Having this temp. job has been great for reading. I have two 15 minute breaks a day, and 30 minutes for lunch during which I either listen to podcasts or read. I'm almost done with a great Plains book, The Bones of Plenty by Lois Hudson. I read about it first in Kathleen Norris's book Dakota. She argues that it's as good as or better than The Grapes of Wrath. I'm not planning to write a compare/contrast paper on them, but if you like books like Giants in the Earth or My Antonia, I think you'll like the Bones of Plenty.
I think I mentioned it already, but I listened to A Long Way Gone, a memoir of a child soldier. It's an excellent read, especially if you like memoirs. I don't always like memoirs by non-authors because they can drag and be boring, but this one is definitely not.
I also just started a young adult novel called House of the Scorpion. The library didn't have some books I really wanted (the new David Rakoff book, the last in the Lois Lowry trilogy, Anchee Min's latest, or Edwidge Danticat's new biography of her uncle), and this looked interesting. I'm only a little ways in, but it looks like it will be well-worth the time. Already it's started out with a boy named Matt, who we know is a clone. The others treat him poorly and he is hidden in a field until they find out he's a clone of El Patron. We don't know who El Patron is yet, but like I said, it looks promising.
I heard about a free Audible trial subscription while listening to the MacCast, so I downloaded Empress Orchid. It's very intriguing...the whole world of the Forbidden City from the perspective of a concubine.
7 hours ago
3 comments:
Thanks for all the book suggestions- I've been wondering what to read next!
i've always meant to ask you how you go about selecting books to read... i do the random stare at the shelf and grab something technique... sometimes it works well, sometimes not so much...
I choose books a few ways. First, books I hear about on NPR...lately I've been listening to their NPR Books podcast, but often if I'm just flipping through I'll hear an interview with an author.
Also, I go with authors I've liked. I'll read all of their books, and any books they mention.
I also look for medals, especially in YA fiction. That way I know someone thought they were good.
Most libraries also have lists on their websites, which can be a good way too.
If I'm actually at the library, I'll read the first 2-3 paragraphs. I'm all about an instantly engaging book. If I'm not interested in 2-3 paragraphs, it's not worth the time.
Whew, I guess that's a lot of ways, isn't it? I do love the books.
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