Book Report

I recently bought this pocket book of Pablo Neruda love poems for a gift. It’s one of the prettiest books I’ve ever seen with letterpressed copper foil on pink paper. The original Spanish version of each poem is on the left of the page and the English translation on the right – very clever. Could…

Did you get a Kindle (or Nook, or…) for Christmas? I’ve been devouring oddball old books on mine for a year now. ManyBooks.net has such an extensive library of free books to download. I’ve found some gems, including the Sherlock Holmes series and Mary Roberts Rinehart. Lately, I seem to be on a very silly…

I’ve been reading a lot lately, it’s been wonderful. Interestingly, all but one with a woman author (didn’t notice that until now). Let’s see what I have for your summer reading lists: Bossy Pants by Tina Fey – Great book. A must-read for any hard working 30-something woman. A great mix of humor, advice and…

I’ve been having such fun rediscovering old books with my Kindle and the Project Gutenberg library. My latest was the complete Anne of Green Gables series. I hadn’t read it since childhood and didn’t really remember anything about the books aside from “Canadian,” “coastal” and “girl.” They’re quite fun. Light and easy, with lots of…

When my mother passed on this book she warned me that it was quite gossipy. She was definitely spot on. The true story of Idina Sackville runs the gamut from scandalous Edwardian British high society to a group of bed-hopping aristocrats camped out in African mansions. Everyone from Karen Blixen to the Queen is name…

I seem to be stumbling across translated French novels lately. They’re a fun challenge; even with excellent translation there are still a lot of cultural clues and phrases that don’t make sense right off the bat. Plus, it’s fun to observe the French ways of thinking about things. In A Novel Bookstore, a mystery set…

Caroline recommended this book after the last book report about The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Despite the silly title, I really liked quite a bit. A perfect summer “beach read” – it almost demands to be sand-logged for reading. Be forewarned that will have you desperate to get on a boat and make new friends…

I loved The Elegance of Hedgehogs! You can’t really go wrong with a swanky apartment building, existential phenomenology (go college!) and Paris. Come for the cute title, stay for the excellent writing.

My loot from the party was a copy of Three Cups of Tea. I haven’t started it yet – but it looks very good. A true story of one person making a big impact toward peace in the middle east. Have you read it?

I’m currently reading Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa’s Greatest Explorer – a hand-me-down from Rob. It’s a serious piece of research and a fascinating look at exploration in the days when you traveled with several hundred people for several years to make even one minor discovery.