Archive for the 'Books' Category
December 31st, 2006 by Blythe
An Artist of the Floating World
by Kazuo Ishiguro
My third Ishiguro book in the past few months. He still moves me. I haven’t read much about post-WWII Japan, and I enjoyed the atmospheric sense this book gave me. The plot was a kind of warm-up for The Remains of the Day.
The Nursing Mother’s Companion by Kathleen Huggins
The chances that I retained even ten percent of this (apparently very helpful and clear) information are slim. But maybe it’s all there in the brain recesses, I’ll let you know.
Saturday by Ian McEwan
My last-read novel of 2007 is also my favorite. I was pleased and satisfied at its beginning, when I thought it was simply a contemplation of one day in the life of a London neurosurgeon. It turned into so much more.
The Secret Love of Sons by Nicholas Weinstock
A gift from my mother-in-law, the mother of three remarkable men.
No One Cares What You Had For Lunch by Margaret Mason
Mighty Girl to the rescue in this book of short and useful ideas for making a more interesting blog. Brace yourself.
December 5th, 2006 by Blythe
I’ve joined a Flickr group called NoBloBookMo (yeah, the name doesn’t really make sense but it does if you know more about it, but do you really care? probably not). We’re supposed to post a photo of a book every day for a month, along with a description, or a reason we’re posting, or whatnot. Other members have better things to do than take photos of all their books, so I have basically hijacked the group and begun posting photos of some books I’ve read, in alphabetical order. Not every book I’ve read, because there are some I’d really prefer to forget about (those Stephen King knockoffs from junior high are still giving me nightmares).
Anyway, head over there and take a look at my books or at all the books because you just can’t get enough of me telling you what you should read.
November 30th, 2006 by Blythe
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
I was simultaneous attracted and repelled by this book; I’d heard it was a must-read, but the subject matter (a memoir outlining the first year after Didion’s husband’s death and her daughter’s serious illness) sounded too sad. And while it was sad, it was simply so heartfelt and personal that I didn’t feel emotionally manipulated at all.
Tsotsi by Athol Fugard
This story about a young gangster in 1950′s South Africa seeking redemption after he begins to care for a tiny baby sounds sentimental, but this book is anything but.
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
My new favorite author, man of a thousand voices. The narrator, an aging British butler, tells the gentle, funny, tragic story as only he could tell it.
Minus Nine to One: The Diary of an Honest Mum by Jools Oliver
A light and sweet book that I picked up in a bookstore and read straight through on the train. Not the first pregnancy and parenting book I would buy for a friend, but I would loan her my copy.
The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, M.D.
Here beginneth the march of the childrearing books that will bore you unless you are pregnant or have a small baby. Who knows if this works. Who knows if I will remember any of its contents by the time I need them. But it does feature illustrations of smiling babies.
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth
I read this in hopes that I won’t need to pick up its sequel, Your Fussy Baby.
Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx
Want to know about modern life in the foothills of the Rockies? Read these stories. They are true.
October 31st, 2006 by Blythe
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
Modern and funny and packed full of interesting language, cultural references, and humor. It took me weeks to finish it, maybe because I read it directly after All the Pretty Horses, which is so spare.
London Lonely Planet Guidebook
We trusted this and the Time Out online restaurant guide to help us find the best food and to navigate the sights.
Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham
Cunningham affects the way I think about literature and stories. He reimagines themes and characters, transcending genre and period, launching original ideas from classic works in ways that would occur only to a courageous writer. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
September 29th, 2006 by Blythe
The Coffee Trader by David Liss
First, take a trip to Amsterdam. Then, drink a strong cup of Turkish coffee. Finally, read this book about the birth of the coffee trade in 17th century Europe.
Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year by Anne Lamott
Anne Lamott has a way of making her minutely specific descriptions universal. That’s why, though I hope I will never be a recovering-addict single mother with an unplanned baby, I can only hope that I will care for my son with the heart and humor she describes.
Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner
I’ve been avoiding Jennifer “chick lit” Weiner for years. Silly me. Interesting story, funny bits, dramatic bits, no stupid heroines.
It’s a Boy edited by Andrea J. Buchanan
Short essays about women and their sons. Good if you have short bits of reading time. I’ve already passed it on to another mom-expecting-a-baby-boy.
All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
Not one word wasted. Young cowboys. Forbidden love. Mexican desert. Pretty horses. Beautiful.
It’s Banned Book Week. Go read a book someone thinks you shouldn’t. I suggest something by Judy Blume or Madeline L’Engle or Maya Angelou or (oh, why not) Madonna.
