Help! I need a good read....
We're heading off to Florida on Saturday and I'm needing a few good books. All I want to do is lie in the warm, moist air and get rid of my lingering flu. I've been tearing through books recently and have managed to read a lot of the newer books at our little local library such as:
Resistance --a story about Wales/England set during World War II--what would have happened if Germany had invaded?
Farewell Shanghai --a story set in Shanghai during World War II--Shanghai was one of the last "open" cities that admitted Jews, yet became administered by Germans.
Someone Knows My Name --the life story of a woman captured into slavery in Africa and her experiences in the United States. She eventually is freed and ends up in Nova Scotia and then England. I particularly liked this book because I have been to many of the sites in the book.
The Lemon Tree --a non-fiction book about two families--one Arab, one Jewish--and their interwoven lives going back to before World War II. This was an important read for me because I now have a much more grounded opinion of what is going on in Israel.
Out Stealing Horses --a Norwegian novel about an elderly man contemplating events in his childhood. A quiet novel that I sank into.
And one more I can't remember about a woman in the Middle East just after World War I--the Europeans are dividing up the Middle East--again, like the Lemon Tree, some history I'm really glad to have learned.
N has Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet (a book we saw on Jon Stewart). Hels has the latest Bloody Jack novel, and Lou is deep into Misty of Chincoteague.
I have three books on reserve at the library--
Song Yet Sung (another slavery book), People of the Book and In Defense of Food --however I doubt they'll arrive by Saturday.
So, any book suggestions for poor me?
My husband keeps telling me I should read Confessions of an Economic Hit Man- a non- fiction book by John Perkins. I'm embarrassed to admit I haven't read a lot of fiction lately but you've provided such a good list and I'm going to look for some of those titles.
I have been reading your blog for a while and really enjoy it! I am an avid reader and have a couple titles you may enjoy. The first is Veil Of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald. Wonderful book about an Iranian woman who comes to America looking for a Iranian-American husband so she can stay in America and finds so much more. Seeing America through her eyes is really eye-opening. The second is Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. It is about a woman who decides to research her mother's past and learns about her mother's life during WWII. Gets graphic in some places but is a very good read.
And a couple authors I have really been enjoying lately are Tasha Alexander and Lauren Willig.
Have a wonderful time in Florida!
I've been mostly reading very light and fluffy stuff lately (too much serious reading going on during work hours!)-- I also enjoy Lauren Willig. For something completely different, I like Charles deLint's urban fantasy, like his Greenmantle or Yarrow.
I checked out Farewell Shanghai from the library after seeing it in your sidebar, but never got to it before it was due. I'll check it out again...I'm interested personally since my mother was born in Shanghai to a German Jewish refugee!
If slavery books interest you, Slave by Mende Nazar was a favorite of mine. It's about modern day slave trade. The Nazi Officer's Wife is one that none of us could put down. Myself, my husband, the exchange student, my mother in law... we all read it in about three days time. I loved Memoirs of A Geisha and Stones from the River, too. I hope you have a great vacation!
I read your blog, and was intially drawn to it by two of your 2007 reads that were also my favorites: Mountains beyond Mountains, and Three Cups of Tea. Two that I have recently read and enjoyed are Monique and the Mango Rains, nonfiction about a midwife in Mali, and Kickboxing Geishas, nonfiction about the changing roles of women in Japan. Thanks for keeping this blog, I love reading it. -Katie in Rochester, NY
As far as fiction goes (which I read mostly non-fiction), I'm a big fan of Tom Robbins.
Also, Chocolat was REALLY REALLY good. It was the first fictional story I had read in a very long time and it was simply wonderful.
I've personally been wanting to read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I forget the woman's first name but the last name is Kingsolver. (Barbara maybe?) It's a biography about her family's journey in committing to eating only local foods for a whole year.
Oh, and for a quick read, Tuck Everlasting is really great! Don't be turned off by the fact that Disney made it into a movie... seriously, the book is amazing.
Thanks for all the book suggestions. Some I've read, others I've added to my list.
I would like to read "Someone Knows my Name". I have always been a big reader, but lately I'm limited to farming related and homeschool related books. But I have always enjoyed that you list books in the side column; just in case I get a chance to read, I know where to look for a good book.
Amelia on the other hand reads and reads and reads..........Have a great trip to Florida
I just read Julia Alvarez's A Time for Butterflies - another piece of historical fiction for you - set in the Dominican Republic. Despite many distractions (three with names), I could barely put it down. You've probably read it, but I hadn't (despite being at her college for four years), and boy, I'm glad I finally did!
I just finished A Book of Bees by Sue Hubbell -- it was really quite lovely. And it made me buy bees.
Suggestion: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova--I couldn't put it down:-)
LOST LANGUAGE OF PLANTS by Stephen Harrod Buhner. Enjoy the vacation! :-)