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