September 7 - Disturbing

I may be using that word frequently this month.
In addition to The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, I've been reading Quietus by Vivian Shilling.
I found Shilling's book while foraging through a used book sale for the Oley Valley Community Library.
There is no Oley Library, hence the book sale. I also bought the memorial edition of Profiles in Courage (immediately borrowed by Olivia). I started reading Quietus in August. I'm still reading it - unusual for me.
It's taken me weeks because the story is...well...disturbing. It's not blood and guts; it's psychological and that's more difficult to get through.
As for the writing: if Shilling were a bit more spare with her words/descriptions, this book would be a literary gothic like The Little Stranger. But even with the small albeit amateurish problems, it's the kind of book that gives you bad dreams.
It gave me bad dreams one night while Morgan and I were staying in the cabin in the woods. I love the cabin. I love the woods and the sounds of the night and the absolute darkness. But this night I'd fallen asleep reading Shillington's book and the disturbing dreams...the nightmares...came. I rarely have nightmares, vivid dreams, yes, nightmares, no.
Quietus gave me nightmares. That's why I'm taking my time reading it.
But I am still reading it before I go to sleep.

The Almost Daily Blog Begins...September 6

September began with The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson. I cannot say enough about this series and this author. I read this book in less than a week. I couldn't stop. I've come to love Lisbeth in my own way and understand her, even though she wouldn't like that. I found the premise of this book disturbing - I find violence against anyone disturbing. Lisbeth as vigilante was a scenario that I enjoyed even though it bothered me - how's that for schizophrenia. I could do that, I thought. I could do what she did, out of anger, out of frustration, out of revenge, out of justice.

I've already started The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. I'm ambivalent about reading this book. I know it's the last one although I've read that Larsson had notes for at least seven more. I want to keep on reading, but I don't want the book to end. How many books have I read in my life like that? Too many to count. I have found a favorite author and he's dead, too soon.

I hate when that happens. So I'll go to Amazon and get The Man Who Left Too Soon.

August Reads

1. The Lost City - Clive Cussler, et al. This was another NOMA-centered story and Cussler has become a formula-writer, or his partners have. I still enjoy listening to these books and every so often they lead me to a new idea; however, still not as well-written or exciting as the Preston/Child books. (see #2).

2. Thunderhead - Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child. This was the second book I read on my Blackberry - which I found was not a difficult thing to do, especially this book. I've always been fascinated with the Anaszi, the Ancient Ones, and how they lived and then suddenly disappeared in the American Southwest. This book is not an exciting thriller but it shows the reader how an archeological study is performed - from beginning to almost-end. Because of this book, I bought two other books about the Anaszi, one by Douglas Preston and Morgan and I are planning a trip to that area when I retire.

3. The Codex- Douglas Preston. Can you tell I'm a huge fan? This was the third Blackberry book. I picked this one because the plot centers around finding a Mayan Codex that has been reburied. My own book, The Last Prophecy, (which I'm revising) also mentions a Mayan Codex. This is another thriller - a bit of archeology and with a lot of anthropology thrown in. I do pick books that have themes that interest me.

4. Cross- James Patterson. I listened to Cross again. I rarely repeat books, there's just too many. But I fell in love with Alex Cross from the first book and, along with The Cat Who books, reread/listen to them. Actually I listened to this in preparation for Double Cross. I think the Cross series was the best Patterson has done and when he branched out and/or let others "assist" he lost me. I want more of Alex. Heck, if I didn't have Morgan, I would love to have Alex - although it's just getting past NanaMomma that would be the problem.

5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson. I admit that I started this book out of curiosity. I know the man's dead and that gives it a hint of mystery. And set in Sweden? Pfft...boooor-ing. I know it's been on the best seller list for umpteen weeks, so I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. Even though I felt the beginning was a bit slow, I stuck with it and boy! am I glad I did. I loved, loved, loved this book. I couldn't wait to get back to reading it. I fell into it - just what I love to do with a book. I found myself admiring Lisbeth, a social outcast (Hmm? Sisters under the tattoo?). I found myself wanting to read more. Damn, the man, uping and dying like that. How many great books have we lost because of that. Damn, you Stieg. You should have stopped smoking years ago! I'm now going to get a biography about him. I may even visit...gasp! Sweden because of him...

Now onto September and The Girl Who Played with Fire (you knew I would HAVE to read that next).

Why I'm a Voracious Reader

I guess I could blame summer heat and my mother.

When I was growing up in Laurel, Maryland in the 1950s not too many places were air-conditioned. The Laurel move theater had a huge sign stating that it was - a great boon to sales. Our little family apartment over the barbershop was certainly not air-conditioned and on hot summer days, Mom would take me and my little sister, Pattie, a couple of blocks up Main Street to the Laurel Library - it was air conditioned.
I still can remember how the library looked and smelled. I remember the feel and the smell of the small red books for children. I still remember exactly where The Witch of Blackbird Pond (my very favorite young adult book when I was in my tweens) was shelved.
Until I was eight years old and we moved away, the library was within walking distance of our apartment and a place I could go any time. I learned to love books. I learned to love reading.

