Free online book by Alexander McCall Smith

The sequel to Alexander McCall Smith's online novel Corduroy Mansions will be available to read online for free starting next week. The book is entitled The Dog Who Came in from the Cold. Starting Monday, September 21, 2009 the first chapter will be available on the publisher's website here. Each succeeding week another chapter will become available to read.

If you wish to read a summary of the first book in the series, it is available here.

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This book is set post WWII in England, and reads like a collection of letters to and from Juliet Ashton. During the war Juliet wrote a popular and humorous column now newly compiled in a book. After her book tour, Juliet tries to come up with a serious subject for her next book. Her inspiration comes in the form of a letter from a stranger. Juliet receives a letter from Dawsey Adams requesting help in finding a book (Dawsey found her name and address in a used book he purchased). Dawsey's letter mentions the recently ended German occupation of Guernsey (the reason he can't find his own book) and a book club he belongs to which was formed as an excuse to German authorities to hide a roast pig dinner: the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

My book club recently read this book, and I have to say I truly fell in love with it. While reading it, I was often found laughing out loud and reading quotes to friends. The story revealed an uncommon look into German occupation of English soil. The correspondence style provided ample character development so that I could truly feel I "got" the characters and could tell them apart. I loved Juliet's perspective on readers and reading; it really spoke to the book lover in me. The historical aspects of the story were brought to life through the recollections of the characters. Over all, this is a definite must read that I recommend to most readers.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon

In college a friend of mine gave me great advise. Don't discount romance until you've read it. She then made sure I read a good romance so that I could get truly hooked on the genre. Outlander was the book she recommended I start with, and she made a good choice. I've been hooked ever since.

Outlander tells the tale of a woman named Claire on her second honeymoon in Scotland after World War II who ends up transported back in time 200 years in Scotland's past. The story tells of Claire's struggle to survive and make a place for herself in this violent and rugged time. Gabaldon writes a compelling story and did some fantastic historical research for this book. The plot contains action, suspense, drama, and, yes, romance throughout the book. I could not put Outlander down. This story captivated both me and all of the friends I've recommended it to since. My book club loved it.

This book is the first in a (so far) seven book series. The seventh book is coming out soon, and the publisher is giving away free copies of this first book to some lucky winners in a drawing. If you want to enter, go to Diana Gabaldon's website at http://www.dianagabaldon.com/, scroll down to the entry for 24 July, 2009, and click on the link marked entry form under the picture of the alternative cover they are printing for the new release. I've added the new book cover at the end of this blog so you have the visual (plus I love the apt description on it of what the book entails).
Click here to read an excerpt.

Fun Summer Reads

Here are two books I'm currently enjoying this summer:

Sharp Teeth
by Tony Barlow

This is an truly creative and addictive read. The book is a paranormal fiction about werewolves that is written in blank verse. That's right, the entire story is written in poetic form. The plot is interesting and the writing is amazing. Definitely unique. By the time I finished chapter 2 in the bookstore, I knew I had to buy it.

Click here to read the first few chapters.




The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted
by Elizabeth Berg

I'm eating up these short stories in small greedy bites. Each story is unique and fantastic so far. The stories range from breaking out of Weight Watchers and going on an eating binge, to speaking frankly with a group of girls about men, to finding meaning in life in your mature years. Each story I've read so far has made me laugh, think, and/or tear up. I'm looking forward to discussing this one with both my mom and my book club.

Click here to read an excerpt.

Read a good poem lately?

I've been a fan of poetry since I was a kid and bought Reflections On a Gift of Watermelon Pickle by Stephen Dunning from the scholastic pages at school. I can still recite the poems "Why Nobody Pets the Lion at the Zoo" by John Ciardi and "Too Blue" by Langston Hughes thanks to this book.

Last year I took a class on Native American Literature. Native Americans come from a rich oral tradition, and poetry seems to be a natural extension of that tradition. Two poems that I have added to my favorites list since taking this class were "What is a Poem?" by Simon Ortiz and "Owl Dancing with Fred Astaire" by Sherman Alexie.

Ortiz's poem is extremely clever. He seems to purposely avoid common poetic conventions to make the reader redefine for herself what she truly feels makes a poem poetry. Alexie's poem seamlessly combines two contrary concepts to show, among other things, that the desire to be asked to dance crosses all cultural boundaries.

So next time you're looking for something interesting to read, try picking up a book of poetry.

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards
by Lillian Jackson Braun

James Qwilleran (nicknamed Qwill), an out of work investigative reporter, finally picks up a job covering the art beat at The Daily Fluxion. He writes the interest stories, while the art critic, George Bonifield Mountclemens III, does the art reviews. He quickly learns that most of the people in the local art world loathe Mr. Mountclemens, but Qwilleran ends up forming an odd friendship with the eccentric critic and his cat Kao K'o-Kung, a Siamese Qwill affectionately nicknames Koko. When one of the art sellers in town is murdered, Qwill covers the story and tries to figure out who did it- with the help of a certain intelligent cat's help.

This was a fun little book. The mystery stumped me and the cat delighted me. This is the first book in "The Cat Who..." series, and I found it an entertaining, light, and quick read. If you like cats and light mysteries, I definitely recommend this series.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell: A Novel
by Susanna Clarke

This absorbing story is told as a history/biography of the two men responsible for bringing magic back to England. In this alternative Regency England, magic has not existed for hundreds of years, but is recognized as an integral aspect of its history. Men who study the history of magic call themselves theoretical magicians. Mr. Norrell becomes England's first practical magician in over 300 years. He doesn't just study magic, he does magic.

This book is extremely well thought out and cleverly written. The characters actions and personalities reflect the time period perfectly. Mr. Norrell is portrayed as a stuffy, socially inept scholar who wants to be recognized for his amazing skills while making sure all of his peers are shown to be inferior. Jonathan Strange is the younger, creative, unconventional, and married magician whose fascination with magic becomes an obsession. The author includes delightful footnotes to the text to add credibility to the history/biography style used to portray these characters. The multidimensional plot covers the danger of dealing with the unpredictable fairy race, the use of magic in the Napoleonic war, the growth of friendships through common interest, political connections, and societal position, the bitterness of betrayal, the effects of madness on families, friends, and subjects, and the lengths one takes to save others and one's self.

I listened to the unabridged audio version of this book (all 26 cd's). The reader had a believable (to me) British accent, and did a fabulous voice acting job. The characters became real to me, and I actually felt a loss when the book was over. These characters became important to me. I cannot give a book a better recommendation than that.

A Single Thread

A Single Thread by Marie Bostwick.

Evelyn Dixon has been fascinated with color since she was a young girl. That passion for color found expression in quilting. So, when her husband divorces her for a younger woman, Evelyn moves to New England and resurrects the dream she had let die to open a quilt shop. In order to drum up business, Evelyn hosts a charity quilting event for breast cancer awareness. The inspiring stories she hears from her customers motivates her to have herself examined the day before the event. What she thought would be a routine exam changes everything. Suddenly, living alone in a town far from anyone she knows while running a business by herself becomes overwhelming. That is until she meets three women at her charity event: Margot, a recently laid-off businesswoman, Abigail, a wealthy woman with many acquaintances but no friends, and Abigail's rebellious niece Liza who forces Abigail to come to the event with threats of embarrassing her.

This was a lovely, heartwarming story that I couldn't put down. I would recommend A Single Thread for all generations of women. Two characters are a little two good to be true, but the rest of the characters are extremely well developed. I loved following both Evelyn's struggles and triumphs in her new life and the evolving relationship between Liza and Abigail. There is rumor that there will be a sequel, and I am definitely looking forward to it.