Books come to me in a few different ways.
I have been a fan of the public library since I was a child with a basket on my blue Schwinn Breeze. In the 1980's, my best friend and I would go to a used bookstore, each get a bag of books and then trade bags when we finished reading our choices. About 8 years ago I worked at Barnes and Noble. That job was a hazard to my paycheck!
These books came to me in 4 different ways.
ANGELA'S ASHES by Frank McCourt~ My brother frequents a used bookstore, north of Boston. They have hardcover books for a dollar and once or twice a year he ships a boxful to Florida for Mom and I to share. I picked this one up in the Summer, when I broke my face.
Dear Lord, this was the dreariest book I've ever read. I know people were inspired by McCourt's survival of his horrific childhood poverty, but most of it made me queasy.
A FAREWELL TO ARMS by Ernest Hemingway~ I found this in a box of books my kids read in high school. I don't know why I dragged this 1300 miles, but I dug into the box during the Summer Of The Broken Face. Since I like historical fiction, I enjoyed this one. Hemingway's writing style is different from a lot of modern writers. He's a man of few words.
WEST WITH THE NIGHT by Beryl Markham~ This book was part of a Christmas gift from my above-mentioned best friend. I had never heard of Beryl Markham but I thoroughly enjoyed her story of being brought up in Africa. She became a horse trainer and solo pilot. She was a really spunky girl and I think this would be a great book for a high school reading list.
CUTTING FOR STONE by Abraham Verghese~ I can't tell you how much I loved this book. It was recommended by Meg, who writes The Member's Lounge, one of my favorite blogs. It's historical fiction, love story, medical story, family story all rolled into one. It takes place in India, Ethiopa and the United States.
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4 comments:
Sometimes the story about the book's journey and the reader is as great as the book itself! Thanks for the reminder!
Loved the first two and am putting the last two on my list--everyone is raving about Cutting for Stone.
Jeanne, I'm so glad you liked Cutting For Stone. I honestly fell in love with it - it was amazing. And thank you for the shout out, I am honored to be your blogger friend!
And people, if you want to read an underrated novel, read The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I could not put it down.
Reading a fabulous book is one of the greatest journey's you can take! My secret dream was to be a librarian...
actually liked “Angela's Ashes”. My Irish heritage? I've not heard of “Cutting For Stone” but from the sound of it you might like “The Coral Thief”. I'm reading it now and loving it!
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