BW42 - Old New York

Chrysler Building courtesy of joiseyshowaa's

We did a bit of futuristic armchair traveling with J.D. Robb aka Nora Roberts who introduced us to a futuristic new york in her In Death series.  Let's do a bit of historical fiction traveling in old New York.  I found a series of mystery books and authors that  haven't read yet thanks to Bookmarks Magazine.

Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow

B&N Synopsis:  "The story opens in 1906 in New Rochelle, New York, at the home of an affluent American family. One lazy Sunday afternoon, the famous escape artist Harry Houdini swerves his car into a telephone pole outside their house. And almost magically, the line between fantasy and historical fact, between real and imaginary characters, disappears. Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, J. P. Morgan, Evelyn Nesbit, Sigmund Freud, and Emiliano Zapata slip in and out of the tale, crossing paths with Doctorow's imagined family and other fictional characters, including an immigrant peddler and a ragtime musician from Harlem whose insistence on a point of justice drives him to revolutionary violence."

Time and Again by Jack Finney

B&N Synopsis:  "Sleep. And when you awake everything you know of the twentieth century will be gone from your mind. Tonight is January 21, 1882. There are no such things as automobiles, no planes, computers, television. 'Nuclear' appears in no dictionary. You have never heard the name Richard Nixon." 

Did illustrator Si Morley really step out of his twentieth-century apartment one night -- right into the winter of 1882? The U.S. Government believed it, especially when Si returned with a portfolio of brand-new sketches and tintype photos of a world that no longer existed -- or did it"

Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen

Book one in the Molly Murphy Series set in the early 1900's.    Author Synopsis:  Molly Murphy has to flee from Ireland and finds herself in deep trouble on Ellis Island in Murphy's Law.

Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson

Victoria Thompson's Gaslight series starting with Murder on Astor Place set in the late 1800's.   

B&N Synopsis:  "After a routine delivery, midwife Sarah Brandt visits her patient in a rooming house-and discovers that another boarder, a young girl, has been killed. At the request of Sergeant Frank Malloy, she searches the girl's room, and discovers that the victim is from one of the most prominent families in New York- and the sister of an old friend. The powerful family, fearful of scandal, refuses to permit an investigation. But with Malloy's help, Sarah begins a dangerous quest to bring the killer to justice-before death claims another victim."

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BW41: Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts - October 10, 2011

Happy birthday to my favorite author - the diva of romance and romantic suspense Nora Roberts.   I discovered her books back in 2007 and fell in lurve.  She has written almost 200 novels (complete booklist) including a number of stand alone books as well as series which are all unique and interesting.  She writes the type of stories that make you fall in the love with the characters and makes you want to turn right around and read the book over again, when you are done.  She also write a futuristic crime novel series called the In Death series under  the pseudonym J.D. Robb.  There are 33 books (chronological list)  in the series (which I've read most of them twice) and I just finished the latest New York to Dallas.  And I recently started listening to audio books in the car and am currently listening to Naked In Death which is the very first book in the series. I can sense that listening to the series will keep me busy for quite a while.    Besides being a prolific writer, she and her husband own a bookstore in Maine called Turn the Page and also a historic inn called Inn Boosboro with rooms named after literary characters including Eve and Roark from the In Death series.  She has a new trilogy named after the Inn Boonsboro and the first book is The Next Always being released on November 1st.

Tidbits from her website:

• Every Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb title released in 2010 hit the New York Times bestseller list.  That’s keeping up a streak started in 1999.
  
  
• With Treachery in Death (February 2011) Nora will have published 195 full-length novels.
  
  
• Nora has written 173 New York Times bestsellers including 27 written as J.D. Robb and one written together with J.D. Robb
  
  
• Since her first bestseller in 1991, Nora’s books have spent a total of 879 weeks on the New York Times list…that’s equivalent to more than 16.5 consecutive years of weekly bestsellers.
  
  
• Nora’s books have spent a combined 178 weeks at the number one spot on the New York Times bestseller list – that’s more than 3 years.
  

Once you read one of her books, you'll understand why.

Happy Birthday Nora!

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BW40: Spooktacular October

I've seem to have gotten into a vampire, werewolf, ghosts, angels and demons reading kick lately.   Last year for the month of October I read Frankenstein and was surprised because the story wasn't even close to what the movie had been like.  Maybe I had watched Mel Brooks Young Frankenstein one too many times *grin*    Then I read Dracula: The Undead by Dacre Stoker, Bram's great grandnephew, inventive sequel to Dracula. 

