Last week, I finished Men We Reaped, Jesmyn Ward’s memoir about her poor, rural, black southern community, her family, and, most of all, the five young men who died within four years when she was in her mid-20s: her brother, cousin and three friends. Her writing makes you feel like you’re eavesdropping from the corner …
Happy St. Patrick’s Day. If you’d like to get into the Irish spirit, check out the post I published earlier this week, On My Irish Bookshelf. It includes a list of recommended ebooks by Irish authors—historical fiction, fiction, non-fiction and cookbooks. If you haven’t read Kindred by Octavia Butler, do it. This is one of …
Good morning, fellow readers! I didn’t get as much book reading done this week, not sure why, so I’m still making my way through Kindred by Octavia Butler and Iran Awakening: A Memoir of Revolution and Hope by Shirin Ebadi. I’m enjoying both of them, although I can only read Kindred during the day because I …
I started The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne last Saturday afternoon and finished it on Tuesday night—nearly 600 pages! It was that good. Depressing yet comical, deeply drawn protagonist alongside barely sketched caricatures—I want Maude Avery to have her own afternoon talk show!—an endearing journey through 70 years of a gay Irish man’s life …
Last night I finished reading Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness. I rarely read fiction set in other worlds, but all the articles about Le Guin prompted me to dip into her writing. She certainly created a fascinating (and chilly) world and narrative, although I wasn’t that into the interspersing chapters. I will …
Today, let’s remember (and learn more about) our first president, George Washington. He was a leader, not a politician—maybe the only president who truly was a leader, sad to say. Ok, Lincoln had his moments too, I’ll give you that, but Washington was in a class all his own. I found some deals on ebooks …
If you’re dissatisfied with the quality of your writing, read more. Every writer I know—including me—is a voracious (at times) reader. Reading is a habit—it may take time to get into because you have to train your attention. Start with a short page-turner, not War and Peace. Reserve a little me-time each day to spend …
Ah, the weekend…Olympic figure skating, relaxed reading with a purring kitty cat by my side, time with Weekend Jim, Meyer lemon pudding cake (maybe), roasted beast (definitely), phone call with my parents (yay!), vacuuming (boo!), and sharing the goodness of inexpensive books… As of earlier today, these ebooks at Amazon were on sale at $2 …
I enjoy putting these lists together on Saturday morning so I hope you enjoy them too. It’s going to be a cold day here in North Carolina—a good day to curl up with an e-book. As of earlier today, these ebooks at Amazon were on sale at $2 to $5—up to a 90% discount—but act …
Just popping in quickly to tell you this ebook is on sale today (Friday) only. I read this several years ago (thanks, Ed!) and it sticks with me. It’s a wild ride, that’s for sure, I loved it. And yes, there’s a squid, oh, and not just any squid. And a talking tattoo! Kraken by …
Grabbing the Gusto 