Monday, October 31, 2011

Wine Instead of Tea?

A glass of red wine goes equally well with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  Especially one dripping with blood. 

My daughter made this for my quiet night of reading.  Check out her cooking blog for the directions and several other Halloween edibles. 
 

Happy Halloween!

When I was small it was a family tradition to watch the animated version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow each year on TV.  It seems like it was often on after we got home from Trick-or-Treating but I could be wrong.  Disney did it very well, and even after watching it annually I would jump when the headless horseman threw his head at poor Ichabod Crane.

This wonderful classic by Washington Irving is a quick and easy read.  For several years now I have made a point of reading it on Halloween night after the ghosts, pirates and princesses have all gone home to bed.  A warm cup of cider or tea, possibly an afghan or shawl and a good book, what better way to end a holiday?

It is not too late, a quick trip to your local library will probably find it still on the shelves.  If not it is a quick free download on the Kindle and possibly other e-readers as well. 

Treat yourself to a new tradition with an old story.  I will be reading it tonight, cozy and warm with something special to sip.  Feel free to join me.  Happy Halloween!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Celebration Through Reading

I come from a family that celebrates, some say to excess, any and every occasion we enjoy.  Before you assume that my house is draped in colored lights for every conceivable holiday let me say that there are many different ways to celebrate.  For me it often involves reading seasonal books, stories and poems. 

Halloween has never been my favorite holiday, but I have enjoyed spooky stories clear back to my childhood.  Last year I spent much of October reading science fiction, mystery and stories I consider seasonal in subject or tone.  It was a wonderful month to be reading.  From the dates and notes in my reading journal October 2010 went like this:

10-3-2010  I began the month with The Last Dickens: A Novel by Matthew Pearl.  I had read Poe's Shadow and The Dante Club by Pearl so knew that I would probably like this book as well.  I didn't expect it to be quiet as dark or to be written in a style so similar to Charles Dickens.  It is the story of the last book written by Dickens but left unfinished, Mystery of Edwin Drood.  The color and characters are too much like a Dickens work to be unintentional.  Although not chosen for as an October read this book did guide me the books I read for the rest of the month.

10-8-2010  Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly was my next pick.  I must say I prefer the alternate title The Modern Day Prometheus, it better describes the main character.  Instead of a moaning, groaning creature described as "Frankenstein's monster" I met an agile, god-like creature of intelligence and compassion.  He is turned upon by the people and world that he so loves.  I think we can all identify with that feeling at some time in varying degrees.  Although I have seen the old black and white movie this was my first reading. 

10-15-2010  My next selection was a re-read of Dracula by Bram Stoker.  I read this book back in high school, it is just as good as I remembered, but different.  I remembered Dracula as being more sensual and romantically involved in his victims, not so.  Perhaps that image came from the old black and whites.  This time around he seems more animal-like and brutal.  He seemed vengeful toward Dr. Van Helsing and the other men who helped Lucy to her final rest.  Lucy...I would have expected to remember her name but didn't.  My final note says "I guess it pays to re-visit those old classics."

10-18-2010  "I thought this would be a great Halloween read because I have often listened to the radio re-broadcast on Halloween night."  So begins my journal entry for War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells.  Much to my surprise I was reading a whole different story than the one so familiar to me while growing up.  Set in England at the turn of the century this story was a wonderful, and new, read.  The Martians are both all-powerful and vulnerable.  The reactions of the people predictable by today's sci-fi standards.  Orson Welles supposedly based his 1938 broadcast on this book, but very loosely.  My anticipation of the radio version is not damaged by Welles' interpretation. 

10-26-2010  If one H. G. Wells is good, two must be better, so my next book was The Time Machine.  It is better than the movie which in this case is saying a lot.  The movie does follow the storyline very closely, especially at the beginning.  The Morlacks and Eloiand are different visually from the movie portrayal.  At the end the stories take two different paths.  In the movie the time traveler goes back to Weena, apparently to help or at least change their civilization.  In the book there is a different ending that is well worth the read even if you know the movie by heart.

