SADIEBELLE'S SUMMER BOOK LIST

Libraries are good things. I found the Ottawa City Library. Now, this is a place to use the computer (woo-hoo) a very good thing considering Michael keeps trying to “fix” our web connection which means that I don’t have access 90% of the time. Other than that, it’s also a chance to read books in English. I have been reading a ridiculous number of books in the past couple of weeks. I have been throughly enjoying myself. I figure I have to read the good stuff now before September & law school.

Moving on... here's my recommendations (and a secondary list of books that maybe you'll love more than I did) This awesome booklist contains absolute rants: books I’ve loved that have provided succor and joy to my soul like a cold cloth on a fevered brow. My reactions tend to be unapologetically emotional, thus the order of this list is somewhat arbitrary. My apologies to all that I’ve previously ranted to about these books. Comments and recommendations are welcome (please – someone- make an intelligent comment to something I’ve written)

SMALL WONDER- Barbara Kingslover. A collection of essays inspired and collected in response to 9/11. Beautiful-- covering everything from mother-daughter relationships, ecologically sustainable living, family life, the role of the artist in the world and Barbie dolls. Beautifully written, heartfelt without coming across as overly earnest, its arguements make a compelling case for our interconnectedness with each other. I felt so connected to and positive about my fellow planet dwellers when i had finished the book.

SCRIBBLING THE CAT- Alexandra Fuller. She wrote the earlier memoir, DON’T LET’S GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT which is a must read primer on growing up in Zimbabwe during the war and the years following Independance. SCRIBBLING THE CAT follows her journey around southern Africa with a former white soldier. It deals with Africa today in its harshest, cruelest light while at the same time talking about redemption, a love for the land and a respect for its history.

UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN - Jon Krakuer. I've wanted to read this book for awhile-- I love Krakaur's writting and Mormonism fascinates me, so it seemed to be a good fit. He looks at the roots of the Mormon faith, its flirtaions with extremism and fundamentalism (into present times) and addresses the place of the Church as a power broker. Great-- sent me on a bit of a Morman reading binge.

LADIES NUMBER ONE DETECTIVE AGENCY - Alexander MacCall Smith. Another Zimbabwean on the list! hmmm.. think I miss Africa much?? Gentle, humourous and fun... a tale of the first Botswanan lady detective using her intuition and knowledge of human behavior (which seems pretty universal). I look forwad to reading the rest of the series. I did try the first in his Isabel Dalhousie series and didn't love it as much. Maybe his gift is writing about Africa and its peoples...

A COOK'S TOUR- Anthony Bourdain. I love this man. Sure he's crazy and violent and hates vegetarians and rude. He smokes like a chimney, drinks like a fish, is a substance abuser of the first order, completly crass and most likely dirty. Nonetheless, I would follow him around the world for a perfect meal, but until that happens, I'll settle for reading about it (see also: KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL).

THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB- Karen Joy Fowler. I love Austen, love the idea of an Austenian book club and this is a perfect book. Others that I respect disagree with my love of this book- but I think the author does a wonderful job bringing the elements of the "real" world together with Austen's world. Her books are so true today as they ever were. The Author also has a collection of responses to Ms. Austen's books throughout time.

THE WAY THE CROW FLIES- Anne Marie MacDonald. I didn't take to Fall On Your Knees (I had an idea of what it was about and really didn't feel like "engaging" with it). Mirin, a woman i worked with at the Bone Centre, said that this book was one to read. So I tried it and wow! I couldn't stop. I stayed up at night reading it and just-- was overcome. A mystery, a coming of age story, a story about the choices we make, of family, redemption and love. Absolutely fantastic.

Other books...

• The Other Side of the Story- Marian Keyes. I love Marian Keyes but nothing will ever compare to her opus Rachel's Holiday
• Pandora- Jilly Cooper. A classic Jilly book...
• She's Come Undone-- Wally Lamb. I loved These Things I Know Are True- one of the most beautiful books ever. This one didn't do too much for me. But the woman in the bookstore said it had changed her life, so I had to try it.
• Fire Sale-- Sara Paretsky. I love VI Warshawski- she's tough and smart and politically aware. What's not to love? This is the most recent addition to this series which I've been reading for-- almost as long as I can remember. Her writing style always pulls me in.
  

That's it-- let me know if you've comments, complaints or (even better) recommendations...

It’s the habit of learning to love that’s the thing-- Jane Austen