Conventiculum left me with no time (or brainpower) for reading, so I lost nearly two weeks.
Alan M. Dershowitz, Reasonable Doubts: As a child of the 90's, I was too busy learning the alphabet to follow the O. J. Simpson trial. This book presents the case in full and explains why the jury didn't convict... hence the title. I feel broadened and educated.
Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo: Not what I was expecting, but nevertheless good fodder for my love of 19th-century French lit. But... my copy is an abridgement! Not cool.
Henry James, Washington Square: It can't compete with James's masterpiece The Portrait of a Lady, but still has its share of keen observations and finely-drawn characters in less-than-ideal circumstances. And, it's mentioned in The Big Oyster....
Mark Kurlansky, The Big Oyster: History on the Half-Shell: This book combines two of my favorite things, seafood and New York, into a fascinating portrait of a city, its industry, and its food. This and Salt have placed me firmly in Kurlansky's fan base.
Robin McKinley, Sunshine (not pictured): Not the best I've read from this author, but a pleasant diversion... if you like off-the-beaten-track vampire fiction. 14a (that's a Canadian movie rating) for language and one sketchy bit. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Eve Titus, Basil of Baker Street: The book that inspired my favorite Disney movie: a perfect birthday present, bite-sized at 70 pages. So cute!
N. D. Wilson, Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl: This world is a spinning miracle. I'm glad I finally took a minute to stand back and look at it from N. D.'s ever-fresh perspective.
Ben H. Winters, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters: This licks its zombie predecessor hollow, actually adding multiple twists and sidelines to the plot (rather than just inserting monsters into every other scene.) The result: delightfully bizarre.
Books: 8
Pages: 2321
If you read one, read: Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl (click for the Google Books preview.)
If you've already read it, read: The Big Oyster.
The Count was one of my favorites! You need to get the Penguin edition. Not abridged in the least. Tilt-a-Whirl was awesome! As far as Sea Monsters go, I wasn't impressed. But, I'm glad you enjoyed it. And I, too, am a Kurlansky fan. I've read The Big Oyster, Salt, and Cod. Cod was also nice. If you like that kind of book, read The Frozen Water Trade. See you in a few weeks!
ReplyDeleteGood gracious! You're so far ahead of me.
ReplyDeleteCount of Monte Cristo was awesome - seriously oneI almost couldn't put down and leave alone a few summers ago. Hopefully the abridgment didn't alter too much.
ReplyDelete