Friday 14 November 2008

neither broke nor crime-solving

I’m reading a new book today* and getting lost in it, in the sticky sweet remembrances of a different life than I’ll ever have, in the muddles and triumphs of not-mine and the descriptions of things that make half-remembered pictures form in my head.

While I’m loving this author’s prose, I’m also wary – I read a lot of books, and I’m so burned out on some situations that my teeth hurt and I can’t help thinking I know this when the story tilts in that direction.

One common theme seems to be poor girl growing up in the south. (Or the swamps, or in New England, but all hard-scrabble and abjectly-no-hope-of-getting-out poor.)

The other? Hard-boiled glitzy woman turned detective. (And wow, is that market getting huge.)

So what am I reading now? A lot of non-fiction, some juvenile fiction (Cass and I just started the Lemony Snicket series, woot, and holy crap can that kid read!) and a lot of cookbooks – the part of me that wants to be informed and well-fed with winter coming closer dipping to the forefront.

I’m sure soon I’ll be back to bestsellers, but right now? I’d rather read about soup.

Mmm, soup.




*Unravelling, by Elizabeth Graver (so far, great, eloquent writing about a dirt poor woman that lives in the bogs somewhere. Requisite odd siblings and stern father included. Just got to the (expected) sexual awakening part.)

7 comments:

Loth said...

I'm reading Artemis Fowl with the boys just now and they are loving it. I mean, farting dwarves - what's not to love?

Suzanne said...

I'm reading Faye Kellerman's Straight Into Darkness right now, and boy, it's eye opening about 1925 Germany.

My kids just got into the Goosebumps series, and I love that there are so many of the books for them to read!

Anonymous said...

HA HA -- I love your writing.

I'm reading the same type of story... a dirt poor woman who lives in the south somewhere, and she just had her experience of breaking out of the abusive situation (though I suspect she's walking right into another similar situation)... Bitteroot Landing by Sheri Reynolds.

Anonymous said...

Just got through Desperate Passage. An up close and personal book about the Donner Party saga. It was an intersting look into the human mind when placed in a dire situation. Not the happiest book in the world but interesting none the less. If your interested I will send it on to you.

Anonymous said...

The book I just finished reading today, is about the Lakota Sioux, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn, from a Lakota perspective; excellent! Just finished re-reading Larry McMurtry's "Some Can Whistle;" another excellent book!

Woman in a Window said...

and I'm only reading something, sometimes, when I think of it, and when I'm not here. DOH!

M&Co. said...

This one

http://www.amazon.com/Single-Shard-Linda-Sue-Park/dp/0440418518/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226897449&sr=1-1

is a young adult fiction. A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. It was beautifully written and had a very interesting storyline.

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