What I’ve Been Reading

 
 

My own reading falls into 3 categories:


1) “Serious” books - most of which are read as part of my book group, which is now 20 years old and counting.


2) Lighter reading - most of which involves mysteries.


3) Books on CD/tape that I listen to during the mindless portions of my work or while driving on the highway.


There are, of course, overlaps between these categories.


 

Those of you who have attended one of my workshops know that I love to share good books and especially value hearing about what others are reading. Several of you have already emailed ideas to me and I didn’t know what to do with them.  So perhaps we’ve got this worked out...

Email your suggestions to me, and I will post them on the NEW book blog.

  1. 1)Serious reading

The following books are on my “Top 20” list (listed alphabetically).  I do occasionally revise it and I’m sure that there are many books that should be on here and I simply haven’t read them yet.

Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon

Angle of Repose, Wallace Stegner

Atonement, Ian McEwan

anything by Jane Austen

Bel Canto, Ann Patchett

Beloved, Toni Morrison

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Mark Haddon

Endurance, Alfred Lansing

The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy

Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Master Butchers Singing Club, Lousie Erdrich

People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks

Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver

Possession, A. S. Byatt

Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishigura

The Shipping News, E. Annie Proulx

Stones from the River, Ursula Hegi

The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee


  1. 2)Lighter Reading


I love finding a series with good characters(usually mysteries) with interesting personal lives that I can follow.  Favor British, apparently, but not entirely.

This is the kind of book I love to crawl into bed with, so maybe you can help me with more suggestions.


Jacqueline Winspear - Maisie Dobbs series

Laurie R. King - Mary Russell (Kate Martinelli OK, too)

Deborah Crombie - Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid

Agatha Christie - anything

  1. P.D. James - Adam Dalgliesh

Donna Leon - Guido Brunetti’s Venice

Tony Hillerman - Chee and Leaphorn

  1. M.C. Beaton - like Hamish Macbeth - don’t like Agatha Raison

Sue Grafton  - I like Kinsey Mulhome

  1. J.K. Rowling - let’s see... what that name?


I read a lot of Elizabeth George, but got tired of the characters

Dorothy Sayres - read most, but got tired of them


  1. 3)Books on tape


It matters a lot who is reading the book.  Several of  the above I actually listened to.  Most of my non-fiction reading has been on tape.  Some suggestions:


The Devil in the White City and Thunderstruck by Erik Larson

No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose

In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

The Man Who Loved China and The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester


Almost all Agatha Christie is read by either David Suchet (who was Poirot) or Hugh Fraser(who was Captain Hastings) and they are both really good.

Louise Erdrich often reads her books - she is slow, but good.

Jane Austen on tape... guess I like those British accents.



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