Barnes and Noble: At last—the sequel to Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula, written by his direct descendant and a Dracula historian  Bram Stoker's Dracula is the prototypical horror novel, an inspiration for the world's seemingly limitless fascination with vampires. Though many have tried to replicate Stoker's horror classic- in books, television shows, and movies-only the 1931 Bela Lugosi film bore the Stoker family's support. Until now.

Dracula The Un-Dead is a bone-chilling sequel based on Bram Stoker's own handwritten notes for characters and plot threads excised from the original edition. Dracula The Un-Dead begins in 1912, twenty-five years after Dracula "crumbled into dust." Van Helsing's protégé, Dr. Jack Seward, is now a disgraced morphine addict obsessed with stamping out evil across Europe. Meanwhile, an unknowing Quincey Harker, the grown son of Jonathan and Mina, leaves law school for the London stage, only to stumble upon the troubled production of "Dracula," directed and produced by Bram Stoker himself.

The play plunges Quincey into the world of his parents' terrible secrets, but before he can confront them he experiences evil in a way he had never imagined. One by one, the band of heroes that defeated Dracula a quarter-century ago is being hunted down. Could it be that Dracula somehow survived their attack and is seeking revenge? Or is their another force at work whose relentless purpose is to destroy anything and anyone associated with Dracula?

I thoroughly enjoyed it, however, I've never actually read Dracula by Bram Stoker.   Decided this year I'm finally going to read Dracula, especially since I'm on the fore mentioned vampire kick.  Plus I happened to stumble across his very first book The Snake's Pass which looked really interesting so picked it up:

Amazon:   Arthur Severn, a young Englishman on holiday in the west of Ireland, is forced by a storm to stop for the night in a mysterious village, where he hears the legend of "The Snake's Pass." Long ago, it is said, St. Patrick battled the King of the Snakes, who hid his crown of gold and jewels in the hills near the village. But it is not only legend that haunts the town. The figure of the demonic money-lender Black Murdock looms over the village, as he searches for the lost treasure while manipulating the townsfolk to his own evil ends. Even more threatening than Murdock is the shifting bog, personified as a baneful "carpet of death," which will swallow up anything -- and anyone -- in its path. Art and his friend Dick will brave the dangers of the bog to seek out the treasure, but the sinister machinations of Murdock will lead to a deadly conclusion! Featuring a slow accumulation of terror worthy of Le Fanu, The Snake's Pass was Bram Stoker's first novel. A clear precursor to Dracula, The Snake's Pass was the only of Stoker's novels set in his native Ireland. This edition follows the text of the first edition published at New York in 1890.

Come along and join me in a spooktacular read of  Dracula by Bram Stoker.  And along the way, you may as well check out his other stories.

What spooktacular books are you reading this month?

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BW 39: Banned Book Week

Celebrate reading!

It is that time of year when we get to celebrate our freedom to read whatever we choose.

American Library Association:  "Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.  Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.

Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week.  BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.

The books featured during Banned Books Week have been targets of attempted bannings.  Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections.  Imagine how many more books might be challenged—and possibly banned or restricted—if librarians, teachers, and booksellers across the country did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society."

The most frequently challenged books in 2010 were:

1) And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson;

2) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie;

3) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

4) Crank by Ellen Hopkins;

5) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins;

6) Lush by Natasha Friend;

7) What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones;

8) Nickel and Dimed  by Barbara Ehrenreich;

9) Revolutionary Voices edited by Amy Sonnie;

10) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

The most frequently challenged classics are listed below. See the reason why here.

1. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald 
2. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger 
3. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck 
4. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker 
5. Ulysses, by James Joyce 
6. Beloved, by Toni Morrison 
7. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding 
8. 1984, by George Orwell 
9. Lolita, by Vladmir Nabokov 
10. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck 
11. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller 
12. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley 
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell 
14. The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway 
15. As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner 
16. A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway 
17. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
18. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
19. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison 
20. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell 
21. Native Son, by Richard Wright 
22. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey 
23. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut 
24. For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway 
25. The Call of the Wild, by Jack London 
26. Go Tell it on the Mountain, by James Baldwin 
27. All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren 
28. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien 
29. The Jungle, by Upton Sinclai
30. Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D.H. Lawrence 
31. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess 
32. The Awakening, by Kate Chopin 
33. In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote 
34. The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie 
35. Sophie's Choice, by William Styron 
36. Sons and Lovers, by D.H. Lawrence
37. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
38. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles 
39. Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs 
40. Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh 
41. Women in Love, by D.H. Lawrence 
42. The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer 
43. Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller
44. An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser 
45. Rabbit, Run, by John Updike 

What challenged book will you be reading this week?