Pick a book to read during the upcoming holidays.  You will need an excuse to sit down, put some soft music on in the background and relax.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

My Secret is Out!

Did I say eclectic?  I am sure that I warned you several posts back that I have an eclectic reading style.  Now I am going to reveal one of my reading secrets.  Be forewarned--this revealation even surprised my son.  "Steampunk?" he replied as I explained the book I had just read.  I thought it was a new trend in fantasy or sci-fi. 

I admit they are not books that you will display on your shelves in leather bound, gilt page volumes.  When you combine the Victorian setting and amazing technology that seems to somehow fit within the era you have caught my attention.  Add to that mix strong female characters as well as vampires and werewolves.  Then throw in some mystery and a good portion of action--I am engaged and entertained.  Isn't that one of the reasons we read?

Steampunk, actually probably a sub-genre of science fiction or fantasy, is diverse.  I read one book that I enjoyed except that sex seemed to be a major focus of the story to the point of detracting from the story line.  Then I discovered Gail Carriger.  I would be confortable loaning her books to my grand-daughters or my mother.

Ms. Carriger has created a great series called The Parasol Protectorate.  I read through the first four books very quickly, downloading them to my Kindle the moment I finished reading the previous book.  The current titles in this series are: Soulless; Changeless; Blameless; and HeartlessTimeless is due in March 2012 and I can hardly wait. 

Several series of steampunk are available for the young adult crowd as well.  I can understand how vampires and werewolves in a different setting would appeal to this age group although not all of this genre includes supernaturals.  The amount and type of technology varies as well.

My suggestion?  Read Soulless and see what you think.  Once you are hooked try some of the other steampunk authors, there seem to be a lot out there.  Find your confort level and enjoy!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Short on Reading Time Lately?

Reading is relaxing, fulfilling and should be enjoyed daily.  Yet I know there are times when we get so bogged down by life and commitments that we just can't take that plunge into a new book.  I don't know about you, but I have no self control and would rather skip the laundry and other household chores to read a new book.

My suggestion?  Don't read a book, try flash fiction.  Also sometimes called nano fiction these little tidbits are not shortened or condensed works.  They are true, stand alone stories with characters, plot, conflict and resolution. 

This genre can run anywhere from a few words to a thousand but generally runs 55 to 300 words. Flash fiction is readily available as anthologies in e-book format or individual stories online. Choose the size and format that fits your time frame. 

As with any anthology, most of us will not enjoy 100% of the content.  These are the books I have enjoyed:  Dancing on Fly Ash: One Hundred Word Stories by Matt Bell and Josh Maday; Nano Flash Fiction for Kindle and Nano Flash Fiction for Kindle Vol. 2 by James Dillingham; and Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer by Robert Swartwood. 

Check online for free reads.  Many web sites offer contests for budding authors around a weekly or monthly theme or writing prompt.  A site I go back to frequently even includes some older examples from a 1916 Life Magazine writing competition.  NPR also sponsors three minute story competitions throughout the year.

Warning!  I have found reading flash fiction to be very addictive.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

What Will You Read Next?

I know, I have stacks and piles everywhere, too.  Sometimes, though, I feel like I am in a rut and need something that I don't already have sitting around. 

If you feel the same you need a personalized reading list. 

My local library, and others around the country, will put together a personalized reading list based on your answers to a brief questionnaire.  The questions are simple: favorite authors, genre, and books.  You will also be ask about things you don't like.  I don't read books with a focus on concentration camps, I just don't.  I filled out the questionnaire then submitted it online.  It really is that simple. 

In a very short time, ten days to two weeks, I had a new specialized list created just for me.  My first list had ten choices with a short synopsis of the books, a link to the book in the online library catalog and a statement about why this book was chosen for me.  I appreciate that this list was created by real librarians not a computer program.

