STITCH LINES...... Ramblings on life as a quilter, stitcher, traveler, photographer, gardener and lover of books, cats and fine chocolate....

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

On my bookshelf...

What have you been reading lately? It's been a while since I've "shared my bookshelf" with you... In late August and early September I read the Hunger Games trilogy. All three. One right after the other. Hard to put down.. Not my usual genre. I don't read much "fantasy". Not sure if that's what you would call the Hunger Games.. it's rather difficult to categorize. Although the premise is horrifying (children/young adults competing and fighting to the death), one is compelled to keep reading to find out what will happen next. There certainly is violence in the book(s), but it's also a story of strength, loyalty and perseverance. Engaging. Intense. Full of action and drama. Plot twists. Love story. All of the above... Well done, Suzanne Collins!
Next up was The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. The author described this book as "a story about a boy and his dog for grownups". And that's exactly what it is: the story of a mute boy, Edgar, growing up in a family which raises a special breed of very intelligent dogs. A family tragedy is shrouded by mystery and the relationship between an uncommunicative boy and the highly
communicative dogs deepens. Edgar does what he must to cope with the difficult situation.. I don't want to give the story away.. you must read it for yourself! Oprah loved it, so did I! Beautiful prose, wonderful descriptions of emotion, great character development. Stephen King's review on the back jacket says it all: "I closed the book with that regret readers feel only after experiencing the best stories: It's over, you think, and I won't read another one this good for a long, long time... [This is] a novel about the human heart, and the mysteries that live there, understood but impossible to articulate." A beautifully written debut novel. Whether you are "a dog person" or not, I'm sure you will enjoy this book.
And then, because of all the hype,and the offer of a loan from a friend, I read the Fifty Shades trilogy. Again, not my usual genre... but it was hard to put down. You just have to keep reading to see what will happen next. Yes it is "naughty" in parts, and yes there is erotica. But it is also the story of a very complex relationship. The main character is definitely "damaged goods" and it was interesting to see how love of the right woman finally "brought him around", so to speak... Again I don't want to give away the story... Now I am reading The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg, and waiting is The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak. It is the story of Catherine the Great. Ahhh, I really need more hours in my day...

Peace,
Linda

"Books are a uniquely portable magic." ~ Stephen King

3 comments:

Darlene D said...

Thanks for sharing! I've contemplated the Hunger Games, but just haven't gotten around to it. Also the Fifty Shades, I've heard mixed reviews but haven't decided if I want to go there yet. lol The Story of Edgar sounds really good, might have to try that one!

Pamela Gordon said...

The book about Edgar Sawtelle sounds very interesting but the others are not to my liking. Also, the one on Catherine the Great would be an interesting read. Are you coming out to the quilt show here? I plan on going up Saturday. It should be really beautiful. Enjoy this sunny weather!

Wendy said...

you do love your books! I really like Elizabeth Berg's writing and insight into human characters. My favourite was A Year of Pleasures.

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