Curl Up with a Hot Cuppa and ...
When my mother asked me for my Christmas list I realized that minor appliances, linens, and furniture topped it. Which is rather boring. Who gets excited about a Dust Buster for Christmas? Sadly, I do.
Instead of a list of holiday gift suggestions, I'm going to leave you with a list of what's on my bookshelf at home. Going on the hunch that quite a bit of bloggers also happen to be avid readers, perhaps you'll find a good read you weren't expecting. And I apologize that I will not be conveniently linking every book to a helpful website where you can purchase it. Just throw the name into Amazon's search engine or something, and I'm sure they'll help you out. (Did I ever mention I am a lazy blogger?) So, for better or worse, here it is:
On Writing, by Stephen King - Frankly, what can come out of this man's imagination scares the stuffing out of me. Clowns were already on my hit list, and then we got It. But this little gem of a book is one of the few I've actually enjoyed about writing itself. He won't give you a formulaic plan or anything like that, but it's very encouraging to any budding novelist. Also, the producers of Lost are big King fans, and you'll actually find some stuff in here that, hmm, sounds vaguely familiar if you are a fan of the series.
A Walk in the Woods & Down Under by Bill Bryson - I love good travel stories, and Bryson just nails it. His other books are good as well, but these two are my favorites. Whether he's contemplating a bear attack or sharing a train compartment with annoying passengers, these are hilarious. Bonus: You learn about another country and don't even know it. Beware his penchant for evolutionary theory. It only pops up rarely, though.
The Amelia Peabody Mysteries by Elizabeth Peters - Start with the first one, Crocodile on the Sandbank. Not only are they fun mysteries, but also I've learned a lot about the British occupation of Egypt and Egyptian history.
The Cat Who Series by Lillian Jackson Braun - Fun, quick reads. Perfect for an airplane.
Stillwatch and Where are the Children? by Mary Higgins Clark - In my humble opinion, her earlier works are a bit better than her later ones. I think I own all of them, though.
Anne of Green Gables and Anne of the Islandby Lucy Maud Montgomery - The whole series is good, but I remember my relief and satisfaction when she FINALLY realized Gilbert was the one for her. Whew.
The Sue Grafton mysteries - This is the alphabet mysteries featuring Kinsey Milhone. They are full of detail and well-paced and plotted.
A Girl Named Zippy and She Got Up Off the Couch by Haven Kimmel - Very absorbing, sometimes hysterically funny, memoirs of growing up in a small town. The author is able to capture the viewpoint of a child who's quite content to walk to the beat of her own drummer.
Up and Down in the Dales, The Other Side of the Dale, and Head over Heels in the Dales by Gervase Phinn. I found these books in Scotland. Phinn was a school inspector in the Yorkshire Dales in England and his encounters with children, head teachers, and the staff he works with are all engaging. Anyone who has ever worked with kids, or has kids, or knows just how hilarious kids can be when they are at their most earnest and honest will enjoy these.
The Hamish MacBeth mysteries by M.C. Beaton - These all start with Death of a _____. Set in a little town in the Scottish Highlands, they are more about the characters in the town and Hamish himself than the mysteries they revolve around. I like this series a lot better than her Agatha Raisin one. Agatha is just a character I cannot love. But Hamish, well, you kind of want to go on a date with him…
Maeve Binchy - Flat out, this woman is a great storyteller. She's able to weave different character's viewpoints into a great narrative that doesn't lag. Circle of Friends is still my favorite - and although the movie was decent, the book is way better.
Timeline by Micheal Crichton - Another one where you need to ignore the movie. At some point, while reading this book, I realized he had made me read several pages about quantum theory and I didn't mind it - I was still absorbed in the mystery. So props to Crichton for that.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - I'm always amazed at what can come out of someone's imagination, and the ability of the author to pull you along is incredible. You almost feel like you are Henry himself, shooting from one year to the next.
To the Vanishing Point by Alan Dean Foster - For the those who want their road trips with a little more spice than usual - check out this family's trip down a road they never intended to travel. My favorite part is when the highway patrol man sucks the oil filter clean and they realize that, perhaps, all is not what it appears to be.
Jane Austen - Enough said. One day while visiting a fellow missionary in Loughborough, England, she said, “Do you want to visit Chatsworth? It's where they filmed a lot of the BBC's Pride and Prejudice.” And I swooned and pretended I was Elizabeth roaming the house and gardens - but without the fetching empire-waisted dress. And no Colin Firth coming out of a pond. But still.
J.K. Rowling - I resisted Harry Potter when he first came out. I don't know why. Then I fell in love with him. I remember standing in Heathrow airport with The Sorcerer's Stone tucked under my arm and an 11-year old boy walked by me with the exact same book tucked under his arm, except in the UK it's called The Philosopher's Stone. We had an exciting discussion about our different book covers and where the whole series was going. Any author that manages to create impromptu book clubs in random international airports between people of different nationalities and age groups deserves a mention here.
Have fun!
P.S. I apologize for any mistakes in author names or book titles.
