Sick Reading

Hello again,

It's been awhile since my last post because I went and got sick.  Again.  I have no patience for being sick.  I need to be up and doing things, or my mind starts playing tricks on me.  I start to fret and can't stop.  Thank god for good books.  As always, my downtime tends to turn into a reading bonanza, and once again, my book shelf was stocked for the long haul.  I've managed to inhale 4 1/2 books since Sunday.  Now that's sick.  I can always gage the level of my illness by the number of books I've consumed.  I don't know why, but I really do have some uncanny knack for having excellent reads at my fingertips when I'm laid up.  It's some kind of sixth sense, I think.

I started out with The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter.  What a treat.  I always love a good story about what brings people together.  I always want to know how a couple met and what led to their romance.  This book gives so many renditions of different types and states of love.  It's delicious and inspiring and full of, well, love.  I highly recommend it.

Next up was The Imperfectionists, by Tom Rachman.  This one was recommended by Kim.  I liked this one even better.  Anyone interested in the news publishing industry will appreciate this one.  You can just feel the desperation of these people scrambling to keep a dying, yet lovely, art alive.  It's a futile fight, but you still root for them.  Many of the characters are pathetic in one way or another, but you sympathize with them because they're so human.  They make some terrible choices, but you can relate to why they do so.  You still want them to come out on top.  The most unsettling thing to me was the way some of these people settled in general, in love, in their careers, and in their ambitions.  It's so easy and tempting to take the safe route sometimes.  It's hard to see that for yourself, but it's heartbreaking to witness it in others.  This one's a keeper.

Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel was book number three.  If you liked Walls' The Glass Castle, you'll be fascinated by the story of her ancestors.  It's amazing that a couple of such strong stock (Walls' grandparents) could have produced a daughter so screwed up (Walls' mother).  It just goes to show you that you never do know what you're going to get when it comes to child rearing.  Walls' grandparents were some of the toughest, wisest, most loving and capable people on Earth, but when it came to raising their own daughter, they were at a total loss.  If you like stories about pioneering and toughing it out in desolate country, this book is for you.

Finally, I had the pleasure of reading For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf.  This was my hands down favorite of the week.  It's so beautiful and tragic and moving.  It's pure poetry and I'd love to see it on stage.  I can't wait to see what Tyler Perry does with it.  It's just gorgeous.

So there you are.  A few new ideas for November.  In case you're wondering, book number five is BUtterfield 8.  You know how I love a good tale about drunken flappers.  I'll let you know how it turns out.