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One great thing about my life this year is that literature has made a decided comeback.

I LOVE BOOKS.


In the last month, I have read:

Jane Eyre - had to re-read it before the movie, which was great, although can't quite capture the scope of the book. Ah, I love this book.

Wuthering Heights - re-read it when I realized I'd confused it with Jane Eyre. Forgot how dark it is and what a "gothic" novel is. Um, it's great.

Tell It Slant - novel about an unraveling lesbian relationship, with references to Djuna Barnes’ novel Nightwood. I am not at all familiar with this original story. But this was a fascinating book - possibly because I'm generally unfamiliar with gay/lesbian literature.

Eon - a young adult fantasy novel about a girl pretending to be a boy to wield her magical powers. Totally engrossing, fairly predictable. Can't wait for the sequel.

Shining At the Bottom of the Sea - a collection of historical short stories & literary criticism from the fictitious colonized island country of Sanjan. Loved it, particularly for its pseudo-academic bend.

Sweet Dates in Basra - not awful, but the worst-written book of the bunch, I still had to finish it. Set in Iran in the late 1940's - that's reason enough! It's a love story. Classic religious/class divide.

The Color of Fire - a young adult novel set in New York, pre-revolution. There is a "Negro uprising" and one young slave finds herself in the midst of it, loosely based on historical happenings.

The Uncommon Reader - what would happen if the Queen discovered the joy of reading; not just reports and for her active duties, but for pleasure and joy? A novella that got me thinking about the freedoms I have as a "commoner."
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Comments

  1. Anonymous11:50 AM

    A book I read recently that you might be interested in is Migrations to Solitude by Sue Halpern. It's more about privacy/self-disclosure than solitude, per say, but I still think something you would enjoy, based on what you write about :)

    p.s. I enjoy your blog, I hope it is okay that I read it :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beth8:42 PM

    Rachelle,

    I put a hold on it at the library today! Sounds fascinating.

    And OF COURSE you are welcome to read - that is why this lovely site exists :)

    ReplyDelete

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