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If you don't have a blog, tell us about the books you are reading in the comment section of this post.

 

 

BW 38: L is for Laurie R. King

Laurie R. King - September 19, 1952

 Happy Birthday Laurie R. King

I currently have two of Laurie R. King's books from her Mary Russell Series in my TBR pile: Justice Hall and Locked Rooms.  The series follows Mary Russell and her relationship with Sherlock Holmes and their adventures in crime solving. 

From her website:   In 1994, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice was published, featuring young Mary Russell who becomes an apprentice, then partner of Sherlock Holmes in early 20th century England. Books in that series appear regularly, taking the duo and their cohorts on into the Twenties and around the world, winning admiration far and wide. These historical novels allow King to explore all sorts of ideas: the roots of conflict in the Middle East and Afghanistan; feminism and early Christianity; patriotism and individual responsibility, while also having a rousing good time with revisiting the scenes of The Hound of the Baskervilles and Kim, setting a pair of Bedouin nomads down in a grand country house in England, and forging an unlikely relationship between two remarkably similar individuals who happen to be separated by age, sex, and background.

There are 11 books in the series with the latest release September 6th of The Pirate King. 

I'm a sucker for series and usually like reading them in order so don't know how I ended up with two books out of order.  Something tickled my fancy the day I bought them.  In honor of Ms. King's birthday this week, I'll be reading Justice Hall.    If you like detective fiction and Sherlock Holmes, be sure to check out the Mary Russell Series.

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If you don't have a blog, tell us about the books you are reading in the comment section of this post.

BW37: Book Bloggers Appreciation Week

This week is Book Blogger Appreciation Week in which we celebrate all things books.  I have discovered so many different books that I probably would have never read otherwise through the book blogging community.  It's also created some wonderful connections not only with book bloggers, but also with writers and publishers.  

Book Blogger Appreciation was started by Amy Riley of My Friend Amy in an effort to recognize the hard work and contribution of book bloggers to the promotion and preservation of a literate culture actively engaged in discussing books, authors, and a lifestyle of reading.

The first Book Blogger Appreciation was observed in the fall of 2008 and occurs every September. The week spotlights and celebrates the work of active book bloggers through guest posts, awards, giveaways, and community activities. Book Bloggers are encouraged to register their participation for inclusion in a database of book bloggers.

The theme is Cultivating a Community of Bloggers and Readers.  There will be all kinds of giveaways and contests, guest posts by authors, publishers and bloggers.   Come join in on the party.  You may just win some awesome books and establish some new friendships.

The daily topics this year are:

Monday, September 12 - Community:  It is the opportuntity to highlight those bloggers who have made book blogging a unique experience.  Mentors, bloggers who have encouraged you to try a different kind of book, opened your eyes to a new issue, made you laugh or supported you with comments on your blog.

Tuesday, September 13th:  Blogger Interviews:   An interview swap between bloggers and a chance to get to know them better.  I swapped with Brianna of The Book Vixen who took over "The Novel Challenge blog" with the help of a few other bloggers when Wendy decided to move on to other things.  Be sure to check out her interview on My Two Blessings and my interview on her site.

Wednesday, September 14th: Community Part II:  A day to share tips for connecting with the community.

Thursday, September 15: Readers:  Book bloggers blog because we love reading. Has book blogging changed the way you read? Have you discovered books you never would have apart from book blogging? How has book blogging affected your book acquisition habits? Have you made new connections with other readers because of book blogging? Choose any one of these topics and share your thoughts today! 

Friday September 16th: Blogging:  The world of blogging is continually changing. Share 3 things you are essential tried and true practices for every blogger and 1-3 new trends or tools you’ve adapted recently or would like to in the future.

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If you don't have a blog, tell us about the books you are reading in the comment section of this post.

BW36: I is for Intellectual Devotional

Some time ago I picked up this nifty, interesting book The Intellectual Devotional: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class.  It is a secular educational devotional, much like a spiritual devotional with 365 days of lessons. Each day is devoted to a certain topic:   Monday is  history, Tuesday is literature, Wednesday is visual arts,  Thursday is Science, Friday is music, Saturday is Philosophy and Sunday religion.   

Since the general edition has come out, the authors David Kidder and Noah Oppenheim have come out with a few other editions:  Biographies, American History, Modern Culture and Health.  They are available in hard cover or in ebook format now.  

Fun to read, stimulates your mind, and makes you want to find out more.  And honestly a good bathroom book.  *grin*  

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If you don't have a blog, tell us about the books you are reading in the comment section of this post.

