Books Galore!

Since becoming, as my Grammy says, "a lady of leisure". I've been reading way more, which makes me very happy. I mean, I've always been a big reader, but not working, sleeping so much & going out for drinks so often has left me with way more available reading time! Funny how that works, huh? If I manage to quit my Law & Order addiction I'll be out of control. Some of my reading has been for Book Club, some to better my self and some just for personal pleasure. Here's some thoughts on some recently absorbed reads. I'd put pictures of the covers for you, but Blogger is a bitch & hates me.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger.

This is the second novel by the author, her first was my very favorite, The Time Traveler's Wife. This is definitely a very different kind of book from TTW. However, I thought it was awesome and plan to re-read it again in a few months. This book is very bizarre and a little creepy. It starts w/ Elspeth, who has just died, bequeathing her London flat to her twin nieces whom she's never met; daughters of her own twin from whom she's been estranged for like 20 years. Despite being dead, Elspeth is still a main character in the novel. :-) The writing is haunting and beautiful & I think you can really get a feel for each quirky character and the story is very intriguing.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

Longest title of a book ever! The whole book is read through letters. I've read some other stuff that is predominantly letters, but nothing quite like this before. in the beginning I wondered if there would be a lot missing, things I'd have to surmise on my own. Surprisingly, not really. I found the book really easy to read, a quick page turner. Plus, it's a really neat story about a group of people who live on the Channel Islands on the coast of Britain & a London based writer. Through letters the islanders tell the writer their story of living through WWII, which is particularly interesting since the island was occupied by the German army.

This book was assigned for Feb. book club, which I couldn't make since I was in Pittsburgh. I decided to go ahead and read it anyway & I'm glad I did.

The Killer's Wife / Bill Floyd

This is the selection for our March book club & I just finished it yesterday. I'm not sure if it would be categorized as a thriller or suspense or mystery. It's a little bit of all of those things. I enjoyed it. The story held my attention and it was quick to read, plus it made me think about past relationships & wonder how well you can ever really know someone. However, I'd say the thing I liked most is that the author is an NC native & the book takes places entirely in the area where I now live.

The Omnivore's Dilemma : A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan.

This is a tomb of a book! Don't let that intimidate you though. It's fascinating! My friend Jamie wrote a good review of it on her blog, which you can find here. I've read a lot on the subject of food & seen quite a few documentaries about how stuff is made, how meat is processed, etc., including quite a few that featured the author. That being said, I felt like I had a good idea of what I was getting in to. I still had my eyes opened for me & gained new knowledge with every new page. Also, I really like the way the book is broken into sections. It makes it easy to read piecemeal. I definitely encourage you all to read this book.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith Yep. You read that correctly. It's pretty much what it sounds like too. So, I ask, what's not to love? Nothing, this book rocks! I mean, assuming you like Pride & Prejudice to begin with. And, of course that you like zombies, or at least zombie stories. Basically this Seth guy, took Jane Austen's novel & added in some more story line...you know, about zombies. It's pretty seamless too & he really manages to turn an incredible love story into to an incredible love story that makes you raise your eyebrow from time to time & giggle quite a bit. Next up, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. For real, yo! In my current to be read pile are: Geek Love, Midwives (which I read already, but it was awhile ago & it's the April BC choice), A Child Called It, In Defense of Food (also by Michael Pollan) and Pillars of the Earth. So, what have you been reading?