As I grew up (and grew out) books became my friends. I had "real" friends, of course, I was bright and funny. But I was also overweight. My teenage years were not peppered with dates and fun times. I rarely went out with friends. I would stay home and read. I read and read and read. I've been told that my large collection of books could be a form of protection - walls of books to keep people outside.

Or maybe I just love to read and value the books I've read.  I don't read as opposed to having a social life, so I don't believe in the wall of books theory.
I read because I enjoy reading.
I read because books and their authors take me to places and times I've never been to - may never get to.
I read because it's fun.

July's Books

1. Sizzling Sixteen - Janet Evanovich.
The Stephanie Plum series is one of my favorites but by number 16, I'm waiting for Steph to just frickin' grow up and make a choice between Ranger and Morelli. However, I did laugh out loud - which I like while listening to an audiobook. And my very favorite character, the one who makes each book, is Lula.

2. Atlantis Revelation - This is the third in Thomas Greanais' series. I love thrillers (hence my love affair with Preston/Child's books - together and separately) and I loved the first two - but I wanted more Atlantis...well...uh...revelations. It was still an exciting read. I'm hoping for more.

3. Apartment 16 - I bought Adam Nevill's book at Heathrow Airport and read it on a long, boring flight home across the Atlantic. It was scary and at times fascinating but Nevill doesn't yet present the characterizations that make Stephen King's books frighteningly real. I love being scared - especially 30, 000 ft up.

4. Ice Cold - Tess Gerritsen. Tess Gerritsen got me into Cosmos - well, almost. I saw her at an RWA conference and she was carrying this lovely pink drink and I asked her what it was. She looked at me like I was nuts - like: "everyone drinks Cosmos." I had yet to see Sex in the City - no HBO. Anyway, this book was my first to read on my Blackberry. I loved the book - hot murder in winter and I loved the mobility of reading on my Blackberry. I decided on my Birthday present to myself: A Kindle.

5. Blue Medusa - Clive Cussler et al. Back to the thrillers and on audio. I enjoy most of Custler's work, but at times I think: I can draw the map of where this is going. And I'm right 99% of the time. This was no exception. It was fun listening to it but no repeats.

6. Thirteen to Life - Shannon Delany. Shannon's Morgan's daughter, a beautiful woman and a great writer. And no, I didn't have to say that. I enjoy reading what is pigeon-holed as "young adult" - sometimes the stories and the emotions are more real than in the "adult" literary world. In the age of vampires, Shannon wrote (and is writing) a series about werewolves - much warmer than vamps any day. I loved the heroine and the premise for the hero's...er...issue. Something new and something well-written.

7.The Little Stranger - Sarah Waters. Okay, I have to admit it. Nothing suits me like a good old fashion gothic - and this is more than that - this is a good old fashion literary gothic. There's that dirty word: literary. That doesn't mean anything other than this wasn't shelved in the horror section -but it damn sight could have been. It scared me. And Waters scared me without anything showing up - nothing like a ghost, a vampire, nothing...damn good book. How many times can I say damn in this blog? Damn fine book.

8. Horns - Joe Hill. Did I mention that I like to be scared? I also like to fall into a book and have a hard time climbing my way out of it. That's what happened with this book. Joe Hill is his father's son - creatively and skill-wise. I cannot wait to read all of his books as he matures. I read this book two months ago and I'm still thinking about it.

How This Will Work

Actually I have no idea.
I will attempt to blog daily - thoughts on the books I'm reading/listening to at the time and how the book(s) affect my daily life.
I'll warn you, gentle reader, that I am an eclectic sort. I'll read almost anything that looks interesting and in almost any genre. I do get on "kicks" and archeological thrillers seem to be my latest. However, I'm also a member of a book club and I don't get to pick the books, so there should be some diversity.

Since it's September and I started writing down titles and thoughts in July. I'll start with one post to cover July and one to cover August. Then we'll swing into September.

I enjoy cooking and may one day do some of Julia's recipes but reading is my passion, closely followed by writing, and I think writing about books and how what I'm reading is shaping my life is more interesting that whipping up a fondue. No offense to cookbook authors everywhere.

Reviving....

...this blog.

I've given myself a goal - a personal best: to read/listen to 100 books from July 2010 to July 2011.
I must admit I stole the idea from the "Julie" in Julia and Julie, the young woman who blogged about making one of Julia Childs' recipes every day for a year.

I never read the book but I did see the movie and although I loved Julia, I thought Julie was a bit of a self-absorbed whiner who was lucky to have a husband who allowed her a lot...a lot of emotional latitude.

Therefore, I revive this blog with the caveat: I will NOT be lying on the floor in the middle of a dozen books, having an emotional meltdown. I MAY take off June 2011 in order to meet my goal - we'll see.

So...here we go...