Books Acquired:
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Pilgrims by Garrison Keillor
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Most Beautiful Book in the World by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
For Grace Received by Valeria Parrella
Best American Non-Required Reading 2009 edited by Dave Eggers
The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food by Judith Jones (present)
Time Was Soft There by Jeremy Mercer (present)
A Spy on the Bus by Margean Gladysz (present)
Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation by Gregory Maguire (present)
Cooking With Fernet Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson (present)
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
This month’s “books purchased” pile is really a “books acquired” pile, because I got many great books as birthday presents. This stack makes me joyful.
Books Read:
Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut (re-read)
The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy
Margherita Dolce Vita by Stefano Benni
I Love You More Than You Know by Jonathan Ames
The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food by Judith Jones
Previously reviewed: Gourmet Rhapsody, Graceling, The Dud Avocado, Margherita Dolce Vita, and The Tenth Muse.
I re-read A Man Without a Country in September. I like to re-read this collection of essays by Kurt Vonnegut at least once a year. It makes me happy.
The Day the Falls Stood Still is a new novel that was selected for Barnes and Noble’s “BN Recommends” program. It was interesting to read a novel set around Niagara Falls. It’s a great example of how a well-researched historical novel can help you learn a lot about a place or subject, even if the specific story told is fiction. The falls were a thrilling and dangerous place at the turn of the 20th century, I really enjoyed learning more about what daily life was like living near them. The love story at the heart of this novel was beautiful.
I’ve been meaning to read something by Jonathan Ames for a long time. He’s frequently compared to several other essayists I enjoy, so I wanted to give him a shot. I picked up a copy of I Love You More Than You Know for $1 at the KPL Friends of the Library book sale. A blurb on the book’s cover says that he’s a “darker David Sedaris,” which I think is an accurate assessment. I enjoyed this collection, but it’s not for the squeamish, prudish, or faint of heart.
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