Instead of a list of holiday gift suggestions, I'm going to leave you with a list of what's on my bookshelf at home. Going on the hunch that quite a bit of bloggers also happen to be avid readers, perhaps you'll find a good read you weren't expecting. And I apologize that I will not be conveniently linking every book to a helpful website where you can purchase it. Just throw the name into Amazon's search engine or something, and I'm sure they'll help you out. (Did I ever mention I am a lazy blogger?) So, for better or worse, here it is:
On Writing, by Stephen King - Frankly, what can come out of this man's imagination scares the stuffing out of me. Clowns were already on my hit list, and then we got It. But this little gem of a book is one of the few I've actually enjoyed about writing itself. He won't give you a formulaic plan or anything like that, but it's very encouraging to any budding novelist. Also, the producers of Lost are big King fans, and you'll actually find some stuff in here that, hmm, sounds vaguely familiar if you are a fan of the series.
A Walk in the Woods & Down Under by Bill Bryson - I love good travel stories, and Bryson just nails it. His other books are good as well, but these two are my favorites. Whether he's contemplating a bear attack or sharing a train compartment with annoying passengers, these are hilarious. Bonus: You learn about another country and don't even know it. Beware his penchant for evolutionary theory. It only pops up rarely, though.
The Amelia Peabody Mysteries by Elizabeth Peters - Start with the first one, Crocodile on the Sandbank. Not only are they fun mysteries, but also I've learned a lot about the British occupation of Egypt and Egyptian history.
The Cat Who Series by Lillian Jackson Braun - Fun, quick reads. Perfect for an airplane.
Stillwatch and Where are the Children? by Mary Higgins Clark - In my humble opinion, her earlier works are a bit better than her later ones. I think I own all of them, though.
Anne of Green Gables and Anne of the Islandby Lucy Maud Montgomery - The whole series is good, but I remember my relief and satisfaction when she FINALLY realized Gilbert was the one for her. Whew.
The Sue Grafton mysteries - This is the alphabet mysteries featuring Kinsey Milhone. They are full of detail and well-paced and plotted.
A Girl Named Zippy and She Got Up Off the Couch by Haven Kimmel - Very absorbing, sometimes hysterically funny, memoirs of growing up in a small town. The author is able to capture the viewpoint of a child who's quite content to walk to the beat of her own drummer.
Up and Down in the Dales, The Other Side of the Dale, and Head over Heels in the Dales by Gervase Phinn. I found these books in Scotland. Phinn was a school inspector in the Yorkshire Dales in England and his encounters with children, head teachers, and the staff he works with are all engaging. Anyone who has ever worked with kids, or has kids, or knows just how hilarious kids can be when they are at their most earnest and honest will enjoy these.
The Hamish MacBeth mysteries by M.C. Beaton - These all start with Death of a _____. Set in a little town in the Scottish Highlands, they are more about the characters in the town and Hamish himself than the mysteries they revolve around. I like this series a lot better than her Agatha Raisin one. Agatha is just a character I cannot love. But Hamish, well, you kind of want to go on a date with him…
Maeve Binchy - Flat out, this woman is a great storyteller. She's able to weave different character's viewpoints into a great narrative that doesn't lag. Circle of Friends is still my favorite - and although the movie was decent, the book is way better.
Timeline by Micheal Crichton - Another one where you need to ignore the movie. At some point, while reading this book, I realized he had made me read several pages about quantum theory and I didn't mind it - I was still absorbed in the mystery. So props to Crichton for that.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - I'm always amazed at what can come out of someone's imagination, and the ability of the author to pull you along is incredible. You almost feel like you are Henry himself, shooting from one year to the next.
To the Vanishing Point by Alan Dean Foster - For the those who want their road trips with a little more spice than usual - check out this family's trip down a road they never intended to travel. My favorite part is when the highway patrol man sucks the oil filter clean and they realize that, perhaps, all is not what it appears to be.
Jane Austen - Enough said. One day while visiting a fellow missionary in Loughborough, England, she said, “Do you want to visit Chatsworth? It's where they filmed a lot of the BBC's Pride and Prejudice.” And I swooned and pretended I was Elizabeth roaming the house and gardens - but without the fetching empire-waisted dress. And no Colin Firth coming out of a pond. But still.
J.K. Rowling - I resisted Harry Potter when he first came out. I don't know why. Then I fell in love with him. I remember standing in Heathrow airport with The Sorcerer's Stone tucked under my arm and an 11-year old boy walked by me with the exact same book tucked under his arm, except in the UK it's called The Philosopher's Stone. We had an exciting discussion about our different book covers and where the whole series was going. Any author that manages to create impromptu book clubs in random international airports between people of different nationalities and age groups deserves a mention here.
Have fun!
P.S. I apologize for any mistakes in author names or book titles.
posted by Lisa | 7:24 AM
3 Comments:
We should start an online book club! I'd love one for talking about any mystery you're reading at the time. Great way to share titles/books.
And I have several of the ones you mentioned! Wonderful blog!:)
Thanks, Jules! I forgot to add another favorite author - J.S. Borthwick. The Sarah Deane mysteries are good. I liked The Student Body.
I would love to join an online book club! And thank you so much for the recommendations. I love reading books that other people I know have already enjoyed!
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