BW 35: H is for Heminway, sort of.....

Hello, my darlings!  I'm still on vacation in Washington and have been sharing one computer with my hubby and son.  I haven't been spending a whole lot of time online, in favor of reading and enjoying our wonderful view when we aren't out and about. 

Mount Rainer - sunset

My guys in backyard, hanging out

So I'm leaving you with a short pictorial of writers at work.    Back when they did it the old fashioned way - using a typewriter

Ernest Hemingway working on For Whom the Bell Tolls 1939

William Faulkner working on screenplay 1940

Ralph Ellison in Rome in 1957

Agatha Christie

George Bernard Shaw 1929

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BW34: G is for Gansky

I'm just about to take off on a trip to Seattle and trying to decide which books to take with me to read on the airplane. Yes, I have my nook but you have to power all electronics down on take off and landing which I discovered was a royal pain in the but the last time we flew. Also I'm up to the O's in my A to Z by Title and Author Challenge. So I let that be my guide. A year or so ago I picked up A Ship Possessed by Alton Gansky to read for the Christy Award Challenge. First time author read for me and he writes christian supernatural thrillers along the lines of Frank Peretti (so excited he finally has a new novel coming out in march 2012 and Ted Dekker.

Synopsis of A Ship Possessed: The USS Triggerfish--an American World War II submarine--has come home over fifty years after she was presumed lost in the Atlantic. Now her dark gray hulk lies embedded in the sand of a San Diego beach, her conning tower barely above the breaking surf. The submarine is in the wrong ocean, her crew is missing . . . And her half-century absence is a mystery that's about to deepen. For the Triggerfish has returned, but she has not returned alone. Something is inside her -- something unexpected and terrible. To J. D. Stanton, retired Navy captain and historian, falls the task of solving the mystery surrounding a ship possessed. What he is about to encounter will challenge his training, his wits, and his faith. Complicating his mission is a ruthless madman bent on obtaining a secret artifact stolen from the highest levels of the Nazi regime. And poised in the middle is a young woman, a lieutenant who must contend with invisible forces she never knew existed. A Ship Possessed is a story of faith, courage, and determination in the face of unexpected and unknown evil.

Chilling, goose bumps, heart racing, exciting can't put down books. Thoroughly enjoyed it and started looking for more of his books. Discovered Out of Time in the bargain books at Bereans the other day so just had to get it.

Synopsis of Out of Time: J.D. Stanton has set sail with two Navy men and a crew of five troubled teenagers. Two days out they encounter a strange storm that damages their craft and leaves them on an eerie sea with no way to take a bearing. Suddenly a dark object emerges through the mist--HMS Archer--a long lost WWI British military ship. Stanton and his shipmates board the ship but find no trace of the crew, only their belongings. Soon Stanton realizes they are on a ship that is "out of time"--and they are out of time, too, because one of the teenagers needs immediate medical treatment. Stanton and the others begin to catch ghostly glimpses of the original crew. Stanton learns that one of the "ghosts" had planned to murder the crew of the Archer. Now one of the teens is bonding with that murderer. Will he attempt to murder Stanton's crew, too?

So, I'll be reading Out of Time on the plane. I also have Finder's Fee in my TBR Pile and looking forward to reading more of his other novels. Alton Gansky has written over 40 books specializing in suspense and supernatural suspense. He's also written a few nonfiction novels dealing with biblical mysteries.

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If you don't have a blog, tell us about the books you are reading in the comment section of this post.

BW33: F is for Fantasy and Science Fiction

Josephine Wall's Lady of the Lake

Fantasy and science fiction genre books have always been my very first real book true love.  I couldn't get enough of it back in the 70's and 80's and I go back to it time and again.   NPR recently polled their readers and the result "Your Picks:  Top 100 Science Fiction Fantasy Books"   No, I didn't vote because I found about it after the fact, but found the list very interesting.

I highlighted the ones I've read and surprisingly it's almost half the list.  

