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One reader's thoughts as she steps from book to book.
Books I've Finished
- "A Christmas Memory"
- by Truman Capote 12/8/12
- "Child's Christmas in Wales"
- by Dylan Thomas 12/7/12
- "One Christmas"
- by Truman Capote 11/29/12
- "The Thanksgiving Visitor"
- by Truman Capote 11/29/12
- Inside Mrs. B's Classroom
- by Leslie Baldacci 11/28/12
- The Bee Eater
- by Richard Whitmire 11/15/12
- There Are No Shortcuts
- by Rafe Esquith 10/28/12
- I'd Like to Apologize to
- Every Teacher I Ever Had
- by Tony Danza 10/21/12
- Corked
- by Kathryn Borel 10/15/12
- Year of Learning Dangerously
- by Quinn Cummings 9/30/12
- A Hologram for the King
- by Dave Eggers 8/23/12
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- by Harper Lee 7/18/12
About Me
- Christine
- I often have a few books with bookmarks in them at once. I enjoy classics more than contemporary works of fiction, often read historical fiction, and love to get glimpses into other people's lives by reading memoirs and biographies.
8 comments:
anyone? anyone?
I've been plugging away at The Once and Future King, and have been making a little progress, but I'm still in the first book, The Sword and the Stone, which is rather slow going for me. I took a quick break to reread Fahrenheit 451 for the 8 millionth time for a library book discussion (which was sadly disappointing), and just today I picked up Terry Pratchett's Small Gods (also for the 8 millionth time) because I didn't feel up to going back to T.H. White at the moment.
Anybody else's turn!
Thank you, Danika! If you're reading Once and Future King again, your cold must be gone. I hope so. I didn't remember that you loved Fahrenheit 451. How's your library out in your new town?
The library in my new town is in a big, beautiful, brand-new building, but unfortunately is markedly lacking in books, and interlibrary loans must be made by the reference librarian, limit 5 per patron, and cannot be renewed. Their book discussions could also use some work.
Just finished a few:
The Undertaking (Thos. Lynch), written by a poet/philosopher/undertaker about the "dismal trade," i.e, funeral business. The book definitely showcases Lynch's poetic Irish roots, unlike the PBS video made from the book, which is both heartbreaking and graphic. Loved this one.
Final Gifts (Callanan & Kelley), written by two hospice nurses. They tell stories about being with people who are in the process of dying, likening it to the process a birth. Emotional & heartfelt, a real keeper, especially for those who may die at some point in their future.
The Hospice Movement (Stoddard), written by the wife of the guy who started the hospice movement in the U.S. Not trying to be mean, but anyone whose chief qualification for writing a book is "the wife of..." should probably stick to baking cookies.
Impatient Baker (Tillie). Like the transition? I bake like I garden, that is to say, theoretically. I love reading cookbooks, from author comments to ingredients lists to processes. I imagine smelling Mandarin Orange Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze, nibbling on Chocolate-Kissed Candy Cane Cookies, even sharing Glazed Chocolate Liqueur Brownies. But Martha Stewart I'm not. Still, this is one of my favorite cookbooks.
Oh wow, Mary--I bought The Impatient Baker too when the author was in DeKalb signing her book (she's local, from Geneva or somewhere around there I think). My butterscotch blondies are her recipe. I agree that it's a good baking book; the only thing missing is pictures, but it turns out that you don't need those if the recipe is simple enough.
I haven't been reading much, but I did manage to read one of the novellas in Stephen King's new collection, Full Dark, No Stars. I read Big Driver, about a cozy mystery writer who is viciously attacked and left for dead on her way home from a speaking engagement at a library. It's basically the revenge romp of a woman who isn't supposed to be alive anymore, and maybe it's a little cheap, but I found it hard to put down. Although, there were some aspects that I found faintly homophobic.
@DRD, I'm sure our library misses you very much.
@Mary Sue, I think I read the Undertaking, too. Your hospice titles interest me. That is good work, and I hope some day to be a volunteer. How far along are you in your training process? Is this training for volunteers or people seeking employment in the program? What has been the single best book that you have read so far on death, dying, or the hospice program?
@Lisa, Ben has read the new King book and says that revenge is a theme in all of the stories and that they are dark, dark.
@Christine: In the hospice training, I've finished two classes, but still need an interview (this morning), a police background check complete with fingerprinting, and a trip to KCH for flu shot, TB test, and updated immunizations (since many of the patients are immuno-compromized).
This is volunteer work, "pay forward" because hospice helped my mom when she was dying of cancer, but it might lead to something paid in the future. Who knows?
Best book so far: Final Gifts. Undertaking was a close second.
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