Thanks to this service I have discovered and fallen in love with new (to me) authors such as Wilkie Collins.  I had never heard of him so did not know that he is considered the father of the modern detective novel.

Moonstone was suggested to me.  I downloaded it onto my Kindle for free then enjoyed the book and author immensely.  Collins was a friend and colleague of Arthur Conan Doyle who I have liked for years.  In addition, I have read and enjoyed all ten of the books on my reading list.  Only one was a repeat for me, but I followed up on the suggestion to listen to the audio book of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand if I had read it previously.  

Contact your local library to see if they offer this service, many do.  Meanwhile my suggestion is to check out Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.  If you like classic detective mysteries you won't be disappointed.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Tea, Mystery and Charleston's Historic District

One of my favorites.
If you are an avid tea drinker, a mystery lover and hold a fondness for anything historic here is a series of books just for you.  While this series will never win the Nobel Prize for literature, they will bring many hours of enjoyment and suspense.  Laura Childs is the author of several specialized mystery series but I have only read the Tea Shop Mystery books.

Theodosia Browning is the owner of The Indigo Tea Shop in the historic district of Charleston.  What makes her really interesting is the she has a knack for getting involved in local crime investigations.  She is surrounded by a group of likable and caring friends including Detective Tidwell who tries to keep Theodosia out of trouble but doesn't really succeed.  My favorite character is Drayton, professional tea blender, history buff and man of class and breeding.

While mystery and history should be enough, there is tea.  I actually take notes as I read so that I can find the more elusive teas via internet shopping.  With tea you get fancy tea cups, tea cloths and tea towels.  Plus there are benefit events, centerpieces and decorations.  Then, there is food--scones, muffins, cookies, tea cakes and more hearty offerings with some recipes at the back of the book. 

There are currently twelve books in the series.  The next book, Agony of the Leaves, can be pre-ordered as it is due in March 2012.  These are quick enjoyable reads if you don't stop to try all the recipes before going to the next book.  Although these books can stand alone I would recommend beginning with the first, Death by Darjeeling.  Let's face it, you can try one, get hooked and read them all by March.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Thursday Next

A set of books I recommend to anyone who will listen is the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde.  Don't even ask me what genre to put these in, there is a little of everything.  If you have ever daydreamed of walking into your favorite book to live, visit, or possibly change the ending then this is your kind of lit.

Thursday Next is actually the main character who works for a policing agency, Jurisfiction, that controls the Book World.  Until I came across the first book, The Eyre Affair, I hadn't considered that the Book World was in much danger or needed policing.  I was definitely wrong.  Thursday's job is protecting books from tampering and revision by outside forces.  You can guess what book is at stake in the first volume. 

Sometimes what I really want out of a book is fantasy, a world that I know doesn't exist and can't possibly be on tomorrow's front page.  That is not to say that Thursday's world does not have the same problems we have, but they do play out very differently with twists in plot that I do not expect to encounter here. 

I found the Thursday Next series a lot like popcorn--you want to devour them by the handfuls.  It is fun to come across favorite characters from other books and see a whole new side to them.  I loved Great Expectations from the moment I read it in seventh grade.  In Book World there is a Miss Havisham that Charles Dickens never dreamt of. 

Fforde lives in Wales and has published several other books that all seem to cross the genre lines.  He also lets his own personal quirks shine through, I love that in an author.  For instance, none of his books have a chapter thirteen.  You may find it in the index, but check out the page, no chapter thirteen. 

The current books in the series are: The Eyre Affair; Lost in a Good Book; The Well of Lost Plots; Something Rotten; First Among Sequels; and One of Our Thursdays Is Missing: A Novel.

Take time to check out a Thursday Next novel, you won't regret it.

Monday, October 10, 2011

A Book Suggestion from an Eclectic Reader

Last night I finished my 48th book for 2011.  My secret is that I have a very eclectic reading style, in truth I will read almost anything.

