paris and food and present in The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz. He was a desert chef at La Panisse in Berkeley who decided to move to Paris, to a two room flat, with an inadequate kitchen, where he develops killer recipes. He also had to learn about Parisians-not an easy job. Included in his memoir are recipes for:Bacon and Bleu Cheese Cake, Mocha Creme Fraiche Cake, and (the one recipe I've tried so far) Dulce de Leche Brownies. He also has a great blog.
I found Kate Morton because I had one of those book a day calendars last year. This year I have another because of the great books I've found. And hers were the real jewels. Evidently a lot of people agree with me because I had to join a long hold list at the library. So far I've read two, each different, but so beautifully written, so engrossing that I spent long hours in Kate Morton's worlds. I read The House at Riverton last year, and just finished The Distant Hours. Morton's books have unexpected turns to them that kept me guessing.The flyleaf of The Distant Hours holds the first page of a book: The True History of the Mud Man. That book is the centerpiece that everything turns around: the author, his three daughters, their secrets, the young woman who writes about them, her mother, and her secrets. It's a must read.
I also read Jane Eyre for about the 50th time. Even though I know it so well, I still find new beauty in Bronte's skill, delicate nuances in they way she outlines characters, then fills them in, a bit at a time. I get such a feeling for the land itself which seems another character. I always learn something new when I reread an old favorite.
At the Whidbey Island Writers Conference I heard a conversation about the change in the way readers read-not about ebooks, just about the way they read. More action is expected in the first few pages, fewer readers are patient enough to slowly weave their way into a novel. Would the Brontes or Jane Austin, or Anthony Trollope get published today?
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is the last of the Steig Larssen books, and the best, I think. The anit-heroine Lisbeth Salander is one of the best characters in contemporary literature. That's going some, but I was engaged by the first book, and sorry to reach the end of the last one.
Next: two favorites of mine:Paris and food and present in The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz. He was a desert chef at La Panisse in Berkeley who decided to move to Paris, to a two room flat, with an inadequate kitchen, where he develops killer recipes. He also had to learn about Parisians-not an easy job. Included in his memoir are recipes for:Bacon and Bleu Cheese Cake, Mocha Creme Fraiche Cake, and (the one recipe I've tried so far) Dulce de Leche Brownies. He also has a great blog.
I found Kate Morton because I had one of those book a day calendars last year. This year I have another because of the great books I've found. And hers were the real jewels. Evidently a lot of people agree with me because I had to join a long hold list at the library. So far I've read two, each different, but so beautifully written, so engrossing that I spent long hours in Kate Morton's worlds. I read The House at Riverton last year, and just finished The Distant Hours. Morton's books have unexpected turns to them that kept me guessing.The flyleaf of The Distant Hours holds the first page of a book: The True History of the Mud Man. That book is the centerpiece that everything turns around: the author, his three daughters, their secrets, the young woman who writes about them, her mother, and her secrets. It's a must read.
I also read Jane Eyre for about the 50th time. Even though I know it so well, I still find new beauty in Bronte's skill, delicate nuances in they way she outlines characters, then fills them in, a bit at a time. I get such a feeling for the land itself which seems another character. I always learn something new when I reread an old favorite.
At the Whidbey Island Writers Conference I heard a conversation about the change in the way readers read-not about ebooks, just about the way they read. More action is expected in the first few pages, fewer readers are patient enough to slowly weave their way into a novel. Would the Brontes or Jane Austin, or Anthony Trollope get published today?
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Catching Up
It's been a while since I added books. This doesn't mean I haven't been reading, of course. I've been working on the Whidbey Island Writers Conference, coming April 1-3. Garth Stein will be keynote speaker. His book, The Art of Racing in the Rain is wonderful. I'm hosting a chat house, and an author will be staying with me.
Soo, to some of the books I've read.
The one witih the most impact was Gargoyle. Here's the background. A porn star/director is burned so badly he has to spend months in the hospital, where he meets a woman stone carver who says he was burned last time she knew him, when she was a nun. I highly recommend it, though in places it's a hard read.
I went from the bizarre to the sublime: a food book!
