What’s On the Bookshelf?

I love booksales!

What's On the Bookshelf?

I think I’ve already said how much I love booksales. I went to another today and picked up Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for fifty cents. You can’t turn that down.

I also got a twenty-eight story omnibus of Roald Dahl’s adult stories…woohoo!

The great thing about booksales (at least in my community) is that they also benefit the library. Old books for cheap, we load up on ’em, and then give them back to be sold once again. I rarely buy new books (stingy poor college student), so fifty cent paperbacks and one dollar hard covers is the way to go.

Book recommendations, or, why I’m not terribly good at giving them to most girls

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters, What's On the Bookshelf?

If you hadn’t gathered by the name of the blog, my name, or the little cartoon, I’m a girl.

And I read constantly.

I’ve been asked on numerous occasions, “Gee, Beth, you like to read. What would you suggest that I/my daughter read?” by girls, usually a couple of years younger than I (or geared for girls younger than I).

“Well,” I ask, “what do[es] you/she like to read?”

Inevitably the answer is “Nothing” or “Twilight/Gossip Girl.”

“Urm,” says I, “I liked to read Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin Series when I was a freshman in high school. Y’know, Napoleonic war stuff.”

“What else did you like?” they ask, hoping for something that does not feature small print, and a ship of the line on the cover.

“Ray Bradbury. Um, historical mysteries. Not really much girly stuff. I did read Meg Cabot in middle school, though. Maybe that?”

What’s on the Bookshelf? Vol. 14

What's On the Bookshelf?

Up to 14 already? And I don’t even review every book I read (though it sure seems like it!)

The Irregulars by Jennet Conant is a remarkable story. Its the story of the British spy ring in WWII Washington, and focuses specifically on Roald Dahl (yes, he of James and the Giant Peach).

While I found Conant’s writing a bit prone to cliches (or at least over familiar turns of phrase) at times, the story line is absolutely fascinating. Truth really is more interesting than fiction. The characters are larger than life, but at the same time, real. Dahl, the charismatic RAF pilot. David Ogilvy, the polling genius. William Stephensen, the Canadian head of the BSC. And, of course, Ian Fleming.

There are some real laugh-out loud moments (intentional, I’m sure), as these amatuer spies are quite spirited.

I’d wanted to read this book since Entertainment Weekly reviewed it last year…and my roommate had me read some of Dahl’s adult short stories (including “Genesis and Catastrophe” which I urge everyone to read).

This book is really what got me thinking that my WIP should be set during WWII. I was half way there already. I just needed the proper encouragement.

And somehow, in one photograph and a paragraph, I got on a Leslie Howard kick. Must update my Netflix queue.

Recommended for any one who has an interest in WWII espionage or Roald Dahl.

What’s on the Bookshelf? Vol. 12

What's On the Bookshelf?

Yes and no, I’m on a reading spree. More correctly, I’m on a reviewing/responding spree, as I read constantly.

I finished the superb Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors a couple of days ago.

I was a little apprehensive about reading this one, as it labels itself as A Love Story, but I enjoyed it immensely (far more than The Road). This is about the building of the Taj Mahal, and the destruction of the Royal Family after its completion.

The book is a compelling read; for those not interested in a love story there’s political intrigue, treachery and murder. It’s a real page turner in the truest sense of the word. I went from page fifty to one-fifty without realizing time had passed.

Shors uses a very good vocabulary. His characters ring true and Jahanara, the princess who narrates the story, actually reads like a woman.

I look forward to reading Shors’ next book (whenever it is released).

What’s On the Bookshelf? Vol. 11

What's On the Bookshelf?

Earlier this week, I finished reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I’m glad that I waited a couple of days before reviewing.

The Road is the story of a father and son trying to walk to the coast several years after Earth dies.

CC//jcalyst

CC//jcalyst

My immediate thought upon finishing the book was that it was good and that the ending fit well (though I thought it was predictable).

I enjoyed reading it after getting over the initial difficulties with odd punctuation choices (wasnt versus wasn’t, no quotation marks or markers of who said what); after finishing, I thought, wow, this was a very good book.

Fast forward three days.

I concede that it was a good book, stripped of the “very” for one important reason.

There was no “how” or “why.”

The reader never finds out why Earth died. As a logically driven reader (and writer), this completely baffles me. I found myself caring more as to finding out why the human race is dying and why everything is dead than as to what happened to the main characters.

I’m not saying that my reasons are better than McCarthy’s (hell, he won a Pulitzer for this book). Reasons are an intrinsic part as to why things happen. But what point is there in caring if you don’t learn why you should care?

What’s on the Bookshelf? Vol. 10

What's On the Bookshelf?

A week ago I downed the mammoth Dune by Frank Herbert. Despite being a lover of the sci-fi genre, I’d never read Dune. I’d heard of it, been recommended it by several people, but a still from the movie with Sting scarred me.

I decided to face my fears and just read it.

I flew through Dune. The storyline captivated me; the book is the story of Paul Atreides, a noble born teen who moves with his parents to the desert planet Arrakis. There was intrigue, backstabbing and double-crossing. My one complaint is that the reader sees all points of view; we see inside the minds of the bad guys as well as the good guys. The betrayals are not shocking enough.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamed/ / CC BY 2.0
CC//Hamed Sabert

CC//Hamed Sabert

Herbert does a fantastic job bringing Arrakis to life. His attention to detail is astounding; the way the different groups of people survive in the desert is varied and rings true.

All in all, Dune was an enjoyable read, but not one for the faint of heart. Those who don’t care much for sci fi should just stay away.