1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
3. Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert
5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin (only 1st one so far)
6. 1984, by George Orwell
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov
9.  Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan (only 1st book so far)
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov
17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein
18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss
19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick  (in my TBR pile)
22. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King (only 1st one so far)
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke
25. The Stand, by Stephen King
26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury
28. Cat’s Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman
30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey
34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller
36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells
37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne
38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys
39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells
40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny
41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings
42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley
43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson
44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven
45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin
46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien
47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
49. Childhood’s End, by Arthur C. Clarke
50. Contact, by Carl Sagan
51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons
52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson
54. World War Z, by Max Brooks
55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman
57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett
58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson
59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold
60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett
61. The Mote In God’s Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind
63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson
66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist
67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks
68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard
69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb
70. The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson
72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne
73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore
74. Old Man’s War, by John Scalzi  (on my TBR pile)
75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson
76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke
77. The Kushiel’s Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey
78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin
79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury
80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire
81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson
82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks
84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart
85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson
86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher
87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe
88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan (only 1st one so far, 2nd book in  TBR pile)
90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock
91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury
92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley
93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge
94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson
96. Lucifer’s Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis
98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville
99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony
100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis

How many of the books on the list have you read? (if any)

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If you don't have a blog, tell us about the books you are reading in the comment section of this post.

BW32: E is for Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Something simple this week to think about rather than enticing you with more books to weigh down your TBR piles or wishlist.

A Nation's Strength

What makes a nation's pillars high

And it's foundations strong?

What makes it mighty to defy

The foes that round it throng?

It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand

Go down in battle shock;

Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,

Not on abiding rock.

Is it the sword? Ask the red dust

Of empires passed away;

The blood has turned their stones to rust,

Their glory to decay.

And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown

Has seemed to nations sweet;

But God has struck its luster down

In ashes at his feet.

Not gold but only men can make

A people great and strong;

Men who for truth and honor's sake

Stand fast and suffer long.

Brave men who work while others sleep,

Who dare while others fly...

They build a nation's pillars deep

And lift them to the sky.

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BW31 - D is for Donohue

A couple months back, Keith Donohue's publicist sent me an email asking if I wanted to review his latest novel Centuries of June.   She said:

Created out of myths drawn from all across America, the novel is both a murder mystery and ghost story that takes place entirely in the bathroom of an old house on one night in June, yet it covers five hundred years of American history. It is a tale with nine narrators: the victim and eight suspects, each of whom narrates her own story, explaining why she has a reason to bump off the protagonist. There’s an old man in a bathrobe who may or may not be the ghost of Samuel Beckett, and a baby who goes from newborn to toddler in the time it takes to tell the tale.


The story is a collage of styles—folklore, a shipwreck account, archives of historical documents, oral histories, the western, silent film, hard-boiled murder mystery, erotic fantasy, dreams, and allusions. Evocative and, at times, madcap, the novel has everything from flying feathers and dancing flappers to baseball and vaudeville, and has received four glowing trade reviews—two calling it a tour de force.

Of course, who wouldn't be intrigued by that.  I looked up the book on Amazon which fortunately and Yippie for me had the look inside feature so I could read the first few pages.   If the first pages, heck if the first paragraph doesn't grab my attention, then I know the rest of the book won't.  I started reading and kept reading and decided I wanted to read the book and accepted her offer.  So guess what's next on the nightstand?  


In an interview about the book, Donahue has said:

"The Novel is a kind of mash-up and I'd be happy enough if people read it as historical fiction or magical realism or a black comedy or a murder mystery or an existential ghost story.


Likewise, the inspiration for Centuries of June is a mash-up of ideas and images.  I knew I wanted to write about American myths and came across the painting of The Virgin by Gustav Klimt--which depicts a group of naked women resting in a clot beneath these wild and colorful quilts.  I began to think about what their stories might be and how those tales might be interwoven with this speculation on time, memory, and the American story.  In the actual writing, all sorts of other notions shoehorn their way into the book--from Bachelard's The Poetics of Space to the stateroom scene in the Marx Brothers' A Night at the Opera.  The novel becomes a mosaic, like the patterns in the Klimt painting."

Even more intriguing.   If you want to find out what other folks think about the story, check out the TLC Book Tour participants reactions.  I'll let you know what I think when I'm finished reading it. 

He's also written two other books that look equally intriguing:

Inspired by the W.B. Yeats poem that tempts a child from home to the waters and the wild, The Stolen Child is a modern fairy tale narrated by the child Henry Day and his double.

On a cold night in January, a stranger appears on the doorstep of Margaret Quinn, a widow living a solitary existence in a small Pennsylvania town.  A nine-year-old orphan named Norah, dressed in tatters, claims to have found a welcome there.  Margaret’s own daughter, Erica, ran away 10 years earlier, and the orphan appears at first to be an answer to a mother’s prayers. Margaret passes off Norah as her granddaughter and enrolls her in school, where Norah reveals to the other children her mysterious, unearthly powers.

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Link to your most current read. Please link to your specific book review post and not your general blog link. In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field leave a link to your specific post. If you have multiple reviews, then type in (multi) after your name and link to your general blog url.


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