Well, more than food. Its title says it all: The School of Essential Ingredients. It's a debut novel. (Forgive me, but as I write, I forgot the authors' names of these two.) I have never, not even in Water for Chocolate, read such wonderful descriptions. It's also very romantic.
I always like to read Nancy Pearl's Book Lust books, so I was happy to find the new one, Book Lust to Go, for people like me who love to read about places I'll never go to. Each chapter is about a different place, and she lists books and authors to read. The chapter titles are fun: Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires; Cavorting Through the Caribbean; Frolicking in Finland; Texas Two-Step. In Veni, Vedi, Venice, she mentions my alltime favorite author, Dorothy Dunnett, and her book in the Niccolo series, Scales of Gold. In Turkish Delights, she recommends Barry Unsworth's Rage of the Vulture. I also recommend all his other books, which range from historical novels, to a nonfiction book about living on Crete.
Gee, maybe I should do a book on writers.
Soo, to some of the books I've read.
The one witih the most impact was Gargoyle. Here's the background. A porn star/director is burned so badly he has to spend months in the hospital, where he meets a woman stone carver who says he was burned last time she knew him, when she was a nun. I highly recommend it, though in places it's a hard read.
I went from the bizarre to the sublime: a food book!
Well, more than food. Its title says it all: The School of Essential Ingredients. It's a debut novel. (Forgive me, but as I write, I forgot the authors' names of these two.) I have never, not even in Water for Chocolate, read such wonderful descriptions. It's also very romantic.
I always like to read Nancy Pearl's Book Lust books, so I was happy to find the new one, Book Lust to Go, for people like me who love to read about places I'll never go to. Each chapter is about a different place, and she lists books and authors to read. The chapter titles are fun: Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires; Cavorting Through the Caribbean; Frolicking in Finland; Texas Two-Step. In Veni, Vedi, Venice, she mentions my alltime favorite author, Dorothy Dunnett, and her book in the Niccolo series, Scales of Gold. In Turkish Delights, she recommends Barry Unsworth's Rage of the Vulture. I also recommend all his other books, which range from historical novels, to a nonfiction book about living on Crete.
Gee, maybe I should do a book on writers.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Alison Weir and Eleanor of Aquitaine
I've read Alison Weir's biographies for years, wallowing in British History. Then she began writing novels, which, because of her intensive research for her nonfiction, put me thoroughly into the period.
With Captive Queen she has given us Eleanor of Aquitaine in all her full bodied splendor, from the first moment, when as the wife of King Louis of France, she searches the crowd for her lover Geoffrey Plantagenet, and instead she first sees Geoffrey's son Henry.
The rest, as they say, is history. But what history. I finished the book at 1 this morning, and I'm still so caught up in Eleanor's story, romantic, sexy, violent, that the scenes still echo.
With Captive Queen she has given us Eleanor of Aquitaine in all her full bodied splendor, from the first moment, when as the wife of King Louis of France, she searches the crowd for her lover Geoffrey Plantagenet, and instead she first sees Geoffrey's son Henry.
The rest, as they say, is history. But what history. I finished the book at 1 this morning, and I'm still so caught up in Eleanor's story, romantic, sexy, violent, that the scenes still echo.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
In Praise of My Deerhounds
On a rainy morning I wake up, start the water for tea, and go get the paper. For once, Fingal stays in bed. His bladder must be getting bigger. The rest of him certainly is, and rapidly. His coat is getting thicker, and the markings on his face-high curved eyebrows- give him a continually surprised expression. Taz was the only other deerhound pup I've had, and she was seven months old when I got her, fingaal at this age is a new experience, and a delightful one. I don't know what he'll be like as a teenager, but he's great right now.
He came in to the computer room for his morning massage: five minutes or so of being rubbed as he squirms with pleasure and licks my leg, then back to bed. One of the many things I've learned to love about deerhounds in the past 20 plus years, is their ability to enjoy time just lying around. This means I can write to my hearrt's content. They've all had their quirks.
We always said Duncan was an old soul. He had a real sense of humor, but sometimes when he stared at me, it was as if he was trying to tell me something I should know. He still holds a special place for me.
