Sunday Caught My Interest

A week of computer troubles, lots and lots of pictures, more doctor appointments, and a reading slump…so today I am catching up on the blog world and watching youngest write four essays for the University of  Washington. One of the essay questions is to compare the scientist to the poet and youngest has been bombarded from both sides having an English Major for a mom and a Engineer Professor for a dad. I think we are more excited about the topic than he is.

Kate Morton is a good modern day Gothic novelist who produces works with compelling mysteries and great atmospheres. S. Krishna reviews her newest book The Distant Hours and since I enjoyed The Forgotten Garden and I will put this new one on my list for a nice escapist read.

I have never read Anita Brookner’s Hotel De Lac but this short review by Vintage Reads makes me want to rethink things. I do think it is true that we have different reactions to books depending on the stage we are at when we are reading them. I thought Anna Karenia was a romantic figure when I was in my twenties – in my forties, I wanted to slap her. Which book of Brookner’s is your favorite?

Caroline Bookbinder has a link to the American Book Review’s 100 Best First Lines in Fiction and it is fun to look at their list – everything from “The best of times” to CS Lewis: “There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.”. They also had a line from Anita Brookner’s The Debut: “Dr. Weiss, at forty, knew that her life had been ruined by literature.” I think the world is trying to tell me something.

I don’t often recommend non-fiction but I stumbled across The Wayfinder’s” Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World at Page247 and I am enthralled. Based on the CBC’s Massey lecture, Wade Davis explores what it means to be human and the contributions made to our world by indigenous cultures.  I also found a  review of the book at The Globe and Mail.

Iris on Books and some other bloggers have started a project called A Year of Feminist Classics featuring both fiction and non-fiction. They have set up a special blog for this here and their reading list – which is very impressive – can be found here.  I may join them a time or two – The Doll’s House by Ibsen is intriguing and I haven’t read a play for a long time (The last being Angels In America). It would also be fun to read and discuss A Room of One’s Own.

And to celebrate the end of  high school cross country running (at least for youngest – himself is still planning on doing stats) – here is a photo from the last GSL meet of youngest and his friend celebrating a season well run.