Bound To Be Bookish

 I’m embarrassed that I’ve been away such a long time.  What was I thinking!?  At the least, dear bookish friends, let me tell you of my latest downloads to “Stella,” my Kindle.

I have to stop here first to say that I’m regretting that I didn’t purchase these top two in hardback because I have collected these authors’ (my favorites) books for years.   But, since my children don’t seem to be the least bit interested in my first editions….I’m slowing down on that end.  [I'm still thinking of buying the Joyce Carol Oates in Hdbk!]

So, here are the new Stella buys:

Little Bird of Heaven            by   Joyce Carol Oates

Angel Time: The Songs of the Seraphim   by   Anne Rice

206 Bones    by  Kathy Reichs

Beautiful Lies   by  Lisa Unger

The Children’s Book   by A.S. Byatt

Framley Parsonage    by  Anthony Trollope

Homer & Langley:  A Novel   by  E.L.  Doctorow

Last Night in Twisted River:  A Novel    by   John Irving

Vampire Darcy’s Desire:  A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation by Regina Jeffers

I’ve read,  “Angel Time…,”  “Vampire Darcy’s Desire….,”  and  “Beautiful Lies,”  all of which I recommend for different reasons.   Anne Rice is always a revelation, and in this new book you may take that literally!  While she can get solidly preachy, at least we have the entertainment of an interesting story and her return to descriptions like interior and exterior architecture, history, books, music and arts.  That’s something I’ve always loved about her.   She’s not quite “there,” for her Lestat and Mayfair Witches readers, but she’s coming along.  I felt she was very autobiographical in this book….we have a sheerly veiled story of her personal, early life and her new reconversion to Catholicism.   I would recommend it to you with a 3 rating.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed for her next book.

“Vampire Darcy’s Desire…” is just an absolutely “teatime” read.  It’s fun and quick and delightful.  See my face glimmering with glee in the glow of a dim light!   :]  Nice thought, but very bad for the eyes!

I’m a new fan of Lisa Unger.  A Kindleine friend mentioned her to me at the Clubhouse Pool recently, and I bit and bought.  “Beautiful Lies,” is a good book!  I like the style of writing, the story and the pace of Unger’s book.  Her’s is not a Patricia Cornwell or Kathy Reichs type of mystery/murder, but it is similar to the writing of Jodi Picoult.    I would recommend her to anyone who just wants a good mystery that’s not light reading or dumbied out.   There’s enough substance in her to keep us interested.  And, I’m going to read more of her books.

I’ve just started “…Little Bird of Heaven,” so I haven’t much to say at this point, except can we ever have a bad review of Ms. Oates?   When I have one of her new books in my sweaty palms, feeling the electric zing through my innards, and the quake of smile and giggles going through me….all I can do is grab a soda, snuggle down with my quilt and put up the “Do Not Disturb” sign.    It would shock me beyond belief to know that there are readers/friends of mine who have never read Ms. Oates.   If you’re there….don’t tell….your literary ignorance would be too humiliating.   Just run to the bookstore and grab several of her books quickly and quietly.  It will restore you sanity and literacy.

Books not on my Kindle but being read nevertheless, are:  

 ”The Year of the Flood, “  by Margaret Atwood

Passionate Search:  A Life of Charlotte Bronte    by  Margaret Crompton

Girl in a Blue Dress:  A Novel Inspired By The Life and Marriage of Charles Dickens      by  Gaynor  Arnold

My reviews are preliminary since I haven’t finished each of them, but here they are:

Margaret Atwoods, “…Flood,” is fascinating and habit-forming.  Like Toni Morrison, Ms Atwood has this tendency these past few years of writing in a sort of free form- flow of conscientiousness  (can’t remember the literary word) manner such as James Joyce is accredited for inventing.  Though she does make more sense.  And, her book does begin to make sense about 1/2 the way through!      Her chapters skip back and forth through time which makes getting too involved with the characters nearly impossible.  Is this a ploy?  Hmmm    Maybe she’s trying to give us the feel of disjointed, isolated, anxiety ridden, non-intimacy of the dystopian culture she’s writing about.    This is a very important book for lots of reasons.   I can see it being on the college (possibly HS reading list) lists.    Sooner or later, you’ll have to read it.

“Girl in a Blue Dress,”   is so charming and interesting.  It’s hard to put down.  For Dickens lovers such as I am, you’ll just be finding another way to day dream about him and his life and surroundings.  And for those of us who love those time period pieces,  you’ll have so much fun with this book.   So what if it’s not all true.   It’s a sort of “Crimson and the Rose, ” book.  It’s easy to enjoy thoroughly.

“Passionate Search…Charlotte Bronte,”  is one of the very best biographies I’ve ever read about her.  It’s probably out-of-print.  I found it in an old book store in Key West this Summer.   Just a slim little volume, it’s packed with wonderful information about the Bronte children, Charlotte and her school friends.  I particularly love this author’s sharing descriptions of her.   I’ve always thought Charlotte was lovely, but it seems, she thought she was ugly because one of her early school companions told her so.    This is a wonderful book.

Please come by again!

Your Bookish Dame,        Deborah

And see my blog, too:    http://lavenroseramblings.blogspot.com

Please come again.  I promise to be a more faithful Bookish Dame.