Ceo Liath came next. She was a ditz, and we called her Bubbles. We told people in her past life she was a cheerleader.
Then came Abby, the queen. She was sure she was second in the pecking order, between my husband and me, and did not take kindly to sharing him.
When Banquo came, I named him after the ghost in Macbeth, because of the way he would quietly drift around and surprise me by appearing in front of me without a sound. He drove Abby nuts staring at her.
Rella came next, the sweet soul who loved everybody.
Then Oona, another old soul, who died too young, but has a place in my heart for the gifts she gave me.
She also trained Taz, who was named Topaz, but earned her other name: three pairs of shoes, six library books, one large sofa cushion, etc. Now she's still uh, high energy, always pushing her limits.
But now she's taking part in training Fingal, who at his young age, is so mellow, he doesn't need too much training....so far.
He came in to the computer room for his morning massage: five minutes or so of being rubbed as he squirms with pleasure and licks my leg, then back to bed. One of the many things I've learned to love about deerhounds in the past 20 plus years, is their ability to enjoy time just lying around. This means I can write to my hearrt's content. They've all had their quirks.
We always said Duncan was an old soul. He had a real sense of humor, but sometimes when he stared at me, it was as if he was trying to tell me something I should know. He still holds a special place for me.
Ceo Liath came next. She was a ditz, and we called her Bubbles. We told people in her past life she was a cheerleader.
Then came Abby, the queen. She was sure she was second in the pecking order, between my husband and me, and did not take kindly to sharing him.
When Banquo came, I named him after the ghost in Macbeth, because of the way he would quietly drift around and surprise me by appearing in front of me without a sound. He drove Abby nuts staring at her.
Rella came next, the sweet soul who loved everybody.
Then Oona, another old soul, who died too young, but has a place in my heart for the gifts she gave me.
She also trained Taz, who was named Topaz, but earned her other name: three pairs of shoes, six library books, one large sofa cushion, etc. Now she's still uh, high energy, always pushing her limits.
But now she's taking part in training Fingal, who at his young age, is so mellow, he doesn't need too much training....so far.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
UNBROKEN
UNBROKEN by Laura Hillenbrand (Seabiscuit) is a hard book to read-not because of her excellent writing but because of the horrors it reveals. The book is subtitled A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. The true story of Louis Zamperini begins with his birth and his outrageous younger years, his time as an Olympic runner and ends when he is in his 90's, having survived being cast adrift in a raft during World War II and several years in a POW camp in Japan. I wrote once before about WWI and the fact that there was no acceptance of PTSD. World War II survivors faced the same situation, and Zamperini's fall after surviving his suffering during the war is tragic to read about.
I recommend it highly.
I recommend it highly.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Pat Barker
When I first read Pat Barker's Regeneration Trilogy, her novels of World War One, and the damaged souls who survived, I knew I had read the works of a master craftsman. Many of the characters were real, stirred in with strong fictional protagonists. A few years ago I read another of her novels, Life Class. One theme in this book dealt with a man who worked on reconstructing the horrible facial wounds incurred in that war.
I just finished reading her contemporary novel, many-layered Another World, a sometime ghost story, sometime family drama, sometime history lesson. The main protagonist, Nick, has a 101-year old grandfather,Geordie, a survivor of the Battle of the Somme. In the days after WWI, when PTSD was unheard of, what did survivors do? They were supposed to carry on, but of course it didn't work for many. As Geordie is dying, his dreams are haunted by a memories of the war. And the house that Nick and his family move into, is haunted-perhaps.
I just finished reading her contemporary novel, many-layered Another World, a sometime ghost story, sometime family drama, sometime history lesson. The main protagonist, Nick, has a 101-year old grandfather,Geordie, a survivor of the Battle of the Somme. In the days after WWI, when PTSD was unheard of, what did survivors do? They were supposed to carry on, but of course it didn't work for many. As Geordie is dying, his dreams are haunted by a memories of the war. And the house that Nick and his family move into, is haunted-perhaps.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Reading Again
I've finally caught up with my library reading list, but a heavy weight one is waiting for me at the library. So...
