Some of the books I'd like to read soon include The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño, Changing My Mind (a book of essays) by Zadie Smith, The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman, and A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Have you read those already?
I've started Christmas shopping. Have you read any books lately that you think my mom might like? Successful gifts for her in the past few years have included The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and Mr. Pettigrew's Last Stand. I tend to look for mysteries for her that are not too scary or gory. Thanks for any suggestions!
1 comment:
oooh, great list. My gut reactions: Bolano, I always find reading foreign authors a challenge. However, since I recently laid down the gauntlet of Virginia Woolf, I can't possible wuss out now; Zadie Smith, I have heard really wonderful things about from people I trust book-wise; Pullman, The Golden Compass is on my top 10 favorite books of all time. I absolutely love it. Am always up for a re-read of that; Bryson, I love him, too. Haven't read this one, but his books are always a hoot. Maybe comedy is what we need after several challenging months in our "real" lives?
As for Christmas, I highly recommend The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It has magic, historical touches, a love story, a slice of mystery, and the most amazing sense of place. Two others that were my favorites of the past year (but aren't mysteries) are Cutting for Stone by Verghese (literary fiction) and The Uncommon Reader by Bennett (a humorous novella that wonders what would happen if the Queen of England fell in love with reading).
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