EBR 2013 - January Books
1. Leaving Home - Garrison Keillor (fiction or embellished non-fiction?)
Great book especially if you're familiar with his radio broadcasts about Minnesota. It had me laughing out loud! Basically, each chapter is a reading from his radio show about Lake Woebegone, his (fictional?) hometown in Minnesota and the people who live there. Garrison can make you cry and make you laugh and sometimes simultaneously!
2. Bet Your Bottom Dollar - Karen Gillespie (fiction)
I received this book from Kim over at Camp and Cottage Living awhile ago and it was a funny and enjoyable read. It's the first in a series I think and I may be on the look out for more. It tells the story of a group of close knit friends and employees who work at a Dollar Store (independently owned) when a big chain Dollar Store is threatening to move into the area and put them out of business. It takes place in a small Southern town and there's some intrigue, romance and genuine friendship that goes on. It's a heartwarming read and the plot was really interesting and unusual for a change.
3. The Glad Season - Paula Elizabeth Sitts (fiction)
Story about a parent-less boy growing up in the wilds of British Columbia with his Grandmother. I loved this book and every child should have this type of childhood! Lots of nature, wildlife, self-sufficiency and a true look into the hard work, love and interdependency we need to revisit. This boy had no time for drugs and there were no gangs to join. Very well written too.
4. Finding Grace - Donna Van Liere (non-fiction)
What a great attitude towards life and hard times this woman has. Very well written and it is true bolster to the spirit. If you want to feel good about yourself, your life and faith you should read this book!
5. Wapiti Wilderness - Margaret and Olaus Murie (non-fiction)
Okay, I saved the best for last. Hands down this is the best "nature"
book I've ever read. I gave a pretty extensive review in a past post
which I don't want to redo here but the Muries, Olaus and his brother
Adolph were famous biologists back in the early 1900's. They've both
written numerous books on nature and the studies they did for the U.S.
Department of Wildlife Management. This particular book is the best one
so far as it is written jointly with Olaus's wife, Margaret. It tells
not only of Olaus's work studying the elk (Wapiti) in and around Jackson
Hole, Wyoming but also includes Margaret's life with the children and
the outings they took as the family of a field biologist. Those
children had the life! It also tells much of the early history of those
who settled that area along with it's growth over the years they lived
there. Olaus's beautiful line drawings are included and several photos
of the family and their residences over the years they lived there,
which were many. I loved this book!
6. Life of Pi - Yann Martel (fiction)
This was a good book and so good they made a movie out of it but I
haven't seen the movie and after reading the book I will not see the
movie. The story was interesting and unusual but the violence and
carnage was not something I bargained for and it always amazes me what
goes on in the mind of people who can write that type of thing. I love
animals and I understand nature itself is violent but let's not make it
up. It almost made me sick to my stomach it was so graphic and albeit I
have an abundance of empathy in my system and people tell me "it's only
fiction" but it frightens me about the type of people who make it up in
their heads...what kind of thoughts are those? But then I have never
seemed to "go with the flow" of society regarding what's popular or "in"
so if you are a "normal" person you'll probably like it but me.....not
so much. I live in the old days of polite literature where the graphic
scenes regarding anything were left to the imagination: to me that took
much more talent.
BTW...this was the last new book I bought around Christmas time. It's
not been easy but I am really enjoying reading these books "I've been
meaning to read"! Thank you EBR!
1. Wildwood - Colin Meloy and illustrations by Carson Ellis
The book I finished is my first one for February but it was a big one,
541 pages to be exact! I need to read about 5 a month in order to meet
my goal of 50 by the end of the year for the GRAND PRIZE that
Embarrassment of Riches is giving away. It's not really about the prize
as I have no idea what it is or if I'll win it but more about the
challenge and reading only books I already have which I want and need to
do without buying more (which to me is so tempting). Anyway, this book
was so fun and interesting to read and I looked forward to it each
evening. It is sort of like a cross between Harry Potter and the Wizard
of Oz yet unique in it's own way. It is written by a husband and
illustrated by the wife who are both talented and creative people in
their own right before they collaborated on this book. There's a
another one after this one called Under Wildwood which, of course, I
want to get. I bought this right before Christmas and actually bought
it for the illustrations as I want to design my own applique and I
thought the illustrations, especially of the birds were very inspiring.
It is on the New York Times Bestseller List and I highly recommend it
if you would like an escape but can't afford a vacation! LOL!
I told you it was a biggy!
1. A Killer Stitch - Maggie Sefton
This is the 4th in the series of mysteries by Maggie Sefton. I love
her books as they involve a cozy yarn shop and a wonderful group of
friends. She always has a great mystery plot and she's a good writer.
The kind of book you look forward to crawling in bed with at the end of
the day. It takes place in Fort Collins, Colorado and is based on a
real shop there that the author frequents. I'm going to try and see if
they have a website.
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