Although I do not like blood and gore I am a huge fan of murder mysteries.  I grew up on Miss Marple with her calm "Oh, my!  I do believe someone has killed poor Mr. So-and-So in the Library".  I am surprised that I wasn't afraid of libraries. 

I love historical fiction, books featuring technology, classics, best sellers, satire, sci-fi, books that make you think and books that don't make you think.  You get the picture.   

For about the last year now I have added another category, books I can download onto my Kindle.  I know that there are two kinds of readers, those who carry their Kindles everywhere and those who won't touch one.  I have friends and family on both sides.  I actually have some very good reasons for loving my Kindle but I won't bore you with the details, your probably already know which side you are on. 

If you are anti-Kindle and fear the demise of the real, in your hands, weight and page turning book I have a recommendation for you.  I read this one in July and have talked to everyone about it--The Last Book Store in America by Amy Stewart.  Stewart is a bookstore owner but does not fail to see humor in the plight of the book. 

The basic plot is that books are falling from favor and bookstores are closing their doors daily all due the the Gizmo.  It appears that the Gizmo is all you really need, it is a phone, an e-reader and more.  The company that has developed and marketed the Gizmo is Nile.com.  I am not sure if this book should be labeled humor or satire, but I enjoyed it immensely.

The story of how the last book store stays open and succeeds will not only make you laugh, but it will also make you think.  Everyone I have talked into reading it has enjoyed it.  So, now I am recommending it to you.

If you still aren't sure that the author of a book about the death of books and book stores can have a sense of humor--it is only available on the Kindle!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Book Club Recap

Book Club was wonderful last night--of course we knew it would be.  Great friends, great discussions and great food.  What better way to spend a Friday night.

The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas was a relaxing and enjoyable book after a very tense and emotional book in September.  Our tradition has been to read a banned book each September in celebration of banned books.  This year we read Sophie's Choice by William Styron.  While the book had much to offer it was a heavy, emotional read.  It was relaxing this month that the conversations, book and otherwise were relaxing and calm. 

In addition to all the talking and snacking we put together a list for the next fifteen months of Book Club.  Yes, not a year, but a year and a quarter.  Seven members were in attendance this month, a rare treat since one of our members hasn't been at a lot of meetings this year.  We each chose two books (14) and then the group chose a banned book. 

I won't list the fifteen books here, you will hear all about them as we move through the upcoming months.

The first Friday in November we will be discussing We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates.  Over the years we seem to have read several by her, but no one is complaining.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Book Club Tonight!

Not only is tonight my monthly book club meeting, it is our annual planning meeting.  We will begin with a draft calendar and our individual lists, then finish with twelve book picks for 2012.  Several years ago we decided that planning ahead helped us to get the books we wanted to read and discuss.  Some members get them from High Plains Library District, some from a book swap, and others purchase the physical book or get it on our Kindles. 

The problem is too many choices.  At most we will each add two books for next year.  I have two pages of notes on books I would like to recommend and it has taken me all afternoon to narrow it down to four choices.  Maybe I will be lucky and someone else will have picked some of them as well. 

Yes, I could just read them anyway, and I do, but some books just demand to be discussed.  Our membership has been pretty constant throughout the years, we have become friends not just members.  An outsider would think that we get off track a lot, not so.  The people and events in our reading calls up the emotions and similarities in our own lives.  There are books that just must be discussed with fellow book lovers.  It creates another deminision. 

My list for tonight includes The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, The Reading Promise:  My Father and the Books We Share by Alice Ozma, Flaw by Magdalena Tulli and The Diaries of Sofia Tolstoy, translated by Cathy Porter.  I don't know yet which ones I will actually choose as we put pen to paper. 

Tonight we will snack as we discuss this month's pick--The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas.  We will solve the problems of the world, reccomend the books we read this month, and plan a whole new year of books.