I should mention a few of the books we’ve read recently in my book club. One that stands out is Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin. She is an autistic woman who is a gifted animal scientist. The book gives us an inside view of how her mind works-how she truly does think in pictures. It’s the clearest picture into the autistic mind I’ve ever read. She is a remarkable woman, and it is an incredible story, however, its not my favorite…
If you are not familiar with the works of Rudolph Steiner-you should be! Rudolph Steiner was a brilliant teacher, writer, thinker, human being. He is the founder of Anthroposophy, a spiritual path of knowledge. He is also the founder of Waldorf Education, Biodynamic Farming, Anthroposophic Medicine and a form of movement called Eurythmy, among other things. His writings on all these subjects are vast, and not easy reading, but highly worth the effort. I recommend reading Theosophy. Also, I am…
I have just finished reading Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier, and I have to say-I love this book! I didn’t want it to end. Tracy Chevalier writes wonderful historical fiction about ordinary women- one of my favorite things to read. This is a story of Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot, fossil hunters on the English seaside in the early 1800’s. The creatures they discover are truly remarkable, as are these women, at a time when women weren’t allowed to even…
I have just finished reading The Sky Below by Stacey D’Erasmo. I have mixed feelings about this book. Without a doubt Sacey D’Erasmo is a great writer. Her style pulled me in immediatley and I knew I was in for a treat. It is a mythic journey of a man trying to find himself-his soul, something he lost in childhood. It takes us on a journey to far away places with lots of interesting characters along the way. The problem…
I just recently read Lime Tree Can’t Bear Orange by Amanda Smyth. I am always looking for literature by women from other countries, so I was excited to read this book set in Trinidad and Tobago. It was at times difficult for me to read because of some of the violent situations presented. However, it is a fascinating and complex portrait of a landscape and a culture that I know little about. Definately worth reading.
I used to get most of the books I read from used book stores, then sell them back when I was done reading. This, as most of you who read know, is almost entirely a thing of the past, much to my dismay. There are of course discounted books from Amazon (the reason most of the independent bookstores have gone out of business in the first place), books given to me by friends who also read, and other random sources. But…
Although I mostly read books by women, I got sucked into The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency Series, set in Botswana, by Alexander McCall Smith. These are wonderful books and you cannot help falling in love with the protagonist, Precious Ramotswe. I have also just read La’s Orchestra Saves the World ( McCall Smith is an amateur bassoonist among many other things, and co-founder of The Really Terrible Orchestra) and now am reading The 44 Scotland Street Series. Most recently I have…
One of my favorite discoveries in recent years is all the wonderful literature coming out of India-especially by women. My favorite of these authors is Thrity Umrigar. Her book, The Space Between Us is truly remarkable. One of the best books I’ve read in years. Following this is If Today Be Sweet, and also First Darling of the Morning, selected memories of an Indian childhood. I’ve yet to read Bombay Time, her debut novel, but its on my list. Also…
There have been so many books recently about knitting or quilting, some of them quite enjoyable. There is the Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs, followed by Knit Two. There is the Elm Creek Quilt series, by Jennifer Chiaverini. One of these that I particularly enjoyed was The Aloha Quilt. I’ve also stumbled onto some books about lace making- The lovely book The Lacemakers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri and also Knit in Comfort by Isabel Sharpe. I’m sure…
If you have yet to read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, I highly recommend it. This is followed by the wonderful book Stones into Schools. These books are the true story of one mountaineer’s journey to build schools for girls in some of the most inhospitable regions of Pakistan and Afgahnistan. Truly Inspiring!!