Wednesday, February 22, 2006

What Am I Reading?

I'll be the first to admit that I've been remiss in my Blog Book Club posts. But I've got a lot to catch you up on now. These are all books that are on my bedside table - I read a lot of books at once. Let's go across the two rows like we're reading, left to right, ok?

Jesse Kellerman: Sunstroke. I went to brunch with the author at this place at 80th and Amsterdam that had dog pictures all over. I'm more than halfway through it right now, and I'm really enjoying it. It's a mystery and I can't wait to finish it. My husband and I are passing it back and forth and fighting over who gets to read next.

Matthew Pearl: The Dante Club. I finished this last week - Longfellow and friends (in the mid-1800's) try to solve a series of murders that seem to be based on Dante's Inferno. Some REALLY gross death scenes. And it keeps you guessing. I thought I knew who the murderer was, but I had no idea... I really liked it. Made me feel like an intellectual, and seriously, what more in life do you want than that?

Dalton Trumbo: Eclipse
. Dalton Trumbo was the blacklisted (and award winning) novelist and screenwriter (Spartacus, Roman Holiday, Johnny Got His Gun), and he's from my home town. And this is the book he wrote about my home town after he left it, and... he's a bit snarky. People in my home town have very strong feelings about this book, but I'm enjoying recognizing places and families that I know.

Amy Krouse Rosenthal: Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. A fabulously fun book. She's telling the memories of her life in alphabetical order, like a dictionary. Some are funny, some are poignant, it's perfectly postmodern. For the entry, "Anxious, Things That Make Me," she's got a list of things that make her anxious that I completely identify with. And this is proceeded by a very short entry on "Answering Machines." While you read this book, you feel like you know her, because instead of a story, it's more like a conversation. She says she was influenced by Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book, which I studied in college and LOVED, and I'm, frankly, upset that she's written this books so that now I can't.

Zadie Smith
: On Beauty. This is my failure. I started this on the plane home from France, and I read about 200 pages. And then I woke up from jetlag, and I didn't remember any of it. And it's so hard to reread a book when you just read it but you don't remember it. BUT. I've heard fabulous things about it. And I remember liking what I did read. And I fully intend to read it again when I've forgotten just a bit more...

Audrey Niffenegger
: The Time Traveler's Wife. A GORGEOUS book. Such a fantastic writer. I read this in Paris, and she made me want to stay in my hotel room and read, and I was in Paris! I'm making my husband read it. And yes, it's about a time traveler. And his wife. And it makes sense. And it's not science fiction. Seriously. Read it. I'll lend it to you (well, it's not mine, it's E-Liz's. But she'd lend it to you.).

So there. I've not been an intellectual dumbass. I've been reading. What have you been reading?

14 comments:

jane said...

I usually read 3 at a time; always nonfiction. Right now though, I dont know if it's cuz of my med changes or what, I can't concentrate enough to read. And I enjoy reading like you, so it's sheer torture.
My books right now are:
Rain of Gold, Without a Net and The Hummingbird's Daughter. The latter is fiction, only cuz Tarzan's mom recommended it. I doubt I will finish it though.
I can imagine what your bookcase looks like!!

Anonymous said...

i read lots of Sophie Kinsella's books - all of 'em over n over again! but right now, my books are Further Under the Duvet (Marian Keyes) & Dog Handling (Clare Naylor).

i'm into chic-lit stuff, btw :D

Anonymous said...

Ruthless Trust, by Brennan Manning; The Fabulous Girl's Guide to Decorum, by Kim Izzo and Ceri Marsh; The Edge of Reason, Helen Fielding; and looking to start Teacher Man, by Frank McCourt. Frank McCourt, by the way, is becoming one of my favorite authors. He penned Angela's Ashes and 'Tis, and they're fabulous.

librarian pirate said...

The Time Traveler's Wife! Oh my holy goodness! Cried like a little girl. The main character ... didja notice? He's a librarian. In Chicago.

That's right. I'm almost as cool as he is.

AND he works at the Newberry. The Freaking NEWBERRY!!!! SO COOL!

Plus it's just a beautiful book

SarahReznor said...

just finished American Gods - Amazing! it just drags you into this world.. just the books i like!

0000 said...

Those books sound fab, espec. the Dante Club!

I'm still reading Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and just started The Broker by John Grisham.

Anonymous said...

I want to borrow Sunstroke and the Dante Club, so get on it. Also, I finished the Honey Thief, so I'll bring that in for you.

Anonymous said...

The Time Traveler's Wife is one of the best books I've read in the past couple of years.

Lena said...

I'm laggin on my book club as well.

I just started On Beauty - give me a week and I'll catch you up! :)

The Time Traveler's Wife - awesome book!

Virenda said...

I'm apparently just an ass.

I've been blogging and to um, busy to read?!

I actually read all the time, I just prefer mysteries or poetry.

~sigh~

Every now and than I try to be "intellectual" and I'll get some award winning book and take 6 days reading it.

:0)

Jen said...

I just started on Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. It is good so far. I will let you know how it is when I am finished. Good for you reading. I love reading!

Anonymous said...

I'm reading the Dante Club too! Well, actually, it's been on my shelf for the past 6 months. I need to pick it up again. There. Now I'm officially reading it.

Suburban Turmoil said...

Agh. There's got to be a way to remember the time traveler's wife. Because I'm too sleepy right now to get up and write it down. Time Traveler's Wife. Audrey Nippenfeffer. Wine Grabber's Knife. Autry. Hippensteffer?

Damn.

Big Pissy said...

The Time Traveler's Wife is one of my favorite books of all time.

And I read a lot.

So wonderful.....

~sigh~