More for your Bookshelf

A few weeks ago, I linked up with the lovely Taylor and Lesley for the first in the “Literary Junkies” series.  I’m back today with part two, and as before, a few book recommendations.  Also, get in touch with either of these ladies to join our online book club – we’re just starting book two so now is  good time to jump in!

1. What are you currently reading? Tell us about it.  I am smack in the middle of World Without End by Ken Follet.  This book is a sequel of sorts to Pillars of the Earth and focuses on life in a small English town in the 1300s centered around a major cathedral and priory.  I enjoyed Pillars of the Earth as an easy read so thought I’d give this one a try and you know what?  Same book.  That’s not a criticism per se – I’m still enjoying Pillars of the Earth – but it IS a clone of its older sibling. That said, I’ll give the book of 3 of 5 stars.  It’s entertaining with an easy-to-read voice but it’s not going to win any Pulitzers.  Perfect for holiday time!

2. If you could choose any author in the world to write a story based on your life, who would you choose to be the author? Why? Definitely Laura Hillenbrand. She’s able to take what is essentially a boring life story (I’m looking at you, Seabiscuit.  And me.  Also looking at me.) and make it entirely readable.  I’d need someone like that to write my run-of-the-mill life story.

3. Tell us about your favorite place to read. I do 90% of my reading in bed, propped up on about 4 pillows with my little Kindle cover lighting my way. Reading is to blame for my exhaustion most of the time because when a book is good, I’m known to stay up reading all night.

4. What books would you buy for lovers of a) suspense/mystery, b) chicklit, c) comedy, d) literary fiction, e)nonfiction, f) classics? (You can choose how many of those subcategories you want to talk about.)

I’d buy Dennis Lehane for mystery lovers, assuming we’re talking about airport novel style fiction.

I wouldn’t buy chicklit.

I can’t begin to list what I’d buy in literary fiction but you can see some of my faves here and here.

For Non-fiction I’d buy Norman Mailer’s Executioner’s Song or Neil Sheehan’s Bright and Shining Lie or Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, or Shelby Foote’s Civil War or anything by Alison Weir.  I like non-fiction.

As to classics, you can’t go wrong with Lewis Carroll or Alexandre Dumas or Leo Tolstoy.

And, as promised, a few book recommendations from yours truly:

Freedom (Jonathan Franzen) – Folks this book is huge, and not just because it has so many pages.  Really, its an epic of modern American life following a family across several decades of dysfunction and love.  I was surprised I liked it, but now I give it a strong recommend. (Franzen, by the way, is an excellent author)