September 1st, 2006 by Blythe
Live from New York by James A. Miller and Tom Shales
All the backstage dirt I wonder about when I watch talented people work together. Stars (writers, actors, producers, and more) of SNL share their apparently uncensored memories of their time in the pressure cooker. Reading it made me glad I’ve never had a job where screaming arguments were part of the daily grind.
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Fascinating analysis of the human decision-making process, using stories, statistics, and real-life examples. I read this book in less than 24 hours (OK, I was jetlagged, so I didn’t sleep during that time, but it really is a quick read.)
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Have you ever read a book just because you feel like you’re missing part of American culture if you don’t? That’s one reason to read this. Also, it’s pretty short.
Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
Funny and delicious. Some bloggers really can write good books. And, apparently, assemble every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1.
August 15th, 2006 by Blythe
At the risk of turning this into a book blog, I’m posting another entry about books. Deal with it.
Once upon a time, I was in a very nice book group with a bunch of very nice ladies. We drank wine and ate food and we really did talk about the books (well, except for those two or three meetings where only a couple of people read the book and everyone else had to be taken to task but eventually everything was smoothed over). They’re still talking and reading and drinking. I’m still reading but not so much talking (except to myself) or drinking (except the Slurpees).
As a consequence of my reading habits and my longtime book group membership, I get asked “What book should I suggest for my book group?” a lot. So here are three books that went over very well with my (former) book group. Note that most of us hadn’t heard of these books before someone dredged them up and forced us to read them. They weren’t on Oprah or the Today show or anyone else’s bookclub lists. Maybe that makes us a bunch of freaks, but if your book group is full of freaks too, then read these books:
Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi
Scary but not trashy, though the cover and the fact that the author’s name rhyms with Bela Lugosi will lead you to believe otherwise. My seatmates on Alaska Airlines scootched a little further away from me when they noticed what I was reading on the plane.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Reading this book eventually became a kind of initation rite for new members. We talked it up so much that now we get blamed whenever someone doesn’t like it. (“You called this a masterpiece? I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a masterpiece.”) But we did love it. We didn’t love her next book, The Little Friend, as much. (But if you can figure out who freaking killed Robin, please email me because I went to a reading and Ms. Tartt swears that the answer is in the book. Apparently I’m too obtuse to figure it out.)
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Don’t tell me you aren’t interested in Sci Fi or that you don’t like to read about god or religion. This story is about the universe, and humanity. And music. It’s awesome.
July 14th, 2006 by Blythe
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Required reading for international transplants trying to learn the language that surrounds them.
The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
The first time I read this, I thought Holden just needed to get over himself. Now, I get it. I hope that’s not how John Hinckley, Jr. felt too.
What to Expect When You’re Expecting by by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, Sandee Hathaway
Yes, that’s some kind of announcement. And you thought the World Cup results were a surprise. Stay tuned for January delivery.
June 30th, 2006 by Blythe
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
A memoir that reminds us we can love our parents without turning into them.
Feel by Chris Heath
A biography of Robbie Williams that accomplishes three things: tells an honest and original story about fame; shares useless but fascinating gossip about Robbie; and by its reading, cements my status as adopted European.
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Its only flaw is that Michael doesn’t ever say “Fredo, Fredo, Fredo.” But the horse’s head is there.
The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland
The fictionalized diary of Napoleon’s wife, before she was Napoleon’s wife. Good stuff about the French revolution. Also, fashion and sex.
May 31st, 2006 by Blythe
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Armin
Politics among women haven’t changed much over the years; humor remains intact as well. And, fortunately, so has the dreamy beauty of the Italian countryside.
The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
A breezy read for anyone who loves Ms. Austen.
Shopaholic Abroad by Sophie Kinsella
A Bridget Jones knockoff that I picked up in desperation at one bookstore’s lackluster English-language section. Unfortunately, by the end, I was in agreement with the heroine’s detractors who saw her as an irresponsible airhead.
Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler
A soothing story about one woman’s musings on the life that could have been.
A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
I’m not sure why I manage to forget how funny this book is, but each time I re-read it I am surprised by how many times I laugh out loud. Also, more lovely Italian and English scenery.
The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry
This is the best portrayal of a down-and-out small town in the American west that I’ve ever read. Read it and see why Larry McMurtry can get away with wearing jeans to the Oscars.
Divided Lives by Elsa Walsh
This nonfiction account of three high-power women and their struggles to balance competing life goals rings just as true as it did when it was published ten years ago. It’s especially interesting to read the section on Meredith Vieira, written post-60 Minutes disgrace and pre-The View, Millionaire and Today success.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
I re-read this smart page-turner every couple of years and am reminded why it’s still one of my favorite books, even though I know the answer to the mystery. Creepy and cool.
Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl
A behind the scenes look at the career of the New York Times food critic and woman of many faces. Recipes included.