- from Susan
Unlike, “What are your three favorite books?" this is a fun question to ask or answer, both as a reader and as
a writer. It used to be fairly easy: look at the stack next to a person’s bed.
I’ll start there:
Incognito: The Secret Life of the Brain, by David Engleman
(author of Sum, an inventive and
moving series of small stories about the possible forms of an afterlife)
The Orientalist, by Tom Reiss, the biography of a man caught
between his fantasies of an old and attractive concept of “East” and the
war-shaped realities of the 20th century
The Years of Rice and Salt (for the second time), by Kim
Stanley Robinson, a rich, compelling alternate history based on a “what if?” –
what if the plague had killed almost everyone in Europe, leaving a political,
geographical, and economic hole to be filled?
Bird by Bird, by Annie Lamott, because I’m always reading Bird by Bird
Murder Misdirected, by Andrew MacRae, a fellow board member of
SinC Norcal, because it looks like fun
Anarchy and Old Dogs, by Collin Cotterill, whose crime fiction
tales of Dr. Siri Paiboun, the only coroner in the sloppy, sorry world of
communist Laos are funny in the way “Waiting for Godot” is funny
But that’s not my complete TBR stack These are among the two
ten-foot bookshelves’ worth waiting to move to the bedside table:
This summer, headed to France with a present of books for my
friend, I was faced with space issues in my suitcase, so I bought my first
e-reader. Now there’s a virtual stack there too:
Dead Broke in Jarrett Creek, by Terry Shames
Criminal Intent, by Sheldon Siegel
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, by Karen Joy Fowler
Killer in the Cloister, by Camille Minichino
Lawrence in Arabia, by Scott Anderson
Treasure Hunt, by Andrea Camilleri
The Family Way, by Rhys Bowen
The Housewife Assassin’s Handbook, by Josie Brown
And there’s always this to fall back on, should I find
myself looking for a good piece of crime fiction to read (other genres are
shelved elsewhere in the house).
I don't think I'm crazy, and I know I’m not alone. We People of the Book
all have stashes of reading material that will take us through every crisis and
feed us for our lifetimes. And because I'm always looking for more good books, I hope blog readers will chime in. There's always room in my house and on my TBR list for another book!
Wow! Great library, Susan. And some really good choices of reading material to keep you busy.
ReplyDeleteI just hope I live long enough to get through my Mt. Everest size t-b-r list. I read from all genres.
ReplyDeleteI go back to recommending a couple of books from a few years ago.
Taylor, Jill Bolte – My Stroke of Insight
Schwalbe, Will – The End of Your Life Book Club
Ephron, Delia – The Lion is In
Hoffman, Beth – Saving CeeCee Honeycutt
Shaffer, Mary Ann & Barrows Annie – The Guernsey Literary and Potato
Peel Pie Society
Kerasote, Ted - Merle's Door
You have wonderful bookshelves brimming with great reads, Susan! Makes me want to drop in and start browsing... :)
ReplyDeleteMy TBR list right now is also eclectic and slightly unmanageable--and I wouldn't want it any other way!
Paul, the problem, of course, is that I have to have time to write books as well!
ReplyDeleteGram, The Schwalbe books sounds perfect for me, doesn't it? And the Guernsey story is so delicious that I've already read it twice - endearing. Thanks for the list.
Meredith, you're welcome any time but I have a hunch your own TBR list is as long as mine.
A nice list! And I like the fact that you're "always" reading Bird by Bird. :-)
ReplyDelete"We People of the Book" I love it! (And proud to be one.)
ReplyDeleteWow! I'm honored to have made your vacation reading list, Susan. Thanks for making my week -- and I hope your trip was magnifique!
ReplyDeleteAlways in awe of you,
Josie Brown
Author, THE HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN'S HANDBOOK
Thanks, Art. Yes, Annie's advice, written like a conversation and from the heart of a writer who KNOWS, alternately calms me down and picks me up.
ReplyDeleteAlan, we are the tribe!
Josie, thanks for dropping by. I promise you your book is moving up, up, up the list, day by reading day!