I mentioned Atlantic and not finishing it. It's a good feeling to be able to say, "This is a wonderful book, but one that should be read a bit at a time, to absorb everything. So I'll put it down." I listened to Simon Winchester's Krakatoa and really liked it, so maybe I'll finish Atlantic that way. Wait For Me! the book by the Duchesss of Devonshire, was definitely a look at another world, and well worth reading. I came away with mixed feelings about the Mitford family, but this is one strong woman. Having read Georgiana, the biography of the late 18th-early 19th Duchess, the comparison between the two women, the contemporary one, who has so much control of her life, and the other, really tragic woman, made the book more interesting.
Onward. I took most of yesterday off and finished The Wave, subtitled In Pursuit of Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean. Susan Casey's style may not be for everyone, but I couldn't put it down. It's divided between the people whose work takes them on the oceans of the world, and those who go there for surfing. Sounds pretty weird, but for me it works. I've never been interested in surfing, but reading about people who live for it drew me in to their lives. Who on earth would want to ride a 100 foot wave, or for that matter, a 50 foot one? The other chapters dealing with scientists searching for the causes of the waves that cause cargo ships to sink without a trace were intense. Casey writes about people searching for answers, and the opinions of many people that climate change is going to be the reason that life on the coasts of the world is going to be changing rapidly.
Having read a great deal of Atlantic just before reading Casey's book gave me a bit of a background. The combination of the two was just a little be scary.
I mentioned Atlantic and not finishing it. It's a good feeling to be able to say, "This is a wonderful book, but one that should be read a bit at a time, to absorb everything. So I'll put it down." I listened to Simon Winchester's Krakatoa and really liked it, so maybe I'll finish Atlantic that way. Wait For Me! the book by the Duchesss of Devonshire, was definitely a look at another world, and well worth reading. I came away with mixed feelings about the Mitford family, but this is one strong woman. Having read Georgiana, the biography of the late 18th-early 19th Duchess, the comparison between the two women, the contemporary one, who has so much control of her life, and the other, really tragic woman, made the book more interesting.
Onward. I took most of yesterday off and finished The Wave, subtitled In Pursuit of Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean. Susan Casey's style may not be for everyone, but I couldn't put it down. It's divided between the people whose work takes them on the oceans of the world, and those who go there for surfing. Sounds pretty weird, but for me it works. I've never been interested in surfing, but reading about people who live for it drew me in to their lives. Who on earth would want to ride a 100 foot wave, or for that matter, a 50 foot one? The other chapters dealing with scientists searching for the causes of the waves that cause cargo ships to sink without a trace were intense. Casey writes about people searching for answers, and the opinions of many people that climate change is going to be the reason that life on the coasts of the world is going to be changing rapidly.
Having read a great deal of Atlantic just before reading Casey's book gave me a bit of a background. The combination of the two was just a little be scary.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year
I've been so busy raising Fingal I haven't read much. Have you ever noticed that wehn you request books from the library they all come in at one time? Right now I am truly overwhelmed. I have five at home and two waiting at the library. Soo. I read most of Simon Winchester's Atlantic. I am a pretty fast read but after a week I gave up on page 300 and somthing. Not that it isn't interesting it's just DENSE. The early exploration was fascinating as were the sea battles, but with the rest of the books staring at me I put it down. Now for a chnage of pace, I'm reading Wait For Me, by Deborah Mitford, Duchess of Devonshire. I have read other books by and about the Mitford clan, and am enjoying this one. Stacked up on a table are Driving on the Rim, by Thomas McGuane, one of the many fine Montana writers; Mink River by Brian Doyle, set on the Oregon coast; and the one I'll probably read next, The Wave, by Susan Casey. It's subtitled In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean. My son Andrew read it and it really freaked him out. Susan Casey wrote The Devil's Teeth, a fascinating book about the Farallon Islands.
Once again I'll have the Book Lover's Calender, from which I found so many books I might never have read otherwise.
Happy New Year.
Once again I'll have the Book Lover's Calender, from which I found so many books I might never have read otherwise.
Happy New Year.
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