The Nerdy, Wordy, Reading Life
I have just finished this book which is an unusual venture for me. I don’t often read sci-fi or fantasy unless it is authored or recommended by Lewis or Tolkien. But my good friend Brent proffered it and his recommendations are nearly as reliable so I read it. And…I’m not sure what to think. The [...]
I forgot to mention yesterday that I also recently finished Anne Tyler’s Breathing Lessons. It was a decent read. Certainly well-written but not what I would consider a good book or an enjoyable one. It follows a middle-aged couple through a long Saturday’s events but doesn’t manage to be particularly insightful or revelatory. It was [...]
This pseudo-biographical work by Daniel Defoe about the 1665 outbreak of the plague that nearly wiped out London is a compelling read. We had a pandemic spook this spring with the H1N1 virus and it is possible that it could return this fall so the book is quite topical despite the hundreds of years that [...]
I read Moby Dick all the way through for the first time last year and was glad to have finally set myself to enjoy Melville’s work. It takes a little more discipline than most novels or adventure stories but is well worth it! A few weeks ago, I decided to pick up Typee which I [...]
I read CS Lewis’s Space Trilogy in reverse order this year. That Hideous Strength has long been my favorite and I usually turn to it first when I’m in the mood for a solid, enjoyable, and strengthening reading experience. Then, once I’ve enjoyed it, I often go back and reread the first two books of [...]
Right now I’m not sure who originally recommended this novel by Susannah Clarke to me but Amy B loaned it out so first thanks go to her. I was enthralled. The writing is definitely top-notch for a modern author though not up to the standards of classic literature and the Idea Clarke created was unexpected [...]
Bill Bryson’s memoir of growing up in the fifties was an unexpected treat* delivered by my good friend Amy. I laughed so hard I cried. Several times. I don’t have the book with me to quote but please, do yourself a favor and nab a copy to laugh over. It will cheer you up. I [...]
This is one of the books that is simply transcendent for me. It almost defies description (not that Iwon’t try). I love it so much that (almost) every word speaks to me but when I try to describe what Lewis does with the elements of the story it is hard to describe it without cheapening [...]
I had only ever read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde which I thought ok, and Treasure Island which was a childhood favorite of Stevenson’s works. Travels With a Donkey seemed a very modern work. Stevenson wrote about religious schism with a self-conciously tolerant air, about poverty and ignorance as local curiosities [...]
I read our second book club book early because I’ll likely be sharing my copy around. Since I know several people who will be reading also read this blog, I can’t share too much about it. But…it is a marvelous book. It is rich with insight and moving in its detail. I cried. I don’t [...]