Anyone who knows me personally, or maybe even professionally, knows that I love books (OK, and ebooks for those books that don’t earn a place on my shelves or in a pile on the floor or next to my side of the bed . . . ). I’m a huge fan of history & biographies, classic and modern fiction, and British (and sometimes American) detective novels. And, yes, cookbooks. I have a strangely large collection of cookbooks. So, I thought I’d have some fun with this blog and add a list of some of my favorite reads. If yours isn’t here, feel free to comment. If I haven’t read it yet–I’ll put it on my “To Read” Post-It.
Currently Reading (Aug 2011):
- Red Orchestra: The Story of the Berlin Underground and the Circle of Friends Who Resisted Hitler (Nelson)–Inspired by the Larson book (see below), I am reading more on 1920s and 1930s Berlin and trying to get a eye-witness view on how a liberal, intellectual community fell victim to the laughing stock that had been the Nazi party of the late 1920s. In this book, and in Larson’s, I find frightening passages that seem to mirror the U.S. and the Tea Party today. Care and caution must be taken today. The Nazi’s had the same flimsy grasp on history and facts that Palin, Bachmann and other “politicians” have today. The same screams about “urban intellectuals” and “liberal media” came from the lips of Hitler and Goebbels.
- The American (James)–Yet another classic I seemed to have avoided in undergrad–although I did read Washington Square and loved it. Been working on this for the past month, late at night.
- Jane Eyre (Bronte)–Yes, still. Can’t believe I made it through multiple comparative lit classes without having to read this. I had to read “Wuthering Heights”, so I figured now is as good a time as any to see if “Jane Eyre” is as gothic and insane as “Wuthering Heights.”
Just Finished(Summer 2011):
- In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror & and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin (Larson)–New from the author of Devin in the White City is this compelling non-fiction work on the frustrations of U.S. Ambassador to Germany William E. Dodd, a former University of Chicago history professor, during his 1934-1937 appointment to Berlin, as well as he and his family’s (notably his free living, socialist daughter, twentysomething-year-old Martha) increasingly disenchanted, and ultimately disgusted, view of Hitler’s Germany. The most frightening aspect of Larson’s work is the blind-eye that Roosevelt and his State Department turned to Hitlers increasingly maniacal and fascist activities, despite Dodd’s alarming missives and messages. Why? Because our bankers sold billions of dollars in bonds to Germany in the 1920s to take advantage of the post WWI German economic devastation. The U.S. government’s goal: to keep relationships with Germany cordial in order to receive our interest payments on a German debt that teetered on, you guessed it, Default. An amazing read. Shelf worthy!
- Middlesex
- Truth Be Told (King)–OK, so I saw Larry King on The Daily Show and bought the book for my Nook. A very quick read and exactly what your Nook or Kindle. Not worth real shelf space–but a fun read.
- Memories of the Ford Administration (Updike)–A James Buchanan historical fiction novel set in the pages of a fictional academic paper on personalized recollections of the Ford administration, written by history professor Alfred Clayton in response to an academic journal’s call for papers. An interesting retrospective on the cultural sea change of the early- to mid-1970s. Shelf-worthy–but more like the stack behind the front stack.
- Bossy Pants (Fey)–Funny, quick read. Very well written and a good book for those aspiring to to TV writing. Will probably buy a print version for Kate to read, since she loves Second City so much.
- Smokin’ Seventeen (Evanovich)
- Plum Lucky (Evanovich)–Yes, I’m addicted to this detective series. You can read my full post on this goofy detective series here. Fun reading on your Nook or Kindle.
- The Apothecary’s Daughter (Klassen)–A quick read, very much an Austen imitation–but not a bad one. Set in the late 1700s and involves the usual topics: marrying for love, almost marrying the wrong man, women’s place in society, etc. E-book only. Not shelf-worthy.
- The Paris Wife (McLain)–A great work of historical fiction mainly based on my favorite time and place: 1920s Paris. The narrator is Hadley Richardson Hemingway, Ernest’s first wife (the Paris wife, as she feels she will be known). The novels starts in Chicago with the courtship of Ernest and Hadley and moves on to Paris, Spain, Toronto and back to Paris. From what I’ve read elsewhere, compared to his other wives and lovers, the years that Hadley had with Ernest seem to be comprised of the best, truest Ernest. This is a great answer to Hemingway’s own “A Moveable Feast” (one of my all-time favorite books) and totally worthy of real shelf space.
Some of my favorite fiction authors include:
- Jane Austen: all titles, including “Pride & Prejudice,” “Emma,” “Sense & Sensibility,” “Mansfield Park,” “Northanger Abbey,” “Persuasion”
- F. Scott Fitzgerald: I don’t respect Fitzgerald’s work like I did in high school and college. “The Great Gatsby” and “Tender Is the Night” remain two of my favorites, tragically depicting the glaring cracks in the dissipation of the beautiful and rich in the roaring ’20s. While once I only wondered in awe at his descriptive style and his stories that helped usher in modernity, now I shake my head at the idea that Fitzgerald couldn’t save himself from the very thing about which he wrote. As an adult nearing the age when he finally lost his fight, I just shake my head at the tragic loss of talent. I still enjoy Fitzgerald’s early short stories probably because they are a quality product of his youth, when he was dedicated to his writing. But Fitzgerald’s talent suffered as the alcohol, his troubled wife/marriage and lifestyle enveloped his life. I read more nonfiction about the train wreck he and Zelda became rather than the artistic product of his later life.
- Graham Greene: I also inherited a few of Greene’s books and then branched out to his short stories. I love “Our Man in Havana” and “The Quiet American.”
- Ernest Hemingway: First introduced to Hemingway as a junior in high school, I initially dismissed him as sexist. But as I’ve aged, the sexism (while still there) falls to the background as my appreciation for the short, descriptive sentences grows. Hemingway was after Truth in writing: telling it as it is and letting the reader decide how to react. Among my favorites are: For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Sun Also Rises, A Moveable Feast, The Old Man & the Sea, and his early short story collections.
- W. Somerset Maugham: I inherited a wonderful library from my paternal grandfather. Heavily represented among his fiction choices were several novels of this early 20th century British writer. Among my favorites are: “Of Human Bondage,” “The Razor’s Edge,” “The Complete Short Stories,” “The Moon & Sixpence,” “Cakes & Ale.” He can tell a short story like no one’s business (except maybe Graham Greene)
- Daphne du Maurier, including “Rebecca,” “Frenchman’s Creek,” “Mary Anne.”
- Terry Pratchett: Always offering a laugh or two out loud, this brilliant Sci-Fi/Fantasy author has developed the lengthy Discworld series, which, through memorable characters, ranging from grouchy, runaway luggage, golems and trolls to pompous wizards, inappropriate witches and overwhelmed bureaucrats, spoof the Sci-Fi/Fantasy world, from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series to Ringworld, as well as today’s society, government, religion, LBGT rights, and the post office. Nothing is sacred territory here. Highly recommended!
- Salmon Rushdie: What many Americans just don’t understand is that Rushdie is so much more than his infamous Satanic Verses (which really wasn’t one of his best books). One of my all time favorite books is Haroun and the Sea of Stories. I call it bedtime stories for adults. Out of the Rushdie that I’ve read so far, I favor Fury and The Moor’s Last Sigh.
- Gore Vidal: If you like historical fiction and haven’t read Lincoln or Burr, go out and buy them now. Simply amazing. Vidal brings Lincoln to life in an utterly believable way. Meticulously researched.
To be continued. . . .
