Thursday, May 26, 2016

Common Household Book Preferences: Parent Version

A few weeks ago, I urgently felt the need for a light, enjoyable, modern book to read in the midst of all the mess.  

I asked around for some fun books to read, and was amply rewarded with many suggestions. Off to the library!  As much as I like certain aspects of reading on my kindle, I wanted actual books to hold in my actual hands.

I was very sad that the children’s books suggested by my dear friend College English Major were not on the shelf.  I could not get a copy of Dick and Jane and Vampires, by Laura Marchesani, or Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile, by Tomie de Paola.  All was not lost;  just reading the brief descriptions of these books on Amazon lifted my spirits:

When innocent Dick and Jane meet a creepy, cape-wearing vampire, the unexpected happens: he becomes their friend!

and

It's a new school year, as William Everett Crocodile and his trusty friend and toothbrush, Pete, prepare for a class trip down the Nile.

Of the books everyone recommended, only a few were on the shelf in our library. I pulled a few others off the shelf that looked interesting.




The library's terminology for actual books is Physical Checked Out Items.  Here's what I got:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Recommended by friends
by Shaffer, Mary Ann.

The Old Curiosity Shop
by Dickens, Charles.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon Recommended by friends
by Allen, Sarah Addison.

The Little Book
by Edwards, Selden.

Practical Magic Recommended by friends
by Hoffman, Alice.

Between You & Me : Confessions of a Comma Queen
by Norris, Mary (Editor).

Younger Daughter has absconded with Practical Magic.  I have already finished Guernsey Literary, which I enjoyed.  I think I'll go for The Girl Who Chased the Moon next.  

On my kindle, I am a third of the way through Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, which is for next month’s book club discussion.  On the kindle I’ve also got Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell.  She seems to specialize in delightfully snarky historical narrative.  

I have the prospect of being able to read this soon!  Across the River, by Melissa Westemeier.  I just ordered it from the publisher.  The author blogs here.

And finally, I’ve been heavily reading Psalms for spiritual help.  Recommended by God

                        The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,
                                    and saves the crushed in spirit.
                                                   - Psalm 34:18

My husband was bereft of books to read, but he rejected my stack and went to get his own.



So what's in your reading stack right now? 

11 comments:

Cassi said...

I just finished reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gammon, and it was an absolutely delightful read --thoughtful and gentle. Two books on my list to read include An English Murder, by Cyril Hare, and The Woman In Blue by Elly Griffiths.

MomQueenBee said...

I just finished "To Say Nothing of the Dog" by Connie Willis. I had no idea what to expect when I started it, but I LOVED it! So, so funny.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the shout-out! You are very kind!
That stack looks delightful. Enjoy all the pages.

Susan Jones said...

I love Neil Gaimon and Elly Griffiths.Hope you enjoyed them too.

Susan Jones said...

Hello! Hope you will order the two from Amazon. They really are worth it. I like Bob's choices; love Janet Evanovich and have been meaning to read the Harper Lee. I am reading the fifth Game of Thrones book. I am addicted. Only 800 more pages to go. I hope to finish next month.

Susan Jones said...

Hello! Hope you will order the two from Amazon. They really are worth it. I like Bob's choices; love Janet Evanovich and have been meaning to read the Harper Lee. I am reading the fifth Game of Thrones book. I am addicted. Only 800 more pages to go. I hope to finish next month.

Susan Jones said...

I love Neil Gaimon and Elly Griffiths.Hope you enjoyed them too.

Patience_Crabstick said...

I'm currently watching "Dickensian" a TV show that's a mish-mash of multiple Dickens' novels. It's good, but it's made me realize how much Dickens I still haven't read, including The Old Curiosity Shop.

I hear you about the kindle. I can see how it could be advantageous to have one for some situations, but I prefer a real, paper book. I don't think I could handle the disappointment if I was reading a book on a kindle and the charge died in a place where I couldn't re-charge.

Currently almost finished with a Nero Wolf mystery and about to start The Tortoise and the Hare by Elizabeth Jenkins. It's a British novel about a love triangle.

smalltownme said...

I just finished a couple light british mysteries, and Rainn Wilson's hilarious autobiography. Next up is the new Neil Gaiman and the new Melissa Westemeier!

smalltownme said...

Oh how could I forget Seven Brief Lessons on Physics! Just wonderful for those of us for whom physics is a big blur. Now my sons would find it far too brief, but for me and a number of us at the book store, it helps make sense of big ideas that we were not too knowledgeable about before.

The Crislers said...

The books in your piles I have read, I loved, but there are a number here I HAVEN'T read, which is even more exciting! Please do me a favor and review/recommend any you end up liking!

I love The Guernsey Literary etc, as for the Sarah Addison Allen, she is the only author I'll read who writes anything close to romance.

And I see a Jasper Fforde in your husband's stack! Yaaaay!