Remarkable Creatures

I have just finished reading Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier, and I have to say-I love this book! I didn't want it to end. Tracy Chevalier writes wonderful historical fiction about ordinary women- one of my favorite things to read. This is a story of Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot, fossil hunters on the English seaside in the early 1800's. The creatures they discover are truly remarkable, as are these women, at a time when women weren't allowed to even be present at Geological society meetings, let alone be credited for their discoveries.

Chevalier is also the author of  Girl with a Pearl Earring, another historical fiction novel about the maid in the famous Vermeer painting. This novel is as beautifully written as the painting that inspired it. A film was made based on this book and was so beautifully shot, that you feel as if you are inside the painting itself.

The Sky Below

I have just finished reading The Sky Below by Stacey D'Erasmo. I have mixed feelings about this book. Without a doubt Sacey D'Erasmo is a great writer. Her style pulled me in immediatley and I knew I was in for a treat. It is a mythic journey of a man trying to find himself-his soul, something he lost in childhood. It takes us on a journey to far away places with lots of interesting characters along the way. The problem is that I never really cared about the protagonist. This made it hard for me to stay engaged. I did find it redeeming by the end, and this is an author worth checking out for sure.

Lime Tree Can't Bear Orange

I just recently read Lime Tree Can't Bear Orange by Amanda Smyth. I am always looking for literature by women from other countries, so I was excited to read this book set in Trinidad and Tobago. It was at times difficult for me to read because of some of the violent situations presented. However, it is a fascinating and complex portrait of a landscape and a culture that I know little about. Definately worth reading.

Jane Kirkpatrick

I used to get most of the books I read from used book stores, then sell them back when I was done reading. This, as most of you who read know, is almost entirely a thing of the past, much to my dismay. There are of course discounted books from Amazon (the reason most of the independent bookstores have gone out of business in the first place), books given to me by friends who also read, and other random sources. But the most usefull place I've found to get current literature in as great a quantity as I want, is at the library. I have been pleasantely surprised at what I've found there. So most of what I'm currently reading is dictated by what I can find at my local library.

One author I've recently discovered at the library is Jane Kirpatrick. She has written 16 historical novels, often about the lives of ordinary women. The book I just finished is called An Absence So Great. It is an historical novel about her grandmother Jessie Ann Gaebele, one of the country's first female photographers, with dreams of opening her own studio at a time when this was almost completely unheard of. I loved this book, and I look forward to reading more from Jane Kirkpatrick.

Alexander McCall Smith

Although I mostly read books by women, I got sucked into The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency Series, set in Botswana, by Alexander McCall Smith. These are wonderful books and you cannot help falling in love with the protagonist, Precious Ramotswe.

I have also just read La's Orchestra Saves the World ( McCall Smith is an amateur bassoonist among many other things, and co-founder of The Really Terrible Orchestra) and now am reading The 44 Scotland Street Series. Most recently I have read The Unbearable Lightness of Scones, which is a lovely book set in Edinburgh, but has nothing whatsoever to do with scones.

Indian women authors

One of my favorite discoveries in recent years is all the wonderful literature coming out of India-especially by women. My favorite of these authors is Thrity Umrigar. Her book, The Space Between Us is truly remarkable. One of the best books I've read in years. Following this is If Today Be Sweet, and also First Darling of the Morning, selected memories of an Indian childhood. I've yet to read Bombay Time, her debut novel, but its on my list.

Also worth reading is the wonderful Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Start with The Mistress of Spices and go from there...........

Knitting/Quilting/Lacemaking...........

There have been so many books recently about knitting or quilting, some of them quite enjoyable.

There is the Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs, followed by Knit Two.

There is the Elm Creek Quilt series, by Jennifer Chiaverini. One of these that I particularly enjoyed was The Aloha Quilt.

I've also stumbled onto some books about lace making- The lovely book The Lacemakers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri and also Knit in Comfort by Isabel Sharpe.

I'm sure there are many more, I've just mentioned a few. These are lovely reads by the fire with a cup of tea, especially if you are doing some of your own handwork, or even if you're not.

Three Cups of Tea

If  you have yet to read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, I highly recommend it. This is followed by the wonderful book Stones into Schools.

These books are the true story of one mountaineer's journey to build schools for girls in some of the most inhospitable regions of Pakistan and Afgahnistan.
Truly Inspiring!!

Outlander Series

I cannot fail to mention all the pleasure I have gotten from reading the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon.

I had to really be talked into reading these books (Thank you Grandma Marji!) then couldn't get enough of them. Although they might not be for everyone, disappearing into the 18th century Scottish Highlands with James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser while sipping a cup of hot tea by the fire is a true pleasure not to be missed!

The Glass Castle

Jeannette Walls incredible memoir-The Glass Castle- is another of those books that has just stayed with me. It is almost too incredible to believe when you are reading it. She has transformed very sad and difficult situations into something quite magical and wonderful  You will have to read it for yourself to believe it!
Highly recommended!!

Her prequel to this-Half Broke Horses is on my reading list.

Marilynne Robinson

I also must mention Marilynne Robinson. Probably one of my favorite books in recent years is Gilead. This book is written in such a beautiful and serene style, I was carried along by the congregationalist pastors voice the whole way. Although perhaps it would be a bit slow moving for some tastes, for me it was beautiful beyond words, even making me cry by the end. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Robinson followed this book with Home. I will only say that after Gilead, I was deeply disappointed.

Let's See, Lisa See

The first books that come to mind are the wonderful books by Lisa See, starting with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, followed by Peony in Love, and finally Shanghai Girls.  The first is my favorite, anthough there is a very difficult to read chapter on foot binding. Of these three, I liked Shanghai Girls the least, but still, they are all worth the read.

Wonderful historical fiction set in China. Lisa See is a master. Of all the books I've read in the past few years, these have really stuck with me.

Welcome to g's reads!

Hello!
My name is Gena, and my husband Loring has been bugging me for a long time to keep a blog about all the books I read, so I decided to finally do it.

It is partly just a list for me to remember what I've read and for friends who are constantly asking me what good books I've read lately and if I have any recommendations.

So let me start by telling those of you who don't know me that I READ A LOT!

I must also confess that I read almost exclusively (but not entirely) books written by women.
Mostly fiction (but not always)
Mostly current (usually)
Often from countries all over the world (again, not always)
These are just my tendencies. I make exceptions.

I've read hundreds and hundreds of books in the past few years, and I think I will start my next post by just mentioning a few memorable books before getting up to what I'm reading now.

More soon............